Corporate Social Responsibility Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate Social Responsibility - Case Study Example It has been discovered that the organization ought to promptly take activities to take part in progressively imaginative and advantage procuring CSR exercises in order to improve its socially capable picture and guarantee its drawn out manageability. Shell Oil Company is the American auxiliary of the worldwide oil significant organization, Royal Dutch Shell. The Royal Dutch Shell is an oil organization of Anglo-Dutch starting point and is one of the biggest oil companies on the planet. The administrative center of Shell Oil Company is in Houston, Texas. The organization alongside its offer in the value organizations and the merged organizations is one of the main oil and petroleum gas delivering organizations in the United States of America. The organization is likewise occupied with the matter of gaseous petrol promoting, petrochemical assembling, and gas advertising. The primary items sold by the organization incorporate fills, oils, and oil card administrations. The organization likewise manages the creation, investigation, and refining of normal oil and oil based goods. For this reason, the corporate social duty activities taken up by Shell Company and the fundamental thought processes of the organization for embracing these CSR rehearses are examined. The results of the CSR exercises are assessed according with the impacts of the distinctive interior and outside partner gatherings and a conversation is made on how these exercises have taken care of business the picture and notoriety of the organization among the worldwide partner gatherings. The report is closed by giving appropriate suggestions with regards to how the picked organization can improve the brand notoriety by taking part in increasingly imaginative CSR activities.

Afghanistan Country Facts and History

Afghanistan Country Facts and History Afghanistan has the mishap of sitting in a vital situation at the intersection of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Middle East. In spite of its bumpy landscape and savagely autonomous occupants, the nation has been attacked over and over since its commencement. Today, Afghanistan is again entangled in war, pitting NATO troops and the present government against the removed Taliban and its partners. Afghanistan is an entrancing yet savagery wracked nation, where East meets West. Capital and Major Cities Capital: Kabul, populace 3,475,000 (2013 gauge) Kandahar, populace 491,500Herat, 436,300Mazar-e-Sharif, 375,000Kunduz, 304,600Jalalabad, 205,000 Afghanistan Government Afghanistan is an Islamic Republic, headed by the President. Afghan presidents may serve a limit of two 5-year terms. Ashraf Ghani was chosen in 2014.  Hamid Karzaiâ served two terms as president before him. The National Assembly is a bicameral governing body, with a 249-part House of the People (Wolesi Jirga), and a 102-part House of the Elders (Meshrano Jirga). The nine judges of the Supreme Court (Stera Mahkama) are designated to terms of 10 years by the President. These arrangements are dependent upon endorsement by the Wolesi Jirga. Afghanistan Population The number of inhabitants in Afghanistan is evaluated at 32.6 million. Afghanistan is home to various ethnic gatherings. The biggest is the Pashtun, 42 percent of the populace. Tajiks make up 27 percent, Hazarasâ 8 percent, and Uzbeks 9 percent, Aimaks 4 percent, Turkmen 3 percent and Baluchi 2 percent. The staying 13 percent are minor populaces of Nuristanis, Kizibashis, and different gatherings. Future for the two people inside Afghanistan is 60 years. The newborn child death rate is 115 for each 1,000 live births, the most noticeably awful on the planet. It likewise has one of the most noteworthy maternal death rates. Official Languages Afghanistans official dialects are Dari and Pashto, the two of which are Indo-European dialects in the Iranian sub-family. Composed Dari and Pashto both utilize an adjusted Arabic script.Other Afghan dialects incorporate Hazaragi, Uzbek, and Turkmen. Dari is the Afghan lingo of the Persian language. It is very like Iranian Dari, with slight contrasts in articulation and complement. The two are commonly understandable. Around 33 percent of Afghanis speak Dari as their first language. Around 40 percent of the individuals of Afghanistan communicate in Pashto, the language of the Pashtun clan. It is likewise spoken in the Pashtun territories of western Pakistan. Religion The mind greater part of Afghanistans individuals are Muslim, around 99 percent. Around 80 percent are Sunni, and 19 percent Shia. The last one percent incorporates around 20,000 Bahais, 3,000-5,000 Christians. Only one Bukharan Jewish man, Zablon Simintov, stayed by 2005. The entirety of different individuals from the Jewish people group fled when the Soviets attacked Afghanistan in 1979. Until the mid-1980s, Afghanistan likewise had a populace of 30,000 to 150,000 Hindus and Sikhs. During the Taliban system, the Hindu minority had to wear yellow identifications when they went out in the open, and Hindu ladies needed to wear the Islamic-style hijab. Today, just a couple of Hindus remain. Geology Afghanistan is a land-bolted nation verging on Iran toward the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan toward the north, a modest fringe with China at the upper east, and Pakistan toward the east and south. Its all out territory is 647,500 square kilometers (right around 250,000 square miles). The greater part of Afghanistan is in the Hindu Kush Mountains, with some lower-lying desert zones. The most elevated point is Nowshak, at 7,486 meters (24,560 feet). The most minimal is the Amu Darya River Basin, at 258 meters (846 feet). A dry and sloping nation, Afghanistan has little cropland; a meager 12 percent is arable, and just 0.2 percent is under changeless harvest spread. Atmosphere The atmosphere of Afghanistan is exceptionally dry and occasional, with temperatures differing by height. Kabuls normal January temperature is 0 degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit), while early afternoon temperatures in July frequently arrive at 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit). Jalalabad can hit 46 Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) in the late spring. A large portion of the precipitation that falls in Afghanistan comes as winter day off. The across the nation yearly normal is just 25-30 centimeters (10 to 12 inches), however snow floats in the mountain valleys can arrive at profundities of more than 2 meters. The desert encounters dust storms continued breezes moving at up to 177 kph (110 mph). Economy Afghanistan is among the most unfortunate nations on Earth. The per capita GDP is $1,900 US, and around 36 percent of the populace lives under the destitution line. The economy of Afghanistan gets enormous mixtures of remote guide, totaling billions of U.S. dollars every year. It has been experiencing a recuperation, to some degree by the arrival of more than 5,000,000 ostracizes and new development ventures. The countrys most significant fare is opium; annihilation endeavors have had blended achievement. Other fare products incorporate wheat, cotton, fleece, handwoven mats, and valuable stones. Afghanistan imports a lot of its nourishment and vitality. Horticulture utilizes 80 percent of the work power, industry, and administrations 10 percent each. The joblessness rate is 35 percent. The cash is the afghani. Starting at 2016, $1 US 69 afghani. History of Afghanistan Afghanistan was settled at any rate 50,000 years prior. Early urban communities, for example, Mundigak and Balkh jumped up around 5,000 years prior; they likely were subsidiary with the Aryan culture of India. Around 700 B.C., the Median Empire extended its standard to Afghanistan. The Medes were an Iranian people, opponents of the Persians. By 550 B.C., the Persians had uprooted the Medians, setting up the Achaemenid Dynasty. Alexander the Great of Macedonia attacked Afghanistan in 328 B.C., establishing a Hellenistic domain with its capital at Bactria (Balkh). The Greeks were dislodged around 150 B.C. by the Kushans and later the Parthians, traveling Iranians. The Parthians managed until around 300 A.D. at the point when the Sassanians took control. Most Afghans were Hindu, Buddhist or Zoroastrian around then, yet an Arab intrusion in 642 A.D. presented Islam. The Arabs vanquished the Sassanians and controlled until 870, at which time they were driven out again by the Persians. In 1220, Mongol warriors under Genghis Khan vanquished Afghanistan, and relatives of the Mongols would manage a significant part of the locale until 1747. In 1747, the Durrani Dynasty was established by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an ethnic Pashtun. This denoted the cause of present day Afghanistan. The nineteenth century saw expanding Russian and British rivalry for impact in Central Asia, in The Great Game. England battled two wars with the Afghans, in 1839-1842 and 1878-1880. The British were directed in the first Anglo-Afghan War however assumed responsibility for Afghanistans outside relations after the second. Afghanistan was unbiased in World War I, however Crown Prince Habibullah was killed for implied star British thoughts in 1919. Soon thereafter, Afghanistan assaulted India, provoking the British to give up authority over Afghan remote issues. Habibullahs more youthful sibling Amanullah reigned from 1919 until his relinquishment in 1929. His cousin, Nadir Khan, became ruler however endured just four years before he was killed. Nadir Khans child, Mohammad Zahir Shah, at that point took the position of authority, administering from 1933 to 1973. He was removed in an overthrow by his cousin Sardar Daoud, who announced the nation a republic. Daoud was expelled thus in 1978 by the Soviet-sponsored PDPA, which established Marxist standard. The Soviets exploited the political flimsiness to attack in 1979; they would stay for a long time. Warlords controlled from 1989 until the radical Taliban took power in 1996. The Taliban system was expelled by U.S.- drove powers in 2001 for its help of Osama receptacle Laden and al-Qaeda. Another Afghan government was framed, bolstered by the International Security Force of the United Nations Security Council. The new government kept on getting help from US-drove NATO troops to fight Taliban insurrections and shadow governments. The US war in Afghanistan was authoritatively finished December 28, 2014.

What You Should Do to Find Out About List of Topics for Essay Writing Before Youre Left Behind

What You Should Do to Find Out About List of Topics for Essay Writing Before You're Left Behind Employing time management during a normal day can help lower stress and simplifies life. A term paper carries a great deal of weight in it when it regards your final year success. There are a lot of things to consider and most importantly, is the dependability of the service you decide to use. Irrespective of your morning schedule, here are a few of the best approaches to begin your day and prepare for success. An early work program and organization is likely to make your writing process much simpler. Samples are the tools that produce the whole writing process simpler. If you get essays online, it's really important to understand whether the work is still in process or has been finished. You only need to pass a very simple procedure of authorization, click buy research papers, fill an effortless purchase form and that's it! The Bad Secret of List of Topics for Essay Writing Col lege courses can be checked by going to the colleges and universities for more details. School routine can be difficult sometimes especially during exams. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about a coming deadline. Teachers are accountable for planning and evaluating student performance. Determine who you're producing for. The procedure for ordering our services has been made simple by the usage of simple actions that are simple to follow along with. Scheduling is extremely important if it comes to managing using time. What to Expect From List of Topics for Essay Writing? There are numerous advertising strategies, planning which builds your product in the industry. The success of any company lies in its effective marketing and advertising capability. With today's extremely competitive marketing, it is vital that a company produces a good advertising campaign to construct visitors. Advertising is the center of commerce so if you'd like to sell your goods, you will need to earn the consumer interested. What Everybody Dislikes About List of Topics for Essay Writing and Why Meanwhile, there's the sound of the horn. It can be simple to lessen the significance of sleep, but it's absolutely important for optimum performance. It's rather the very same thing that's happening to the English language. Your objective is to affirm and visualize the situations you need to take place. There's no question the proven actuality that having the capability to study overseas is incredibly excellent for a whole lot of students. You should have your reasons, and our primary concern is that you wind up getting a great grade. To begin with, you've got to verify out the history of the available Spanish schools in the area or town that you're most likely to reside in. Close your informative speech papers by a succinct conclusion that ought to carry an overview of what has been covered within your speech. PaperCoach can assist you with all your papers, so take a look at this time! Argumentative writings is a particular kind of a paper. Informative speech papers can be written on many different topics and thus the very first is step is selecting the most appropriate topic for your paper. You may also choose to include interesting info in the finish of your paper, one that is going to leave an enduring impression on your audience. The thesis statement usually appears close to the start of a paper. Don't forget that a well-written thesis statement ought to be brief but informative. A great thesis statement is one which stays within a specific scope. List of Topics for Essay Writing: the Ultimate Convenience! Essay writing is something which all of us do daily without so much as noticing how important it is actually. Folks often ask what my writing schedule appears like. Turning into a writer for our firm is quite challenging. Stick to the measures outlined above, utilize the 10 suggestions to make it pop, and you will have a Writing an argumentative or Step-by-step guide. The very first step to boost essay quality is to locate the acceptable topic for the essay. The very first step to developing an intriguing research paper is choosing a very good topic. It is to come up with a terrific topic. Setting a deadline and trying my very best to keep it up. Using List of Topics for Essay Writing As a term paper carries plenty of weight in regards to calculating your final grade, you've got to get it right. How much you could earn while your paper work is being done by somebody, who knows the way to do it correctly! You are aware that the money that comes in has to exceed the money which goes out. In order to decrease the quantity of thinking you have to do in the early hours, remember to prepare things.

Jurassic Park Greed Isnt Good - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 595 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/08/15 Category Cinematographic Art Essay Level High school Tags: Jurassic Park Essay Did you like this example? Jurassic Park is a book filled with epic creatures and action-packed scenes. On an island filled with larger than life dinosaurs, they can seem like the main attraction. However, the people in the book also play a huge role in the drama and suspense of the story. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Jurassic Park Greed Isnt Good" essay for you Create order With most of them being scientists or investors, they seemed like the last concern. They didnt cause much trouble, except for a chubby computer nerd named Dennis Nedry. A major theme throughout the book is greed. One of the best examples of this is Nedrys greed. His need to pay off his debts lead him to steal company property and sabotage the security system, ending in disaster. His actions were what eventually burned Jurassic Park to the ground, and taught us all a lesson about generosity and forgiveness. Dennis Nedry was hired by InGen as a computer programmer for Jurassic Park. To combat his financial problems and low salary, he accepted an offer from Biosyn, a competing genetic engineering company. He was asked to steal dinosaur embryos, that Biosyn planned to later clone and use. This was a large task, but Dennis had planned it out. To make things easier for himself, he built a trapdoor into the computer program. This allowed him to access and shut down the parks security system. But later when he was approached by Lewis Dodgson at Biosyn, Nedry was ready to listen. And able to say that he could indeed get past Jurassic Park security. He could get into any room, any system, anywhere in the park. Because he had programmed it that way. Just in case.(Page 195, Crichton) Choosing to leave the whole park unguarded and open cost many people and dinosaurs their lives, not to mention tons of money lost in the process. It was greedy to only think of himself and what would benefit him perso nally. This wasnt the end of his greed though. Dennis was only in it for the money, not caring about the wrong that he was doing. When he met with Lewis Dodgson at the airport, it was clear that Nedry was set on getting his fair pay. Look, Ive got it covered, the man said. Just relax, and get the money ready. I want it all Sunday morning, in San Jos? © airport, in cash. (Page 78, Crichton) His greed forced him to make bad decisions that ended up killing many people, including himself. Dennis was not the only person who was greedy. Jurassic Park creator and founder John Hammond looked past many ethical issues to make money and protect his precious dinosaurs. While he had little interest in the actual genetic engineering aspect, he was heavily focused on power and progress. Hammond used information and materials that werent his, to create a dinosaur that no one knew about. He took advantage of people and their skills to benefit him and make money. One last thing, Morris said. Suppose InGen wasnt really making a museum exhibit. Is there anything else they could have done with the information in the report you gave them? Grant laughed. Sure. They could feed a baby hadrosaur. (Page 45, Crichton) Dr. Grant did not know that this was happening, but if he would have, a lot of lives would have been saved. Given these points, it is clear that greed is a common theme. It influenced many peoples actions and decisions, highly impacting the course of the book. It taught us lessons about gratefulness and generosity. Though greed fuels hate and demise, it also helps us to realize how fortunate we are.

The Trafficking Of Human Trafficking Essay - 1752 Words

In this essay, the history of human trafficking will be examined, followed by who is affected by trafficking. Next the scope and types of exploitation will be discussed. Human trafficking is an issue that affects countries all over the world. Governments have made an effort to curb trafficking, however these efforts have been very narrowly focused. American ignorance has led to poor handling of the issues by policy makers. Finally the essay will discuss a proposed solution and set some goals for society to work on in the future. When examining the traditional definition of slavery, it focuses on one human being taking ownership of another. Traditionally slaves were transported by lengthy sea voyages. However, with advancements in transportation human trafficking victims can be quickly and easily moved around the world (Kara 67). According to Robert Uy, â€Å"Trafficking, prostitution, and slavery have existed since the beginning of civilization and, while at times have been prohibited, have continued to exist† (215). Slaves can be exploited virtually forever with a form of slavery known as bonded labor, which has existed for centuries. Individuals involved in this type of slavery are often loaned money with the agreement to work of the debt; unfortunately, the pay is so low the debt is almost never repaid (Kara 67). Despite legislative efforts to pass effective anti-trafficking and anti-forced labor laws, the overwhelming focus has been on preventing sex trafficking. This coupledShow MoreRelatedThe Tr afficking Of Human Trafficking1061 Words   |  5 Pagesare approximately twenty to thirty million slaves in the world today. Unfortunately due to trafficking being a fast growing crime it is very difficult to identify and locate these organizations and victims. Although there are many groups created to support victims, not enough awareness is being made and not enough action is being applied to stop human trafficking. Sex trafficking is a form of human trafficking that has been a worldwide issue since ancient times, but regularly forgotten, due to it beingRead MoreThe Trafficking Of Human Trafficking886 Words   |  4 Pages(Attention catcher)What if somebody came into your life and guaranteed a better lifestyle, but instead you were enslaved into human trafficking? Human trafficking is when a person is abducted from their current situation and mostly likely used for sex slavery. Furthermore, did you know human trafficking increased over the years? (Listener relevance) Although you may not be as aware in your comfortable surroundings, you should always be aware of suspicious vehicles and people. Even though we enjoyRead MoreThe Trafficking Of Human Trafficking930 Words   |  4 Pagesman. Regardless of the reasons, there are nearly 30 million victims of human trafficking globally. There are more slaves now than ever before. Trafficking of persons is not a subject that should be ignored or tak en lightly. In order to fully understand the enormity of this crisis, we will examine the root causes, facts, and the impact of human trafficking throughout the world. There are several factors to why human trafficking exists: poverty, governmental instability, natural disasters, addictionRead MoreThe Trafficking Of Human Trafficking3494 Words   |  14 Pagesended, never to return, they go back and sneak into our communities in severe forms by human trafficking crimes. When humanity eliminated the phenomenon of human slavery, it returned in different pictures and forms, combining them enslaving people, through the recruitment, transportation, transfer of people by force and threat, and using and exploiting them in different ways. Among the victims of human trafficking crimes, there are those who are subjected to sexual exploitation, labor exploitationRead MoreThe Trafficking Of Human Trafficking1287 Words   |  6 PagesHuman Trafficking Human trafficking is the modernized version of slavery that involves force, fraud, and/or a type of labor in a sexual act. The United States government defines it to be â€Å"In which a sex act is forced in which the person induced has not yet been attained eighteen years of age† (National Institute of Justice). Human trafficking is a threat to all nations and promotes breakdown of families and can support organized crime. Trafficking can occur everywhere. Human trafficking and humanRead MoreHuman Trafficking And The Trafficking901 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Smuggling and trafficking continues to be a worldwide plague that has been, thus far been largely ignored by the international community. The paramount reason human trafficking and smuggling has festered and grown roots and spread globally. It started as a grassroots effort on the local level where women and girls (it affects boys as well) would be used and sold for sex. Eventually, greed and corruption tagged along for the ride and at that point the crimes became an organized enterprise. AtRead MoreSex Trafficking And Human Trafficking Essay1243 Words   |  5 Pages Human trafficking brings in billions of dollars into the U.S and all around the world. â€Å"The prime motive for such outrageous abuse is simple: money. In this $12 billion global business just one woman trafficked into the industrialized world can net her captors an average $67,000 a year† (Baird 2007). The laws around human trafficking are not strict and vary depending on what country it is happening in. Human trafficking is not something that is strictly foreign, itRead MoreThe Trafficking And Forms Of Human Trafficking Essay1317 Words   |  6 Pages2.1.2 The concept of Human Trafficking and forms of Human Trafficking Human trafficking is a complex phenomenon hence difficult to conceptualize (Maclnnis, 2012). Scholars, nations and international organizations have individually or collectively tried to define human trafficking and, not surprisingly, they disagree with one another. United States (US) for instance does not consider organ trade as human trafficking whereas the United Nations (UN) and Canada do (United States Department of StateRead MoreHuman Trafficking And Sex Trafficking1264 Words   |  6 PagesA challenge that I took interest in is the horrifying problem that women and young girls face as victims of human trafficking and sex slavery. Women and young girls make up 98% of victims of trafficking for exploitation. Human trafficking and sex slavery is a form of modern slavery, in which traffickers profit from the control and exploitation of others. It is a multi-billion industry. Traffickers use control of others for the purpose of engaging in sexual activities and or forcing others to provideRead MoreHuman Trafficking And Human Sex Trafficking1850 Words   |  8 Pagesof human sex trafficking come to one s mind. The United States of America is not immune to this type of horrific behavior. America is the land of the free and yet something as awful as human sex trafficking occurs in our very own backyard each and everyday. According to the Department of Homeland Security the definition of human trafficking is â€Å"modern day slavery that involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act† (â€Å"What Is Human Trafficking?†)

Marketing Management of Woolworths South Africa

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Marketing Management of Woolworths South Africa. Answer: Introduction This report primarily focuses on the analysis of the marketing strategies and challenges facing Woolworths South Africa. Woolworths is a supermarket retailer that among the leading players in the retail industry. It offers a broad range of food, clothing and general merchandise to the customers (South African edition, 2012). However, the brand has failed to sustain the competitive advantage due to the unpleasing feedbacks from the customers from social media. There are several complaints regarding the poor quality of products sold and the low competency portrayed by the client service personnel of the organization. It is also said that the supermarket promises customers of instant response to their needs but fails. People prefer to seek alternatives from their competitors such as Shoprite Group, Spar, Pick ` Pay and Massmart that ensure efficiency in meeting the needs of the local market and convenient distribution (Ehimario, et al. 2012). For example, if the supermarket want to acce lerate the growth of its market share and exposure in the food retailing, the management has to implement new market strategies and principles that can lead to customer loyalty and satisfaction. Hence, the organization can reestablish its operations and maintain a reputable brand name across South Africa and the other locations. It is from this perspective that the report shall analysis the market situation using the SWOT analytical tool, the retailers current positioning, challenges, the marketing strategy and action plan to implement in the company. The marketing objective This report primarily aims at providing an insight situation analysis of Woolworths South Africa current marketing strategy and provide appropriate recommendations that can enable it to overcome its current challenges and limitations. Therefore, it can revitalize its brand to ensure sustainable growth in future. The achievement of this objective will majorly depend on the ideal marketing mix strategies used by Woolworths. The changing trends in the retail industry of South Africa are influenced by the consumers demand for best shopping experiences accompanied by value, loyalty and low prices (Vivek, et al. 2012, pp. 122-146). Also, the report will provide the management with excellent competencies in its strategic practices and action plan that ensure Woolworths brand name sustains its competitive edge across south Africa and worldwide. SWOT Situation Analysis Strengths Woolworths ability to generate adequate capital can facilitate faster expansion and opening of more stores across South Africa is a strength that can aid in improving its market share. Hence, over time it will outdo the central market leader, Shoprite whose market share is around 36% (Luiz, et al. 2011, p.1-21). Secondly, people trust the brand, and it has a good reputation. It is a result of its distinctive competency where they ensure freshness and high quality of products that they sustain a competitive edge. The implementation of the right business journey marketing strategy that aims at creating a multiplier effect that influence the buying behavior of customers. Moreover, the organization has maintained a better supply chain management due to its ability to establish a close relationship with the producers and its suppliers (Partrick, 2016). Weaknesses Over the past few years, the company has been facing negative responses from the customers regarding their products. Some of the complaints include plastic bags and cockroaches found in the food and the poor response from the incompetent customer personnel. Hence, the consumers perception of the quality of products is diminishing. The limited market share is also a weakness as the competitors have occupied a significant portion of the retail market, hence unable to compete other competitors internationally (Descubes McNamara, 2015). The company has failed when it comes to speeding up the new technologies, for example, the integrated marketing which can aid in dominating the South Africas retail market. The managers of the supermarket also fail in making strategic decisions that can improve the growth levels. Opportunities South Africas retail industry portrays excellent growth potentials due to various factors that includes; the advances in the supply chain, computerization, and the changes in the citizen's lifestyle. Its ability to invest appropriately in food prices gives it a competitive advantage (Hems, 2010). Hence, Woolworths utilizes this opportunity to formulate multi-option retailing to meet the emerging trends in the industry. The increased group sourcing gives them an opportunity to unlock the additional margin. The emerging economies give a chance for further strategic acquisitions and franchise. Moreover, a positive perception of customers regarding the companys attention to detail and modernization of its products gives it an opportunity to extend the distribution channels and technological advancements and offer a broad range of goods (Woolworth's integrated report, 2012). Threats There is stiff competition from other retailers both locally and internationally and from players like discounters and catalog-based retailers, hence making penetration to the market is quite difficult. Due to the increased oil prices in South Africa, it becomes quite difficult for Woolworths to continue with its competitive pricing strategy (Phambuka-Nsimbi, 2015). They also face the threat of high costs of raw materials which further impacts the profits margin negatively. The frequent economic recessions also hinder the organization from opening more stores. Finally, direct government interference cause uncertainties concerning the market changes and economic conditions. PESTEL analysis Political factors The political stability of the region allows the retail industry to prosper as the companies can carry out the business activities both national and internationally. The import of raw materials from suppliers outside the country and export of end products to customers at various destinations. The government encourages international trade, therefore giving an opportunity for Woolworths to operate both in Africa, Australia, New Zealand and other continents where the brand has established stores. Economic factors The fluctuation of the South African rand negatively impact the growth of the Woolworths brand. Additionally, the economic recessions being experienced in the region leads to losses of, hence failure of many companies. Other economic factors that affect the retail industry include, low rate of savings, high oil prices and a decrease in the GDP which impacts the consumer spending patterns. Socio-cultural factors The South Africans are culturally diverse and they prefer high quality products. They believe that highly priced goods and services tend to satisfy customer needs and preferences and therefore the supermarket can gain a competitive advantage due to its competitive pricing strategy. The high demand for a better retail shopping experience is a factor that challenges the retailers to focus more on providing a broad range of products which consumers can select. The food security policy is a social factor that the country is achieving hence accelerating the exports to other countries. Technological factors The use of new technologies, e-retailing and the internet accelerates international competitiveness through expansion of the operations to other foreign markets. The advanced technologies is one of the strengths that enables Woolworths to let their customers have a lasting shopping experience and enables the company to develop a better supply chain management. Environmental factors Woolworths has put in place various measures that ensure protection of the natural environment and resources. For example, then combined waste initiatives that focus on the reduction of waste to the landfill, the recycling project and water management best practices in its supply chains. Legal factors The laws of the country require that all retailers put measures to protect employees, customers and the public at large. The increased taxation negatively impacts the performance of Woolworths. Further, the government laws protect the consumers from harmful food products that may impact the health status of its citizen. Corporate social responsibility is a mandatory fact that all retailers should comply with as per the regulations of the country. Current positioning of Woolworths Perhaps, Woolworths brand is still trusted and reliable to customers. The company is among the top 100 companies listed on the securities exchange of Johannesburg in South Africa (Mitchell, 2015). It has a strong market position in the southern hemisphere, however has failed to sustain its leadership which led to losses. The annual report of December 2015 showed that Woolworths earning per share increased by 30.6%, and the gross profits grew by 48.1%. It is evident that the company continues to expand across Africa and other continents at a high rate and hence increasing the market share from 11% (Woolworths, 2015). Despite the complaints on social media, it continues to provide quality products and services and uses various promotion strategies that aim at gaining a competitive advantage and increase the market share. However, it has not yet gained a greater market share since the Shoprite seems to dominate the food sector however they are leading in the retail industry of South Afr ica. The performance in 2016 evidenced that Woolworths recorded a customer base of 3.2 million and continued to attract young customers (WHL Integrated Report, 2016). They aim at becoming a leader in fashion and food retailing. Currently, statistics on the fresh produce and prepared food show a significant growth in the market share of the brand. Woolworth launched a brand campaign of fresh food people that aimed at freshening the positioning in the market. The target market of Woolworths constitutes the local consumers shopping both from the stores and online. Also, it targets high income earners and online shoppers and its future focuses on the black and upmarket (Chu Chiu, 2013). Their brand is gaining a better positioning in the market due to the following activities conducted by the company. Firstly, there is understanding customer needs through the world of difference loyalty program and product availability at the right place and time. Further the organization takes into consideration the environmental concerns and supporting the SA school. Woolworths strategic plans, goals and objectives show that they are customer centric and aim at providing quality products at cheaper prices. Hence, an essential step to grow the business and expand the product line (Rehan, 2014, pp.222-230). Current challenges Woolworths brand faces a slow market growth due to a slowdown in the South Africas economy since 2014 (Matsoma Ambe, 2016, pp.194-210). Hence there is a reduction in shopping confidence which has forced the company to cut its prices and focus on customer loyalty initiatives. Negative customer responses where product quality is the issue as discussed on the media. They also face the challenge of customer acquisition and retention. Moreover, the high employee turnover and weak staff morale is a great challenge which is as a result of failure to give compensation and benefits to employees accordingly (Hem Teslo, 2012). For example, the case that was raised on Facebook regarding a worker who injured herself but the organization failed to cater for her hospital bills. They also face the challenge of negative perception by customers regarding the price and value and inability to provide trans-seasonal merchandise. The market discounting led to profit downgrade of Woolworths. In addition, there is greater competitive pressure from the rivals. For example, Shoprite has come with new strategies of segmentation, and engaging customers thus shall continue maintaining its market leadership (Prinsloo, 2010). The impact of such challenges on Woolworths depends on how they control them. They may either build or destroy brand image and reputation and therefore the marketing managers should ensure that they retain customer by offering quality products that are free from defects. The adverse effects may include, reduction in repeat business, decrease in brand recognition and market share (Kapferer, 2008). However, this organization may use the following recommended strategies to overcome the challenges discussed above. The company should come up with innovative marketing strategies that differentiate their products from the competitors to change shopping habits and customer interaction with the brand. Additionally, the marketing managers have to increase the frequency of promotional campaigns and events which in turn improves sales volume. It can also ensure full participation in corporate social responsibilities activities and offer GM- free foods (Chowdhury, 2013). Moreover, the embrasure of Omni channel processes and advanced networks can result to a unified retailing and maintenance of employee efficiency. It may carry market surveys to identify areas that customers need improvement and convince them to continue shopping from their stores. Lastly, they should hire staff personnel that focus on better services to customers and respond to customers complaints on the spot rather than giving promises that cannot be fulfilled in the long run (Veneto, 2013). Effective marketing strategy to apply Revitalize the Woolworths brand There are six strategies that Woolworths South Africa can adopt to revitalize its brand from the current positioning in the market. First, it should refocus itself by defining the goals of the brand and improve the financial discipline. Secondly, it has to restore the brand relevance. This strategy requires that the organization has got a clear understanding of the marketplace, market segments, customer insight and brand promise (Hollebeek, 2011, pp.555-573). Thirdly, it should have to reinvent the brand experience which can either be emotional or functional hence leading to brand distinctiveness. Another strategy includes reinforcing the resulting culture. For Woolworths to revitalize its brand it has to identify the measurable and appropriate milestones, implement the reward and recognition systems. Next, it has to rebuild its brand trust by predicting the consumer behavior patterns. Thus, establishing a long lasting brand loyalty in its trademark. Lastly, Woolworths should realize the global alignment by rebuilding its internal and external marketing principles. Hence, by using the six strategies, it can be able to redesign the product range to satisfy the target market needs (Bose, 2012). Sustain the brand For the organization to revitalize its brand, it has to periodically monitor and change its pricing strategy from a competitive one to a market penetration pricing. New pricing can neutralize the competitors impact on sales. The measures to use may include but not restricted to, lower pricing, targeted customer offers and better range of the brands (Beneke, et al. 2012). The pricing strategy adopted by a company determines its profit and survival, and the adjustments impact the overall marketing strategy used by the firm. Therefore, they can give a discount on prices and promotion offers that can help in attracting more customers. Customers claim that Woolworths sets high prices which are not proportional to the quality. (WHL Integrated Report, 2016). Providing high-quality products can be a strategy that can change the minds of customers and be convinced that the brand is still healthy and wholesome. It is also paramount to place value on Woolworths privately labeled products to che rish the core shoppers. Hence, customers can have a new brand experience through unique brand attributes. However, it needs to expand its business by developing new stores and provide regular refurbishments of the existing ones in places where there is potential for growth. As a result, the demand for its products can increase which can lead to revitalization and sustainability of the brand. The use of the drive-thru collection techniques and new Click and Collect location facilitates convenience and customer loyalty through multi-channel customer experiences (Ferguson and Brown, 2012, pp.391-404). Grow the brands market share It is paramount to persuade and convince the customers that the brand is still of high quality and the management ensured that they addressed and rectified the issues regarding the quality of products offered by the company (Ghodeswar, 2008, pp.4-12). Revising of the pricing strategy leads to targeting a significant market share of the brand in South Africa and worldwide and survival afterward. For it to achieve growth of the brand, there is need to integrate both the traditional and emerging marketing communication channels that can lead to a successful conveyance of the message regarding the brand and its new features. The promotional tools may include social media, online and public relations to gain back customer trust and greater market share. (Kanagal, 2014). There is need to analyze the products life cycle and current positioning of Woolworths before embarking on the promotion strategies to use to revitalize, sustain and grow the market share of Woolworths. The marketing team should perform a thorough research on the people that is the target market and their demands. The company employees play a significant role in ensuring delivery of quality services especially the customer service personnel that always receives and responds to customers claims and feedbacks (Hollebeek, 2011, pp.555-573). Action plan Objectives Activities Evaluation criteria Control metrics Costs Brand awareness Contacting website owners of various industries to ask them place the Woolworths Ads on their webs. Creation of the emotional grabbing advertisement to enhance promotion of the brand. Displaying prominently the products in the store. Measuring the social media exposure. Consumers perception of value. Evaluating the engagement of customers to message regarding a new brand. The brand remains to be relevant and is properly positioned. Consumer feedback through the online polls. Level of customer loyalty and profits earned within a year Approximately $ 500,000 Increasing Sales volume Restructuring the pricing strategies Expansion of the distribution channels. Diversifying the offerings. Over-deliver quality to the prospective and existing customers Establishing clear and effective sales messages. Comparing actual sales to projected sales in the marketing plan. Increase in sales is a positive effect, Managing both variable and fixed costs Revenue earned after every financial year $ 800,000 Enhancing sustainability and growth Strengthening leadership practices in all the roles. Creating high value propositions in the overall strategy Benchmarking and measuring profitability. The rate of the revenue growth A firms reputation to crucial and regular customers. Renewed growth toward operational excellence. Insightful conversations on growth potential $ 10 million Conclusion In summary, Woolworths South Africa is facing challenges concerning the customers perception of the brand and the quality of the products. The marketing positioning is quite pleasing but it is appropriate for this organization to implement the above marketing strategy and action plan for it to achieve the goal and objective of sustaining its competitive advantage in the retail industry nationally and globally. Maximum utilization of its strengths, opportunities and competency can aid in attaining an increase in its market share. It is also important that they neutralize their weakness and threats from the external environment to achieve its goals and objectives. References Anderssen, S. (2015). Clothing retailers: winter is coming. Kagiso Asset Management accessed at https://www.kagisoam.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Clothing-retailers-winter-is-coming.pdf Beneke, J., Hayworth, C., Hobson Z. (2012). Examining the effect of retail service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction and loyalty: The case of the supermarket shopper.Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. Bose, T.K. (2012). Market Segmentation and Customer Focus Strategies and Their Contribution towards Effective Value Chain Management: International Journal of Marketing Studies Vol. 4, No. 3; Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education. Chu, M. Chiu, S. (2013). Effective Marketing Strategies to Attract Business Visitors at Trade Shows: International Journal of Business and Management Vol 8, No 24. Chowdhury, P.P. (2013). Key strategies and issues of positioning: A review of past studies. American Academic Scholarly Research Journal Vol. 5, No. 1. Descubes, I. McNamara, T. (2015). The consumer engagement process as it relates to a brands revival strategy. Ehimario U.I., David S., Thandi R.P., Lungiswa T., Cassandra S., Christopher P., Rina S.,Solange D. Corinna H. (2012 ).Big Food, the Consumer Food Environment, Health,and the Policy Response in South Africa. Ferguson, J.L. and Brown, B.P. (2012). Sizing up the retailer brand implementation gap and itseffects on brand-building outcomes. Journal of Brand Management 19 (5): 391404. Ghodeswar, M.B. (2008). Building brand identity in competitive markets: a conceptual model. Journal of Product Brand Management, Volume 17(1), pp. 412. Hem, A.F. Teslo, P.S. (2012). Brand Positioning Strategies: An Experimental Test of TwoTypes of Benefit Differentiation. Hollebeek, L. (2011). Exploring customer brand engagement: definition and themes. Journal of strategic Marketing, 19(7), 555-573. Janiszewska, K. Insch, A. (2012). The strategic importance of brand positioning in the place brand concept: elements, structure and application capabilities, Journal of InternationalStudies, Vol. 5, No 1, pp. 9-19. Kapferer, J. N. (2008). The New Strategic Brand Management: Creating and sustaining brand equity long term 4th Edition. Kanagal, N.B. (2014). Conceptualizing objective setting and metrics in marketing strategy Journal of Management and Marketing Research Volume 16. Luiz, J., Bowen, A. and Beswick, C. (2011). Woolworths South Africa: Making sustainability sustainable. Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies 1 (1): 121. Matsoma, N. Ambe, I. (2016). Factors Affecting Demand Planning in the South African Clothing Industry Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies. Vol 8(5), P.194-210. Mitchell, S. (2015). Woolworths kicks off new marketing campaign, retrieved on 3rd May 2017 from https://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/woolworths-kicks-off-new-marketing-campaign-20151019-gkd4dl.html Partrick, D. (2016). Why Woolworths has to think fresh, marketing magazine accessed at https://www.marketingmag.com.au/hubs-c/woolworths-think-fresh/ Prinsloo, D.A. (2010). Classification and Hierarchy of Retail Facilities in South Africa. Accessed on 1st March 2017 from www.urbanstudies.co.za/pdf/New-Retail-Classification-2010.pdf Phambuka-Nsimbi, C. (2015). Modern Retailing and its Implications for Developing Countries: Insights from Retail Managers Journal of Business Management and Strategy, Vol. 6, No.1 Helms, M. (2010). Exploring SWOT analysis where are we now? A review of academic research from the last decade, Journal of Strategy and Management, Vol. 3. Rehan, R.M. (2014). Urban branding as an effective sustainability tool in urban development. HBRC Journal Vol 10(2) pp. 222-230. South African edition, (2012). South African retail and consumer products outlook accessed at https://www.pwc.co.za/en/assets/pdf/retail-and-consumer-products-outlook-2012-2016.pdf Veneto P. (2013). Overview of the South African Retail Market https://www.tv.camcom.gov.it/docs/Corsi/Atti/2013_11_07/OverviewOFTHESOUTHAfrica.pdf Vivek, S.D., Beatty, S.E., Morgan, R.M. (2012). Customer engagement: Exploring customer relationships beyond purchase. The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 20(2), 122-146. Woolworths integrated report, (2012). Trends influencing our strategy, retrieved on 3rd May 2017 from https://www.woolworthsholdings.co.za/investor/annual_reports/ar2012/integrated/business/industry_trends.asp Woolworths, (2015). Company website, Good business journey report retrieved on 1st March 5, 2017 from https://www.woolworthsholdings.co.za/investor/annual_reports/ar2015/whl_2015_gbj.pdf WHL Integrated report, (2016). Company website, https://www.woolworthsholdings.co.za/downloads/2016/WHL-Integrated-Report-2016.pdf

Techno Schmechno a postmodern approach to electro Essay Example For Students

Techno Schmechno: a postmodern approach to electro Essay nicaIn searching for a properly post-modern style of music, it may be better to look at the electronic music scene, which began with house music in the early to middle 80s, rather than at hip-hop. It is true that the hip-hop artist generally disappears into the narrative of the music to the extent that many of their lives are a direct reflection of what they sing about: gang violence, drugs, racism, alienation in the US, etc. but here already we encounter two problems. One is the existential choice of reading: if we do read these lives as reflected, or as ghostly risings out of formal lyrical narratives called rap and hip-hop, which lend to the narratives distinct anthropological and sociological connotations of a symbolic as opposed to structural order, or at least blur the concept reality (qua the signified) with rapping (qua the signifier), then one perhaps makes the mistake of naturalising signs which are altogether become ambiguous, to the extent we have blurred an idea about na ture with a structural and then formal aspect of the narrative anyway. To do this makes the historical or real experiences of gang violence, drugs, racism etc. little more than lame stereotypes or pastiches of the rap, now become Rap, or somewhat almighty in terms of its myth. Whence, though originate these themes? To read as above, is altogether too much myth construction. Either the reality of experience is annulled as signified, in favour of structural or formal readings, or rap narratives suck the lifeblood out of experience and turn it into symbolism. The other way then to read hip-hop, and this is where one encounters the second problem, is to commence with real experience: to see this art as a function of the artists experience, or even to annul the artistic dimension in favour of pure type of expression: cathartic, violent, confronting this may salvage a political dimension, but thats not very post-modern really. Nevertheless the primary elements for hip-hop to cross over i nto post-modernism were there, and post-modernism here primarily connotes a logical conclusion, which makes explicit the absence of a delineation between a staged performance and a real event. These elements should however include not only critical analyses of lyrical content and its performance, but, and which is lacking, also the formal dynamics of mechanical production and reproduction as triggered by such technologies as synthesisers, samplers, sequencers and drum machines. We will write a custom essay on Techno Schmechno: a postmodern approach to electro specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now House music (now dead), and all its post-house sub-styles, ie, acid house, new beat, techno, and then the great proliferation from techno-pop to hardcore trance, jungle and other recent idiolects of electronica have more recognisable post-modern functions, in terms of musical form, which I hope to convey in this essay. I prefer to use the term idolect rather than style or genre here as micro-genres of electronic music have distinct paradigmatic features, mainly connoted by the universal use of certain technical forms such as the use of rhythm, tonality etc. We may, in general, call these forms, parametrical (see endnote 1) features which tend to index the whole of electronic music as a syntagm: as an integrational or cardinal form, the individual contents of which look metaphorical, distributional and catalytical (see endnote 2) . For example, the typical 4/4 time signature, which as a sign denotes a typical dance song. Wider shifts in content signify the proliferation of what we mig ht have called styles, although the proliferation of these is so rapid, the styles are so short lived and there are so very many of them that it is quite possible for a style to be introduced on one album and then never to reappear. Therefore it is better to read electronic music overall or integrationally in terms of its syntagm as vertically parallel to other kinds of music (eg heavy-metal or AOR) and to read styles as individual lexicons rather than as evolving movements, especially in the post-techno era. An example of this is Melbourne (Australia) musician Guyver 3s album Perception Camera (if?: 1996), which occasionally contained recognisable elements of jungle, trance and techno but was generally so idiolectic that it would be necessary to invent a whole new term/style to categorise it. Another example is Pan(a)sonics Kulma (Blast First: 1996), which wholly employed what one might call mechanical pastiche by using analogue machinery within a distinct wider context in which th e dominant paradigm is production using digital technology, but then became stylistically indistinct due to a subsequent lack of historicity: the band itself is an anonymous entity: it fiercely resists contextualisation, its idiolect was not drawn upon by others. Here are two examples: I could cite many more, but the exponential growth in categorical or generic styles is actually a result of electronic musics utter loyalty to mechanical production and reproduction which leads to a distinct waning of affect. I quote Jameson in this context: The end of the bourgeois ego, or monad, no doubt brings with it the end of the psychopathologies of that ego what I call the waning of affect. But it means the end of much more the end, for example, of style, in the sense of the unique and individual brush stroke (as symbolised by the emergent primacy of mechanical production). As for expression and feeling or emotions, the liberation, in contemporary society, from the older anomie of the center ed subject may also mean a liberation from every other kind of feeling as well, since there is no longer a self present to do the feeling.All the above may be quite clearly seen in electronic music above all because of its dependence upon mechanical production for its syntagmatic existence. The first big idiolectic explosion here was acid house circa 1987/1988 (originating in Detroit some years earlier. No one knows exactly who wrote the first acid house song or what it was, and rightly so: its a rather irrelevant argument. When acid house became big it was often hailed as a new resisting movement, the new punk or the punk movement of the eighties. This was because, in line with the punk ethos, which uses simple guitar, drum and bass; acid house could be done by almost anyone with a sampler, sequencer and programmable keyboard. Little theoretical knowledge was required and acid house acts popped up from nowhere and everywhere before popping back into the general vacuum or total flow of electronic music. Some important distinctions from punk as a syntagm were quickly discerned however acid house was extremely minimal, even more so than punk with its vocals, three chords, and drums formula. Most acid house songs consisted of little more than a simple drum machine pattern, a bass line that was very distinct in that it always employed sharply defined phasing techniques (whence the definition acid house) and some sampled vocals, often lifted from other songs. Here is the first discrete example of monadic absence all that I just described was produced electronically. The form of the song was always extremely repetitive and hypnotic, focussing on quantity, while the concept quality remained in the background. Sequencing one or two quite short musical phrases produces this type of electronic music. Sequencing involves electronically copying and pasting a musical phrase or phrases in a very similar way that one might copy and paste a paragraph on a word processor. Th e analogical equivalent to much acid house (and other idiolects of electronica) would be a paragraph pasted and thus repeated over and over again. Thus the presence of the musician literally almost becomes irrelevant, as the machine produces almost all the music. Musicologists (and fans of guitar rock) might criticise this sort of composition as slack and unoriginal but that would be missing the point. This music nonetheless sounded incredibly fresh and new it was a whole new way or syntagm of making music, challenging the traditional concept of composition. The ethos behind it and its means of production actually required the waning of affect by intuitive absence and extreme repetition. This ethos signifies the instrumental (in the utility sense echoes of Max Weber perhaps) features of electronic music, and the word hypnotic as I used it above is important. Why acid house? Sex, drugs and rock n roll acid house was made primarily to dance to while tripping on various forms of LSD and ecstasy and the late eighties saw the creation of the phenomenon known as the warehouse party which later evolved into the now notorious (usually outdoor) rave where lots of acid and ecstasy (mainly ecstasy) are consumed, and acid house, techno and trance etc are danced to all night long. Electronic music as we now know it is primarily a music of utility; it is not so much listened to at home for aesthetic enjoyment as it is frantically danced to at clubs, parties and raves while high on the substance of ones choice in order to attain a special magical and transcendent moment. I would suggest that when such a moment is indeed reached there can be no better way to describe it than by recognising it as the post-modern intensity, where intensities have conveniently replaced or deferred for now the problem of representative meaning. This is also why electronic music is better at post-modernism because the whole dance and drugs culture which centre this music may be said to be base d on the search for the ultimate aesthetic intensity, not through the authentication of affect or ego, but through the extreme loss and negation of the self by use of repetitive, hypnotic, mechanical dance music and also by drugs. Perhaps to be intense equals to be high, but I dont want to start sounding religious here. .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 , .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 .postImageUrl , .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 , .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175:hover , .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175:visited , .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175:active { border:0!important; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175:active , .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175 .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u02e244f9a01094e296c7aaeab027a175:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Native American Genocide Essay ThesisAnother reason that hip-hop proper branched off into house et al may well be political. Hip-hop as such was never really amenable to a capitalist music industry, which equates political safety with commercial success. Hip-hop has always had more of a counter-cultural aspect to it, from Afrika Bambaatas and Grandmaster Flashs earlier performances out of the New York ghettoes to Public Enemys very distinct articulations and expressions of political protest. MTV is a good case to cite: it wouldnt even play Michael Jacksons Billie Jean until CBS threatened to withdraw the use of its other artists, and when MTV played the whole seventeen hou rs of Live Aid in 1985, they cut the one hip-hop act on the bill out: Run-DMC. The focus of house and its follow-ons into the nineties has always been more on the dance floor it seems. The Summers of Love of 89 and 90 were much more about a subculture of hedonism and pleasure than any distinctly political culture, which sub-cultural scene seems to have continued from there. It would be difficult to see electronic music ever becoming distinctly political as it thrives on a depoliticised ethos in any case. One of the more conspicuous features of all the idiolects since house is a genuine lack of personality cults. Where hip-hop retains a focus on the artist, often by immersing the artist entirely within its narrative; house, techno and so forth abhor the artist. To focus on the artist would detract from dance musics instrumentalising connotations. Often the names of electronic acts are strikingly obscure this is the list of acts that appeared on a Melbourne electronic compilation Blu e Sector Vol. 1: Amnesia, the Headmaster, TSM, Stride, Foil/M24, Prime 8, Tonto, Voiteck, Zen Paradox. Numbers (808 State, Apollo 440, U96, Front 242), unidentified abbreviations (TCH, JX, SQ16, PGR, MR V, X-Project) and meaningless or ambiguous words (Tonal Plexus, Marmion, Klatch, Datura, Autechre, Drax) most often appear. Are these nick-names of people, names of drugs, of bits of technology or more sinister things? All of the above (certainly Datura is at least a drug, and SQ16 stands for 16-track sequencing) and more probably. In any case the reader may sense that a certain anonymity is strongly indicated an anonymity that hopes to signify the consumer and intstrumentaliser of the music. Live concerts are not known of in the conventional sense either. When bands do play live, the gig often becomes a paradox for the consumer. One example is a Black Lung gig in Melbourne, 1997. When Black Lung commenced playing he, she or they (actually a he and sometimes she as well), they made a remarkable statement by leaving the curtains closed. Actually, the venue they played that night doesnt have any curtains so they placed some there temporarily. The band wasnt seen at all and the music ended up gelling and becoming almost indistinguishable from the music that the DJ played before and after the act. The curtains acted as a contiguous symbolic bar, sequestering the signifying artist from the signified music on an historical level. The music then became dehistoricised: it took its form wholly internally rather than presently; the terms became reversed, as on a CD: music became the empty internal signification of the absent artist who was fulfilled in image and concept only. Those people who werent already too out of it to know the difference had problems deciding what to do. Dance? If not, then chat with friends? In any case, there wasnt anything to look at and the atmosphere was more like that in a cafe than anything. Sit around in little groups and get stoned perhap s So here we have an example of mechanical reproduction without a source, a move from the symbolic to the structural wholly opposed to the ethos of hip-hop, which is all spectacle and exhibition. All that remained was the electronic music, which seemed to proceed from the infrastructure of the club itself, like a type of digital epiphenomenon but with no particular analogical supervenience or parallel. Indeed as one punter exclaimed when the music stopped for the night what happened to the band? Good question, but apparently they had already played. Had we seen them though, we would have seen two people sitting behind some keyboards and mixers not doing anything except occasionally twiddle some knobs. Black Lung were probably well aware of the visual poverty of their show compared to a traditional rock concert but ironically the device of the curtains as opposed to, say, a visually distracting laser show, produced a much more disorientating effect Essentially and formally there is exa ctly no need for a human presence to play the music here. .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 , .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 .postImageUrl , .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 , .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97:hover , .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97:visited , .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97:active { border:0!important; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97:active , .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97 .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u85675fb1cdacdb451b90d154991e8c97:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Child Abuse EssayWhat we have is a deferral of the problem of artistic legitimation in favour of legitimation as cultural product. Electronic music does not so much refuse legitimation as a product but to that extent a product is all it is. It is not possible to legitimate the artist when the artist is absent from the process of identification. There is a total flow to the phenomenon of electronic music. Any one piece becomes indiscrete, when on the dance floor songs are beat-mixed to the same speed and/or pitch so that gaps both of form and space are perpetually absent, barring the event of complete breakdown, in which case it is the music that disappears and not the song . This flow is similar to that of TV and radio. If dead air is anathema there then dead beats are anathema in the techno club. The song is itself deconstructed in another sense as well: the remix. The remix (then better known as the extended version) became the defining phenomenon of dance music in the eighties. But in the extended version, the original song was still very much signified. The extension usually consisted of an extra three or four minutes inserted at various points of the original song. It was quite easily possible to formally identify various bits of the song as original bits and extended bits. But in the nineties the remix usually plays with the very concept of the original song, completely restructuring all the tracks and sometimes dispensing with the original vocals altogether. A good example in dialectic terms is the remix single by Underworld, Born Slippy (Junior Recordings: 1996). Five versions of the song are offered here. The first is the short version which is a straight edit of the long version which sounds like what we might have called the original version because it is the one wh ich was played on radio, TV music shows, and appeared in the movie Trainspotting, from which it gained its popularity in the first place. Note how originality is here constructed not at all in terms of production though, that is, original because it was the first version to appear because all versions appeared pretty much simultaneously. A dialectic between broadcast culture and club culture becomes apparent here, because clubs usually eschew radio mixes and vice versa. Often the consumer who gets to know a track in a nightclub and subsequently buys the single nowaydays may be quite disappointed when he or she discovers the version they know and love is nowhere to be found on their disc as it is a limited edition DJs mix or something similar. Originality is here then wholly constructed out of context, as an arbitrary apparition dependent on place of broadcast. Originality is then also dependent on the consumer the consumer literally constructs originality all by her or himself. The artist has already disappeared behind a formally impenetrable wall of technology anyway, so the artist is no source of authority here, as the artist is the one who has prostituted what is left of the song out to various remix engineers. I say prostituted because the artist pays the engineer (often DJs or fellow techno acts) to put their body in terms of concept onto the song and make it sound other. The second version on the Born Slippy single is the Darren Price mix. We now lose all the musical tracks from the short version, but retain the original vocals. The new musical tracks share a conceptual equivalence with the short version too, ie, the melody is retained. So Born Slippy is still quite easily signified a formal connection is retained. Once we get to the third version, the Darren Price remix, we are in deeper deconstructive waters. All signs of the song we knew as Born Slippy have disappeared, a wholly other musical piece takes its place. Nonetheless its still known by its name and as a remix. Its not another song. Listening closely for signs of the song we thought we knew, it seems that the songs speed is still the same. Maybe thats the signifying link? It seems so, because when we get to the fourth version: the Alex Reece mix the musical elements are once again wholly replaced, but the beat does sound familiar in an ambiguous manner. In vain we make the link though, b ecause once we get to the fifth version even the signifying beat disappears in whats called the deep pan banstyle/alex reece mix. I chose this example because apparently it offers a dialectic of deconstruction we began with the conventional short version and gradually all the formal signifiers disappeared. But if we apply this commentary fairly then no version is really anymore authoritative than any other. It was, after all the context that we saw as defining originality, because, if I was a DJ, I would have license to call any of these versions Born Slippy by Underworld. Maybe then it would be better to join all five versions together and the whole piece as one song. Indeed one can do that, but this is only to defer the problem of definition into its own particular mini-total flow constucted by naming. It doesnt really solve the problem, as one might as well go all the way and call every techno song Born Slippy by Underworld. The whole interest in anonymity and confusing the definition of songs has a certain attitude of glee or jouissance about it. On the other hand, it may well be that if anonymity is assured by the use of mechanical reproduction, the artist seems to remain present, albeit in a ghostly type of manner, by appealing to idiolect, and this is why there is such a proliferation of idiolects in the electronic scene. As formal significations are dispensed with entirely, eg, songs, musicians, melodies, lyrics etc. a type of individuality returns out of its repression to haunt this music. But are we talking about the unique and individual bru shstroke or just the fact that different brands and types of brushes, pallettes and paints are being used in different combinations? That is, can we sense artistic presence here or just the fact that this piece uses a Roland DX-100 and a Jupiter 8 while that one uses a Casio and a Yamaha?End notes1. As an element which remains constant for the whole duration of a piece of music. See N. Ruwet. 2. See Barthes, Roland (1977) Structural Analysis of Narratives in Image-Music-Text. References:Jameson F. (1991); Postmodernism, or, the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism, Durham, NC: Duke University Press.