A Comparison of Hubris in Catcher in the Rye, Scarlet Letter, and Great Gatsby :: compare and contrast essay examples

Hubris in the Protagonists of Catcher in the Rye, Scarlet Letter, and Great Gatsby       Aristotle praised Sophocles' King Oedipus as the definitive Greek tragedy; however, he could not have surmised the influence of Oedipus' tragic pride on modern day literature and philosophy. Hubris, the only true crime, has had a threefold influence: it is a reason for downfall as well as a characteristic of criminal motivation; it is manifested in the diverse protagonists of Salinger, Fitzgerald, and Hawthorne; and it is forgiven only by repentance for wrongdoing and the complete surrender of pride.    The erroneous idea that pride is only a predominant characteristic of crime, rather than a crime itself, would put tragic hero Oedipus on the same level as serial killer Charles Manson: while both are guilty of committing heinous acts, Oedipus relinquishes his pride and, ironically suffering under his own proclamation of exile, does penance for his crimes, whereas Manson shows no remorse for his vile and disturbing bloodletting. Oedipus' ultimate repentance is proof that he realizes his hubris and understands his mistakes, as irreparable as they may be.    All human filthiness in one crime compounded! Unspeakable acts-I speak no more of them. Hide me at once, for God's love, hide me away... Touch me, and have no fear. On no man else But on me alone is the scourge of my punishment. (64)    Had Oedipus sought to blame another for his crimes, or denied his own responsibility for his actions, he would have been no nobler than a common criminal; Oedipus is redeemed by his strength of character.    The hamartia of hubris lives on 2500 years after Aristotle lauded King Oedipus as the quintessential Greek tragedy; pride has evolved into an integral characteristic of the majority of literary characters from J.D. Salinger's angry, disillusioned Holden Caulfield to F. Scott Fitzgerald's idealistic Jay Gatsby to Nathaniel Hawthorne's tortured Reverend Dimmesdale.    Holden's pride in his sarcastic perception of the world around him perpetuates his cynicism and frustration with life, making him unrealistic and incapable of finding happiness. He believes himself omniscient, and that other "people never notice anything" (Salinger 9). Oedipus' belief in his own infallibility makes him equally unrealistic; soon after Oedipus' sins are revealed, the chorus of Elders conveys a Holden-esque message of discontent:    All generations of mortal man add up to nothing! Show me the man whose happiness was anything more than illusion

Aristotle on the Soul Essay

Aristotle’s notion differs from the usual conception of a soul as some sort of substance occupying the body, existing separately and eternally. To him, the soul is the essence of a living thing. The soul is what makes an organism an organism at all by actualizing its potential for life, and it’s constituted by its capacity for activities essential to that specific type of being. His investigation into the nature of the soul demonstrates basic principles of his philosophical theories at work, including Hylomorphism, potentiality and actuality, and his four causes. His use of these theories in analyzing and teasing out the complexities of the soul make for a cohesive and comprehensive study, easily amenable with his other works. In this paper I will analyze his notion of the soul as described in De Anima, recounting how he came to define the soul, the explanation of the soul, how the souls of different kinds of ensouled beings differ, and his unique concept of how the soul is related to the body. Aristotle begins Book 1 of De Anima by stating that since the soul is a principle of animals, and here I will interpret animals to mean more broadly beings, describing its essence has implications beyond its obvious scope. In unfolding the nature of the soul, it is possible to determine which attributes belong to the soul alone and which belong to the organism in virtue of having a soul (Aristotle, De Anima 402a). So besides exploring the nature of life, his analysis will also seek to answer the question of whether all mental states (of the soul) are also material states of the body, or whether some attributes of the soul are unique to it. In doing so, we are confronted with the interesting implication of Aristotle’s position on the mind/body problem, to which I will get to later on. Returning to the question at hand (what is the soul? ), Aristotle starts his investigation by use of his explanatory theory of Hylomorphism, which states that substances are compounds of matter and form, and change occurs when form actualizes matter (Shields). There are three sorts of substances; form, matter, and the compound of form and matter. Matter is potentiality and form is actuality. Form actualizes matter, which possesses the potential to be what it is. So using Aristotle’s example of a bronze statue, the matter, in this case the bronze, only actualizes it’s potential of being a statue when it acquires the form, or the shape and features. Of interest is the third kind of substance, compounds, which make up living beings. The body is the substance as matter, so the soul is the substance as form or shape. Here we get to Aristotle’s preliminary definition of the soul as the actuality of a natural body having life potentially (Aristotle, De Anima 412). It is in virtue of this form, the soul, that makes an organism alive. Without the soul, the body would only have the capacity for life potentially, and so the soul is the essence (the form) of living things. This preliminary definition is taken a step further when Aristotle identifies the soul as the â€Å"first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive† (Aristotle, De Anima 412a). He claims that the actuality that is the soul is like the actuality that is knowledge, in that we speak of it in two ways. We can distinguish between a state of knowing x and a state of attending to the knowledge of x, where the latter is more of an active process. The passive of state of knowing x is the first actuality, first because it must necessarily come prior to attending or remembering that knowledge i. e. potential precedes actual. Similarly, the soul of a sleeping person is like the passive state, the first actuality, while the soul of an awake person is like the active state. The soul must be the first actuality, for if not we would be forced to say a sleeping animal lacks a soul, a conclusion we do not want to make (Aristotle, De Anima 412a-412b). First actuality seems to correspond to a capacity to engage in the activity of the second actuality, and in this way is a kind of potential to exercise some function, like the ability to engage in thought. Aristotle makes this clear when he states that, â€Å"If the eye, for instance, were an animal, sight would be its soul† (Aristotle, De Anima 412b). Sight is the capacity of the eye for seeing, where sight is the form and the eye is the matter. The first actuality is the capacity for seeing, and the second actuality is seeing, actively exercising the potential ability. So it seems that beyond defining the soul as the ‘first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive’, we can say the soul is a set of capacities that characterize living things. These characteristic capacities are different in different beings, and we will see that it is by these that Aristotle creates his hierarchy of ensouled beings or the degrees of souls. I will return to this distinction later in this paper, when describing how the souls of different ensouled beings differ. At this point we have a definition of the soul, but as Aristotle stresses throughout his various works, we must determine the cause or explanation in order to truly grasp the essence, and therefore get at complete picture of his view of the soul. The definition just given explains the what, but a full account must explain the why. He states in the Physics, â€Å"for our inquiry aims at knowledge; and we think we know something only when we find the reason why it is so, i.e. , when we find its primary cause† (Aristotle, Physics 194b). His criteria for an adequate definition, one that is sufficient for knowledge, rest on his theory of causation and explanation. The four causes include the material cause, formal cause, efficient cause, and final cause. Material cause is what something is made of, the formal cause is the form or pattern of which a thing is what it is, the efficient cause refers to the agent of change or rest, and the final cause is the intended purpose of the change or the reason why a thing is done (Shields). We must, therefore, determine why the soul is what it is in virtue of these four general causes. The soul is the principle and the cause of the living body, for it is in virtue of the soul that the body is alive, and thus it plays an explanatory role. It is the cause of the living body in three of the four ways, as â€Å"the source of motion, as what something is for, and as the substance of ensouled bodies†(Aristotle, De Anima 415), corresponding to the efficient cause, the final cause, and the formal cause respectively. It is the source of motion in that it causes growth and decay in the organism. The soul is also the cause of the living body by being the final cause, as the body is merely an organ for the sake of the soul, aimed at the soul. And finally, the soul is the formal cause of the living body for it causes life by being the form and actuality of what is potentially. The body makes up the fourth cause, the material cause, by being the matter that makes up a living organism (Aristotle, De Anima 415). I will use Aristotle’s example of the nature of a house as described in Book One, when he is discussing the importance of form, in order to better illustrate the necessity for analysis of a concept under his theory of causation and explanation. To merely define a house as stones, bricks, and timbers, is not to capture its full essence. A house is stones, bricks, and timbers (material cause), built into an enclosed structure (formal cause), fashioned together by a carpenter (efficient cause), in order to provide shelter from the elements (final cause). We can describe the what, but without further details about the explanation, we don’t really know the nature of a house. Similarly the soul is why, it gives the explanation for, the life activities of a living body. At this point Aristotle’s notion of the soul is quite clear; it is the first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive, it is a set of capacities for life-giving and defining activities of organisms, and it is the form, the source of motion, and the means (it directs) to the end of the living body. Souls of different living beings are differentiated by their capacities to engage in the activities characteristic of that type of organism, which comprise their livelihood and survival. It is these differentiating faculties that make up the soul. Among these faculties are the nutritive and reproductive, perceptive, locomotive, and the capacity for thought and understanding. Aristotle claims, â€Å"the soul is the principle of the potentialities we have mentioned—for nutrition, perception, understanding, and motion—and is defined by them† (Aristotle, De Anima 413). There are three types of souls, arranged in a nested hierarchy, so the possession of a higher soul entails possession of all that are below it. The lowest, or most basic, in this hierarchy is the nutritive soul. All living things possess the capacity for self-nourishment, for without this they would not live. Next is the sensitive soul, which is possessed only by animals. The highest type of soul is the rational soul, belonging only to humans. These three souls are differentiated by their function, corresponding to the ensouled being in possession of the soul with the power to exercise that function. While the animal soul possesses the nutritive and the sensitive, and the human soul the rational as well, each has but one unified soul with a various sets of capacities (Shields). The nutritive soul is the potentiality held by all living things to preserve it and equip it for life. The function of this soul is the use of nourishment and generation, or reproduction. Generation is the most natural function, as it is a means for a living being to participate in the future (the â€Å"everlasting and divine†) by producing something else of its own sort. The use of nourishment allows the being to preserve itself, only existing while it is nourished. Nourishment allows an organism to grow as well as decay, according to its form. Since all living things possess the nutritive soul, all living things have the capacity for self-nourishment, growth, decay, and for reproduction. Further, since all nourishment involves digestion, and digestion involves heat, all beings contain heat (Aristotle, De Anima 415-416). The sensitive, or perceptive soul, distinguishes plants from animals. Perception is a type of alteration, in that a suitable sense-organ in perception is affected or changed by an external object. The external object acts as the agent, possessing the qualities in actuality that the sense-organ possesses potentially. Aristotle describes that it is through an intermediate condition, such as air, that sense organs receive the forms or qualities of the objects of perception, not the matter, when involuntarily acted upon by the external object. Thus, the sensitive soul has the capacity to receive sensible forms, resulting in perception. The sense-organs become like the agent after being affected, or receiving the qualities (Shields). Again, we can see Aristotle returning to his theory of Hylomorphism in describing perception as the change in the sense-organ as a result of the acquisition of form. The potential of the sense-organ is made actual in virtue of the external object which possesses the form in actuality. Aristotle states that every animal has the sense of touch, but not all possess the sense of sight, hearing, taste and smell. Animals are further distinguished along these lines; while each possesses a nutritive and a sensitive soul, there are various degrees of complexity of the latter soul corresponding to the activities of the animal. Aristotle continues further that the possession of the perceptive soul implies that the animal has the capacity to desire, and desiring includes appetite, emotion, and wish. He also determines possession of this soul entails the ability to feel pleasure and pain and it is in virtue of this soul that some animals possess the power of locomotion (Aristotle, De Anima 413-415). The rational soul, perhaps the most difficult section to interpret of De Anima, is essential and indicative of humans alone. It is in virtue of the rational soul, the intellect, that we come to know and understand things. The intellect is the seat of thought and thus reason. Thinking is similar to perception, as it involves the reception of form by a suitable capacity. However, while the object of perception is external and is the composite of form and matter, the object of thought is within the soul and is form alone (Shields). While hard to follow, I believe the objects of thought are the forms of forms; they get their intelligible forms in virtue of the sensible forms sensed in perception. Aristotle discusses the concept of â€Å"appearances†, which are different from perceptions and beliefs, for appearances exist while we sleep, with no external stimuli actualizing the ‘sensation’, and beliefs involve conviction, while appearances do not. Appearances are images resembling objects of perception (Aristotle, De Anima 428). It is helpful to think of appearances as the representation of reality we see in imagination. I believe Aristotle is claiming that it is these appearances that are the objects of thought. In intellection, the mind is made to be like the object of thought through reception of its intelligible form. The intellect is pure potentiality, it potentially has all of these objects of thought, and only in thought do these intelligible forms become actualized in the mind (Shields). As Aristotle’s philosophical worldview rests on a Hylomorphic principle, it is difficult to see how the alteration, bringing the intellect from potentiality to actuality in thought, comes about. In perception, this is in virtue of an external object that acts as an agent for change in the sense-organ. But what is the agent of change in intellection? Aristotle divides the intellect into the active and passive intellects. The active intellect acts as the agent of change; when the mind thinks the active intellect actualizes the intelligible forms in the passive intellect. The passive intellect stores the concepts of knowledge and intelligible forms in potentiality, to be recalled by the active intellect during thought. This means however, that the actual must precede the potential, contrary to what was discussed above. The nature of the active intellect is its activity, so it must be unremittingly active in order to cause the passive intellect to act and us to have thoughts and reason. If it is continuously active, this part of the rational soul must be eternal and thus stands in stark contrast with the rest of the souls Aristotle posits, but this controversial point is something I will not take up in this paper (Shields). Returning to the more broad implications of De Anima and Aristotle’s larger philosophical framework, we can analyze his notion of the soul in terms of the mind/body problem. Explicating his position, or lack thereof, on this matter will also illustrate his views on the soul in terms of unity, oneness, seperability, and mortality. Substance dualism is the position that the mind is separate from the body and that the mind is non-physical, often posited as being eternal. Aristotle’s conception of the soul, however, is that it is not ontologically distinct from the body. All nourishment, perception, and even thinking require a body. Further, as the living body is the composite of form (soul) and matter (body), it represents one inextricable substance. The soul and body are inseparable, except for perhaps the active intellect. While we can conceptually distinguish between a soul and a body, or form and matter, they are but one substance, related in terms of this composite. So when the body perishes, the soul does as well. Leaving aside the debated active intellect, the soul cannot be immortal. Therefore, Aristotle cannot be said to be a substance dualist. Materialism, on the other hand, claims that all that exists is physical and that substance is pure matter. But as has been said, Aristotle’s position on the soul takes it to be pure form and thus immaterial. The primary substance of a living body is the unity of body and soul, which is not purely matter. So, he cannot be a materialist either. While Aristotle does not clearly take a position towards this dilemma, he does suggest a new way of viewing it. Instead of presupposing the mind and speculating on the body as dualists do, or vice versa if you are a materialist, identifying the two as a unit and illuminating the association in terms of unity relations may prove more feasible. To summarize, Aristotle’s notion of the soul is that it is the first actuality of a natural body that is potentially alive. The concept of first actuality represents a sort of capacity for undertaking the action that characterizes the second actuality. So the soul is life-giving and facilitates the body for undertaking the actions necessary for survival and well-being. Plants have only the nutritive soul, enabling them to sustain themselves and reproduce. Animals have this soul as well as the sensitive soul, which facilitates perception and feelings of pleasure, pain, desire, appetite, etc. Humans are further distinguished in virtue of the elusive rational soul, which gives us the unique power of understanding, thought, and rationality. Aristotle’s soul is unlike other conceptions as it posits that although the body and soul is one, inseparable unit, the soul is immaterial while the body is physical. His consistency on his views of the soul with his views of nature and reality are obvious, as he frequently makes use of his broader theories of Hylomorphism, his four causes, and the potential/actual nature of everything that exists, making for a powerfully cohesive portfolio. Works Cited Aristotle, Terence Irwin, and Gail Fine. â€Å"De Anima. † Aristotle: Selections. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. , 1995. 402-34. Print. Aristotle, Terence Irwin, and Gail Fine. â€Å"Physics. † Aristotle: Selections. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. , 1995. 184-263. Web. Shields, Christopher. â€Å"Aristotle’s Psychology. † (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). N. p. , 23 Aug. 2010. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.

Mahatma Gandhi The British Rule Of India - 2346 Words

Mohandas Karmchand Gandhi was born during the British rule in India on October 2, 1869. Gandhi in the year of 1888 was sent to England to pursue law, where he developed interest in the philosophy of nonviolence as expressed in the holy Bhagawad Gita, a scared text of Hindu scriptures. However after passing the bar, he found little accomplishment in his attempt to practice law in India, which is when he accepted a position in South Africa, where he assisted on a lawsuit. (Mohandas Gandhi, 2015) In South Africa, he involved himself in an attempt to end discrimination against the minority Indians residing there. During this course, he developed â€Å"satyagarha†, which translates into â€Å"soul force†, or an approach of non-violence resistance, against the British governments in South Africa. In the years following the World War I, Gandhi became a leading figure in India for his struggle to achieve independent from the mighty British rule. His willingness to tolerate the punishments and the prison confinement earned him the title of â€Å" Mahatama†, a â€Å"great soul† in India in 1914. (Mohandas Gandhi, 2015) Gandhi was also majorly known for his ascetic lifestyle and he regularly dressed himself in a loincloth and shawl. He was imprisoned several times during his pursuit of non-violence. For instance, in the year of 1914 when the British gunned down the peaceful Indian protesters, Gandhi and the citizens of India realized the need for self-rule, which is when Gandhi in the early 20s, organizedShow MoreRelatedMahatma Gandhi Essay986 Words   |  4 PagesMahatma Gandhi Mohandas Gandhi, known as Mahatma Gandhi. Also known as Mahatma the great soul, was the father of modern India. He originally came from Western India, a city called Porbandar. He was born on 2nd October 1869. Gandhi was on of the youngest of the three sons of Karamchand Gandhi, who was a Prime Minister successively in Porbandar, Rajkot and Vankaner States. 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The Christian Hell and the Greek Underworld - 2265 Words

Since ancient civilizations people have been trying to explain what goes on after death. Throughout history, many cultures have had different theories about what happens. Two distinguished ideas of where people go after death are the underworld and Hell. The idea of the underworld came from the Greeks and Romans. A few famous works by the Greeks and Romans that talk about the underworld are The Iliad, The Aeneid, and, The Odyssey. A famous work that discusses Hell is Dantes Inferno. Hell is an accepted part of the Christianity religion and taught all over the world. The two beliefs are very similar but some distinct differences can be seen. The idea of the Christian Hell has evolved from older beliefs. Originally Jews believed all dead†¦show more content†¦(Catholic Encyclopedia) In ancient Greek beliefs people were also judged when they were down in the underworld. 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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Essay - 726 Words

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Telecommunication System Engineering

Question: Discuss about the Telecommunication System Engineering. Answer: System Engineering: Basics of the system engineering utilizes system thinking to organize whole knowledge. Some critical issues like requirements engineering, coordination among team members, logistics, testing, reliability, maintainability and many such disciplines are necessary for system design, development, and implementation [1]. System engineering defines work processes to optimize the methods. It provides risk management strategies and tools for projects. System engineering might overlap with human centered disciplines like manufacturing engineering, project management, industrial engineering, control engineering or software engineering. System engineering is not a manufacturing process, it is more likely a discovery process to deploy efficient methods. A manufacturing process is mainly focused on repetitive activities to achieve high quality products with minimum resources. Whereas system engineering process starts with discovering real problems which needs to be resolved and identifies impact o f failures to cause loss. System engineering helps to identify problem and then provides solutions for those problems. System Efficiency and Reliability: System efficiency and reliability are important aspects of any software system in the organization. Organization depends on these aspects for continuous delivery of the services. There are many effective ways to make this happen. These are: Clean data: Data is required for most of the applications. Insufficient and incorrect data will create trouble instead of generating outputs. Wrong data may result in wrong interpretation or wrong information. Clean data will give accurate and reliable results. Defines Processes: Software might have fixed processes which needs to be repeat for different purposes. Defining these processes according to the requirement of the system is required. All the process will not fir the system. These processes need to be modified whenever required[2]. Security: System security is most important concern for any organization. Communication over internet may be a risky affair for a content sensitive company. If company wants to keep its information confidential, it must secure the system with latest updates software or firewalls. Information access: Information should be easily accessible to the authorized users. It should not be a complex process to get any relevant information from the system. Maintenance and Adaptation: Regular maintenance of the system is required to repair any loss of system capability or information. It can be done through documentation or through automatic software checkers. Public Switched Telephone Network (pstn): PSTN is used to meet requirements of offices, organizations or individuals to transmit telephone messages all across country. It can also be provided international access. System will be provided interconnection of private networks and access to PSTN which will be according to present requirements. PSTN supports the data transmission, e-mail and messages to cross point switches when corresponding equipment is used at terminal [3]. PSTN is designed to enable two way voice communication. Enabling a connection between two points was as simple as placing a normal wire between the two points. Cost of this connection depended on the distance between the locations and the distance of end users from each other. With increase in distance, cost increases and accessibility decreases. Telephony network developed with the time and now more users can be connected through each other. Earlier only one user could be connected to a single user with the point-to-point connections over telephone network architecture. Network engineers developed a network to interconnect large number of devices by placing switching equipment at central locations. This was called Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). It is focused on circuits used in network. It is a connection oriented system for delivering only one service which is voice. In this system, each network user require to set up a call-setup to both the points which needs to be connected. It reserves the resources along the path for two way communication. This allows the network operator to route and bill the calls by identifying every step of call path and it also manages the switching system network. PSTN arranges the network offices in hierarchical stages according to the function they perform and employ trunk lines between network switches. It can scale up the tele-communication network to accommodate many end users. By doing this, it can manage the traffic between switch offices depending on which switch needs to be connected. It identifies the traffic as local traffic, international traffic or long distance traffic. PSTN operates on a link to link basis. Each switch forwards the traffic in a hierarchy towards link or hop to nex t PSTN based on call setups [4]. Digital Microwave Radio Systems: Microwave transmission is information or energy transmission by electromagnetic waves. Wavelength of these waves is measure in centimeters. Range of wavelength is from 1 Gigahertz to 300Gigahertz. These waves are used for point to point communication. Small wavelength is used conveniently for small sized antennas to direct it in narrow beams which can easily be pointed out to receiving antenna. Therefore nearby microwaves can use same frequencies without interfering with other devices or communications. This is the problem with lower frequency radio waves. Another big advantage of this is that high frequency waves give band large information carrying capacity without distortion [6]. This has the bandwidth 30times of all other radio spectrums. But there is limitation too and which constraints it to line of sight propagation only. These waves cant be passed across the hills or mountains but lower frequency waves can be easily passed through these obstacles. Microwave transmission is mostly used for point to point communication on the plane surface of earth, in space radio communication or also in satellite communication. It is also used for radio navigations, radio astronomy, radars and sensory systems. There is a higher part of radio electromagnetic spectrum which is above 30 GHz and below 100GHz, these are called millimeter waves. These radio waves in this band limit can be highly attenuated by atmosphere and particles at earth.at wider frequency band, radio waves are attenuated by atmospheric molecular oxygen. Electronic technologies used in millimeter band are difficult to utilize than microwave band [7]. There are two types information transmission: One-way or two way transmission through communication satellite Terrestrial microwave telecommunication Digital Radio Transmitter Digital radio transmitter takes baseband waves and translates them into a waveform which can be effectively transmitted by channel. Before this transmission to radio frequency from baseband, waveform is digitized to gain the advantages of digital modulation. Coding is also used to efficiently use the available bandwidth by minimizing the interference and noise introduced by the channel. This coded signal is filtered and changed to analog waveform which is then converted to desired frequency transmission [8]. At last, RF signal is amplified after filtration and then transmitted from antenna. Digital Radio Receiver: It can be implemented in many ways with certain components in all receivers. It should be able to extract RF signal in presence of potential interference. There is a pre-selector filter which is most important part of the receiver. It attenuates signals which are out of band while receiving from antenna. Low noise amplifier is used to boost desired signals while ignoring noise of radio signal. A mixer is installed to down covert RF signal to intermediate frequency by collaborating local oscillator with RF signal. Unwanted components of the frequency are attenuated using IF filter. All the variations at the receiver are manifested by themselves at receiver. Microwave Link Design: Link design start with link budget analysis. Radio system has a gain which depends on radio design and used modulation. Gain at each antenna are supplementary to this gain. Higher gains are possible from large antennas. Free space loss is subtracted from system when radio signal travels over the air. Loss is higher with longer links. This energy can be absorbed by rain or other environmental factors. Rain can cause outage if sufficient energy is absorbed which cause receiver to lose the signal. Radio link engineering to accommodate these rain attenuated effects is based on global rain models. These models are derived from attenuation combined with meteorological observations. The resulted fade margins are calculated. Anything in this margin can be overcome by the radio signal, if margin exceeds then the link will go down. Path Profile: It is a graphical representation of path of the radio waves between two end point links. It determines height of antenna and its location at each link end. It tries to get link free of obstructions like hills and multipath reflections. Link endpoints should have unobstructed line of sight radio waves. Frequency of microwave is lower than visible light, because of this it behave differently in environmental conditions. It require more clear way than line of sight way to accommodate microwave signal characteristics. Electromagnetic waves do not travel on straight path. It spreads as it propagates. Individual signal does not travel at same velocity. A French scientist divided the wave paths in different zones according to their speed and phase of wave propagation. Sizes of these Fresnel zones vary according to radio signal frequency and path length [5]. Fresnel zone size increases with decrease in frequency and increase in path length. Radius of Fresnel zone is maximum when signal is at mid of path. Therefore, midpoint needs most clearance in path than any other point. Calculation of Free Space Loss (FSL): It is the expected attenuation in a signal while its travel away from transmitting device. Signal spread over larger distance while radiating from an antenna. Power density decreases with increasing area covered which deteriorates the radio signal. FSL = 32.44 + 20lgF + 20lgD F is frequency in MHz and D is distance between endpoints of link in Km. Fade Margin: It is the difference between receiver sensitivity threshold and un-faded receive signal. Every link should have enough fade margin to keep it secure from path fading which deteriorates radio signals. Fade margin works as an insurance against system outages. It is related to link availability which is calculated as percentage of time when link was functional. This percentage increases with increase in fade margin. A link will have fewer system outages with larger fade margins. Link which have no fade margin or little fade margin might experience interrupted outages because of path fading phenomena. Climate Conditions Affecting Path Fading: Path fading increases in worse climatic conditions like flat or humid environment, dry or rough location. Link in flat or humid areas need larger fade margin to achieve better link availability. Climatic conditions like maritime temperature, coastal or humid temperature, sub-tropic climate, high dry mountains climate should be taken into considerations while calculating link availability performance [9]. Cost and operations of the telecom system depends on the requirements of the company. Cost can be adjusted based on the quality requirements and the distance between communicating devices. Maintenance cost is negligible in this system, although installation cost can be very high depending on geographical and environmental conditions. Bibliography: [1] P. . Fontolliet, "Telecommunication system engineering," Signal Processing, vol. 23, no. 1, p. 107, Apr. 2011. [2 J. M. Griffiths, "Telecommunication system engineering," Electronics and Power, vol. 26, no. 9, p. 750, 2010. [3] H. J. Kim, "Suitability of IP telephony in the public switched telephone network (PSTN)," International Journal of Business Data Communications and Networking, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 3956, 2007. [4] R. Frieden, "The mixed blessing of a Deregulatory Endpoint for the public switched telephone network," SSRN Electronic Journal, vol. 2, 2008. [5] M. C. S. Young and P. M. Grant, "Reduction of multipath propagation effects in microwave digital radio communication systems," Electronics Communications Engineering Journal, vol. 2, no. 1, p. 4, 1990. [6] L. J. Stagg, "High-capacity digital microwave radio systems," IEE Journal on Microwaves, Optics and Acoustics, vol. 1, no. 1, p. 1, 2006. [7] K. Watanabe, S. Uwano, and H. Matsue, "Pre-interference canceller for digital microwave radio systems," Electronics and Communications in Japan (Part I: Communications), vol. 78, no. 6, pp. 103114, Jun. 2005. [8] I. Flood and D. Bacon, "Towards more spectrally efficient frequency assignment for microwave fixed links," International Journal of Mobile Network Design and Innovation, vol. 1, no. 2, p. 147, 2006. [9] A. D. Sarma, M. V. S. N. Prasad, and B. Balakrishna, "Significance of rain induced Attenuation and Multipath in the design of digital microwave links," IETE Technical Review, vol. 12, no. 5-6, pp. 359373, Sep. 1995.

Mgt Company Analysis Beximco Pharma Essay Example

Mgt Company Analysis Beximco Pharma Essay MBA Program Summer Semester 2010 MGT506: Strategic Management School of Business United International University Dhaka Bangladesh 2010 Table of Content Topic Page 01. Historical Background03 02. Company profile03 03. Organizational Structure03 04. Market Scenario04 05. Business level Strategy Pursued05 06. Relationship between Business Level Strategy and Performance06 07. SWOT Analysis07 08. Possible Measures to Improve Performance08 Historical Background Beximco Pharma is a leading edge pharmaceutical company and is a member of the Beximco Group, the largest private sector industrial conglomerate in Bangladesh. The firm started operation in 1980, manufacturing products under the licenses of Bayer AG of Germany and Upjohn Inc. of USA and now have grown to become nations one of the leading pharmaceutical companies, supplying more than 10% of countrys total medicine need. Today Beximco Pharma manufactures and markets its own `branded generics for almost all diseases from AIDS to cancer, from infection to asthma, from hypertension to diabetes for both national and international markets. Company Profile Beximco Pharma manufactures a range of dosage forms including tablets, capsules, dry syrup, powder, cream, ointment, suppositories, large volume intravenous fluids, metered dose inhalers etc. in several world-class manufacturing plants, ensuring high quality standards complying with the World Health Organization (WHO) approved current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). We will write a custom essay sample on Mgt Company Analysis Beximco Pharma specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mgt Company Analysis Beximco Pharma specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mgt Company Analysis Beximco Pharma specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They also contract manufacture for major international brands of leading multinational companies. Organizational Structure BPL is completely governed and maintained by a corporate body. The chief of the organization is the Chief Executive Officer and the total operation is divided into Marketing, Sales, Commercial, Manufacturing, Finance and Accounting, Product Planning, Business Research and Development, and MIS departments each supervised by a director. Directors of the departments report directly to the CEO. Bearing the demands of dynamic environment in mind BPL designed its organizational structure as highly adaptive and flexible. It is a Learning Organization that has developed the capacity to continuously learn, adapt and change. In BPL employees are highly trained and empowered to handle diverse job activities and problems. They have minimal formalization with narrow span of control. The organizational members share information openly and collaborate on work activities. For internal communication, BPL follows a strictly formalized Intranet based electronic communication system as well as informal verbal communication. For external communication BPL uses both internet based electronic communication and an array of printed communication material. All the external communications are supervised, mostly by Director, Marketing and in some cases by Director, Sales. Market Scenario In Bangladesh the pharmaceutical sector is one of the most developed hi-tech sectors which is contributing in the countrys economy. The national companies account for more than 65% of the pharmaceutical business in Bangladesh. Except Beximco Pharma other leading companies are Square Pharma, Incepta Pharmaceuticals. Navana Pharma Ltd. , Opsonin Chemical Industries Ltd. , Aventis Pharma Ltd. Etc. Among them Square Pharma is the market leader at this moment. BPL follows Square Pharma at the 2nd position. The analysis of the two company’s financial data shows that for the year 2007-2008 gross profit of BPL was 1,629,514,837(BDT) and Square Pharma was 3,401,781,806 (BDT) . There are a number of reasons why BPL could not beat Square Pharma for the first position. The most relevant of them are stated here. ? Fewer Markets Served: Square Pharma serves a larger market than BPL while BPL concentrates on market focus. For example, unlike Square Pharma BPL does not do business in the credit market. They only serve the premium market. ? Producing Injectables: Again BPL does not manufacture or market Injectables where this is a huge market. In contrast, Square Pharma has a range of 44 injectables and has sold 28,289,000 units in the year 2007-2008. ? Product Range: BPL has a fewer range of products than Square Pharma does. BPL manufactures only over 300 products in comparison to Square Pharma’s over 500 products. In international market the main competitors for pharmaceutical companies in our country are India and China. The challenge faced in open market competition is the scarcity and unavailability of raw materials in local market. So, companies in our country have to import these materials from abroad (India, China and a few countries from Europe) at high price. Besides, the privileges of being LDC as a result of the Patent Law will no longer be in effect after 2015. Business level Strategy Pursued Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is a leading edge pharmaceutical company is acclaimed for its outstanding product quality, world-class manufacturing facilities, product development capabilities and outstanding professional services. Beximco Pharma is the pioneer in pharmaceutical export from Bangladesh and has received National Export Trophy (Gold), the highest national accolade for export, for record three times. Beximco Pharma has adopted several Business Level Strategies regarding growth and market focus with the view to achieving organizational goals. As Growth Strategy BPL have decided to enter into nine new international markets in Asia, Middle East, Pacific Islands, Africa and Central America and have registered 107 products in different markets. Besides, BPL signed a Long Term Arrangement with the Global Supply Division of UNICEF (Denmark) to supply 60,000 units CFC free metered dose inhaler product over a two year contract period. During the first quarter of 2008, BPL has entered into 3 new international markets- namely, Afghanistan, Kiribati and Solomon Islands. Their Short Term plan to build facility to manufacture Small Volume Parenterals (SVP), Opthalmic and Nebulizer Solutions has progressed as scheduled. They are planning to commence marketing of these products by first quarter of 2009. Their strategic strengths include strong recognition of brands, highly skilled work force and diversified business mix. Their two brands Neoceptin R (Ranitidine) and Napa (Paracetamol) are the top two selling brands in the Bangladesh Pharmaceutical market. Relationship between Business Level Strategy and Performance Beximco Pharma (BPL) is a leading edge pharmaceutical company is acclaimed for its outstanding product quality, world-class manufacturing facilities, product development capabilities and outstanding professional services. Its strategic strengths include strong recognition of brands, highly skilled work force and diversified business mix. Being a Learning Organization the core essence of Beximco Pharma is its entrepreneurial spirit in every sphere of its management. In this spirit, the tasks of each managerial function are carried out through Management by Objective approach. The recipient of three times `gold national export trophy, Beximco Pharma is the largest exporter of pharmaceuticals from Bangladesh. They are the only pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh received this highest national accolade for export, for record three times. They market their brands through their own professional sales and marketing teams in African, South Asian and other markets. The firm also supply products to renowned hospitals and institutions in many countries, including Raffles Hospital and K K Women Childrens Hospital in Singapore, MEDS and Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Kenya, Jinnah Hospital, Agha Khan Hospital and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital in Pakistan. Beximco Pharma is also an enlisted supplier of World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. Beximco Pharma has a strong market focus and is anticipating continued future growth by leveraging business capabilities and developing superior product brands and markets. In particular they are very interested in developing a strong export market in USA and Europe. To meet the future demand they have invested over US 50 million dollar to build a new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, confirming to USFDA and UK MHRA standards. This new plant will also offer contract-manufacturing facility to leading pharmaceutical companies, especially from Europe and US. Business level strategies developed by BPL help them to earn competitive advantage through quality products, superior services, and outstanding customer relationship. Innovation strategies have been the key to their success both in product differentiation and in product promotion. BPL had been the first-mover to bring Marketing Approach rather than traditional Selling Approach in local pharmaceuticals industry. BPL also believes in Focus Strategy and concentrates on a particular segment of the market. They strive to retain existing customers as well as to attract new ones. BPL has developed unique customer service through their Unbiased Medical Service. BPL has also developed superior human resource for earning competitive advantage in the market. Swot Analysis Strength Employee Empowerment Capability to Bring Innovation product differentiation Outstanding Product Quality World Class Professional Service Weakness Insufficient Working Capital Not Operating in Low Cost Market. Opportunities Ability to Retain Growth market Focus In difficult Operating Situations Ability to Exploit Opportunities of Patent Law as an LDC in International Market. Threat Strong Competitors in Domestic International Market. Political Instability Government International Regulations. Rising Trend of Material Price Possible Measures to Improve Performance Any organization is deeply effected by its environment. The macro political and economic environment of our country is so full of uncertainty that the managers of business organizations of Bangladesh face very difficult challenges to cope with the ever changing situations. The biggest challenge for the managers in the pharmaceuticals industry is the competition. Bangladesh is now self dependent in the pharmaceuticals the political and economic instability there are other factors like international and domestic laws and regulations, rising trend of material price, high rate of inflation, obsolete technology, increased security problem, dire country image etc which effect the job of managers in our country most. Bangladesh can substantially increase pharmaceuticals export if the government extends support to local producers after this year when WTO rules on pharmaceuticals for developed and developing nations comes into effect. From the next year, the developing countries will lose their patent rights to sell products. The main challenge for Beximco Pharma is now to bring down production cost to offer medicines in the international market at a competitive price. For this, raw materials must be produced locally. Producing countries will lose their rights to sell pharmaceutical ingredients at current prices after 2004 due to the WTO rules. However, the least developed countries do not have to provide any patent protection for pharmaceuticals until 2016 as the WTO has extended the deadline only for them through Trips (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights). In the changed scenario, prices of ingredients will increase significantly, so countries will certainly loss their export markets. At present Bangladesh imports 80 percent of total raw materials required for the industry. Of the requirement, 70 percent comes from India while the rest comes from China, England, Switzerland, Germany and Malaysia. Countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Uganda have a huge pharmaceuticals market for Bangladesh. At present, Bangladesh is exporting pharmaceutical products to over 50 countries of the world. The major markets for Bangladeshs pharmaceutical exports include Korea, Brazil, the Netherlands, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Yemen, USA, India, South Africa, Ukraine, Vietnam, Kenya, Norway, Sweden, Indonesia and Hong Kong. To be successful, relentless contribution and dedication of the organizations management is very much needed. To compete in international as well as in local market in adverse situation the managers work has become much more difficult in today’s ever changing business environment. Developing plans in a dynamic situation demands critical analysis of the situation and strict adhering to the core principal of the organization. As Beximco Pharma is decentralized organization and core values are cherished by everyone within the organization, operating in dynamic situation is easier than it seems. The pharmaceutical industry in this country is undoubtedly one of the most promising industries. However, the industry is not operating without any problems. This part of the report states the possible steps that could be taken to mitigate the gravity of the difficulties that threat the industry. As one of the leading pharmaceutical company Beximco Pharma also faces these problems that are bar to achieve organizational goals effectively. To sort out these problems here some suggestions are recommended. Coping with Instable Economic State: To cope with the ever changing economic environment, the management of BPL should always be watchful and should constantly analyze the organization’s overall environment. As a learning organization BPL should keep their practices of flexibility to encourage innovation for the times of much needed change. Again, as Government is going to pass a new version of law, involving the pharmaceutical industry Beximco Pharma should prepare their arrangements to cope with the coming changed business environment. Handling Competitions: Since, BPL’s business strategy is to focus on particular segments of the total market they should be operating with the view to becoming the market leader of those areas. In the mean time, they should look forward to grow their business as much as possible both in national and international market. Negotiating with the Government: In order to ensure more prospects in the import and export activities of raw materials Beximco needs to negotiate to adjust several business laws and regulations with the Government. Such approach can be proved as a benefit of the company. Market Diversification: After 2015, privileges as LCD regarding Patent Act will expire. So BPL must get ready to compete in a more challenging situation in the international market where, India will be the biggest contestant. BPL will have to concentrate on the Generic medicines that are the products that are produced in mass scale and marketed by several companies under different brand name, where the formulation of this product is almost same. Prices of the products are under this category are competitive. Bangladesh mainly concentrates on this category, as labor cost is one of the lowest in the world. Again, Beximco pharma can operate on off-patent products as after years of business the formulations of Patent Medicines are sold in the market so that others can go into mass production. Thus the company can take a better position by maximizing profit in an open market economical condition. Conclusion In recent highly competitive medicine manufacturing sector, streamlined operations and effective business relations are essential. To improve information exchange with its many partners, Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. decided to introduce leading-edge supplier and customer relationship management capabilities.