Lagaan (2001) A landmark Bollywood film that gracefully combines art and entertainment Essay Example

Lagaan (2001): A landmark Bollywood film that gracefully combines art and entertainment Paper The Bollywood film chosen for analysis in this essay is Lagaan, released in 2001. The film, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker stars Amir Khan and Gracy Singh in lead roles. The movie combines popular formulaic elements within the time-tested format of sports movies, making it a unique production to have come out of Bollywood in many years. Not only was the movie make a lot of money at the box-office (both in India and abroad), but it also attracted positive reaction from the critics. This is evident from the fact that it was one of the movies nominated for Best Picture under Foreign Language Movie category in the following year at the Academy Awards. It is hoped that reasons such as these make Lagaan an appropriate choice for discussion in this essay. Before getting the detailed analysis of the film, a brief summary of the story is called for. Lagaan is a fictional story set in nineteenth century India, when the country was still under the rule of British Empire. A group of villagers from a remote village in the arid central India â€Å"take up a British officer’s challenge to play cricket in order to get a reprieve from a crippling tax imposed by the colonial government† (Kasbekar, 2007, p. 366) If the villagers beat their colonial rulers, their taxes are waived off for three subsequent years. In the eventuality they lose they will be compelled to pay thrice the usual taxes Moreover, We will write a custom essay sample on Lagaan (2001): A landmark Bollywood film that gracefully combines art and entertainment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Lagaan (2001): A landmark Bollywood film that gracefully combines art and entertainment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Lagaan (2001): A landmark Bollywood film that gracefully combines art and entertainment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer â€Å"The fact that the villagers have never played cricket and do not know the first thing about the game establishes the foundation of the film’s narrative and dramatic structure. The British officer’s sister takes pity on the villagers and secretly teaches them the game so that they have a fighting chance. The cricket match takes up the final hour of this nearly four-hour long film and is marked by moments of comedy, drama, and suspense.† (Ganti, 2004, p.25) Lagaan has proven to be a watershed event in mainstream Indian film industry. This view is supported by the fact that in the years since its release, no other movie had attained such overwhelming popular and critical acclaim. At the time when Lagaan was released, Bollywood was going through a crisis of sorts. Most films released by the film studios of Mumbai (which is where Bollywood is headquartered) were failing badly at the box-office. There were multiple reasons behind this decline, but the foremost among them is the lack of creativity and novelty in the scripts. Even regular movie-goers got fed up with the bland, repetitive and unimaginative story lines of a majority of films at the time. It is in this context that Lagaan should be studied and evaluated, for it then lucidly illustrates the uniqueness of Lagaan (Vasudevan, 2005, p.135). Bollywood is differentiated from the Independent/Art House film industry in India. The former is generally considered as a money making industry with importance given only to â€Å"entertainment†. This is in direct contrast to the Art House film industry, which adopts its ethos based on â€Å"artistic merit†. While Lagaan, without doubt, is a mainstream Bollywood production, it stands out for its artistic merit as well, as will be illustrated below. Firstly, given the lengthy four hour duration of the film, pacing the film becomes a challenging task for the director. Ashutosh Gowariker, the director, does a commendable job in this department as he employs ‘song and dance’ sequences at appropriate junctures to keep the audience engaged to the narrative. The background score given by A.R.Rahman also deserves mention here, as it is one of his masterly works. The task of finding a resonant blend in combining classical Hindustani music with classical West ern is never easy. Rahman overcomes these challenges without a hitch and in the process delivers a unique musical work. Again, such ground-breaking works are not usually associated with Bollywood in general, which further goes to emphasize the enduring significance of Lagaan to the mainstream Indian film industry. Equally competent is the choreographic sequences in the film. Gracy Singh, who plays the role of the jealous village-girl in love with Bhuvan (played by Amir Khan) is particularly graceful in the dance sequences. Being a trained classical dancer, she carries off the role with great ease. The chemistry between the lead pair, especially in moments of romance, is another area where the movie scores (Kasbekar, 2007, p.378). Through a well thought-out interlay of drama, romance and song-and-dance, Gowariker balances the various imperatives of Bollywood entertainers. It is apt to bring to light at this point that Bollywood and Cricket have been two major sources of entertainment for the Indian public. In many ways, Cricket precedes Bollywood in finding a place in the collective Indian public consciousness, for the sport in India is as old as the British Raj. Bollywood, on the other hand, would have to wait for the advent of film and sound technology to grow into a large commercial enterprise that it is today. Lagaan benefits no end by bringing Cricket to the realm of Bollywood and thereby creating a risk-free approach to commercial success (Ganti, 2004, p.232). The employment of the game of Cricket as a metaphor for larger and real struggles in life is a brilliant conception on part of the director. Not surprisingly then, the Cricket match agreed to by the villagers and their British administrators comprises the central sequence in the film, the detailed discussion of which is as follows (Tripathi, 2002, p.38). The cricket match between the natives and the colonial powers takes up the last one hour of the lengthy movie. During the course of the match the built up suspense and anxiety resolves itself. In other words, the cricket match, with so much at stake for both sides serves as a perfect backdrop in which to unravel the climax. While the cricket match can be construed at one level as the struggle between the underdog and the master, at another level it is an allegory for the real-life struggle by subjects of empire against their colonial rulers. At an even greater level of abstraction, the cricket match is an allegory to the universal tussle between forces of good and evil, with the village team evidently being on the side of the good. There are discernible nationalistic undertones in the movie, as Jyothika Virdi points out in her scholarly work The Cinematic Imagination: Indian Popular Films as Social History: â€Å"Lagaan celebrates the struggle against the empire: the trans-national forces of another moment, that noble moment to which the nation owes its origin and to which Hindi cinema has only made muted references before. The anti-colonial struggle might become the latest imprint to imagine the nation—more than a hundred years after the nationalist movement began in earnest and fifty years after the nation’s independence. The dramatic appeal of the now-historic anti-imperial victory might make it yet another enduring strategy to glorify the nation racked with internal polarizations, confused about contending with intensifying globalization forces, and willing to repress and displace the trauma of two nations with the self-aggrandizement of becoming a regional superpower.† (Virdi, 2003, p.78) The aforementioned observations by Jyothika Virdi are valid assessments of Lagaan. Moreover, it places the key ingredients of the film in the context of Bollywood role as an arbiter of Indian culture, values and notions of national identity. While some Bollywood movies take into consideration such elements as the nation’s tenuousness, its artifice, etc, and try to gloss over fault lines, a majority of the films â€Å"locate these fractures within the nation by projecting a national edifice and the rumblings against it. The nation not only subsumes personal identities but also collectives identified by class, gender, sexuality, community, and caste, although social movements centred around these threaten the hierarchies (feudal, capitalist, and patriarchal) maintained by the nation state. Hindi films explore the tensions these collectives generate, even openly articulate their conflicts within the nation; they offer a glimmer of change—and then contain it† (Gant i, 2004, p.232). It is quite fitting to conclude this essay by stating that Lagaan performs all these functions and more. References: Bale, John, and Mike Cronin, eds. Sport and Postcolonialism /. New York: Berg, 2003. Cook, David A. A History of Narrative Film. New York: W. W. Norton, 1996. Ganti, Tejaswini. Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema. New York: Routledge, 2004. Kasbekar, Asha (2007) ‘An Introduction to Indian cinema.’ In: Nelmes, Jill (ed) An Introduction to Film Studies, London: Routledge, pp. 365–390. Tripathi, Salil. â€Å"Better Than Bollywood: It’s a Hot Summer for India’s Film Industry, but Salil Tripathi Prefers a Film-Maker Who Favours Reality over Schmaltz.† New Statesman 3 June 2002: 38+. Vasudevan, Ravi P.: The Politics of Cultural Address in a ‘Transitional’ Cinema: A Case Study of Indian Popular Cinema. In: Gledhill, Christine/ Williams, Linda: Reinventing Film Studies. London: Arnold, P. 130–164 Vick, Tom (2007) Asian Cinema: A Field Guide, Collins, pp. 87 – 112 Virdi, Jyotika. The Cinematic Imagination: Indian Popular Films as Social History. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2003.

Murder Investigation Essay Essays

Murder Investigation Essay Essays Murder Investigation Essay Essay Murder Investigation Essay Essay Murder Investigation Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Institution: Date: Murder Investigation Essay Criminal psychology is essentially described as a learning of both mental and behavioral aspects of a criminal. Hence, serial homicide psychology is essentially described as the study of the mental and behavioral aspects of a serial killer. A serial killer is described as an individual who commits specific murders because he or she is driven by a particular desire and urge to kill individuals. A serial killer is defined as such when he or she is involved in the murder of a minimum of three people. In essence serial homicide is executed in manner that there is usually what is defined as a â€Å"cooling off† period between the murders with the intent of making the murders seem unconnected. The cooling off period is used by serial killer to strategize, plan and evaluate the public reactions of people in the society. The Federal Bureau describes that the mind of a serial killer is driven by several elements such as thrill, financial gain and the need of attention form the police as well as the society. The prey of a serial killer is usually unaware of the presence of a murder seeking their blood for various reasons. Majority of serial murders are usually executed in a similar manner, which makes tem easily linkable to the serial killer (Andrews Bonta, 2010). Essentially the motivation of murder by a serial killer is usually based on psychological issues. Hence, scientists as well as theorists seek to understand the functions inside the mind of a serial killer towards murder. In addition, the traits exhibited by a serial killer are not detailed within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) of American Psychiatric Association does not define any behavior exhibited by serial killers as part of mental illnesses. Majority of the serial killers usually exhibit antisocial personality disorders, which are not entailed as part of mental illnesses within the DSM manuals (Andrews Bonta, 2010). Individuals with Anti-Social Personality Disorders (ASPD) usually have long histories of confrontation with the law and end up arrested by law enforcement officers (Andrews Bonta, 2010). In addition, such individuals are also involved in physical confrontations with people they met in the various social settings. They are also descried as individuals with excellent oratory skills such that they are able to tell lies without notice from their listener. Some are also unable to stay in employment, as they tend to get hostile with other employees as well as the employer due to their confrontational behavior. Some psychologists regard psychopathic behavior as an advanced form of ASPD. Furthermore, they also view that psychopathic behavior is usually exhibited more in men than in women. Psychopaths usually have antisocial tendencies, which are more advanced because of the additional behavior, which they tend to exhibit, thus making them difficult to diagnose and eventually give treatment. The main traits exhibited are the lack of responsibility for actions as well the lack of remorse and guilt for their actions. They are also usually paranoid and suspicious of all activities around them as if they think that people around them want to victimize them. Serial killers generally love the power and attention they accrue from holding and killing their victims. They essentially need the thrill and attention they accrue from holding their victims hostage and doing away with the victim by death. Majority of the serial killers usually have histories of neglect and child abuse leading to a need to seek attention in manners, which they know, through violence. Hence the means to vent out the anger emanating from a history of neglect and violence results in use of identical or higher levels of violence to seek and attention and vent out their anger. The media attention granted to the serial killers is usually a motivating factor for the killers. This is because they learn that their efforts are recognized, hence they seek to commit heinous acts to gain attention, while venting out their anger. Once a serial killer is involved in murder, he or she grows the need to commit more identical acts to satisfy the innate psychological needs, which migh t be emotional, physical or sexual. Majority of the serial killers are described to have a psychological disorder, which is the main cause for their antisocial and unstable behavior. Hence, their activities are usually related to one of more of the psychological disorders detailed in the DSM manuals for psychological disorders. Some of most high profile serial killers in the world exhibited mental instabilities and obsession in their activities. For instance, Gary Leon Ridgeway alias the Green River Killer was charged and convicted of at least 48 murders of women. However, he confessed that he had killed more than double the number, which had been identified. Majority of the women he had killed were prostitutes. He was able to exercise such because as a serial killer he had the ability to lure the women with the promise of money for sexual favors. He gained the alias Green River Killer after the first five of his victims were discovered in the Green River. His main method of killing was by strangling and with the use of ligatures. This is an express indication of the lack of consideration and respect for human life. He used such methods to make sure that he that felt powerful as he took away the lives of the women that he killed (Waller, 2010). Another infamous serial killer famed for his actions was John Wayne Gacy, who was a member of the Junior Chamber Of Commerce. He confessed about the murders of numerous people some of whom were not accounted for by the authorities. He was a respected member of society. However, he had an abusive relationship with his abusive alcoholic father. There were suspicion that he was a child molester and homosexual. This is an indication that previous childhood experiences might have had role in his killings. Theodore Robert Cowell alias Ted Bundy was an infamous serial killer in the 1946 who was famed for his good looks. This enabled him to lure his victims with ample ease to their death. He used various approaches such as posing as a police officer, firefighter and other workers to gain trust from his potential victims. He was responsible for killing 40 women after raping them and eventually mutilating their bodies. He confessed to the murders. Eventually, he was executed. It is claimed that before he dumped his bodies, he applied make up to the dead woman and slept with them (Bartol, Bartol, 2008). Mass murder is essentially described as the act of killing more than four individuals at the same time or over a relatively short period. In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) describes that mass murders are characterized by the time of occurrence, which separates them from the definition of serial murders or homicide (FBI Serial Murders Report, 2009). They usually occur during the â€Å"cooling off† period. Furthermore, mass murders usually occur in a specific location whereby all the victims are killed in a single location or a vicinity of a particular location. In essence, mass murder is defined as the intentional and indiscriminate murder of individuals by either individuals or organizations. Serial killers when involved in the murder of large numbers of people, usually execute such plans in a longer period. Serial murders are usually instigated and executed based on psychological needs and imbalance by the serial killers. On the other hand, mass murders are usually aimed at execution of large numbers of people without discrimination of the victims. Hence, the difference between mass murders and serial murders are based on the selection of the victims. Mass murders are at times based on killing of family, friends, colleagues and strangers based on an individual belief. Such events usually have motivating factors such as bullying, racism, loss of employment, lack of attention, discrimination and perceived alienation of an individual. Hence, a mass murderer executes his or her activities of killing people because of previous encounters and experiences with a targeted group of individuals. Mass murders are usually based on various contexts. Death of people a result of an act of war is by some in society considered as mass murder. On the other hand, others consider that mass murder amounts to death of people who do not have any reason to face such cruelty. They simply become victims of fate. Mass murders are also based on political contexts such as during the execution and murder of political supporters of a specific grouping. This is at times regarded as genocide based on the numbers of people executed in such circumstances (Geberth, 2006). The definition of serial homicide from the Bureau of Justice Statistics defines serial homicide as an act that involves the murder of several individuals in separate events, which are separated by time but are executed in a similar fashion or signature. This gives definition to the serial killer. A serial killer and a spree killer usually have identical traits in the execution styles of their activities. A spree killer is described as one with the ability of hunting for the victims whereas the serial killer uses seduction and luring tactics to lure the victims to their demise. In addition, serial killers actualize their need to kill based merely on sadistic urges, which are essentially defined as psychopathic. Furthermore, their sociopathic and unsociable traits make them unable to interact and sympathize with others about their suffering. Hence, the lack of remorse is usually a trait evident in majority serial murderers (Waller, 2010). In conclusion, serial killing is based on psychological instabilities and disorders of an individual. On the other hand, mass murders are usually executed at a specific moment. However, the two instances are identical in that serial killing and mass murder involve premeditation of such efforts before the actual execution of plans to kill large numbers of people. In essence, both perspectives involve taking the lives of people who are unaware of such preplanned events aimed at actualizing their demise. Reference Andrews, D. A., Bonta, J. (2010). The psychology of criminal conduct. Albany, N.Y.: Lexis Nexis/Anderson Pub. Bartol, C. R., Bartol, A.M. (2008). Criminal Behavior: A Psychological Approach. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall. FBI Serial Murders Report. (2009). Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators. Behavioral Analysis Unit: National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. Retrieved from fbi.gov/publications/serial_murder.htm on March 9, 2010. Geberth, V. J. (2006). Practical homicide investigation: Tactics, procedures, and forensic techniques. Boca Raton, FL: CRC/Taylor Francis. Waller, S. (2010). Serial killers philosophy: Being and killing. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell.

Managing Change Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managing Change - Research Proposal Example A successful management of change process leads to implement the procedural changes in a sustainable manner so that the organization can enjoy the long enduring benefits arising out of such changes (Hernes, Hendrup and Schà ¤ffnerc, 2015). In this paper, research will be done on change management of a renowned global fast food restaurant, Burger King. Theories of cultural changes and adaptation versus standardization will be analysed in order to establish the research agenda. Since its inception, the company has gone through several transformations in terms of management changes and changes in the production and operational process, as a result of external environmental changes. The Florida based company has gone through substantial changes since it has decided to expand its business in the Gulf Region. The research paper will concentrate on how the management has been able to manage the changes exclusively in Gulf region over a period of time. Organizational change is a critical aspect for every organization operating in global business framework. According to Hoenen and Kostova (2014), as the Gulf region is still in a state of pursuing its socio-economic and political reforms and accordingly changing the rules and legislations from time to time, it has become necessary for all the multinational companies operating in this region to change their business process and align their operations with the transforming regulations in this region. Schmid and Kotulla (2011) are on the opinion that when a multinational company decides to expand business in a new region on the globe, the management has to decide for every aspects of business starting from source of raw material, production and distribution process to supply chain and marketing strategies. Therefore, depending on the availability of resources and other facilities they should decide whether the company will standardize their existing

Concrete mix design and compression tests Assignment

Concrete mix design and compression tests - Assignment Example The results for the two materials were compared with special attention to the behaviors of each of them during loading. Testing of the two specimen metals preceded until fracture was realized. During the laboratory experimentation of the specimen metals, aluminum and steel were subjected to tensile tests in order to measure the tensile strengths. It was necessary to conduct the tests for Tensile strength for aluminum and steel, taking into consideration the fact that steel and aluminum are the most used materials during constructions and Engineering works. Ductility enables these two metal specimens to give extra tensile strengths. The tensile test helped in the determination of the elastic properties available in the specimen materials. The performances of the materials were measured by the behaviors that were observed on the materials and the conditions that support their performance. During this time, the challenges and failures of the experiment were observed. After the observation, emphasis shifted to the analysis of the information. The tests are expected to provide the framework on which Engineers can draw their conclusion and recommendation for reinforcing the bui lding materials and constructions in progress. The project is involves fundamental elasticity tests such as static tension test whereby the specimens of the two distinct materials are passed prepared and placed under weight which increasing becomes heavy. This is observed until the specimen attains the failure position. The measure of elasticity as one of the physical characteristics of the material determines whether the material will regain its original shape or will experience permanent deformation. The observation is meant to establish the proportional limit. This is the highest limit of stress, which the specimen material can produce and withstand while maintaining its position in the

Animal Testing is Wrong Essay Example for Free

Animal Testing is Wrong Essay Animal testing is cruel and inhuman! It is morally wrong to toture animals for our own benefit. Over 3 million animals have been tormented all in the name of research. It has been found that only 5-25% of side effects caused by medicines are accurately predicted. This leads me to wonder what is actually being gained by animal experimentation. It’s bad science! The Food and Drug Administration reported that 92 out of every 100 drugs that pass animal tests fail on humans, making it wasteful. In recent years there has been the recognition that animals rarely serve as good models for the human body. Animal experiments prolong the suffering of people waiting for effective cures by misleading experimenters and squandering precious money, time, and resources that could have been spent on human-relevant research. In the name of science, animal experiments globally are around 100 million experiments each year. Cats, dogs, rabbits, mice and other animals, no different to those we have as pets, are used in experiments. Animals are force-fed harmful substances, infected with lethal viruses, subjected to brain damage, heart attacks, stokes, cancers and ultimately killed. Several cosmetic tests commonly performed on mice, rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs include:skin and eye irritation tests where chemicals are rubbed on shaved skin or dripped into the eyes without any pain relief. repeated force-feeding studies that last weeks or months, to look for signs of general illness or specific health hazards. widely condemned â€Å"lethal dose† tests, where animals are forced to swallow large amounts of a test chemical to determine what dose causes death. The fact that animals are used to study pain, depression, anxiety, and to test pain-killing drugs for human use, demonstrates that scientists recognize that animals are capable of suffering in many ways just like humans, but these sentient animals are unable to give their consent to participate in research. The fact that animals can suffer and experience pain is sufficient reason to refrain on moral grounds from harming them. Beyond pain, there is also persuasive evidence that animals, in particular mammals and birds, have thoughts, intentions, and memories. This means they can be harmed by confinement, frustration, fear, isolation, and loss of life experiences unavoidable for animals confined in Laboratories and used in experiments. The measurement of stress hormones, and presence of ulcers, immune suppression, abnormal behavior and brain dysfunction in laboratory animals, provide further evidence that animals commonly used in labs do suffer pain and distress. Some people claim that because animals do not have duties or responsibilities in the way humans do, they are not deserving of the same protection. However, some humans have no responsibilities or duties, such as babies, the mentally ill, or very infirm, yet they are not stripped of their rights in this way. Indeed, such individuals are usually considered more deserving of protection, not less. Others argue that the potential benefit to human society justifies experiments on animals. However this argument is a slippery slope, as this reasoning would also justify experiments on a few non-consenting humans for the ultimate benefit of human society a clearly unethical scenario. â€Å"If we didn’t use animals, we’d have to test new drugs on people. † The fact is that we already do test new drugs on people. No matter how many animal tests are undertaken, someone will always be the first human to be tested on. Because animal tests are so unreliable, they make those human trials all the more risky. What I have to wonder is why do we test on animals, or feel the need to have people volunteer for something potential dangerous with its unknown side effects when we have child molesters, rapists, and murderers in prison who are catered to three meals a day? I believe we should enact instead of animal testing, (which has been proven to be highly ineffective) testing on convicted criminals on death row, or prisoners looking to cut down some time in exchange for experimentation and observation.

The Role Of Dreams Essay -- essays research papers

Are dreams a source of reliable divination? Generations upon generations seem to have thought so. They incubated dreams by travelling afar, by fasting and by engaging in all other manners of self deprivation or intoxication. With the exception of this highly dubious role, dreams do seem to have three important functions: a. To process repressed emotions (wishes, in Freud's speech) and other mental content which was suppressed and stored in the unconscious. b. To order, classify and, generally, to pigeonhole conscious experiences of the day or days preceding the dreaming ("day residues"). A partial overlap with the former function is inevitable: some sensory input is immediately relegated to the darker and dimmer kingdoms of the subconscious and unconscious without being consciously processed at all. c. To "stay in touch" with the outside world. External sensory input is interpreted by the dream and represented in its unique language of symbols and disjunction. Research has shown this to be a rare event, independent of the timing of the stimuli: during sleep or immediately prior to it. Still, when it does happen, it seems that even when the interpretation is dead wrong – the substantial information is preserved. A collapsing bedpost (as in Maury's famous dream) will become a French guillotine, for instance. The message conserved: there is physical danger to the neck and head. All three functions are part of a much larger one: The continuous adjustment of the model one has of one's self and of one's place in the world – to the incessant stream of sensory (external) input and of mental (internal) input. This "model modification" is carried out through an intricate, symbol laden, dialogue between the dreamer and himself. It probably also has therapeutic side benefits. It would be an over-simplification to say that the dream carries messages (even if we were to limit it to correspondence with one's self). The dream does not seem to be in a position of privileged knowledge. The dream functions more like a good friend would: listening, advising, sharing experiences, providing access to remote territories of the mind, putting events in perspective and in proportion and provoking. It, thus, induces relaxation and acceptance and a better functioning of the "client". It does so, mostly, by analysing discrepancies and incompatibilities. No wonder that i... ...d to one tenth their size without appreciably losing information. The same principle is applied in speed reading – skimming the unnecessary bits, getting straight to the point. The dream employs the same principles: it skims, it gets straight to the point and from it – to yet another point. This creates the sensation of being erratic, of abruptness, of the absence of spatial or temporal logic, of purposelessness. But this all serves the same purpose: to succeed to finish the Herculean task of refitting the model of the Self and of the World in one night. Thus, the selection of visuals, symbols, and collective symbols and of the discontinuous mode of presentation, their preference over alternative methods of representation is not accidental. This is the most economic and unambiguous way of representation and, therefore, the most efficient and the most in compliance with the four principles. In cultures and societies, where the mass of information to be processed is less mountainous – these features are less likely to occur and indeed, they don't. Sources Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites found at www.geocities.com/vaksam

NTUC Management Restructuring

NTUC Chief Lim Boon Heng has urged the management of companies undergoing restructuring to take union leaders into confidence, so that the legitimate concerns of workers can be addressed in good time. Citing the restructuring of the Public Utilities Board as an example, he said the exercise was carried out smoothly because of the close cooperation between the management and the union. Speaking at the first triennial delegates conference of the Union of Power and Gas Employees (UPAGE), Mr Lim said that companies responded to challenges in various ways – some through restructuring to meet new market demands, and others through mergers. For wokers, these changes can be unsettling, and restructuring sometimes leads to retrenchments. But in the case of Singapore Power's restructuring, the NTUC Chief noted that the PUB management had taken the company's union leaders into confidence even before the news was made public; it showed that openess between management and union was the better policy. â€Å"When management are open with the union leaders, the legitimate concerns of workers can be addressed, leading to a smooth transition,† Mr Lim said. Unfortunately for us, there are many management that adopt a different approach, informing the union only at the last moment, giving union leaders little time to respond and no time to address workers concerns. † Mr Lim also announced that the union's present general secretary, Nithinandhan, would now become its executive secretary, so that he could represent workers from all unions formed under Singapore Power or its subsidiary companies. We made some changes to our constitution handing the powers to the executive secretary to deal with all collective agreements, and to negotiate on behalf of major grievances with management and be the main person corresponding with all employers and external agencies and work out policies for all branches on industrial relations,† Mr Nithinandhan said. He said the union's relations with the management had been excellent and plans were underway for joint committees on training and workplace environment to better look into the needs of workers.