Capabilities and competencies.The scope of capabilities is not only Essay

Capabilities and competencies.The scope of capabilities is not only specific but its horizon is also quite vast - Essay Example SWOT Analysis 12 5.1 Strengths 13 5.2 Weaknesses 13 5.3 Opportunities 13 5.4 Threats 13 6. The Balanced Scorecard 14 6.1 Balanced Scorecard as a Measure of Strategic Capabilities 14 6.1.1 Translating the Vision 15 6.1.2 Communicating and Linking   15 6.1.3 Business Planning 15 6.1.4 Feedback and Learning 15 7. Resource Based View (RBV) 15 Appendices 17 Appendix-I: Tour Operator Market Share in Europe 17 Appendix-II: Four Perspectives of Balanced Scorecard 18 Bibliography 19 1. Capabilities and its Importance Generally capabilities and competencies are used interchangeably in literature, however in terms of business and organizational culture, the scope of capabilities is not only specific but its horizon is also quite vast. A capability is a fairly large scale unit of analysis which makes the organization and individual to recognize its purpose with respect to substantial outcomes (Dosi et al, 2000). According to Leonard (1992), â€Å"capability is the knowledge set that distingui shes and provides competitive advantage†. ... Therefore, organizational capabilities play a key role between human resource and the business strategy, thus making it a proactive source of competitive advantage (Ulrick and Lake 1991). (b) Organizational capabilities raise the competency level of individuals and reinforce positive values in the organization. (c) Organizational capabilities help the managing staff to formulate the business strategies basing on the strengths and weaknesses of the available manpower (Barney 1991). (d) These capabilities derive the required consequences like satisfaction of both the stakeholders and customers (Ulrich and Lake 1991; Yeung and Berman 1997). 2. Resources and Capabilities of TUI 2.1 Background TUI, abbreviated for Touristik Union International, was established in 1968 with headquarters located at Berlin, Germany. TUI is the largest integrated tourism group in Europe, lagging far behind its competitors with a turnover of about â‚ ¬ 21,866 million in 2008. Initially, it worked as Preussa g AG and gained a renowned fame in the field of transportation and industrial sector till 2001. This year, it became a 100% subsidiary of Preussag AG. In next year, Preussag AG was transformed into TUI AG (http://www.tui.com). During next few years, TUI developed and changed its production from industrial segment to a modern tourism and shipping company. The general credibility of the TUI is quite excellent and strategically today TUI is the largest and leading tourism and shipping organization of the world, operationally active mainly in Central, Northern and Western Europe while it has the networks across the Europe as well. The inventory of TUI

Effects of Mass Media Essay Example for Free

Effects of Mass Media Essay Media has slowly taken over each America’s life and has an incredible amount of power in the decision process of each American. On a daily basis each American listens to the radio, surfs the internet and watches television. For these same reasons, media possess a large amount influence on a decision made by an American. With all the tools and gadgets today, it is very easy to become influenced by the media. Over the past century there have been many new media developments that have impacted our society; although there have been many, the ones we will focus on are radio, television, and the internet. Radio began in the early nineteen hundreds and soon became very popular between every American. The radio was a mean of learning of news quickly and served the great purpose of entertainment. Also, in the early nineteen hundreds the word television was introduced and the first moving film was televised. This quickly grew and it began to broadcast in black and white. In the middle of the nineteen hundreds, the internet was first introduced to the American government and soon was used to provide efficient communication between government agencies. The radio, television and the internet were all created in the nineteen hundreds and as soon as they were available to the American public, they grew and developed into a large form of communication. In 1912 the radio became a common product found in each American home. Every year after, the radio grew in popularity. One of the biggest impacts to America was the use of the radio during the World War I. In the late nineteen-twenties the first easy to use kinescope tube was created but the image was very poor. In the early nineteen-thirties the first television studios and broadcasting begin to happen and it sky rocketed after that. It has grown so much into American lives that now every household has more than one television. Americans see television for entertainment, education and news purposes on a dai ly basis. In the early nineteen-ninety the first internet browser was created. The internet has impacted Americans in so many ways, to the point that it is now used more than once by every American and it is carried by most in their pockets. Without question, the media has grown tremendously and impacts each America’s life on a daily basis. Media convergences have been a huge facilitator. Media convergence is the way that one devise or tool combines different media types. One of the most common is the cell phones. In almost every phone you can take photos, videos, send text messages, view the internet, play music, check email and use it for its original designed function-to make a phone call. The next commonly used media convergence is the computer. The computer allows you to create different types of documents, presentations, monetary forms and it also allows you to browse the World Wide Web while listening to music and receiving emails. The newest media convergence is tablets. Tablets have the same function of a cell phone and a computer in a compact, lightweight, and portable device. For all the above reasons and with all of the named tools, it is very important to be properly educated about media. Learning how to access, analyze, and evaluate the media is very important when making an everyday decision because we either read something on the internet, watch the television show or hear a commercial on the radio. Not everything that we read, see or hear is accurate. In most cases, we are tricked into believing things by the bias show or commercial that we are watching or hearing. Due to false or head fakes found in the media all schools and educational institutes should provide some form of media literacy education just like math, reading and writing. This may seem a basic or common sense information, but many believe without questions what they see or hear. As the great nation that the United States is, it should properly educate its citizens about media literacy. The internet, television and radio have definitely impacted every American’s life. With the tools like a computer, cell phone or tablet it is very easy to be influenced by the media. Some of the influence coincides with each individuals beliefs and other will clash but this is something that has to be learned how to balance. In addition to personal emotion believes on a subject, a lot of the media will try to trick into believing false statements. It is every America’s duty to make sure that he or she has the proper media knowledge to be able to access it, analyze it and evaluate it before making a decision. References Lule, J. (2012). Exploring Media and Culture (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Flat World Knowledge, Inc. Besley, John C. (Summer 2008). Media Use and Human Values: Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly; ProQuest Zil, Karen. (Mar/Apr 2002). Media Literacy: Television meets the Internet; MultiMedia Schools

Examining Perfectly Competitive And Monopoly And Oligopoly

Examining Perfectly Competitive And Monopoly And Oligopoly For the cause of enlarging our knowledge of Economics, we did this assignment. There are three main parts in it. They are Perfectly competitive, Monopoly and Oligopoly, which are really important in Economics. But not simple to learn in Economics study. The questions need us to draw graphs and use calculations for them. These questions would help us have a better understanding of them. Finding: 1.A number of markets are developing on the Internet. One of those market is eBay. Check out eBay at www.eBay.com and explain whether you believe that the eBay Internet auction market is perfectly competitive. Be sure to explain which of the six conditions of a perfectly competitive market are met and how. A: eBay is an online auction Website. Consumers use the Internet to research the goods they desire, then they look for bargains of the same products on eBay. If the products are available, a bid is entered and the winner of the auction eventually pays with her credit card. In addition to regular mail, vendors also use express-mail service to send the purchases to buyers if they choose that option. eBay is different from Amazon.com, another popular e-commerce Website, in that prices on eBay are set by the negotiation between bidders and sellers, whereas Amazon.coms prices are mostly determined by sellers. It is likely to Taobao, which is a well-known shopping website in China. ( http://baike.baidu.com/view/7777.html?wtp=tt, 2010) I believe that the eBay Internet auction market is perfectly competitive. Because it possess these four characteristics: There must be many and sellers in the market, none of whom is large enough to influence price. eBay have kinds of sellers to satisfied distinct demands in goods of consumers. No big firms control small firms. There is freedom of entry to and exit from the industry. Firms must be able to establish themselves in the industry easily and quickly. eBay sellers can entry and exit the business depend on their wishes. Buyers and sellers posses perfect knowledge of prices. They know the market and price well. They gain lots of information about that. All firms produce a homogeneous product. For example, there are many sellers in eBay have the same product, you can choose one base on service or else.  ¼Ã‹â€ Marcouse, 2008) Perfect competition requires that the following six conditions be fulfilled. In such a market, prices would normally move instantaneously to economic equilibrium. Atomicity An atomistic market have small producers and consumers on a given market, so that its actions have no important impact on others. Firms are price takers, which means that the market decide the price that they must choose. Homogeneity Goods and services can substitute perfectly, so all firms sell the same product. There is no difference. Perfect and complete information All firms and consumers understand the prices decide by the whole firms. Equal access All firms have entryed to production technology. If they wanted, they could free to entry or leave. Individual buyers and sellers act independently The market cannot have scope for buyers or sellers get together to have a overall view about the market price. (http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Perfect-competition#Requirements, 2010) Draw marginal revenue ¼Ã…’marginal cost and average total cost curves for a typical perfectly competitive firm and indicate the profit-maximising level of output and total profit or loss for that firm. Is the firm in long-run equilibrium? Why or why not? Figure1 This is a typical perfectly competitive firm firm graph. It is loss. Figure 2 Yes. It is long-run equilibrium. Because there is a point that LRAC line, ATC line, MC line and MR line intersect. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates interstate and international communications, including merger activity within industry. Go to the FCC website at www.fcc.gov and search communication companies and answer the following questions: What reasons do consumers and producers have for opposing the merger? What reasons do consumers and producers have for supporting the merger? Does the theory of a monopolist discussed in class and the textbook support the reasons stated in your answers to a and b? A: a). 1.A monopolist charges a higher price and produces less output than a perfectly competitive firm. 2.Consumers have less choice, because one product only be produced bu one firm. 3.High barriers to entry means other firms cannot enter the market. 4.Governments can earn heavily tax through monopolies. 5.Governments can nationalise the monopoly (make it public) and therefore can keep prices too high. 6.Government can decline entry barriers (which is not good for the monopolistic firm). 7.The economy may suffer as less consumer spending may happen because of high prices charged by monopolistic firms. 8.Exploitation of consumer price discrimination 9.Potential for inefficiency complacency over controls on production 10.costs because there is no competition 11.May lack motivation and innovation because there is no competition To sum up, these 11 disadvantages of monopoly. Consumers and producers have for opposing the merger for their own profit. (Marcouse, 2008) b). 1.A monopoly may produce at a lower cost than a competitive industry. This is due to economies of scale, which a monopoly is able to exploit more than a competitive firm, as the monopoly is the sole provider of that good. The ability to set prices at a higher level in order to gain an abnormal profit. However, monopolistic firms are not simply able to charge a price they deem fit for the product, since it is constrained by its demand curve. A higher price will result in a fall in demand, and that may subsequently lead to a fall in revenue (depending on elasticity). The majority of monopolies are belonging to government, so tax will be higher. It can give more money to perfect public goods. Consumers may like price discrimination as it could be in their favour. There can be more control and stability in an industry if a monopoly is present. If it is a natural monopoly, it would be suitable an necessary. Encourages spending on RD which may create better products. Some products and services are not likely to be produced without some guarantee of monopoly protection. Economies of scale can be gained consumer may benefit from a lower cost In conclusion, consumers and producers supporting it, because of these several advantages. c). In general, I think monopolist discussed in class and textbook support the reasons stated in my answers to a. Because from a and b we can know disadvantages of monopoly are greater than advantages. It harms consumers through charging a higher price and producing a lower quantity than would be the case in a perfectly competitive situation.And a monopolist is inefficient because resources are under distributed to the production of its product. ( Smith, 2010 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Draw demand, marginal revenue, marginal cost and average total cost curves for a typical monopolistic firm and indicate the profit-maximising level of output and total profit or loss for that firm. Is the firm in long-run equilibrium? Why or why not? How does the profit-maximising position differ from that of a perfectly competitive firm? A: This is a typical monolistic graph. It is a loss. Monopolist can make a profit in the long-run. If the position of a monopolists demand and cost curves give it a profit and nothing disturbs these curves, it can make a profit in long-run. But there is no need to distinguish between the short run and long run for a monopolist. - a monopolist can make a profit in the short run and long run. - it can make a loss in the short run and long run.  ¼Ã‹â€ Smith, 2010 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° From these two graphs we can see, the Demand and Marginal cost curves of the monopolist are downward sloping. In perfect competition they are horizontal. But the maximizes profits point are the same, when MC=MR.(graphs from Smiths PPT, 2010) Oligopoly The organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an international cartel. Go to its home page at www.opec.org to answer the following questions: What are OPECs objectives of OPFC? How does it meet those objectives? What countries are members of OPEC? What percentage of world oil production comes from these nations? In what way is OPEC a cartel? What significant oil-exporting countries are not members? What has OPEC done to limit the effect of nonmember production on its own pricing decisions? A:a)1.In accordance with its Statute, the mission of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry.OPECs objective is to co-ordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers; an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations; and a fair return on capital to those investing in the industry. In a word, OPEC organization is assorting with members oil policy, and unify them. Then decide to use the most suitable way to protect their own or personally benefit. (http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/23.htm, http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/about_us/24.htm, http://baike.baidu.com/view/24477.htm?fr=ala0_1, 2010) (1)The member countries delegates of OPEC in the OPEC meeting seek unity of oil policy. And contribute to prosper the oil market. These countries aim at the international situation and marketing trends of oil. They have a discussion and analysis to decide the increasing rate of economics. And also control the demand and supply of oil. (http://baike.baidu.com/view/24477.htm?fr=ala0_1, 2010) b) 1. Angola, Algeria, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates. OPEC nations still have 2/3 of the worlds oil reserves. In April 2009, 33.3% of the worlds oil production, affording them lots of controlling in the global market. The next largest group of producers, members of the OECD and the Post-Soviet states produced only 23.8% and 14.8%, respectively, of the worlds total oil production.Since 2009, OPEC has ordered a production ceiling of 24.84 million barrels per day. At the end of 2008, OPEC had twice reduced the output quota by a total of 4.2 million barrels to 24.8 million barrels per day. In 1996, the members countries have 76.6% of oil, 69.7% in 2007. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEC, http://www.hxen.com/englishnews/world/2010-03-18/103865.html, http://www.qqkqw.com/html/cyclopedia/ziyuanzhanlve/ziyuanxingshi/2010/02/23/152105199.html, 2010) Definition:1Cartel is a group of firms formally agreeing to control the price and output of a product.(Smith ,2010) In some markets, producing firms or producing countries band together, usually to restrict supply; this allows them to raise prices and increase their profits or revenues; the best known cartel is OPEC which restricts the supply of oil onto world world markets. OPEC countries, with less than half of current world output but with most of the worlds oil reserves, manipulate the price of oil by restricting supply. Overall, these evidence proves that OPEC did act as a cartel.(Marcouse, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEC#Economics,2010) c). 1. The oil-exporting countries which are not memebers also produced great amount. For example, Russia have the second oil produced in barrels per day, just less than Saudi Arabia, 9,810,000 bbl a day in 2009. United States are the third, 8,514,00 bbl a day in 2008. China is the fourth, which is 3,795,000 per day in 2008. ( https://www.cia.gov/liabrary/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2173rank.html, 2008) 2.OPEC cannot control the international oil market. Draw demand,marginal revenue, marginal cost and average total cost curves for a typical oligopolistic firm and indicate the profit-maximising level of output and total profit or loss for that firm. Explain why prices are stable or sticky in this model. What are the characteristics of oligopoly? This is a typical oligopolistic firm. The graph shows total profit. A: 1.No incentive for price increases; Total Revenue will fall No incentive for price decreases; Total Revenue will fall 2.Mutual interdependence is a main characteristic of oligopoly and it may cause prices to be sticky. The market price incline to remain stable, or rigid, at the kink in the demand curve. 3.To maximize profits, oligopolistic firms operate where MR = MC. Because of the kinked demand curve, there is a range of MC curves which equal MR at the same price: price rigidity.( Smith, 2010) 1.Industry dominated by small number of large firms, but many firms may make up the industry; mutual interdependence among the large firms High barriers to entry Products could be highly differentiated each large firm producing a branded product Non-price competition(e.g 4 Ps) Price stability within the market-kinked demand curve Knowledge of market is not perfect,but there is potential for collusion among firms ( Smith, 2010)

Disease and Native American Demise During the European Conquest of the

Disease and Native American Demise During the European Conquest of the New World The European conquest of the new world was most commonly attributed to the superiority of the Europeans in all the facets of their confrontation. They had the superior weaponry, and were thought to have a superior intellect. After all, they were just bringing "civilization" to the new world, right? It sounds nice when you are learning about Columbus in grade school, but the traditional story is pretty far from the truth. The truth is that the Europeans, when they discovered this was a brand new world and not the spice islands, sought to rape the land for its gold and natural resources and enslave the Amerindians (native Americans), who were regarded to be less than human. One has to wonder why it was so easy for the Europeans to impose their will on the Amerindians. Was it solely because the Europeans were superior technologically and intellectually? Unfortunately the answer is not that simple. The Europeans were superior in those areas, but the bulk of the disaster they imposed was not what they knew, but what they brought with them, disease. Disease, on the epidemic level, is thought to be the major factor in the decline of the Amerindians during the age of discovery. Before I go any further, I feel that I should clarify the difference between the terms epidemic and endemic disease. An epidemic disease is a disease that enters into a population and completely ravages it. Epidemics are particularly destructive because they are usually diseases that have never been introduced into that specific population. A good example of an epidemic is the bubonic plague, or smallpox. Smallpox uncontrollably ravaged Europe for more than two hundred years.... ... the disease that accompanied an average race of people that made the difference in the conquest of the Americas Bibliography Crosby, Alfred W. Ecological Imperialism The Biological Expansion of Europe 900-1900. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986. ---. The Columbian Exchange. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Company, 1972. McNeil, William H. Plagues and People. Garden City: Anchor Press, 1976. Verano, John, and Douglas Ubelaker. Disease and Demography in the Americas. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992. Cowley, Geoffery. "The Great Disease Migration." Newsweek Fall/Winter 1991: 54-56. Snow, Dean, and Kim Lanphear. "European Contact and Depopulation in the Northeast: The Timing of the First Epidemics." Ethnohistory Winter 1988: 15-33. Diamond, Jared. "The Arrow of Disease." Discover October 1992: 64-73.

A Comparative Girl Jamaica Kincaid Analysis of Two Short Stories

The short stories The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman and Girl by Jamaica Kincaid share the common theme of women who are portrayed as frail beings.   In both literary selections, women are depicted as dependent on men and other family members, and who must deal with so many restrictions.Their limitations are deliberately foisted on them by their immediate kin or spouse. On the other hand, the women portrayed in the short stories also hurdle challenges they themselves have created or brought upon themselves.In The Yellow Wallpaper, for example, the author presents the protagonist as weak or on the brink of a nervous breakdown. In the beginning of the story, when the protagonist is brought to a country home, she appears in control of her mental faculties.She even opines, â€Å"Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good† (Gilman, 2008, p. 2).   Her husband, however, confines her to the upper story of the house and prohibits, albeit in his loving and gentle manner, anything that may tax her mentally. The woman’s craving for social interaction and stimulus becomes more pronounced as the days pass, yet she allows her husband to direct all her actions.The woman’s   dismal future is reflected in the way she sees the wallpaper in the house where she is confined to recuperate: â€Å"It is a dull yet lurid orange in some places, a sickly sulphur tint in other† (Gilman, 2008, p. 5).The woman then begins to imagine things and becomes neurotic. This emphasizes how, when placed under repressive circumstances, the fairer gender may fall apart. In an ironic twist at the end of the story, though, the husband’s fainting spell and the woman’s movement of creeping over him denotes that women can have the upper hand over her male counterpart if she wills it.The other literary selection, Girl, Jamaica Kincaid, likewise illustrates how women are expected to follow so many rules and confo rm to what tradition and society dictate. Just like in The Yellow Wallpaper where the main character indicates a feeling of tiredness at being manipulated and repressed,   the protagonist in Girl who is a young girl receiving countless reminders answers back her mother for berating her every move, but ends up being castigated more.In The Yellow Wallpaper, the husband-wife relation is amiable. In fact, the husband has the best intention for his wife, but the worst harm results from it unknowingly sends her spiraling out of control by confining her. In contrast, Girl uses the mother-daughter tandem to illustrate the common practice adopted by most cultures of ingraining good manners, blind obedience, and prescribed roles to female members of the family.In Kincaid’s Girl, the daughter is admonished by her mother to move and behave in ladylike manner. Her movements – from the way she walks and carries herself, to the household chores she is expected to perform, to how to smile to certain people, to reacting to a man’s bullying and even   loving a man – are all dictated to her.Offhand, it is a typical scene of a mother giving numerous pieces of advice to her daughter, but the story presents the parent treating the young girl with a condescending attitude.   The mother keeps interjecting that the girl is bound to become the slut she is â€Å"so bent on becoming† (Kincaid, 2005, p. 257) if the proper rules of conduct and self-control are not followed.In a sense, the mother portrayed in the story is depicted as the judgmental type who does not allow her daughter free creative expression. Kincaid dwells on the singular theme of just how powerless women were centuries ago.Women back then had no voice of their own and were confined to doing traditional tasks like keeping the home neat and orderly and being prim and proper or acting in a refined manner.   In both Girl and The Yellow Wallpaper, the suppressive societal attitude to wards women of a bygone era – who are seen as meek and subservient individuals unable to chart their own destinies – is clearly presented.Upon closer analysis of two different selections, readers find authors employing a variety of creative techniques that help them dissect different perspectives and gain much clearer understanding of the theme and other   key messages.ReferencesGilman, C. (2008). The yellow wallpaper. Forgotten Books. Retrieved May 3, 2010, from http://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Wallpaper-Forgotten-Books/dp/1606802380.Kincaid, J. (2005). Girl.   In   X.J. Kennedy & D. Gioia (Eds.), Backpack literature: an introduction to fiction, poetry & drama (p. 257). Pennsylvania: Pearson/Longman.   

Ielts Sample Writing Essay

The amount of sport shown on television every week has increased significantly and this is having an impact on live sports events. Do you think the benefits of having more televised sport are greater than the disadvantages? Sample answer It is now possible to watch live sport on television on any day of the week, and the current amount of coverage will undoubtedly increase in the near future. This is definitely affecting the live sports themselves at some ways, and there are both benefits and drawbacks to this. Why there has been so much sport broadcast? For one thing, with the development of digital broadcasting, there are more TV channels than there were a decade ago. For another thing, sport has become an important form of entertainment, appealing to both men and women. What are the benefits of the increasing televised sport programs? For the sport profession, it is advantageous to have the injection of capital provided by television companies. Large football clubs also benefit financially from TV revenue and the top players can ask for large salaries. Less popular sports also receive money that can be invested in training and awareness-raising. Moreover, there is a health benefit to some of the population, because through televised sport, more people have become interested in actually playing sport. However, there are certain disadvantages to having so much sport on television. Considering football again, many small clubs are suffering financial losses recently, as they cannot compete with the larger ones. There has been a general decline in ticket sales, especially among smaller clubs. Fewer people attend live matches at stadiums nowadays, preferring to watch the live broadcast at their comfort living rooms. What is more, ticket prices have risen dramatically. To sum up, while televised sport has created many opportunities and benefited certain individuals and clubs enormously, it has also been responsible for changing the nature of live events for ever.

Glory a American War Movie by Edward Zwick

Glory a American War Movie by Edward Zwick Glory (1989) is an American war movie that narrates the story of the first all black volunteer infantry in the North, the 54th Massachusetts. The account in this film is told from the point of view of Robert Gould Shaw, who was the commanding officer of this contingent for the duration of the American Civil War. This movie reminds the viewer of the role played by the African American soldiers in the Civil War and in the obliteration of slavery. Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Glory a American War Movie by Edward Zwick specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This article will explore the movie, bringing out the relationship between the stories as reflected on the film in correlation to the actual occurrences that are documented in history books regarding these same episodes. The article will also tackle other features of the films such as the title, settings, and main characters along with how the movie functions as histo ry. The Cast of the movie includes Mathew Broderic who plays the part of Colonel Shaw, Morgan Freeman who plays the grave digger, and Cary Elves who is Major Forbes in this movie, Denzel Washington who plays the character of Trip, and Jimmy Kennedy who plays the field hand’s role. The other characters are Andre Braugher (Corporal Searless), John Finn (Surgent Mulcahy), Domovan Leitch (Captain Morse), JD Cullum (Henry Russell), Jay Sanders (Brigadier Strong), Cliffe De Young (colonel Montogomery), Alan North (Governer Andrew), and Bob Gunton (General Harker). The movie is filmed in Georgia and Florida and is facilitated by hundreds of Civil War historical re-enactors so as to bring out the historical background of the Civil War. The early scenes of the movie reveal Captain Shaw, who is portrayed as being dismayed and bewildered by the violence of the battleground. The captain is then shown to be slightly wounded in combat and faints due to his injuries. A character christene d as the gravedigger wakes him up and he is taken for treatment. While getting treatment, Captain Shaw is informed that President Abraham Lincoln is about to make an announcement that will see the setting free of some of the slaves held in rebel areas. As the movie develops, Shaw is promoted to the rank of a colonel while he is on leave in Boston and given the responsibility of leading the first all blacks regiment, which was to be formed following Abraham Lincoln’s declaration speech. As the leader of his regiment, Colonel Shaw requests his friend from childhood, Cabot Forbes, to deputize him. Advertising Looking for report on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other volunteers, who are mostly freed black men, offer to join Colonel Shaw’s regiment. In those days, whites enjoyed more privileges compared to blacks and this is well depicted in the movie by the tension that arises between Trip and Thomas. They however resolve their differences and become closer friends. While at the camp, the 54th regiment undergoes a lot of difficulties due to the discrimination of their group. They are compelled to tolerate the unfaltering strict punishment of Sergeant Major Mulcahy. Among the challenges they experience in the camp were inadequate suitable equipments and the open racial discrimination that was prevalent in the camp. In the camp, the African American soldiers were singled out by their white counterparts. There were no black soldiers in command and it seemed like such positions were preserved for only the whites. After a long period carrying out their duties, Colonel Shaw realizes that his regiment was to be used to perform menial duties. This angered him so much that he threatened to report the unfair treatment to the war department. His request to have his regiment allowed to go to war like the rest of the regiments is then approved by his commanding officers. Follow ing his regiment’s first successful participation in the combat, Colonel Shaw volunteers his 54th Massachusetts to lead an assault on Fort Wagner. Subsequent to being honored by white soldiers and officers, Shaw leads his men to ambush a well guarded enemy’s fort but while trying to lead his men, Shaw is unfortunately shot at and killed instantly. Unfortunately, this also happens to a member of his regiment known as Trip, who attempted to raise the flag and lead his other black men in absence of Shaw. The next scene of the movie opens with a morning scene in which the confederate banner is hoisted on top of the fort. This is followed by a burial of the deceased members of the 54th regiment together with that of Shaw and Trip are buried in a mass grave. This movie is filled with imaginary character and incidences, presenting the viewers with a convincingly emotional story of togetherness between the African American soldiers and certain whites during the American Civil War. Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Glory a American War Movie by Edward Zwick specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Of the many characters in this move, only one character, Colonel Robert Shaw, is non fictional. From the onset of this movie, Robert Shaw is depicted as the main character and his presence is observed almost in all scenes of the movie. Another white character who is as well equally featured in this movie is Cabot Forbes, who is the second in command from Shaw. The whites in this movie are shown as racists and this is clearly reflected in the movie by the way the white soldiers and officers relate to their African American counterparts. Instead of being paid thirteen dollars as the white soldiers are, the black soldiers are paid ten dollars. The black soldiers are also not accorded enough equipment to fight the war yet the whites have more than enough. Yet another scene that portrays the racism theme is shown when the African American soldiers are initially subjected to menial jobs instead of equally being given a chance to play a part in active combat as the whites are. Not all whites are shown as racists and Shaw and Forbes, who are portrayed as sympathizers of the blacks to the extent of demanding equal salary for their regiment. This is shown when, as earlier stated in this article, Shaw threatens to report the unfair treatment of the blacks to the war department. One is left wondering whether under normal circumstances in those days, Shaw and Forbes would really have behaved in similar comportment or if the movie was trying to depict them as good guys while in reality they were not. Most of the Africa Americans individuals during the civil war era were depicted as violent and people who always had problems taking orders. It is no wonder that many people were perplexed by their ability to make good soldiers given that solders always act by the orders given to them. This nat ure of being disobedient is also contrasted in this movie when the blacks protest against racism and their unequal salaries only to quickly soften their stand and accept disciplinary actions from their white counter parts. The blacks are also depicted as being obedient to military orders which eventually led most of them to their death. There are some scenes in this movie that do not accurately portray the occurrences in the American Civil War. For instance, Shaw’s regiment did not actually triumph over the rival forces at Fort Wagner, but in this movie, we are shown the confederate flag flying high on top of the fort as a sign that the regiment was successful in defeating their enemies. Advertising Looking for report on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another inaccurate depiction of the Civil War events is the duration of time it took Colonel Shaw to accept the offer of leading the African American Regiment. In the â€Å"Glory,† Shaw is shown as accepting the leadership offer right away while historical documentations illustrate that he accepted the offer after many days of careful deliberation. The number of the 54th regiment soldiers killed in battle is also not captured accurately. The inaccuracies shown in this movie could have been due to the challenges in terms of cost that were encountered while producing this movie. To produce a movie that would capture all the occurrences of the war accurately would have been very costly. Even with the inaccuracies mentioned above, a great extent almost every major incidence that took place in the 54th regiment has been accurately captured in this movie. As one watches the movie, it can be difficult not to notice how this movie is able to capture how unfairly African Americans w ere treated during the war just because of their skin color. The â€Å"Glory† can therefore be said to be a movie that almost accurately portrays the occurrences in the American Civil War particularly the challenges faced by the African Americans in the war. The movie â€Å"Glory† is reflection is of historical importance since it portrays the role of African Americans in fighting for the Union army in the historical American Civil War. Moreover, the â€Å"Glory† shows that the Union victory, which is an important milestone in the history of America, took place with the assistance of African Americans. Despite being put through a lot of suffering in the form of slavery and other forms of discrimination, the movie portrays the African Americans as being capable of fighting in a war, just as their white counterparts and as such, they should be recognized as having greatly contributed to the history of the US. At the time of the Civil War, it was a common belief a mong many whites that the blacks were incapable of properly fighting in a war and therefore should not be allowed to participate in the war. This belief was however proven wrong by history just as shown in â€Å"Glory,† which honors the African Americans for their role in the war. There were also some fears about the loyalty of the blacks during the war given their history of being slaves but once again, just as shown in the movie, the black fighters in the war proved very loyal and worthy to be in the battle despite their group being openly discriminated against. The movie Glory is a celebration of the less known acts of courage and sacrifice during the Civil War. As shown by the movie, as much as the Civil War was about ending slavery and setting free the blacks, it is ironical that the blacks in the movie were not free to fight the war as shown by their bad treatment during the war. This was perhaps a sign that the war would not mark the end of discrimination of the Afri can Americans. In fact, most historians who write about the Civil War tend to ignore the crucial role played by the blacks yet more than 200 thousand of them actively fought and helped secure victory for the northerners. A big part of the movie accurately portrays the exact happenings as they took place during the Civil War. After watching the movie, a viewer cannot fail to notice the huge effort put towards correctly portraying the details of the war. The main scene in the movie occurred just as it is portrayed in the movie and some of the main characters, including Douglas, Shaw and Frederick, actually existed and fought in the war as shown in the movie. Even though a good number of the secondary characters are fictional, they have been included in the movie to represent the wide cross-section of individuals who joined the 54th Regiment. The movie can therefore be said to be an almost accurate representation of African American participation in the war and their struggles. Some o f the scary scenes in the movie, including the one showing an explosion of a soldier’s head, are included in an effort to show the gore and bloodshed that took place in the battlefield. Even with such scary scenes, the movie’s accurate depiction of an important historical occurrence has made it a perfect movie to be shown during history classes. However, the version shown in schools is edited to reduce extreme violence. The movie is among the most shown movies in high school history classes to increase awareness of the important role played by blacks in the Civil War. Apart from telling the story of an important occurrence in US history, the movie contains elements associated with a great motion picture which leaves its viewers with a lot of memories.