Sunday, January 26, 2020

Point And Click Adventure Games Film Studies Essay

Point And Click Adventure Games Film Studies Essay The intentions of this dissertation are to delve into the depths of a much-loved yet dwindling genre of video game, the Point and click Adventure. Setting out to investigate what made the genre so popular in the 1990s and discuss the mystery surrounding what game theorists and fans refer to as The Death of The adventure game. Point and Click adventures are all but a dusty book in the archive that is todays hugely successful gaming industry. However its position in the minds of the people that experienced it that singles out point and click as not only important to its fans but to the video game industry itself. Many games since the mid 80s have come and gone, leaving very little, if any impact on the gaming industry. Developers today hold the genre in high regard. In an interview with Claas Paletta of Daedalic Entertainment, I asked him about his experiences with the point and click genre: Point and click had a huge impact on me and my friends as teenagers in the 90s. I remember waiting for the next LucasArts or Sierra title to be on the shelves. Its what made me want to be where I am today, I just wanted to be involved in video games. I still play them all to this day, If I can get away with it. Claas, like many involved in the gaming industry have shown just what an impact the genre has had on their careers. Point and click is a genre that inspired a generation of game developers, with their witty humor, mind-bending puzzles and in-depth story. This ability that point and click had to tell a story was in no small part due to the biggest developer in the genre and of the 1990s, LucasArtsà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢. Founded under the name LucasFilm Games in 1982, they were originally set up as a research development company, however in 1984 they announced themselves as a developer and publisher of entertainment software. After several years of development a member of the LucasArts team developed the SCUMM engine, which stood for Script creation Utility for Maniac Mansion, a game that begun the revolution in Point and Click. His name was Ron Gilbert, he would go on to be a driving force behind the point and click generation of games at LucasArts, with titles such as the famous Monkey Island series and Day of the Tentacle; a sequel to Maniac Mansion. It was this engine that rejuvenated what was at the time parser driven adventure genre. The player would have to type commands into the game to achieve progression, however with the advent of the SCUMM engine Point and Click was born. With the experience of many successful movies in their arsenal, LucasArts and their development team, were able to create in-depth story and complex narrative that could only be comparable to that of the movie industry. Games at this time simply could not compete with the complexity of some LucasArts titles. The likes of Sierra who some would say kick started the adventure genre in the 80s with titles such as the Kings Quest series (1984-1994) were unable to create anything to get near the sales levels that LucasArts achieved. The first Monkey Island sold around 44,000 copies in the US alone, with estimates claiming Europe tends to double that number. According to an interview with Tim Schaefer (2007), co-creator of the monkey Island series: In 1990, Monkey Island took nine months to make and cost $200,000. In the early 90s, we were really excited if we sold 100,000 copies of a PC graphic adventure. This would leave sales at an estimated 150,000 units Worldwide. So considering the context of the time, and the money spent on the development of the game, Monkey Island was a huge success. Moreover, taking into account the ownership of PCs in 1990, in which not every household would own a PC, this figure was considered to be a very high and successful number despite it being vastly overshadowed in todays market. These sales were no fluke, of course the standard of game was the main contributor to its success, nevertheless LucasArts had one main advantage over their main rivals Sierra, an already huge captive audience. This audience was due to the huge success of the film franchises Star Wars and Indiana Jones. George Lucas had built a huge fan base due to the success of these movies, a fan base that were hugely excited by the prospect of video game versions of their favorite movies. Poss quote. With such a huge following LucasArts were able to create videogames that would appeal to the masses. They could call upon their already established film franchises to excite and connect with the player. For example the use of subtle references to the StarWarsà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ saga in the second Installment of Monkey Island, Monkey Island 2: LeChucks Revengeà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢(1995). During the climactic fight scene near the end of Monkey Island 2, LeChuck proclaims to be Guybrushs father, a twist taken directly from the Star Wars Movies in which you discover Darth Vader is, in fact Luke Skywalkers father. Its this innovative ability to interweave story, narrative, humor and in some cases popular culture into a single entity that set LucasArts and the genre it helped to re-mould, apart from other games of the time. Narrative within games had never been so advanced, it created mass appeal for PC gamers, a generation that played games before they progressed into the mass consumer market that they exist in today. So is narrative in question today? With titles being churned out much like in the movie industry, is narrative in modern gaming not what it was in the early to mid 1990s? Methodology When investigating this area of media it is important to take into account the ways in which I will tackle research surrounding the subject. The majority of the dissertation will be reliant on looking into the History of not only the point and click genre but the history of video games overall. Monkey Island and the point and click genre was a period in gaming, in which, I as a participant was heavily involved. This is a vital consideration when it comes to charting the events of The Death of The adventure game One Research model that will be useful for my investigation is the somewhat controversial method of Auto-ethnographic research. This is the process in which the writer or author writes his or her own personal narrative exploring their experiences within a certain field, rather than relying on the beliefs and findings of others. This is wholly the case in this dissertation due to my exposure and experiences with the subject matter. Despite the process becoming more widely used within the spheres of new media and journalism it is still thought somewhat controversial as a reliable method of research. Many Qualitative researchers have expressed concerns with the validity of the method, expressing concerns that all analytical texts should in some way connect to something larger element of life, rather than stating its importance through personal belief. Conversely Chang(2008) argues the benefits of Auto-ethnography. He claims that it allows for a research method that is friendly both rese archers and readers because of the texts engaging qualities, allowing the researcher to gain a cultural understanding of self in relation to others, on which cross-cultural coalition can be built between themselves and others. In summary, Auto-ethnography, used in conjunction with other forms of research, will allow this dissertation to become more engaging and allow, what are considered, important self-experiences to be communicated to the reader. One factor that must be considered if this method is going to be executed correctly is the coherent understanding that subjective opinion of the subject matter can be somewhat skewed by the fact that my relationship with it was established at a young age. The genre was what I grew up playing, it is important not to make drastic claims, solely based upon personal experiences of enjoyment interacting with the genre. The form that this dissertation will take, heavily relies on the recollection of historical events, breaking down these events and uncovering potential reasonings for the fall of the point and click genre. This makes hands-on research a somewhat tenuous subject in uncovering truths. Nevertheless, by employing an ethnographic approach that will coincide with the aforementioned Auto-ethnographic method I will endeavor to perform interviews with industry insiders, people that have in some way been involved in some element of the video game industry during the time period in question. One potential pit fall with interviewing could be the structure of the questions asked. It is important that I set out to ask no leading questions, and leave the participants response to be entirely reflective of their experiences. One potential issue I have encountered during the interviewing process was the location of the interviewees. The majority of the people of whom I wished to speak to are based in either the USA or Europe, this meant that interviewing face to face was implausible, this meant all interviews would have to be conducted via email. Potential problems with this process of interview include the inability of the interviewer to probe any interesting responses, Cowen(2001) tells of the importance of interview technique, she talks of the importance of empathy and rapport, listening and questioning, restatement, clarification and persistence. Many of which cannot be adhered to in an email-based interview. Chapter 2 The secret mythology of Monkey Island It is vitally important to single out and identify what it was that made Point and Click adventure games so popular in the 1990s. One of the most successful titles released in this period of escapist gaming was the work of a small team at LucasArts. In order to understand their success, we must understand the roots of the games; their inspirations, intentions and results. LucasArts video games had the advantage of two hugely popular and highly praised film trilogies to call upon when developing their Star Wars and Indiana Jones games. These aforementioned box office hits were all inspired by the works of Joseph Campbell, a prominent figure in the analysis of heroic myth throughout civilization. Campbell was an American mythologist, writer and lecturer who endeavored to break down the structure of myth. Most importantly in the context of this essay, was his analysis of the many faces and intentions of the Hero. Campbell (1968) explains the basic structure in his book The Hero With A Thousand Faces like this: A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man. In October 1990 a videogame emerged as one of the most unique and critically acclaimed adventure games of the decade. It also, like many of Lucas films, relied on this same myth structure but placed it in a completely new and unique setting. The Secret Of Monkey Island (1990) takes these same principles of the heroic myth as laid out by Campbell and delivers an interactive experience packed with wit and humor that has become a classic in its own right. Monkey Island is one of the best examples of interactive narrative that was released during the point and click era of gaming. It achieved this by using varying techniques of narrative and video game design to deliver a Joseph Campbell experience. Whilst other games in 1990 were helping you build railways or guide two plumbers to save a princess, Monkey Island was setting out to tell a story of Love, laughs and a mans endeavor to become Guybrush Threepwood, A Mighty Pirate. In the opening moments of the game the player is introduced to their setting, Melee Island. This is where the adventure really begins. We are then introduced to Campbells archetypal Old Wise Man in the form of the blind Island lookout; this is where the player and hero, Guybrush Threepwood, are given their instructions to complete the quest of becoming a mighty pirate. Our protagonist, Guybrush, is already on an island inhabited by pirates much mightier it would seem than he. So this initial opening chapter begins his quest to become a member of a pre-existing society; much like Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars trilogy. Campbells concept of proving your worth to the tribe before setting out on your journey. This is done by a series of trials in which Guybrush must prove his credential as a pirate, again connecting with Campbells outlining of the heroic myth. Campbell states that the ease with which a Hero defeats these challenges demonstrates how great of a person the truly are. This same argument can be easily transferred onto the puzzle solving element of Monkey Island, and in fact any adventure game. However it also coheres well with narrative idea that the protagonist, Guybrush, must struggle from the beginning in order to prove himself. Anything but the mighty pirate he dreams of being, Guybrush and the player must solely rely on their wits, and the puzzles and game design reflect this. To beat the swordsman, you have to participate in learning based puzzles. Learning insults by fighting various wandering pirates around Melee Island, then using logic to work out the correct insults to beat the sword master. Another challenge is to plunder some buried treasure from a dark forest, relying on either a guide or stumbling around in the woods until you by chance achieve your goal. Such decisions to solve puzzles or aimlessly wander are often ones faced by various heroes in their journeys through similar darkness. For example, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the first known pieces of literary work, the character of King Gilgamesh chooses to descend under the mountain in his quest for the Fruit of Immortality, stumbling around until he finds his way out before the Sun reaches him. The third and final quest is to steal an idol from the governors mansion, a test of wits and man-eating poodles this trial similarly harks back to ancient legend and myth. The previously mentioned man-eating Poodles, are a reflection of the beast guarding the prize. Guybrush must find a way past this defender before he is able to venture into the governors home, which represents the cave or temple of many ancient myths. Whether its the three-headed Cerberus defending Hades or the dragon protecting the Princess (as the governor eventually turns out to be) the beast plays a large role in the structure of mythology. LucasArts game design allows the player to be challenged in ways that mimic the patterns and conventions of the heroic myth by testing various skills that allow the overarching quest of the game to be embarked upon. One of the ways that LucasArts made the story of Monkey Island so compelling was the use of cutscenes to tell the story and fill in the gaps that were unobtainable during initial game-play. During the opening stages of the game a cutscene reads Meanwhile, deep beneath Monkey Islandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This is where we get our first glimpse of our storys Villain The Evil Ghost Pirate LeChuck and his ghost ship anchored deep under Monkey Island in a place that can only be described as Hell. The player is exposed to the undead crew of the ghost ship ominously discussing your arrival. The glowing blues and reds of this nightmarish locale are equally off-putting and are a stark contrast to that of the colors of Melee Island. This place is equally the subject of myth for all of the characters you meet throughout your journey, they tell Legends of doomed journeys to Monkey Island, ships returning without their crews. These cut scenes and NPC enabled narrative progression is what allows the player to gain an air of excitement and intrigue. They must venture to this Hellish place, yet have no idea how they will get there. Such an idea of the goal or part of the quest being some distance from home is a convention noted by Propp(1968) in his work Morphology of the folktale, he stated: Generally the object of search is located in another or different kingdom. This kingdom may lie far away horizontally, or else very high up or deep down vertically. The trigger for the main quest to begin is LeChucks kidnapping of Governor Marley. The players relationship with Marley is dependant on the order in which the trials are completed, Guybrush will either have a jilted romantic exchange with The Governor due to his not being a pirate or she is taken away just as the relationship with Guybrush has begun. In either circumstance Governor Marley takes the role of the desirable female figure that everyone desires. Numerous NCPs will talk of their admiration for Governor Elaine Marley, whilst she complains of her annoyance at having to continually turn away their advances. The Villain of the piece, LeChuck is also driven by his lust for Elaine, leading him to kidnap her and take her to the illusive Monkey Island. The female figure or love interest is an important convention of any myth Campbell explains that part of her value is to serve as both a goal for the hero but also one that can be attained through spiritual purity, in the rather skew ed case of Monkey Island this is represented by Guybrush proving himself as a mighty pirate. Campbell explains the female goddess figure as follows: She is the paragon of all paragons of beauty, the reply to all desire, the bliss-bestowing goal of every heros earthly and unearthly questà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦she is the incarnation of the promise of perfection; the souls assurance that, at the conclusion of its exile in a world of organized inadequacies, the bliss that once was known will be known again. This has never been truer than in The Secret Of Monkey Island and its sequel Return to Monkey Island The unattainable female character drives the plot of both games. This however was lost in the subsequent games in the series, highly criticized by the games creator, Ron Gilbert, for having Guybrush and Elaine Marry. Part of the function of her role in the story was lost when this decision was made. Guybrushs endless pursuit of Elaine whilst she laughs him off was one of the key driving forces behind what made the story and characters so successful. When she is kidnapped, neither Guybrush nor the player once hesitates in their need to rescue her. The transition from the pirate Island of Melee to the high seas in pursuit of Monkey Island coincides with a shift in chapter but also backdrop. It becomes daytime for the first time in the game, suggesting a new dawn, a new adventure. This theme continues with the discovery of Monkey Island, which is framed and explored during the day time. However before actually reaching the island the player must again fulfill another convention of fairytale and myth. Described by Propp as The Acquisition of a magical agent the Hero receives some sort of magic, which helps progress the story. This comes in the form of a potion that Guybrush must put together using inventory items. Once the potion is complete Guybrush enters a Rip Van Winkle-like state. This concept of the Hero entering a dream like state during his journey into the mythical realms is a key element of many myths that Campbell outlines. Once Guybrush has awakened he has reached his destination. This all works towards emphasizing th e mythical and mysterious aura surrounding the island, portrayed earlier in the story. Exploring Monkey Island allows for the skills learnt earlier in the game to be finally tested, albeit applied in new ways. Just as Campbell stated: The initial trials will dictate how difficult the heros journey will be The players ability to puzzle out this section of the game has fundamentally already been tested. Those skills now only need to be refined and adapted to suit the new puzzles. The earlier insult based swordplay becomes collecting bananas to please a monkey enough to hold a gate open for you. Wandering around the dark forest evolves into exploring an enormous island, finding a way to the other side and eventually down under the island, cohering with the earlier mentioned convention of the goal being far away above or below where you start your journey. Prior to this our wits are tested as we attempt to find a way around the Vegetarian Cannibals that inhabit Monkey Island. Eventually the player finds themselves in the depths of Monkey Island, it soon becomes clear that guybrush will require a guide for this particular leg of his journey. There is only one route through the twisting passageways of Hell, and in order for us to follow this path we must rely on the decapitated navigator. Once the player reaches the Ghost Pirate LeChuck and his ghostly pirate ship, that was shown in earlier cutscenes, the player finally can feel the satisfaction described by Joseph Campbell of the Hero as he reaches the mythological setting. Once onboard the ship after much jostling with a rather obnoxious severed head, Guybrush must recover a magic root that enables the player to mix a potion that has the power to defeat the ghost pirates. This idea of obtaining a magical agent is representative of the fruit that Gilgamesh pursues a convention also seen in countless other myths. It is described by Campbell as a Symbol of knowledge and life, however in Monkey island it is of course a way to make some root beer, which we all know is deadly to ghost pirates. This discovery and return to Melee Island coincides with the return of the Villain, LeChuck. Along with the return of LeChuck comes with it the feeling of terror and danger, this neatly coincides with the return to the darkness of M elee Island, creating a daunting scene for the imminent and fast approaching climax. This meeting of the Hero and Villain is often depicted as a battle, which only the Hero can overcome. However with the wit and satire that LucasArts bring to the genre of point and click, we learn that in fact Governor Marley is still more competent that all the other characters combined. This further cements her place as the divine female, whilst Guybrush defeating LeChuck reflects his role as the hero of the piece. In his book The Hero With A Thousand Faces, Campbell goes on to explain: It is obvious that the infantile fantasies which we all cherish still in the unconscious play continually into myth, fairy tale, and the teachings of the church, as symbols of indestructible beingsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but the circumstance is obstructive too, for the feelings come to rest in the symbols and resist passionately every effort to go beyond. And this could be described as the result of Monkey Island. It explains why it is ultimately such a well loved and critically acclaimed game. It has taken the conventions and structure of Mythology that we all subconsciously know, love and understand and combined it to create a comedic, fulfilling and rich story for its audience. The creators understood what makes story work due to their extensive experience in the film industry, in the creation of Monkey Island they crafted an interactive experience that breathed further life into conventions and structure that have been integrated in mans stories for thousands of years. They proved that games arent necessarily all about the graphical elements, by allowing the player to truly engross themselves into a story and character they felt that they already knew they could create a game that would be permanently associated with a genre and a generation for years to come. SECTION 3 Failings of the PAC genre, 3d gaming. During the mid 1990s society was very much engrossed in emerging technologies and the age of the computer. Technology was progressing faster than ever before, with home PCs becoming more and more powerful. Computers were beginning to really show the world, specifically the mass media audiences, just what they could achieve. In 1995 Toy Story was released as the first solely 3D rendered feature film. It set a benchmark for the industry and firmly put a stamp on the market, showing just what computers were able to achieve. Meanwhile, in the games industry, the market at this time was in somewhat of a battle between the home consoles. At the time the only real contenders in the race to win the hearts of the consumer were the firmly established Nintendo and new kid on the block, Sega. Nintendo had dominated the market of home consoles since the advent of the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1985, some 5 years later Nintendos command of the home video game business appeared unassailable. However in the early 1990s a challenger emerged. Armed with much faster technologies, riskier games and a more aggressive marketing strategy, Sega arrived on the scene with the MegaDrive. As Kline, Dyer-Witheford and De Peuter explain in their book Digital Play (2003), this console war pathed the way for the future of home video gaming: The contest between Sega and Nintendo revolutionised video gaming, propelling new extremes of technical innovation, marketing intensity, and cultural audacity and opening the way for other contenders This new competitive edge to the video game industry had never been seen prior to this first big clash between rivaling factions. The point and click genres main contributors, companies such as LucasArts and Sierra, began to get left in the wake of these quickly growing gaming giants. In an interview with the gaming blog Rock Paper Shotgun, Ron Gilbert, one of the original co-creators of Monkey Island and inventor of the SCUMM engine, aired his feelings on how the rest of the industry took off and left action adventure behind. He stated that games such as Doom and Tomb Raider appeared and injected adrenaline and new types of energy into video games, an energy that Point and Click simply wouldnt be able to contend with. This suggests that within the inner circle of those involved in developing point and click it was felt that the genre was beginning to dwindle. As Monkey Island writer Tim Schaefer stated in an independent interview: It felt very much, as if the genre we loved and helped to create and nurture had been infected. We all knew what was wrong but were powerless to help However, before the effects of the console war could be felt, whilst the home console was in its early years, The Action Adventure genre was allowed an environment in which to flourish. With its already established SCUMM system, created in 1987, LucasArts led the way in cutting edge narrative based action adventures. With titles such as Maniac Mansion being such a huge success, the genre continued to go from strength to strength whilst not paying too much attention to the ongoing battle between the Japanese contenders. As a genre, Point and Click offered something to gamers that, at the time, only the movie industry could offer, its ability to connect with its audience through the use of in-depth and immersive story and narrative. However they offered something new in story-telling, the unique quality of video games meant for a potential revolution, breaking the shackles of the standard linear storytelling. LucasArts had a strong team of developers behind the titles such as Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle. The likes of Ron Gilbert and Tim Schaefer were strong believers in story telling. Story as a medium of communication has been on this earth since the dawn of our species, so the implementation of this fundamental value of human society should be an easy one. However, this isnt always the case. Many games created after the point and click generation in some circles are thought to have neglected these story-telling elements in favour of highly polished graphics or over indulgent gameplay elements. This was never more apparent than in the period after the boom of the first fully 3d games. With the release of hugely successful titles after their first release Maniac Mansion, including Day of the Tentacle, Monkey Island and Sam and Max it could be said that LucasArts and other leading point and click developers were sitting pretty at the top of the pile of PC game developers. However, the video game industry is not one where a company is allowed to rest on their laurels, there is always someone waiting in the wings to challenge you and take the top spot. This landed in the hands of another Japanese technological giant, Sony. In 1995 the Sony Playstation was released with huge commercial success. This was the beginning of the boom in home consoles and the eventual progression into fully 3D gaming environments. The first major title to bring the concept of 3D environments to the forefront was Core Designs Tomb Raider, released in 1996 on three platforms, including PC, Tomb Raider would become one of Playstations most successful titles, whilst playing a large role in the 3 D revolution of video gaming. In order to fully comprehend the success of 3D video games, it is important to understand why the consumer wanted to be a part of them. As mentioned in the earlier chapter, Video games up until this point were 2D based arcade games, or more narrative driven titles such as the point and click. What the 3D revolution allowed developers to do was to take this story based game type and mould it into something with higher levels of realism. The creation of 3D worlds arguably allowed for a greater level of immersion for the player. Realistic soundscapes, voice-overs and sound effects, also worked to heighten the players sense of involvement. Immersion is a word banded about within the arena of video games, but it is important to fully understand its different forms and how they affect the player. Were Point and click games just not immersive enough? Or did the marketing led phenomena of progressively increased visuals and graphical aesthetics bring about the end for the un-advancing genre? When looking at where the point and click failed, it is important to focus on how the industry changed. As previously mentioned with the advancements in 3D graphics, PC games were slowly being left behind, requiring a multitude of upgrades in order to play titles that were easily running on the more compact home consoles such as the Playstation. With the advent of 3D gaming, came a new generation of gamer. It was the era of instant gratification. Conclusion There is no government approved starting place. Sometimes its story, other times its setting or a lead character. It all evolves in concert with each other. (Ron Gilbert, 2007) These are the words of Ron Gilbert one of the co-creators of Monkey Island, arguably the most popular Point adventure game ever made. Much like his hypothesis for creating video games, this Dissertation doesnt necessarily begin with a setting or a main character

Saturday, January 18, 2020

MBA

The 20th century revolutionised the idea of leadership and management. As little as ten years ago, leadership and management were clearly separated by rank, position and chain of command. Leadership was seen as something natural, which could maybe not be skilled. It was the stuff of Bill Gates and Richard Branson, the giants of technology and commerce who belonged to a very exclusive club of like-minded individuals. These people manifested the kind of leadership that was connected to charisma, power and the ability to inspire others to buy into their vision. In the past, you needed the right connections or at least an MBA to become a leader of anywhere near that caliber. The ethos was driven by political visionaries such as Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan who promoted the ideas of free enterprise and a move away from socialist economies. It is not simple to understand what are the differences in the role of team leadership and organization leadership? As for me the roles for leaders do change, as will be explained in more detail which include: adjusting organisational structures and supports for collaborative work processes   and monitoring and mediating environmental factors that effect internal operations. Team leadership concerns the level and focus of way a team communicate. Team members may share leadership amongst them or rely on a chosen leader. Wherever it resides, leadership is important in channeling team energy and efforts, and in helping to work through conflicts and problems. Clearly absent from the High-Performance Team Wheel is â€Å"the leader,† as most important aspects of leadership are contained in the nine dimensions and can effectively least in theory—exist without a formal authority or designated leader. After long comparison I concluded that team leaders coordinate while leaders of organization control work and work processes. As general organization leaders are its managers. The team leader's job is to develop the business and the business strategy – e.g. formally or informally researching and identifying new business opportunities. Organization leader are more involved in setting objectives, drafting plans and implementing the work. Moving people is very much part of its role while, at the same time, organization leader   must know how to motivate staff on a daily basis. Team leaders coach and develop e.g. by setting up mentorship relationships between new entrant graduates and experienced, successful senior managers. Organization leader s on the other hand is engaged in training and managing/monitoring staff performance. The leader's role is to renew, reinvent and replenish, while organization leader measure, evaluate and monitor. 21st century leadership is also about growing and developing self-managing teams. Organization leader are more concerned with building and managing conventional teams. The role of leadership is required to communicate a vision of how products need to be developed and to define the desired development process objectives under this new paradigm. Is the focus on time-to market, on product performance and technology, or on product or life cycle costs? Each of these objectives will result in a different orientation for the development process. Specific goals should be established and communicated – â€Å"we will cut our development cycle by 40% over the next three years†. Priorities need to be established – â€Å"we will focus on establishing an effective team-based approach to development before we invest in upgrading our CAD systems†. Resources and funding mechanisms for this effort need to be committed including time for personnel working on the IPD initiative, training, process improvement, and tools implementation. Will these efforts be funded by a separate budget, by departmental budgets or by development program budgets? Explicit guidance is required on objectives, goals, priorities, resources and funding mechanisms. Once the key people in the organization develop a plan of action, it must be reviewed, approved and actively supported by executive management. Leaders must have a wide range of skills, techniques and strategies, which are the same to both organization and team leaders. These include: Planning Communication skills Organization Awareness of the wider environment in which the team operates Jack Welch, respected business leader and writer is quoted as proposing these fundamental leadership principles: There is only one way – the straight way. It sets the tone of the organisation. Be open to the best of what everyone, everywhere, has to offer. transfer learning across your organisation. Get the right people in the right jobs – it is more important than developing a strategy. An informal atmosphere is a competitive advantage. Make sure everybody counts and everybody knows they count. Legitimate self-confidence is a winner – the true test of self-confidence is the courage to be open. Business has to be fun – celebrations energies and organisation. Never underestimate the other guy. Understand where real value is added and put your best people there. Know when to meddle and when to let go – this is pure instinct. Worked Cite: 1. Daniel. F. Predpall, ‘Developing Quality Improvement Processes In Consulting Engineering Firms’, Journal of Management in Engineering, pp 30-31, May-June 1994 2. Richard Pascale, ‘ Managing on the Edge’, Penguin Book, pp 65, 1990 3. John Fenton, ‘ 101 Ways to Boost Your Business Performance’, Mandarin Business, pp 113, 1990 4. Welch, J. (2001). Jack: Straight from the gut. New York: Warner Business Books. Samsung in bloom. (2002, July 15). Newsweek, 35. 5. Patrick M Lencioni, Jossey-Bass The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, , San Francisco, CA, 2002                      MBA I would like to share the considerations which I have made in my choice to enroll in an Executive MBA program. I believe that the program would help me grow in both personal and professional realms, through an acquisition of both technical and soft skills. Through the rigor and discipline required, I will be equipped with academic content that will help me function more effectively in my job. In securing a Masters’ degree, I also to develop the necessary soft skills that will hone managerial effectiveness. In particular, I want to be enlisted into a program that will help me further develop my skills of problem solving, written and oral communication skills, information retrieval and utilization, and collaboration. From a â€Å"working knowledge† level, I want the program to help me advance to a â€Å"can do† level. For my problem solving skill, I want to learn more on how to analyze and synthesize the emergence of problems, patterns and causes and to generate solutions or options in solving critical or complex issues through various means. I also want to be capable of identifying new, innovative and creative ideas/options to overcome problems. For communication skills, I want to learn how to foster an atmosphere of open communication and to see things from another's perspective. In addition, I want to learn how to assess the need of the audience in order to deliver the appropriate message and content. For information management, I want to broaden my perspective by ensuring that information is free of distortions or personal bias. Finally, on collaboration, I expect the program to teach me how to develop and maintain a strong network of contacts in the industry and outside the company and use this to promote my company's reputation. I also want to learn how to actively building lasting business relationships with other department or companies, private and government institutions. Pursuing this degree is one of my educational goals in the near future. I want to secur the degree within the next 5 years as I simultaneously strive to continue developing my accounting and management skills. I will carry this out by conscientiously attending training and workshop sessions for accounting and administrative professionals. I would also be actively engaged in planning for my own development in my current workplace, suggesting means and venues for skills acquisition to my superior. If time permits, I also intend to join a professional organization within my field of expertise striving to work my way up to a role with greater responsibility and to pursue a Doctorate degree simultaneously to further increase my management competencies. I am fortunate to have been given proper and comprehensive exposure to management roles. I have held positions which allowed me to exercise a substantial degree of autonomy. The positions which I have thus far held helped me to think critically and to make rational decisions amidst ambiguity. While I do not have an exceptionally high GPA, my experience in the organizational setting, I believe, may compensate for this short coming. Upon graduation in 1989, I have worked for a decade in manufacturing companies, holding accounting positions. These include the positions of Cost Accountant, General Accountant, Plant Accountant, and Finance Manager. Gradually, my circle of influence has grown with increasing responsibility. There have been no significant changes in terms of the technical requirements of these roles. The increasing responsibility came with the need to manage people, which is more of a challenge than the technical aspect of these jobs. I take pride in saying that while I have not been academically exceptional, I have been effective at performing these roles, being both results driven and yet to have enough focus on people management. Thus far, the position of Finance Manager have been the most challenging role I have performed so far. Whereas before I was only expected to deliver daily management plans or short-term objectives, this role has necessitated strategic and â€Å"big picture† thinking. In this role, I have also been required to manage people, and have realized that it it important for them to realize how their objectives are meaningfully linked to overall organizational goals. Recognizing the importance of one’s contribution has been an effective motivator. The intangible factors of autonomy, relationship with superior, and engagement cause people to be results-driven and constantly motivated. The people management component of the role has helped me keep a more balanced perspective or focus on work vis-à  -vis people, and initiatives may be cleverly drafted so that one component complements the other. In resolving to apply in the program, I have been convinced that it is critical to my personal development and learning, and may also be key to progress in my career. In entering the program, I expect my technical and management skills to be developed further. For problem solving, I want to be able to break down problems and see patterns or basic relationships or connections among them. Moreover, I want to be able to utilize several analytic or creative ways to break apart complex issues into component problems and to evaluate the identified alternative solutions to problem. I would also want to be taught how to use logical, systematic reasoning to understand and resolve, analyze and resolve issues. In terms of communication skills, I want to express ideas more effectively in both written and oral communication and to pick up non-verbal clues and use non-verbal information. I want to practice effective use direct, open, two-way communication and read beyond what is said and to alter my own behavior to respond appropriately. Information management is also one of the areas which I want to develop. I want to be able to compare, recognize and correct discrepancies with multiples sets of data to balance records and to utilize monitoring systems to ensure achievement of goals of individuals in the organization I work for. I also want to be taught the rigor of verifying or uncovering additional information for accuracy. I also want to be more effective at collaborating with others. I want to build good relationships with people within and outside of the organization to identify or resolve differences, issues and obstacles. All these soft skills, together with the technical content that shall be imparted in the program will help me become a more effective professional. I am thoroughly convinced that to progress in one’s profession, there must be continuous passion for learning – both academically and through practical applications. The learning not only comes with solid academic content but also equips one with the soft skills needed to advance in one’s career. This realization of the value of learning upon application to the program in itself is valuable. I have changed my perspective of learning as a tedious process, to one in which I could be actively engaged, and to even have fun. I really appreciate what the program has to offer, and its promise of helping me advance both my personal and professional career. I also expect the program to espouse an atmosphere of learning where students can be inquisitive. That is, where questions and further inquiry are encouraged. Moreover, I hope that the teachers of the program may be prudent in knowing when to handhold a student and when to let him work independently. There may be some subjects which I will find difficult and in which I expect more help from my Executive MBA mentors.    MBA My decision to pursue my MBA rests on my commitment to improve myself. Being a firm believer that learning is a life-long process which should an individual’s top priority, I am applying for an MBA program with the hope of furthering my strengths and competencies while contributing my acquired knowledge and skills to this institution. After my college graduation, I remember being very much excited on applying the theoretical concepts which I have learned inside the four walls of the classroom into the outside world. Surprisingly, working in the corporate arena equipped me with the new skills which are beyond what are taught by professors. My job experiences furnished me with the capacity to lead, become creative as well as self motivated. Having been assigned to lead my team in the creation of communication tool for managing promotions, I have experienced how it is to manage a workforce with members of different values, expertise, and ideas. I can say that the most challenging part in being a leader is coordination especially because I’ve dealt with a team from different functional areas. However, this experience taught me the essential qualities to be an efficient leader—being goal-oriented, credible, approachable, firm, and the ability to deal with a diverse workforce. I am the type of person who doesn’t settle for the conventional but as much as possible, I look for ways to improve things. In the business sense, I apply this through a continuous search for ways which can help my business organization to be more efficient like the communication tool I have described above. I believe that my acceptance for the MBA program should not only be credited for my skills that I currently posses but even more for my passion in gaining more knowledge and enhancing my skills in order for me to reach my full potential. I am very much motivated to excel in my career but more importantly is my motivation to improve myself. I know that there is no simple formula which can make a person succeed in everything that he does. My measure of accomplishment is usually gauged in the amount of things that I have learned from the experience and not victory itself. So far, I am very proud of the three accomplishments which have instilled me with a sense of fulfillment namely being able to land my first full time job at VCS, being a core team member of business projects, and leading a team which worked for the creation of a communication tool for promotions management. I am one of those fortunate fellows who have experienced the thrill and challenge of landing a first full time job after searching for months. I can still remember how overjoyed I was when I am informed that I am hired for the position of _________ at ______________. This job opportunity has tested my patience and perseverance. The company also became the first venue for me to apply my knowledge and skills and instilled me with the values of being a good employee. Secondly, I am proud to be a core team member of the Business Objects project where members representing various departments worked hard together to reach a common goal. While we spent countless hours to test and implement the project, in the end, it is very much self-fulfilling. I value the ideas that I have learned from my colleagues as well as the good working relationship which we have established. Lastly, I consider launching a communication tool for managing promotions, which is now utilized by sales, operations, finance and senior management the most challenging task that I have ever handled. I am specifically proud of my recognizing some of the shortfalls which I committed during the project because this is where most of the learning comes from. I am proud to have led the project which is now generating numerous benefits for the company not just in its bottom line but on overall efficiency.

Friday, January 10, 2020

The Lesson of the Moth

Do you feel like you live your life to questionable? Or do you feel that life is to short and you should take every beautiful moment? Similar situation to the poem â€Å"the lesson of the moth†, the moth, he takes life for granted and rather risk his life for one moment. As for the roach he likes to take things slow as in living a longer life. He wouldn’t just throw his life away for nothing, Quality over quantity (moth) v. quantity over quality (roach). The moth is suicidal and the cockroach is a pansy. My reaction to the poem is that I agree. Also, I was surprised at how the author used animals as examples, instead of humans. it should be a combination of the two, because you should do exciting things in life but at the same time be careful what you do that way you don’t live a short life, but it is exciting at the same time. Because it’s okay to take the risky side, but if you fail it’s on you. And like the roach you’re taking more steps to a better life without any worries. I think this story teaches the lesson that some people become so sucked in with what they want in life and what they believe will make them happy they let all their inhibitions go, and their sense of reason almost disappears. What we think will make us happy, doesn’t always turn out the way we predict it to. Man and the moth are trying to accomplish the same thing†¦ a better life. Man wishes to live his life with half of the happiness and live twice as long, while the moth would rather live its life to the fullest even if it means it will be cut short.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Web Usablity Analysis Essay - 3024 Words

Introduction I have chosen Kiplingers business website to conduct a web usability analysis. Interactive design is an evolutionary process, when you take identified problems, visions, needs, and wants reported by user feedback, then incorporate or fix, and further evaluate to refine and increase the success of a given product. In this case the product is a website. Sharp, Rogers Preece, (2007) said this about iterative design, When problems are found in user testing, they are fixed and then more test and observations are carried out to see the effects of the fixes (P. 425). The company website I have chosen will be analyzed using a critical eye that delves further into examples of specific factors that directly impact the usability†¦show more content†¦Analysis of Task: Finding tips for teaching kids how to save From Kiplingers home page, a user should search for this type of information in the Starting Out link located at the top to find the Raising Money Smart Kids link. Users will also find success in using the search option located at the top right and the site map located on the left side of Kiplingers website. Kiplinger logically displays information in the middle of the page under past columns, book excerpt, allowances rewards, savings tips, kids credit, jobs tax matters, Roth IRAs investing, and college prep. For this scenario, the savings tips area has information about how to teach young kids to save, this is just what a user would be looking for and the information covers various age levels. Examples of Navigational Theories Navigating a website is similar to driving in a busy city for the first time and as we all know this can be time consuming and you can get lost very easy if you do not have a road map. Like a driver, users are concerned with knowing how to get from point A to Z and how to get back to where they were previously. Website designers can prevent this problem by applying design guidelines and arranging web content information carefully to help users find their way. Shubin, Meehan (1997), provided these tips, â€Å"Use of clear and consistent navigational aids (pageShow MoreRelatedMobile Application Development Of Smartphones3382 Words   |  14 Pagesof mobile applications such as PhoneGap, Sencha Touch, MoSync, Application Craft, Widgetpad and Appcelerator. It will also provide knowledge about challenges that a developer usually face like practicality, performance, security, compatibility and usablity while developing mobile applications and will also include the risk associated with t he development of the apps like customer related risks, managerial risks, risks related to finances, risks related to market, etc. and ways to mitigate them. Paper