Applied Business 8-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Applied Business 8-1 - Essay Example SOX aims to Act improved corporate control and gave strength to corporate accountability. It applies that by: Legalizing and strengthening the internal checks and balances inside public corporations establishing a variety of levels of control to guarantee that financial reporting practices revealing corporate governance is managed with full transparency. The SOX Act introduced new penalties for acts of wrong doing and standards for corporate liability as well. It changes how corporate boards and executives must communicate with each other and with corporate auditors. Investigation found that law eradicates the cover of "financial issues were not in my knowledge" from directors and management, holds them answerable for the accuracy of financial statements. As law specifies financial reporting obligations, including attachment to new controls and processes designed to assure the legality of their financial records. Directors and Officers should be personally kept responsible for violating the law and showed negligence in

Written Assignment Essay Example for Free

Written Assignment Essay Answer all of the following questions. Title your assignment Written Assignment 4, unless your mentor directs otherwise. This assignment covers text chapters 18 through 23. 1. Explain the relationship among savings, investment, and net capital outflow. Savings are equal to domestic investment + net capital outflow. In an open economy, both net capital outflow ( which is the purchase of foreign assets by domestic investors minus the purchase of domestic investments by foreigners) and savings and domestic investments are both ways of saving, and are both used to get the full picture of total saving. 2. Describe the economic logic behind the theory of purchasing-power parity (PPP). What factors might prevent PPP from holding true? The purchasing power parity tells us the a unit of any given currency should be able to buy the same quantity of goods in all countries. This principle is based on the fact that prices should remain constant for goods no matter where the goods are purchased, otherwise there is an opportunity for profit that was left un-exploited. The theory has 2 holes in it. Firstly, some goods are not easily traded, and secondly, some goods cannot easily be substituted for another. 3. Describe supply and demand in the market for loanable funds and the market for foreign currency exchange. How are these markets linked? Supply and demand of loanable funds is determined by the real interest rate. A higher interest rate causes people to save and raises supply where a lower real interest rate does the opposite. In the market for foreign currency exchange, the real exchange rate balances out supply and demand. A higher U.S. real exchange rate increases U.S. goods compared to foreign goods, and exports fall. These 2 markets are linked because between the 2 of them, they determine national saving, domestic investment, net capital exports and net exports. 4. What is capital flight? When a country experiences capital flight, what is the effect on the countrys interest rate and exchange rate? Capital flight is a large and sudden reduction in the demand for assets located in a country. The currency of the country depreciates in value and the interest rate rises. 5. List and explain the three theories for why the short-run aggregate-supply curve is upward sloping. Sticky wages. Wages are slow to adjust and may not be able to be changed. Steady wages can be harmful to a company and cause them to have lower production levels. Nominal wages are based on expected prices and are slow to respond when the actual prices ends up being different. Sticky price. Prices for some goods and services also are â€Å"sticky† and take time to adjust. This is due in part to â€Å"menu costs†, or the administrative costs incurred by changing the prices of a product in a firm. Misperceptions. Different businesses read the market different ways. A misperception in the trend of the market can cause suppliers to supply more product, even when the demand is not truly there. 6. What might shift the aggregate-demand curve to the left? Use the model of aggregate demand and aggregate supply to trace through the short-run and long-run effects of such a shift on output and the price level. Use the following diagram to help explain your answer. Point A is the short-run equilibrium point whereas Point C is the long run equilibrium point. Higher prices lower costs and shift demand to the left (lower). If for say, the current market price of this item is at Point C, and the market price drops, the demand for the item will rise, shifting the curve to the left. 7. Suppose the Fed expands the money supply, but because the public expects this Fed action, it simultaneously raises its expectation of the price level. What will happen to output and the price level in the short run? Compare this result to the outcome if the Fed expanded the money supply but the public didn’t change its expectation of the price level? Use the diagram below to explain your answer. The output should remain constant if the FED had raised its expectation of the price level over time, but immediately, the raise is price would cause in increase in production. The equilibrium point should shift from point a, to point c temporarily, then up to point out as it balances out. If the FED did not change it’s expectations in the price levels, than the equilibrium should move to pint c from pint a, and stay there. 8. What is the theory of liquidity preference? How does it help explain the downward slope of the aggregate-demand curve? This is the theory that the interest rate adjust to bring the money supply and demand into equilibrium. A higher price level increases the demand for money, as people will carry more to pay the higher prices. Higher prices in turn causes a higher interest rate. The higher interest rate reduces goods demanded, and supply will also shift downward. 9. Suppose that survey measures of consumer confidence indicate a wave of pessimism is sweeping the country. If policymakers do nothing, what will happen to aggregate demand? Explain what the Fed should do if it wants to stabilize aggregate demand. If the Fed does nothing, explain what Congress might do to stabilize aggregate demand. If policy makers do nothing, demand will fall, so will production and employment. Eventually, recession and possible depression afterwards. The Fed can do things such as lowering the interest rate to help stimulate the economy. Congress may decide to cut taxes in an attempt to simulate the economy, but they can also increase government spending to stabilize the economy. 10. What is natural about the natural rate of unemployment? Explain why the natural rate of unemployment might differ across countries. The natural means that it is beyond the influence of monetary policy. Different countries have different abilities, laws and demand for employment. For instance, the country may not be able to organize in the same fashion as a union shop here is the US. might. 11. What causes the lags in the effect of monetary and fiscal policy on aggregate demand? What are the implications of these lags for the debate over active versus passive policy? Aggregate demand has lags in policy due to the time it takes for the policy to take affect. Additionally, the spending plans are set in advance so it also takes time for changes to affect spending. The biggest issue is the ability to time the policy correctly, since it takes time for everything to adjust. 12. Some economists say that the government can continue running a budget deficit forever. How is that possible? Since population and technological progress grow over time, so do a nation’s ability to repay the interest on it’s debt. As long as the debt grows slower than the nation’s income, this is possible. Reference: Mankiw, N. G. (2008). Principles of Macroeconomics. Fifth Edition. Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Carlos Ghosn At Nissan An Evaluation Management Essay

Carlos Ghosn At Nissan An Evaluation Management Essay In 1999 Renualt and Nissan formed an alliance, as both companies could benefit from each other. Renualt needed a partner that could enhance their global position and Nissan had been looking for a strategic partner because they needed financial support after their credit rating was announced to be lowered to junk status, mainly due to the Asian financial crisis. The alliance should also contribute to new management ideas for Nissan to turnaround their seven out of eight year deficit. Carlos Ghosn was the guy to help Nissan to do this. The challenges that Ghosn faced were among others resistance to change, Japanese culture and communication problems. Ghosn promised that if he hadnt changed the deficit to a profit within two years, he would step down from his job at Nissan. He managed to turnaround Nissan in just eighteen months. Evaluation of Carlos Ghosn approach The evaluation of Ghosn approach to the turnaround of Nissan is addressing the following aspects. At the end of the paper the actual evaluation will be stated. Resistance to change When strategic changes are going to be implemented in companies, resistance to change almost always appears, and Nissan were no exception. The resistance in Nissan occurred because the Japanese culture is bureaucratic and focuses on social harmony. But organizational culture also caused some resistance from the employees. With that said I dont think that the employees where that resistant. It sounds like the employees knew that the situation was serious, and they didnt want to lose their job. As stated later in the paper, the mindset of the employees change and that the changes happened very fast. Some of the main causes of resistance are unawareness of what and why things are changing and lack of communication from the leader to the employees (Ford 2009). The first thing Ghosn embrace is exactly those things, and thereby avoid resistance concerning those causes. Tina Nielsen Strategy Execution 48-hour exam 050684-1216 CM-J41 Oktober 29th 2010 Page | 4 Reasons for resistance Despite of the things Ghosn do to avoid resistance, there is some resistance from the employees. The causes for resistance are seen below: No guaranty of lifetime employment Promotion based on performance instead of seniority and education (Nennkou-Jyoretu philosophy) Ghosn encouraged risk-taking Matrix structure The changes for the employees were thus large, as their whole business mindset had to change. The causes are described in the following: Lifetime employment was security for the employees as they knew that they would never lose the job. The Japanese government would bail the company out if they were in financial trouble. This, though, werent the case for the major financial house, Yamaichi, which went bankrupt and not saved by the government just before Ghosn came to Japan (case: C551). This changed the employees mindset so they got a sense of urgency of getting Nissan to perform well again or else they could lose their job. A big resistance from the employees was the promotion of younger leaders over older, longer-serving employees. The Nennkou-Jyoretu philosophy did no longer exist, as Ghosn wanted to promote risk-taking and personal accountability and responsibility. This was done by introducing performance based incentive systems, which included cash incentives and stock options for achievements directly linked to successful operating profit and revenue (case:C553). The change of the promotion system would course some resistance from the employees that were up for a promotion, but didnt get it because of the new system. This could create a dis-motivating problem that Nissan has to consider and exterminate. The reason for changing the promotion system was to encourage risk taking. The Nemawashi philosophy destroyed the effectiveness of decision making in Nissan and other Japanese companies. These informal meeting before information meeting was Tina Nielsen Strategy Execution 48-hour exam 050684-1216 CM-J41 Oktober 29th 2010 Page | 5 held to protect the individual from making bad decisions, and in the previous promotion system, the only thing preventing the employee of a career advancement what failure and mistakes. This Ghosn changed as he wanted the employees to think, take responsibility and be accountable for what they did. Every report that the employees handed in had to be accurate and the employees was held accountable for what was stated in the report. Ghosn changed the organizational structure to a matrix structure. This meant that every employee will have two bosses; a functional and a regional. The often fatal weakness of this structure is the discussions among employees from different departments about resource allocation (KaplanNorton 2006), and thereby cause resistance to the change. It was not only the employees that were resistance to change. Business analysts and the media both criticized Ghosn for going against the Japanese culture by firing people that not met targets, this also let to a nickname: the foreigner (case: C552). The government responded to this change of business culture by offering subsidies and programs for the affected employees, probably because they saw the rational of not bailing companies out of their crisis, just because they didnt manage their company well. Organizational culture To turn Nissans deficit to a profit, the corporate culture had to change. The Japanese culture had a big impact on how the corporate culture was, but some of the problems at Nissan where not normally seen in other Japanese companies. On top of the problems Ghosn states (see case: C549), there are some other organizational problems. These problems were: Follow-up on decision was not effective Top management had created tunnel vision regarding market share instead of profit à   created unprofitable products Communication problems through the layers Tina Nielsen Strategy Execution 48-hour exam 050684-1216 CM-J41 Oktober 29th 2010 Page | 6 Top management did not follow up effectively on decisions, which made it difficult to know which decisions were successful and which were bad. The consequence is that Nissan doesnt learn of their mistakes and thereby cannot use the lesson learn from bad decision or the experience from good decisions to future decision making. Top management focused on market share instead of profit, which created unprofitable products as listed in the case: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ only four out of 43 models turned a profit. (Case: C546). The reason for this focus was the maintenance of company size and staff. This corporate problem stem from the long standing partnership between the government and major businesses to ensure lifelong employment. As there was no guaranty at being bail out by the government, Nissans strategic focus has to change to regard profit instead of market share. The communication problem at Nissan concerns no shared vision or strategy throughout the company. Staff doesnt know what the top management is doing and top management doesnt know what the other managers and employees are doing. This may lead to a company that doesnt move in the same direction as the employees dont know the direction they should work. This problem stems from the national culture problem that groups dont talk to each other, and only worry about how their own department is doing. What Ghosn did to enlist support To handle the above problems Ghosn made three principles that transcended all cultures in the firm. These were: 1. Transparency 2. Execution 95%, strategy 5% 3. Communication These principles were used to give employees structure and give guidance on what to keep in mind when managing the company in the future. Ghosn was surprised how fast the employees at every level adapted to the new management process. But he also saw the cultural problem as a challenge and he Tina Nielsen Strategy Execution 48-hour exam 050684-1216 CM-J41 Oktober 29th 2010 Page | 7 stated that it was important to respect the employees culture. This led to the following initiatives: The first thing Ghosn did was to ensure that the people that accompanied him from Renault had the same respect and attitude for Nissan and the Japanese culture as him. He initiated long discussions with several hundred managers in order to get an insight on the day-to-day operations. He turned the resistance into feedback and used the conversations with managers as a resource to find the optimal solutions (Ford 2009). After these discussions he developed a program which encouraged the employees at Nissan to contribute recommendations for the company. This replaced outside hiring and Ghosn hoped this induced motivation. This program called Cross-Functional-Teams (CFT) consisted of 10 members from different departments. The groups also contributed to better insight across the different departments, and moved away from the imploded relationships in the company (Krackhardt 2000). It also gave the employees a better insight of the company as a whole. The groups developed a new corporate culture from the best elements of the Japanese culture (case:C551). Working in these groups also helped the managers to think in new ways and share ideas across departments. Ghosn created a matrix structure so every employee had two bosses; this improved the transparency and communication between the departments and also the awareness of both functional and regional problems. Ghosn disciplined employees strongly for inaccurate and poor data; he wanted employees to take responsibility. This was to stimulate risk taking and personal accountability. Ghosn created a system of if you contribute there will be opportunity and reward (case: C553) These initiatives and the fact that Japanese respect leadership helped Ghosn to incorporate his new management process in the corporate culture. Tina Nielsen Strategy Execution 48-hour exam 050684-1216 CM-J41 Oktober 29th 2010 Page | 8 National culture The Japanese culture is very incorporated in every company in Japan as so in Nissan, and it is hard not to affect Ghosn. The national culture has challenged Ghosn both on the personnel side and the financial side. The following are listing some of the Japanese cultures impact on Nissan: The keiretsu philosophy à   tying up capital of $4 billion Cultural consensus of group harmony creates efficiency à   no awareness of what is going on outside own group (Imploded relationship; Krackhardt 2000) Finger pointing à   no one accepted responsibility. Blamed everyone but themselves. Acceptance rather that responsibility because culture protects career advancement Nemawashi à   informal meetings before information meetingsà   no individual to blame Hampered risk-taking and slowed decision making at all levels. Routine, details and concepts with no sense of urgency slowed decision making and created no risk taking As Ghosn states: The Japanese are so organized and know how to make the best of things. The respect leadership. (Case:C550) Ghosn had a very open mind when entering the job, for instance he didnt wanted to learn much about the Japan before he came, because he didnt wanted to get any preconceived ideas (case: C546). Ghosn had also worked at four different continents and spoke five different languages, which indicates that he has an open mind to cultural differences and that he is used to work in different cultures. You can say that Ghosn is multicultural. This helped Ghosn to reduce the difference between his culture and Nissans culture, and thereby didnt induce deep cultural differences. Tina Nielsen Strategy Execution 48-hour exam 050684-1216 CM-J41 Oktober 29th 2010 Page | 9 Culture as a helper or hindrance Culture was both a helper and a hindrance for Ghosn. The hindrance consisted of how deep Japanese culture where incorporated in Nissan, such as no responsibility, accountability and risk taking from employees and the keiretsu philosophy. The respect for leadership was a big helper for Ghosn, as the employees at every level where willing to change their mind and embrace new ideas. Ghosn himself was very surprised that the acceptance of change happened that quickly. The way Ghosn embraced the cultural difference was: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ by accepting and building on strengths of the different cultures, all employees, including Ghosn himself, would be given a chance to grow personally through the consideration of different perspectives. (case: C550). This way Ghosn made culture into an opportunity and not a hindrance for managing Nissan. Luck and timing One of the most powerful impacts on strategy execution is the capital market (BowerGilbert 2007). One of the reasons that Nissan needed help was the Asian financial crisis, where the devaluation of the yen/USD had a big impact on Nissans keiretsu investments. This meant that Nissan should find a new partner in the automobile industry to avoid a credit rating as junk. They also needed new capital and new ideas. The financial house, Yamaichi, went bankrupt at the same time Ghosn arrived to Japan, and where not helped by the government. This sent a message to Nissans employees that they should not be sure of having a job if Nissan proceed with their operations as usually. Ghosn also took advantage of the situation by using the Yamaichi example any time possible. Renault looked for a partner, as they wanted to exploit the Japanese and the North American market to enhance their global position. Another reason was to reduce their dependency of the European market. In May 1998 Renault merged with DaimlerCrysler, which led to a sense of urgency of finding a partner to compete more Tina Nielsen Strategy Execution 48-hour exam 050684-1216 CM-J41 Oktober 29th 2010 Page | 10 globally. If Renault didnt alliance with Nissan, Ghosn would never have been COO of Nissan. Another thing is that Ghosn came to Renault in 1996, if the alliance were made before that, Ghosn would not have been the leader of the changes. If the alliance were made in the beginning of his career at Renault it is not sure that Ghosn would have got the job. All these events have resulted in the success of Nissan turning their deficit to a profit. If these events where not happening at the same time, it is not certain that the success Ghosn experienced would have happened. I dont think than Ghosn could have had the same success a few years earlier, as the Yamaichi bankruptcy changed Nissans employees mindset referring to their job security. Renault would probably not have been looking for an alliance partner (and Ghosn would not have been in Nissan), if they hadnt got the need of a global position on the world market, which they urgently got in 1998 after the merger with DaimlerChrysler. The conclusion is that both luck and timing of many elements affects the success of changes. Evaluation My opinion of Carlos Ghosns approach to turning Nissan around is that it was the right way to do it. Ghosn knew that he had to respect the national culture, and he knew that he had to lead the employees being heard. The latter is often a reason why resistance occurs, because it is the employees that know the day-to-day operations and know what can be done (Ford 2009). A key initiative he imposes was the CFT, which should enforce communication and motivation: He (red.Ghosn) felt that if the employees could accomplish the revival by their own hands, the confidence in the company as a whole and motivation would again flourish. (Case:C550) Tina Nielsen Strategy Execution 48-hour exam 050684-1216 CM-J41 Oktober 29th 2010 Page | 11 This was very clever as the CFT accepted the firing of the 21,000 employees. This was accepted of the employees because if the CFT agreed on that, then it must be right, or else they wouldnt have fired people. If it was Ghosn alone that made the decision, employees may not have been accepting that as fast, and resistance would have appeared. The way Ghosn approached the Japanese culture were with humility and respect, this was necessary in a country where culture is as important as in Japan. Literature Ford, J. D. and Ford, L. W. (2009). Decoding resistance to change. Harvard Business Review, 87(4), 99-103 Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P.(2006).How to implement a new strategy without disrupting your organization. Harvard Business Review, 84(3), 100-109 Krackhardt, D. and Hanson, J. R.(1993).Informal networks: the company behind the chart. Harvard Business Review, July/August, 104-111 Bower, J. L. and Gilbert, C. G. (2007). How managers everyday decisions create or destroy your companys strategy.Harvard Business Review, 85(2), 72-79

Comparing the Trial in The Plague and Hamlet :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Archetype of the Trial in The Plague and Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Rare is the tale without a conflict, without a challenge to overcome. However, to even reach the challenge the hero must first pass through the Trial. The archetype of the Trial can be found in almost any folktale. King Arthur must draw the sword from the stone to prove himself fit to be king. Hercules must face labors to atone for the murders committed in his madness. It is prominent in other areas of literature as well; it is especially well represented in The Plague by Albert Camus and Hamlet by William Shakespeare.    The Trial serves two purposes: to prove worth and to atone for wrongs and purify. When the Trial is used to prove the worth of the hero, the hero must prove that he is capable and worthy enough to be the hero and that he will be able to face the ultimate conflict. This aspect of the Trial is what is also known as the Initiation (Campbell 97). In Arthurian mythology Arthur must pull the Excalibur from the stone. This trial proves him worthy to be king because only the true heir to the crown is able to draw the sword. The basis of authority for his rule is thus established. In Hamlet, Prince Hamlet must endure heart wrenching grief, betrayal by those closest to him, and murder in order to prove that he is fit to take action. However, while Arthur had to prove to the nobles of the land that he was fit to be king, Hamlet's trial is an inward proof to himself that he is in the right and his father's death must be avenged.    The Trial is also used to purify the hero and help him atone for evils. This is seen clearly in the Hercules legend of Greek mythology. The jealous goddess Hera uses her power to make Hercules insane and in his madness he slaughters his own children. He then journeys to Delphi and consults the oracle which tells him that he must serve for ten years as his cousin Eurytheus' servant and must perform ten labors. Through his labors he is able to atone for his past evil deeds and regain the favor of the gods (D'Aulaire 132-146).    Hamlet is a tale which puts many of its characters through trials but none suffer as much as Prince Hamlet himself.

Brook land

Relationship with our parents is a vital part in our lives. From the time that we are conceived, they have designated or assigned within themselves the responsibilities and obligation they will face upon our birth. They are conscious and knowledgeable about having the duties to give us our basic needs like our food, shelter and clothe that will make us strong to survive the changing world.Parents actually are our guides in our growth, from being a baby who has nothing to do but cry to ask for something, to being a toddler who always plays with the food, an adolescent who seeks freedom especially when pressured by our peers and even if we become adults and already have our legal rights for independence. The love of a parent as they say is incomparable.In what I have experienced and seen among my friends and even with my family, blood relationships are still necessary even if our culture does not obviously close family ties, we can still see how our parents are caring for us by the way they are curious about our dreams and our planned careers especially when we come from the elites. Many publications are distributed world wide to see or show the different family relationships we can witness with our friends, classmates, or even in our own families.The affection, restrictions, commitment and some conflicts are analyzed if not illustrated by the book or literature. Brookland for example, written by Farrar Straus & Giroux, is a story of a father and daughter who has serious and intimate talks regarding the love of a parent to a first born and the succeeding children. As the father mentioned in the book â€Å"†¦a man doesn’t love one child more’n the next.†, I can sense that if I will view the sentence literally, I will feel inferiority to my elder brother or sister if I have any for the love my parents or my father is giving to him/her is more or with greater quality than what I am receiving. But when we analyze the set – ups, it jus t says that parents give their best shot on their first since that is the first time they are going to try roles of being a parent.Even in my life, not in parenting, I can say that if I face a thing first time, I would really try my best to actually have a good performance for the job or the role. The second, third or fourth tries will not require much effort as what I did with the first for I have been accustomed to facing and dealing with it. The passage does not necessarily mean that bias for the children but a realization of the efforts they try to give with their children. A mother’s love for me is very unconditional. Forgiving and forgetting at the same time.I can say that even if a mother treats her children differently, she has the same level of love for them; it just so happen that those who approach their mothers more become closer and look more loved. The book showed an endless love of a person towards people that contributed to her life; passion and motherhood at the same time, molding the minds of the readers of the significance of a motherly care to the weak and enlightenment to the other children. Works Cited Emily Barton. 2006. Review of Brookland. [11 December 2008].

Terminator and the Matrix Essay Example

Terminator and the Matrix Essay Example Terminator and the Matrix Essay Terminator and the Matrix Essay The dictionary term for stereotyping is a fixed image or idea of a type of person or thing that is widely held. Stereotyping was very popular towards women before the 1980s. This was called sexism. Women were treated very badly for instance there was talk of a glass ceiling, this was a term used to describe how women were prevented to reach top positions. Stereotyping can be used in a number of ways. One way was in films, such as Legally Blond and Miss Congeniality. The act of stereotyping in the film Legally Blond is when a woman is portrayed as a Barbie doll. Then takes advantage of her looks and uses it to get what she wants. Soon after she was finally, respected or her brain than her choice of style. However Miss Congeniality is known for a different and unexpected type of stereotyping. This time the main character was shown quite manly. Subsequently she went through a process of becoming very feminine. Those films prove that it might be difficult but woman can do practically anything that men can do. In both films the Terminator and the Matrix stereotyping has been used frequently and very blatantly. For instance in the film Terminator, Sarah Connor is represented as a typical girlish woman. This is revealed the audience when her only outfits are mostly pink. In contrast to Sarah, Trinity has been represented stereotypically as well, however in the complete opposite of Sarah Connor. For example she has been shown very manly and heroic, this through the CGI which makes trinity perform special powers. Also the choice of Trinitys name is ironic because it is quite feminine, which would be given to someone who is very womanly. Whereas at the, beginning of the film Trinity comes across as a dark and mysterious person. This is given away in different aspects of he the film such as in the intro the soundtrack is very tense and wiry. The director also made the music fast and high tuned during the chase scene between Trinity and Mr Smith. This emphasises the fact that there is action going on. The effect of this can let the viewers really feel and imagine what Trinity is thinking and doing. Following a different area of the film the lighting reveals a lot about Trinitys personality. When introducing the film it is very dark and spooky with a few spot lights from the policemens torches. This achieves the introduction of Trinity to be very dark and tense. It also gives the setting a very scary atmosphere; this edges the reader to anticipate what, might happen next. The lighting, as well, is very dim in the first shot of her. This shows Trinity to be androgynous; it creates a sense of mystery to what sex she is. And as it changes to a close up shot of Trinity confirms that she is a woman. It also reveals in that scene that she is calm and in control, even though there was many police men with guns right behind her. However she still seems to be androgynous through her choice of costume and make up. For instance in a shot of Trinity she is wearing a P.V.C, black cat suit which represents her strength and power. This is also expressed from the bold, strong colour of her black clothes. Even when she goes out, other than wearing a dress, she still dresses down by wearing the same colours and no jewellery. This gives the audience an impression of how mature, independent and strong she is. She is, coincidently as the men around her, this shows the director wanted to present that Trinity is no different to any one else. Her natural use of make-up portrays her as a man, such as the way she always has her hair tied back even in a club. This explains to us that she doesnt look like shes trying to impress or attract any one. I think the director did this whole plain look of Trinity to make people see how different women have different qualities. The special effects used in the Matrix lets Trinity seem very heroic. This done through CGI, computer generate imagery. One example of this is when she could jump a long distance, from one building to another. The CGI used in this is demonstrating that gravity has no effect on trinity. Whereas the police men chasing after her didnt even try to imitate trinity because they knew it was impossible. This proves that Trinity has the ability to do skills that men cant do, let alone skills that are ridiculously not possible to humans. Therefore she is superhuman. For instance Trinity uses her own powers instead of using and relying on guns, which is a contrast to the policemen. This gives the viewers an impression that women can be stronger than men. Another way that showed Trinity to be heroic is when Trinity manages to get out of a situation when she was about to give up. By persuading and forcing her to overcome her fear and carry on. This will most likely inspire women all over the worl d to be just like her. On the other hand Sarah is a complete different character to Trinity. This time, Sarah has been shown different in ways that are quite sexiest. Starting of with the soundtrack, this was very gentle in the introduction of Sarah Connor. I think the director did this so that Sarah can come across very innocent and sweet almost like a child. However as the viewer gets into the film the music changes into heart beat sound while Sarah walks outside by herself at night. This gives a tense atmosphere and makes you feel as if something is going to happen. We also get the sense that Sarah feels the same, thats why she went into a night club. Coincidently it has a lot of people in it. The atmosphere in the club was very jumpy. It had fast music and flashing lights which reveals how desperate Sarah might have felt. The fact that she has to go to a club shows she doesnt have enough confidence and the ability to defend herself. Therefore she is exposed to be a helpless victim. However she also sho ws some intelligence because Sarah probably knew that whoevers behind her has a less chance of capturing her in a crowed place. I think the director used the lighting to make Sarah seem even more ladylike. For instance, in one scene as she goes to work the lighting is very bright and sunny. Also the music almost sounds like s harmony. This emphasises Sarahs feminist side. The directors decision of clothing is very such as in her job, the colours used in Sarahs outfits are very feminine. She constantly wears pink for instance the first shot of her is in a soft pink jacket. This gives the impression of Sarah gentle, calm and soft. Her uniform is quite skimpy and pink as well, which is not a unisex colour therefore the job of waiting in a fast food restaurant was often only meant for women also that Sarah doesnt mind. Finally her nightgown has cartoon characters, of the Jetsons, on it. This tells us that she is immature and childlike. Plus she uses a lot of make-up. I know this from a scene where he adds on more make-up no top of the make-up she already has on just because she is going out. The whole image of he was down so that she portrayed as a dome blond. Since this was made in the 1980s I think women were preceded that way. I n Sarahs case no special effects were used this demonstrate that she is ordinary, normal and just like us. However there were different ways in showing what Sarah is like. In the scene where Sarah is in a night club she tries to call someone. I suppose the phone symbolises how scared she is and how frantic she is for help. Also the scene before she goes to work she talks to a statue, this stresses the point that she is very juvenile and babyish. If we compare the two we find out that they both conflict each other. And they both represent their character in different ways, for instance Trinity is shown to be very independent and strong. Such as in a scene a police man is being patronises towards Trinity by saying whats one little girl going to do. This is ironic because later on Trinity manages to defend herself. By attacking about half a dozen police men, which each had a gun, and out run them to. Also in the club scene, when Trinity meets Neo, Neo is shocked to find out that Trinity was actually a girl. This is made known when he says youre Trinity? This is stereotyping Trinitys abilities, which reveals that Neo is quiet sexist, that he thinks only a job like cracking into computers is done by men. Sarahs character can be known in the scene where her boyfriend cancelled on her up but yet she didnt react like an upset girlfriend would do, this shows a weakness to her personality that she is too lenient. It also seems like they both live in parallel worlds. This highlights the point of how the world has changed from 1980 to the 1990s. And how it has grown from women being stereotyped to them gaining the rights they deserve.