Curleys wife presented and developed Essay

John Steinbeck, in his novella ‘Of Mice and Men’, deliberately presents Curley’s wife as a character with no appellation, this pushes away the relationship between her and the reader. The fact that she has no appellation indicates to us that she is a generalised woman; a typecast of women in the 1930’s America, in which women were expected to stay at home to fulfil their housewife ‘duties’. Her appellation also indicates to us that she is the property of Curley, this dehumanizes her, she is thought of as an object. Steinbeck first presents Curley’s wife as a flirtatious ‘tart’, and then develops her as a dangerous, vulnerable, and fragile character. Steinbeck ensures that the reader feels unsympathetic towards her in the inception, and throughout the novella, and then allows the reader to feel slightly sympathetic just afore her death, as we find out she is just a lonely woman full of dreams that are shattered. This is deliberately done once it is too late, her death is inevitable. This means that the audience’s sympathy will always lie with Lennie, not Curley’s wife. In chapter 2, Candy introduces George and Lennie to the ranch, after Curley has his moment with George and Lennie, Candy states â€Å"wait’ll you see Curley’s wife†¦She got the eye†, immediately Candy’s description of her reveals (before the reader even meets her) that she is flirtatious and interested in men although she has a husband, and therefore she is a ‘tart’. This is dangerous since she is married to the boss’s son, who is always looking for an altercation. Candy also reveals that Curley has a â€Å"Glove fulla Vaseline†, this immediately portrays Curley’s wife as a sexual object. Indeterminately, she is first presented as a flirtatious ‘tart’, and a sexual object; these could potentially equal disaster in the future. Steinbeck has purposely introduced her in this way as he desires us to hate and possess no sympathy for her†¦ except for Lennie. In this novella, Curley’s wife is referred to as a ‘tart’ because of her flirtatious behaviour, and also, she is described as a ‘girl’ as she is immature and vulnerable. However, the reader does not think of her as a ‘girl’, as she has â€Å"full, roughed lips†, â€Å"eyes, heavily made up†, and ‘red’ fingernails. The reader thinks of her as a woman, from the way her presence is described, and also the way she acts. Curley’s wife is at times, a viciously unpleasant woman. In chapter 4, she enters Crooks Bunk house, after she is confronted by the three grown men, Lennie, Candy, and Crooks, she reduces Lennie and Candy to ‘toneless†¦nothing’. Then refers to Crooks as a ‘Nigger’. This is extremely shocking, particularly to a modern audience whereas in the 1930’s the audience would find it conventional. Curley’s wife has deliberately picked on Crooks, as he’s complexion is described as black, and therefore socially weaker. Indeterminately, she has more power than him. This exposure of weakness ultimately concludes with Curley’s wife threatening to have Crooks ‘strung up’. The fact that she is threatening to lie, and cry rape, to have an innocent man killed for no appropriate reason, paints her in a profoundly negative light. After this, it makes Curley’s wife highly unpredictable throughout the rest of the novella as Steinbeck has instantly developed her from being a flirtatious ‘tart’, to being an evil woman, the reader cannot predict what she will be like further into the novella. After chapter 4, it emphasises how cruel Curley’s wife can be and turns the reader against her even more. In chapter 5, Curley’s wife seeks ‘attention’ (as she usually does) as she goes into the barn, she encounters Lennie. Her reaction after finding the ‘dead’ puppy is very serene, she isn’t shocked since she states â€Å"just a dead pup†; this makes her abnormal because a normal woman would not look at this situation from a neutral point of view. Further in chapter 5, the reader deduces that Curley’s wife is lonely as she states â€Å"I get awful lonely†; this makes the audience understand her even more because she is always seeking ‘attention’. After Curley’s wife convinces Lennie into speaking with her, she then talks about how she could have been a â€Å"Hollywood movie star† but had her letter stolen, and therefore her opportunity was taken. The reader realises that her that her dreams were destroyed; This links to the women in the 1930’s, as they also has aspirations that were not accepted. Curley’s wife believes that her mother stole her letter, as she states â€Å"I think my old lady stole it†; the word ‘think’ immediately tells the reader that she has no genuine evidence to prove this is true. Curley’s wife ultimately leads to her own necrosis as she tells Lennie to touch her hair; the word ‘touch’ immediately reminds the reader about the incident in Weed. After touching Curley’s wife’s hair, Lennie then starts to stroke her hair in amazement, Curley’s wife suddenly starts panicking whens she feels Lennie’s strength, and in grabbing her, Lennie breaks her neck by accident, causing instant death. After Curley’s wife death, the reader feels sympathetic towards her, as the reader recently finds out that she was just a lonely woman full of shattered dreams. As soon as Candy walks into the scene, the readers sympathy for the dead woman disappears as the reader realises that Lennie, George, and Cady’s American dream ‘have it all in one month’ is now no longer in reach, it has been destroyed. Curley’s wife has represented the death of dreams as she is the reason for this. Unlike Lennie, Curley’s wife had no excuse of being ‘mentally slow’ so should have controlled her herself and therefore it is her fault, the reader regrets having sympathy for her. Curley’s wife is a very unique character; she is not a typical 1930’s woman, as she is always outside of her house making her unable to carry out her ‘duties’, whereas a typical 1930’s woman would always stay at home fulfilling their housewife ‘duties’. Curley’s wife should have been interpreted as a typical 1930’s woman.

Nucor Corporation Case Essay

Summary: For more than 20 years the Nucor Corporation has been one of the leading manufacturers of steel and steel related products in the world. With their technology advancement, low debt ratio, decentralized type of organization and many more, this company still thrives to achieve better goals in their company. Aside from the positive views of the company, it also faced problems like bankruptcy. (te pakidagdagan n lng) History: Nucor traced its origins to auto manufacturer Ransom E. Olds, who founded Oldsmobile, and later, Reo Motor Cars. Through a series of transactions, the company eventually became the Nuclear Corporation of America, a company involved in the nuclear instrument and electronics business. In 1972, the firm changed its name to Nucor Corporation. By 1998, it had become America’s second-largest steel maker. Operations: Nucor related its diverse facilities in rural areas across the United States, establishing strong ties to its local communities and its work force. As a leading employer with the ability to pay top wages, it attracted hard-working, dedicated employees. These factors also allowed Nucor to select from among competing locales, siting its operations in states with tax structures that encouraged business growth and regulatory policies that favored the company’s commitment to remaining union-free. By mid-2008, Nucor operated 53 facilities throughout the United States and one in Point Lisas, Trinidad. The company also maintained operations through wholly owned subsidiaries, Harris Steel and the David J. Joseph Company (DJJ). Strategy: Nucor’s strategy focused on two major competencies: building steel manufacturing facilities economically and operating them productively. Organization Structure: Compared to the typical Fortune 500 company with 10 or more management layers, Nucor’s Structure was decentralized, with only the four management  layers illustrated below: Chairman / Vice Chairman / President Vice President / Plant General Manager Department Manager Supervisor Human Resource Policies: Employee relations at Nucor were based on four principles: 1. Management is obligated to manage Nucor in such a way that employee will have the opportunity to earn according to their productivity. 2. Employees should feel confident that if they do their jobs properly, they will have a job tomorrow. 3. Employees have the right to be treated fairly. 4. Employees must have an avenue of appeal when they believe they are being treated unfairly. Compensation: Nucor provided employees with a performance-related compensation system. All employees were covered under one of four compensation plan, each featuring incentives for meeting specific goals and targets. 1. Production Incentive Plan * employees directly involved in manufacturing were paid weekly bonuses based on actual output in relation to anticipated production tonnages produced. The bonuses were paid only for work that met the quality standards and were pegged to work group, rather than individual output. 2. Department Manager Incentive Plan * Department managers earned an annual incentive bonus based on the performance of the entire plan to which they belonged. The targeted performance criterion here was return on assets. 3. Non-Production and Non-Department Manager Incentive Plan * All employees not in the Production Incentive Plan or Department Manager Incentive Plan – including accountants, engineers, secretaries, clerks, and receptionists – received a bonus based primarily on each plant’s return on assets. It could total over 25% of an employee’s base salary. 4. Senior Officers Incentive Plan * Included all corporate executives and plant general managers. A portion of pre-tax earnings was placed into a pool that was divided among the officers. If Nucor did well, the officers’ bonuses, in the form of stock (about 60%) and cash (about 40%), could amount to several times their base salaries. If Nucor did poorly, an officer’s compensation was only base salary and, therefore, significantly below the average pay for this level of responsibility. Information Systems: Benefits: Nucor took an egalitarian approach toward employee benefits. Nucor’s benefit program also attested to the company’s commitment to education. Technology: Nucor did not have a formal R&D department, a corporate engineering group, or a chief technology officer. Instead, it relied on equipment suppliers and other companies to do the R&D, and they adopted the technological advancements they developed – whether in steel or iron making, or in fabrication. Teams composed of mangers, engineers, and machine operators decided what technology to adopt. Future: The company’s biggest challenge (in the future) is to continue to grow the company at 15 – 20% per year, and to keep earnings parallel with its growth. Analysis: Nucor Corporation became one of the top corporations in the steel industry because of their handwork and technology innovation. This company also sees and takes care of its employee’s needs, which in return gives them  a quality service in their work. Conclusion: Nucor, even though we can see it as a successful, almost perfect company, still faces problems like other businesses in the industry. Problem: The company has lost one-third to one-half of its market value when the stock reached its peak value (mid-2008), and has not recovered as of 2012. Recommendation: We can recommend change in the company’s technology, like getting more advance equipments in making steel and steel-related products. Or the company could make a merger to other company to utilize its resources to its maximum while keeping cost low.

Jesus Christ Essay

Hate is one of the human’s feelings. It is a complex subject to study its reasons, causes and consequences. Broadly saying hate in this or that manifestation is one of the reasons of the majority of the violent crimes. Hate is used as an ideological background for a number of violent acts ranging from the street and terrorist attacks to full scale wars. Hate may be either justified in this or that way or it may be impulsive, based on the race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or national origin. In the first case when the hate is caused by the unjust treatment it may be defined as rational, in the second one it is irrational (John R. Schafer, MA and Joe Navarro, MA, 2003). One of the most significant examples of the hate group is Aryan Nations. Aryan Nations is a typical hate organization promoting the white race supremacy. It is the political arm of the †White Identity Church of Jesus Christ-Christian,† long led by Richard Butler. The movement promotes the heresy known as †Christian Identity. † (Apologetics Index, 2006). The ideological background of the Aryan Nations is anti-Semitism. Paramilitary hate group Aryan Nations was founded in the mid-1970s by Rev. Richard Girnt Butler, now 77 years old. It was formed around Butler’s Church of Jesus Christ Christian, one of the several hundred churches affiliated with â€Å"Identity,† a pseudo-theological hate movement. Identity doctrine maintains that Anglo-Saxons, not Jews, are the Biblical â€Å"chosen people,† that non-whites are â€Å"mud people† on the level of animals, and that Jews are â€Å"children of Satan. † (The Nizkor Project, 2006). The anti-Semitism has been of the main hate ideologies since the biblical times. It was utilized by the worst human hating regimes, the most vivid examples of which were the Fascist regimes in Germany and Italy. The anti-Semitism doctrine as an ideology compromised itself in the 20th century. Aryan Nations militantly advocates anti-Semitism and the establishment of a white racist state. A statement of beliefs on the Aryan Nations Web site declares: â€Å"The Jew is like a destroying virus that attacks our racial body to destroy our Aryan culture and purity of our race. Those of our Race who resist these attacks are called ‘chosen and faithful. ‘† (Aryan Nations/Church of Jesus Christ Christian, 2006). In their â€Å"Declaration of Independence† the ideologists of the Aryan Nations declare threat to the white Americans from the federal government which pursues the interests of the Jewish rulers. The ideologists of the Aryan Nations state that only the Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, Teutonic, Scandinavian, Celtic peoples are the descendants of biblical Adam and the rest are the descendants of Cain and they are the results of the Eve’s original sin. The Aryan Nations leaders identify the Jews as the main threat to the white race. This movement could be considered as political and a religious movement. This is one of the causes of the extreme danger of Aryan Nations. Violence is declared by the leaders of the group. The motto of the group as indicated in its web site is â€Å"Violence Solves Everything! †. Still the original biblical part of the ideology of the Aryan Nation has been completely confused because the calls for violence became the dominating ones. The ideologies of Aryan Nations declaring their Christian origin try to support their violent call with the Muslim militant motto â€Å"Allahu Akbar! † (http://www. aryan-nations. org/) thus bringing complete confusion into their ideological basis. According to Aryan Nations â€Å"That VIOLENCE â€Å"IS† THE ONLY SOLUTION! You can no longer look toward local, state or federal law enforcement authorities to protect you, your families or your interests from these invaders† (Aryan Nations web site, 2006). The â€Å"Christian† identity of Aryan Nations was expressed by the leader of the group August Kreis in his comments on the 9/11 attacks and his attitude towards Al-Qaeda, â€Å"†You say they’re terrorists, I say they’re freedom fighters. And I want to instill the same jihadic feeling in our peoples’ heart, in the Aryan race, that they have for their father, who they call Allah. † (Henry Schuster, March 29, 2005). Such sayings put off the religious part from the Aryan Nations ideology leaving the extremist one. Terror unites the â€Å"proponents† of some special â€Å"violent† Christianity and Mohammedanism. In fact the only things which may unite both groups are the hate, extremism and terror which they share as basic of their ideologies. In fact, Aryan Nations have a lot of common features with the extremist Muslim groups. They share the same anti-Semitism, they accept the same terror methods and they lack any constructive ideology. They both base their activity on the hate which is destructive in its nature. The numerous hate groups whose ideologies are based on the irrational hatred can hardly find any serious political support in such democratic and a multinational country as the United States. As for the connections of the hate groups with the Muslim extremists, they are not new. During the WWII the leader of the German Nazis Adolph Hitler tried to find the connections with the Muslim extremists. Moreover, some Nazis found refuge in Egypt and Syria after WWII. At the same time it is too early to speak about the real alliance between Neo-Nazis and Muslim extremists. Most likely the leaders of Aryan Nations express their desire to create such an alliance and it proves the ultimate danger of the group. â€Å"Mark Potok, of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that while some U. S. extremists applauded the September 11 attacks, there is no indication of such an alliance — at least not yet, and not on a large scale. If it exists anywhere, he said, it is in the mind (and the Internet postings) of August Kreis. † (Henry Schuster, 2005). At the same time the Aryan Nations desire to link to the most dangerous terrorist organization confirms the fact that Aryan Nations may become the serious threat to the national security of the United States. Bibliography John R. Schafer, MA and Joe Navarro, MA, The seven-stage hate model: The psychopathology of hate groups, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin/March 1, 2003, available at http://www. rickross. com/reference/hate_groups/hategroups355. html, retrieved 06. 12. 2006

IT utsurcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

IT utsurcing - Essay Example Th rsrch bjctivs r t msur th incidnc f utsurcing mng ustrlin firms, idntify th functins utsurcd, th rsns why mngrs cnsidrd utsurcing, th csts nd bnfits f utsurcing, pssibl chngs in mds f nd mtivtins fr utsurcing nd fctrs tht r sscitd with succssful utsurcing rrngmnts. Th ppr is structurd s tht bth thrticl pprch twrd IT utsurcing nd its bnfits nd prcticl implictin nd rcmmndtins fr ustrlin IT utsurcing prtins wr xplrd. Th trms utsurcing nd insurcing d nt cptur th cmplxity f surcing ptins vilbl n th mrkt plc. Thr r svrl txnmis f surcing dcisins tht hv bn dptd. ur rsrch distinguishs mng thr: Ttl utsurcing: th dcisin t trnsfr IS ssts, lss, stff, nd mngmnt rspnsibility fr dlivry f IS srvics frm n intrnl IS functin t singl third prty vndr which rprsnts mr thn 80 pr cnt f th IS budgt; Ttl Insurcing: th dcisin t rtin th mngmnt nd prvisin f mr thn 80 pr cnt f th IS budgt intrnlly ftr vluting th IS srvics mrkt; Slctiv Surcing: th dcisin t surc slctd IS functins frm xtrnl prvidr(s) whil still prviding btwn 20 pr cnt nd 80 pr cnt f th IS budgt intrnlly. This strtgy my includ singl r multipl vndrs (mbrsi, 2001). Trnsitinl utsurcing invlvs th migrtin frm n tchnlgicl pltfrm t nthr. Such trnsitinl utsurcing hs thr phss: ( ) mngmnt f th lgcy systms; ( b ) trnsitin t th nw tchnlgy/systm; nd ( c ) stbilistin nd mngmnt f th nw pltfrm. ny n r ll f ths thr phss culd b turnd vr t third prty prvidr. Businss prcss utsurcing i... ny n r ll f ths thr phss culd b turnd vr t third prty prvidr. Businss prcss utsurcing is rltivly nw utsurcing rrngmnt. It rfrs t n utsurcing rltinship whr third prty prvidr is rspnsibl fr prfrming n ntir businss functin fr th clint rgnistin. ccrding t Millr (1994), numbr f industris r cnsidring businss prcssing utsurcing; in prticulr, gvrnmnt, finncil srvics (bnks nd insurnc cmpnis), hlth cr, trnsprttin, nd lgistics. Trgtd srvics includ htlins, hlp dsks, cll cntrs, clims mngmnt, nd dcumnt prcssing. Businss bnfit cntrcting is ls rltivly rcnt phnmnn. It rfrs t 'cntrctul grmnt tht dfins th vndr's cntributin t th clint in trms f spcific bnfits t th businss nd dfins th pymnt th custmr will mk bsd upn th vndr's bility t dlivr ths bnfits. Th gl is t mtch ctul csts with ctul bnfits nd t shr th risks.' Givn th risks sscitd with trditinl utsurcing, thr is cnsidrbl intrst in this frm f utsurcing. Millr nts, hwvr, tht whil businss bnfit cntrcting is frquntly usd in th mrkting f utsurcing srvics by third prty prvidrs, it typiclly is nt ctully dptd bcus f th difficulty sscitd with msuring bnfits. Bnchmrking in this r is prticulrly prblmtic. Bcus vndr rvnu nd mrgin ptntil r dirctly tid t th bnchmrks, it is nt surprising tht gtting grmnt by bth prtis n th bnchmrks prvs spcilly thrny. In ustrli, ppulr discussin f th grwing mrkt in utsurcing infrmtin tchnlgy (IT) hs bn spurrd by dcisins f svrl lrg cmpnis nd th ustrlin gvrnmnt t utsurc IT prtins. Th srvics in ustrlin IT utsurcing mk up t 38 prcnt f th ttl IT mrkt. Rsrch grup Grtnr rprtd tht th ustrlin IT srvics mrkt is wrth US$5.5 billin (Hubr, 2002). Th utsurcing in th cuntry is still ky drivr f th IT srvics sctr s wll s mngd srvics in rs

Analyze McDonald's Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze McDonald's - Case Study Example The headquarters of the company is still in the United States, and the current C.E.O is Don Thompson (Jurevicius, n.p). McDonald’s has an employee base of approximately 1,800,000 individuals. Over the years, McDonald’s has gained dominance in the fast food industry. The major competitors include Subway, Wendy’s Company, Burger King Worldwide Inc., Yum! and several other organizations (Jurevicius, n.p). In fact, the approach towards a healthy diet has led the company to making some changes in its presentation and menu, as well as increased the level of competition. As mentioned above, regardless of the fall in the number of clients, the company is still the largest fast food restaurant on earth. The company is estimated to have made revenue of $27.56 billion in 2012, which makes a profit of $5.46 billion (Jurevicius, n.p). In addition, the company has a $40 billion brand recognition value. These factors all indicate the magnitude of McDonald’s dominance in the fast food industry. These staggering figures are still a drop in the company’s market with the biggest hit coming from individuals between their 20s and 30s (Jargon, n.p). The decrease in the younger individuals is mainly due to the education that society possesses today in terms of healthy eating. Individuals in this demographic are now are resorting to more organic and fresher foods. In addition, there are now many options where these individuals can get these foods with approximately the same amount of money they would pay for a combo meal (Jargon, n.p). McDonald’ s has made some adjustments in the menu by introduction of healthy salads as well as displaying the number of calories in each meal. According to studies, in approximately forty percent of the McDonald’s the sales have fallen or remained flat. Initially, the target market of the company was comprised of children and working adults or students who do not have

Employee Relations in Marks and Spencer Case Study

Employee Relations in Marks and Spencer - Case Study Example However, with fast technological developments and greater linkages between various countries around the world, there was greater competitiveness in the retail sector thus creating a need to adopt less adversarial approaches to employee relations. The Company realised that they had to engage their employees a little more. This led to some of the present staff management practices adopted by the company. The company has tried instituting some sound principles within management but there are still certain problems here and there. (M&S, 2007b) In the past, there were no cases of Sunday trading. Workers in the retail sector counted on the fact that their work arrangements did not necessitate additional efforts. However after introduction of Sunday trading in the UK, there was a need for all retail companies to adjust their employee schedules to suit this change. Marks and Spencer was no exception; in response to this change, it created flexible hours for its employees so that it could allow employees to balance their social life with their careers. In the early nineties, most workers within the retail sector used to work for a period of thirty six to thirty eight hours per week. In Marks and Spencer, eighty percent of their employees used to comply with this rule. But currently, most workers need to put in more hours in order to meet demand. M&S have adjusted to this through employment of more workers and through better employee schedules. (Mellahi et al, 2002) Trade Union Actions The TUC is one of the most influential bodies in the United Kingdom especially when it comes to protecting workers rights. Marks and Spencer has had to watch out for the activities and protests conducted by some trade Unions. One such example occurred in the year 2001. Marks and Spencer has opened up some stores in different parts of the world including France. The Company had made the decision to close all the stores in Europe and halt operations immediately. This was one of the most controversial issues the retail giant has ever faced. In a speech made by the TUC General Secretary, the Union highlighted the fact that Marks and Spencer were not really faced with financial difficulties in those operations. The Union also asserted that the closures were simply and endeavour by the organisation to impress City sentiments rather. They believed that the company was not really concerned with issues surrounding profit making. TUC also said that they were trying to protect foreign worker's rights in general. Marks and Spencer tends to export their bad employment practices into other countries. The Trade Union brought to the forefront the issue of complacency prevailing in M&S stores. The Company had not been very considerate at some stage in their firing and hiring processes. These practices are quite common in the UK despite their notoriety. But in some European countries like France, these employment practices are quite unlawful. The trade Union spoke about how M&S has been sacking employees without notice in those countries and how it faced the full arm of the law. (Storey et al, 2005) TUC advocated for more dialogue and consultations between employees and employers at all times and not when issues have spiralled out of control. The actions of this trade Union and others have caused M&S to change some of its employment practi

CHANGE MANAGEMENT (CASE STUDY) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

CHANGE MANAGEMENT ( ) - Case Study Example Organizations can be transformed by creating a new system in a new place with new personnel, or by renewing the old system in the same place with the same personnel. Critics admit that when change is conducted by taking the "renewal" alternative, it usually entails the positioning of a new top manager or top managerial team. In business organizations, Ford, like many other firms, created separate plants to develop new technology and new products. In total institutions, the creation of a radical new vision that really rehabilitates is possible by starting out with a new strategy, guards carefully chosen to be rehabilitators, and a new, dedicated staff. Ford is one of the oldest automakers in the world. The history of the company goes back to 1903 when the first converted factory was opened. Today, Ford is the second largest automaker with 17.5% market share. Historically, Ford sought to compete against the industry's leader, General Motors (GM), by increasing its presence in foreign markets. Ford's International Automotive Operations co-ordinates activities in twenty-six countries grouped in three principal regions (Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific). In the late 1970s, Ford produced outside the United States half of its worldwide vehicle production - compared with GM's one-fourth. The Ford Motor Co. has also been a leader in introducing or rapidly adopting technological innovations in the industry (Lessons In Change From Ford Motor Company n.d.). Henry Ford, the founder and president of the company, is considered the father of mass production. In the difficult decade of the 1980s, Ford showed its capability to rapidly adopt the Japanese system of production and to move faster than any other auto maker in seeking the integration of its operations on a global basis. The company was also a pioneer in the internationalization of production, as it was the first to open an assembly plant in Canada (1904), in Mexico (1925), and in many other countries. Historically, the company has had a leading role in developing an automotive capability in those countries, and its strategies have been characterized by its responsiveness to local government demands and its relatively high levels of export activity (Lessons In Change From Ford Motor Company n.d.; Ford Home Page 2007). The change process within the company is influenced by the industry requirements and competition. In order to survive and maximize profits, auto makers like Ford must comply with structural rules. Structural rules are derived from production technologies (hard and soft technologies) that are successful in producing cars efficiently. An automobile is a complex product, which consists of over 10,000 parts and requires multiple and complex processes for its manufacture. Mass production proved successful in efficiently producing automobiles, which explains that for almost seven decades, it determined the structural rules for the automobile industry. It is a complex system that needs to be understood in order to comprehend Ford's strategies. Where they existed, differences in strategy or goals between the US Big Three (Ford, GM and Daimler Chrysler) stemmed basically from each firm's ability to conform to the rules of competition and from its relative power position in the industry. Durin g 1990s, Ford had little room for designing