...Watching TV While Steve John used a lot of different examples in his “Watching TV Makes You Smarter”, he in fact did so to show that there are many evidences to prove his claim, and as long as the readers have watched at least two shows that he talks about, the point is quite clear that the TV series industry has well improved its role in exercising our mind in the last few decades. John’s work, however, bewilders readers easily with its novel graphs and manifold examples of outdated shows. With his new way of illustration, readers may have to be familiar with TV shows; how scenes take place at various times and places have clues to the one main story line; how the seemingly unrelated plots interwoven together to make a bigger and more profound story line. But if read closely the graphs are not hard to understand, and while Johnson clearly isn’t writing to people who don’t watch TV, the shows he brings up would be nonsense to the group, and on top of that it is not necessary for the readers to even know the shows he talks about, if the readers can pay most of their attention on structure change of the shows, and not the contents of them. As Johnson putted “ Over the last half-century, programming on TV has increased the demands it places on precisely these mental faculties. ” According to Johnson, these faculties are attention, patience, retention, and the parsing of narrative thread, and they are the cognitive benefits ascribed to reading. So examining whether watching TV shows...
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...Evaluative Summary: Does TV Make You Smarter? Steven Johnson, an author of seven books, wrote an article for the New York Times Magazine in 2005 called, “Watching TV Makes You Smarter.” In the article, Johnson explains that he believes watching television makes you smarter because it forces you to “pay attention, make inferences, [and] track shifting social relationships” (279). Johnson then takes it one step further by comparing television from the past and the present, and the amount of threading the shows contain. He goes on to explain that the multi-threading used in television today affects how our minds work and in the end make us smarter. Although, Johnson uses many excellent examples in this article to persuade the audience that television is not a bad thing such as 24 and Hill Street Blues. While I do believe that television might be affecting us mentally, I don’t believe that lounging on the couch watching any of the shows Johnson mentioned in this article will sincerely make me a smarter person. Which is why I must disagree with Johnson in thinking that television makes you stronger. In the article, Johnson talks about a concept called the, “Sleeper Curve” (279). Johnson goes on to describe this concept as “the most debased forms of mass diversion” (279). He even goes on to describe video games and violent television as nutritional, that these everyday activities we do work our cognitive faculties without us even realizing that it’s happening. Now Johnson might...
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...Summary: Watching TV Makes You Smarter In the featured article, “Watching TV Makes You Smarter,” the author, Steven Johnson, justifies his opinipn on the affects television has on the mental development on young people. Readers will notice early on that he opens up first with a comparison of shows that were aired in the past to that are more recent and supportive of his thesis. An older show that he used as an example, Dragnet, only follow one or two characters, has a single plot, and then reaches a conclusion. He then, in contrast, goes to describe a show that aired decades after Dragnet that in the new age of multiple thread television. This show, Hills Street Blues, differentiates the old standard in many ways. It has plenty of primary characters, quick scenes, and a couple of threads from previous episodes. Hills Street Blues is the show that generated the multi-threaded drama genre. “What you see when you make these head-to-head comparisons is that a rising tide of complexity has been lifting programming at the bottom of the quality spectrum and at the top.” The argument of this essay is based on the question, does watching TV make you smarter? According to Steven Johnson , “ I believe that the Sleeper Curve is the single most important new force altering the mental development of young people today, and I believe it is largely a force for good: enhancing our cognitive faculties, not dumbing them down.” His argument is that television does not slow down our mental growth...
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...Justin Smith English 100 Week 12 11/10/2013 Watching TV Makes You Smarter Writing Matters: 1. Elaborate on Johnson's premise that watching TV programs with complex plots can contribute to cognitive development. Which of his examples do you agree with most and why? Which do you disagree with? Choose other cognitively challenging programs and explain your choices. Johnson suggests that no matter what you watch on TV these days, even shows with negative messages, television has a positive impact on your brain. I haven't seen many shows that he is talking about, new or old. But I have seen Fear Factor and Survivor and understand why Johnson says that Survivor would be more cognitively challenging show than the Fear Factor. And I do agree that some shows can challenge our brain in a good way. I would say Jeopardy could make a good impact on anyone, it makes you think and by seeing other people making money on their knowledge could make a positive impact on kids. My thirteen-year old watches Jeopardy every day, she knows she needs to learn many things about many different subjects to might be one day to become a contestant on the show. 2. Johnson argues that older, simpler TV programs were modeled after live theater while contemporary television programs, reality shows included, have been influenced buy the structure of video games. How accurate is his comparison between video games and present-day TV programs? Cite some video games that have been particularly...
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...INTRODUCTION: Sex and “Violence” on TV clearly needs some limitation since we don't need youthful kids or effortlessly impacted personality’s inspection belongings that will degenerate there beginning or source disarray. Be that as it may, it ought to be accessible on specific channels that can without much of a stretch be obstructed by families that don't need it. TV has generally been around since the mid "1900s" fit as a fiddle or frame. Man has been around any longer than this and savagery has been a part of the human culture following the time when then. We have known a wide range of sorts of savagery from hitting a child on the play area, to challenges in Ohio, to emptying a round on honest regular people. It would be difficult to constrain the savagery that exists in our lives since we see it all over we go, demonstrating that “TV” isn't the main medium for roughness. Sex is a subject that each individual countenances throughout their life eventually. Whether it is examined in school, at home, or with companions, we encounter it. On the planet today, it is difficult to go anyplace without seeing these pictures of brutality or sex since it is all over. In spite of the fact that, that can really be something to be thankful for. The data kids gain from topics like sex can originate from “TV” programs, which can really help them in life. There are such demonstrates that include examining sex so as to educate about safe sex, the outcomes from dangerous sex, self-regard, and...
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...Steven Johnson makes the argument in the articles "Watching TV Makes You Smarter" and "Your Brain on Video Games" that typical bad stereotype associated with TV shows and playing video games are false. Controversially, what is supposed to be "bad" for the younger generation is actually good. In Johnson's article, "Watching TV Makes You Smarter," it says, "...you have to recall a passing remark uttered earlier regarding a character who belongs to a completely different thread." This is referring to the E.R. TV show, and a young girl needs a liver transplant. Her blood type is AB, and a brain dead patient has the blood type AB. The organs were going to be harvested and the transplant could occur. Blood type AB people are known as "universal recipients"...
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...1. What is IBM’s “Smarter Planet” business strategy? How does this strategy relate to IBM’s mission and value? Answer: IBM’s “Smarter Planet” business strategy is a transformational shift from commodity based businesses such as PC, Hard Drive to advanced data analysis and information processing using computational power to help client partner enhance their business due to revolution in global marketplace resulting from integrated digitization of processes and infrastructures. The “Smarter Planet” Business strategy aligns perfectly with IBM’s core value and mission statement. While the core values state that IBM is dedicated to every client’s success and focused on innovation, the mission for IBM is to strive and lead invention and development of industry’s most advanced information technologies including computer systems, software, storage, etc. The smarter planet business strategy plans are aligned on IBM’s mission and core value. 2. Conduct a SWOT analysis for IBM’s Smarter Planet initiative. What are the relevant trends to consider for next three to five years? Answer: Location of Factor | Type of Factor | | Favorable | Unfavorable | Internal | Strength 1. The Business strategy aligns perfectly with the core value and mission of the organization. 2. IBM's near close to $100 Billion Dollar sales provides a strong financial backbone for entering into new initiatives. 3. Skilled resource pool of 426,000 employees which results in 5000 patents annually is a strength...
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...Abstract IBM is a company that is innovative and strategic; it has had superior success in the computer and electronic industry. The company offers an array of services and products ranging from the sale of computers to business consulting services. Their success over the years can be attributed to their core values and vision. IBM recognized that to remain successful and profitable they would have to make changes and the biggest change would be to add value by having the employees contribute to the changing the values of the company. When employees share the same values, as the company, they are more dedicated to the company. What kept IBM from falling behind is the fact that they developed changed. The purpose of this case analysis is to describe the changes that IBM has made and to discuss the effectiveness of those changes. First we will explain why IBM wanted to make changes and to whom the changes would affect. We will also discuss how the goals has been developed and disseminated within the company, whether it is an effective way to set the stage for external social projects, and lastly, we will make recommendations. IBM Case Study International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a technological company from America that deals with manufacturing and marketing of computers, both hardware and software’s. It also involves itself with other services such as, hosting, consulting services and not forgetting the infrastructure. Having been founded over one hundred years...
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...Increasingly Diversified Economy As mentioned in the previous report, factors such as education brought about the increase in real wages amongst the women gender. Within 20 years from 1988 to 2008, women’s wages rose by an average of 11.6%. The increase in wages among women age 45 to 49 at 17.8% made the most improvement. Next, according to the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, it states that in 47 of the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, women in the 20s are already making more money than their male counterparts. With a higher wage brings about a higher purchasing power amongst women. This can be clearly seen in the increase in purchasing power from the purchases made by women, where women make up of 58% on online retail dollars spent, 80% on health care decisions and 45% of consumer electronics. Today, businesses are increasingly focusing on the growing female market, as more women are responsible for making decisions on purchases. Quoting from an article by TIME, “Women are using their rapidly increasing spending power to impel changes in the way companies operate”. With the strategies for companies changing, globalization also brings about a need for more diversified teams and workforce. Having a more diversified workforce would mean allowing more minorities on board, where the diversity could potentially be difficult to manage. Recent research has shown that there is an increasing need for women in managerial roles as they are more risk adverse, empathetic...
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...Latin America and Middle East and Africa was strong, enterprise spending slowed in other key growth markets. We are intensifying focus on new growth opportunities. Overall, the opportunity in the world’s growth markets remains attractive. On being essent ial As we have learned throughout our history, the key to success is getting the big things right, innovating and investing accordingly, and challenging our organization, operations and especially our culture to adapt. I am deeply proud of the global IBM team for bringing us here, and I am grateful to you, our shareholders, for your unwavering support. I hope you share our excitement about your company’s path and the shared opportunity we have, together, to build a brighter future on a smarter planet. Virginia M. Rometty Chairman, President and Chief Executive Of cer When you do all those things, you do more than stay abreast of change. You lead it. You invent entirely new capabilities— such as cognitive computing and Watson. You translate these innovations into sustainable economic value—such as building cloud infrastructure that is enterprise-class and societally robust. And you make yourself a laboratory for the future—of work, of engagement, of the modern enterprise. The progress we are making on these strategic imperatives is highly encouraging. No company in our industry is positioned as strongly as 103-year-old IBM for the world now taking shape. We are con dent in our vision, our...
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...9-411-097 REV: JULY 21, 2011 WILLIAM W. GEORGE Leading by Values: Sam Palmisano and IBM In 2002 Sam Palmisano became chairman and CE O of IBM, succeeding the legendary Lou E Gerstner. Gerstner, coming from RJR Nabisco and before that American Express, was sought out by the IBM board to replace John Akers as CEO when the c ompany was facing the greatest crisis in its s history; Gerstner took over IBM’s helm in 1994. IBM w as on the brink of bankruptcy, with many r shareholders pressuring management to capture near-ter m value by divesting pieces of IBM. At the time, Gerstner was viewed as one of the few executives w ho could save the compan . ny When Gerstner arrived on the scene, internal IBM te ams were considering splitting IBM into as many as 13 smaller companies, each of which could com pete as an independent en y. Ironically, in ntit the 1980s under the leadership of former CEO John Opel , IBM had fought off an anti-trust suit from the U.S. government seeking to break up IBM into mult iple companies because of its dominance of t the mainframe computer business. In this same time fram AT&T was ordered to separate its longme distance service, local telephone service, manufacturing a nd R&D into independent companies. Gerstner quickly concluded that breaking up IBM wo uld be a mistake of historic proportions. He l recognized that IBM had drifted from its roots of provid ing superior customer service and offering complete systems to its customers...
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...IBM Case Study 1. What factors led to IBM’s success during the 1960s and 1970s and its problems during the late 1980s and early 1990s? Watson Jr. hit a home run when he invested $5 billion to develop the System/360 computer family, which utilized an integrated semiconductor chip and modular components. Taking full advantage of this innovative momentum, IBM debuted other products during that time which enabled the company to rise to the top of the IT industry. These products included hard and floppy disks, a new computer language and the company’s first personal computer. In the mid 1980s, IBM started to run into trouble when its returns and market share began to slide. Customer needs were changing and emerging technologies led to the demise of IBM’s main product focus—the mainframe. Customers were looking for interconnected mainframes and mobile personal computers with distributed data sources and applications. Instead of devising a strategy to satisfy customer demands and set itself apart from competitors, IBM chose to transition from a lease oriented business to a sales oriented business. This lack of customer focus was coupled with an inefficiently designed workforce that would rather fight with each other than work together. Additionally, the company was so successful in the past that no attempt was made to cut costs/expenses and identify/correct inefficiencies. Adding more salt to the wound was the fact that top level executives were so far removed from daily operations...
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...MANAGING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY AT IBM: A GLOBAL HR TOPIC THAT HAS ARRIVED J. T. (Ted) Childs Jr. To be successful, global companies must continue to look toward the future, and CEOs, senior line and HR management, and diversity leaders play a key role in that process. Workforce diversity cannot be delegated; it must be a partnership. Although the HR team plays the key staff role, total delegation from the top, without active involvement, is a recipe for failure. IBM considers diversity a business imperative as fundamental as delivering superior technologies in the marketplace. To ensure that talented people can contribute at the highest possible level, the company insists on a workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment and full of opportunity for all people. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Today, workforce diversity is a global workplace and marketplace topic. Any business that intends to be successful must have a borderless view and an unyielding commitment to ensuring that workforce diversity is part of its day-to-day business conduct. Success also must be measured as it pertains to a company’s composition and program content. A company’s management team must ask itself, “Do we look like our customers, at all levels of our business?” “Do our programs reflect an understanding of the demand for talent in a competitive worldwide marketplace?” “Is our business culture one that fosters inclusiveness and tolerance in each country where we do business?” and, most...
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...Global Management Assignment – The IBM Case Please answer the following questions: (1) What global forces drove IBM to become a globally-integrated enterprise? An increasingly global world creates many opportunities – easier and faster communication, more affordable and more refined solutions, as well as a better interconnectivity between customers and suppliers around the globe. As the internet has deeply integrated itself into the economic performance of companies and countries at meso and macro levels, the competition between suppliers is increasing and fostering a more rapid innovation cycle. As new markets open up and offer new profit pools for companies, it is essential for firms such as IBM to be on top of their game. They need to analyze and understand market trends before they are even born and respond with a global solution, which is capable of taking transnational strategies and skillfully translating them for the local market needs. The biggest market for any company might not always be its home market. Free markets around the world create many opportunities for growth. However, if IBM fails to identify these opportunities, it can cost the company its survival, as the competition quickly moves in and takes over. Globalization means more options and power for customers, as all over the world people can virtually connect with companies, goods and services anywhere. Therefore, open markets, new market entries, developing government policies, increased customer...
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...REPORT- 1 Company Profile TVS Group - 100 years young: The TVS group has always been inspired by a century long mission and vision of its own destiny. it is not just a business but a way of doing business, which sets TVS apart from others. Back in 1911, to the founder of the company, the ordinary ambitions of a bus fleet operator or a vehicle servicing business would not suffice. Rather, he wanted to create an enduring business led by a family of likeminded workers and managers united by a set of shared high principles. Driven by this inspiration, the TVS group has today emerged as India's leading supplier of automotive components. Today the TVS Group is the largest automotive component manufacturer in India, with annual turnover of more than USD 4 billion. The group has over 30 companies employing a work- force of 40,000 people. Underlying the success of the group is its philosophy of commitment to the cherished values of promoting trust, value and customer service. This was the personal philosophy of the Group's Founder Shri T V Sundaram lyengar, and it remains the overarching code by which the Group functions. Market leadership and rewards of business have followed naturally. The Inspirational Heritage: Although the letters TVS represent the initials of our founder, T V Sundaram lyengar, to us within TVS they have always stood for Trust, Value and Service. The founder of the company embodied these values and set an example for all employees to emulate.TVS believes...
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