Operations management allows managers to apply specific techniques to analyze any aspect of the organization’s production system, thus increasing efficiency. Operations management covers the importance of using fewer resources, thus reducing costs to increase efficiency and profits. For an operations manager, the process involves converting the input of resources (from the raw materials needed to produce goods to service labor) into the outputs (profits and goods for sale). An important milestone in history occurred when researchers went beyond studying how managers can influence organizational behavior to consider how managers can use the external environment to influence the production and delivery process.
There is a common misconception that operations management plays a role or is important only in the manufacturing industry. However, operations management involves considering every step of service or goods provided. As such, it is important even to the service provider industry. In such an industry, the managers are tasked with evaluating each step of service provision to ensure that it maximizes efficiency. In the service industry, efficiency is vital for companies that want to set themselves apart from other service providers. Each step needs to reduce not just the cost but also the time between the order of service and delivery of the same. (Held 2003) indicates that operations management covers the day-to-day running of the hotel. In essence, hotel operations management focuses on using rigorous techniques to help the managers maximize the application of available resources and produce ideal goods and services, increasing the market share and direct profits. This system transforms the way managers handle acquisitions of inputs as well as disposal of the finished products.
Role of Operations Management In Strategy
Cost management: efficiency measures the inputs required to produce a given amount of products and services. The less information required to produce a particular product, the higher the efficiency and the lower the cost of outputs. In essence, the organization becomes more efficient and profitable in terms of income, which is the main goal of strategic management. For example, in 1990, the Japanese automobile industry applied operations management principles to its strategy to reduce the average employee hours required to make a car from 25, as reported in the American industry, to 16.8. The result was a lower purchase cost of Japanese cars, which American rivals still have difficulty duplicating (Heizer and Reiner 2001).
Goods or service quality: one of the goals of strategic management is the production of reliable goods and services. This is the only way to create and maintain a niche in the market. Providing high-quality products creates a brand name reputation for the organization. This enhanced reputation allows the organization to charge a higher price. Operations management not only focuses on cutting the cost of production but also ensuring the system produces the most quality goods and services for the client. Considering the automobile example, the Toyota Company has enjoyed an efficiency-based cost advantage over its American and European competitors. However, it is the high-quality products by the company that has ensured the company earns more money. Customers are willing to pay a premium price for products whose quality is assured.
Improving innovation: anything new or better about how an organization operates results from creativity and innovation. Innovation leads to advances in products, production processes, management systems, and organization strategies. Successful innovation gives organizations a competitive advantage. Once again, Toyota has enjoyed several critical and vital innovations in the automobile industry. Each of these innovations has helped the company achieve superior quality and productivity, the foundation upon which the company’s competitive advantage is built.
Ensuring excellent customer care: an organization that connects with its clients and customers tries to satisfy their needs and ensure that they get exactly what they want from the company. An organization whose strategy ensures that it treats customers better than its rivals provides a valuable service for which customers are almost always willing to pay a higher price (Slack et al., 2010).
In ensuring that the process adds value and lowers the cost of production, operation managers need to find ways of ensuring superior quality while at the same time ensuring efficiency.
Toyota Operation and Production Process
The Toyota manufacturing process is based on the most unique and generic lean manufacturing process. The Toyota production systems bring together the management, build relationships between the suppliers and customers and ensure timely production for the competitive market. The main goals of the TPS are reduction in time for production, reduction of waste in the production process, and improvement of reliability.
Production: on this aspect, the company’s focus for the past decade has been reducing waste. The automobile raw materials in themselves are costly; therefore, wastage would lead to a high cost of production, which translates to a high cost of products.
Time: before the beginning of the new millennium, Toyota managed to cut the amount of time spent by an employee in building a car from 25 to 16.8 (Chopra and Meindl 2007). This has translated to higher production at lower costs.
Transportation: another aspect of the production process that has drawn concern is transportation from the industry to the final consumer. By ensuring transportation and shipping are done in bulk and within the local manufacturing plants, costs are greatly reduced, and delivery efficiency to the consumer is achieved.
Defective products: perhaps the most significant concern for companies is the need to improve and ensure the consistency and reliability of products and services. Although Toyota maintains a lean processing advantage, the main competitive advantage comes from the ability of the process to ensure the reliability the quality of the products.
The just-in-time production system was discovered and implemented in the early 1960s. Over time, the company has centered on ensuring the improvement of the same production system. The system reduces the time it takes from manufacture to final sale through innovative systems. () highlights the importance of continued inventory of the processes regularly. At Toyota, sitting inventory is believed to be waste, costing the company income. The production system ensures that raw materials are available at the right place and time. At the same time, products must be available at the right place, time, and cost to capture a ready market. The quick response allows the company to continue as the leader in the automobile industry despite other European and American companies making concerted efforts to catch up.
The Three E’s
All amount of planning and strategizing is directed towards ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in the production system. All this must be achieved while maintaining the economics, that is, the cost of production at its lowest. The organization is focused on providing the services and goods that customers desire at a price that is attractive to the customers.
Economies: are the cost advantages that are associated with operations in a business. Economies result from factors such as manufacturing products in large quantities, buying supplies and raw materials in bulk, and making more effective use of resources than competitors. This means fully utilizing the skills of employees and the knowledge they pose to reduce the cost of production. (Bhadur 2008) states that managers must decide the feasibility of all alternative production processes and whether such alternatives can be achieved while maintaining or increasing the profit level, as is the goal of performing business. Managers often analyze to determine which alternatives have the best net financial payoff.
Efficiency: efficiency measures how well resources available to the company are used to achieve the goals of the same organization. Organizations can only be efficient when managers reduce the number of resources input to the production process (for example, labor and raw materials). Efficiency also speaks to the time needed to produce a given or desired output of goods and services. For example, consumers have been more concerned about healthy diets. In response, McDonald, the most popular French fries outlet, has developed a more efficient fryer that reduces the amount of oil used to cook the fries and ensures faster production and cooking of the fries. The responsibility in operations management is to ensure that an organization and all the members of the organization perform efficiently on all activities required to provide goods and services to customers.
Effectiveness: the appropriateness of the goals and strategies that managers have selected for the organization to pursue and the degree to which the organizations have succeeded in applying and achieving the same. It is important to set the right goals and strategize ideal ways to meet the same goals. For example, operations managers could easily advise on new goals directed at diversification to expand and increase the target market. According to (Stevenson 2005), the goals of an organization can only be effective if they create a constant flow of innovative ideas that meet the needs of the immediate consumers directly and faster. Effective managers have perfected the art of selecting and choosing the right organizational goals and possess the right skills to utilize resources efficiently. High-performing organizations are often simultaneously effective and efficient.
LOW EFFICIENCY/ HIGH EFFECTIVENESS
The manager chooses the right goals to pursue but lacks the skills to utilize resources to achieve these goals. Result: a product that customers want but is too expensive to buy.
HIGH EFFICIENCY/ HIGH EFFECTIVENESS
The manager chooses the right goals to pursue and has the skills to make good use of resources to achieve these goals. Result: a product that customers want at a price they can afford
LOW EFFICIENCY/ LOW EFFECTIVENESS
The manager chooses the wrong goals and makes poor use of resources. Result: a product that customers do not want.
HIGH EFFICIENCY/ LOW EFFECTIVENESS
The manager chooses inappropriate goals but possesses the skills to use the right resources to pursue these goals. Result: a high-quality product that customers do not want
Cost Minimization versus Quality Maximization
The debate on cost versus quality has been in existence for generations. Traditional researchers have often stated that when companies focus more on low quality, they are most likely to compromise the quality of the product. Modern researchers, however, believe that low costs can be achieved without compromising the quality of the products simply through a system of value addition. An organization’s different functions and activities to acquire inputs focus on lower costs. In contrast, the [process of converting the inputs into outputs is focused on generating high-quality products. Given that satisfying customer demands are central to the survival of an organization, an important balance must be created between cost and quality.
According to (Greasley 2008), many companies focus on low-cost production at any cost. This strategy has a major drawback, the top among them being that technological advances may allow rivals to produce goods at lower costs but with higher quality. In addition, rivals could easily mimic the low-cost strategy, making a competitive advantage very short-lived. Further, a company that is so focused on lowering costs becomes fixated on lowering costs that the same company fails to pick up on significant changes such as growing preference for added quality or service, subtle shifts in how buyers use the product and thus get left behind as buyer interests swing to quality, performance and other such features.
Performance Objectives
Cost: researchers have found that cost objectives speak to the variations in unit cost brought about by the number of products produced and the nature of the process employed. When a company is engaged in large-scale production, they have a stronger bargaining front. They can demand low costs regarding raw materials and services they require in production. This, in turn, translates to higher efficiency, which follows through to lower costs in the sale of the products.
Quality: operations management is all about increasing the level of quality. Quality is one aspect of the production process that is relied upon to create an ideal brand name. Achieving high-quality products lowers operating costs because less time and energy are spent on discarded products or fixing mistakes.
Dependability: highly efficient operations systems are reliable. This means that the products do the work they were designed for and directly meet the customer’s demands and requirements.
Speed: Today, companies can win or lose the competitive advantage depending on their speed, that is, how fast they are bringing new products into the market. The idea is for the managers to anticipate the customer needs and create products and services quickly, which solve the needs before the rivals.
Flexibility: to create new and improved products meeting the demands of consumers, companies need to be agile. (Rusell and taylor 2001) State that innovation and change encourage an organization to develop better and more ideal ways to produce and provide goods.
Linear Programming
Linear programming is a system through which managers employ particular sequences that will lead to optimal solutions. In such a case, the managers know that an optimal solution exists to production problems. The manager is either focused on maximizing the quality or minimizing the costs. The manager, therefore, employs the decision-making variables to ensure that they reach an optimum solution. (Robbins and Coulter 2009) indicate that linear programming has the advantage of employing strategies and positive variables and constraint variables, which could easily affect the production process.
Perhaps the greatest challenge in applying linear programming is that the manager must have the mathematical knowledge and skills to apply the same. A lack of application skills only leads to jumbled equations and numbers.
Critical Path Analysis
Critical path analysis is a technique that schedules the critic’s activities which must be completed for the organization to reach its goals and targets of production. Most people imagine critical analysis as a form of narrative or explanatory technique. (Griffin 2005) states that many managers fail when they ignite the importance of mathematical formulas and steps in analyzing the critical path. The mathematical formulas are ideal for understanding the activities in order of priority and how such activities relate to each other in the production process. The essential steps in applying the critical path analysis include the following:
Generating a list of all the activities required to complete the process of production
With each activity listed, there must include a duration within which the activities need to be completed. This improves efficiency in the production process.
The relationship between the activities and how they each depend on each other.
Logical results will, in turn, become the milestones for the production process.
A production process can have several critical paths from the dependencies—the idea for the operations manager to identify the shortest path with the least costs for production. Critical path analysis allows users to select the most profitable and ideal end process. The results of the process allow managers to make a priority of the right activities, which will reduce the wastage of resources. The analysis can also identify crash activities whose time can be significantly reduced and speedily completed without compromising quality.
Operational Planning
Operational planning is how tactical strategies and goals are turned into applicable activities. In an operational plan, the organization can easily identify and put down the steps included in the production process to meet its strategic goals, the costs of the same, and the milestones for each step. (KRAJEWSKI and Ritzman 2002) Unlike popular belief, operational plans are not separate but draw inspiration directly from the strategic plan. The operation plan is the strategic plan translated into something workable and applicable. Like the plan, it contains clear objectives, the activities associated with each objective, the ways to maintain high standards, and the desired outcomes or results from each activity.
(Render and Stair 1997) cite that monitoring the activities is vital to ensure that the operating plan remains in positive progress. Monitoring also ensures that any challenges are quickly dealt with.
Application of the operational management
Operational outcomes for the Toyota Company
To become a global authority on scientific and advanced technology in the automobile industry. The automobile industry continues to change; advancements in technology are quickly changing the needs and desires of consumers. Toyota intends to remain at the top of the industry by taking charge of innovations and spearheading research in the industry.
To ensure timely delivery of high-quality products. Perhaps the most important aspect of the Toyota Company is the high-quality products that the company has been known for in the past. However, even with a quality product, the process has been for naught if the product cannot reach the consumer in good time.
To remain a price setter in the industry, ensure cost-effective production processes. In the current global economy, consumers are generally more concerned with the cost of a product. The company aims to ensure that products are quality and affordable for the average consumer.
Quality Management And Operations In Toyota.
Toyota is driven by speed and flexibility that is cost efficient and flexible production lines that can switch between multiple car models to meet changes in customer demand. The quality management techniques of the company have ensured that, for decades, the company has remained at the top of the industry. By 2010, the company enjoyed at least 15% of all global automobile sales, which keeps rising despite efforts by large rivals. The company’s management philosophy is directed at continuously ensuring and finding methods to improve production efficiency to reduce costs while simultaneously increasing quality.
In the 1990s, quality management of the company Toyota led to various visits by researchers and entrepreneurs to understand the nature of such management from Europe and America. The Japanese company has continuously re-invented its management, leaving its rivals trailing behind and scrambling to catch up.
References
Bhadur, R. (2008). Production And Operation Management. Jaipur, India, Book Enclave
Chopra, S., & Meindl, P. (2007). Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, And Operation. Upper Saddle River, N.J., Pearson Prentice Hall.
Greasley, A. (2008). Operations Management. Los Angeles, Sage Publications.
Griffin, R. W. (2005). Management. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co.
With a student-centered approach, I create engaging and informative blog posts that tackle relevant topics for students. My content aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.
Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) was a rebellious slave that had been promptly purchased by a school owner for the gladiators, Lentulus Batiatus. Because there were corrupt senators of Roma who had elected themselves into the public offices, Batiatus’ gladiators and Marcus Licinius Crassus, were to entertain the senators by staging a fight to the death. However, according to Douglas& Clooney (2012), the night before the event, the enslaved trainees were given a companionship by female counterparts. The companion for Spartacus on that evening was Varinia who was a slave from Brittania. However, when Spartacus learned that Varinia had been sold to Crassus, he decided to lead his fellow 78 gladiators into a rebellion.
In truth, the revolt word spread like wildfire and soon after, the army of Spartacus had reached their hundreds. Douglas, Olivier, Simmons, & Nabokov (2011), observed that Spartacus escaped to join Varinia who had fallen in love with him and some other Crassus’ house slaves, who was a sensitive Antoninus. Soon after, the revolt became the cog principle in the struggle of the political wheel between a more temperate senator, Gracchus, and the Crassus. Anthony Mann originally directed the Spartacus and thereafter replaced by Stanley Kubrick who is observed to have led Douglas to Paths of Glory. The film was awarded the best supporting actor for Ustinov along other three academy awards.
The Historical Background of Spartacus
Six hundred and eighty one years after the city of Rome had been found, 74 BC, Nicomedes IV King of the republic of Bithynia, Asia died while donating his country to Rome. Two Roman Aurelius Cotta and Lucius Licinius Lucullus went to Asia to take his inheritance. However, Mithridates who had earlier been born of about thirty years became apprehensive about the increasing presence of Roma in his vicinity. Therefore, he attacked Bithynia, a place where Cotta was stationed while the Lucullus decided to reject the supply of Mithridates and became victorious without battle. While Lucullus maintained power in the East, only one competent military leader was left in Rome.
The Slaves Revolt
Spartacus was born in Thrace and trained with the Roman army before becoming a slave. He was sold to supplement the services of Lentulus Batiates, a fellow who was a teacher for gladiators, about 20 miles from Mt. Vesuvius in the city of Campania. In the same year, two Gallic gladiator and Spartacus successfully, led a riot at school. This made about 80 gladiator slaves escape using kitchen weapons. They jumped into the streets where they found the gladiatorial wagons loaded with weapons and confiscated them and latter defeated the gladiatorial soldiers. They then set for Mt. Vesuvius picking other rural slaves on their way.
The Praetors Fail
With little knowledge of the animation the Spartacus had, praetors made an insufficient attempt to stop the revolt. The road to the mountain was steep, slippery and single and the Spartacus used ropes climb down in surprise of the Romans hijacking the camp of the Romans. The slaves gathered of around 70,000 and headed to Ample vines. At this time, Spartacus had a strong force with remarkable skills for defeating the Roman legions.
Crassus
Crassus was elected praetor and worked to stop Spartacan slave revolt and prepared to block the movement. He engaged the slaves in battle and was defeated. Spartacus routed the Mummius and his other legions and they suffered the loss of military men in war while others had amputations (Douglas, Olivier, Simmons, & Nabokov, 2011). When they returned to Crassus, they were punished while others were killed. Moreover, Spartacus turned and headed to Sicily to use the pirate ships to escape but they had sailed off. Contrastingly, Crassus built a wall to prevent Spartacus from escaping. When the slaves tried to escape, Roman soldiers fought back killing 12,000 slaves and losing seven members.
Slaves Versus the Roman Army
When Spartacus learned that Crassus troops and the Roman army united together, he fled with his troops to the north. However, a third Roman force, Macedonia, blocked his route at Brundisium and Spartacus had to fight Crassus’ army killing a thousand Romans. Some slaves escaped to the mountain and were later captured and crucified by Pompey troops on the Appian Way (Douglas, 2011).
Spartacus’ body was not found.
Pompey performed mopping operations by were not credited for suppressing the revolt. This is because there were no honors in winning a war with slaves. Finally, competition and jealousy among the two powerful and rich Roman leaders changed the structure of power in Rome.
Historically Accurate Parts
The film got some elements accurate. For example, the gladiator characters used accurate armor and weaponry. The film pays attention to weaponry discoveries since the emergence of the gladiators in 2000 BC. Additionally, the movie depicts the war part of the movie and freedom fighting by the slaves against the empire of Rome. Significantly is the black gladiator Debra character who fights review of Spartacus. His role is small but crucial to the story.
Historically Inaccurate Parts
The events in the film, I am Spartacus might be inaccurate and may never have taken place because Spartacus is widely speculated to have died in the battle, though is body was not found. In the film, Spartacus was crucified. Furthermore, Julius Caesar could not have commanded the Rome garrison since it was non-existence by then. Vidali (2005), shows that the movie, Spartacus was born in a slavery life, however, the real Spartacus is believed to have worked in the Roman military as an auxiliary soldier who left and was later captured and sold for punishment and slavery. There is no clear evidence that he worked in Libya mines. These facts were managed in the film to portray the heroic nature of Spartacus.
The character by name Gracchus in the film is depicted as part of the senate and opposed to Crassus. The significant Sempronius Gracchus and Tiberius Gracchus were revolutionary political leaders powerful from 163 -121 BC. However, the Gracchus in the film is depicted as an amalgam of two popular figures in history though Crassus was never a Rome dictator.
Review
The depiction of the fights of the gladiators has numerous touches such as the neck branding of the losing fighter. In the movie, thumb down means the losing side to die, however, in the real sense it means to let the loser live (Vidali, 2005). There is also the signal of the losing side to have a chance to plead for mercy. However, the edited Spartacus film is very fluidly and audience can watch the whole film without pauses. The film makes a splendid DVD since it has an excellent photography, detailed costumes, good casting and acting and finally an amazing story line. There are the 1960 version and the edited version of the Spartacus’s film, the 1960 version is superb and accounts for my recommendations. The film has terrific performances featuring and epic education and is a true classic for entertainment (Nostro, Heston, Davis, & Rizzo, 1980). The inner strength of the movie is highlighted with the numerous memorable human detail scenes and classic for consumption.
Conclusion
Spartacus’s film is more than a good standard movie with evil drama. The movie mentions the hero’s to persevere in undertaking ideal in order to lead to his demise. In reality, many decades later, it is still recognized as one of the most stirring and intelligent historical epics products of Hollywood (Esguerra, 2005). The movie serves a significant role filmmakers’ future generations.
References
Douglas, K., Douglas, M., & Clooney, G. (2012). I am Spartacus!: Making a film, breaking the blacklist. Grand Haven, MI: Brilliance Audio.
Douglas, K., Olivier, L., Simmons, J., Nabokov, V. V., Fast, H., Mason, J., Winters, S., … Warner Home Video (Firm). (2011). Stanley Kubrick, limited edition collection. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video.
Esguerra, C. M. (2005). The appropriateness of historic costuming of male protagonists in historic epic movies.
Nostro, N., Vadis, D., Liné, H., Heston, J., Warrell, J., Davis, U., Rizzo, G., … Films Copernic. (1980). Spartacus and the ten gladiators. Scarborough, Ont: ABM Group.
Vidali, G. E., Pasquali, E. M., Albertini, L., Bracci, E., Gandini, M., Altschuler, M., Giovagnoli, R., … Elusive DVD (Firm). (2009). Spartacus. United States: Elusive DVD.
With a student-centered approach, I create engaging and informative blog posts that tackle relevant topics for students. My content aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.
The difficulty in defining Postmodernism literature is due to its novel techniques, versatile ideas, and big changes from the traditional narrative writing. “If on a winter’s night a traveler” is basically a novel about reading experiences and how someone thinks and feels about reading. When Idon’t use first person was reading scholarly assessments about postmodern literature, I found that Calvino’s novel of 1979 “If on a winter’s night a traveler” definitely is a work that is worth examining. While showing us the features of the postmodern fiction, a novel at times can prove to be an undertaking that is both controversial, traditional as well as challenging in nature. This novel has proven to be both interesting and also to be an innovative work in postmodern fiction circles. “If on a winter’s night a traveler” is a book written by Italo Calvino. Since it deviates from the obvious objectivity provided by the omniscient external narration normally found in nearly all traditional books (Calvino and William 13-18). All through chapter two and subsequent chapters, Calvino uses a second person viewpoint where the narrator for the readers of the novel are the key characters in his plot. He constantly uses the pronoun “you” in making the reader feel as he is part of what is happening and he points out a direct relationship between the author, the text, and the readers. Much self-reflection also is found in nearly all postmodern novels and it is a are well-known attribute they possess. Calvino’s novel portrays numerous remarkable literary devices that use “key characteristics’’ postmodern fiction as illustrated in the parameters summarized by Tim Woods in Beginning postmodernism which was his publication (Woods, pp.65-66). This essay will describe some of the postmodern characteristics which are present in the Calvino novel, and also examine the author’s application and how various themes are executed. Good intro—work on making the thesis less descriptive and more persuasive.
The first postmodern device Calvino uses is known as metafiction. This type of writing was something I had not previously read about. Metafiction wants you to understand that what you are reading is not real and that the author is showing you how he has control over the characters. The author often tells the story in a way that shows you it they are totally made up. Calvino participates in a kind of combined narrative experiment in the beginning of his novel that he later explains as causing a “hyper novel” which is aimed at giving significance in a novel through the means of the concentrated form. In order to execute this chapter, twelve chapters were layered in the company of fragmented portions of the other novels that are outlined into the plotline; deviating within conceptual framework from the common crux (Weiss, pp.34-41). Use of metafiction by Calvino is a crucial role in the narrative of his work since he refers to the reader as “you.” This made it clear to the reader from the beginning of the first pages that they are experiencing “If on a winter’s night a traveler” within the metafictional framework: “You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino’s new novel If on a winter’s night a traveler.”cite source Through the blurring of the embedded texts and framing texts it appears that Calvino tries also to dissolve the disconnection between text of the narrative and the perceived reality. cite source Efforts at this narrative action perhaps are best demonstrated in chapter nine when Calvino gives the following remarks: “….You find yourself a prisoner of a system in which every aspect of life is counterfeit, a fake” (Calvino & William, pp.72-94).
Self-reflexivity has a presence all through this novel by Calvino. While the German Romantics theorized this, key works put this concept actually into motion reflecting this period.cite Calvino’s self-conscious writing is perceived to regularly question his narration, whereas at the same time, raises moderate amounts of satire and humor to demonstrate the poststructuralist view concerning reading over writing hierarchy; frequently through means of subversion and restating. Calvino once said that “the process of literary composition has been taken to pieces and reassembled; the decisive moment in literacy life is bound to be the act of reading”. Ludmilla, the “other” protagonist also conveys lack of interest in the writing act as she prefers to participate solely in the reading act (Calvino & William, pp.27-28).
Through the use of fragmented novel sections by Calvino that occurs in this novel, there excessive abolition of cultural divide of low and high cultures as described by Woods. While Calvino’s literary standpoint in works like this one at times have been expressed as highbrow, all introductory chapters found within the novel are to a mostly different in both plot and theme as well as in genre; Calvino combine everything from thriller, adventure, and mystery genres to classical fiction forms that are more traditional. The multiplicity of the storylines interspersed into the underlying narrative, presents another feature of the postmodern writing; multiple fictive selves. Every novel fragment all through the story shows a distinctive isolated narration plotline which advances the underlying story put this in your own words, and give specific examples(Nell & Cohen, pp.27-29). A definite intertextuality sense exists between the narratives, while all together there is a sense of pastiche, or imitation of style, that guides Ludmilla as well as the reader through the numerous fiction stories which are all disconnected and unfinished.
The identity notion found in Calvino’s novel also is an interesting aspect. To a large extent, the story points to questioning the writing act itself as well as questions of the ontological uncertainty. Using these narrative stories which have no ending demonstrates a postmodern situation in literature. This seems to strengthen Calvino’s point of view that the world’s reality is basically tied to meaning by the concepts of culture and language. It also appears that Calvino does not believe in the fact that reality may exist outside of culture and language in any way that is meaningful. This view illustrates the epistemological predicaments or the meaning of knowledge centered upon the reality of someone’s awareness. With these concerns brought forward, Calvino appears to replicate upon the literature as his own system of knowing or knowledge. It appear that Calvino expected to show in this work, together with his postmodern novel (1983) Mr. Palomar, a perception that this genre should stress involvement of the reader to obtain meaning(Calvino & William, pp.24-33).
There is a literacy complexity at play used by Calvino to disrupt narrative techniques and also bring them back to a more typical level. Even if the novel is entertaining to read, postmodern techniques at play generate a clever form of literacy game which is never completely satisfied for the reader, with the exception of the eventual resolution of the novel at the end. The way Calvino influences the reader’s judgement and tries to shape their opinions and feelings and then maintains them even to maybe beyond the reach of postmodern text. If you think about the printing error that puts the plot in motion then it is important to note that the real reader’s reading of “If on a winter’s night a traveler” is actually not disrupted by whichever error. In reality, their reading is disrupted by an intentional creative choice to end the text. Even the decision to end the novel truly does not reflect the reader’s experience. The final line is meant for the Reader: “Just a moment, I’ve almost finished “If on a winter’s night a traveler” by Italo Calvino.” (Calvino & William, pp.27) With the exception of that, for the actual reader this line is a deception: “I have not almost finished reading “If on a winter’s night a traveler.” I have completed it!” however, no, Calvino doesn’t let you escape that text as the reader.
As mentioned above, the reader and the text is altered by the creative choice of Calvino, manipulating us even when we agree that the text is independent of the author. However, maybe it is autonomy of the author specifically that imprisons Flannery of Calvino and, by means of extension, his readers. It is argued that the absence and impossibility is a postmodernity function, the readers relationship to an emasculated, absent author is irrevocable (Calvino & William, pp. 49).
“If on a winter’s night a traveler” is a complex and clever novel which works on various levels across numerous themes. The first as well as most apparent of these is the metafictional feature which questions people’s reality notion and its connection with the fictional or even “fake” in the postmodern world. There are also various other contemporary world aspects which show case the work like questions of identity, intertextuality, and originality (Calvino & William, pp.113). Uncertainty, complexity, frustration and confusion are all features of the contemporary world as seen and experienced by Calvino. Underlying in all of the themes, there is the sense of the ironic, intelligence and of humor and during the end Calvino’s work turns out to be a self-reflexive game which is very clever as we can see the author plays with us, the readers.
In Calvino’s novel, “If on a winter’s night a traveler” the impracticable event of the postmodernity is just like a prison. Practically all of the text, in the intratext or main narrative, is written from the viewpoint of men trying to conquer women. This is untruthful exactly once, when the Narrator describes the viewpoint of the Other Reader. (Calvino & William, pp.15). This must not be mistaken for Calvino’s endeavor to set free a female awareness from the male viewpoint in text. This alteration of the perception to a female from a male point of view is another approach in which the author and his supreme Narrator changes the Reader’s subjectivity. The Reader’s has a slower progression from suffered book-lover to the international detective as well as victim of textual Twilight Zone. Calvino says: “The you that was shifted to the Other Reader can, at any sentence be addressed to you again. You are always a possible you.” (Calvino & William, pp.16) Although it can be argued that this method shows up as postmodern and it passes social constructions of sexuality and gender, Calvino uses this device as well as others to make an impression upon the Reader that the weakness of their bias in its submissiveness or helplessness of the supreme Narrator’s (and, through this extension, Calvino), shows a gendered tone.
This novel by Calvino is subjective. It also illustrates postmodernism. Although the story may be over, the postmodernism tale continues. Postmodernism is mostly forward thinking, inventive and progressive. Sullivan states that the novel, “If on a winter’s night a traveler” is outstandingly untraditional in many aspects and is very progressive in this sense (Sullivan156). On the last page of “If on a winter’s night a traveler” Ludmilla asks you if you ever get tired of reading. The reply was that you have almost finished reading the novel (Calvino & William, pp.260). The postmodern journey begins and continues with that.
In various levels, “If on a winter’s night a traveler” struggles with philosophical postmodernity limitations. However, Calvino also recognizes the continual incomplete state that is a product of postmodernity, where the absent text is a framework as well as a device for experiencing the work. Calvino’s self-conscious exploration of reading as well as postmodern writing is multilayered. Using comparative regularity which is the same structures that are within the Calvino’s novel that show one or the other of the intra-text from the main narrative text. These are disrupted. Even as Calvino in this novel blurs the lines that are between the Reader and the reader plus the text, that it is not changed to be not jointly exclusive as intrinsically contradictory (Calvino & William, pp. 57-68).
Therefore, when the printer’s mistake interrupts the Reader’s reading of the Calvino’s novel, in reality it does not disrupt the reader, who continues confronting Calvino’s novel as a text created of absent texts (Calvino & William, pp.14). The reader is unavoidably involved within the impossibility of the novel, experiencing the text from the Reader’s viewpoint. The Reader is the character within the absent text. “If on a winter’s night a traveler” is the perfect example of the philosophical gray zone which Bewes keeps on referring to in his dissection of postmodernity.
In conclusion, what would seem to be a plea by Calvino to understand that mutual prison of the postmodernity is in reality a hoax, something of a ruse, or an appeal to the Stockholm syndrome? Through sexualizing and gendering, this novel by Calvino turns out to be highly ironic, and I read this is true of the majority of Calvino’s books. “If on a winter’s night a traveler” is a novel in disrepair, in pieces, and resides as a metaphor for the entire literature within the postmodernity genre.
Works Cited
Calvino, Italo, and William Weaver. If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1979. Print.
McCabe, Nell H., and Samuel S. Cohen. Explicating the Incipits a Writer‘s Journey in Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler. Columbia, Mo.: U of Missouri–Columbia, 2010. Print.
Weiss, Beno. Understanding Italo Calvino. Columbia, S.C.: U of South Carolina, 1993. Print.
Woods, Tim. Beginning Postmodernism. Manchester: Manchester UP ;, 1999. Print.
Good start! Much of your paper seems to be heavily influenced by the Calvino/Weaver source. It is critical that you quote this information or put it completely in your own words; right now it is not a paraphrase. Use lots of specific examples from the novel to give examples of the postmodern techniques. Also, add the historical context of postmodernism.
With a student-centered approach, I create engaging and informative blog posts that tackle relevant topics for students. My content aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.
The dissertation questionnaire is a critical section of the research paper because it contains the questions you will ask your respondents. As a researcher and analyst, you must avoid making mistakes when writing this part of your study. If you are not careful when writing this section, it can lead to biasness in your results and make them unverifiable.
Not doing enough research.
It would be best to research before writing a dissertation questionnaire. Research is essential because it helps you to find out what the topic is about and to know who will be interested in reading your final product.
The following are some of the reasons why you should do research:
To gather information about your writing project’s topic, audience, and purpose.
To understand what others have written on this topic before.
Writing with too many pronouns.
Avoid pronouns like ‘we,” ‘us,’ and ‘our.’ It’s a good idea to avoid using pronouns in general when writing your dissertation questionnaire. Instead of using the word “we,” for example, write it as “the research team.”
Use ‘I’ instead of too many impersonal pronouns. Using personal pronouns such as “I,” “me,” and “myself” is more effective than using impersonal ones such as we, us, and ourselves.” This makes the language more direct and less vague.
Use names rather than pronouns when possible – mainly when referring to people who are not part of your team but have been interviewed during your study or investigation.
Detailing a questionnaire excessively.
It would be best if you avoid including too much detail in the questionnaire. Questions must be clear, relevant, and easy to understand. A good mix of open and closed questions can also be helpful.
Collecting data from irrelevant sources
It’s easy to get carried away when you’re collecting data. You start reading some study, and then the next thing you know, you’ve sent out 20 emails asking researchers whether they’d be willing to answer a few questions for your dissertation (and before you know it, they’re all “yes” es). While it’s essential to have a wide range of sources for your research, it’s also important not to collect information from sources irrelevant to your study.
That said: how do we avoid collecting data from outside sources? It’s simple! Just make sure that the information being collected makes sense about the topic at hand.
Being too Ambiguous
First, be clear on your goals. What do you want to achieve with this questionnaire? How will it help you in the long run? Don’t just write down “find out what people think about this topic.” That doesn’t tell us much. Instead, start by considering who will use your questionnaire and how it will help them.
Next, be clear on what message(s) are being conveyed in the questionnaire itself; there should never be one idea being presented throughout every question asked during an interview or survey session because readers might get confused when reading through each section individually!
Using Unclear or Confusing Language
Your questions should be clear and straightforward. Avoid using jargon or acronyms unless you’re sure that your readers will know what you’re referring to. Use simple language, avoid complicated sentence structures and convoluted clauses, and try to keep your audience’s attention by using active voice (rather than passive).
Not asking relevant and researched questions.
The first thing you should do when planning your questionnaire is research the topic. This will help you to understand what is already known about this issue and what gaps in the knowledge there are. It would be best if you made sure the questions you ask are relevant and will help you to answer the research question.
To be specific, you need to have a clear idea of what exactly it is that you want to find out through the questionnaire. For example, suppose your question is about how people feel about social media. In that case, some good open-ended questions might include: “What do people like most about social media?” or “How has social media changed over time? Do people see it as something positive or negative for society?”
Avoiding open-ended questions
Open-ended questions are an excellent way to ask participants what they think and feel. Open-ended questions allow them to express their opinions, feelings, and experiences with the topic at hand. This is important because it gives you insight into how they view the subject.
Open-ended questions will help you generate more participants’ responses than closed-ended ones.
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It would be best if you asked only the relevant questions to your research.
The number of questions in a questionnaire depends on the topic and target population. In some surveys, it may be appropriate to have just 1 or 2 questions; in others, you will need 20 or 30 questions.
Not deciding the method of answer collection.
Decide on the method of answer collection. You can decide whether your questionnaire will be filled in online, on paper, over the phone, or face to face. However, it would be best if you also considered other options, such as emailing it to respondents and requesting that they send back a copy via snail mail. This may seem like an unusual route, but it has advantages such as cost savings and time-saving.
A common mistake people make is not deciding on this early enough in the research process. It should be agreed upon before designing your questionnaire because it affects how your questionnaires look and what language they’re written in (if different languages are required).
Not Considering Participants’ Background
When conducting a study, you must consider the background of your participants. This includes their age, gender, education level, occupation, and marital status. The information they provide will help determine how accurate or unbiased their responses are.
These details must be collected since they can affect the questionnaire results. For instance, if there is a big difference between the ages of different participants, this could mean that they have different opinions on some issues, which may lead to biased data collection.
Writing Words Like ‘Always,’ ‘Never,’ ‘Sometimes’
Avoid using words like ‘always,’ ‘never,’ and ‘sometimes,’ which are vague and not specific in the questionnaire. These are very hard to measure and analyze.
Using Slang Words
Slang words are generally not appropriate for academic writing. While using them in everyday conversations is OK, they will negatively impact your dissertation questionnaire if used excessively. Slang words can make your questionnaire seem unprofessional and tedious to read, which you want to avoid when writing an academic document.
You should also be aware that some people might not understand what specific terms mean if they’re not commonly used within the field of study that pertains to your research question or hypothesis. In other words, using slang could lead some respondents to misinterpret parts of the survey and provide inaccurate answers because they don’t understand what questions are asking them—which could cause issues later on during data analysis!
Not Providing Sufficient Instructions For Completing The Questionnaire
A questionnaire is a set of questions you ask people to answer to collect data for your research. You must provide clear instructions for each question so that the people who take the questionnaire can answer it correctly and completely. You should also provide instructions on how to write the answers and how to submit the completed questionnaire. For example:
For each question that has multiple parts, such as “How often do you…?” or “Please rate your opinion…” make sure there are clear instructions about what goes into each part of the answer (how many times per week vs., on a scale of 1–10 vs., strongly agree vs., strongly disagree). Also, include any other optional information respondents need (such as which rating scale should be used).
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A privacy statement should be included in the questionnaire. You must also obtain the participant’s signature on this statement, indicating that they have read and understood it. After completing the study, destroy all copies of the signed privacy statement so that no one can access any identifying information about participants after you finish your work.
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Take Away
With these tips, you can go forth and conquer your dissertation questionnaire. We know it can seem daunting, but we’re here to help when you need us!
With a student-centered approach, I create engaging and informative blog posts that tackle relevant topics for students. My content aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed academically and beyond.
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