The Fundamentals of Cognitive Theories of Motivation

In this paper I will be aiming to cover the following areas. Firstly an overview of the fundamentals behind the cognitive theories of motivation, focusing on three main theories – Equity theory, Expectancy theory and Goal setting theory. Within these theory bases I will outline some of the developmental research that has been occurring, particularly those studies which have added empirical evidence to consolidate or expand on the basic theories. Secondly I will show some practical applications of these theories and evidence of how successful they have been or could be within an organisational environment. Finally a short comment on the adaptability of these models to an international context which has become a dominant feature of current literature in this increasing time of globalisation. The Cognitive Theories – An Overview Motivation can be visualised as the energising force that provides the impetus to make people act. More specifically it is â€Å"the individual internal process that energises directs and sustains behavior; the personal force that causes one to behave in a particular way† (Olsen, 1996, p.1). It is a fundamental concept for management to understand in learning to comprehend the way individuals will behave within a work place context. The cognitive theories of motivation aim to develop this understanding by focusing on the action and choices made in the motivation process. The focus is on the processes that occur within a person's mind, which influence their decision to act. (Wood, Wallace, Zeffane, Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn (1998)) They rely on the assumption that behavior is purposeful and being undertaken to achieve a desired outcome or goal. This means that analysing the way choices are made between a variety of perceived outcomes can provide valuable insight into understanding why and how individuals choose to act. Equity theory relies on the way people make comparisons of both effort/return and with those around them, arguing that â€Å"when people gauge the fairness of their work outcomes in comparison with others, felt inequity is the motivating state of mind.† (Wood et al p 183) People resolve the felt inequities by working in such a way as to restore a sense of equity. The equity comparison occurs on two levels. The first is an individuals subjective assessment of whether the effort required will be commensurate with the benefits achieved. The second comparison occurs on a social level using those around as a yardstick against which to measure the individuals own sense of equity. Studies (Adams 1963 in Wood et al; Vecchio 1981) have generally supported this theory. A number of recent studies have sought to develop this principle further. By looking at the relationship between Equity theory and Interpersonal Attraction (Griffeth, Vecchio & Logan 1989) the authors were seeking to determine whether an attraction (or hostility) between the individual and their referent other had any influence upon the way they perceived and reacted to inequities. Their research, through a cross referencing technique of equity factors and attraction factors, provided results that indicated that attraction was indeed a contributing factor in the way individuals perceived equity balances. Although this does not undermine the essentials of equity theory, it adds the need to consider how and with who referent comparisons are made, as extra considerations when using the model. Meanwhile Barr & Conlon (1994) have been looking at the impact of distribution of feedback (both group and individuals) upon individual intentions. In particular for us, this study brings into question the applicability of equity theory assumptions within a group context. It proposes that, in a group setting, where other members would act as referents and rewards are distributed equally based on group performance, individuals would make equity comparisons within the group before deciding whether to persist. This was thought to override the impacts that feedback would otherwise cause. The results supported this contention. It showed that where the impact of individual feedback worked to create a perception of underpayment (due to perceived greater effort than other group members) that individuals were less interested in continuing the behavior that they believe led to the underpayment. Thus the social comparison effect was strong enough to override any of the individual positive feedback received. The study illustrates that social comparison within a group, where felt inequity is present, can have an impact on performance, and equity theory provides a good model for predicting this impact. Once a goal is selected, it allows people to channel their energies toward goal achievement. Four factors are stated as being important in goal setting to stimulate performance (Knowles 1991). These are The theory comes into use within the domain of â€Å"purposefully directed action.† Basically it states that the simplest and most direct motivational explanation of why some people perform better on work tasks than others is because they have different performance goals. (Ryan 1970 in Latham & Locke 1990). While much of the research has previously surrounded assigned goals, more emphasis is now being placed explicitly on self regulation. That is, the extent to which individuals will use goal setting, self monitoring and self rewarding/ self punishing behavior to attain a goal. (Latham & Locke 1990) This may especially be useful in breaking a larger goal down into more specific stepping stone goals. The implication for managers from the study is that the addition of skills in self regulation, acquired through experience, training or effort will lead to a greater likelihood of goals being achieved. Victor Vroom (1964, cited in Wood et al, 1998) developed one of the most widely used models for the understanding of the motivation process. It aims to predict the effort that will be expended by a person in completing a task. It argues that goals are chosen according to the relative attractiveness of the outcome. Diagrammatically it can be represented as follows The contention is that the motivation to work results from the product of Expectancy, Instrumentality and Valence. (M=E x I x V) These elements are defined as follows: Expectancy is the probability of the extent to which the individual believes that a given level of achieved Work Performance will follow work effort. Instrumentality is the probability assigned that a given level of achieved performance will lead to various work outcomes. Valence is the value attached by the individual to those work outcomes. (Wood et al 1998) The implication of the model is that managers need to take into account the importance of the task being achieved along with the likelihood of the task being achieved and the likelihood that the task achievement will lead to a reward that has value to the individual. An individual requires all these factors to provide the impetus to exert the work effort. The fact that the theory does not attempt to specify the types of rewards that will motivate particular employees gives it a robustness that can be useful in application. Klein (1991) has been looking to clarify the relationship between goal setting and expectancy theories. Traditional theoretical approaches suggested viewing â€Å"expectancies and attractiveness as interacting to influence goal choice, with goals being the more direct determinants of effort† (Klein 1991 p 231). However there is also some competing evidence (Garland 1985) which contradicted this view contending that goal attributes affect expectancy theory constructs rather than resulting from them. Klein's study hence sought to expand evidence of how the expectancy theory constructs relate to goal choice, goal commitment and performance. His findings replicated those of Garland. The perceived explanation for this for this was that goals form a dual role of being targets to shoot for as well as standards for evaluating one performance. The research into combining the two theories is continuing, with much discussion currently surrounding â€Å"issues of causal ordering, measurement and the meanings of those measurements†. (Klein 1991 p 230) It appears that we have to wait on the world of academia to conduct more research before a widely accepted combination of the two models evolves. Practical Applications of the Cognitive Theories I now wish to bring in a number of specific examples of how and where these theories can and have been applied. Using Goal Setting to improve Safety Behavior. An application area of particular interest has been the use of goal setting techniques in improving safety performance On an anecdotal level I have seen this prove successful at my own work site at a steelworks at Western Port. I have seen much evidence of the positive use of goal setting techniques in an attempt to address the behavioral component of safe working practices. The focus upon systematic monitoring of safety related behavior and the provision of extensive feedback in conjunction with widely accepted goals on injury performance at a crew and organisational level has seen safety performance improve by over 50% in under two years (BHP Western Port Lost Time Injury Statistics). However it is difficult to read too much into the improvement given that a number of other initiatives are also being concurrently undertaken. A study into the UK construction industry (Marsh, Robertson, Phillips, Duff 1995) provides some empirical support for the premise that hard, specific goals with wide feedback of the results of ones behavior can lead to positive changes in safety behavior. This study found that by using quantitative measures of awareness and review sessions, that the intervention was having positive impacts, supporting my own anecdotal evidence. It supports the notion that clearly identified and well publicised safety targets can perform a crucial role in influencing safety behavior.

Plastic Sergury

A study by Psychology Today magazine shows that many people are not satisfied with their looks: 60,000,000 do not like their noses; 30,000,000 do not like their chins; 6,000,000 do not like their ears and another 6,000,000 do not like their eyes. Unfortunately, with the help of cosmetic surgery, society tries to meet the perfect body image. But is it the universal remedy? Certainly not. To begin with, however small the operation might be, there is always a chance something goes wrong. The numbers are very alarming: in 20% of surgical operations, the patient has to recover from the damage experienced.Although serious risks such as blindness and heavy lung problems are rather rare, less serious ones should not be neglected: chronic pain, allergic reaction, delayed or prolonged healing, †¦ In any case, cosmetic surgery is far from pain free. And what is more, a rather large number of surgeries have already failed. That is to say: the ‘miracle worker' caused many people to die because of operations that were far from needed. Take the 36-year old housewife, Lorraine Batt, for instance. As a result of a surgery which was attempt to remove a scar caused by a caesarean section, she came to an untimely death.Such tragic events are a strong warning that our society has to be less appearance-focused. In addition, effects of surgery will not last. The cosmetic surgery may make you younger for a few years, but life goes on and the wrinkles come back. It is as unnatural to try to possess eternal youth, as it is to oppose the ageing process. Moreover, silicone implants have to be replaced within fifteen years. Yet the fact that this implies a new surgery is often forgotten. A common ground to go through this procedure is to make oneself more confident, comfortable and stronger than others.There are, however, costs to such modifications. The notion that millions of pounds are spent on cosmetic surgery, while millions of people in developing countries need that money , is objectionable. Is it impossible in our modern world to realize this ‘technical innovation' is in fact another example of our western selfishness and self-love? Furthermore, is it right to change the body you are given and transform it into ‘something' you are not? Every single person is unique and that is what makes life so special. The outside appearance is the representation of the inner-self.Therefore, drastically redesigning your looks causes strange effects, which was, for example, the case with Michael Jackson. If your personality is lacking, your appearance will suffer too. Consequently, cosmetic surgery does not make you a different person. As wonderful as this piece of modern medical technology may sound, cosmetic surgery is not all that advantageous and in most of all cases, it is not needed. There is no point in transforming a healthy body. That is why the idea of the perfect body image has to be forgotten, and it has to be recognized that everyone is a s pecial human being. nd May 2008 julielai: I suggest taking out the fourth paragraph all together. But make sure your essay is long enough for your assignment. Perhaps elaborating a bit more on the deaths? Cosmetic surgery: a miracle worker? A study by Psychology Today magazine shows that many people are not satisfied with their looks: 60,000,000 do not like their noses; 30,000,000 do not like their chins; 6,000,000 do not like their ears and another 6,000,000 do not like their eyes. Unfortunately, with the help of cosmetic surgery,  society tries  (people, not society? to meet the perfect body image. But is it the universal remedy? Certainly not. To begin with, however small the operation might be, there is always a chance something goes wrong. The numbers are very alarming: in 20% of surgical operations, the patient has to recover from the damage experienced. (This kind of contradicts the the deaths you mention later):  Typical side effects include  chronic pain, allergic r eaction, delayed or prolonged healing,  not to mention the pain the patient will feel after the operation.But the real risk lies in the possiblitity that the surgery may fail. That is to say: the ‘miracle worker' caused many people to die because of operations that were far from needed. Take the 36-year old housewife, Lorraine Batt, for instance. As a result of a surgery  Ã‚  to remove a scar caused by a caesarean section, she came to an untimely death. Such tragic events are a strong warning that our society has to be less appearance-focused. In addition, effects of surgery will not last.The cosmetic surgery may make you younger for a few years, but life goes on and the wrinkles come back. It is as unnatural to try to possess eternal youth, as it is to oppose the ageing process. Moreover, silicone implants have to be replaced within fifteen years. Yet the fact that this implies a new surgery is often forgotten. Furthermore, is it right to change the body you are given and transform it into ‘something' you are not? Every single person is unique and that is what makes life so special. The outside appearance is the representation of the inner-self.Therefore, drastically redesigning your looks causes strange effects, which was  the case with Michael Jackson. If your personality is lacking, your appearance will suffer too. Consequently, cosmetic surgery does not make you a different person. As wonderful as this piece of modern medical technology may sound, cosmetic surgery is not all that advantageous and in most of all cases, it is not needed. There is no point in transforming a healthy body. That is why the idea of the perfect body image has to be forgotten, and it has to be recognized that everyone is a special human being.

Hypothesis Testing & Variance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hypothesis Testing & Variance - Research Paper Example The critical value is 1.997138 test statistic is -14.2189. Since the calculation of the confidence level failed to include 5.2, the null hypothesis would be rejected H0: ÃŽ ¼= 5.2. Nevertheless the decision is a close one since it had the two-tailed test of hypothesis, as the minimum confidence level limit almost included 5.2. Application for managers.Even though, the sample mean 5.078788 appears to be extremely close to 5.2, the mean has a more by one standard deviation from the mean desired. This problem shows that a small difference in mean could be so crucial. It all relies on n and ÏÆ'. This means that the standard error forms the test statistic’s denominator. In this regard, there is a high chance of precision in the process of manufacturing (ÏÆ' = 0.72 is extremely small) the standard error and available variation is relatively small. The small, mean difference may not be identified to the customers. Since the calculation of the confidence level failed to include 5.4, the null hypothesis would be rejected H0: ÃŽ ¼= 5.4. Nevertheless the decision is a close one since it had the two-tailed test of hypothesis, as the minimum confidence level limit almost included 5.4.  Application for managers.Interpretation: Despite The fact that, the sample means 5.386364appears to be extremely close to 5.4, the mean has an addition of two standard deviations from the mean desired. This problem shows that a small difference in the mean could be so crucial. In this regard, there is a high chance of precision in the process of manufacturing.

Innovation to Sustainability of Lexus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Innovation to Sustainability of Lexus - Essay Example 2010, p.1). This paper will then critically discuss the sustainable innovation results of Lexus Company in relation to Lexus CT 200h series. Evaluative Points Innovation strategy Lexus has been amongst the highest ranked company in motor vehicle industry. The innovation of the name Lexus which is associated with luxury has attracted many customers to these products since it is a symbol status. The company has introduced some of the most advanced vehicle with modern features to meet the users’ needs. The company has open day sessions where they involve their clients in displaying their vehicles. The customers have had an opportunity to make their contributions on the brand of vehicle that they need. One of the important aspects of innovation in Lexus is to bring about competitive advantage within the market. The company conducts field study and assess the customers’ tastes and preferences so as to come up with vehicles that meet their needs. The innovation in this compan y has led to continuous improvements in the industry. The vehicles are produced with specific features that suit specific tasks. The materials used to develop the vehicles are mixed with chemicals therefore making them more durable. The vehicllles manufactured are safe for most users. They use less fuel therefore conservint the environment and saving on fuel expenditure. (Pellissier, 2008, p.98) Although this can be achieved through many ways, the biggest problem or challenge is how to sustain it especially in the competitive auto world where cars are unveiled every year. The company products are being imitated by other companies therefore losing originality. The innovation comes with additional cost thus making the price of vehicles too high to the customers. The vehicles require regular It is important to have competitive markets but also it is equally important to look at the organization of firms. This is important for competitive advantage because organization is important in d etermining how resources are allocated and utilized. Lexus organization is similar to that of its mother company Toyota which is decentralized with each entity being autonomous (Stirman, Kimberly, Cook, Calloway, Castro, & Charns, 2012, p.1). Research and developments The company has carried out many researches to come up vehicles that suit the needs of different customers. The company conduct field studies to assess different terrain so that they can make vehicle for specific areas. In the materials used to make the vehicle they conduct tests to ascertain their durability and strength. The vehicles have evolved through many stages, designs and designs to meet the changing trends in consumer tastes and preferences. The company has grown into an international company exporting vehicles to all regions of the globe. The company has set up assembly subsidiaries in many parts of the world so as to meet the consumer needs wants and needs (Roy, 1994, p.103). The research and development ha ve led to dynamic transformation in the vehicles produced by the company. The vehicles of the company have been tailor made to adapt to various demographics. The researches have set up high standard on the quality of vehicle. The research and developments have led to an increase in market for the company products. The company has researcher for different matters therefore giving the company a competitive advantage since the researchers are specialized. The vehicles of Lexus are manufacture in accordance with the researchers’

Civilization by Bernard Lewis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Civilization by Bernard Lewis - Essay Example Meanwhile, religion plays a crucial role in the definition of civilization. Two of the most popular religions defining civilizations are Christianity and Islam, which interestingly display some similarities while manifesting some differences from each other. In most of the languages in the world, we have two words: "Christianity" and "Christendom." The word "Christianity" would refer to the system of religion itself while "Christendom" would refer to a civilization that basically incorporates both non-Christian and anti-Christian on it. And we also have "Islam" and "Islamdom." Those civilizations are mainly bounded by religious practices that are known all throughout the world. On the other hand, those civilizations defined by region and ethnicity may include perhaps Buddhism and Communism. Buddhism, although, once known as religion, cannot be defined by religion since it was not actually successful in the proliferation in the world unlike Islam and Christianity.

The two places Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The two places - Essay Example Pacific islanders form the smallest racial group in Santa Monica with a percentage of 0.1% while whites making up the largest percentage of 77%. Santa Monica being a beach city has attracted a lot of businesses and investors from overseas. International clothes designers and other celebrated merchandise are all found in the city. Anybody visiting Santa Monica will find a reason to overstay his or her welcome especially at night. This is because there is a buzzing nightlife in the city. Bright lights and many theatres are a norm in Santa Monica. There are also cultural museums which the residents can get useful information about the city and America as a whole. For the art lovers, there is an array of galleries to visit that feature international and local artists. Crime in Santa Monica is not high. For instance, cases of sex offenders are quite low. Other offences such as thefts and arson are also minimal with about 2000 thefts in 2010. Therefore, it is a safe place to live in without worrying about thugs attacking the area. The city usually holds cultural events such as fun fairs and community based activities such as disability day races. This definitely keeps people together. Venice Beach is adjacent to Marina Del Rey and is one o the places that is ideal for visiting if one is used to always being in Marina Del Rey. Just like Santa Monica, Venice beach is a tourist attraction due to its sandy beaches. In fact, Venice is quite similar to Santa Monica. The population as of 2008 was about 41,000 with white residents taking almost 64% of that number (Drake). It is said to be one of the wealthiest cities in the neighborhood because the average income of a household is 67,057 dollars. However, Venice has a culture of street performers who do great shows from juggling to skating while playing guitars. Entertainment wise,

Current Remote Sensing Techniques Research Paper

Current Remote Sensing Techniques - Research Paper Example There are two major forms of remote sensing. They are: Passive remote sensing. Active remote sensing. Passive remote sensing involves detection of natural radiation that is reflected or emitted by the surrounding areas or the object. Passive remote sensors’ examples are radiometers and film photography. Active remote sensing on the other hand, involves a process of emitting energy that is to be used in scanning objects where a sensor detects and takes the measure of the radiation reflected from the target the examples of this active sensor collection are LiDAR and RADAR. Geography refers to the science that learns more about land, features, inhabitants and generally the phenomena of the globe. Remote sensing in geography therefore, refers to the process of gathering information about a place including the features in it, without necessarily visiting the place in person. This collection technique is done from a distance. In this equipment that is used for gathering information are mainly the cameras which can be based on aircrafts, satellites or on the ground. In the modern society, information obtained is stored up and manipulated in computers. Computers work with software therefore, the software used in remote sensing is ESRI, ERMapper, MapInfo and ERDAS Imagine. Remote sensing is a procedure which must follow certain steps. The steps involved in this process are: A supply of electromagnetic rays. Conduction of energy from the resource to the earth’s surface through the atmosphere Contact of EMR with the surface of the earth. Conduction of power from surface to Remote Sensor build up on a display place, through the atmosphere. Detection of power by the sensor. Conduction of sensor information to ground location Processing and scrutiny of the sensor information Final information output for a range of applications Remote sensing in geography started way back in the year 1858 where photographs were taken aerially from a hot air balloon. This was ini tiated by Tournachon Gaspard-Felix where he took photographs of Paris. Since then, remote sensing has developed and an example where it was performed after the initiation was in the United States of America. It was undertaken during the civil war where kites, unmanned balloons and messenger pigeons containing cameras were flown over areas where the enemies dwelled. This essay will specifically discuss about remote sensing in geography. This means that information contained therein will be on processes used to gather information on phenomenon and various features of the earth. In the modern society, remote sensing has become part of daily activities as it is highly used to gather information on geographical trends. Most of the organizations in the contemporary society take the initiative to learn more about geographical trends and get to know more about the environment generally. For these organizations to make effective research and gather enough information on phenomena, they have to use lots of cash on this field. This is one among many fields that is considered to be important in current years. The reasons as to why this field is considered important include: 1. Many individuals especially, students, researchers and other common citizens have developed interest in learning more about the environment. In this case, talking about the environ

Managers Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managers - Thesis Example In other words, they are the actual fathers of different processes and activities which are going on within an organization and with which there are a lot of hopes and wishes attached. The whole idea of extracting the benefits and achieving the laid objectives rests on their shoulders and this is indeed a very significant proposition on their part, all said and done. They bring with them a whole list of different undertakings and steps, though accountable at many different levels yet open for judgment on the part of one and all. With this, they ensure that the different policies and steps are in line with the organization's basic values, core mission and vision statements and more than anything else, in line with the ethical and moral grounds in which the particular business operates. Managers need to plan in a sound manner the different things, control these activities and tasks and make them plot against short term gains rather than having a long run perspective and integrate all these activities so that there is a complete mesh in the related ranks and the synchronization is pretty apparent at the end. Managers have the task of maximizing profits but not at the peril of losing the shareholders which are present in partnership with the organization. The different activities being planned, controlled and integrated in distinct fashions makes them look as a complete whole more than anything else. This means that these activities, tasks and processes are complete and they give a view of wholeness when we talk about the organization whilst looking at the products and/or services which are brought out for the general customers. For the induction of these new products and/or services in the market place we find that out that the synchronization process might just be a difficult process to undertake in the first place and it is because of the persistent efforts of the manager himself that the same becomes readily possible. The manager has to plan things accordingly and place priorities over processes either in s sequential manner or in the form of significance attached to the very same. When we talk about the activities in the whole related schema we find that the control aspect, as discussed before is pretty much significant and this has to be ensured even at the most feasible of times. The same is imperative since system breakdowns at any level can happen any time within the process and there could be urgencies attached with the whole ideology nonetheless. The integration of activities similarly is one significant aspect that has to be studied time and again because it brings together all the related processes, activities and tasks coming under the manager's regime on a single platform and thus this forms as the point of focus and attention as far as the whole organization and its tilt is concerned. With respect to the new products and/or services that are being introduced under the organization's umbrella, one has to ascertain as to the exact basis of their operating activities and then go along finding out the eventual patterns on which the change would be made in the realms of the very organization. It is up to the manager as to how best he

Knowledge Management paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Knowledge Management paper - Essay Example Knowledge is, to an enterprise or an individual, the possession of information or the ability to quickly locate it. This is essentially what Samuel Johnson, compiler of the first comprehensive English dictionary, said when he wrote that: "Knowledge is of two kinds: we know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it." (Source website http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,sid19_gci212448, 00.html) This knowledge is spread over the length and breadth of the company and may be part of a network, a database, in manually documented files or simply as intellectual capital. When knowledge actually present in the organisation is not structured, it is not leveraged upon and therefore causes redundancies, because of the repetitiveness of the tasks performed to acquire the same knowledge. This creates inefficiencies. Within the evolving dynamic environment in which current businesses operate, the ability to create, acquire, retain and organize knowledge assets and put it to recurring use is highly beneficial. Knowledge does not occur instantly. It takes time, effort and resources to be gained and is therefore valuable. There are numerous ways in which knowledge management has been defined. ... Shared knowledge is vital component of the knowledge management systems. This is not solely the responsibility of the infrastructure alone that serves to transfer explicit knowledge; nor is it a good substitute for transferring tacit knowledge that people are capable of. Why do we need knowledge management Possession of the right knowledge is indispensable in the competitive market place. Companies long neglected the value of knowledge but have now understood the significance of it. The environment is constantly evolving and therefore knowledge must keep pace and be updated. For example when companies lay off workforce, the workers leave with their valuable knowledge. If this knowledge is stored then it is available for the future. Similarly, growth forecasts are predicted by knowledge of customer preferences and changing trends and sufficient knowledge resources will ease the process. Globalisation has done away with geographic boundaries and therefore when similar projects are undertaken across the globe, knowledge sharing allows them to be executed with lesser risks due to practical knowledgeable experiences being available. (Source from website http://www.media-access.com/whatis.html#why) Communities of practice A Community of Practice is a group of individuals who regularly engage in sharing and learning based on their common interests or methods of working. Members of a Cop interact closely leading to better knowledge sharing (Wenger, 1998). CoP's often bridge the gap between documented processes and actual practical feasibilities. There is often a dilemma as to whether existing CoP should be geared to wards the task or whether creation of

Corporate Governance Essay Example for Free

Corporate Governance Essay ABSTRACT This paper examines whether the remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer position in Hong Kong public firms is affected by board composition, given the influence of family control on the boards of many Hong Kong companies. It is hypothesized that I) in family-controlled boards, Chief Executive Officers receiver higher compensation and II) Chief Executive Officers in family-controlled boards serve as Chief Executive Officer positions longer. In family-controlled boards, corporate governance is of very high importance as the independent non-executive directors can exert less influence over the board, compared to non-family-controlled boards (â€Å"dispersed boards†). Keywords: Board composition, Remuneration, Corporate Governance. 1.INTRODUCTION The economic turmoil in Asia in 1997 has led to a wider recognition of the importance of corporate governance. In line with global trends towards higher standards of corporate governance, the duties and liabilities of the directors of the listed companies have therefore become more stringent. It follows that many corporate governance mechanisms designed to monitor board members may be less effective for family-owned and family-controlled firms. However, to attract outside investors, family-owned and family-controlled firms tend to encourage greater independence and monitoring from the board. For the purposes of the study, family-owned and family-controlled are used interchangeably. The reason is that actual family ownership is difficult to ascertain due to various shareholdings and special purpose vehicles that are used, and cannot be deduced from annual reports. Thus, in this study we classify family-control and family-ownership when the board is made of a majority of related family members as a â€Å"family-controlled board†. When it is not, we classify it as a â€Å"dispersed board†. In practice, there are instances where the family owns the majority of a company but comprise of a minority of the board, and it is possible that the family is able to exert influence via other avenues, however, this study will not be examining such. Family-owned firms are common throughout Asia. Studies show that, family-owned firms hold more than 20 percent of the equity of listed companies in Asia, and more than 60 percent of the listed companies have connections with family-owned groups (Bebchuk Fried, 2006). Family-owned businesses represent the predominant form of listed companies in Hong Kong (Standard Poor’s, 2002). Such family ownership structure implies the strong influence of dominant shareholders and provides limited voice for minority shareholders. Compared to the Anglo-American environment, where ownership blocks are less concentrated but institutional investors are more prevalent, in Hong Kong, there is less of a culture for non-executive directors or minority shareholder activists to challenge. Variations in ownership structure may lead to differences in the nature of agency conflicts, the roles of directors may vary in accordance to the ownership structure. For family-owned firms, Shleifer and Vishny (1997) argue that the primary agency conflict is between a family owner and non-family owners. Meanwhile, for widely held firms, Berle and Means (1932), and, Jensen and Meckling (1976) argue that the primary agency conflict is between executives and shareholders. As a consequence, tying remuneration to performance of executives may prove the most efficient way to mitigate this agency conflict. To date, a vast of literatures published in recent years show the growing recognition of influences of family-owned firms and executive remuneration on corporate governance. Many studies have tended to focus on the use of remuneration contracts to align interests of executives with owners in family-owned firms. The rise in executive remuneration in recent years has been the subject of public criticism, which further intensified corporate governance scandals. Therefore, the question whether a correlation exists between remuneration and family-control in board composition at Hong Kong-listed companies. 2.OBJECTIVES In 1994, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited introduced rules that require listed firms to disclose the remuneration of directors. Before 2004, there was no requirement to disclose the names and remuneration of directors (Cheng Firth, 2005). The Disclosure of Financial Information rule under Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited’s Listing Rules was amended on 31 March 2004 to require full disclosure, on an individual and named basis, of directors’ fees and any other reimbursement or emolument payable to a director. In addition, Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standard 2 requires listed firms to disclose directors’ share-based remuneration. The Code on Corporate Governance Practices forms part of the Listing Rules and came into effect on 1 January 2005. According to the Code on Corporate Governance Practices, Hong Kong’s listed firms should be overseen by an effective board, which should assume responsibility for the leadership and control of the listed firm, and the members of which should be collectively responsible for promoting the success of the firm by directing and supervising its affairs. Directors should make decisions objectively in the best interests of the firm. In regards of remuneration policy for firms’ directors, the Code on Corporate Governance Practices requires the disclosure of information related to the firm’s directors’ remuneration policy and other remuneration-related matters. There should be a formal and transparent procedure for setting policy on executive directors’ remuneration. The Chief Executive Officer, a director in the board of company, will hence have his/her full remuneration disclosed. It is recommended that remuneration should be set at a level sufficient to attract and retain directors of the caliber required to run the company successfully, but companies should avoid paying more than is necessary. However, it is argued that many corporate governance mechanisms designed to monitor board members may be less effective for family-owned firms. However, to attract outside investors, family-owned firms tend to encourage greater independence and monitoring from the board. In Hong Kong, there are quite a number of listed companies have a high concentration of family ownership. It is common for the top executives of family-owned firms in Hong Kong to be family members. The rise of remuneration of family executives in family-owned firms has been the subject of public criticism. Recognizing this, the purpose of this research is to find out whether there is any relationship between family-board-control of firms and remuneration of Chief Executive Officers. To summarize, this study revolves around the following major objectives. †¢ To test whether there are significant differences in Chief Executive Officers’ remuneration for family-controlled and non-family-controlled firms (specifically firms with family-controlled boards and firms without family-controlled boards); †¢ To find out whether â€Å"Family Chief Executive Offices† (cases where the Chief Executive Officer are family members of the family-controlled boards) are awarded excessive compensation, compromising standards of corporate governance; †¢ To examine the tenure of Chief Executive Officers for family-controlled firms vs non-family-controlled firms, given that there may be differences in the board’s ongoing approval and demand of the results delivered by the Chief Executive Office; and †¢ To test whether there are significant differences in corporate governance structure of family-controlled and non-family-controlled firms. 3.LITERATURES REVIEW, HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT 3.1 Agency theory It is commonly acknowledged that ownership structure, the basis of corporate governance, is important to the overall performance of firms. While there are a large number of literatures discussing ownership structure, agency theory is frequently cited as a foundation. In modern corporations, the separation of ownership and control leads to agency conflicts that can be alleviated through various corporate governance mechanisms (Fama and Jensen, 1983). As one such mechanism, compensation schemes are designed to provide incentives that align the behavior of agents to act on behalf of principles (Jensen and Meckling, 1976). This relationship between executive compensation and firm performance has received considerable attention from the general public and academics. One of the issues in the field of management is the impact of family influence (Mishra et. al., 2001; McConaughy et. al., 1998) and corporate governance on the value of a firm (Khatri et al., 2001; Kwak, 2003; Black et al., 2003). There are various studies in diverse areas like accounting, economics, finance, law and management have been conducted to study such impact (Mishra et al., 2001; Kwak, 2003; Blacket al., 2003; Andersen and Reeb, 2003). These studies have resulted in interesting and useful observations. According to Alchian and Demsetz (1972), the principal agent problem comes from hidden action due to asymmetric information. The essence of a firm is that, it permits people to work as a team. It is the cooperation of a team that leads to a firm’s output. Thus, the agency problem inevitably arises in corporate governance. According to Jensen and Meckling (1976), agent problem arises from the conflict of interests between shareholders as the principals and the executives as the agents. Consequently, residual control rights fall into the hands of management instead of the residual cash flow claimants. As a result, the sum of monitoring expenditures be incurred by the principal, bonding expenditures incurred by the agent, and the value of the lost residual borne by the principal are included as the cost of agency. In general, when ownership of a firm becomes more dispersed, the agency problem will be deteriorated due to the inability of the relatively small shareholders to monitor the behavior of management. The monitoring of managers by shareholders is also weakened by free-rider problem. To mitigate the problem of agency, Ang (2000) and Denis and Sarin (1999) suggested the shareholding of management to be increased in order to make the executive a significant claimant. An inverse correlation exists between the dispersed ownership and firm performance (Berle and Means, 1932), because executives’ interests do not coincide with the interest of shareholders so that corporate resources are not used for the maximization of shareholders’ wealth. This view has been supported by many scholars. Shleifer and Vishny (1986), McConnell and Servaes (1990), and Zingales (1995) found a strong positive relationship between ownership concentration and corporate performance. In transitional economies, Xu and Wang (1999) and Chen (2001) found a positive relationship between actual firm performance and ownership concentration for a sample of listed Chinese companies. 3.2Ownership Structure It is common in Hong Kong, that ownership structure is characterized by single dominant owners (Chau Leung, 2006). A report of the Corporate Governance Working Group of the Hong Kong Society of Accountants in 1995 indicated that a high concentration on family-controlled listed firms is highly entrepreneurial and opportunistic in their business strategies, however, the report also indicate that these firms with single dominant owners lack resources and corporate culture to maintain strong internal corporate control. The 2001 Review on Corporate Governance by the Hong Kong Standing Committee for Corporate Law Reform, as well as a report from Standard Poor’s, indicated that family ownership structures present particular challenges. Theoretically, there is a major puzzle regarding the role of family in large firms (Bertrand Schoar, 2006; Villalonga Amit, 2006). In family-controlled firms, threatening factors may negatively influence the firms’ value (Demstez, 1983; Demstez and Lehn, 1985). Table 1 as below lists positive and negative factors affecting the relationship between family control and firm value. It shows that there is still difference of opinion among researchers on this topic of importance. 3.3â€Å"Family† Chief Executive Officers In this study, whether a person belonging to the family acts as a Chief Executive Officer is taken into account. We classify family-control and family-ownership when the board is made of a majority of related family members (â€Å"family-controlled board†). When it is not, we classify it as a â€Å"dispersed board†. Family Chief Executive Officers have substantial stockholdings of 5 percent or more (Daily Dollinger, 1993), with such given bargaining power, can be expected to influence the size and structure of their remuneration packages to their own benefit. Thus, for the purposes of this study, Chief Executive Officers with stockholdings of less than 5 percent are not counted as â€Å"Family Chief Executive Officers†. There are differing opinions on whether such Family Chief Executive Officers have higher or lower remunerations at such family-controlled firms. Some believe that such Family Chief Executive Officers are receiving above-average compensation due to the family-controlled board, as well as their strong ability to influence remuneration committee. Oh the other hand, others take the opposite view and see that Family Chief Executive Officers should be receiving below-average compensation. There is several reasons for this expectation. First of all, both anecdotal (Applegate, 1994; Kets de Vries, 1993) and empirical (Allen Pamian, 1982; Gomez-Mejia et al., 2001; Schulze et al., 2001) evidence suggest that incumbents with family ties to owners enjoy high employment security. As argued by Beehr (1997), the Family Chief Executive Officer inherently plays two overlapping and interdependent roles: a work role as steward of the company, and a non-work role as fulfillment of family obligations. In reciprocity for this role duality, the Family Chief Executive Officer is rewarded with a relatively assured job (Allen Pamian, 1982; Kets de Vries, 1993; Gomez-Mejia et al., 2001). Moreover, some literatures suggested that evaluators are more likely to make positive performance attributions to employees when there are emotional ties between monitoring and those being judged (Cardy Dobbins, 1993). It is expected that in family-controlled firms, board members in their role as monitors may be less inclined to attribute disappointing results to the Family Chief Executive Officer, giving the benefit of the doubt to the incumbent when interpreting ambiguous performance data. Agency theory suggests that there are inherent conflicts between shareholders and executives. Applying agency theory’s logic, the above scenario suggests that in family-controlled firms, risk adverse agents would trade higher job security for lower earnings if they are related to principals. Family Chief Executive Officers mitigate usual agency costs because of their aligned interests with the owners (Anderson Reeb, 2003). The information asymmetry problem in agency relationships may also be reduced given the close ties between Family Chief Executive Officers and the owners. Since they hold high ownership stakes, Family Chief Executive Officers have sufficient incentives to place family welfare ahead of personal interests, thus may perform better than firms with non-family Chief Executive Officers. Barney (2001) suggested that appointing family members as Chief Executive Officers may be beneficial. Tradition, loyalty, and bonding relationships determine how resources are deployed in family firms. Family Chief Executive Officers build common interests and identities (Habbershon Williams, 1999) and play a dual role by being both owners and executives (Chang, 2003; Yiu, Bruton, Lu, 2005). Through social relationships with managers and employees, Family Chief Executive Officers may help to obtain intangible resources such as goal congruence, trust, and social interactions, providing valuable, unique, and hard-to-imitate competitive advantage (Chu, 2011; Liu et al., 2011; Luo Chung, 2005). The Code on Corporate Governance Practices recommends remuneration committee to seek advice from the Chief Executive Officer on the matter of directors’ remuneration. Executives in firms controlled by a large shareholder receive more compensation for performance, than executives in firms lacking a controlling owner (Gomez-Mejia et al., 1987). Mehran (1995) examined the relationship between executive remuneration, ownership structure and firm performance. The results indicate that firms, which have more outside directors, have a higher percentage of executive remuneration in equity-based form. Moreover, the percentage of equity-based remuneration is inversely related to the outside directors’ equity ownership, i.e., the executive’s equity-based remuneration rose if the outside directors’ owned less of the company, and vice-versa. Next, Mehran (1995) turned to firm performance, and its relationship to executive remuneration and ownership structure. He used Tobin’s Q and return on assets as measures of firm performance. He found firm performance to be positively related to the percentage of executive remuneration that is equity-based. However, Mehran (1995) no relationship between firm performance and ownership structure. He concluded that the results support the notion that executive remuneration should be tied to firm performance. There is a vast amount of literature on turnover of the Chief Executive Officer position (Furtado and Karan, 1990; Kesner and Sebora, 1994; Finkelstein and Hambrick, 1996; Pitcher et al., 2000). However, according to Finkelstein and Hambrick (1996), the relationship between remuneration and turnover has not been subjected to rigorous empirical examination, even given the emphasis on retention as a justification for high remuneration of Chief Executive Officer. The following hypotheses are framed: Hypothesis 1: In family-controlled boards, Chief Executive Officers receive higher compensation. Hypothesis 2: Chief Executive Officers in family-controlled boards serve as Chief Executive Officer positions longer. 3.4Board Composition The role of the board is expected to represent shareholders, provide strategic guidance to and effective oversight of management, foster a culture of good governance, and promote a safe and healthy working environment within the company. In accordance to Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing Rule 3.10, the board of directors is required to have at least three independent non-executive directors. The presence of â€Å"truly† independent non-executive directors in the corporate governance regime is seen as one way of mitigating agency problem associated with concentrated family ownership. In family-owned firms, given the influence of family control on the remuneration and performance relationships exists, where the majority of shares are in the hands of family members, under this circumstance, the executive and risk-bearer functions are merged and more of the wealth consequences of the executives’ decisions are internalized. In other words, there is less separation of ownership and control and thus lowering agency costs, which in turn leads to less cost for monitoring by outside directors. Therefore, firms closely controlled and managed by family members are expected to use lower proportion of outside directors compared with firms with disperse ownership. In widely held firms, with ownership dispersed among many investors, investors are often small and poorly informed to exercise even the control rights they actually have. Moreover, the free-rider problem faced by individual investors makes them uninterested in expending effort to learn about the firms they have financed, or even to participate in the governance (Shleifer and Vishny, 1997). As a result, the larger degree of separation of ownership and control in widely held firms leads to greater conflicts. The use of outside directors by widely held firms is expected to be more. 3.5Remuneration Committee In 1999, remuneration committees were uncommon in Hong Kong, with only few firms reporting their existence (Cheng Firth, 2005). Since 2006, Hong Kong Stock Exchange proposes a rule to require issuers to set up a remuneration committee, with the committee chairman and a majority of the members being Independent Non-executive Directors. In family-owned firms, the positions of the Chief Executive Officer are usually held by family members, who can influence the level of remuneration paid to directors. The Code on Corporate Governance Practices recommends remuneration committee to seek advice from the Chief Executive Officer on the matter of directors’ remuneration. The Code on Corporate Governance Practices recommends that the majority of remuneration committee members be Independent Non-executive Directors. The presence of Independent Non-executive Directors on the remuneration committee is supposed to be used as monitoring mechanism that prevents excessive remuneration for executive directors (Basu et al., 2007), including that of the Chief Executive Officer. The role of independent non-executive directors and large institutional shareholders becomes crucial to curtailing the possible self-serving behavior of top managers (HKSA, 2001). Studies of firms in other countries show conflicting results on the relationship between remuneration and remuneration committee. Some findings show that remuneration committees tend to reduce remuneration, whereas others report the opposite (Conyon Peck, 1998; Ezzamel Watson, 1998). However, in practice it is highly likely that the Chief Executive Officer has some influence over the compensation decision (Murphy, 1999). An important question relating to the composition of remuneration committee concerns the ideal combination of outsiders and insiders. Insiders may face distorted incentives due to their lack of independence from the Family Chief Executive Officer (Bushman et al., 2004). 3.6 Components of Remuneration The basic components of remuneration of Chief Executive Officer are similar, however, the relative level and weights on the components differ (Abowd and Kaplan, 1999, and Bryan et al., 2006). Generally, remuneration of Chief Executive Officer can be divided into four basic parts: a base salary, an annual bonus which is tied to some accounting measure of company performance, stock options, and long-term incentive plans, such as restricted stock plans and multi-year accounting-based performance plans. †¢ Base salary: is the fixed part of remuneration of Chief Executive Officer, causing risk-averse executives to prefer an increase in base salary rather than an increase in bonuses. Most components of remuneration are specified relative to base salary. †¢ Bonus: in addition to the base salary, most companies offer their executives an annual bonus plan based on a single year’s performance. The purpose of such bonuses, as well as options, is to align the incentives of the Chief Executive Officer with that of the shareholders. †¢ Stock options: are contracts, which give the owner the right to buy shares at a pre-specified exercise price. Stock options reward stock price appreciation, not total shareholder return, which includes dividends. In this study, stock options are excluded, as full details of such information would not be retrievable from annual reports. †¢ Other forms of compensation: restricted stock to be received by executives, it is restricted in the sense that shares are forfeited under certain conditions, which usually have to do with the longevity of employment. Many companies also have long-term incentive plans in addition to the bonus plans, which are based on annual performance. Top executives routinely participate in supplemental executive retirement plans in addition to the company-wide retirement plans. Most executives have some sort of severance arrangement. Finally, executives often receive benefits in the form of free use of company cars, housing, etc. Based on the various conceptual and empirical evidences presented above, this study aims to understand whether the remuneration of a Family Chief Executive Officer is influenced by the board composition, i.e. whether it is family-controlled or not. This ties into the original Hypothesis 1, thus, the further hypotheses is framed as follows: Hypothesis 3: The higher the proportion of independent non-executive members on the board of directors at family-board-controlled firms, the lower the Chief Executive Officer remuneration.

British Social Realism

British Social Realism In order to fully understand the origins and ideals behind the British Social Realism movement it is important to not only explore this period of cinema history but to also study the interrelationship between film and other Art forms. Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, articulated in the cinematic and other realist arts, which portray working class activities. The ancestry of realism can be traced back to the 19th century art. With the decline of the Romantic Movement, artists looked to show the world in a more literal way and attempt to move closer to observation and away from the non-representational by creating objective representations of the world based on the observation of contemporary life, such as nature, society, the characteristics of the individual and the nation at large. Realism was independent, including in its subject-matter activities and social classes until that time considered unworthy of representation in fine art. The most articulate development of Realism was in French art, where it concentrated on the work of Gustave Courbet, who used the word realism as the title for a manifesto that accompanied an exhibition of his works in 1855. Ilya Repin, a famous Social Realist said that his art work was aimed â€Å"To criticize all the monstrosities of our vile society† although its influence extended into the 20th cen tury its later manifestations are usually labelled as Social Realism. The latter half of the 19th century has been called the positivist age. It was an age of belief in all knowledge which was driven from science and scientific objective methods. Positivist thinking is obvious in the full range of artistic developments after 1850 from the emphasis on the phenomenon of light, to the development of photography and the application of new technologies in architecture and constructions. The artificiality of both the Romanticism and Classicism in the academic art was unanimously rejected, and necessity to introduce contemporary to art found strong support. New idea was that ordinary people and everyday activities are worthy subjects for art. Whilst Realism in France appears after the 1848 Revolution and expressed a taste for democracy, at the same time in England artists, Realists came before the public with the reaction against the Victorian materialism and the conventions of the Royal Academy in London. Literary Gazette, described Social Realism as â€Å"the representation of the proletarian revolution†. By the 1840s both artists and scientists had come to value Realisms empirical study of nature. It was partly this interest in accurate visual records that first led to the use of the camera obscura as an aid to drawing and the development of photography as a way of fixing its image. The idea of the camera as an instrument of knowledge is a powerful assumption underlying many photographic practices, from 19th-century studies of criminality and mental illness to 20th-century documentarism. With a common ideal uniting many Artists and Scientists you would imagine that you could draw a straight line between Realism, the invention of the photographic camera and Social Realism British Cinema but photography, which was developed to bypass the inaccuracies of the human hand, quickly became ‘corrupted. â€Å"Jonathan Crary has argued that by the 19th century the camera was no longer understood as a model of objective knowledge, but had become part of a whole series of optical toys devised to stimulate subjective and embodied vision, now understood as an active and creative element of visual experience. Following Crary, Geoffrey Batchen argues that early photographers were motivated by romantic desires for traces of nature, as much as the need to know, classify, and possess it. Dr Johnson would doubtless have dismissed such approaches as philosophical hair-splitting. Photographs, after all, seem to mirror the world, or at least a fragment of it in space and time. But the photographers choices—lens, viewpoint, framing, timing—intervene between the object and its image, even when these seem natural or unwittingly made, as in snapshot photographs. Realist images are as much constructed as the most complex studio set; their illusion of transparency enhances their ability to construct and confirm conceptions of reality itself.† Patrizia di Bello As we have seen Realism is a movement that crosses art forms, forming in painting, through the development of photography and emerging again in the developing visual art of cinema. In Italy neorealism was a style of film that refelected the early French Realist ideals and told stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on location, often using nonprofessional actors. The films mostly contend with the difficult economical and moral conditions of post-World War II Italy, reflecting the changes in the Italian psyche and the conditions they faced in everyday life: defeat, poverty, and desperation. The neorealist style was developed by a circle of film critics that revolved around the magazine Cinema. The group included including Michelangelo Antonioni, Luchino Visconti, Gianni Puccini, Cesare Zavattini, Giuseppe De Santis, and Pietro Ingrao. The critics attacked the poor quality telefono bianco films of the time and felt that Italian cinema should turn to the realist writers from the turn of the century. The most common attribute of neorealism was location shooting and the dubbing of dialogue. The dubbing allowed for filmmakers to move in a more open mise-en-scà ¨ne. Principal characters would be portrayed mostly by trained actors while supporting members (and sometimes principals) would be non-actors. The idea was to create a greater sense of realism through the use of real people rather than all seasoned actors. The rigidity of non-actors gave the scenes more authentic power. This sense of realism made Italian neorealism more than an artistic stance, it came to embody an attitude toward life. The next development in the Realist movement was the French New Wave. This was a blanket term coined by yet another group of critics of the late 1950s and 1960s. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of classical cinematic form and their spirit of youthful iconoclasm. Many also engaged in their work with the social and political upheavals of the era, making their radical experiments with editing, visual style, and narrative part of a general break with the conservative paradigm. Again, the socio-economic forces at play shortly after World War II strongly influenced the movement. A politically and financially drained France tended to fall back to the old popular traditions before the war. One such tradition was straight narrative cinema, specifically classical French film. The movement has its roots in rebellion against the reliance on past forms criticizing in particular the way these forms could force the audience to submit to a dictatorial plot-line. Thanks to the ongoing development of film equipment the face of cinema was constantly evolving and in the same way that Cinema Verite became possible lightweight cameras, lights, and sound equipment allowed the New Wave directors to shoot in the streets, rather than in studios. This fluid camera motion became a trademark of the movement, with shots often following characters down Paris streets. The movies featured unprecedented methods of expression, such as seven-minute tracking shots (like the famous traffic jam sequence in Godards 1967 film Week End). Many of the French New Wave films were produced on small budgets, often shot in a friends apartment, using the directors friends as the cast and crew. Directors were also forced to improvise with equipment (for example, using a shopping cart for tracking shots). As with most art-film movements, the innovations of the New Wavers trickled down to the other cinema cultures. Social Realism in British films peaked during the 1960s when what is commonly referred to as the British New Wave emerged. The new wave directors such as Karel Reisz, Lindsay Anderson and Tony Richardson had made a number of documentaries before moving on to feature films, and many of these had been screened at the National Film Theatre event christened Free Cinema in the 1950s. Like the auteurs of the Italian Neo realism and French New Wave, many of the British directors were knowledgeable critics as well, affiliated with Sequence magazine. This gave them ample opportunity to promote their agenda. Free Cinema was described by Tony Richardson as â€Å"independent of commercial cinema, free to make intensely personal statements and free to champion the directors right to control the picture†. Documentaries such as O Dreamland (Anderson, 1956) about an English coastal resort and Momma Dont Allow (Reisz and Richardson, 1956) about a suburban jazz club put into practice these directors belief in â€Å"the freedom and importance of the everyday†. The themes and people discovered in these documentaries were something that the directors went on to introduce to mainstream cinema. The Free Cinema films were made without inhibitions, and led to the social realist aesthetic of putting ordinary people with problems onto the big screen. It is for this reason that the term kitchen sink drama was coined, to describe the hum drum lives of the masses, and angry young man to describe the rebellious protagonists. Amongst the many films that emerged during the new wave of social realism, there are dozens of stunning examples that continue being championed to this day. Look Back in Anger, A Taste Of Honey, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, This Sporting Life, Billy Liar, Cathy Come Home, Up The Junction and Room At The Top, to name a few. Many of these films were based on books and plays, as the social realist aesthetic was alive in literature and theatre at the time. The movement also ushered in a new wave of actors who embodied social realism in their use of colloquialisms and accents. Actors such as Tom Courtenay, Rita Tushingham and Albert Finney held up a mirror to ordinary working class Brits. In the UK, the term kitchen sink derived from an expressionist painting by John Bratby, which contained an image of a kitchen sink. The critic David Sylvester wrote an article in 1954 about trends in recent English art, calling his article The Kitchen Sink in reference to Bratbys picture. Sylvester argued that there was a new interest among young painters in domestic scenes, with stress on the banality of life. â€Å"Kitchen sink realism† was linked to the rise of the Angry Young Men, a category applied to a number of British playwrights and novelists from the mid-1950s. Their political views were seen as radical, sometimes even anarchic, and they described social alienation of different kinds. The authors included both left-wing and right-wing writers. They included John Osborne, Harold Pinter, John Braine, and Alan Sillitoe. The new wave of British film-makers captured the zeitgeist of the period, and paved the way for directors such as Mike Leigh, Stephen Frears and Ken Loach who continue to make films that shape a very regional British film industry. Films such as Riff Raff, Naked, and My Beautiful Laundrette, although made 20 30 years later, embody the same values as were inherent in the films of the New Wave The British New Wave Cinema only lasted a few years, from 1959 to 1963. Only about half a dozen films were made. Even though they were so few made, the film were very influential and Incredibly evocative, and enough to prompt critics of the time to talk of ‘a renaissance in British cinema. Coming at the end of a decade that was extensively perceived as ‘a doldrums era, based on a diet of lightweight comedies, gothic horror films and endless war vehicles the New Wave films were greeted by audiences as a breath of fresh air and paved the way for the transatlantic success that awaited British cinema in the Sixties. The main directors of New Wave cinema were Karel Reisz, Lindsay Anderson, Tony Richardson, and John Schlesinger . the majority came from the theatre, predominantly from the Royal Court Theatre, Richardson had made a name for himself by directing the plays of John Osborne, such as The Entertainer and Look Back in Anger to great critical approval. The foremost production company behind British New Wave cinema, Woodfall films, was in fact set up by Richardson and Osborne predominantly to put these stage plays on to the big screen, which they did with the likes of Richard Burton and Laurence Olivier in the leading roles. Woodfalls fortunes fared even better when Reisz and Richardson collaborated with northern realist authors and theatre writers such as Alan Sillitoe and Shelagh Delaney and took the unusual step for the film industry of those times of appointing them to write the screenplays for the films. Like with the French New Wave, taking the cameras out of the studio confines and engaging in much larger amounts of location shooting was another revolutionary idea for the industry, and was not welcomed by mainstream critics. But social realism was the vastly insperitional for new film-makers, scriptwriters, and a younger generation of actors, including Albert Finney, Rita Tushingham, Shirley Anne Field, Tom Courtenay, Alan Bates, Rachel Roberts, Richard Harris and the like. Karel Reisz had the first big commercial success with Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), while Tony Richardson made A Taste of Honey (1961) and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) and Lindsay Anderson engaged David Storey to script his own book of This Sporting Life (1963), which effectively brought New Wave Cinema to an end. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner is a challenging and inventive film from 1962, produced and directed by Tony Richardson, and starring Tom Courtenay with Sir Michael Redgrave and James Bolam in support. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner was the first British film to depict the brutality within the Borstal system later revisting in the film Scum (1979). The film caused outrage at the time and its anti-authoritarian agenda ran into problems with the British Board of Film Censors, which described its story as ‘blatant and very trying Communist propaganda, and particularly worrying for us because the hero is a thief and yet is held up to the admiration of silly young thugs. Critics also commented on how the film explored the novel features of the camerawork and editing for its time, the originality of the musical score, and debated the borrowings from the French New Wave, as well as, finally, the way in which the film continued to break new ground in British cinema of the day. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning was adapted from Alan Sillitoes first popular novel, and was about the new young working class. Directed by Karel Reisz and produced by Tony Richardson, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning stars Albert Finney, Rachel Roberts and Shirley Anne Field. The film was a revelation when it was initially released, not just for its realistic style, but also for its graphic portrayal of sex, extra-marital affairs, strong language, and, most contentious of all, abortion. Once again The British Board of Film Censors urged a general toning down of all the language and sex scenes. In particular, it required that the successful abortion scene promised in the screenplay and evident in Sillitoes original novel, be rendered ultimately ineffective and that the film-makers follow a policy of ‘social responsibility as far as possible. In conclusion the social realism fostered by New Wave Cinema made an indelible and lasting impression on British film-makers for many years, and can even be seen in such recent films as Pater Cattaneos, The Full Monty (1997), as well as Lynne Ramsays art-house success, Ratcatcher (1999). The spirit of the British Social Realist movement extended way beyond its own period and, indeed, still flourishes in British cinema today in filmmakers such as Shane Meadows. Bibliography http://www.answers.com/topic/realism?nr=1lsc=true http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_neorealism http://www.open2.net/historyandthearts/arts/newwave_p.html http://filmstudies.suite101.com/article.cfm/social_realism_in_british_film http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_neorealism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_New_Wave

Kashmir Issue: Confrontations between India and Pakistani since Partiti

In the late 1940s, when the two competing nationalist for India and Pakistani failed to reach accommodation, Britain decided to partition its Indian empire (Wirsing 22). The role of dividing the empire was on the hands of a British representative (Viceroy Lord Mountbatten). He facilitated creation of a Muslim subcontinent, Pakistani. The state of Pakistani was formed with two flanks (eastern and western) separated by 1500 miles of the new states of India (Wirsing 22). The main aim was to establish a region to be occupied by Muslims in the British India. The origins of Indo-Pakistani conflict over the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir are complex, rooted in the process of British colonial withdrawal from the sub-continent (Wirsing 22). Kashmir posed a distinct problem (Wirsing 22), and from the time it was established there have been serial conflicts. Indo-Pakistan war of 1947; this war took place with a formal declaration neither made by Pakistani nor India. The Indian army and rebels, supported by elements of the Pakistani army, fought a series of pitched battles with each side incurring sufficient losses (Ganguly and Devin 163). Indian army succeeded in acquiring some parts of Kashmir during the first days of the war, but this was soon shut down by insufficient equipment supplies and of army training. As soon as the rebels identified Indian army's weakness, they took advantage of the situation. This forced the Indian army into a tactical retreat, but this did not last long before the Indians launched a counter-offensive (Ganguly and Devin 163). To react to this, Pakistan army became directly involved in the war. Kashmir situation was more complex because it had a Muslim majority (about 80 percent), a border w... ...pments in the Indian politics depict an intense hatred between the Muslims and Hindus. Policy makers in both countries need to come up with long-term solutions to prevent further losses of lives. Policies which bridge the gap between differences in political, social and religious beliefs need to be implemented. Works Cited Fernandes, Clinton. Hot Spot: Asia and Oceania. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2008. Print. Ganguly, Sumit, and Devin T. Hagerty. Fearful Symmetry: India-Pakistan Crises in the Shadow of Nuclear Weapons. Seattle, Wash.: University of Washington Press, 2006. Print. Lyon, Peter. Conflict between India and Pakistan: an Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2008. Print. Wirsing, Robert. India, Pakistan, and the Kashmir Dispute: on Regional Conflict and its Resolution. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994. Print.

moralant Morality in Sophocles Antigone :: Antigone essays

Antigone: The Obedience of One's Morality According to the Bible, after Jesus was arrested by religious leaders, the apostles, his closest followers, fled his side. The apostle Peter was later recognized as one of Jesus' companions by the people who helped arrest him. Peter, however, denied even knowing Jesus three times. Peter believed that, should he remain faithful, he would be granted eternal life by God, and he knew that denying Jesus was a grave sin. However, his fear of his accusers caused him to err, and to stray from what he believed to be right. Today, many of us have been told to "do what you believe is right, no matter what the cost." However, human weakness often causes one to falter, as Peter did, in an attempt to protect oneself. While many people advise others with the aforementioned motto, few will use it to the extent that is insisted upon in Antigone, the extent to which the apostle Peter should have applied it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Antigone is an outstanding example of someone who did what she thought was right, while she was among fools, many hardships, and people who were discouragingly uncourageous. Although we may not defend the self-sacrificial actions of Antigone, or may not have the strength to do something similar, we should follow principle behind her actions. Antigone believed, as did most people of her time, that a dead person's soul could not rest if that person's body was not buried. Creon, the King, ordered that the body of Polyneices, Antigone's brother, be left to rot unburied because he had died attacking the city, a traitor. This presents a huge problem for Antigone; she feels she must obey the laws of the gods and bury her brother, but the penalty would be earthly death. Antigone's moral values were so important to her that she was willing to die in order to uphold them. She reasoned that her reward (or punishment) after death would reflect the nobility of her decision--and the reward would last much longer than her terrestrial life. However, Peter believed the same thing, and had complete faith in his beliefs, but did not act accordingly. He became too overwhelmed by the present, and his possible suffering then. It is human nature to fear death, and this overwhelmed Peter's desire to adhere to all godly laws. Such was not Antigone's case; no doubt ever entered her mind as to what she was to do.

Nutrition Information

1. Nutrition.Gov is a US Federal Government Organization that presents the latest and excellent nutritional data.   The information provided on the website can be utilized by both professional and the general public to gain reliable, valid, current and precise knowledge regarding the latest findings in food and nutrition, physical fitness, diet, healthy eating and food safety.   The data provided on the website is evidence-based and hence is highly recommended for use by the general public who want to develop healthy food habits, reduce the chances of developing nutrition-related illnesses and reduce obesity and malnutrition. The nutritional data provided is specific to various age-groups such infants, children, adolescents, adults, women and elders.   The topics are classified according to the audience-level (such as professionals, parents, teachers, children, researchers, etc), subtopics or the age group.   All information provided on the Nutrition.gov is thoroughly referenced and can be validated.   The authors name or the authority of source along with the credentials is provided on the website. Data about physical fitness and food supplements are also provided.   The website also presents useful, updated and trustworthy links which could help the user to get more information if they are interested.   The website also provides contact information about the owner of the website (such as name, contact address, telephone and fax numbers, and email address) which permits the user to get their doubts clarified.   The website also posts the latest new in the field of food and nutrition in an attractive manner. 2. The British Nutrition Foundation is a British-based charity organization that provides the latest scientific data for educational purposes for the public (in the UK and Europe).   The website does not promote the products or the services of a particular organization and hence is recommended for use by the general public.   The website presents the latest news, research findings, healthy nutrition and diet, recipes, health and physical fitness.   The website distributes evidence-based information for use by the public and the professionals, and hence is recommended for use. This evidence-based data is obtained by the British Nutritional Foundation through research conducted with universities, academic organizations, research institutes, NGO’s, and Governmental organizations.   The information presented on the British National Foundation website is current, valid, precise and verifiable, and details of the authority of source are also presented.   The website also provides a search box to permit the user to search for accurate information, quickly. 3. The American Dietetics Association (ADA) is the Largest Nutrition Organization in the US that has more than 65, 000 members who are nutritional professionals.   These members are making an effort to interpret the latest data and finding of professional findings of nutrition into results that can be applied by the public and utilized for developing a healthier living.   Nutritional experts belonging to several Universities and organizations based in the US are members of the ADA. More:  Nutrition The website is recommended because it provides the latest findings which can be utilized because the information available on the Website is accurate, valid, current and precise.   THE ADA conducts a lot of professional research and publishes these findings which the public could access in its website.   Some of the aims of the organization include bringing about healthy body weight of children and reducing the incidences of obesity and malnutrition through research and education.   The website is user-friendly as a search engine is present on the homepage which can be used to search for precise data. The search engine enables to the user to obtain accurate data rapidly.   Professional data is also available for members and professionals.   The ADA gives a lot of concern to child health and nutrition, food safety, food technology, geriatric health and nutrition, obesity and reforms in the field of health and nutrition.   The organization had invested about US$ 270, 000 for conducting professional research and education for the benefit of the public.   

Bharatnatyam

Introduction to Semiotics Bharatanatyam A journey from temples to the proscenium An introduction Bharatanatyam is a Sanskrit word, which means the dance of Bharata (India). True to its name, it is one of the oldest and most popular dance forms of India. It originated in the temples of Southern India and was later codified and documented as a performing art by the Tanjore Quartet. It is now the most popular Indian classical dance and is appreciated worldwide. Bharatanatyam is a language in itself. Like Sanskrit language, bharatanatyam follows strict rules and is technically sound. The grammar of the steps is followed rigorously. It is danced to Carnatic music and the mathematical precision of the dance equals the Carnatic music measure of measure. The three significant ingredients of bharatanatyam are: bhava (emotion), raga (music) and taal (rhythm); governed by Bharata muni’s Natya Shastra and Nandikeshwar’s Abhinaya Darpana. Hence, the interpretation BHAva +  RAga (music) +  TAla+  NATYAM(dance) =  Bharatanatyam. The technique and presentation â€Å"Bharatanatyam in its highest moment, is the embodiment of music in a visual form† -Balasaraswati The three major attributes of a Bharatanatyam performance are Nritta (technique), Nritya and Natya (drama). Nritta is pure dance. It is the movement of hands and feet on the rhythm and speed. It is a collage of rhythmic lines, forms and shapes. The movements, mudras or gestures do not signify anything. Then why nritta? Indian music and dance forms are based on the concept of cyclic rhythm or taal. Various musical patterns are woven with the musical notes and rhythmic patterns which can be beautifully executed through nritta. Nritya is interpretative dance. It is used to exhibit the underlying meaning of the song and the emotion attached with it. It is a combination of nritta and abhinaya or expressions. The meaning of the song is expressed systematic gesture language and facial expressions. Natya is equivalent to dance-drama. It is a language of gestures, poses, dialogues and mime. It depicts a story usually from the Indian mythology like Ramayan or Mahabharata. Here, the emphasis is majorly on abhinaya or expression rather than the rhythmic movements. The Abinaya is divided as: Angikabhinaya:  Expression through the limbs and body like the Head, Hands, and Legs. Vachikabhinaya:  Expression through narrations and voice. Aharyabhinaya:  Expression through dress, ornaments and other aids. Satvikabhinaya: Mental expression of feeling and emotion by facial expression and use of eyes. Bharatanatyam: The Journey The journey of bharatnatyam from the temples of south India to the proscenium of the world is a very exciting one. Dasi-attam (Origin and decline) Bharatnatyam as a very ancient and traditional art form has been associated with the temples of South India. It is believed that Bharatnatyam used to be known as the â€Å"temple dance†. Bharatnatyam was also known as the dasi-attam (dance performed by the dasis – the servants of God) or the sadir-attam (court dance). It was choreographed to be performed solo by the devadasis in the temples as an offering to the deities. These women, called devadasis, are said to have devoted their lives to God. They were considered to be united with the Gods. Infact, they were considered so close to the gods and so pure, that a pearl form their necklace was considered auspicious for the mangalsutra of a woman. They performed useful functions at temples like cleaning, lighting lamps, dressing the deities etc. They also sang devotional songs and danced in devotion to the deities. Apart from this, they taught music and dance to young girls. These devadasis were accomplished artistes who could play many musical instruments. They were well versed in Sanskrit and other languages, which helped them to interpret the compositions that they would perform. They were instrumental in developing a tradition of classical music and dance in South India. The devadasis were celibate and were not allowed to have a family as they were considered to be married to the Gods. Therefore, initially most of the dances in Bharatnatyam were choreographed to be in praise of God. Many padams (narrative pieces) depicted the love story of a nayak (hero) and a nayika (heroine). In most cases, the nayak was in the form of Lord Krishna, or Shiva or any other mythological hero. While Shiva was said to be serious, Krishna was full of pathos and love. Thus, the choreographies mainly concentrated on Sringara rasa (love). Gradually the devadasi system started getting plagued with several notorious ills. Around this time, it was customary for the Indian people hailing from royal or aristocratic families to invite a devadasi to a celebration, to sing and dance and perform. The best dancers were invited to the royal courts to perform, in return which they were provided with a shelter. In this period, the position of the devadasis could be compared to that of an apsara (celestial nymph) who danced in the courts of the Gods in order to please them. Eventually, the rich men and the aristocrats attracted the devadasis with good money and luxurious lifestyles and lured them into being their mistresses. The devadasis were easily enticed to the kind of lifestyle offered to them. Thus, the sringara rasa in their choreographies converted into eroticism and they danced merely to appease the rich men. As consequence of which, these devadasis who were held at par with the temple priests lost their respect in the society. By this time, the Europeans had arrived to India. Their advent was like addition of fuel to the fire of the already deteriorating dance form. The Europeans ridiculed this entire system of dancing to please the lords and considered this to be no better than prostitution. Under the British rule, propaganda prevailed to against Indian art, misinterpreting it as crude and immoral. Also other factors like loss of patronage due to the unstable political conditions, lack of recognition in the education system and lack of appreciation as compared to that given to ballet ; played a major role in the set back of the dance form. Due to the degenerated status of the devadasis, the Indian reformers started a movement against the devadasis. Thus the devadasi tradition was banned. The government started working with various non-governmental organizations to help reinstate these women into the society, as well as raise public awareness of the demeaning nature of their life work Thus, the devadasi tradition and with it the performing art (bharatanatyam) took a back seat in the history of Indian art and culture. Revival Against all odds, a few families preserved the knowledge of this dance form. These included individuals from varied backgrounds: Indian freedom fighters, Westerners interested in Indian arts, people outside the  devadasi  class who learnt Bharatanatyam, and  devadasis  themselves. The pioneers in reviving this art for are: E. Krishna Iyer, Rukmini Devi, Balasaraswati etc. Bharatanatyam now attracted young artists from respectable  Brahmin  families. Initially met with shock, their participation ultimately helped to shift public opinion in favor of reviving the art. An association of  devadasis  joined the effort to revive Bharatanatyam. Its ranks included an eventual teacher of Rukmini Devi’s, as well as the family of the legendary dancer Balasaraswati. Rukmini Devi’s debut performance in 1935 was a milestone. Her efforts won over much of the orthodox community of Madras. Her reforms of costume, stage setting, repertoire, introduction of dance drama,musical accompaniment, and thematic content, overcame the objections of conservatives that Bharatanatyam was vulgar. She went on to found the Kalakshetra institute, to which she attracted many great artists and musicians, with whom she trained generations of dancers. Balasaraswati promoted the traditional art of the  devadasis, maintaining that reforms were unnecessary and detracted from the art. Staying true to her  devadasi  lineage, she achieved great renown for her excellence. The renewed awareness of Bharatanatyam in Indian society allowed many nattuvanars  to resume their training activities, and many artists to enter the field of classical dance. Rukmini Devi’s desire to restore the full spiritual potential of the dance motivated reforms that led to what was known as the Kalakshetra style of Bharatanatyam. Bharatanatyam soon became the most widespread and popular of the Indian classical dance forms. It wasn’t long before it achieved international recognition as one of India’s treasures. Rukmini Devi versus Balasaraswati Differences in the similarity of trying to revive the Indian traditional art form The two towering figures that played a major role in the revival of das-attam as bharatantyam: Tanjore Balasaraswati and Rukmini Devi. Balasaraswati was affiliated with the school known as Tanjore court style while Rukmini devi was associated with a style that she developed at Kalakshetra. By focusing on these two dancers, we can throw light on the historical event of the upgradation of bharatanatyam. They were contemporaries. Balasaraswati gave her first performance in 1925 in a temple and Rukmini Devi gave her first performance in 1935 for the Theosophical Society’s anniversary celebration. Both performed Bharatanatyam regularly on concert stage and considered it a means of salvaging the endangered dance form. In the Indian dance world, both of them are legendary figures. Their names have become synonymous to classicism and traditionalism. Around both of them instructional communities have developed, which led to idea of development of various styles in Bharatnatyam. They led on to take Bharatnatyam on a whole new international level, in their own way. Despite the similarities and the oneness in the agenda of working for the up gradation of the lost dance form, the difference in their ideologies held them in opposition – which has affected the background of Bharatanatyam ever since. Rukmini Devi was a Brahmin who was married to an English Theosophist, George Arundale at the age of sixteen. She came in contact with the famous ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova who accepted her as a student. Pavlova later suggested Rukmini Devi to train in her ‘own dance from’. Following her advice, Rukmini Devi returned to Madras and trained under a traditional guru in the classical dance form, Bharatanatyam. She defied the orthodox custom that upper and middle class girls should not learn dance and set up Kalakshetra to train dancers from the upper and middle class families. The establishment of Kalakshetra played an important role in bringing Bharatanatyam from the temples to the concert stage. Balasaraswati on the other hand hailed from a family of devadasis. She was born in a lineage of women who were associated with the Tanjore music and dance since generations. Her mother and grandmother wanted her to become musician considering the social stigma linked to dance at that time but she decided to become a dancer against all odds. She gave her first performance, arangetram at the temple of Ammanakshi in Kanchipuram, marking the beginning of her legendary career. Rukmini Devi Rukmini Devi entered and Balasaraswati had carved their positions in the world of dance with a radically different perspectives. Rukmini Devi had a very clear goal of purifying the dance form. According to her, the dance form was precious but degraded because its reigns were in the hands of people with ‘ill repute’. She wanted to eradicate the stigma associated with it by passing it on to the hands of people from the upper or middle class. She thought that everything about Bharatnatyam needed to be purified so that it could regain its respectable position in the society. Also, she believed that the main reason for the degradation of this art form was the fact that sringara rasa (love) was the centre of the choreographies. The sringara rasa had led to the degeneration of the art form as introduced eroticism and sexuality in the art to the extent to make it vulgar. â€Å"To depict such things is unthinkable for me†, she said. She was not against the sringara rasa as such (she had performed love poems by jayadeva and kalidasa in her natya), but against the choreographies performed by the devadasi. The actions, mudras and movements included by them in their choreographies had become earthy from beautiful. She strived hard to replace the sringara rasa by bhakti rasa or ‘devotionalism’; devoid of any sexual referrant. Bhakti Rasa Rukmini Devi held Bharatnatyam as a national art form and worked towards its purification and propagating this art form in India and the rest of the world. She established the Kalakshetra – international school of performing arts, to fulfil her goals. Here, students from various upper and middle classes were trained in Bharatnataym and also some other dance forms. She also set up a theatre which gave a platform to her students and also to her innovations in the dance form. Thus, she made reforms to take Bharatnatyam to a whole new international level. Balasaraswati Balsaraswati on the other hand, was very proud of her mother, grandmother and her devadasi ancestors. She was very proud of the achievements of the devadasis in the world of Bharatnatyam. Unlike Devi, she fore grounded the South Indian nativity and stood by the Tamil roots associated with the dance form. She advocated preserving the tradition, and also keeping it in the hands of the  devadasi  community. Her argument was that the art would die if separated from the caste. She believed that Bharatnatyam was in its purest form and it required no modernization or reformation. At many occasions she reprobated efforts to purify the dance form saying. â€Å"Indeed the effort to purify bharatanatyam is like putting gloss on a burnished gold or painting a lotus†. This proves how high Balasaraswati’s respect and love for Bharatanatyam (in its existing form) was. She urged to adhere to the custom of Bharatnatyam being performed in temples and courts. She also urged taking Bharatnatyam on the concert stage. This gave a new dimension to the revival of the dance form. She also defended the maintenance of originality of the dance form, by supporting the long, solo performances being an important component of the dance form. She emphasized the importance of such elements in to context to maintain classicism, integrity and aestheticism of the dance form. She also believed that abiding by the Tanjore Quartet’s format was an important way of honouring the contributions of the court practitioners. Sringara Rasa Balasaraswati was particularly critical of the reformers who believed in transforming the sringara rasa of the form. She was quoted as saying, â€Å"Sringara is bhakti and bhakti is sringara†. She believed that there is an intricate relationship between the expression of love (sringara) and feeling of devotion (bhakti). She believed that sringara is the supreme emotion and that no other emotion could express so beautifully the mystic union of atma (soul) and the paramatma (The almighty). This rasa gives the dancer a wide scope of introducing artistic innovation from within herself. Balasarswati thus, believed that she was entrusted with the task of safeguarding the dance form by not allowing it to be modernized and easily accessible for corruption. In spite of all the discouragement faced from the world, she continued to protect the dance form, the purity and the originality of the dance form. A similarity in the differences In spite of all the difference and such radically opposite perspectives, both Rukmini Devi and Balasaraswati had the same agenda- of saving the dying dance form. They both strived in their own way to protect the dance form and to take it to a whole new level. Their efforts in bringing Bharatnatyam to the concert stage or proscenium against all the opposition and hurdles from the society are commendable. A choreographer should be thankful to the endeavours of these two torchbearers towards the revival of the Bharatnatyam. History was therefore selective. Rukmini Devi and Balasaraswati presented their understandings by emphasizing on some aspects and eschewing the others.