Gogol’s Namesake Essay

Immigrants moving to the United States are faced with the pressing question of whether or not to assimilate into American culture. Many of those involved in diasporic situations feel that adapting to the social norms of their new surroundings is an act of betraying their roots in which their heritage and all preexisting traditions will be lost. Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake highlights this struggle through the eyes of the Ganguli family. The novel ultimately shows us that one can simultaneously belong to two cultures, in this case Indian and American culture. Many scholars are hung up on the fact that protagonist Gogol must belong to one culture or the other. Heinze’s â€Å"Diasporic Overcoat?† suggests that Gogol puts on an â€Å"overcoat† through the switching of his name to represent the switching of his identity across various relationships and social situations. In doing so, he says â€Å"by implication one is never totally free of an overcoat, there is no such thing as a pristine and authentic identity†¦ (Heinze 197-198)† This quote demonstrates Heinze taking a stand and stating that there is no fixed identity. I suggest that Gogol does indeed obtain a national and cultural identity. The characterization of Gogol’s identity can be viewed as a spectrum that is continuously changing. At one end of the spectrum is his Indian cultural identity and the other is his American. At different points in his life Gogol has different degrees of American and Indian cultures present within him. So rather than arguing Gogol has no set identity, instead his identity is classified by his movement along his hybrid cultural spectrum. Other scholars that write on the issues of cultural hybridity focus on the idea that the person involved in diasporic situations are caught some where between their two given cultures. The author of an article applying concepts of cultural hybridity in music, particularly Arabian Jazz states that those with hybrid identities create a new â€Å"imagined community’ in which cultures may interact and influence each other in a state of co-existence and a â€Å"third space† is created. He defines this third space as â€Å"the inter- the cutting edge of translation and negotiation, the in between space that carries the burden of the meaning of culture† (Al-Joulan 640). Rather than being part of one culture or the other he is saying that identity of ones culture is defined as being in this third space. For the sake of my argument Gogol’s third space is the area on between his Indian culture and American culture. Gogol’s position in his third space changes at  different points in the novel. Gogol’s birth not only marks the start of his life but it also marks the start of his movement away from the Indian side of his hybrid cultural spectrum. Although it is clear the presented naming process for the Ganguli baby is one that typically appeals to Bengali tradition, American pressures results in the vanishing of those traditions. â€Å"Ashima’s grandmother has mailed the letter herself, walking with her cane to the post office, her first trip out of the house in a decade. The letter contains one name for a girl, one for a boy. Ashima’s grandmother has revealed them to no one.† (25) This quote indicates the importance of naming in Bengali tradition, particularly done by an elder in the family. The fact that the grandmother is leaving the house for the first time in ten years to personally see the letter off shows it is of great importance. However, when the letter does not arrive in time, his parents fail to name him according to Bengali tradition. â€Å"For they learn that in America, a baby cannot be released from the hospital without a birth certificate. And that a birth certificate needs a name.† (27) The Ganguli’s must abide to American laws even if it means abandoning essential Bengali traditions and we see young Gogol’s position on the spectrum of two cultures sway away from his â€Å"Indian-ness.† Perhaps this is Lahiri’s way of communicating to her audience that sacrifices must be made in order to establish a hybrid cultural identity. During the infancy stage of Gogol’s life another series of events instills his divergence from the Indian side of his identity spectrum. The Ganguli’s invite their Bengali friends over in celebration of Gogol’s first consumption of solid food. Gogol is also offered a number of items to represent what profession he will grow to attain. â€Å"Gogol frowns, and his lower lip trembles. Only then, forced at six months to confront his destiny, does he begin to cry.† (40) This quote demonstrates how Gogol’s refusal to participate in traditional Indian rituals, begins at an early age. He does not reach for any of the items symbolizing his rejection of Indian culture ultimately pushing him further towards American assimilation. Throughout adolescence and early adulthood Gogol’s movement along the spectrum continues away from the Indian side. During this stage in his life the movement is represented through the rejection of his name to mimic his rejection of his Bengali heritage. Despite the fact that the pet name given  to him at birth is in fact a Russian name, the concept of having a pet name and good name all together is the â€Å"Bengali way† and not typical for Americans. We see this in Gogol’s petition to his parents to change his name when he asks â€Å"Why do I have a pet name in the first place? I don’t get it†(Lahiri 99). His mother responds simply with â€Å"It’s our way, Gogol. It’s what Bengali’s do†(Lahiri 99). When Gogol is asked by his new college suitemate whether Gogol is his first name or last name, he gives a new answer that is of great significance. â€Å"Normally that question agitates him. But today he has a new answer. ‘Actually, that’s my middle name,’ Gogol says by way of explanation, sitting with them in the common room to their suite. ‘Nikhil is my first name. It got left out for some reason’†(Lahiri 103). We know this statement is false due to the fact that in a previous passage of the novel Gogol’s mother explains to his principle that he does not have a middle name at all, he has a good name and a pet name. In Judith Caesar’s article about Gogol’s namesake she says, â€Å"Although Nikhil is an Indian name, it enables him to try on a sophisticated identity he thinks he wants, sexy, cool, ‘normal’†(Caesar 110). I believe what Caesar is referring to as â€Å"normal† is in fact â€Å"more American†. Making the claim that Gogol is his middle name marks his attempt at appearing like a typical American kid with a first, middle, and last name. In essence he is rejecting his pet name to represent the rejection of his Indian heritage. Conversely the acceptance of this so-called â€Å"middle name† represents his acceptance of American culture continuing his movement away from the Indian side of the spectrum. It is not until the adulthood stage in Gogol’s life that he comes full circle and begins his movement in the other direction, back towards the Indian side of his hybrid cultural identity spectrum. The first way in which he does this is through the development of his relationship with Moushumi. Moushumi, being a childhood family friend also of Bengali heritage, first met Gogol as Gogol rather than Nikhil. It is â€Å"the first time he’s been out with a women who’s once known him by that other name†(Lahiri 193). The fact that Gogol goes through with meeting a girl who already knew his pet name, a Bengali custom, represents a step towards accepting his name and a willingness to begin his movement in the other direction towards his â€Å"Indian-ness.† Ironically the very thing they bond over is their identical  hybrid identity situation. â€Å"They talk about how they are both routinely assumed to be Greek, Egyptian, Mexican – even in this misrendering they are joined† (Lahiri 212). Neither Gogol nor Moushumi ever thought they would date another Bengali due to the fact that it is what their parents had continuously drilled into their heads as their wishes. They know that their blossoming relationship will please both their parents, and they each find some comfort in this surprising thought. The reason the two met up after not seeing each other since childhood was a result of a request by Gogol’s mother. She is the one who suggest he call Moushumi. Gogol proceeding with the call and arranging to meet Moushumi marks the start to his movement and reconnection to his Indian culture. The second way Gogol begins his journey of moving back towards the Indian side, is through his exploration and acceptance of what his pet name meant to his father. In the final chapter of the novel we see adult Gogol returning to his family home in which he goes into his old bedroom, discovering the book by author Nikolai Gogol that his father had given to him years ago. He opens the book to find what his father had written in it â€Å"For Gogol Ganguli†¦ the man who gave you his name, from the man who gave you your name†(Lahiri 288). It is only out of respect for his father that he takes the time to explore what the name meant to him. Had Gogol’s father not have passed away, he may have again snubbed the book and its significance to his father as he did when he first gifted it to him. This may be Lahiri’s way of conveying to readers that although it is too little to late in the aspect of reestablishing a relationship with his father, it is not yet too late to reconnect with his Bengali heritage. The moment Gogol begins to read â€Å"The Overcoat† marks just the beginning of his exploration and acceptance of his Bengali heritage and finding its role in the grand scheme of his double-sided identity spectrum. In conclusion we see different degrees of Indian and American culture present within Gogol representing his continuous changing position across his hybrid culture identity or â€Å"third space†. In the early stages of his life we see his divergence from â€Å"Indian-ness† through his parents failure to name him according to Bengali tradition, his own rejection of important  Bengali ceremonial traditions and the rejection of his pet name. Finally in adulthood he begins his journey in the other direction, his journey at exploring at reconnecting with this Indian roots marking the start of his movement back towards â€Å"Indian-ness.† This movement is achieved through his developing relationship with Moushumi, another Bengali-American character, as well as his acceptance to explore the meaning of his name given to him by his father. Works Cited Al-joulan, Nayef. â€Å"Diana Abu-Jaber’s Arabian Jazz: An Orphic Vision of Hybrid Cultural Identity.† Neophilologus 94.4 (2010): 637-52. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. Heinze, Ruediger. â€Å"A Diasporic Overcoat? Naming and Affection in Jhumpa Lahiri’s the Namesake.† Journal of Postcolonial Writing 43.2 (2007): 191-202. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. Caesar, Judith. â€Å"Gogol’s Namesake: Identity and Relationships in Jhumpa Lahiri’s the Namesake.† Atenea 27.1 (2007): 103-19. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

The Great Panda

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Social performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Assignment from the book understanding human communication Case Study

Assignment from the book understanding human communication - Case Study Example These differences created concerns for me as I undermined his cultural values and expected him to act as per my cultural values. I think our relationship has acquired the stage of differentiating. As both of us shared close friendship therefore, we both want to keep a pace now. Although, Hideki didn’t show such emotions but his culture bound nature has created distances amongst us. Now that both of us have gained the commonalty, we need to reemphasize on our individual identities. Differentiation had to occur as Hideki’s behavior started disturbing me and I tended to avoid him despite of his kind nature. Hideki, bound by his culture, was too reserved to let me know about him, and that made me feel frustrated. The dialectic tensions operating in our relationship are of two types. Both of us do not want to forfeit our individualities. My own behavior shows a conflicting wish for staying connected as well as being independent. The other dialect tension encircling our relation is â€Å"openness vs. privacy†. As disclosure is one of the essentials of interpersonal relationships, but keeping a space between ourselves and others is also necessary. This leads to the creation of openness vs. privacy dilemma. Hideki belong to Japanese culture which is quite different from mine. Therefore, he may limit himself in disclosing as in his case self disclosure could be influenced by culture and it may occur incrementally. However, the guidelines suggest that as I am engaging myself in business partnership with Hideki, his disclosure to a reasonable degree is important to me at the situation at hand. The clear and understandable disclosure by both the parties is constructive in the long run. Hinting could be used as an alternative to self disclosure in this situation (Adler, Rodman & Cropley, 2011). Tempestuous, Scorching, arid, misty and story weather related adjectives could be used to describe

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Recruitment and selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Advanced Investment and Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Case study analysis and continuous professional development Essay

Case study analysis and continuous professional development - Essay Example Organizational contextual factors Sonoco Products Company is a global packaging company that was developed in 1899 in Hartsville, South Carolina. Major James Coker established the company and his main target was to make paper cone used to hold yarn in the textile industry. The company kept on making paper cones till it became a leading paper cone industry, experiencing competition from other cone producing companies. This led to its expansion and it started manufacturing packages till it became the largest packing industry in the world (Thomas, Groysberg, and Reavis, 2008). The company proposed a new organizational restructuring that would suit the function cost by at least 20%, this is for the reason that, the company had been highly taxed due to the high cost it was experiencing, so the company managed to increase the sales by 14% by reducing expenses with the increase in shareholders. The organization established a new organizational model; this was to improve the top growth in im proving the company’s sales to compete with companies around the world. The consumer packaging department was to check the packaging style to meet the demands of the customers around the world. This strategy was a rethinking strategy of certain company structures like the human resources. Under the HR every manager managed talents within each of her or his division (Kotelnikov, 2006). The managing director developed policies for performance, management, compensation, development and successful management. These polices advocated for the HR to increase general manager accountability for talent management, to distribute HR talent management and to distribute more, to optimize HR talent ability to give customized ability to the customers. These strategies are only effective if implemented by serious working staff members within the organization (Fort and Salin, 2001). The Sonoco Company established in 1889 in California was a textual industry and gradually developed into a consu mer packaging consumer industry. This growth occurred manly through acquisition in 1990 where the company made 60% acquisition around the world. The company occupied two segments the packaging segments and the consumer packaging. The industrial segment which served as the textile industry paper industry and film industry employed around 11000 employees and made 55% revenue to the company. The consumer packaging had a range of 6000 employees and made high revenue to the company with its products. Some of the company’s products are Gillette, Krafts, Nestle and Procter as well as Gamble. The cultural background of the company is friendly, collaborative, and ethical and team oriented. Most of these employees have been in the organization for over twenty years and enjoyed working with the members of the community. During the late 1990s there was a fall in the stock and change was a required in the structure of the organization to solve the problem (Mission statement - Sonoco, 2009 ). In the early 1990, the packaging companies generated around 40 billion and the consumer industry represented about 70% countrywide distribution. Paper industry accounted for 30% and film industry accounte

Interest groups in the U.S. politics Essay Example for Free

Interest groups in the U.S. politics Essay The United States is a democratic country, which supports non-violent political and social movements, seeking different improvements in the U. S. domestic and international policies. That is to say, the requirements of interest groups are not always met, because whereas various types of interest groups are acknowledged, there still exist those factions, which have narrow social base and whose political presentation is limited in scope, as a rule, to financial interests of their members. For instance, the sugar lobbies (such as SIG) represent the opinion of 10, 000 -15,000 farmers, who call for the restriction of import of sugar and for the special social programs for sugar farmers. Such factions are usually intended as those with narrow interests and their founders and members lobby these interests in special moments and periods, when the atmosphere becomes more conductive for promotion –for instance, when they find out that the imported sugar does not fir into the international quality standards, or before the elections (Elhauge, 2002). Special interest groups are usually distinguished from â€Å"constituency-representing organizations, which have a broad social base, address a wide range of issues, and balance members’ interests with a strong commitment to the commonwealth† (Etzioni, 1990, p. 172). These organizations might pursue such non-financial interests as those related to social status, value issues in addition to financial ones, for instance the Urban League represents the interests of urban residents and seek environmental, social and political changes in large cities. â€Å"While the public views interest groups as threatening pluralistic democracy, the conventional wisdom of political science has seen them as beneficial† (ibid). In fact, it is possible to assume from the present situation, that the most beneficial activity is related to the constituency-representation. Furthermore, special interest groups are likely to bring problems to larger factions, due to dynamic interactions between political parties, movements and non-profit organizations. Small factions pursuing narrow goals are also more likely to use ‘black PR’ technologies, directed to changing public attitudes towards certain political parties and either to increase or to decrease loyalty rates. On the other hand, the eradication of small ‘narrowly-specialized’ factions is neither possible nor useful, as the statement that competing factions (Mcwilliams, 1988) are likely to reduce each other, is valid only for small groups, whose interests are temporary. On the contrary, constituency-representing organizations are more likely to produce long-term programs including political, economic, social and cultural dimensions of human life. â€Å"The balance between interest groups and the shared polity is maintained most effectively when the pro-community forces rise up, but not higher than, the level they are able to contain but not suppress interest groups† (Mcwilliams, 1988, A9). Moreover, the role of factions is viewed in the context of the historical development of the United States. Over the last three decades, the American political institutions have become less integrated, and the power of factions has increased. On the other hand, due to the growth of their number, it is much more difficult nowadays to maintain the balance between the main political course and the consent between the state and narrower interest groups (Etzioni, 1990). It would be also important to mention the functions of interest groups. First of all they serve as a supplementary force that intensifies the public opinion representation, especially during the electoral process. Moreover, they make the political process more receptive comparing to the electoral process, which is intended as a domination of majorities, while factions are more likely to have goals, which are cohesive with the main wishes of social and national minorities; and thus they serve as a mediating force standing between the person and the state. Interest groups are known to improve the disproportionate separation of the legislative and the executive branches, because their propositions of legislative changes are logically supplemented by similar propositions for the executive branch. Another important cultural function is associated with the growth of political consciousness and political culture as well as the amount of political information in media, which represents a number of standpoints. At all times interest groups and political parties served an indicator of public consciousness and diversity as well as intensified political antagonism, especially in the most critical periods: for instance, during the Vietnamese military invasion, Carter’s position were actually weakened by interest groups, including the most peaceful youth movements, dissatisfied with the resolution of Iranian hostage crisis. As a rule, interest groups arise in the most conductive atmosphere (liberal or democratic regime), in which human rights and freedoms are declared. Political, economic and social factions can originate from professional unions or leagues (like social workers’ professional organization), which seek to represent the opinions of their professional group or their customers’ viewpoint (for instance, social workers nowadays initiate law enforcement and the adoption of certain legal acts as well as get directly involved in lobbyist activities). The discontent with government policies is another important recondition for the arousal of an interest group: political activity is actually determined by the existing economic and social policies, so it’s easy to predict, for instance, the activation of industrial unions, when under the pressure of ecological groups, the U. S. government or certain local authorities put additional taxation on enterprises, dealing with toxic substances or with oil and natural gas. It is also important to note that interest groups will exist as long as the democratic system exists, because it is impossible to satisfy the needs of the whole society with respect to its diversity. Consequently, those concerns, which have already been satisfied, are likely to be replaced by new demands. This means, human needs are immeasurable and never-ending, whereas material resources are limited, so the U. S. government today can provide only partial gratification of political claims. Furthermore, the issue of representation is also quite contradictory: on the one hand, the growth of diversity among political parties signifies positive dynamics in this sense, on the other hand, due to the increase of public consciousness, the diversity in worldviews has grown disproportionably to the number of existing factions, so that even small groups (families, local communities) seek social or economic support, but in this case we cannot speak about true representation, since their influence is insufficient to initiate the changes at legislative or executive levels. The representation of each citizen’s interests is a utopia, as at the present time only large (more than 100,000 members) interest groups can achieve representation, can be heard, if speaking figuratively. Furthermore, it is important to note that the complete representation is inhibited by the demands of the epoch, to which self-respecting factions are supposed to adjust. For instance, the ISN movement, whose leaders several years ago (in 2000-2001) called for the changes in the U. S.immigration policy and were representing the viewpoints of national and ethnic minorities, who live and work in the country (Elhauge, 2002), has changed its directions and now are trying to create more constructive basis for the U. S. foreign policy. On the one hand, it is associated with the events of September 11, which were close followed by the violations of Muslim minorities’ human rights. On the other hand, political changes forced this faction to make a more profound inquiry into the current state of affairs and to find the most acute concerns of the society. Similar dynamics can be noticed in a number of special and constituency-representing interest groups which removed irrelevant concerns and posed new questions, such as those related to women’s rights, ethnic minorities’ human rights, social security and intellectual property. As one can assume, certain interests remain overlooked or underrepresented, whereas the most ‘fashionable’ sociopolitical trends (gender equality) are overstated and therefore prioritized. Works cited 1) Elhauge, E. Does interest group theory justify more intrusive judicial review? Yale Law Journal, 2002, Vol. 110 2) Etzioni, A. Special interest groups versus constituency representation: Research in social movements. Conflict and Change, 1990, Vol. 8. 3) Mcwilliams, R. The best and the worst of public interest groups; from lifting up the poor to shaking down the elderly, Washington Monthly, March 1988, Vol. 20.

Mergers And Acquisitions Current Industry Scenario Management Essay

Mergers And Acquisitions Current Industry Scenario Management Essay The previous chapter had given us an insight of the research that would be conducted providing an introduction to it. A brief discussion was done by the researcher regarding the research and the possible outcomes of the research. In this chapter we would be discussing the relevant literature that would be used by the researcher to conduct this study. It would also give us few insights about the real world scenarios with regard to Mergers and Acquisitions. The key factors that would give success in case of a Merger/Acquisition are discussed. Finally, this chapter concludes with a summary of the key points made throughout the chapter. To reiterate the research title is; What are the repercussions of mergers and acquisitions: do they offer competitive advantage; is the advantage sustainable? A review on GE from 2005 to 2010. The Aim of this research is to critically evaluate the consequences of mergers and acquisitions on the extent to which it can prove to be beneficial for an organization and how well can an organization get accustomed to the competitive advantages from mergers and acquisitions? based on a review of General Electronics from 2005-2010. In meeting this aim, the following Objectives were set: To critically observe the methods and procedures followed by organizations for mergers or acquisition to happen To critically examine if the motivating methods employed by General Electric Company help to yield more output in a merger and acquisition, 2005 to 2010 To assess the scope, these mergers and acquisitions contributed towards increasing both the top line and bottom line growth in General Electric Company, 2005 to 2010 To critically observe the methods and strategies that General Electric Company followed to sustain their growth and development obtained from the merger or acquisition, 2005 to 2010 To identify the areas of integration in an organization that most need improvement and to resolve the problems Mergers Acquisitions Current Industry Scenario: The current industry scenario as far as Mergers Acquisitions (MA) are concerned is more of an act of showing power by the company pushing for the merger or takeover. No one is happy as far as a merger or an acquisition is concerned other than the company which is taking over. A MA normally leads to various staff issues, the culture of an organization goes through a complete change and this change becomes hard to be accepted by the existing staff members of the company which is being taken over. We have seen many scenarios wherein the staffs of the company being taken over have had to either undergo a huge change or leave the organization itself. But, the scenario is always not the same; there have been instances wherein the company taking over have come forward to help the existing staff members in the old organization to blend in the new system which they are not used to. Many companies have made it to the top of their respective industry because of such MAs. In the instance of the most recent takeover of Cadbury by Kraft Foods, both the companies have been known for their bitter rivalry in the industry. But at the end of all this rivalry the board of Cadburys agreed to bow down for 11.5 billion pounds in January 2011. The Chairman of Cadbury Mr.Roger Carr in an interview with BBC was quoted to say that the reason for which Cadbury agreed for the takeover was more in the financial interest of the company. This clearly shows that any kind of merger would just be done on the basis of the financial ability of the company to handle the pressure. Cadbury a company known for its best HR practices had to give away its culture and its practices to a company like Kraft foods which the moment they took over Cadburys, just started replacing the existing staffs with their own staff. This is the kind of attitude that saw many lose their jobs. There were many who were made to leave their jobs by showing the culture of an American company to the British workers. Cadbury was known to take care of its workers and when the takeover was completed it was just cleaned over by Kraft Foods just in the way they wanted. This is not only for Cadbury, this is normally what happens in any takeover and Kraft-Cadbury is just an example of what has been happening around. But, there have been few takeovers which might also result in the growth of the bond. The example for this can be the General Electric Company (GE) takeover of Lineage Power Holdings, Inc., from the Gores Group, LLC. This takeover which happened in March 2011 resulted in the growth of Lineage Power Holdings Inc., in the field of telecommunications and data communication. Though the company was taken over by GE the company still stuck to its culture and none of its staff have been asked to leave by GE. This showed GEs attitude towards its employees even if it meant that it was a company that they had taken over. This attitude of GE shows how a company should handle such acquisitions in a smooth manner without affecting the employees. Though the current scenario gives us a different picture about Mergers Acquisitions it is very important that companies do not take decisions based on the current scenario alone. That is where it becomes important for an organization to do ample research before proceeding for an Acquisition or a Merger. There are number of theories that suggest different kinds of approaches to be taken with regard to a MA. The reviews of the literature on these theories are discussed by the researcher further in this chapter. Mergers Acquisitions Classification: The classifications based on the transactions can be done as Horizontal, Vertical or Conglomerate (Gaughan, 2002, Chunlai Chen and Findlay, 2003). As stated by Chunlai Chen and Findlay (2003), horizontal MA is where the target and the acquiring company are in the same industry. The example for such a merger was discussed earlier when the researcher spoke about Kraft Foods takeover of Cadbury. This is largely due to the fact that there has been substantial change in the technology and liberalization of industries. MA are said to be classified as vertical when there is a combination of firms which were already in a client supplier or a buyer seller relationship. The organizations that are involved in such transactions normally look at downsizing the costs in the value chain and eventually benefit the economics of scope (Chunlai Chen and Findlay, 2003). As stated by Gaughan (2002), a transaction that involves two companies which operate completely unrelated business is called Conglome rate. In addition to the above MA can also be classified as either Friendly or Hostile (Chunlai Chen and Findlay, 2003). A transaction is considered as Friendly if the target companys board agrees to the takeover amount and the MA is carried out. If the takeover happens with the target companys board just needing to surrender to the acquiring company just for the money, it is considered as Hostile. Chunlai Chen and Findlay (2003) also stated that the MA could be Domestic or Cross-Border for the companies that are involved. This is normally done in order to create a presence or to look at having better opportunities for success in the Industry. The classification of MA could then be summarized in the table below: Classification of merger acquisition transactions MA classification in terms of Value chain Relationship Economic area Horizontal MA Vertical MA Conglomerate MA Friendly MA Hostile MA Domestic MA Cross-border MA Taking into account the different classifications in terms of Value Chain, Relationship and Economic Scope the researcher would be considering the different MAs that have been executed by General Electric Company (GE) and look at the effect that such MAs have had upon the employees of the target organization. The researcher further looks at the various theories that would have been considered for different MAs executed by GE. Motives and the Theories behind Mergers Acquisitions: Exploring the motives of firms engaging in MA transactions has been placed with a significant amount of efforts by different authors. Earlier Trautwein (1990) and more recently Cox (2006) provided us with a more brief description of the motives by underlaying different theories (Please refer to Table 2.2: MA Motives). Trautwein(1990) noted that MA makers were more interested in the valuation (the deal yielding a higher Net Present Value) and synergy to justify the merger or acquisition. As expected it is quite clear that managers do not refer monopoly power in any of the benefits that the acquiring organization might be deriving out of the deal. Trautwein (1990) also states that the process and the raider theories have very little evidence on the motives implied by them both in the form of research or in practice. The disturbance theory is also discussed by him as being considered at the macro-economic level than the micro-economic level which is more related to the present research and hence the researcher has not considered the same. Interestingly, Gaughan (2002) gives a more realistic way of viewing the MA motives with numerous empirical case studies which has reference to the theories with more details. There are four main motives for a firm to execute MA according to him, they are: (1) Quick growth comes through M&A; (2) Economics of scope or scale may be gained through M&A; (3) Having a larger firm due to a MA means more access to capital market, which would in the future lead to a lesser cost of capital, i.e., benefits of more financial options; and (4) A firm with superior management skill might also look at MA with an anticipation of higher gains through the target organizations business. One the whole, the researcher quite clearly shows how all the three authors noted above have concurred on the fact that any MA is driven by not one but many complex motives. And all these are not at all similar in any form and would always vary from deal to deal which can never be justified with a single theory/approach. Merger acquisition motives (adapted from Trautwein, 1990 and Cox, 2006) Motives Theory Description Rational Choice MA MA Benefitting Acquirers Shareholders Gaining Based on synergy Efficiency Theory The three major synergies Financial, Managerial and Operational are achieved when MA is executed. Transfer of Wealth from customers Monopoly theory Market power is seized by planning and executing MA. Horizontal Conglomerate MA types wherein the acquiring firm takes control of the industry on the whole. Transfer of Wealth from targets shareholders Raider theory A person who oversees and initiates wealth transfers from the stockholders of the companies he bids for exchange of excessive compensation after a successful takeover is called a Raider. Gaining based on private information Valuation Theory/ Investment Theory This kind of MA is normally planned and executed by managers who have in-depth knowledge about the market of the target company. MA Benefitting Managers Empire- building theory/ Agency theory Instead of increasing the shareholders value, MA is planned and executed to maximize the Managers own utility. Process Outcome MA Process theory MAs are executed as an outcome of another process as per this theory. These processes can be internal or external to the organization. Macro-Economic Phenomenon MA Disturbance theory The MA which is triggered by virtue of an economic disturbance forms the Disturbance theory. These are normally those MAs which are not that successful when it comes to long term as they are a result of an economic imbalance. The successful Acquisition-Integration strategy of General Electric Company A Preview: The case study that has been taken for this research is that of General Electric Company, a name which has been very successful in Mergers Acquisitions mostly due to its strategy techniques. The most successful strategy as far as GE is concerned is the Wheel of Fortune: The Pathfinder model of GE capital. The whole cycle of the integration of both companies as a single entity involves a lot of involvement from both the sides. The most discussed acquisition-integration process is that of the GE Capital Services Wheel of Fortune model coded as the Pathfinder Model. This model is now well established and has been successfully implemented by GE in all its acquisitions. This model consists of four main stages called Action Stages viz. Pre-Acquisition, Foundation Building, Rapid Integration and Assimilation. It starts from when the deal is initiated to the stage where the integration is completed. The four stages are further divided into two or three more processes within each stage. The Pre-Acquisition stage has processes like Due Diligence, Negotiation and Announcement, Closing and Signing off of Deal. The Foundation Building stage consists of the launch of the integration, the acquisition -integration workout and the strategy formulation. The Rapid Integration consists of two processes Implementation of strategy and Course Assessment and Adjustment. The last and final stage is Assimilation wherein you have the long-term evaluation and Adjustment and then the Capitalization of the success of the integration of both organizations. Also in each action stage several best practises which are more specific and practical to help the managers to support the integration process. WOF-GE.jpg The Wheel of Fortune: The Pathfinder Model This model clearly shows that the acquisition integration is in itself an art which can be also a science when it comes to principles followed by this model. A particular sequence of actions which are leveraged according to the requirement of the acquisition-integration process is clearly defined in the Pathfinder model, most of which are more unique in nature.  The model is shown with such representation that it does not eliminate the need for managers to improvise for the integration process but it however prevents this improvisation to become a centre point in the integration process. This is the model that has been successfully implemented by GE time and again and has always paid them rich dividends when it comes to both organization and staff integration, which is very important for the integrated organization to thrive in the current market situation. Conclusion: In the above chapter the researcher has given the insights on the current scenario with regard to the Mergers Acquisitions. The researcher also ventures into the different theories with regard to Mergers and Acquisitions and explains with the help of necessary literature the concepts surrounding these theories. Also the researcher identifies the various scenarios in which these theories are to be used in a merger or acquisition. The researcher further gives information about the reason why GE has been chosen for this research as a case study by emphasising the fact that most of the acquisitions that have been executed by GE have been successful. The Pathfinder model being followed by GE is explained by the researcher, giving a summary of the acquisition-integration process which has helped GE in smoothening of all acquisitions handled by GE. On the whole this chapter deals with various literatures that detailing the MA processes and gives the researcher a strong idea about the Resea rch Methodology to be followed for conducting this research successfully.