An Analysis Of The Culture Of An Organization

An Analysis Of The Culture Of An Organization Southwest Airlines is the pioneer in low-fare air transportation and one of the leading American airlines. In 2010, with a number of 106.2 million passengers carried, it was the USAs largest domestic carrier in terms of boarded passengers (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation and IATA, 2011). Southwest was incorporated in Texas in 1967 and service started four years later, in 1971. Originally, the airline was only serving Texan cities but the company has progressively enlarged its service to other American states and cities. Until 2011, no international destinations were comprised in the airlines routes even though codeshare agreements permitted it to offer international flights operated by other airlines as stated by the Southwest media website, 2011. The acquisition of AirTran Airways by Southwest Airlines will allow it to serve some international destinations in Mexico and the Carribean. In 2010, the staff represented 34,901 persons and the company owned 548 aircrafts (Datamonitor, 2011). A PESTEL analysis of the global airline industry by Xerfi Global (2011) will allow us to understand that the macro environment stays exceptionally challenging. Here is a brief summary of the analysis: Positive effect Negative effect Politics Public support actions Political instabilities, conflicts, terrorism Economy Increasing demand for air transportation Oil and fuel price variations Sensitivity of demand to prices and economic variations Social Expanding world population Economic and social globalisation Seasonal demand Technology Aircraft efficiency enhancements Creation of new aircraft concepts make air travel even more attractive (e-commerce) Chronic delays in aircraft delivery Environment Unfavorable weather conditions Natural disasters, pandemics Environmental law to reduce emissions (carbon offsetting) Legislation International agreements in favour of liberalisation and globalisation Severe security and safety regulation High levels of taxation A market analysis of the global airline industry (Xerfi Global, 2011) reports several facts. First of all, politics have a high impact on the airline industry. It can be seriously influenced when it comes to growing taxes, stringent security norms or legislation defending the environment. All these constraints impact the finances and operations of airlines. However, governments offer regular financial support to assist airlines because of their significance for trade and tourism. Moreover, economic and social globalisation leads to market deregulation and thus enable the good development of the industry. The economic factor has also a high impact on flag-carriers. For example, in 2009 during the global economic crisis, all the industry was affected as stated by Xerfi Global, 2011. Consumers were less likely to travel because of the variations of diverse economic factors like employment as well as income level or more generally global trade. As a result, the air traffic was highly and rapidly contracted. Regardless of these issues, demand for air transportation is increasing due to the growing demand in emerging markets (Aviation Industry, 2009). The constant technical progress of the airline industry by the development of plane with high capacity, asking a reduced maintenance and a reasonable consumption made accessible this type of transportation to several hundreds of million persons. Nowadays, it is cheaper to travel by plane thanks to the technologys fast improvements and to a more active competition. The costs are significantly reduced and thus allow more people to use air transportation. After using a PESTEL analysis, it is now necessary to get a closer look on the internal factors. Here is a SWOT analysis of the Southwest airline retrieved from a report made by Datamonitor (2011): Strengths Weaknesses Firm operating strategy Robust fleet operations Increasing cash flow from operations Class action lawsuits Dependent on single aircraft and engine suppliers Opportunities Threats Poised to benefit from the acquisition of AirTran Holdings Positive outlook for tourism industry in the US Growing US airline industry Intense competition Increasing fuel prices could strain margins Stringent government regulation could increase operating costs Table : SWOT Analysis of SWA Datamonitor 2011 Focus of the report : practice Companies, following the example of the individuals, possess their own culture. Generally, in a company managed by its owner, the culture corresponds appreciably to the personal culture of this one. As reported by Kotter and Heskett (1992), company with a strong corporate culture is due to the founder or the early leader and his capacity to articulate ideas as a vision or business strategy. In big organizations, several cultures mix. Sometimes they can be incompatible because of the diverse personalities who compose the management team. Besides, the experiences and the society can also influence (in a positive or negative way) the corporate culture, sometimes even without the managers knowing. In every type of organization, a deficient culture risks to have a demotivating effect on the staff and to be source of dissatisfaction to the clientele two factors which have a significant incidence on the profitability of the company. Organizational culture is defined as: a pattern of basic assumptions that a group has invented, discovered or developed in learning to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, and that have worked well enough to be considered valid,and therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems (Schein, 1990, p. 111). Southwest Airlines is a perfect example in terms of corporate culture. Over the years, the company has imposed a strong and original culture that has always made the airline even stronger. Today, SouthWest Airlines confirms its corporate culture centred on a relation privileged with its employees and its clientele by diversifying the means to communicate with this one through various social networks in which the company answers present and invites its employees to participate. This report will focus on the fact that Southwest airline focuses its attention on its employees. For example, in 2001, Southwest Airlines had already thwarted the effects of the recession by putting in the foreground its employees. The company chooses to draw from its financial reserves and to emphasize the advertising to consolidate its positioning as a low cost airline in order to avoid the lay-off. The creed of SWA is perfectly organized: Treat your employees well, theyll treat your customers well, the cust omers will become loyal, and your company will prosper. (James Parker, former CEO of SWA) CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW THEORY Theorical framework used and reasons it was choosen Schein (1992) emphasizes the importance to realize a cultural analysis in order to succeed an effective management which can transcend the national and ethical frontiers. He asserts that this analysis represents a key factor of success for the leaders, who are the persons in charge for creating, administering, changing and even destroying an organizational culture. Schein (1992) has defined three basic levels of a culture which help to realise such an analysis: The first level establishes the surface of a culture and consists of artefacts, which are defines as visible organizational structure and process (Schein, 1992). Artefacts are explicit either material demonstrations of a culture, such as the physical structure of a company (the architecture, the size of offices, presence or absence of barriers between offices, etc.), the dress code of employees, the visible behaviour of the persons, the rites or ceremonies, published lists on the values and the philosophy of the company, etc. The meanings of these artefacts are only known by people from inside the company, and are thus difficult to understand for an external observer. In the same spirit, Trompenaars declares that stereotypes are formed in this superficial level:  « prejudices mostly start on this symbolic and observable level [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] each opinion we voice regarding explicit culture usually says more about where we come from than about the community we are judging  » (19 98). The second level of a culture is constituted by explicit values espoused values as stated by Argyris and Shon (1978) (as cited in Schein,1992). It includes values and faiths put together by a group of persons. However, these can be simply affirmations because there are uttered values which are not put into practice in all the situations confronted by an individual. For example, the managers of a company can affirm that one of their main values is the environmental protection, while in reality, the company pollutes in secret the environment. In that case, the assertion of a value does not condition the behaviour of the managers. Trompenaars explains that this type of behaviour is a result of a contradiction between the standards and the values: while the norms, consciously or subconsciously give us a feeling of this is how i aspire or desire to behave (Trompenaars, 1997). Nevertheless, Schein has identified a third level of culture, in which the explicit values become internal values, which will determine the behaviour of the group which shares them. This third level is the formation of basic underlying assumptions. The process by which a shared value is transformed in one basic assumption is introduced by the leader / founder of a certain group. For example the leader of a group can propose a solution to a common issue (based on one of its values or even on a faith). Then, the validity of this proposal will be questioned and debated between the members of the group. The proposal will thus be tested several times in order to evaluate it. Finally, if this solution works in a repetitive way, the value which is behind will be approved as correct and by consequent it will be considered as an absolute value and unconsciously it will be assimilated as shared basic assumption , anchored in all the members of the groups minds. These shared basic assumption constitute one of the foundations of the meanings which the group shares in an implicit way and which give a context of interpretation common to the group. The model of Schein goes farther than the model of Hofstede which presents the culture (including the organizational culture) as an onion onion diagram , with the values in the centre, encircled by layers of demonstrations or practices of the culture, defines as the symbols, the heroes or the rites. According to the model of Schein, the symbols, the heroes and the rites are all categorised as artefacts, and the basic assumptions are at the heart of the model, with the explicit values between both levels. Scheins organizational theory will be the most useful framework to study this particular practice within Southwest Airlines. The company is well-known for its strong corporate culture. Since its creation, the company has shown undeniable success even during the economic crisis. Beside this important fact, SouthWest Airline is also good for its employees and they do not hesitate to say it: the company has been ranked second best place to work for in America in 2011 (Glassdoor, 2011). Therefore, it would be interesting to understand how such a successful company managed to go through the years without losing any of its qualities. That is why a deep analysis of the companys corporate culture will be done using the Schein model. CHAPTER 3 ANALYZE OF THE PRACTICE OF SWA Applying the chosen theory This part of the report will be dedicated to an analysis of the employee-focused practice of Southwest Airlines through the Schein model. Schein organizational culture level is obvious in the case of Southwest Airlines. At the first level, culture is visible to those who are inside the organization and outsiders through organizational artifacts. It is the most visible and accessible level of culture. These are employeess behavior, logos of the company or slogans such as Just Plane Smart (Southwest Airlines, 1992). Kelleher states: We were always very colorful and somewhat promotive of a sense of humor. We have always had that approach, in an informal way (Organizational Dynamics, 1992). Each person who travels using a Southwest flight will pay attention to the attitude of the Southwest employees. They characteristically are the friendliest, most willing to help employees of any airline. Southwest chooses its employees based on their social skills and their ability to be sociable and outgoing. Personnel at Southwest must be happy to work and communicate with customers. That is why Southwest gives its employees the freedom to use any talents or skills they may have in order to entertain and serve the customers as long as they make them happy. This is one of the factor that contribute to Southwests excellent customer service. There are many examples that prove the fact that employees can act freely. For instance, flight attendants might sing or tell jokes during the flight. In 2009, David Holmes became the most famous rapping flight attendant and his performance became viral on YouTube (Southwests Rapping Flight Attendant on Freestyle and Flying to Vegas, 2009). This is one of the numerous example that demonstrate that on Southwests flights, flight attendants do not only serve customers by demonstrating seatbelts and serving food and drinks. The middle level of a culture includes values and norms put together by a group of persons. Southwest has two main values: humour and altruism. They are defined by different beliefs of the company such as the importance of focusing on the situation, issue or behaviour rather than focusing on the person. It means that a solution must be found instead of judging others. Also, employees need to be creative and cooperative. It is really important to maintain the self-confidence and self-esteem of others. That is why employees have to respect all the different personalities in order to create one big family. The company also insists on the importance of constructive relationships between employees. The success of the company depends on a good teamwork. Moreover, people in Southwest have the duty to make improvements in order to make things better within the company. A LUV attitude is always required and everyone should behave in consideration of the companys spirit but also in considerati on of others. The Golden Rule is Treat others as you want to be treated (The Power of LUV: An Inside Peek at the Innovative Culture Committee of Southwest Airlines, 2008). Here are the values as stated by Kelleher (as cited by Organizational Dynamics, 1992): VALUE 1: Work should be funit can be playenjoy it. VALUE 2: Work is importantdont spoil it with seriousness. VALUE 3: People are importanteach one makes a difference. A perfect example of Southwests corporate story that helps employees understand how they should behave in a particular situation could be the early years of the company. The first nine years was the toughest part of the companys life. As stated by Lusk on the companys blog, tradition here at Southwest Airlines that anyone hired during our first year of operation is considered an Original Employee. In 2010, eleven of the Original Employees are still working at Southwest. Seven of them were on Southwests first flight as flight attendants; one works as a manager in flight operations, another is a member of Southwests ground crew, one is a dispatcher, and the last one works in maintenance (Lauer, 2010). On special occasions, Southwest invites the Originals to come in to Southwests headquarters and talk about their experiences to current employees. Lauer (2010) indicates that the Originals tell current employees about the struggles of a new airline working hard to develop. They also explain how the company managed to advertise without any money in the beginning. The flights attendants had to be creative because the company had no money to spend on adverti sing. They would go down to the streets of Dallas, Houston and San Antonio wearing their uniform and distribute flight schedules for the airlines four flights to everyone they met. This type of storytelling preserves the history of Southwest, while also connecting the companys early corporate culture to the lives of the actual and future employees. Furthermore, corporate rituals are recurring sequence of activities that express significant values of the company. There is one ritual for what Southwest is famous for: its Halloween party. Every year Southwest Airlines hosts a enormous Halloween bash at its Dallas headquarters (Southwest LUVs Halloween, 2012). Herb Kelleher passed on his love of Halloween and made it become a tradition at Southwest Airlines. Once, the former CEO showed up dressed as Elvis driving a Harley-Davidson (Lauer, 2010). Once Kelleher retired in 2004, his successor Gary Kelly proved his undeniable belief in and support of preserving the unique corporate culture of Southwest by dressing up on Halloween as Captain Jack Sparrow from the film The Pirates of the Caribbean. And he has been celebrating Halloween every year since then. Halloween party shows that having fun in the working environment is an essential value of the company. The third and deepest level is called basic assumption level. At this stage, the transmission of culture is done unconsciously or under the surface. As stated by Hill and Jones (2001), basic assumptions help to formulate organizational values and these become shared assumptions that guide how employees interact with each other. Overtime and through socialization, the values are conveyed to and taught to new members of the organization as the right way to do things. Southwest employs two tools to socialize its values to new employees. They are both parts of the culture committee maintained by the company (Rebuilding the Social Contract at Work: Lessons from Leading Cases, 1999). The first tool used by Southwest is the New City committee. The purpose of this committee is to go to each new city Southwest serves so as to teach new employees about the values of the company. It facilitates the adaptation of the new employees to Southwests culture, so they can learn the Southwests ways of doing things. The second tool is called Back to Basics team. This committee sponsored an essay competition to describe what makes Southwest successful. The team chose a series of essays that were integrated into a book with an accompanying video that is given to every new employee. One important thing is that people of these comm ittees are all volunteers working on their own time. CONCLUSION This report allowed to understand the impact of a strong corporate culture and its relation to company performance. The case of Southwest airlines shows a company with a solid commitment to its employees. The company offers the same respect to its employees as it does to its customers. The mission of Southwest airlines is unique in the fact that it recognizes the importance of its employees in the companys strategy, which puts the emphasis on the great customer service and the operational efficiency. In return, the employees show undeniable respect, loyalty and trust. The exact same qualities that Southwest airlines demonstrates. Employees of the Southwest are known for their loyalty, the dedication, the attitude and the innovation. Employees are the factor of distinction between Southwest airlines and the rest of the airline industry. BIBLIOGRAPHY Hill, C.W.L and Jones, G.R. (2001) Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach. Boston MA, Houghton Mifflin Kotter, J. Heskett, J. (1992). Corporate Culture and Performance. New York, NY: the Free press. Lauer, C. (2010). Southwest Airlines. Greenwood Schein E. (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership. (2nd ed) .Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Trompenaars, F. Hampden-Turner, C. (1997) Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business (Second Edition) London: McGraw-Hill.

Of mice and men Essay

Crooks is an educated black cripple who tends horses on the ranch. He has been prey of oppressive violence and prejudice and has retired behind an exterior of detachment and reserve, his natural personality deadened and suppressed by years of hostility. He has known better times and, unlike most southern blacks at that time, was brought up on a small holding run by his father. This is the type of home longed for by Lennie, George and Candy and, despite his initial cynicism, Crooks also becomes caught up in their dream of escape. Crook’s automatic rejection of friendship or companionship has more to do with the torture of his loneliness than with anything else. Once encouraged to do so, he reveals that he has an intelligent awareness of life. He has thought hard during his long hours of solitude. His new found confidence and self-respect encourage him to try to counter the intrusion of Curley’s wife, but he is humiliated by her vicious threats. His new optimism is finally defeated by George’s dismissive attitude to the suggestion that he might participate in the running of the â€Å"Dream Farm†. Crooks loses out on a lot of things because he is not part of the white community. He loses out mainly on friendship, which causes Crooks to feel isolate and lonely throughout the novel. Crooks is a very lonely man and so he reads a lot, if he was to mix with the white community he would be out enjoying himself. He has no one to talk to and is segregated from the rest of the ranch community having his own room in the barn. I think if Crooks were to have a choice he would enjoy mixing with the white men but at the first sign of trouble he would return to the protectiveness of how own room in the barn. Crooks loses out mainly on respect from the ranch community because he is willing to do anything in which he is told to do. He still receives no praise or respect form the ranch community. I think Crooks has drawn himself into a false sense of security, he has hidden himself form the rest of the world, afraid to show his true personality. Crooks I’m sure is a kind and generous person but because of the years of torment and segregation he is forced to remain hospitable to the white community. Crooks is a smart and educated person who is not able to show his thoughts and emotions to anyone. He does not complain about the insults and racial remarks which Curley’s wife makes because he knows if he does his new found confidence will be shattered with an extreme racial remark. Crooks although he loses out greatly also gains a lot from being segregated from the rest. He keeps himself to himself giving him plenty of time to think things through. I think Crooks imagines that if he were to mix with the white community he would only receive abuse. An example of this was when Crooks got into a fight when he was allowed into the ranch at Christmas. This is also why Crooks gains a lot form not being apart of the white community ie not being there for them to abuse or to make racial remarks towards. Nicholas Toland 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.

Of Mice and Men - 1242 Words

Of Mice and Men Thomas Hobbes in his Leviathan states that, in the state of nature mans life is nasty, brutish and short. In depression era America, no greater truth could be said. There were millions unemployed, largely unskilled and living on the margins of society. The lowest of the low were the migrant labourers travelling from place to place trying to scratch a living. They often had to travel illegally by freight car with all its consequent dangers. Their life expectancy was low, crime was rampant and despair was a fellow traveller. This is the setting of John Steinbeck s, ‘Of Mice and Men . The novel explores the predatory nature of human existence. It explores loneliness, isolation and friendship. A major theme is that of†¦show more content†¦Profound Truth Oppression does not always come from the strong and powerful. In Steinbeck s world, the weak prey on the weaker-for example, Curley s wife threatens to have Crook s lynched. What we can take from incidents like this is that the strength to oppress others is itself born of weakness. Economic Reality There is no doubt that this book is a critique of pure market capitalism. The alienation of the worker or the unemployed is very evident. The ethics are ‘dog eat dog -a total lack of regard for the dignity of the human person. The struggle of Labour to regain its dignity is best exemplified in Steinbeck s ‘In Dubious Battle . Motifs 1. A man only world 2. The Corrupting Power of Women 3. Loneliness 4. The Human Spirit Steinbeck has been criticized for many things including the creation of ‘a mans world where women take a secondary place. There is no doubt but that he was influenced by the macho acting Hemingway in this regard. Women are looked on as self-serving and or dangerous, the Femme Fatale beloved of Film Noir. They tempt men to behave in ways they would otherwise not do, e.g.-Curley s wife fulfils the dangerous flirt stereotype. Loneliness is a recurring motif in the novel. There is a great fear of being cast off-each character is looking for a friend. A less that obvious motif is that of the strength and resilience of the Human Spirit. A novel of comparison here is Alan Sillitoe s, ‘TheShow MoreRelatedOf Mice and Men961 Words   |  4 PagesPeople have a tendency to lose sight of their goals and dreams. Mentally, people struggle to maintain their sanity in this game of life that has no set of rules. In the book Of Mice and Men, this story portrays the inequality between peopleà ¢â‚¬â„¢s dreams and what can actually be accomplished. John Steinbeck, the author Of Mice and Men, utilizes his general themes of friendship and loneliness, through his deep characterization and connection between characters in order to illustrate â€Å"The American dream.† TheRead MoreOf Mice and Men1352 Words   |  6 PagesOf Mice and Men Essay - Fate or Choice? Choice is defined by the ‘Shorter Oxford Dictionary’ as; â€Å"The act of choosing; preferential determination between things proposed.† It also states the definition for fate; â€Å"The principle, power, or agency by which events are unalterably predetermined from eternity.† Is our life choice, can we determine our fate by choosing our path or is our destiny determined for us? John Steinbeck puts forward this question in his novella Of Mice and MenRead MoreMice and men1998 Words   |  8 PagesHey this essay is about me not having one and just wanting a free account.GCSE JOHN STEINBECK The first 200 words of this essay... à ¯Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¿Of Mice and Men Essay à ¢Of Mice and Menà ¢ is the fictional short novel written by John Steinbeck in 1937. Steinbeckà ¢s perspective when writing the novel could be based on the fact that he had once worked on a ranch and had a certain fascination about it. The novel is set in 1930s America and this can be seen as the cause of the very enduring culmination that takesRead MoreOf Mice and Men1006 Words   |  5 Pagesheart of every novel.† In your view, what are the distinctive ideas explored in Of Mice and Men? Explain how these ideas are developed throughout the novel. Themes are integral and fundamental aspects which render the literature valuable. They usually provide insight into the author’s perception and internalisations of the world in which they live. Set in California during the Great Depression, Of Mice and Men, by Steinbeck, illustrates the hardships experienced by individuals as they roamed theRead MoreOF MICE AND MEN1721 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿In the book Of Mice and Men, the single women that appeared in the book resented herself as an object. The statement Women today are more often treated by men as equals rather than objects can be true or false. A man that goes to Gentleman s Cubs every night is a different man that studies at Harvard Law School. A striper is going to be a different person than a CEO of a successful business. It’s all about how you present yourself. In Of Mice and Men, Curley s wife presents herself in a seductiveRead MoreOf Mice and Men1035 Words   |  5 PagesFriendship of George and Lenny The book Of Mice and Men focuses on the friendship of two migrant workers in California at a time when most of the work was done by people and not by machines.  Ã‚  George was a small man who acted worldly and wise.  Ã‚  Lennie was a huge man that had the mind of a child.  Ã‚  Together George and Lennie would bounce from job to job with no money in their pockets and only the dream of someday owning a place of their own to keep them going.  Ã‚  The two men were not able to stay in one placeRead MoreOf Mice and Men547 Words   |  2 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s landmark novel Of Mice and Men is perhaps best known for its revolutionary telling of two characters that are very different, but have come to rely on each other to survive during the Great Depression. The two characters are men named George and Lenny. George is somewhat of an average fellow who has no real special skills or attributes. Lenny is large and abnormally strong, but unfortunately has the mind of a child. Le nnie looks up to George as if he were a role model. This statementRead MoreMice and Men822 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Of Mice and Men† The Great Depression took place in the United States in the 1930s. Northern California, Salinas Valley was affected by the Great Depression. Many farmers lost their properties and were forced to find other work. Banks were forced to foreclose on mortgages’ and had to collect debts. Hundreds of thousands of farmers packed up their families and few belongings, and headed for California. The Great Depression left many people in poverty and caused them to face unpleasant eventsRead MoreOf Mice and Men1171 Words   |  5 PagesOf Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Q- â€Å"I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her† what is the reader supposed to think about Curley’s wife? * How is she described by the other characters? * How the author describes her * How she speaks/behaves * Her dreams * Is she the cause of all the trouble Written By Ruqayyah Draey Curley’s wife is not well described and respected by the other characters. She is often looked down upon and discriminatedRead MoreOf Mice and Men2269 Words   |  10 PagesOf Mice and Men John Steinbeck World Literature Mrs. Finke December 7, 2012 Of Mice and Men: A Classic for the Ages Thesis: Despite some impurity Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck should be considered as a classic due to its honesty, truth, loveliness, justice and of good report. I. Introduction II. Impurity A. Swearing B. Violence C. Economic poverty D. Psychological corruption III. Honesty A. Steinbeck’s

Essay on Emerson And Thoreau - 811 Words

amp;#8220;Dance to the beat of your own drummer:; A piece of advice that I have been told my whole life, and have tried my hardest to follow. The words were taken from Thoreauamp;#8217;s quote, amp;#8220;If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau changed our lives. How? Well, the answer is not so simple as the statement. To understand fully how they affected our lives, we have to understand the philosophy of Emerson and Thoreau, and the relationship between the two. So letamp;#8217;s begin with the relationship between Emerson and Thoreau. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Emerson was born in 1803, into†¦show more content†¦Many people claim that Thoreauamp;#8217;s ideas were simply taken from Emersonamp;#8217;s, in fact, some critics call Thoreau Emersonamp;#8217;s miror. And although their philosophies greatly reflected one another, they differed in many ways as well. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Emersonamp;#8217;s writing focused on nonconformity and individuality. In his essay quot;Self-Reliance,quot; he wrote, quot;Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind,quot; and, quot;Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist.quot; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Emerson writings were also more focused on the self; philosophy of humanism and Independence from society are all things that Emerson wrote on frequently. Thoreau, while focusing on matters of the self in many of his essays, tended to have more of a political overtone to his writing. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In amp;#8220;Civil Disobedience;, Thoreauamp;#8217;s most famous social protest, He explains that it is our civil right to disagree with laws. He believed that people must be free to act according to their own idea of right and wrong, without government interference. In quot;Civil Disobediencequot;, he said that people should refuse to obey any law they believe is unjust. Thoreau practiced this type of passive resistance when, in 1846, he refused to pay poll taxes. He did so to express his opposition to the Mexican War. Thoreau spent one night in jail for his refusal.Show MoreRelated Emerson and Thoreau791 Words   |  4 PagesWaldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau whole-heartedly embraced these principles. In their essays â€Å"Self-Reliance† and â€Å"Civil Disobedience†, Emerson and Thoreau, respectively, argue for individuality and personal expression in different manners. In â€Å"Self-Reliance†, Emerson calls for individuals to spe ak their minds and resist societal conformity, while in â€Å"Civil Disobedience† Thoreau urged Americans to publicly state their opinions in order to improve their own government. Both Thoreau and EmersonRead MoreEmerson and Thoreau831 Words   |  4 Pagestaken from Thoreau#8217;s quote, #8220;If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.#8221; Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau changed our lives. How? Well, the answer is not so simple as the statement. To understand fully how they affected our lives, we have to understand the philosophy of Emerson and Thoreau, and the relationship between the two. So let#8217;s begin with the relationship between Emerson and Thoreau. EmersonRead MoreThoreau and Emerson1674 Words   |  7 PagesTitle: Thoreau and Emerson In today’s society each individual has the ability to thinks for themselves, but the inception of different ideas and thoughts has led to a population that’s dominated by the majority . We live in a society where a media, television and internet are the sources of manipulating a person’s mind. 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Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Walt Whitman were three authors during this time that wrote about an idea that would later become the theme of many papers, discussions and lectures, Wakefulness. Though some may not have recognized the significance of these authors’ work at the time, their ideas and beliefs have captivated the minds of manyRead MoreEmerson And Thoreau : The Ideas Of Transcendentalism960 Words   |  4 Pageslife to its fullest. Two of the most influential transcendentalist writers, Emerson and Thoreau, have lived in the Concepts box and have learned the following: Living from the inside out, Contemplating one ripple in the pond, and Building a fire in the mind. Thoreau has many influential ideas of transcendentalism, although, one of his most well know ones are how people need to live from the inside out. Emerson and Thoreau, were able to see what others saw. They took the task of seeing from othersRead MoreViews On Emerson s And Thoreau2508 Words   |  11 PagesViews on Emerson ´s and Thoreau ´s Works Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are definitely two of the most influential writers in the 19th century. Thoreau was born in Concord, and Emerson in Boston. They both attended Harvard; Thoreau decided to pursue the career of teaching because of his brothers, while Emerson decided to become a Unitarian minister just like his father. These two writers lived during the transcendentalism period and both of them used this philosophy as way of living theirRead MoreThe Ideas Of Transcendentalism By Emerson And Thoreau1264 Words   |  6 Pagesintroduction of the ideas of self-dependence and spiritual guidance. Alongside these points, the complexity of our relationship with nature was explicitly explained, and the importance of stable morals was expounded. Transcendentalists, mainly led by Emerson and Thoreau, who were the literary leaders of that time, introduced a new way of thinking that implored the world around them to get in touch with their core and their sense of right an d wrong. These writers, creators, doers, and thinkers knew where theyRead MoreRalph Waldo Emerson And Thoreau975 Words   |  4 Pagesreason. A following of the heart rather than the mind. Also the setting apart from society. There are two who comes to mind; Thoreau and Emerson. Where Emerson and Thoreau were clear examples of Bright Romanticism exemplified by the inclusion of nature, a positive view of mankind, and a poetic style that broke traditional method. Ralph Waldo Emerson exemplified him being a clear examples of Bright Romanticism with his first inclusion of nature. An excerpt talking about theRead More Emerson and Thoreau Represent American Identity1511 Words   |  7 PagesCompare and contrast the way in which Emerson and Thoreau represent American Identity. â€Å"Identity means who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group which make them different from others,† (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Third Edition). Every individual, group and country has their own identity which makes them different from others and it shows uniqueness of oneself. Reaction against the existing philosophy takes place when there is conflict in interest amongst the philosophers