Internationalization Strategies | Suzuki and Essel Propack

Internationalization Strategies | Suzuki and Essel Propack 1) Introduction Of the many internationalization theories posited, the Uppsala model (Cavusgil, 1980, Johanson Vahlne, 1977) stands out as the most popular and will form the basis of this analysis of this analysis of the internationalization strategy adopted by the companies mentioned in this case study. This model hypothesizes the internationalization process is a result of an epistemic understanding of the internationalization market. The internationalization process is a result of a gradual improvement in the understanding of the international and takes place in a linear sequential fashion. In essence, The Uppsala model construes internationalization intent as an outcome of the psychic distance between two locations i.e similarities between markets in terms of business culture and market understanding influence the decision to penetrate that market (Johanson Vahlne, 1977). The Uppsala model consists of the following stages:- †¢ Need Based Sporadic Exports †¢ Regular Exports through Independent Agents †¢ Creation of subsidiaries abroad to commercialize their product †¢ Producing their products abroad 2) Companies Analyzed The companies that I have selected to analyze are:- a. Essel Propack ( Indian sub-continent Tubing Industry ) b. Suzuki ( Japan Automobiles) The companies have been selected primarily due to convenience of data available online and the fact that both companies are held by parents which operate in major international markets. 3) Essel Propack The case study reveals how a company (Essel Propack) based in an emerging market transforms into an innovative, high-tech industry and a leading player in the tubing industry. A large number of firms from developing markets are now tuning into international markets with the intent of turning into multinationals. These firms are giving substantial competition to existing multinational companies from developed countries. Starting from a developing country, Essel Propack today has twenty-four manufacturing facilities in 13 countries, and has a compelling 32 per cent (estimated) global market share. Clearly then, it has emerged as the leading specialty packaging company in the world. The key to the success of EPLs internationalization strategy has been to effectively use acquisitions to grow and rapidly expand. Acquisitions make it easy to quickly own market knowledge effectively. Access to market knowledge is facilitated by owning a subsidiary abroad as the first penetration point. 4.I. Packaging industry and market dynamics With increasing competition and a wide spectrum of indistinguishable products the quest to own a differentiator has moved to packaging in several consumer product industries. Packaging has become a crucial part of the overall product and differentiation strategy. Companies are paying more attention towards packaging in a bid to garner more recognition/recall share which ultimately leads to realising better revenues. The global packaging industry is estimated to be US $580 billion with a 5 per cent growth per annum. Polymers are central ingredient for modern packaging because polymers offer a number of advantages such as cost effectiveness including logistic cost, lower weight, convenient handling, minimum wastage, more compatibility with designs and aesthetics. Polymers are preferred to many other packaging options like glass, jute, paper, metals and wood. Such is the demand that packaging now accounts for about 25 per cent of total global polymer demand. Tubes are a special form of packaging and find application in oral care, healthcare, cosmetics and toiletries, hair care, pharmaceutical, food and some industrial products. There are mainly three categories of tubes used for packaging applications namely aluminum, laminate and plastic. Tube packaging began with aluminum tubes which are now being increasingly replaced by laminated and plastic tubes. 36 billion tubes per year are manufactured globally out of which 42% are aluminum tubes, 39% billion are laminated tubes and 19% are plastic tubes. The Tube packaging industry has become extremely competitive in recent years and several changes have occurred in its structure: †¢ Capacities have been consolidated by customers by global sourcing options †¢ Increased Competition that has led to downward pressure on pricing †¢ Increased bargaining powers of the buyers †¢ Pressure to keep up with the rapid technological change This has led to regional players being marginalized and having to either merge with larger players or operate only in specialized niche markets. A direct outcome of the consolidation is that the global laminate industry is now dominated by big three players EPL, Alcan and Betts. 4.II. Essel Propack Origins Growth Story EPL is a part of the Essel Group headed by Subhash Chandra which also owns Zee Entertainment Enterprises (the largest media and Entertainment Company in India). EPL was incorporated in 1982 and started production in 1984. The company was the first in India to enter the laminated tubes business. In 2004, it entered the plastic tubes industry. 2006 saw the company make its first acquisition and forayed turned to business of medical devices by evolving 2 medical devices- one based in USA and the other in Singapore. Again in 2006, Essel Propack (EP) penetrated the specialty packaging materials industry by acquiring a South India based company. As on today, EPL is the worlds largest packaging company with manufacturing of laminated and seamless tubes having a wide variety of applications in cosmetics, personnel care, pharmaceutical, oral care and food and industrial sectors. The client base is enviable with several multinational clients as well as domestic ones. Not only that, it has succ essfully managed to create production facilities in countries like China, USA, UK, Russia, Germany, Mexico, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia, Egypt, Poland and Singapore and of course India. As mentioned earlier with an estimated 32% global market share it is the undisputable leader in the laminated tubes market. In 2001, Essel Packaging (Guangzhou) Ltd, the Chinese subsidiary of EPL, was awarded the ‘‘Most Reliable Enterprise of 2001; In 2006, Essel Propack was a mentioned in Forbes Asias Annual Best Under Billion Companies. Clearly, then Essel Propack has emerged as the one of the worlds best in a relatively short span. From the revenue charts over the years, it can be clearly seen that growth has been incremental but real tapering off in recent years due to the economic slowdown. The segment revenue as on 31.12.2008 is as follows:- 4.III. The phases of growth The first phase was began in 1984, when the company began catering to the packaging needs of the oral care industry by manufacturing tubes and converting aluminum tube users into laminated tubes. Slowly the company also began to serve other related industries such as cosmetics, toiletries, industrial products etc. The second phase started in 1992 with setting up its first overseas venture in Egypt. The third phase saw EPL penetrate the plastic tubes industry with the acquisition of Arista Tubes, UK. The fourth phase marked the entry into medical devices in 2006 by acquiring Tacpro Inc., USA and Avalon Medical Devices, Singapore. It also entered into specialty packaging for personnel care and food industries with the acquisition of Packaging India Pvt Ltd, a leading specialty packaging material company in south India. The company has largely followed Acquisition combined with setting up subsidiaries as a primary medium of rapid expansion. Following are the some of the milestones years in the growth path:- †¢ In 1993, EPL sets up its first overseas venture in Egypt. †¢ In 1997, the company forms a wholly owned subsidiary in Guangzhou, China †¢ In 1999, EPL set up a joint venture in Dresden, Germany. †¢ In 2000, EPL acquires the tubing operations of the Propack group (4th largest laminated tube manufacturer in the world). †¢ In 2003, EPL sets up a manufacturing plant at Danville, USA, to serve Proctor Gambles North American operations. †¢ In 2004, EPL forms Beri-Essel Closures Pvt Ltd a joint venture with a German company Bericap Holding GmbH to manufacture hi-tech closures. †¢ In August 2004, EPL acquires Arista Tubes, UKS leading seamless plastic tubes manufacturer †¢ In 2005, EPs plant in Russia began its commercial operations. Acquires another laminated tube manufacturing company named Telcon Packaging Limited in UK †¢ In 2006, the company enters the Medical Devices industry by acquiring Tacpro Inc., USA, and Avalon Medical Services, Singapore. †¢ In August 2006, the company makes its plans known to set up a plastic tubes plant in Poland. †¢ In August 2006, EP acquired Packaging India, based in the southern part of India. 4.IV. Internationalization Strategy of Essel Propack The Internalization strategy of Essel Propack is clearly the outcome of an aggressive acquisition led plan backed by the finances of the Essel Group. This suggests that the Internationalization process can be substantially accelerated with readily available funding. Each market that EPL serves has a manufacturing plant installed that serves the host country as well as others that are its neighbors. In the Uppsala model Essel Propack is at the 4th Stage where it has the capacity of producing its products abroad. This has been the outcome of its market knowledge gathered since 1984 or over a period of 25 odd years. The clearly shows that Essel Propack has grown by incremental knowledge about the markets it operates in. 4) Suzuki Suzuki Motor Corporation is the 9th largest Japanese automobile manufacturer in the world by production volume headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan. It specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles, the full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a many other small internal combustion engines. It has 35 main production facilities in 23 countries and 133 distributors in 192 countries 4.I. Maruti Suzuki Origins Growth Story Maruti Suzuki India Limited ( Based in Gurgaon) is Suzukis biggest subsidiary and has a yearly production of 626,071 units ( as on 2006). Suzuki has a majority stake (54.2% ) in the Indian auto giant with the remaining owned by the various Indian public and financial institutions. It is a joint venture in the name of Maruti-Suzuki incorporated in 1981 and listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India. The company had a 54% market share of the passenger car market in India in 2005-2006. Suzuki in its desire to penetrate the Indian passenger car market initially became a minor partner with the Indian Government as hence the joint venture Maruti Suzuki was born as a Government of India company, with Suzuki as a minor partner. The clear objective was to make a peoples car for the humongous middle class India. Suzuki in the 1980s already had major share in the wheeler segment and was looking to penetrate the Indian 4 wheeler segment. The socio- political situation in India existing at that point in time made the Indian Government scout for a foreign collaborator for the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhis pet project to produce a â€Å"Peoples Car†. A group of Indian technocrats was given the role to source out a collaborator for this project. Toyota, Nissan and Honda the market leaders were all considered but Suzuki won the bid due to the persistence of Osamu Suzuki the CEO Chairman of Suzuki. The Joint venture was so successful that it prompted Suzuki to incr ease its equity participation from 25% to the current 54.2% thereby becoming the controlling parent company. There have been other subsidiaries in India:- SUZUKI POWERTRAIN INDIA LIMITED: Produces engines for cars SUZUKI MOTORCYCLE INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED: Produces Two Wheelers under brand name Suzuki. The first car was introduced in to India in 1898. Though imports of completely assembled cars were a recurring phenomenon in India, the local assembly of cars was missing until 1928. As a part of its internationalization plan, General Motors already had an assembly plant in Bombay in 1928 to reassemble cars and trucks using completed knocked down (c.k.d) kits sourced directly from USA. Ford Motor Company established also took the lead and rapidly established assembly plants in Madras in 1930 and Calcutta in 1931. However, full sledged manufacture of cars really started in 1942 with the Birla Group establishing Hindustan Motors Limited in Calcutta and the Walchand Group establishing Premier Automobiles Limited in Bombay. In the wake of these developments, the Standard Motor Products Limited was established to manufacture automobiles in Madras in the year 1948. However in 1947, as the British rule in India was heading towards an end, the Government of British India created a Panel on Automobiles and Tractors to recommend a framework for establishing manufacturing facilities in the country. The outcome of the panels study was its recommendation to encourage transport industry in India for her economic development. Due to the economic situation prevalent at that time, the Government of India viewed passenger cars as ostentatious and saw no real need to assign priority level to this industry. Nonetheless, the government did see merit in encouraging private investment in domestic manufacturing of passenger cars. The natural fallout of this thinking resulted in the government passing an ordinance that if the foreign players didnt have any significant plans in manufacturing cars locally then they should exit India within a span of three years. This effectively terminated the Indian relationship with General Motors and Ford Motors and they stopped their operations. A point to be noted here is that internationalization should always be integrated with the existing government thinking and policies, a hostile government will generally not allow foreign players to effectively run their operations, as we have seen in the case of General Motors and Ford Motors. With the exit of General Motors and Ford Motors, the car industry in India had just two main players: Hindustan Motors manufacturing under the brand name â€Å"Ambassador† and Premier Automobiles manufacturing under the brand name â€Å"Fiat†. However, the cars produced remained the exclusive purchases of the rich and famous and most people couldnt afford to buy them. The quality of these cars was poor by international standards which further erected barriers in purchases. This resulted in a poor offtake and low volume providing little motivation for the other entrepreneurs in the automobile industry for the next thirty years and this industry grew at a really slow pace during these years. As mentioned earlier it was not until the sixties that the government felt a need to produce small passenger cars. Sanjay Gandhi, the son of the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi was entrusted with the responsibility of manufacturing small passenger cars and he started a company called Maruti Limited to do realize government ambitions. However by 1977, the company was liquidated prompting the Government of India by an Act of the Parliament to acquire Maruti Limited and rename it to Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL). MUL became a public sector company fully owned by the Government of India. The political interest in the success of the project was great and a lot rode of the success of the newly reconstituted MUL. An optimistic production target for MUL was set at manufacturing 100,000 small passenger economy cars in a period of five years which required it to have the best technical team. The management of MUL started looking for a foreign collaborator that had the potential to sat isfy its needs of providing a low cost fuel-efficient car engine of below 1000cc. 11 large established automobile companies from UK, France, West Germany, Italy and Japan were considered and invited to be partners. Most foreign partners however seemed highly cautious with the proposed joint venture. It seemed that Mitsubishi Motors of Japan was to be the likely winner in the race to partner the Indian Government. Surprisingly however Suzuki Motors was chosen amongst several of its more illustrious peers because of its attractive offer and high speed of working. The agreement finalized on October 2, 1982 formed the basic bedrock for the introduction of Suzuki and its long term successful partnership with the Indian Government. 4.II. Internationalization Strategy Osamu Suzukis vision was central in Suzuki Motors bid to enter India. His commitment to the cause made managers from MUL comfortable discussing issues with Osamu Suzuki. The real reason for MUL selecting Suzuki was because of the quickness of making decisions. Clearly, Suzuki was more committed to the cause compared to Mitsubishi Motors which was mired in the bureaucracy of its working. Osamu Suzuki was quick to realize that the current demand for 50,000 cars per year was due to a poor product and inefficient manufacturing standards of Hindustan Motors and Premier Automobile. The real demand assessed by his team was pegged at least 2, 00,000 a year. This assessment was despite of the fact that in Japan at this time, Suzuki Motors was producing lesser cars (Greater than 800cc) than the target outlined by the government of India. It clearly took a calculated risk despite knowledge that it didnt have a demonstrated competency in producing cars above 800cc. According to the terms of the agreement equity participation was the chief form of involvement. Suzuki agreed on a lower equity participation because it felt that India was under-served and also because of its desire to invest in the country which had the worlds second largest population. Equity participation with Government of India has always been the chief internationalization strategy followed by Suzuki insofar as it relates to India. In many countries, Automobile is a regulated industry and FDI norms do not permit a foreign company to directly setup manufacturing facilities unless partnered with a local company. Many other bidders, barring Suzuki of course declined the lucrative joint venture due to this policy of the Government of India. They wanted to setup a directly controlled subsidiary and refused any equity participation with the Indian government. However, Suzuki Motors Company agreed to 26% shareholding in MUL in 1982 relinquishing its right to directly control the operations of the company. It gradually increased its equity stake after about six years to 40% in 1989 and then to 50% in 1992. It currently holds 54.2% and directly controls MUL as on date. This has been only possible due to gradually increasing its relationship and understanding of the Indi an market further reiterating the Uppsala model of psychic distance as a possible explanation of internationalization strategy. Celarly, here the initial production facilities were owned by the government of india, Suzuki has managed through equity pariticipation have a controlling stake in which was primarily a Government Owned enteprise. No company in the automobile segment has influenced the Indian Passenger Car market as much as Suzuki has done. Again, this bears a striking resemblence to the amount of time taken to internationalize. Clearly, since its genesis in 1983 it has taken roughly 25 years for Suzuki to become a an established major player in the Indian Sub-Continent, the same amount that was taken by Essel Propack. 5) Conclusion. The Internationalisation process has been a matter of scrutiny since the early days of international business (Aharoni, 1966; Root, 1987; Berkema and Drogendijk, 2007). Internationalisation is clearly a topic which lies at the heart of the international business field. Many questions in international business research emerge as a result of the interplay between the firm and the different locations (Hutzschenreuter et al., 2007). There are two major threads to internationalisation namely, the stages approach ( emodied in the uppsala model) and the born global approach. Firms face obvious disadvantages in competing with local firms in foreign markets and therefore here , internationalisation is all about surmounting inherent disadvantages that foreignness brings with it (Hymer, 1960, 1968; Hutzschenreuter et al., 2007). We saw clearly that Essel Propack needed to compete with the local pakaging suppliers and its primary intent was to surmounting this very barrier. Hence, it opted to ha ve an acquistion strategy where local manufacturers are acquired instead of directly setting up subsidiaries. As mentioned earlier, the Uppasala model (Johanson and Vahlne, 1977, 1990) suggests that companies internationalise in small, incremental steps and the internationalisation of the firm should be interpreted as a sequential learning curve. (Cyert and March, 1963; Barkema and Drogendijk, 2007; Hutzschenreuter et al., 2007). International expansion for many companies is limited due to the lack of knowledge about markets. Such knowledge can only be acquired through experience from operations abroad (Forsgen and Johanson, 1992). We saw in the case of Suzuki that partnering with the Government of India was the only option available if it had to penetrate the Indian Passenger Car market. In terms of the Uppsala model both India and Japan are also culturally close and have a lot in common. The success of the JV is a testament to this. The â€Å"foreign† perception and lack of information were the major reasons for organizations to follow traditional forms of internationalisation. However, future research can also focus on the â€Å"born global† framework where global firms go to international markets soon after their operations and that too at a fast pace(McKinsey, 1993; Rasmussen and Madsen, 2002). 6) References 70 years of Suzuki Motors Corporation, Suzuki Motors Corporation, Japan, 1990 Annual Report 1998-99, Maruti Udyog Limited, India Aharoni, Y. 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Nayak, Amar KJR (2002), Dis-equilibrium of FDI in extraction vis conservation of natural resources, International Conference on New Environmental Technology, Bhubaneswar Nayak, Amar KJR (2002), Patterns of Foreign Direct Investment in India, 1900s-2000, Masters Thesis, Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University, Japan Nayak, Amar KJR (2003), Impact of Trade Investment Policies of GATT/WTO on India, 1955-2000, XXVII Conference of Indian Social Science Congress, lIT Kharagpur, India, Dec 3-7 Nayak, Amar KJR (2004), Globalization Process in India: A Clash of Development Objectives of Host with Growth Objectives of Foreign PhD dissertation, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Instit ute of Technology; published by MIT Press under same title in 1976. Prospectus, June 25, 2003, Maruti Udyog Limited, Rasmussen, E.S. and Madsen, T.K. (2002), ‘‘The born global concept, 28th EIBA Conference, Denmark. available at: www.aueb.gr/deos/EIBA2002.files/PAPERS/S4.pdf (accessed 23 March 2008). Records of the History ofJapanese Management and Japanese companies, Overseas Companies and Managers, 1979 Reserve Bank ofIndia, http://www.rbi.org.in January, 2000 Root, F.R. (1987), Entry Strategies for International Markets, Heath, Lexington. Sharma Kishore (2000), Export Growth in India, Has FDI Played a Role? Discussion Paper, Yale University, Economic Growth Center, http://www . econ. yale. eduz-cgccntor/ Stiglitz, Joseph E. (2002), Globalization and its Discontents, Allen Lane The Penguin Press, London Suzuki Motor Corporation, Report to the Government of Japan, 1983 2000 Tomlinson B.R. (1989) British Business in India, 1860-1970 in Davenport-Hines, R.P.T. and Ge offrey Jones (eds.), British Business in Asia since 1860, Cambridge University Press, New York Venkataramani, Raja (1990) Japan enters Indian Industry: the Maruti-Suzukijoint venture, New Delhi: Radiant Publication To Kill A Mockingbird: Historical Accuracy To Kill A Mockingbird: Historical Accuracy To Kill a Mockingbird is based off the novel written by Harper Lee of the same title, telling the story of a young girl Jean Louis Finch and her brother Jem growing up in Alabama during the Great Depression. To Kill a Mockingbird is a fictional story about a young girl, Jean Louis Finch (Scout), and her brother, Jem, growing up in Depression-era Alabama. The film centers on the trial of a young black man accused of raping a young white woman. The film was released in 1962 and directed by Robert Mulligan. The screenplay, written by Horton Foote, is greatly based on the novel of the same name by Harper Lee. It stars Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, Robert Duvall, and Brock Peters. To Kill a Mockingbird won three academy awards for best actor, best screenplay, and best director, and it was nominated for five others. The 1930s Depression and the complex racial relations within the South form the historical context of To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird seeks to portray the racial injustices and prejudices against African Americans in the South, while also making a statement about civil rights issues that were occurring when the film was released. The film is greatly autobiographical of the novels author, Harper Lee, and is a study of small town life in the South. The trial of Tom Robinson in the film is reflective of the Scottsboro Trials of the 1930s and the Emmett Till Trials of the 1950s. Also, as Lee was writing the novel the Brown v. Board of Education decision had just been reached and many events in the Civil Rights movement had taken place. Rosa Parks had stirred events leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Authenine Lucy had entered the all white University of Alabama. The racial tensions leading to these events are reflected in the plot and themes of To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel and film of To Kill a Mockingbird are largely an autobiographical account of Harper Lees life. Lee has denied that the story has autobiographical elements, claiming an author only writes what she knows, but the similarities between Lees life, and Scouts life are unmistakable. The novel is set in Maycomb, Alabama, a town resembling Lees hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. Like Maycomb, Monroeville was a world surrounded by racism and occasionally violence. Her childhood and the current events of the 1950s inspired Lee to write To Kill a Mockingbird. Like Scout, Lees father, A.C. Lee, was the inspiration for Atticus Finch. Like Atticus, Lee was a quiet, respected lawyer in a small town, and a member of the state legislature . Lees father had defended two blacks accused of murdering a Monroeville merchant, but the two men were found guilty and hanged . Lees mothers maiden name was Finch, which Lee directly honors by giving the main family in the film and novel the name of Finch. An important part of Lees extended family was lifelong friend, Truman Capote. Lee has admitted that Capote was the inspiration for the character of Dill Harris. Lee herself was known as a rough n tough tomboy much as Scout is portrayed. Through the use of setting, Mulligan was able to accurately portray the South in the 1930s at the height of the Depression. Maycomb, Alabama, was a tired old town in the 30s There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with. But it was a time of vague optimism. Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself. During the Depression, over farming had exhausted the soil, and tenement farming worsened the conditions. These worsened soil conditions and falling cotton process drastically effected economic situations for most blacks and whites in the South. Those with professions in towns were also affected, because, as Atticus explains in the beginning of the film, the farmers cannot afford the services of those with skilled professions in town. Almost everybody was poor. The film accurately portrays the social system of the Depression era South. There was a definite caste system in the rural South. The South had a stubborn will to hold onto its traditions of the past. The social hierarchy in society must be maintained. The film acutely attacks racism and the fear of sexual taboos in its portrayal of the justice system. It is made unmistakably plain that as a black man, Tom Robinson will not receive a fair trial. The film accurately depicts locals forming a lynch mob because they feel there is no need to even try Robinson. The film also accurately shows that racial relations were complicated on many levels in southern society. Any sexual reference between a black man and a white woman was considered a very serious offence by many whites and blacks. The set racial boundaries that had been established could not be broken . In the trial scene Atticus determines that Mayella Ewell was attracted to Tom Robinson. This caused an outrage within the courtroom because social norms held that a white woman could never be attracted to a white man. Therefore, even the suggestion that Tom Robinson had relations with Mayella Ewell causes severe prejudice against Tom in the town. . The town was not necessarily afraid of Tom Robinson, but of breaking the social norm that held a white woman could never be attracted to a white man. Therefore, Tom Robinson was guilty as soon as he was accused. An incident of lynching through mob violence was a plausible reality in the 1930s. During the depression there was a resentment of black laborers with financial freedom, such as Tom Robinson. As economic situations worsened in the South, this resentment grew. During the height of the Depression, the number of lynchings grew in direct proportion to the decrease in the economic stability of the South . There are several instances in the 1930s when black men were killed before they were put on trial. For example, in 1931 a man in Birmingham, Alabama accused of rape was an invalid and not able to commit the crime. The accusers brother however, shot the man and was never arrested for murder . The film accurately shows the small town ethics that governed people in the South in the 1930s. The idealized public society must be upheld, at the risk of rejecting the law. If the social order was ever disrupted, men felt they were obligated to use force to preserve the social norms imbedded in soc iety . To Kill a Mockingbird was written at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. The film was released in the early 1960s. Throughout the 1950s Alabama had had many tumultuous events dealing with race occur within its borders. The Brown v. Board of Education decision began to govern race relations in the South, but often with violent opposition. The Brown decision negated the separate but equal philosophy of Plessy v. Ferguson. This philosophy had been the ruling basis of segregated Southern society since the Civil War. Brown represented the many southerners fear of racial mixing and complete social equality . These fears led to violent reactions. Tom Bradys Black Monday in which he claimed blacks would be a threat to the loveliest and the purest of Gods creaturesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the well-bred, cultured Southern white woman, shows the dominant ideology in the South following the Brown decision. This ideology is directly portrayed negatively in the film, as Tom Robinson is accused of soili ng the purity of white Mayella Ewell. The Brown decision was still an issue when the film was released, and Mulligan is attempting to show the faults of such an ideology. At the same time as Brown v. Board of Education, Dr. Martin Luther King had been leading civil rights demonstrations, and African American students had staged sit-ins at lunch counters all over the South. Just months before Harper Lee began writing the novel, two major events altered the course of the Civil Rights movement. In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for violating the bus segregation ordinance, and soon after, the Montgomery bus boycott began. Then two black women, Authenine Lucy and Pollie Ann Myers had their admission rescinded from the University of Alabama when the University found out their race. Authenine Lucy sued the school and won admission. She was the first black woman to enter a southern, public university that previously been only white. However, she was severely persecuted and often mobbed . The story was covered nationally and had great emphasis placed on the importance of desegregation of universities. Lee, herself, had attended the University of Alabama a few y ears before Lucy was admitted. The trial in the film mirrors actual trials that occurred in the 1930s and the 1950s: the 1931 Scottsboro case and the 1955 Emmett Case. The Scottsboro Case became a national event of either outrage or celebration. It brought the issues of lynching laws and racial justice to a very international lever, as other countries followed the story. The Emmett Case was probably the most widely publicized trial of the century and the first great media event of the civil rights movement . The Emmett Case had great significance in the South, because it occurred very soon after the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Some white southerners were looking for excuses to persecute African Americans, and the Emmett Case brought this issue to the forefront of current events. To Kill a Mockingbird makes a blatant statement about the currents events that had recently occurred and were continuing to occur in the country. The character of Atticus Finch is a representation of the beliefs that many white Americans needed to strive for in the South. Many critics have equated Atticus to the Abe Lincoln of Alabama. Atticus believed Tom Robinson, and disbelieved Mayella Ewell, a white woman. This was a bold statement not only in the 1930s Alabama, but also in the 1960s. Social norms always accepted a white womans word as truth, and a black mans word as mistrustful . Mulligan was showing that justice should not be determined by a persons race, but by the actual facts surrounding an event. The audience that first saw this film would have understood the implications presented in the film. The film centers on the trial scene in which Atticus gives a strong lesson of not only justice, but also what constitutes humanity. The focus of the movie is on right and wrong. Mulligan was making a deliberate statement. By placing the events in the 1930s, To Kill a Mockingbird is set in time when the beliefs of men ruled their actions in defiance of the laws they professed they believed. African Americans had very few rights, and the novel and film were purposefully set before desegregation and the civil rights movement. The film seeks to show that the Supreme Court should not be needed to prove that a person of a different race is not better or worse than a person of another race. To Kill a Mockingbird is a fictional story that portrays many realities of racism in Southern life in the 1930s. The film is relating the events of the 1930s to the civil rights movement and current events of the 1950s and 1960s. The history in the film is based on Harper Lees observations growing up in a small town in Alabama, as well as events that had recently occurred within the United States right before the film was being made. The history in To Kill a Mockingbird is therefore not literally but symbolically true The film does not seek to show every historical detail of the 1930s, but shows the implications of social norms and the repercussions of these norms. The events shown in the film are subjective versions of many events of the 1930s through the 1960s that show the need for complete social equality.