Henri Lefebvre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Henri Lefebvre - Essay Example These critiques of the city were the basis for Lefebvre's investigation of the cultural construction of stereotypical notions of cities, of nature and of regions" (Shields, 2002). Within his writings, Lefebvre brought attention to the tendency of academia to place too much emphasis upon the classification of studies as being psychology, sociology, archaeology or geography among others, that all had as their end goal a study and understanding of space and other human geography issues. In analysing city life, Lefebvre argued 'everydayness' or banality is a soul-destroying feature of modernity and extended Marx's analysis of this concept by discovering new forms of alienation within the city. According to this view, consumption is part of the result of a failure to recognize this alienated state on the part of the modern consumer, which Lefebvre called the 'mystification' of consciousness (Shields, 2002). This early work influenced Walter Benjamin's Marxist analysis of culture as well as reflecting Le Bon's work on crowds and the furtherance of psycho-geography. In discussing space, Lefebvre delineated three key components of the urban lifestyle. These components include the perceived space of everyday social life that was predominantly ignored by professional life, the conceived space of cartographers and planners who work to segregate portions of land out to particular private owners within the capitalistic society, and lived space which exists in the imagination of the fully human individual who keeps it alive through accessibility to the arts and humanities. "This 'third' space not only transcends but has the power to refigure the balance of popular 'perceived space' and the 'conceived space' of arrogant professionals and greedy capitalists" (Shields, 2002). This conceptual space, as opposed to material space, is considered by Lefebvre to be of much greater significance to the shaping of the individual as is shown in the comment: "space as directly lived through its associated images and symbols, and hence the space of 'inhabitants' and 'users'... This is the dominated...space which the imagination seeks to change and appropriate. In terms of organized society, Lefebvre indicated this conscious awareness of these representational spaces as illuminated through art and the humanities was the only way in which Utopia could be reached. Within the French society of the interwar period, Lefebvre pointed to the dystopian malaise of his fellow countrymen as they struggled through periods of famine and industrial transition as well as the later society in which the urban landscape changed the rural nature of his homeland to develop his rhythm analysis. Through this analysis of the 'everyday' life of the city, Lefebvre indicates that the increases in speed seen through our advances in technology have quickened the tempo of the 'everyday', making it harder to keep up with both the changing rhythms of the city as well as the changing dynamics of the individual within that city. This model of modern concrete spaces and their interrelationship with the conceptual interior spaces that have been defined within the modern context have helped human geographers to further

Good for Another Essay Example for Free

Good for Another Essay We were in our final year in secondary school, and we were asked to pay for WAEC and NECO fees. Some paid for WAEC only, some paid for NECO only, while some paid for both. Three weeks before the closing date, me and my friend went out for break, though it was prohibited to eat your breakfast in the class but me and Ada often eat there. That day, when we went into class, we were surprise to see one of our classmate; Sarah crying. We asked her why she was crying and she told us her parent cannot afford to pay for her WAEC or NECO fees. I was touched by the way she was crying and I promise her I would pay for her, I told her I would tell my parents and I was sure they will pay for her. Me and Ada told her to wipe her tears before the rest of the student came in from break. That day, when I reached home I told my mother about it and she promised to pay for her WAEC only, that she would give me the money in two days. We all graduated from secondary school and we all made our result and almost all of us furthered our education to Universities of various types. I lost contact with Ada and Sarah since then but, you know; Life have to go on. I was at the school cafà © one day when I saw Sarah, oh my God! I can’t believe I was seeing her, we were so happy to see each other again after our life in secondary school. We talked for so long, and through our chatting I discovered her Dad was now rich, and she was studying Law. We exchanged phone numbers and hostel Numbers. We became friends again. At the end of second semester in school, I went home only to find out my father was dead, he was hit by a bus the night before the day I came home. I wept, oh my God! I did not only wept because I lost my father, I also wept that my education might stop, I wept that all my years in school might be wasted. I wept that I fell sick and was admitted at the hospital for a week. A week after I was discharged from the hospital, I heard registration for next semester will be closing in one week. I told my mother, but she told me she cannot afford the fee. I was devastated, I was afraid that my greatest fear is coming to reality. I decided to go to Sarah for help, but to my greatest surprise, she told me she wanted to use the money she had for something else. It hurts me so much that I wept right in front of her. All she could tell me was she can’t give me the money. I wept home and told my mother what Sarah told me, she could not believe this, she could not believe this was the girl she helped some years back. She told me to wipe my tears, and that life goes on. I was dropped out of school and I started apprenticeship in a salon shop not far from our house. After two years, I invested my own salon and with more effort and the help and support of my mother, my shop grew up. My salon became one of the best of the well known salon. I was in my salon one day when Ada came in, I did not even notice her. I was busy working when I heard someone call my name, I turned and saw Ada, I shouted and hugged her. Oh Goodness, I was seeing Ada again after so many years. We chatted for a while and she told me she saw Sarah, she told me Sarah was dropped out of school and arrested by the Police, that she was caught with Cocaine. I told her what happened to me, how I was dropped out of school, she was surprise that Sarah could do such a thing to me, me of all people. I told her I was well over it, and Sarah deserved all that happened to her. Though I am successful in life but, I will never forget how I was dropped out of school. I may forgive Sarah but, I will never forget what she did to me.

Viewing Terrorism through Social Psychology Essay -- Psychology

Acts of terrorism are becoming increasingly common in today's society. From the frequent suicide bombings in Israel, the recent violence in the Russian village of Beslan, to the attacks on the world trade centers on September the eleventh of 2001 that so violently shook the world; terrorism is rarely far from our minds. Terrorist groups have a variety of aims, acts of revenge, politics, but by far the most common, and arguably most disturbing reason for these actions is religion. It is exceptionally important that we can learn to understand the forces that drive people to commit such wanton acts of destruction, and social psychology can help us to do that. Social psychology is a diverse field of study, it is "the scientific field that seeks to understand the nature and causes of individual behavior in social situations" (Social Psychology, Baron and Byrne). In social psychology we study the social factors which influence the individual to carry out certain actions, thus it is invaluable in studying terrorism. Social psychologists study both the immediate social context (the influence of whatever group we are in the immediate company of) and the wider social context (the effects of family, culture etc) both of which have great effect on personality, belief and behavior. An example of the effect of the immediate social context are the experiments carried out by Stanley Milgram. Milgram carried out a series of social psychology experiments into proximity and willingness of humans to cause pain to others using an electrocution device. The test also involved however the use of an authority figure to issue orders to carry out the electric shock. Milgram put volunteers in pairs and assigned one the role of teache... ...e understanding, to change an attitude so vastly of a devout person into a vicious killer it takes a depth of belief that no experimentation can understand, it goes beyond measurement and scale. Social psychology can indeed help us to understand terrorism, but I does not tell the full story, in the words of David Hume (A treatise of human nature) "this difficulty is to hard for my understanding." References David Hume: A treatise of human nature (Penguin Classics, 1969) L.B.Brown: Psychology and Religion (Penguin Education,1973) Baron and Byrne: Social Psychology ( Mark Juergensmeyer: Terror in the mind of God (University of California press, 2000) Roy F Baumeister: Evil, inside human violence and cruelty (W.H. Freeman and company, 1997) The Holy Bible: Mt 10:34 John Radford and Ernest Govier: A textbook of Psychology (Sheldon press, 1980)

The Role of Fate in Oedipus the King – Essay Sample

Oedipus the King was written by Sophocles and was is titled Oedipus Rex in Latin. It is one of the most well-known Greek tragedies. As is the case with Greek tragedies—or roughly most tragedies that make their way to stage—fate plays a key role in the events in Oedipus the King. The play is also the origin of the term â€Å"Oedipus complex. † Fate as Antagonist The primary antagonist in this tale is fate. Most tragedies where fate is the driving theme the characters in its web all attempt to escape it.Unfortunately fate can’t be avoided and if it is tempted fate will usually render a far worse conclusion for attempting to deprive it of its will. Laius’ Fate Apollo tells Laius that he and Jocasta would have a son that would kill him. When Oedipus is born, Jocasta sends Oedipus to his own fate and leaves him on a mountainside to die. Jocasta attempts to cheat fate by doing away with her son to save her husband, but Oedipus is found by a shepherd who s aw the whole thing and raised by King Polybus.Laius’ fate comes when he kidnaps the son of King Pelops and basically showed little respect for Pelops’ hospitality by doing so. The Fate of Thebes Oedipus sends Creon to the temple of Apollo to figure out what will become of Thebes and how to do away with the plague. Fate is tempted here by the Oedipus attempting to end the plague when it is not his place to do so. Apollo tells Oedipus that he will end up killing his father and taking his mother. Oedipus believes he will end up killing King Polybus. Oedipus’ Fate Teiresias—Apollo’s blind prophet—tells Creon of Oedipus’ fate.Oedipus is busy trying to find the murderer of Laius. Teiresias cryptically tells Oedipus the nature of his marriage, but Oedipus doesn’t interpret the meaning in Teiresias’ words. He tells Oedipus that the shame of his relationship will bring about ruin and that the insults Oedipus gives to him will be returned as a result of his deed. Oedipus sets himself up for downfall further when he forsakes Teiresias’ word and says he has no special ability.As prophets are basically the mouth of the gods and do their direct  will, Oedipus is in a way committing blasphemy. The provocation leads Teiresias to—again cryptically—tell Oedipus that he is actually on level footing with his children and that the truth with crush him. When Oedipus relays the events to his wife, she tells him to ignore the prophecy and that Apollo’s prophecy didn’t hold up as she believed that her husband was killed by a bandit. Strands of Fate Tied Up Oedipus finds out that Polybus doesn’t die at his hands, but of natural causes so it seems the prophecy didn’t come true.However, Laius is killed by Oedipus when the two argued over who had the right of way on a road. Neither man recognized the other. Oedipus marries Jocasta, widow of Laius making his both wife and son t o her and father and brother to his children. Oedipus finds out about the true nature from a shepherd, finds his wife Jocasta who had hung herself, took her jewelry and smashed them into his eyes. Oedipus ends up blind and destitute and his children cursed by being the product of incest.

Business Travel Booking Market Trends & Forecast Essay

†¢The report examines reasons, other than lower ticket prices, that are most likely to influence business travelers to opting for one airline over another †¢The report identifies key factors, other than lower rental costs, that are most likely to make business travelers choose one car rental company over another †¢The report assesses the importance of travel meta-search options for creating business travel plans, and identifies popular travel meta-search websites used by business travelers in the last six months. †¢The report identifies key factors that are decisive for hotel bookings †¢The report examines how companies manage business travel bookings †¢The report identifies key reasons for cutbacks in premium travel plans †¢The report examines the staying patterns of executive when a business trip is extended to a leisure trip †¢The report assesses executives’ viewpoints about cutbacks in group incentive travel programs Complete Report Available at http://marketreportsstore. com/changing-trends-in-business-travel-booking/ . Scope The report features the opinions of travel and tourism industry respondents about the changing trends in business travel booking covering the following aspects: †¢Companies’ approaches to business travel booking †¢Key factors for airline selection †¢Decisive criteria for airline booking †¢Key parameters for car rental company choices †¢Factors influencing hotel-booking decisions †¢Extension of business trips for leisure purposes – additional days’ leisure spend †¢Extension of business trips for leisure purposes – staying preferences †¢Significance of travel meta-search options †¢Popular travel meta-search websites. †¢Cutback expectations for group incentive travel programs †¢Reasons for cutbacks in premium travel plans Inquire for discount @ http://marketreportsstore. com/discount/? rname=14250 . Reasons to buy †¢The report highlights companies’ approaches to business travel bookings, enabling travel operators to restructure their business travel plans. †¢The report enables readers to take strategic decisions by understanding the relevance of travel meta-search options, and identifying popular travel meta-search websites used by business travelers. †¢The report examines key factors influencing executives’ airline and hotel-booking decisions. This will help companies to improve customer service and implement development strategies. †¢The report provides cutback expectations about group incentive travel programs, which are likely to influence growth prospects. †¢The report highlights staying preferences during extensions of business trips to leisure trips, along with the number of extra days spent for leisure purposes. This will help to gauge consumer behavior. Buy a Copy of the Report at http://marketreportsstore. com/purchase? rname=14250 For more reports on Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Click here Contact sales@marketreportsstore. com / Call +1 888 391 5441 for further information on â€Å"Changing Trends in Business Travel Booking† report OR for any other market research and intelligence needs you may have for your business.

Halloween review essays

Halloween review essays Starring- Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J Soles, Nancy Loomis and Charles Cyphers. Halloween starts off with a prologue set in, October 31, 1963, when a six year old Michael Myers grabs a kitchen knife and slips on a clown mask, makes his way upstairs to his teenage sisters room and started stabbing her to death. Michael went back downstairs, he walked outside and he saw his parent coming home. His mom yelled, Michael, she took off his mask. He just stands in front of them with a strange stare. Fifteen years later, Michael Myers (Nick Castle), is now an adult, was at a mental institution for the murder of his late sister. In October 30, 1978, Myers has escaped from mental institution, went back to his hometown of Haddonfield. One Halloween night, Myers goes on a killing spree, singling three victims, Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), Annie (Nancy Loomis), and Linda (P.J Soles), two of which are babysitting. Meanwhile, Michaels psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), knows Myerss will strike again. So Dr. Sam Loomis went to search for him and to try to warn the towns people to lookout for him before he starts killing. Halloween Directed and Co-written by John Carpenter (Assault On Precinct 13) and Produced, also Co-Written by Debra Hill. This movie was made in a tight budget. John done most of the production from camera, music score, editing with the help from his friends, strangers, relatives and also the actors help out. The point of making this classic slasher movie is telling a story of a psychotic person wearing a Halloween mask, stalking babysitters. Halloween is one of the best suspense, teen-slasher horror, thriller in film history. Despite being a teen-slasher flick, surprisely the movie did not have much gore or on-sc ...

NAFTA essays

NAFTA essays In January 1994, the United States, Mexico, and Canada implemented the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The goal of NAFTA is to create better trading conditions through tariff reduction, removal of investment barriers, and improvement of intellectual property protection. NAFTA continues to gradually reduce tariffs on set dates and aims to eliminate all tariffs by the year 2004. Before NAFTA was established, investing in Mexico was a difficult process. Investors needed the Mexican Government's approval and were also required to meet specific investment guidelines. These requirements necessitated investors to export a set level of goods and services, utilize domestic goods and services, and transfer technology to competitors. Under NAFTA, investors no longer need government approval to invest and are treated as domestic investors. NAFTA has also increased intellectual property rights and allowed companies to obtain patents in Mexico and Canada. In the past, companies were h esitant to export research and development intensive goods; with increased intellectual property protection, however, exports of these goods has shown a definite increase. As a result of better trading conditions, exports and imports of most other goods have increased along with the research and development intensive goods. In Mexico, the elimination of investment barriers has allowed investment to expand. Increased trading and investment has then created many jobs, raised the Gross Domestic Product, and lowered consumer prices. The macroeconomic principles defined in Economics 103 relate to NAFTA's impact on aggregate supply and demand, employment, investment, and their effects on national income. The free trade established by MERCOSUR also involves countries within South America. MERCOSUR, the Southern Common Market ( Mercado Common del Sur) was established in 1991 after a series of other free trade treaties failed to meet the standards of th...

Chicago Referencing †Repeat Citations - Proofeds Writing Tips Blog

Chicago Referencing – Repeat Citations Chicago Referencing – Repeat Citations If you have a useful source text, you’ll often want to cite it more than once in your work. But the Chicago Manual of Style has specific rules for doing this, so you need to how it works! Here, then, is our guide to repeat citations in Chicago style referencing. Consecutive Repeat Citations In Chicago footnote referencing, when you cite the same source twice in a row, you can use the Latin abbreviation â€Å"ibid.† This literally translates as â€Å"in the same place.† If you are citing exactly the same page as before, you can use â€Å"ibid.† by itself. If you are citing a different part of the text, you should give the new page number(s), too. For instance: 1. Alan C. Jenkins, Wildlife in the City: Animals, Birds, Reptiles, Insects and Plants in an Urban Landscape (London: Holt Company, 1983), 13. 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid., 102. Here, page 13 of Alan C. Jenkins’ Wildlife in the City is cited in footnotes 1 and 2, while page 102 is cited in footnote 3. This saves us from writing out the full source information each time. Non-Consecutive Repeat Citations What, though, do you do when you need to repeat a citation after you’ve cited another source? In this case, Chicago referencing uses a shortened footnote style. These shortened footnotes should include: The author’s surname The page(s) cited Non-consecutive citations of the same source would therefore look like this: 1. Alan C. Jenkins, Wildlife in the City: Animals, Birds, Reptiles, Insects and Plants in an Urban Landscape (London: Holt Company, 1983), 13. 2. Esther Woolfson, Corvus: A Life with Birds (London: Granta Publications, 2008), 234. 3. Jenkins, 102. If you have more than one source by the same author, however, you should also include a shortened version of the title. This will ensure the reader knows which source you’re citing. For instance: 1. Alan C. Jenkins, Wildlife in the City: Animals, Birds, Reptiles, Insects and Plants in an Urban Landscape (London: Holt Company, 1983), 13. 2. Esther Woolfson, Corvus: A Life with Birds (London: Granta Publications, 2008), 234. 3. Alan C. Jenkins, Introducing Cats (London: Spring Books, 1958), 24. 4. Jenkins, Wildlife in the City, 102. In this case, footnotes 1 and 4 point to the same source, while footnote 3 is another source by Jenkins. Author–Date Citations Chicago referencing also has an author–date system, which uses in-text citations. To reference the same source more than once in this, all you have to do is give the same citation again: Alan Jenkins (1983) describes how birds of prey survive in urban settings. He says that peregrine falcons are a â€Å"spectacular example of adaptive behavior† (Jenkins 1983, 13). All you need to do with repeat author–date citations, then, is make sure they are consistent!

Garmin Analysis - Looking To the Future Research Paper

Garmin Analysis - Looking To the Future - Research Paper Example In order to go forward in the future, there are three scenarios under consideration, which are related to different possible course of strategic actions that the company may follow to address its problems. In this report, these strategic options are evaluated on the basis of various financial models and descriptive analysis of the company’s existing position and outcome of these decisions. Before the analysis is carried out, it would be useful to provide a summary table of the performance of five identified business segments of the company in the last three years. Business Segments 2011 Net Sales % Change in Sales 2011 EBIT % Change in EBIT 2010 Net Sales % Change in Sales 2010 EBIT % Change in EBIT 2009 Net Sales 2009 EBIT Outdoor 363,223 13.82 171,245 13.43 319,119 6.62 150,973 2.01 299,300 147,996 Fitness 298,163 23.99 107,881 24.72 240,473 41.77 86,499 49.02 169,624 58,046 Marine 221,730 11.50 60,092 -3.75 198,860 11.94 62,431 8.71 177,644 57,430 Automobile/Mobile 1,590,59 8 -4.69 171,717 -16.60 1,668,939 -18.75 205,887 -57.86 2,054,127 488,584 Aviation 284,855 8.51 73,226 2.44 262,520 6.83 71,482 26.30 245,745 56,595 The table provided above provides trends in net sales and EBIT of all business segments, which would be referred to in the discussion related to the scenarios presented below. Scenario #1: Assault on the Smartphone Market Under this future scenario, the company may aim to target the Smartphone market which is worth $65 billion and it has been growing at a fast pace of 20% every year. The smart phone market is dynamic as new markets are emerging such as Africa and Asia. However, the competitive forces including companies like Apple, Google, Nokia, Blackberry, Samsung, HTC, and even manufacturers from Far East countries are already playing an important role in this industry having strong positioning and they share a major proportion of the global market. The company will have to invest heavily in developing technologies and acquiring assoc iated businesses as Garmin does not have any prior experience and its current market share is zero. The entry into this market segment the company will require an investment of $3 billion that could be raised from the capital market by offers shares to both institutional and private investors. Move to the Smartphone segment the company will have divest non-operations including aviation, and marine, in the third year and it expects to receive $500 million. In addition, by doing so, the company will have to let go of the profits generated by these segments, which are already observed to be slowing down in the year 2011. The following financial analysis is based on certain assumptions and understanding regarding future of Smartphone industry and the company’s investment decision: 1. The time period for investment appraisal is considered to be 5 years from the completion of the project and inception of sales. 2. The cost of investment is expected to be $3 billion which will be ra ised by issuing additional 75 million shares at a price of $40 per share. 3. The investment is expected to generate results from the year 2013. 4. In 2011, the Smartphone industry has grown by 20% and same growth rate is assumed for the year 2012 onwards as there are no signs of slowdown in both short and medium terms. 2011 ($ mn) 2012 ($ mn) 2013 ($ mn) 2014 ($ mn)

Comparing any variable, between any two cultures (either ones weve Research Paper

Comparing any variable, between any two cultures (either ones weve discussed in class, or preferably other cultures not dealt with in class - Research Paper Example Since the symbol has to be understood by the public in order to carry meaning but is still used to reinforce or question understandings, there is an interactive cause and effect relationship involved in each symbol. Using semiotic analysis on a single cultural symbol, such as the apple, can reveal how different worldviews can be shaped in different cultures. Semiotics can be defined as an examination of symbols to discover its meaning at various levels. â€Å"Semiology therefore aims to take in any system of signs, whatever their substance and limits; images, gestures, musical sounds, objects, and the complex associations of all these, which form the content of ritual, convention or public entertainment: these constitute, if not languages, at least systems of signification† (Barthes, 1964). The concept of semiotics considers how symbols combine to target a specific group and to convey meaning to them. Analysis breaks images down into signifiers, signified and sign. David Chandler (2006) defines the signifier as â€Å"the form which the sign takes† and the signified as â€Å"the concept it represents.† The ‘sign’ is the meaning that emerges. This meaning provides clues, in the form of denotation and connotation, as to the culture’s dominant worldview. It has been determined that for every symbol, there is some further meaning and often the possibility for multiple interpretations. Denotation and connotation communicate about the ideological myth behind the message. These ideas are best explored by analyzing a symbol such as the apple. Within a Christian-dominated culture, including the modern-day Greek culture, the symbol of the apple has an instant connotation of temptation, evil and destruction. These ideas are conveyed early through stories such as popular children’s shows. As is discussed by Trish Carden (2005), Disney’s production of

The State of the Iranian Oil Industry and Its Role in Irans Economy Case Study

The State of the Iranian Oil Industry and Its Role in Irans Economy - Case Study Example This research will begin with the statement that Iran's economic reliance on the oil industry has been stronger than ever as demonstrated by the steady trend in domestic demand and the government’s effort to counter the adverse impact of its economic isolation. An increase in its energy output is seen as the only way to solve the issues it currently faces. This focus has led to several sustainability challenges that require immediate attention if the country is to achieve a viable economy in the long-term. Iran belongs to the top five oil-producing countries in the world. The International Energy Agency reported that in 2013, the country produced 2.5 million barrels per day and about 1.2 million barrels were exported. For this reason, the oil industry remains a backbone of the Iranian economy. It generates revenues that represent at least 18.7 percent of the country's gross domestic product and claim 85 percent of the country's total export and foreign currency earnings. Repor ts indicate that high oil prices in the past decades enabled Iran to accumulate almost $60 billion in foreign exchange reserves. The focus in oil production, however, has led or has aggravated three important sustainability challenges: air pollution; damage to water resources; and the environmental damage stemming from potential conflict. Air pollution remains the leading environmental problem in the country. It is caused by vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents. Particularly, combustion of vehicular traffic dominates pollutants. In Tehran, for example, they contribute to around 80 percent of air pollution.

Porters Five Force Analysis on Whitbreads competitiveness in Hotel Essay

Porters Five Force Analysis on Whitbreads competitiveness in Hotel Industry - Essay Example The researcher states that until the last years of 20th century, Whitbread has long been concentrating on brewing, but it has started its own restaurants, pub partnerships, inns, health and fitness service, drinks etc and has recognized that this will eventually give greater benefits to the business than the marketing potential of brewing. When it comes to hotel industry, the threat of new entrants is a big issue since it requires relatively less initial investment. The threat of new entrants in the case of brewing is also same, but hotel industry is more likely to attract customers if the hotel or restaurant can provide unique quality of goods and services. Differentiation matters a lot to hotel industry. A restaurant that is able to differentiate its products through innovation can substantially achieve significant competitive advantage. Whitbread’s Annual report reported that innovation has been critically significant strategy to its business as it listened to its customers for valuable research and thus its products and services were constantly adapted to changes. As shown in the figure above, Whitbread has identified that the contribution from restaurants, hotels and health and fitness were much better than that of other sectors and this showed how competitive the company can be in hotel industry. As far as hotel industry is concerned, threat of substitutes is greater since there are close substitutes available in the market. Confectionaries such as small treats, chocolates, soft drinks, packaged food or drinks are close substitutes.... Whitbread’s Annual report (1999, p. 15) reported that innovation has been critically significant strategy to its business as it listened to its customers for valuable research and thus its products and services were constantly adapted to changes. As shown in the figure above, Whitbread has identified that the contribution from restaurants, hotels and health and fitness were much better than that of other sectors and this showed how competitive the company can be in hotel industry. Threats of Substitutes As far as hotel industry is concerned, threat of substitutes is greater since there are close substitutes available in the market. Confectionaries such as small treats, chocolates, soft drinks, packaged food or drinks are close substitutes. Apart from this, the switching costs will be less for customers as they can easily obtain substitutes. But, threat of the substitutes to the services provided by hotel industry seems less significant as hotel industry can attract and retain its customers by facilitating supreme quality services. Restaurants, resorts and hotels have greater opportunities to convert the existing customers to loyal customers if they provide highly valuable services (Hayes and Miller, 2010, p. 365). Bargaining power of Suppliers Suppliers in the hotel industry are farmers, companies, retailers or wholesaler. As far as hotel industry is concerned, the demand for fresh and quality materials will be higher and suppliers of quality fruits or food items have relatively medium bargaining power. Since there are large numbers of suppliers available in the market, bargaining power is relatively less. Bargaining power of buyers For customers of hotel industry, there

Country cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Country cultures - Essay Example He conducted his research amongst employees of IBM which he believed had a national representation of all cultures. In this discussion, I am going to discuss Hofstede’s approach to country cultures using his proposed model. First, there is the power or distance dimension. This dimension addresses the extent of inequality in the society and the level of acceptance in a community without power. In this dimension, when there is a high score of power/distance (PD) it implies that the community acknowledges unequal dispersion of power in the society and that people accept their placement as dictated by running systems. A low indication of PD sends signals that power is well distributed among members of a community and that people perceive themselves as equals. In relation to Canada, the PDI is approximately 40 according to Hofstede statistics. This is slightly lower than fifty percent implying that there is unequal distribution of power though not to a large extent. The PDI of China is 80 which indicate existence of high levels of unequal distribution of power compared to Canada. The second indicator is Individualism (IDV) which refers to the level at which people maintain ties with others in the community. A big score of IDV implies that there is loose bonding among individuals in the community. In countries which are characterized by a high IDV, there is low indication of interpersonal connection among people and people shy away from sharing except for immediate family members and friends (Hofstede 101). A community that has got low IDV indicates that people have strong cohesion among themselves. I addition, people respect and value each other. Canada’s IDV index is placed at eighty percent which is high score. This is an indication that there exists loose bonding among people in Canada compared to countries like China which has a score of 20. This shows that bonding among Chinese people is high compared to Canadians. Masculinity (MAS)

Porters Five Force Analysis on Whitbreads competitiveness in Hotel Essay

Porters Five Force Analysis on Whitbreads competitiveness in Hotel Industry - Essay Example The researcher states that until the last years of 20th century, Whitbread has long been concentrating on brewing, but it has started its own restaurants, pub partnerships, inns, health and fitness service, drinks etc and has recognized that this will eventually give greater benefits to the business than the marketing potential of brewing. When it comes to hotel industry, the threat of new entrants is a big issue since it requires relatively less initial investment. The threat of new entrants in the case of brewing is also same, but hotel industry is more likely to attract customers if the hotel or restaurant can provide unique quality of goods and services. Differentiation matters a lot to hotel industry. A restaurant that is able to differentiate its products through innovation can substantially achieve significant competitive advantage. Whitbread’s Annual report reported that innovation has been critically significant strategy to its business as it listened to its customers for valuable research and thus its products and services were constantly adapted to changes. As shown in the figure above, Whitbread has identified that the contribution from restaurants, hotels and health and fitness were much better than that of other sectors and this showed how competitive the company can be in hotel industry. As far as hotel industry is concerned, threat of substitutes is greater since there are close substitutes available in the market. Confectionaries such as small treats, chocolates, soft drinks, packaged food or drinks are close substitutes.... Whitbread’s Annual report (1999, p. 15) reported that innovation has been critically significant strategy to its business as it listened to its customers for valuable research and thus its products and services were constantly adapted to changes. As shown in the figure above, Whitbread has identified that the contribution from restaurants, hotels and health and fitness were much better than that of other sectors and this showed how competitive the company can be in hotel industry. Threats of Substitutes As far as hotel industry is concerned, threat of substitutes is greater since there are close substitutes available in the market. Confectionaries such as small treats, chocolates, soft drinks, packaged food or drinks are close substitutes. Apart from this, the switching costs will be less for customers as they can easily obtain substitutes. But, threat of the substitutes to the services provided by hotel industry seems less significant as hotel industry can attract and retain its customers by facilitating supreme quality services. Restaurants, resorts and hotels have greater opportunities to convert the existing customers to loyal customers if they provide highly valuable services (Hayes and Miller, 2010, p. 365). Bargaining power of Suppliers Suppliers in the hotel industry are farmers, companies, retailers or wholesaler. As far as hotel industry is concerned, the demand for fresh and quality materials will be higher and suppliers of quality fruits or food items have relatively medium bargaining power. Since there are large numbers of suppliers available in the market, bargaining power is relatively less. Bargaining power of buyers For customers of hotel industry, there

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

History - Essay Example The participation of Southern states in the adoption of the amendments of ending slavery was a light to the blacks; however, they reject the 14th amendments and this incited the Radical Republicans in passing Reconstruction Acts. These acts brought about division in Southern states based on their racial differences. 2. Describe the kind of violence Lucy McMillan experiences via 1871. How does this illustrate the problem of reconstruction? Lucy McMillan experiences the 1871 violence between Blacks and the Whites during the reconstruction era. McMillan illustrates the problems of reconstruction as it directly affects the citizens of North and South. The problems included lack of knowledge concerning land problems by most of the black leaders who had participated in the Reconstruction this made it possible for the whites to win over them. 3. How do the Louisiana Black Codes reinstate a kind of â€Å"virtual slavery† in 1865? Louisiana succeeded in his deal of protecting the Black s, his codes had significance in ending virtual slavery, and he denied the pardons involving those who had killed the African American war prisoners. Louisiana allowed each state in creating a new constitution, this came after taking an oath of allegiance by 10% of the total voters, through Louisiana’s efforts ending of discrimination of the blacks. 4. What kind of tribute does William Howard Day give to President Lincoln? Abraham Lincoln is not connected to any religious beliefs he, however, hold a strong believe that God is all-powerful. William Howard Day gave tributes to President Lincoln concerning his leadership especially during the reconstruction era. William confounded the president about his act of spending money and that his leadership is not trustworthy. William also pointed out Lincoln’s weakness as a man full of pride and self-centeredness. CHAPTER TWO 1. Is frontier settlement best understood as the story of competing ethnic, religious, and racial groups , or is it best understood as the place where capitalism left its mark? Frontier settlement is the region within a country fronting on another country usually neighboring country, in this settlement there are habitations. Frontier is usually a political and geographical region and found near a boundary. Frontier settlement being a political area can be best understood as a story involving competing ethnic, political and religious groups. 2. Was the West truly the place where Americans were most individualistic, democratic, and free, as Turner argued, or was it actually riddled with inequalities? Fredrick Jackson Turner in his thesis called Frontier or Turner Thesis stressed the liberty involving movement of releasing Americans from Europeans. From his thesis, it can be concluded that the west was not the place for Americans, the acquisition of the place based on the inequalities hence lacking democracy and full of individualistic. 3. One of the biggest occurrences of the 1870s was C uster’s Last Stand. Discuss the reminiscences of the battle. Custer’s Last Stand occurred in 1876, is a battle involving the most prominent act, which was pioneered by several leaders of war. The battle left several reminiscences among those who were involved and those who were affected. Several people killed 268 were killed, and 55 injured during the battle the battle led to displacement of hundreds of people. 4. Why did the

Midnight rider. Environmental Science & Technology Essay Example for Free

Midnight rider. Environmental Science Technology Essay The Midnight Rider Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This documentary series explores the life of Paul Revere who was an American patriot. He was born in Boston, Mass, and he was a superb silversmith and also an ardent patriot however he was a mediocre military leader. As a member of sons of liberty, Revere became the main express rider for Boston committee of safety (Peltier, 2005). His role was to carry information such as letters, news, copies of proposed resolutions and dispatches to the patriots who were dispersed all over New England and also as far as Philadelphia and New York (Pelley, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Revere’s famous ride in 1775 to Lexington was only the most popular of the numerous courier services that he carried out. Later Revere was court-martialed and given an acquittal for his leadership for the period of failed 1779 Penebscot Bay expedition (Dorsey, 2007). Although was released his was not grated a similar treatment and therefore he was forced to walk on foot to Lexington and at Lexington Green he witnessed the late phases of the battle. Subsequent to the American Revolution, Revere carried on with great success his trade in silversmith (Sullivan, 2012). Revere supplied materials for constitution of U.S.S and also worked together with Robert Fulton during developing copper boilers for the steamboats (Keene, 2013).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Americans in the 21st century have a lot in common with their patriotic forefathers even though they are separated from the midnight ride of Paul revere by 238 years (Countryman Foner, 1985). They are ready to fight for their sacred rights whenever they feel that they are being denied their rights. They are inspired by the Paul Revere’s ride since when they remember the reason for this ride they get inspired and are ready to face their own fight against the forces of tyranny (Dorsey, 2007). References Countryman, E., Foner, E. (1985). The American Revolution. New York: Hill and Wang. Dorsey, A. (2007). Black History Is American History: Teaching African American History in the Twenty-first Century. Journal of American History, 93(4), 1171-1177. Jensen, M. (1970). The American People and the American Revolution. The Journal of American History, 57(1), 5. Keene, C. (2013). Mystery of the midnight rider. New York: Aladdin. Peltier, M. J. (Director). (2005). Paul Revere, the midnight rider [Documentary]. united states: A E Home Video :. Pelley, J. (2009). Midnight rider. Environmental Science Technology, 43(6), 1661-1662. Rachum, I. (1993). From à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Independenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  To The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Revolutionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Journal of American Studies, 27(01), 73. Revere, P., Forbes, E. (1963). Paul Reveres ride; a deposition.. Worcester, Mass.: A.J. St. Onge. Ruepp, K., Heyne, U., James, J. A. (1995). Midnight rider. New York: North-South Books. Sullivan, R. (2012). My American Revolution. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Thelen, D. (1994). The Practice of American History. The Journal of American History, 81(3), 933. Source document

Self-Portrait Essay

Self-Portrait Essay My understanding of the society I live in changes from day to day. When Obama was elected, I had great hopes for this country and that racial equality would finally balance out and that old prejudices would disappear Black people would get better jobs, everyone would be equal, and the Democrats would take care of us and see to it that my parents and their parents get a fair deal here in America. I had unrealistic expectations, like most young people. I did not realize that the economy would go down so quickly. But I have the encouragement of my family and church, to forge ahead and attain my goals. We are native Suirnamese people, South American, and my descendants are Indian. My parents brought me to America when I was four years old. I am nineteen years of age. Since I am fully Americanized and have grown up in America, I have never experienced immigrant prejudice; my skin is light and I have no accent. I would have to label myself in the American society as a young female adult. I see myself in society as a young female trying to keep up with other females who are judged on their ability to look good, wear the right hair styles that are contemporary, display stylish accessories and clothing on a daily basis, and keep the figure because fat people are discriminated against, openly, no matter what age they are. This society is health conscious, weight conscious, clothes conscious, designed brand conscious, body pamper conscious, sex conscious, and materialistic. I see myself as having to keep up with other females my age; if not, I am excluded from social events and activities that enjoy prominence in my community. If I dont have the right clothes for church benefits and extra-curricular activities in my social network, I am not accepted into the group and it is a zero tolerance situation as far as young females are concerned. With regard to what is expected of me by other females, and how I see my own self-image, it is easier to go along with my peers and sta y competitive with them, then it is to drop out of the social network, become an outsider and not be accepted by my age group. In order to stay popular, well-liked and trusted by my peers, I have to maintain the correct appearance so that I remain status quo with the other young female adults who aspire to become educated, successful and financially secure. Theres no way to deny the importance of high beauty standards in this country, today. One cannot turn away from billboards, television ads, magazine pages, newspaper clips, or even video games that perpetuate the slender, perfect body with perfect long fingernails glamorous hair and make-up and sexy clothes that are clingy and revealing. Theres no way to get away from the broadcasts about fat Americans and European dislike for fat Americans; and everywhere you turn, there is someone behind you that looks like Madonna or any one of thousands of perfect role models flashing in the media. They are cultural heroes and their femininity is no longer denied. I guess that in order to rule the world, a woman has to be a Barbie doll so that she will gain attention from men even if she doesnt have the brains to go with it. Perhaps that is the message that women and advertisers are communicating in the 21st century. Furthermore, since society is so set on stressing the importance of a thin bod y and a gorgeous face, it is not a surprise that eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia to overcome the female fear of becoming fat are on the rise today (Medias Effect on Girls, 2009, 1-4). They are what they consume, and it is killing them. Coming to America when I was four years old was a tremendous culture shock for my parents, but not for me. My mother never realized that female beauty could be so concentrated in exacted guidelines and standardized measurements as it is here in America. It is most puzzling how American women can subject themselves to such a biased standard of configuration. In my country of origin, Suriname, women are valued for their individuality and natural charm and beauty. We dont have a standard look of fashion beauty nor do we feel obligated or condemned to a life of copying what we see in magazines. Although we do have fads, as all countries do, our maturity lends to individual styles which are socially acceptable and respected. There is no need for false imaging to gain social acceptance. However, this was the country my parents, grandparents and descendants grew up in. Over the years as I was growing up, my parents realized that they had to furnish me with everything my classmates had; just to keep me from being bullied by classmates. Apparently, the influence of advertising in America is so persuasive that women cannot relate to themselves unless they emulate their stage stars and media stereotypes. Female appearance is central in America, and according to Dr. Smith, professor of Marketing at the University of Wisconsin, ads with female models are usually for appearance-related products, and by the time girls reach adolescence, they redefine their image and envision their futures (Advertising Images of Girls, 1997, 2). Thus, advertising and media supports send messages that could limit their aspirations, undermine their self worth and endanger their health. Example: body-pampering with soaps and shampoos that show lady (thin lady) in the shower, with long beautiful hair, perfect dimensions and perfect everything. Then she steps into a sexy little dress that she could not wear until she joined Jenny Craig and lost 25 pounds of unwanted weight. Now she is perfect, acceptable, and the dress she is wearing can be bou ght at a Wal-Mart and the thin body can be purchased at Jenny Craig Diet Center, and the shampoo and soap can be purchased from any local discount store. So the advertisers are happy, the actors are rich, and the female viewer is frowning because she cant wear the skinny little dress because she hasnt lost enough weight to fit into a size 5. The emphasis on female appearance tells American females that they are under pressure to be thin. On the other hand, this tells boys and men that women are supposed to be, above everything else, a pretty and perfect package and something to behold, but not necessarily to respect (Advertising Images of Girls, 1997, 2). All I can hope to accomplish as a young female adult is to fit in, get a good education and career, not rely on marriage to fulfill my identity, and keep a close affiliation with my church and community. Bibliography Advertising Images of Girls and Women. (Fall 1997). A Report from Children Now. 1-5 Available on http://www.childrennow.org/media/medianow/mnfall1997.html Medias Effect on Girls: Body Image and Gender Identity. (03 April 2009) 1-4. Available on http://www.medianfamily.org/facts/facts_mediaeffect.shtml

Comparing Maya Angelous Graduation and Liliana Hekers The Stolen Part

Comparing Maya Angelou's Graduation and Liliana Heker's The Stolen Party    Maya Angelou's "Graduation" and Liliana Heker's "The Stolen Party" share a common theme. Each author demonstrates through young girls that life's experiences, especially as a child, teach important lessons. Although Angelou's "Graduation" and Heker's "The Stolen Party" share a distinct resemblance, they also differ. The main similarity is that Margaret from "Graduation" and Rosaura from "The Stolen Party" are both excited about a day that they consider special or important. Margaret's big day revolves around her graduation from the eighth grade at the Lafayette County Training School. Margaret and her entire family are so proud of her accomplishments and achievements. Margaret felt high aspirations for the future and high hopes of all her goals being attainable. Margaret brags: My work alone had awarded me a top place and I was going to be one of the first called in the graduating ceremonies. On the classroom blackboard, as well as on the bulletin board in the auditorium, there were blue stars and white stars and red stars. No absences, no tardiness, and my academic work was among the best of the year. I could say the preamble to the Constitution even faster than Bailey. (572)    Rosaura's big day revolves around a birthday party she was invited to by Luciana. Luciana is the daughter of Senora Ines. Senora Ines is a lady Rosaura's mother cleans for in the afternoons. Despite her mother's initial wishes, Rosaura was determined to attend Luciana's birthday party. Heker writes, "She wanted to go to that party more than anything else in the world. 'I'll die if I don't go' she [Rosaura] whispered" (614). Margaret and Ro... ...ade this little girl come to life with words. Margaret was so natural, so life-like, so truthful. Heker's "The Stolen Party" is a work of fiction and is told in third person. Although Rosaura seems realistic and believable, her character was not as fully revealed as Margaret's.    Margaret and Rosaura were both young girls living in environments where certain things or people were not accepted. Through childhood experiences both girls have learned substantial lessons about themselves and the way others view them that should remain with them the rest of their lives.    Works Cited Angelou, Maya. "Graduation." Literature for Composition. 4th Ed.   Sylvan Barnet et al. New York HarperCollins, 1996. 570-578. Hecker, Liliana. "The Stolen Party." Literature for Composition. 4th Ed. Sylvan Barnet et al. New York HarperCollins, 1996. 613-616.

Hausser Food Products Company Сase Study

Summary: Due to demographical changes and competition growth Hausser Food Products Company (a leading infant food producer and marketer with a 60% market share) is currently facing a decrease in sales growth and profit together with unused capacities of its plant and warehouse. Hired by HFP researcher finds out from their Regional Sales Manager, Brenda Cooper, about the difficulties of motivating her team to come up with new ideas of selling to increase the sales.Reasons1. HFP target planning doesn’t involve â€Å"people from the field† while they are the ones who know the local markets, what is realistic, what their capabilities of selling are whereas they are the ones to finally meet the targets.2. Rewarding scheme is not adjusted to the constantly changing market and working environment. Neither does it motivate employees to achieve higher targets set year after year nor does it encourage them to share their creative ideas on selling methods and new market opportunit ies.3. HFP management puts too much pressure on paperwork. Such bureaucracy limits the time sales people spend on selling activities.4. The company seems to have a fixed boundary between the top managers and regular sales forces. It is divided into â€Å"us and them†. Sales forces don’t understand that achieving a general goal is to their own benefit too – they are only focused on their personal goal which is receiving yearly bonus.5. Sales meetings are held without Regional Sales Managers such as Brenda Cooper. How to resolve the problem:1. District Managers should be involved in drawing up sales plans together with Regional Sales Managers who should be then communicating those goals to the Sales and Market Planning Directors.2. Changes of rewarding system should be made so that extra sales are rewarded more i.e.: not only bonus should be increased but also base salary should be revised. Moreover, creative or innovative ideas of regular employees should be reco gnized and prized accordingly to company’s increase in profit so that sales forces don’t get the impression of being â€Å"used† to  the company’s general benefit.3. Limit the paperwork by involving Regional Sales Manager in sales team meetings which would naturally keep them updated without the necessity of producing numerous papers and reports by sales people.4. Introduce team bonding activities, social events which would be attended all kinds of levels of employees: directors, managers and sales people. This would on one hand result in information  exchange crucial to the directors and on the other hand – in building-up of sense of belonging to the company as a whole and understanding the role of an individual in a company.

Bringing Out the Best in Others

When I arrived home after being promoted as the CAD (Computer-aided design) Manager of our company, I had great difficulty going to sleep. It felt as though I was on top of the world and the exhilaration I felt was intensified as I looked back to the years when I first set foot in America. I was an eighteen-year-old lad then and I was very anxious to get assimilated into American society. My entire family and clan had high hopes that somehow I would make it good in a foreign land.Fear of failure probably gave me a head start as my drive and determination to climb the corporate ladder was so strong: I immersed myself in the study of American English and culture more than my other compatriots did. I worked and studied at the same time hoping that my academic credentials and relentless drive to succeed would open doors for me. Fortunately, I was not disappointed. One after the other, the doors of opportunity began to open. I found work to finance my schooling and when I was through with my schooling I immediately found work as CAD Drafter.Little by little, my superiors took notice of my technical and programming skills. Perhaps, over and above these skills, what really made my superiors realize that I was intent on moving up was my refusal to give up when the team seemed to have run into a blank wall. I always kept trying to figure a way out of the problem long after the others in the team had already given up. Indeed, there were a lot of instances when my plain stubbornness solved a difficult problem. Now, as a CAD Manager, I am determined that this same persistence could again one day give me another shot at a higher position.Besides, I am convinced that I have to be particularly quick to recognize the existence of the same trait in my subordinates. I know that a worker with a drive similar to mine would make a difference in the accomplishment of tasks. After literally burning the lines breaking the news back home through an overseas call, I sat in my apartment and asked myself, now what? I realized that having been promoted is not the end of the road. Instead, I was given another uncertain road to trek.This time, the rules are different; the expectations are higher and the demands are also certainly harder. That very night, my elation slowly gave way to apprehension. Even then, I congratulated myself for a job well done and steeled myself for another formidable challenge to be hurdled. I took stock of the team assigned to me and wondered if I could really be an effective leader considering that I have risen from the ranks. Immediately, Mr. Tom Higen came to mind. Like me, he rose from the ranks such that he knows virtually everything about CAD.I silently resolved that I would pattern my management style after his. Mr. Higen would be my role model and mentor. To lead the team effectively, I knew that I had to know the members of my team on a deeper level. John Maxwell (2001) writes that successful people-developers make the right assumptio ns about people, ask the right questions about people and gives the right assistance to people (p. 143). I felt that Mr. Tom Higen demonstrated this trait in his dealings with us. Indeed, he is a very focused worker and yet found time to bond with us, his subordinates.It is true that in my other jobs, I also had superiors who would ask how I was doing almost every time they met me in the lobby or elevator. Yet when one is not sincere, the phony nature of the question somehow gets through and I often had the feeling that they would ask what I was doing not because they really cared about what I was doing but because they could not find any other statement to break the ice. When Mr. Higen asked how I and my other colleagues were doing, I could immediately sense that he was not mouthing a perfunctory, one-liner as some sort of lip-service to what they call corporate bonding.I could feel that he was sincere in asking the question and without much reservation or hesitation, I and my coll eagues could discuss with him our personal problems and eventually we would move on to discussing with him work issues and difficulties. While the presence of other superiors would make us uneasy, Mr. Tom Higen’s presence would be a welcome treat as we found in him an ear that was ready to listen. Realizing that I should also try to establish a strong bond with subordinates, I made it a point that in our weekly meetings, I would ensure that I would arrive at the conference room 30 minutes ahead of schedule.While waiting for the other team members to arrive, I would ask how one’s child was doing or how one was coping with a new-found hobby or sports activity. In these sessions, I was able to gauge whether a subordinate’s performance is being affected by a domestic problem. Once, Matt Cavaness, a Senior CAD Specialist who is an exuberant guy suddenly became withdrawn and failed to meet a deadline twice. It is in one of these pre-conference talks that he disclosed that his 1-year-old daughter kept getting ill and the doctors could not give a final diagnosis. I remarked, â€Å"Now I see why you aren’t your usual self.I will pray that no serious illness has befallen your daughter. I think he was so touched and relieved by my statement that his concentration at work was restored. Now, when the two of us have one-on-one discussion about production issues, we would outdo each other in saying, you are not your usual self, when we are stuck with an impasse. I would say I started to gain the trust and loyalty of Matt by that thoughtful remark. It is indeed surprising how such a seemingly insignificant gesture could pave the way to a strong bond of professionalism and friendship.I think that in this instance, I took the step in making the right assumptions about people as John Maxwell suggested. I discovered what is valued by my team mate and knowing what he values, I use it as a means of connecting with his inner self. I began to see him in a different light and became more understanding of his previous lapses. Another positive result of my pre-conference talks with my subordinates was the fact that whenever I set a meeting or discussion, nobody would get late as what happens in other departments.Since they all know that I always arrive at the venue 30 minutes ahead of time, they either arrive at the venue 30 minutes ahead of schedule or be at the meeting place at least 10 minutes before the sessions. They surely find it embarrassing to keep me waiting. Since I want all meetings and all outputs to be delivered on time, I must ensure that I myself demonstrate this demand in my very own work ethic. This management practice bolstered my integrity, a quality which Maxwell regards as the most important ingredient of leadership (p. 49).Taking off from such a fruitful pre-conference talks with Matt, I also resolved to know the other members of the team in a deeper way: Gunilla and Miguel, the Senior CAD Specialists and Ramon a nd Olive, the Project Cad Specialists. By knowing a lot about their personal circumstances, I believe that I could sincerely engage them in conversations that would delve on both the personal and professional aspect of the employee. I familiarized myself with the personal background of my teammates. I even took pains to memorize the number of children that my subordinates had and ensured that I could at least remember their names.When an employee would come in to refer an issue, I would make it a point to begin with a small talk about the employees current personal undertakings. This went on for quite some time until one of them remarked, â€Å"You’re bent on becoming a Mr Higen, aren’t you? † I was dumbfounded by the man’s perspicacity. With that I suddenly came to realize that perhaps my aping Mr. Higen was being counterproductive. Instead of seeing me as a superior who is as caring and concerned as Tom, I was coming across as phony and a copy-cat. Surp risingly, when I ceased trying to become a clone of Mr.Higen, I suddenly became more relaxed in my conversations that the spontaneity and warmth of my concern as a superior showed through. My co-workers began to like me and began opening up to me as a person and as a professional. My inhibitions and my mental cues to be like Mr. Higen eventually gave way to a more relaxed and natural way of dealing with my subordinates. I began to have a very caring attitude towards my subordinates. I have begun to accept that I am who I am in my own unique way and not through the ideal of some other person.While I am resolved to pay forward the kindness of my superior, I am also obliged to remain true to my identity. This is the only way I could safeguard my identity as a unique individual. After having impressed my subordinates about my concern for their personal and professional welfare, I was dead-set on ensuring that they would throw in their unconditional support in the attainment of our goals . I believed that one sure way of motivating them towards this managerial objective of mine is to gather the input of each member in how to attain the goal in the best and fastest way possible.Again, meetings were in order. The first two projects that were finished in this manner truly went fine and ahead of schedule. However, when each team member became less inhibited in voicing his opinion, we eventually came to a point when we could no longer agree as to which is the best course of action to take. As the leader, I would moderate and resolve issues and made sure that the exchange of ideas did not become a clash of personalities. It came to a point when I could no longer reconcile opinions that in one project, we were at a gridlock and time was running out.I eventually realized that even when management principles require the input of subordinates, my role as the manager would have to be exercised with firmness and finality to avoid such impasse. Nonetheless, to soothe feelings th at might have been hurt by my choice of a course of action over another, I would announce that a particular course of action is what we ought to follow as an exercise of my management prerogative but once it would not turn out to be the best, we would resort to another suggestion later.I realized that even when inputs are sought from subordinates, I, the manager, still have the final say as to the direction that we would take. By doing this I take on accountability and responsibility if anything goes awry and not the subordinate who offered the suggestion. Indeed, decision-making remains my call in spite of the fact that suggestions from subordinates have been solicited. I am technically proficient in all the programs related to drafting and I keep abreast of all the modern software related to CAD.Thus, my co-workers could always count one me to give them the correct and updated technical advice. I relished being the perennial technical point person until I realized that my availabi lity and dependability on the technical side of our work has become counter-productive. I eventually sensed that as the CAD Manager, I should be focusing on other aspects of production. In fact, I should not bother myself too much with the technical work as an employee was already assigned to specifically attend to it.I must have made myself too available for consultation than I should that Olive kept coming to me for inputs for projects assigned to her. Her importuning consumed a considerable amount of time and having become aware of this I made sure that it somehow has to end. The next time that Olivia came for the usual technical consultation, I pretended that I was on my way out for a business lunch with a client. Throughout the day, I made sure that I could not be contacted by her. As the project was due at 5 pm on that day, Olivia was forced to study the technical material herself. In doing so, she was able to solve her problem.I believe that after two other unsuccessful attem pts to get my opinion on a project she was doing, Olivia finally resolved to finish the project all by herself. From then on, realizing that her attempts to consult me midway through a project was merely time-consuming, Olivia finally decided to do her work on her own as well. I realized that by making myself too available, I was not leading my team. I was in fact pitching in for the work that they should have been doing in the first place. Besides, the practice has not resulted in Olivia being able to do the project all by herself.I was teaching her but I did not intend the process to be a repeated activity as she had to be weaned from my constant supervision. I wanted her to be a self-directed or independent employee who is able to reach her goal with minimal or without supervision. This must be what Maxwell had in mind is his admonition to give the right assistance to people. The assistance I was giving Olivia at the start was not the right kind as it had the tendency to make her complacent and dependent. Looking back, I also became aware that my Transition Skill was inadequate.Catapulted to a managerial position, I realized that I would have to go beyond the technical and programming skills and instead hone my managerial skills. I have to make sure that my technical skills are as impeccable as my managerial skills. I needed to learn fast how I could best bring about the best in my five subordinates. Due to the fact that I sometimes had to go on business trips that would take at least a couple of days of absence, I had to delegate some of my tasks. In delegating selected tasks, I would see to it that the job that is delegated is the area where the employee excels.However, I rely on Matt to make the crucial decisions when decisions have to be made immediately. I once thought that delegating tasks is not liked by most subordinates as it would seem to be an additional burden. I learned that in delegating tasks, I have to make the other person realize that dele gation is an affirmation of my trust and confidence. I would begin my delegation spiel with the phrase, â€Å"This is a vital process which, I believe, is best done by you. † This statement makes the person warm up to the idea of the responsibility and he would gladly accept the task without much hesitation.Although I do delegate certain tasks, I still ensure that I am still on top of everything by periodic calls or when absolutely needed, I would have those with delegated tasks discuss matters with me via teleconference. Going back to the admonition of Maxwell about making the right assumptions about people, I found that I have unstated assumptions about people and no matter how I try hard not to make an assumption for fear of being prejudiced, the human mind is always classifying or making categories about things and about other people. For example, I treat my two Filipino subordinates, Miguel and Ramon, the way I treat myself.That is, as immigrants like me, I know that lik e me, they are in a make or break situation such that no matter how adverse the circumstances may be, they will gladly pitch in to help. With this in mind, I give them work that is at times higher or more demanding than that being done by the rest. These two Filipinos always deliver quality work on time. Indeed, people have a way of living up or down to your opinion of them (Maxwell, 147). While assigning work to these two individuals, I always ensure that I are to listen to what is going on with their families.Aware perhaps that I always seek the best for them and their families, I am amply rewarded by their efforts to always bring out the best in themselves. Maxwell says further, â€Å"People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care† (147). The same holds true for Matt and Gunilla. I found that even if they are hard-pressed for time, they would normally respond with enthusiasm to a new project once I had recognized their needs both on the professional and the personal level. For Matt, mere mention of his CD rock collection would send him rattling off album titles since he knows them by heart.I once bought a rock CD for him and he was beside himself with joy. That I should bother with my time to go looking for his type of music was such a profound joy for him. Gunilla on the other hand, loves gardening. Although I do not have much time for late night meetings, I gave her an unexpected visit. I found her busy puttering in the garden. She was ecstatic when I gave her a book about gardening. By the way she enthusiastically responded to my questions, I knew right there and then that I could count on her when it was time to get things done.While I was quite successful with the first four team members, I was a dismal failure when it came to Olivia. It was not because I couldn’t find anything that would make her respond with enthusiasm or anything that would be a common hobby at the stage of her life. Whenever her attention was c alled to certain lapses, she would accept it with a stony face, pout and then start working on a new task. At first I secretly resented it. However, I eventually confronted her about it and she had a litany of woes as an excuse. To ensure that she is able to produce as much as her fellow employees, I paired her off with Matt Cavaness.Nonetheless, she would not change her habits. Before I could think of another technique to make her more productive, she transferred to another company. My experiences with these people have so far been fruitful. In order to bring out the best in them, I need to show them my best side as well. I am a veritable role model in the department where I work. Aside from this, I must show them my utmost concern for them. By working together and at the same time valuing one another, synergy is achieved and more work is done or accomplished. REFERENCE Maxwell J. C (1971). Developing the leader within you. Nashville, Tennessee: Nelson Publishers

Example Essay

Example Essay Most Americans spend about three to four hours a day watching TV, according to Nielsen Numbers. During this time Americans encountered commercials with promising product that improve your life. When it comes to love, the media uses sex to lure in the customer. We see this form of advertising in recent products campaign such as the Dentine Ice â€Å"Practice Safe Breath† and the Axe â€Å"Apollo. † The campaign â€Å"Practice Safe Breath† had subliminal messages about sex. The first scene of the commercial was a couple in a car. The couple was about to kiss and a girl stops the guy and says â€Å"Wait, you have one right? The word â€Å"one† has a double meaning both refering to the gum and a condom. The guy puts his hand in his pocket and retrieves a packet of Dentine Ice. The girl smiles and grabs a piece of gum. The next scene of the commercial is about a Guy that is in a hurry. He goes into his friends room and says â€Å"Hey bud can you help me out. † The friend opens his night stand and pulls out a packet or Dentine Ice. For most guys night stands are the place where guys usually store their condoms. In both situations the gum was being used in context that could be confused with a condom.After the Guy gets the gum pack he rushes back to his girlfriend and begins to kiss her. The media knows that using sex as a â€Å"subliminal message† will produce an attention grabbing commercial. The audience then comes to the conclusion that if they buy Dentine Ice then maybe it will help them improve their love life. Some people might even want to be in the situations that are shown in the commercial. The body language shown by the characters in the commercial were very sexual. Most of the characters were eager to get intimate with each other, and needed the gum to for fill their needs.The commercial â€Å"Dentine Ice Practice Safe Breath† was named after a campaign called â€Å"Practice Safe Sex† that was supported by the non profit organization named Kush Kash Entertainment in 2011. The campaign promoted safe sex and sells condoms to prevent STD or teenage pregnancys. The commercial ends with the line â€Å"So you are prepared no matter how close you get† telling people to be ready with a pack of gum, in case of a close encounter with a partner. Another product that promotes improving your love life is â€Å"Axe Apollo. † In this commercial a girl is swimming in the ocean.She is about to get attacked by a shark, when a lifeguard jumped into the water to save her. The life guard was a handsome guy with enough strength to arm wrestle a shark to â€Å"save her. † He brought her to the shore; she woke up and took a deep breath. She inhaled the smell of the Axe body spray, and ran to a man in an astronaut suit. The astronaut takes of his helmet and reveals his face. He was a wimpy looking guy, nothing compared to the lifeguard that rescued her. The commercia ls main purpose was to tell men that if they wear Axe, they will be chosen over the hot guy.In society, the attractive girl will usually choose the strong, brave and handsome guy over a guy that isn't strong or attractive. The only words that are said in this commercial are â€Å"Wear new Axe Apollo for your chance to go to space. Leave a man, come back a hero. † This is implying men if they wear Axe these men will be able to help their love life with females. If men wear Axe Apollo, that will help them find a women to have sex with. This will become a hero even if they are not sexually attractive like the lifeguard. This gives men a boost in their self-esteem while wearing Axe.The commercial implies that by wearing Axe Apollo, women will find men more physically and sexually attractive. These are two examples of how commercials sponsor products to possibly help your love life. The media uses subliminal messages using sex to sell products. Promising results to help your self- esteem or get you one step closer to have a relationship with someone. Some commercials are more upfront on promoting sex products than others. But over all they all serve the same purpose to try â€Å"to help people† have an easier love life with no problem. Example Essay Jessica C. Apolinar 04. 15. 13 EN-202-02 Example Essay Dolphins are widely known as humans' close relatives from the sea or so the â€Å"other humans† who chose to live in the sea. They have human characteristics that most animals do not have. They are amazingly intelligent, friendly, and genetically similar. A research done by John Lilly concludes that dolphins are in fact intelligent as humans.Many other scientists have studied dolphin behaviors years ago and now have come to a possible result of dolphins being the closest relatives to humans. Their brains are larger than human brains, but they are able to think like humans. This is why most humans are more intrigued by their kind than any other animal and would easily train them to do tricks like waving good-bye or hello. Another characteristic would be their friendliness. Dolphins are popular for their friendliness toward humans.They are very playful and would mainly interact with humans more often than any other animal. T hey could be seen in dolphin shows like the show â€Å"Skipper†. They would also play around boats or ships putting a show for the people and are also famous for saving human lives either from drowning or being attacked by sharks. One last recent discovery was their genetic make-up are surprisingly similar to human genetics. Research has proven that humans and dolphins have more in common than they thought they have.An experiment from Texas A;M University tried to apply human chromosomes with the dolphin chromosomes, and they have discovered that out of the 22 dolphins 13 dolphin chromosomes were similar to human chromosomes. They have also found 3 other genes that was similar to human genes. There has been many studies of dolphins and up to this moment scientists still wonder how humans and cetaceans are alike. Although dolphins live on water while humans live on land, scientists still believe that there is still a connection between humans and dolphins that still needs to b e discovered.Dolphins' close interactions with humans and their similar characteristics are just evidence of how humans and dolphins relate. Work Cited Peterson, Paula, and Seema Kumar. â€Å"The Dolphin-Human Connection. †Ã‚  Earthcode InternationalNetwork. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Apr 2013. . Dudzinski, Kathleen, Frohoff, Toni, . Dolphin Mysteries : Unlocking the Secrets of Communication. NEW HAVEN AND LONDON: YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2008. eBook.

Access to health care in France Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Access to health care in France - Research Paper Example The government through the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Security and several other government agencies manage the insurance scheme; it is a combination of a national insurance recognized and managed by the state and financed by the employer and employee tax contributions. The employees are affiliated from three insurance schemes but all members of the population are covered systematically (Latry et al., 2010, p. 743), prompting the World Health Organization to recognize the French healthcare system as the world’s best in year 2000. The French healthcare system has been effective in providing the necessary healthcare for most of its citizens but the health services provided by the system need review and limitations so that the costs could be covered by government funds. The French health care system is known as the General Scheme which provides the Social Security, and is a mix of universal ideals and the French cultural values of â€Å"solidarity and fairness† (Roth, 2010, p. 330). It is a public-private collaboration of hospital and ambulatory care, reinforced by higher resources of care and services. The General Scheme encompassed other areas of health, such as the health insurance component. The latest step of this system was the Universal Medical Coverage (Couverture mà ©dicale universelle: CMU) which took effect in 2000. The current health insurance scheme encompasses about 80% of the French population, including illegal immigrants. Also covered are the individuals from special groups, like miners, seamen, and railroad laborers, who protested for additional benefits a few years back (Roth, 2010, p. 330). The history of the French healthcare system goes all the way back to 1945 with the creation of the Social Security System, Securite Sociale, whose power and responsibilities encompassed management of funds for medical care, including retirement

Security and Risk Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Security and Risk Managment - Essay Example To add to this statement, a number of long speeches are delivered by the politicians in this regard alarming the people of various countries. In the UK, the government has, and is taking a number of measures to control the international terrorist activities. With management principles creeping into every aspect of the government’s strategies, these measures to control the activities of the terrorists are no exception. It is interesting to note that the government has adopted four core strategies for dealing with the management and control of risk. This essay aims at understanding these strategies used by the UK government in trying to deal with these possible risks. These four core strategies are then analysed and the relevance to the management of dealing with business risks is also discussed. In order to understand the government’s strategy, it is essential to completely understand the threat prevailing in the country, in terms of terrorist activities. Initially, there were a number of terrorist activities in the Northern Ireland. However, the current threat is from radicalized individuals who form the unrepresentative version of Islamist faith and indulge in terrorist activities. The Muslim community on the whole has created value for the entire United Kingdom in terms of knowledge, investments, etc.., Hence it does not pose threat to the UK. However, the terrorist groups have remained a serious threat to the country and its people for a few years now. These terrorists are based locally as well as internationally. These terrorist groups have wide networks and penetrate the societies by training the youth and teenagers to indulge in violence. They aim at mass destruction and their attitude is the same with all age groups. In short, they aim at the general, innocen t public. Hence they are a major threat to the UK people. There is a high risk involved in the lives of the people living in the UK due to the terrorist activities and this risk

Hudson River Dredging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Hudson River Dredging - Essay Example GE, along with supporters from a portion of the public, strongly opposed dredging as a cleanup option, stating that it was unnecessary since the river was eliminating the PCBs through natural means. However, in 2002 EPA initiated the dredging of two million cubic meters of sediment to remove an estimated 68,000 kilograms of PCBs from a 250-kilometer stretch of the upper Hudson. For the design and implementation of the dredging project, active public involvement was ensured by EPA2. The fish caught from the upper Hudson River were found to be contaminated with the 209 different chemical compounds of PCBs which accumulate in its fat tissues. Humans who consume contaminated fish increase their risk of cancer. Currently, PCB pollution is such that fishing for the purpose of human consumption is prohibited in the upper Hudson River, and permitted only to a limited extent downstream, by health advisories3. While cleaning the Hudson River through dredging and remediation are essential, the technological feasibility, the overall environmental benefits, the adverse impacts caused by hazardous waste from the operations, and the problems caused to nearby communities need to be taken into consideration. Thesis statement: The purpose of this paper is to discuss Hudson River dredging and remediation to remove PCBs; and to examine the environmental benefits and disadvantages resulting from the operations. The Hudson River in New York State is one of the best known examples of a large river system with widespread sediment contamination with PCBs. The upper forty miles of river will undergo cleaning operations, with 2.65 million cubic yards of sediment proposed to be removed. Cleanup has yet to begin, although dredging of 265,000 cubic yards from 94 acres is planned for the first year of dredging operations4. The United States federal government is compelled to address the problem of polychlorinated

Art works Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art works - Essay Example v=FIVAEwjiU8I However, it is also no longer there. Due to copyright issues, they changed the music. The new music is more appropriate to the geographical location, but it does not have the power of the original, and there really is no narrative. The actual show in Hang Zhou is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSMDgMhfM_M I found this because I was a little suspicious of the Chinese watermark on the building face in the upper right corner of the screen. Since a Chinese travel site is responsible for a link to this video, perhaps it was intentional. However, the fountains in Hang Zhou seem more tuned to their music. It is possible that the sound actually controls the fountains. This is not the case in Dubai. In the first video there was a slight disconnect, because of this. The first musical fountin I ever saw was in Seattle and the music actually controls the fountain. It is only one fountain, but an excellent experience, since there is no disconnect between the audio and the vis ual. The location of the Chinese musical fountain is really worth noting as a work of art in itself. West Lake in Hang Zhou is three large lakes joined by bridges, and it has been developed as a local and tourist attraction based mostly upon the Legend of the Snake Lady. Many attractioins have been created and they are all affordable even to the lowest wage earners in China at ranging from 10 rmb (1.5 cents USD) to 75 rmb (9 cents USD)Ten wood carvings are located in Leifing Pagoda and a nightly show of music and dance telling the tragic story of the snake who turned into a lady and fell in love with Xu Xian . "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow" is one of â€Å"Top Ten Views of West Lake†. In the pagoda, you also can find a series of wood carvings themed Legend of the White Snake. Faced on three sides by typical Chinese landscapes of cloud shaped hills, the lake has been developed artistically as a World Heritage Site. The light and fountain show, Time to Say Goodbye is located in an inlet on the lake shore where these hills are the visible background on one side and the cityscape is the other. The fountain show plays nine to eleven times daily and it is free. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXCTt8hXtF8 I found this video of the rather disturbing. I would not walk twelve blocks to see it. There was no narrative to connect the audio and the video. The sculpture was nice and changing the lights and colors is a great idea. But nice is not art to me; it is decoration. I would also prefer more musical sound, perhaps short musical sound bytes. The sound was the most disturbing element of this work, as it also had no connection, but seemed like a selection of random sounds, some quite unpleasant with random spaces of silence. Then if the viewer could control the whole exhibit somehow, either with a keyboard or with a pressure board or even video it could become quite interesting. As it is, it is obviously an expression of feeling, but it seems more like a nightma re, or indigestion. Of course this might have been intentional if the artist dislikes human creations and thinks they should not be seen alongside nature. I was unable to find out anything about this video, so I cannot even guess by the other works of this artist or by his or her history. Because of the extreme disconnection between the very ordered stack of blocks and the weird sounds, I assume that this is an intentionally

Challenging customers in the marketplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Challenging customers in the marketplace - Essay Example Such customers also take more time of the shopkeepers as compared to other customers. Companies need to satisfy challenging customers in order to achieve success. Customer satisfaction results in improving the business (Fornell, Mithas, Morgeson, & Krishnan, 2006). Customers can be challenging for different reasons. Some of the most common reasons include language difference, aggressive mindset, lack of proper communication skills, inability to make quick decisions, and impatient and hostile nature. Past experiences, stresses, and different perceptions are those factors, which make most of the customers challenging. Every customer has a different set of experiences, which he/she uses while deciding to buy any specific product. Some customers have some concerns, which they communicate to the shopkeepers or customer service representatives while buying the products. Such customers are challenging customers and shopkeepers find it difficult to deal with such customers. Shopkeepers can deal with challenging customers by listening to them properly, asking questions, showing concerns towards the needs of the customers. Harris (2003) states, â€Å"Although challenging customers may be difficult to interact with, the reality is that they are still ou r customers and our goal is to provide them with excellent customer service† (p.

Eddie and beatrice created and sustained Essay Example for Free

Eddie and beatrice created and sustained Essay Throughout the play Beatrice and Eddie have contrasting views about various issues.Eddie has strong veiws on masculinity which leads him to reject effeminate behaviour and be aggressive when he is challenged. Beatirce on the other hand is a more laid back personality. Miller uses this friction between husband and wife to create and sustain tension by making the issues gradually more serious as the play progresses At the opening of act one, Eddie and Cathrine appear to be almost flirting. (Eddie is pleased and therefore shy about it.)This type of relationship is surprising because Cathrine is Eddies niece and proves to be a source of friction between Eddie and Beatrice. This is openly shown at the end of the play when Beatrice tells Eddie you can never have her.  Further disagreement comes from Eddies protectiveness of Cathrine. He feels that as an uncle it is his duty to protect her from the world; he tells her that her revealing clothes attract unwanted attention, and he is not keen for her to get a job. Beatrice thinks that Eddie is over protective of Cathrine and convinces him that she is old enough. Look, you got to get used to it, shes no baby no more. Miller continues to increase the tension between Beatrice and Eddie when later they begin to argue about Rodolpho; his sexuality and his relationship with Cathrine. Eddies affection for Catherine leads him to dislike Rodolpho and find faults in him, at every opportunity. He interprates Rodolphos effeminate behaviour ( singing, cooking and stiching dresses) as homosexuality and tells Cathrine that Rodolpho is decieving her, in order to gain an American passport ( Rodolpho is an illegal immigrant ) . The tension in the play is fueled further as Beatrice openly tells Eddie that he is being too protective of Cathrine and harsh on Rodolpo. Miller uses these arguments to create a sense of mounting tension between the couple as the arguments become gradually more serious.This climaxes when Beatrice asks Eddie to forgive Marco for acussing Eddie of turning the two imigrants in. This argument is very heated and long before a lull when Marco appears.  MARCO: Eddie Carbone!   all stand transfixed for an instant  Miller uses this to create the effect of a fuse reaching its end before the explosive finale of Eddies death at the hands of Marco.At this point Miller turns the tables on the relationship between Eddie and Beatrice. EDDIE: Then why of B!  BEATRICE: Yes, yes!  EDDIE: My B!  (He dies in he arms..)  This shows their ultimate unity.  Miller could be trying to sustain the tension by showing the audience that Eddie refuses to acknowledge his attration to Cathrine upto his last breath.  As this play is a tragedy reminiscent of the Greek style, Miller could be trying to redeem the tragic hero by showing that despite all of Eddies shortcomigs, he is ultimately devoted to and in love with Beatrice.

The Responsibilities Of Organisations Operating Globally Business Essay

The Responsibilities Of Organisations Operating Globally Business Essay Over the past few years, the rate of growth of businesses in a region has been faster than the rate of growth of output round the world as a whole. Almost all countries in the world are becoming ever more integrated with the world economy. This process is called globalisation. Globalisation could mean for example that: most of the cloths we buy are made abroad; a country buys financial and legal services from other country etc Globalisation has many effects upon businesses/organisation throughout the world. The impact of globalisation has not been evenly spread. Some businesses have witnesses dramatic changes because of globalisation of the organisation. This report explains the knowledge of issues Arik Air is facing in operating in global context and review of the issues currently impacting on its businesses. Arik air is an Airline company situated in Nigeria need to acquire another airline in United Kingdom whish proposed to be called Arik Air UK and be a global organisation 1.1 ANALYSES OF THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ORGANISATIONS WORKING IN DIFFERENT SECTORS, INDUSTRIES AND CONTEXTS There are different types of organisation which consist of sole trader, partnership, private public partnership and limited company. Sole trader; this is a business solely formed by one person and owned by single person with one or more workers. This type of business can also be classified as small scale business. The merits of sole trader are; Independent -the owner will have total control of the business. Little capital -to establish sole trading it cost less the owner did not need huge money, also sole trader need small loan that can be obtain from bank, relatives and friends . Sole owner of profit-the profit belong to the sole trader, he does not share with anybody. Business affairs are private- it will be difficult for the competitors to know how much the sole traders earned because sole trader keeps all the affairs of the business private. The demerits of sole traders are; Unlimited liability. It sometimes difficult to get loan from banks because of the nature of the business. Lack of continuity if the owner dies Partnership is when two or more people come together to form a business, most partnerships are between two or twenty members. Deed of partnership is set up by the partnership this contain the followings Formation that will be use to share profit or loss incur during the business. Amount of money to be contributed by each partner to start the business. The power of votes will be determined by the proportion of capital provided by each partners. This is rules to be follows when taking in new partners. Blue print of how the partnership will be dissolve. Disadvantages of partnership are; Workload on one partner will cause dispute among the partners. Different direction of business from partners can cause disagreement. Corporation -is a distinct legal entity that has been form through registration process, this is a body that have legal right to enter into contractor or get loan from financial institution, it can sue and sued, recruit workers and pay taxes. The business is different from the owner, corporation is limited liability dividend. The shareholders are not liable for the company liquidation. Limited company An organisation which is liable to investor or subscribers. The investor are limited to their investment or guaranteed to the company which the profit is share, its finances in the business different to his personal money. Private company limited-when the company is liquidated they agreed to pay certain amount to bailout the company. Private unlimited company- during the liquidation of the company the shareholders and board of directors are solely liable payment of debt owed. Public limited company- the company traded publicly on stock market such as London stock exchange, Nigeria stock exchange etc. Public sector organisation -this is an organisation owned by the government, Federal, state and local government, there aims and objective is to provide social amenities for the public in terms of services e g, provision of public transport, health, research non profit making all the money made are rechanneled into the society. Non profit organisation- this is an organisation that is established for charity all the profit make is channel back to the business to pursue the aims and objective of the organisation. They generate money through donation from government and public. They are exempted in tax or tax deduction. Global Context- international transaction between two organisations from two different companies, global context is a term used to collectively describe all commercial activities of private and government globally in terms of sales, investment, logistics and transportation. 1.2 ASSESSMENT OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF ORGANISATIONS OPERATING GLOBALLY. The multinational organisation face a lot of challenges, the company have to acquire power to like money, connections to go into foreign land challenges that will fit in a global business context. Three environmental factors that the company have to put into considerations are; Political economy-this is the policies made by the government of the acquisition country for the new establishment also international business law must be look critically before venture into it. The resource and marketing- the market and resources of the country and host of their new business, the strength of the business in the country. Competition- There will be competition among the local business of the host country, the local business will give them a lot of threat because the people have already used to their local product, and meanwhile the company have to make sure that their service is unique to be accepted by the buyer in the host country. Localizing strategies-The organisation have to know how to respond to the geographical opportunity and threats because the culture different also the competitors threat must be addressed with the local organisation. Sales and marketing strategy- must be considered because of the geographical different. Supply chain- is another factor because its different from one country to another. Different in legal system-there different legal system, labour laws and distribution, production strategy must be considered when going into global business because it varies from one country to other. International trade is a trade between two or more country, most private organisation call multinational undertake such transaction for profit making while government do the business for profit to increase their gross domestic product GDP or for political reasons, and this can be in terms of producing goods and services. The services may include finance banking insurance, construction etc. Organisational responsibility may be explained based on the following heading: Shareholders shareholders are investors of funds into the business, so they expect average financial returns; there will be interest on their money which will come in form of dividend. They can also be part of policy making in the organisation. Customer -they are like king in the whole issue, without the customers there will be no products. So, the organisation must responsible in providing good value for the money they spent interims of durability of the product or services given to them. Employee-the employees must be treat beyond the contract signed with them, treat them like they are part of the business. They must be given adequate training in new skill and technologies to be able to render an international standard of services and product to the customers. Community the organisation must be friendly to the people in the community in which they operate. Environment -they must conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for new operation also they must not pollute the environment with hazard or dangerous toxic waste that can affect water agriculture, health of the people in the country. Ethical issue the ethical issue is very important in business they should pursue the ethics for the development of their organisation statues and long term survival; they should behave as customers, suppliers, competitors and the environment general. 1.3 STRATEGY EMPLOYED BY ORGANISATIONS OPERATING GLOBALLY IS; Political the political scene in another country must be embraced to facilitate better trade between the governments of other country in the world; a business agreement must be signed between the organisation and the organisation in other country. Economy the organisation must be ready to integrate the economy policy of another country their product or services attract lot of investor in other part of the world. Social the organisation will recruit workers from other country that they are doing business with and pay them good wages also support the community by providing CSR (corporate social responsibility) by providing scholarships etc. Technology -the world is boom in terms of technology uses for some times ,the use of technology like internet will help global organisation in transacting their business fast to provide better and fast services. Legal-the government policy of the other country must be recognised because the policy is used to protect the international trade against bringing of fake or outdated products or providing substandard services. Environmental- the global organisation assist in providing sustainable project ,like tree planting also caution in terms of amount of waste released to the landfill they should also help in recycling of some product and help in campaigning for good environment. Analyse how the performance of national economy impact on the activities of business organisation using Airlines as a case study. SWOT analysis is concerned in determining the performance of business vis-a-vis it competitors. It is widely accepted way of performing such an analysis, other methods can produce similar (or better) results. SWOT links the knowledge of the present bases of competition with market scenarios. The result of swot is shown SWOT table below, which is a concise statement of the situation in which the firm or business organisation finds itself. An example of a SWOT table for a no-frills airline. Strength Opportunities Weaknesses Threats Airports used are better than those used by the other no- frills airlines Strong business demand for cheap air fares Airport used are worse than those used by the big carriers The further entry of subsidiaries of the big carriers Management skills Strong leisure demand for cheap air fares Reputation for punctuality Higher airport charges Lower cost than established airlines The interest Cash flows Ease of booking flights Many secondary airport underused No safely record yet established Better than average employee relations Poorer than average customer service The characteristics of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and the associated analysis are described and the difficulties in carrying out a formal analysis are expected. Many leader-managers find it useful to encapsulate the position of their organisation in a concise statement of its strengths and weakness vis-a-vis competition and the opportunities and threat that it faces in its environment. They do this by constructing a SWOT table. A SWOT TABLE provides a useful spring board for their identification of strategy, since it identifies the weaknesses that need to be strengthened, the strength that can be used for competitive advantage, the opportunities that can be used to the organisations advantage, and the threats that it needs to guard against. The impact of global factors on UK business organisation. Businesses are affected by an external environment as much as they are affected by the competitors. Global factors influencing business are legal, political, social, technological and economic. Understanding of these factors is important while developing a business strategy. a. Social factors These factors are related to changes in social structures. These factors provide insights into behaviour, tastes, and lifestyles patterns of a population. Buying patterns are greatly influenced by the changes in the structure of the population, and in consumer lifestyles. Age, gender, etc all determine the buying patterns and understanding of such changes is critical for developing strategies which are in line with the market situations. In a global environment it is important that business strategies are designed keeping in mind the social and cultural differences that vary from Uk to other countries. Consumer religion, language, lifestyle patterns are all important information for successful business management. b. Legal factors These factors that influence business strategies are related to changes in government laws and regulations. For a successful business operation it is important that the businesses consider the legal issues involved in a particular situation and should have the capability to anticipate ways in which changes in laws will affect the way they must behave. Laws keep changing over a period of time. From the point of view of business it is important that they are aware of these changes in the areas of consumer protection legislation, environmental legislation, health safety and employment law, etc. c. Economic factors These factors involve changes in the global economy. A rise in living standards would ultimately imply an increase in demand for products thereby, providing greater opportunities for businesses to make profits. An economy witnesses fluctuations in economic activities. This would imply that in case of a rise in economic activity the demand of the product will increase and hence the price will increase. In case of reduction in demand the prices will go down. Business strategies should be developed keeping in mind these fluctuations. Other economic changes that affect business include changes in the interest rate, wage rates, and the rate of inflation. In case of low interest rates and increase in demand Businesses will be encouraged to expand and take risks. d. Political factors This refers to the changes in government and government policies. Political factors greatly influence the operation of business in the United Kingdom. This has gained significant importance of late. For example: companies and businesses operating in the UK have to adopt directives and regulations created by the UK. The political arena has a huge influence upon the regulation of businesses, and the spending power of consumers and other businesses. Business must consider the stability of the political environment, governments policy on the economy etc e. Technological factors These factors greatly influence business strategies as they provide opportunities for businesses to adopt new innovations, and inventions. This helps the business to reduce costs and develop new products. With the advent of modern communication technologies, technological factors have gained great impetus in the business arena. . Huge volumes of information can be securely shared by means of databases thereby enabling vast cost reductions, and improvements in service. Organisations need to consider the latest relevant technological advancements for their business and to stay competitive. Technology helps business to gain competitive advantage, and is a major driver of globalization. While designing the business strategies firms must consider if use of technology will allow the firm to manufacture products and services at a lower cost. Firms can select new modes of distributions with the help of technology. It has become easier for companies to communicate wi th their customer in any part of the world. . Domestic markets -is the goods and service producing in a country within a year. The of National statistics make us understand that survey of business which will include the activities of the airline operating within the United Kingdom. the uk economy became shrank toward the end of 2012,it goes down by 0.3% in the last three months according to the official GDP figures released, the short fall was not in Air industry alone but due to drop in mining and quarrying by ONS. This affect many stores, manufacturers and some financial institutions that force banks to closed down as a result of this many people lost their jobs, many consumers cut their spending even tourist that used the Air bus reduced due to cut. Global market- is the process when the products and services of a country or an industry is been operating in many countries. The global markets helps the industries to move higher in business.Uk British airways is example of British carrier .British airways sometime in November merge with some airline in other country. the merger make the British airline to become a recognised and the world third largest airline in the world and increased in terms of Revenue among other airline in competitive market globally. Government policies-this is the law that the Uk government put in place to meet the criteria in global market world, this are done both locally and internationally to protect the business world. They are as follows; Security-internet scam has been checked by spending more money on IT professionals to track any business fraud on line. Also terrorist this also very important recently UK government send some troop of army to Mali to combat the terrorist network that may be treat to international business in future. Air traffic policies-the UK government present a comprehensive and very big whitepaper on air traffic from 180mppa 476 by 2030, to satisfy future request, also new runway, terminals and improved on the management operation. Tax- recently the UK government took a severe measure against tax Evasion both locally and internationally, government spend millions of pounds on watchdog to checkmate the activities of companies through HM revenue and customs. e.g. Google ,Amazons ,star bucks coffee company recently penalised.(metro-Monday 17dec 2012) Bilateral relationship Health and Safety Environmental policies-this policies is to control noise in the air by the airlines, also government appraise climate change impact. Trade block- this is barrier to trade between two more countries, a group of countries within a geographical region may decide not to allow other country to import some goods to their region, some that are not from their country examples are EU and non EU members.EU is created to have single market for their goods, services and labours they also created trade block among the non EU .discriminatory trade policy. Technology in the past 20years technology has made a huge impact on globalisation, it has fastrack the growth seen in global business examples are Email, internet and mobile phones. Internet has made it possible for quick internal and external communication which made it to be the most important marketing tool in global business .meanwhile using mobile phone to communicate around the world which is faster and not expensive, this also avoid individual moving up and down while travelling. Technology not only helps global business in terms of growth but also help the global organisation to be more effective in their business activities. CONCLUTION Registration procedure for investors is very easy in united kingdom ,it allow investors design the internal company rules as long as you have right to invest under its legislature law ,the corporate or company law of united kingdom is welcome development because they have the laws that protect the right of shareholders to independently trade their shares.