Speach Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Speach - Term Paper Example "Empathy is the key" (Howland, 2007). Please do not put value judgments on your differences and that your diversity is what makes each of you special and unique (Howland, 2007). As close as we may believe we are, in an effort to communicate, you will find at times, barriers that will affect the ability to communicate with one another. I sincerely believe that each of you deeply respects each other and because of that, I will offer the following advice. John and Jane, barriers we find in everyday things that we do. Communications of any kind come from the simplest of things for example what we feel, smell, see, taste, and touch. This interpersonal communication course taught me that people continue to study this. Maslow developed a model of needs in 1968. Maslow said that interactions with others help to satisfy personal needs (Maslow, 1968). Through these needs, we learn to communicate with each other. Continued respect for each other will help each of you determine when the barriers are semantic, emotional, or psychological. Semantic barriers often include symbols that may have different meanings. Because both of you come from different cultures symbols that each of you use frequently may mean different things. Semantic barriers are avoidable. Symbols differences are a fact because of the cultural diversity you share. Discuss these symbolic differences with each other during the process of your engagement to avoid misunderstandings. Semantics errors lead to poor expression of the actual message you wish to share with each other. Semantic errors also lead to faulty and unnecessary translations. Semantic errors will deliver un-clarified assumptions that lead to uncomfortable situations. Emotional and psychological barriers in the process of communication may lead to both of you feeling hurt, acting inattentive or loss of the actual translation (Janasz, 2002). This communication process is a shared equal process. Each of you must always remember that communicatio n is the process of sending and receiving of messages that comes from two very individual people. That each of you continue to recognize that each of you comes from different cultures, backgrounds, education, interests, experiences, attitudes, and that John and Jane each of you need to be cognizant that when you send and receive information from each other do not let barriers interfere with the message. Noise and other distractions are everywhere. If the subject is one that can lead to a barrier, take the time to listen to one another (Janasz, 2002). John and Jane, at times it is a matter of assessing ones personal communications. Conversations with others help us to assess our own personal communication style. Through these conversations with one another is a way to connect with each other and help build on this relationship. In an ability to improve your communication competencies, I offer the following advice. Interpersonal communication is a way to satisfy the social and esteem needs you may each require. It is also a way to give and obtain affection. We all have communication habits. These habits help us to connect and interact with others (Sole, 2011). However, those same habits can be a negative to the relationship. I learned in my intercommunication class that we have four key concepts that it is important to be cognizant of throughout your enjoyed relationship. It is important to recognize and incorporate the qualities that each of you possesses through your confidence,

Evergreen Naturals Market Essay Example for Free

Evergreen Naturals Market Essay There were numerous factors that contributed towards the constant success of Evergreen Natural Markets. The company’s methodology towards growth and expansion is one of the integral factors. Where most companies seek to grow by re-investing their profits back into their businesses (ploughing back), Evergreen adopted a more radical approach by acquiring other competing companies or companies that show potential of growing rapidly. Evergreen designed a strategy that was twofold in nature. By bringing in rival companies under the Evergreen umbrella, the approach simply eliminated any competition, increased the resources and financial base and made it easier for Evergreen to have a wider scope and reach. Granted, acquisitions have issues with integration of management and operations. However, this approach has been steadily used by Evergreen, and this has resulted in its prosperity as an organic food distributor. As the latest addition to the Evergreen umbrella, Aragula Grocers serve to make the effect of the mother company increasingly widespread. The recent acquisition can allow the company to lower its prices and engage in aggressive marketing that will make Evergreen more successful. 2. Why do stores improve their performance after being acquired by Evergreen? The main reason for the increased performance after joining the Evergreen was the approach adopted by Evergreen. On the surface, they may seem like clear acquisitions. However, the acquired stores are allowed to maintain their functional systems and procedures. In this way, Evergreen owns the stores but allows them to continue operating in the same way. The slight modifications that at times were made on the administration and management included branding, change in sales approach, and other minor issues. Using the operational systems of the different stores, Evergreen was able to utilise their combined efforts and attain massive profits. On the other hand, the smaller stores also got to prosper under the Evergreen because of two arch factors. One was the fresh infusion of capital and administrative support provided by Evergreen. Evergreen offered increased investment opportunities by providing the capital, human resources, and other assistance. The second factor was an advantage of working under a larger company that allows one to work without much competition from the outside. 3. How well does the acquisition of Arugula Grocers align with Evergreen’s established approach to integrating new stores? What modifications, if any, should Norton make? The acquisition of Aragula Grocers is an advantageous addition to the Evergreen group as it offered new opportunities in Nevada, Las Vegas. However, several modifications would serve to improve the situation in their relations. Firstly, Mrs. Norton should introduce more effective communication measures that will ensure that the link between Evergreen and Aragula Grocers is not severed. It was discovered that the link between these two parties was weak, and this will lead to confusion and dilution of the vision of the mother company. Secondly, Norton also needed to rectify the financial status of the store before investing in it seriously. Aragula Grocers was acquired amid a series of financial issues and complications that showed signs of mismanagement. Adopting these problems will lead to failure of the store and eventually, losses for Evergreen. Mrs. Norton should also consider making modifications to the management style in Aragula Grocers. The changes should reflect the three proposals that she made concerning all acquisitions under Evergreen. These changes involved investing in improving human resources, maintaining the local setting, and caring about the welfare of the employees and customers. These three proposals would serve to change the atmosphere and approach taken by the Aragula management as they start operations under Evergreen.

The Love Story :: Love Stories Romance Essays

The Love Story Some of the elements in the love story have changed over time. In the ancient world and during the Middle Ages, love stories did not have happy endings, and they focused on love outside of social and economic status. This was an innovation at that time, because most marriages were arranged and the partners were of the same social class. Beginning in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, love stories began to have happy endings, because marriage was coming to be rooted in feelings of truelove and couples came together by personal choice. Modern love stories are influenced by Hollywood, and often feature pre-marital and extra-marital sexual relationships, and single parents with children. Over the years, a conventional format was followed. As entertainment and moral values changed, however, the distinction between convention and innovation became blurred. The conventional love story formula has several elements: The couple wants to be together. Often it is love at first sight. There’s an obstacle for the couple to overcome. Those obstacles are usually: lack of communication noble or innocent actions are wrongly perceived other people come between the lovers At the beginning, the couple is neither rich nor poor. There is superficial glamour surrounding the main characters. Fate is used to justify unlikely coincidences. Some outside force brings the couple together. The story has a happy ending (Jensen 75-96) There’s always some convention and some innovation in any given love story; for example, the movieSleepless in Seattle features both. The conventions in Sleepless include superficial glamour. Both Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are very attractive. Theirs is a love at first sight. The innocent action wrongly perceived comes about when Meg Ryan sees Tom Hanks hugging his sister. They are neither nor poor, and fate has Tom Hanks at the airport when Meg Ryan arrives. Of course, the couple meets at the top of the Sears Tower, and, presumably, lives happily together. The innovation is Sleepless is the way the couple gets together. They have never met each other. They are brought together by Tom Hanks’ young son, who calls a radio show for lonely hearts. Of course, all love stories don’t end as happily as Sleepless in Seattle. William Shakespeare’s tragic love story Romeo and Juliet was updated and made into a movie staring Leonardo DiCaprio and Clair Danes. Romeo and Juliet is conventional in some respects: the good looks of the leading actors, they fall in love at first sight, and the obstacle they must overcome is the longstanding feud between their families.

Buddhist view on Abortion Essay -- essays research papers

It is quite clear from a variety of sources that abortion has been severely disapproved of in the Buddhist tradition. It is also equally clear that abortion has been tolerated in Buddhist Japan and accommodated under exceptional circumstances by some modern Buddhists in the U.S. The situation is similar to that of Roman Catholicism, where abortion, though disapproved of in the strongest terms by Church authorities, is still practiced by a large number of devoted Catholics and defended by at least a few. As a Buddhist, I would most likely still be for abortion. Buddhism itself speaks with more than one moral voice on this issue against abortion. The core belief in Buddhism is against abortion, but there are commonly people of this religion that don’t agree with that. For the time in which I will be writing this essay, I am one of those people. Most of my fellow Buddhists believe in the point that you should not be able to choose one life over another. For this reason, abortion cannot be rightly practiced. Although there are exceptions, Buddhism is still an antiabortion religion, it’s just somewhat lenient. Unlike Roman Catholicism, abortion isn’t just a flat out â€Å"no† in this religion. â€Å"The abortion issue usually hinges on whether the fetus is indeed a life in the relevant sense.† (Michael Barnhart) In its early stages, a fetus is not considered a human yet to Buddhists. It is alive, but not a human being. Therefore in some cases abortion can be appropriate. â€Å"One cannot say t...

Islam Dbq Essay

(first name last name) (teachers name) (Class) – (period) March 19, 2013 Why Did Islam Spread So Quickly? Islam originated in present day Saudi Arabia where the prophet, Muhammad, had been born. Islam would later be able to spread quickly through trade, the appealing nature of the Islamic faith, and military campaigns. In the â€Å"Arabian Peninsula Trade Routes† (Doc. A) it shows how Mecca was very busy with all kinds of trade. Since Mecca is where Islam would start in the upcoming years, traders would come and go taking the teachings of Muhammad with them.Mecca was both the center of trade and the center of Islam which leads to the quick spread of faith through the many traders and merchants that traveled to Mecca to trade and left with the words of Islam. It would have helped if a journal of a merchant or traveler that went to Mecca around the time Islam had begun to rise had been included so that readers can see how the people back then took to the idea of a new bel ief such as Islam so the readers can get a better understanding as to why Islam spread. In Versus from The Qur’an (Doc.B), the author, Muhammad used a didactic tone to show he believed in educating the people about Islam. This segment (Doc. B) was used to show the equality featured in the beliefs of Islam so that the â€Å"non-believers† would feel equal and would want to convert to Islam because of its appealing nature. The Qur’an helped spread the word of God by telling the way Islam should be practiced. Equality is what many people looked for and The Qur’an taught people how equality is the main part of Islam it helped spread it faster because people like to be equals and they also like harmony which is available in Islam. The Ghazu† (Doc. D) also helped in teaching others about the appealing nature of Islam by showing how Muslims are equal and they cannot attack each other. This would appeal to the nature of many citizens because it would exting uish any fear of war and it would ease any tension between any set of Muslim territories so that they can spend more time following the duties of Islam instead of worrying about war. While these people looked for peace, Islam welcomed them with open arms telling of equality and harmony.This appealed to the people and thus led to more Islam believers by showing how peace and harmony was present in the ways of Islam. â€Å"The Ordinances of Government† (Doc. E) too helped with spreading the appealing nature of Islam by telling Muslims â€Å"the rules† of Islamic faith to prevent any accidental wrongful actions. This appealed to the people because they knew â€Å"the rules† so they could be true to the nature of their faith and they wouldn’t accidentally stray from the teachings of Muhammad.Abu al-Hasan Al-Mawardi, the author, used an academic tone to show he believed in telling Muslims â€Å"the rules† about Islam so they would become better follower s and make them happier so that they could help spread Islam quickly so that others could hear the teachings of Muhammad as well. It would have helped shed some light on the subject if there was a testimony available from the point of view of a Muslim in which he retells what he looks for in Islam.This would help by seeing if these documents were getting their point across and hitting their target with the Muslims. Lastly, Islam spread quickly through military campaigns which is depicted in â€Å"The Spread of Islam (map)† (Doc. C) This map shows how the people that were conquered by the Muslims chose to convert to Islam because it was more convenient for them to convert to a new religion than it was to continuously pay taxes so they could follow their own religion. The Origins of the Islamic State† (Doc. F) also helped with the spread of Islam because in Circa 850 CE the Muslims were not able to protect the people of Hims because they were busy with their own war and t he people of Hims converted to Islam so they could get protection. This boosted the numbers of the Muslims and it showed that many people converted due to war because it was more convenient to convert to Islam than it was to fight these large armies with no help at all.Ahmad ibn-Jabir al-Baladhuri, the author, used a grim tone to help convey his belief of why the Hims converted to Islam instead of keeping their same belief. It would have helped convey the message of military conquest by getting a journal entry of a commander in the Muslim army so that inferences can be made on how the military made the conversion to Islam possible to so many â€Å"non-believers† so that readers can understand how this helped boost the Muslim population.Islam spread quickly through trade because the many people that traveled to Mecca heard the words of Muhammad and they spread the word to others creating a domino effect with â€Å"non-believers. Islam spread quickly through its appealing natu re too by telling Muslims of peace and Harmony and other things that appealed to the Muslims such as equality. Military campaigns helped spread Islam as well by forcing people to convert so they can avoid paying taxes and it was more convenient for these people to convert to Islam than it was to stay with the religion they had already.

Free Essays on Wordsworth Vs. Coleridge

worth did this emphasizing the validity of his own personal experience,... Free Essays on Wordsworth Vs. Coleridge Free Essays on Wordsworth Vs. Coleridge The Para and the Normal Romanticism was characterized by reliance on the imagination and subjectivity of approach, freedom of thought and expression, and an idealization of nature: â€Å"an abundant imagery coinciding with an equally abundant quantity of natural objects, the theme of imagination linked closely to the theme of nature, such is the fundamental ambiguity that characterizes the poetics of romanticism† (de Man 66). Thus, as romantic literature everywhere developed, imagination was praised over reason, emotions over logic, and intuition over science- making way for a vast body of literature of great sensibility and passion. This literature emphasized a new flexibility of form adapted to varying content, encouraged the development of complex and fast-moving plots, and allowed mixed genres (tragicomedy and the mingling of the grotesque and the sublime) and freer style. The preface to Lyrical Ballads (1802), by English poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge was of prime impor tance as a manifesto of literary romanticism. In Coleridge’s Biographia Literaria he recalls conversations with Wordsworth regarding â€Å"the two cardinal points of poetry: the power of exciting the sympathy of the reader by a faithful adherence to the truth of nature, and the power of giving the interest of novelty by the modifying colours of imagination† (526). Both Coleridge’s and Wordsworth’s contributions to Lyrical Ballads affirm the importance of these cardinal points of poetry of nature and imagination to poetic creation; Coleridge does this using the supernatural, while Wordsworth uses subjects from ordinary life. In the preface to Lyrical Ballads Wordsworth explains that he proposes to â€Å"chose incidents and situations from common life† use â€Å"language really used by men† and to present ordinary things to the mind in an unusual way (357). Wordsworth did this emphasizing the validity of his own personal experience,...

Normandy Invasion essays

Normandy Invasion essays Introduction The Allied invasion of France on June 6, 1944 is variously known as D-Day, the Longest Day, Cross-Channel Attack, and probably some others as well. It was the largest single military operation of World War II. Hence, the Normandy beaches are a must stop if you get anywhere close to France. The 50th anniversary celebration in 1994 generated a lot of hype. The recent movie Saving Private Ryan rekindled that interest. However, the landing always held a special niche going back to the event itself. Much like Gettysburg, the Normandy attack has been studied in great detail hour by hour, person by person, shot by shot. We'll assume a flight landing in Paris and getting a rental car (a must) at the airport. Then you would drive over to Caen (about a 150 miles) and spend the night, which would put you at the east end of the beaches the next morning. This book by Bruce Bilven, Jr., is a historical documentation of D-Day, June 6, 1944. The book itself contains a lot of dates, nam es and places, which makes it a tough book to follow. Bruce Bilven Jr., himself took part in the massive D-Day invasion of Omaha Beach, as a second Lieutenant in the 29th Division Artillery. Drawing on his own experiances as a solider in World War II, he wrote two other Landmark Books about the war; From Casablanca to Berlin and From Pearl Harbor to Okinawa. Since the war he has written The American Revolution as well as many other books articles, and reviews. He lives with his wife and co-author, Naomi, and his college-age son in New York City. Summary Strategy D-Day began with the concept of the "Second Front." When Stalin's Russia was invaded in 1941, he immediately demanded that his new allies attack Hitler to take off the pressure. No matter his past complicity. Churchill and Roosevelt replied with the invasion of North Africa in November 1942 and Italy in 1943. Chief of staff George C. Marshall considered these sideshows draining away troops and tim...

Bradley University - Acceptance Rate, Costs, and More

Bradley University - Acceptance Rate, Costs, and More Students applying to Bradley University need to submit an online application, high school transcripts, a personal statement, scores from the SAT or ACT, and a letter of recommendation. Bradley University has an acceptance rate of 70  percent. It is fairly selective, since about one-third of those applying will not get in. Students with good grades and test scores above average have a decent chance of being admitted, provided they meet the rest of the admissions requirements. Will You Get In? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex Admissions Data (2016) Bradley University Acceptance Rate: 70%GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Bradley AdmissionsTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 480 / 620SAT Math: 480 / 620​What these SAT numbers meanMissouri Valley Conference SAT comparisonACT Composite: 22  / 28ACT English: 22 / 29ACT Math: 22 / 27​What these ACT numbers meanMissouri Valley Conference ACT comparison Bradley University Description Bradley Universitys 84-acre campus is located one mile from downtown Peoria, Illinois. Undergraduates can choose from over 100 programs spread across the universitys five colleges: Business Administration, Communications Fine Arts, Education Health Sciences, Engineering Technology, Liberal Arts Sciences. The university has wide-ranging academic strengths, and all five colleges are popular with undergraduates. Bradley has a 12 to 1  student/faculty ratio  and an average class size of 21 students. Students come from most states and 44 countries. On the athletic front, the Bradley Braves compete in the NCAA Division I  Missouri Valley Conference. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 5,598  (4,473 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 49% Male / 51% Female96% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17) Tuition and Fees: $32,120Books: $1,200 (why so much?)Room and Board: $10,010Other Expenses: $2,240Total Cost: $45,570 Bradley University Financial Aid (2015- 16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 99%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 98%Loans: 69%Average Amount of AidGrants: $17,367Loans: $7,580 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Accounting, Business Administration, Civil Engineering, Elementary Education, English, Health Professions, Marketing, Mechanical Engineering, Nursing, Political Science, Psychology, Public RelationsWhat major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Retention and Graduation Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 87%4-Year Graduation Rate: 54%6-Year Graduation Rate: 74% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports:  Baseball, Soccer, Golf, Basketball, Track and Field, Soccer, Cross CountryWomens Sports:  Track and Field, Softball, Volleyball, Cross Country, Basketball, Golf Data Source National Center for Educational Statistics Bradley and the Common Application Bradley University uses the Common Application. These articles can help guide you: Common Application essay tips and samplesShort answer tips and samplesSupplemental essay tips and samples

John Hinckley Jr Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

John Hinckley Jr - Case Study Example The case caught the public eye partly because the facts of the case showed a lonely, friendless, withdrawn man from an affluent family who was living alone in a constricted shell where he enlivened it by his own fantasies and delusions and when everything else exploded in his mind, he resorted to stalking his perceived inamorata Jodie Foster and finally hatching a plan to assassinate President Reagan so that he will forever be narcissistically linked to her in a unique bond. The 20th and 21st centuries had seen an alarming increase in cases of insanity in America. Such increase was so disturbing that it was termed 'the insanity epidemic" or the 'invisible plague" and many rationalized that it was the end result of so many factors including "immigrants, alcohol, inbreeding, degenerating morals and others" (Torrey & Miller 2001, p. 315). Today's increase of insanity has reached the panic level. Because of the utter number of the insane, America has largely not been able to deal with the problem head-on. The root of the treatment problem is that America has find it "difficult to hospitalize many patients in need of treatment and the competition for the limited number of beds all but ensures that they will be discharged prematurely". and the dismal consequence of all of these failures is that many of those afflicted with insanity especially schizophrenia end up using the penitentiary system as their locus of public mental health services ( Appelbaum 2008,p 1493). Respected psychiatrist Torrey had also come up with a finding that "severely mentally ill individuals are responsible forHinckley 3 at least 5% of all homicides in the United States and that the seriously mentally ill account for 3-5% of all violence committed in USA (Appelbaum 2008,p. 146). So many crimes of violence and homicide had been reported wherein the insane committed such crimes under the delusion that he is "redressing or revenging some supposed grievance or injury or of producing some supposed public benefit" (Morris 1982, p. 395). United States v John Hinckley Jr. The case of John Hinckley Jr., however, was unique because the attempt to assassinate the most powerful man in the universe at that time, US President Ronald Reagan was not done out of some imagined grievance or injury to the would-be assassin or to effect a public benefit but to call

Elements of a Program Evaluation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Elements of a Program Evaluation - Research Paper Example (MSCC, 2010) If I was in the position of a program evaluator, it is vital to understand the different elements that form the diverse groups that seek grants and other services from the institution. To do this, I would get information as to the backgrounds of the different groups, because each individual is from different backgrounds, hence the needs and wants may differ from person to person. Another factor would be to determine whether culture plays a part in the services that they require. Culture is considered the main factor for individuals, and hence determining as to whether it is a pivotal aspect can serve to address the different groups depending on their requirements. (Moore, 2011) When assessing the requirements for the agency, using questionnaires and interviews will aid in collecting valuable data to address the needs. The agency is established on providing services that will assist or aid various people. Getting the opinions from the latter will be vital in addressing what the agency will be required to provide to improve assistance to individuals who seek assistance from the institution (MSCC, 2010). Using questionnaires and interviews is an ideal measure of obtaining information. Requesting feedback is another means of collecting data. When utilizing the questionnaires and interviews, they should be a sample of each of the diverse groups, so that the process takes less time but still addresses each of the groups and their opinions. Multiculturalism is a factor that evident in the various diverse groups that deal with the agency. In order to address the cultural diversity, it is important to establish the level of cultural diversity that influences the clients. Using the surveys and interviews will serve to provide the essential data that will provide an outlook as to the different influences based on culture. With the data collected, it will be important to establish

Policy and Politics in Nursing and Healthcare Coursework - 1

Policy and Politics in Nursing and Healthcare - Coursework Example In this regard, it means that the individuals in the area have adequate personnel and nurses. In history, United States experienced developing trends and strategies. Health care accessibility has been considered the primary objective of policy change. This dilemma can be solved by increasing the number of health care personnel or increasing the number of beds in the hospitals. Equitable access is delineated according to which determinants of realized access are dominant in predicting utilization. Historically, equitable access to health care by all has been delineated to occur when the demographic aspects are fully satisfied and considered in delivery of health care. Improving access to health care can be significantly eased by cohort of access strategies which emphasize the significance of background as well as people’s attributes in policies to improve access. For this reason, the nurses have the responsibility of availing health care to all. As according to Andersen, Rice a nd Kominski (2007), deploying more nurses to rural areas and increasing their incentives is a favorable recommendation to improve access to health care. In addition, Andersen, Rice and Kominski (2007) recommend that the nurses have a role to play in integrating all into the health care system. Inclusiveness is imperative in improving access to all. Increasing the number of nurses may help solve accessibility to health care. Andersen, Rice and Kominski (2007) denote that increasing the number of nurses may increase the number of nurses.

Pollution in the environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pollution in the environment - Essay Example Holdgate also asserts that, â€Å"the significance of pollution is related to its effects on a range of targets or receptors including man and the resources and the ecological systems on which he depends† (17). As human beings have flourished in all the fields of science such as medicine, technology, nuclear bombs etc. the types of pollutants have also become very diverse beginning from vehicle smoke to radioactive chemicals and extremely dangerous ultra-violet rays. Hence it can be inferred that the damage is now out of control because every aspect of human life that is associated with comfort and health directly or indirectly discharges some form of pollutant and helps in further destroying the environment. 1.1. Types of pollution Any type of component, rays or object that effects the environment is some way can be perceived as a pollutant as it is, â€Å"any substance introduced into the environment that adversely affects the usefulness of a resource† (Hill 8). Conse quently pollution can be divided into many sub-divisions such as air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, light pollution etc. Although the causes for all these types of pollutions are self-explanatory yet it is interesting to observe the manner in which one component helps in spreading so many types of pollutions all at once. For example radioactive rays and chemicals simultaneously hold the power of polluting the natural resources like soil, water, plants and air. Then again noise, smoke and light can be dangerous for the atmosphere as well as the ozone layer which is protecting us from highly radioactive ultraviolet rays of the sun. Even the cutting down of trees and forests can also be perceived as a form of pollution spread because less tress mean less greenery and excessive spread of pollution as plants and trees fight against pollution by absorbing many harmful gases that are present or discharged in the atmosphere. Hence it can be understood that alth ough urbanization and modern advancements in the fields of science and technology have its perks yet it has also resulted in stealing the peace, quiet and beauty of nature leaving man in a figurative desert of unhealthy surroundings where everything is either stale or dull devoid of freshness and life. Although all ecosystems of planet earth are very important yet it should be realized that it is impossible for human beings to survive without water and some of recent incidents of spilling of highly dangerous substances in different seas and oceans show that human beings are not understanding the extent of damage that is going to be caused and is being caused because of their carelessness. Moreover this issue requires some careful planning and plotting to remedy the situation otherwise there is a possibility that human beings will be facing water shortage which will ultimately lead to vanishing of water from planet earth which in other words means death. 2. Water Pollution Water poll ution can be defined as, "any impairment of the composition or state of water resulting directly or indirectly from human agency, in particular to the detriment of: its

Chemical equations, enthalpy changes and chemical equilibrium, acid, Assignment

Chemical equations, enthalpy changes and chemical equilibrium, acid, base and pH, and chemical reactions, chirality, simple organic functional groups and their reactions - Assignment Example State which functional group(s) on Compound  B  could exhibit each of these interactions and describe the properties of each interaction. In your answer make it clear which complementary functional group would need to be present in the receptor for the interaction to occur. From the description and given function of Compound A., it is easy to tell which compound it is since only amino acids and sugars are natural chiral molecules produced in both animals and plants and beyond that, we can tell that the compound is indeed Amino acid since amino acids not sugars are used to treat Parkinson’s Disease. Ligand binding will mostly be either ionic or hydrogen bonds. However, at times, the intermolecular forces of the van der waals will be used to bind the copound to the target receptor. The carboxylic group will exhibit the hydrogen intermolecular bonds due to presence of the hydrogen molecule while the amino group will exhibit the ionic intermolecular bonds since they form the ions and could also use the van der waals at times. Draw the product of this reaction, name the new functional group produced, state the type of reaction that has occurred, name any other products of the reaction and briefly explain how you arrived at your answer. The presence of the double bond (C=C) in Compound  C  means that the molecule can exist in two different forms, identified by the prefix  cis  or  trans, depending upon the arrangement of the functional groups and hydrogen atoms around the double bond. Draw the two possible forms of Compound  C  showing the positions of the functional group and hydrogen atoms. Assign each the appropriate prefix that would distinguish one from the other and briefly explain what these prefixes indicate. Equal moles of nitric acid (HNO3) and formic acid (HCOOH) were each dissolved in equal volumes of water. State and explain which of the resulting solutions would have the higher pH.

Pollution in the environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Pollution in the environment - Essay Example Holdgate also asserts that, â€Å"the significance of pollution is related to its effects on a range of targets or receptors including man and the resources and the ecological systems on which he depends† (17). As human beings have flourished in all the fields of science such as medicine, technology, nuclear bombs etc. the types of pollutants have also become very diverse beginning from vehicle smoke to radioactive chemicals and extremely dangerous ultra-violet rays. Hence it can be inferred that the damage is now out of control because every aspect of human life that is associated with comfort and health directly or indirectly discharges some form of pollutant and helps in further destroying the environment. 1.1. Types of pollution Any type of component, rays or object that effects the environment is some way can be perceived as a pollutant as it is, â€Å"any substance introduced into the environment that adversely affects the usefulness of a resource† (Hill 8). Conse quently pollution can be divided into many sub-divisions such as air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, light pollution etc. Although the causes for all these types of pollutions are self-explanatory yet it is interesting to observe the manner in which one component helps in spreading so many types of pollutions all at once. For example radioactive rays and chemicals simultaneously hold the power of polluting the natural resources like soil, water, plants and air. Then again noise, smoke and light can be dangerous for the atmosphere as well as the ozone layer which is protecting us from highly radioactive ultraviolet rays of the sun. Even the cutting down of trees and forests can also be perceived as a form of pollution spread because less tress mean less greenery and excessive spread of pollution as plants and trees fight against pollution by absorbing many harmful gases that are present or discharged in the atmosphere. Hence it can be understood that alth ough urbanization and modern advancements in the fields of science and technology have its perks yet it has also resulted in stealing the peace, quiet and beauty of nature leaving man in a figurative desert of unhealthy surroundings where everything is either stale or dull devoid of freshness and life. Although all ecosystems of planet earth are very important yet it should be realized that it is impossible for human beings to survive without water and some of recent incidents of spilling of highly dangerous substances in different seas and oceans show that human beings are not understanding the extent of damage that is going to be caused and is being caused because of their carelessness. Moreover this issue requires some careful planning and plotting to remedy the situation otherwise there is a possibility that human beings will be facing water shortage which will ultimately lead to vanishing of water from planet earth which in other words means death. 2. Water Pollution Water poll ution can be defined as, "any impairment of the composition or state of water resulting directly or indirectly from human agency, in particular to the detriment of: its

Bram Stoker's Dracula Compared to Mary Shelly's Frankenstein Essay

Bram Stoker's Dracula Compared to Mary Shelly's Frankenstein - Essay Example aim being awarded to Shelley, who pioneered in brining a literary concept to light, which was initially an unchartered territory for most authors as she combined elements of Goth and Horror with that of science fiction. Although, Dracula and Frankenstein are essentially from the same genre with some overlapping themes, but the concept and the depiction of themes contain some stark dissimilarity as well. The substance of this prose will delve into each of the aspects one by one: Dracula and Frankenstein both entailed a similar theme about life, death and resurrection. Both creatures possess a strong fascination for the human world, which drives Frankenstein to read books by eminent authors, whereas Dracula reads English magazines to gain a deeper understanding of the human world. This is the prime reason as to why both Dracula and Frankenstein are known to have sophisticated intellect and are capable of making conversation on any subject, which adds to Dracula’s charisma in the society, but doesn’t help Frankenstein’s case because of his horrifying appearance. In fact the monster created by Frankenstein had grown miserable of his life and expressed it in the following words: â€Å"Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge† (Shelley, 2004, p. 137) Moreover, the stories are centered on the same theme that involves a group of men trying to eliminate a monster that is nothing but scourge for the society. Besides the character, the literary technique used to project the story is also quite similar as both authors wrote their novels in an epistolary form; in simpler word, the story is told through the correspondences of the main characters with each other. However, it is a clear indication that the entire story is told from a one-sided perspective of the protagonist

The Use Of Information Technology In Finance Essay Example for Free

The Use Of Information Technology In Finance Essay The world is continuously under the process of change, ever since its inception. This change has resulted into a number of advancements. Science and Technology has been at forefront in bringing these changes with the aim to ease the life of the people. Â  Despite, this being a regular process, the acceleration of the change brought by information technology in the last century is second to none. In the recent history, no other field of science has affected so many diverse walks of life, as the information technology did. Now, information technology is considered as the lifeblood for any organization, offering any sort of product or service. Information Technology requirement is now considered the part of infrastructure for any sort of business activity. Today, when we recall the spread of computer and information technology few decades down the memory lane, we find the quote of the IBM’s president in 1940’s who said, I think there is a world market for about five computers. Â  However, if we see the penetration of information technology in any walk of life, we find our lives miserable without it, no matter to what field of study do we belong. I have a finance major and the field of finance and its associated fields are no exception and these fields have potential to make the most of information technology resources available worldwide at this point of time. Â  Thus, this article is intended to explore the possible applications of information technology in the field of finance. To carry out this assignment, four modes of information were explored. These were web search, blogs, job search and articles. The web search was done through Google and Alta Vista. Few of the keywords used are as follows: IT and Finance Use of IT in Finance Application of IT in the field of finance Studying Finance using IT Financial Softwares Features of Financial Softwares How IT supports financial decisions Financial ERPs etc In caser of Blogs, a number of blogs were explored. Two of them are: http://www.corporatefinanceblog.com/ http://www.bilgilizce.com/lectures-on-corporate-finance/ Following Job Sites were explored. http://jobs.jobbankusa.com/js/action/searchresults.asp http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/ The job requirements for the accounts manager, director finance, financial consultants, and business analysts were explored. The sites that were explored are CIO.com, BusinessWeek.com, ComputerWorld.com etc. The key words used were ‘financial solutions’, ‘finance and technology’ etc. When we look at finance, five discreet fields come to our mind. These are corporate finance, trade finance, personal finance, public finance. Looking from broader perspective, the student of Finance also studies its associated fields like banking, investment, derivatives, risk management, stock trading, financial statement analysis etc. Each of these subfields also has application of information technology. Â  However, before going into details, first of all, let’s look at the application of information technology in the field of finance, generally. In the field of finance, one of the most sophisticated and crucial, yet important task is to develop financial models to analyze the feasibility of various alternatives from the financial perspective. Previously, these models were used to be developed manually. However, now with the help f sophisticated applications and enterprise resource planning (ERP) softwares like Oracle Financials and the financial modules of SAP provide the capability to develop one’s own financial model within no time. No doubt, still the logic needs to be created by the professional of finance, but now he does not need to worry about minor calculation mistakes, leading to highly misleading results, all he has to worry about is the logic behind the model, the accuracy and speed that the information technology provides in the development financial model increases the efficiency of that financial professional. This was just one application; there is a whole arena of services that information technology has to offer to the students and professionals of the field of finance. Even the spreadsheets like Excel can provide the capability of financial functions like scenario planning, what-if analysis and so on. At the professional level, the use of databases, data warehouse and business intelligence helps in trend analysis through application of very advanced algorithms in very large amount of data which is next to impossible manually and totally impossible to be done manually, if required to be done in the same amount of time that is required by a computer for the same task. However, again, computer is the machine the reliability of the results depends on the logic provided by the operator. But now, advanced computer applications such as artificial intelligence, neural networks etc. have also a limited capability of learning from past and deducing logic. If these systems become reliable and full tested in future, these applications can revolutionize the world of finance as well. Now let’s have a brief look at the application of information technology in various branches of finance. In corporate finance, two most important goals are to increase the corporate value and reduce the financial risk. Risk analysis and management requires the trend analysis of past data. As already mentioned, through the use of data warehouse and business intelligence tools, this task can be done very efficiently. A data warehouse contains the archived data where as business intelligence tools help to extract meaningful information out of it. Likewise, data mining tools can be used to identify the trends in the past data. In public finance, the scope is large, resources are very limited and alternatives are very diverse. Thus, it requires using techniques like what-if analysis, goal seeking etc. A range of tools are available to carryout these tasks, ranging from Microsoft excel to custom developed ERPs. In personal finance too, the use of automated tools save time. Likewise, the trade financing needs careful forecasting, a number of tools are available for that too, again ranging from excel to neural networks. Thus, in today’s job market, the more sophisticated the financial task is, the more technical skills are required by the company. To sum up, the field of finance can leverage upon the opportunities of ease, accuracy and speed provided by information technology in order to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and reliability of financial decision, as these decisions have significant impact on the financial health of the organization in professional life. Â  In this connection, I belief that the student of finance must be well aware and well acquainted with the opportunities that information technology provides to the field of finance. Bibliography Chorafas, D. (2007). Risk Management Technology in Financial Services (Elsevier Finance). St. Louis: Butterworth-Heinemann. Financial-i Awards Kyriba the 2007 Prize for Most Innovative Cash Forecasting Solution. (2008, Feb. 26). Business Wire, 23. Lee, J., Trippi, R. (2000). Artificial Intelligence in Finance Investing: State-Of-The-Art Technologies for Securities Selection and Portfolio Management. Milwaukee: Irwin Professional Publishing. (2008). Handbook on Information Technology in Finance (International Handbooks on Information Systems). New York: Springer.

Impact of Culture on Consumer Behaviour

Impact of Culture on Consumer Behaviour China is the fastest growing and most dynamic economy and is becoming one of the most important markets in the world. With a total population of 1.3 billion and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$10.2 trillion, China accounts for 12% of the worlds GDP. Luna Gupta (2001) noted that the key factors contributing to the significant economic growth in China encompass: Integration into the global economies and export growth; Being the world manufacturing hub; Expansion of Chinas domestic market and inland China growth; and Commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO). To excel in China, the understanding of Chinese culture is important. Culture is human activities and environment where sets of values and norms followed by a group of people with inherited ethical habits that are symbolic, meaningful and identifiable whether abstract and material (Blackwell et al., 2007). It is to be noted that every form of the culture elements (materials, social institutions, beliefs and value systems, aesthetics and languages) cannot be viewed singly as they are intricately intertwined as each has its synergistic effect with the other. The national culture of any country is shaped by its core values and is the source of considerable amount of mental programming (Hofstede, 1991; Banerjee, 2008). Therefore, it is imperative for marketers to better understand Chinese consumers behaviour (Cui Liu, 2000; Zhou et al., 2009). The impact of national culture is derived and measured from Hofstedes Dimension of Culture Individualism versus Collectivism; Power Distance; Masculinity versus Femininity; Uncertainty Avoidance and Long-term Orientation versus Short-term Orientation. National culture has considerable influence on consumer behaviour (Jaishankar, 1998; Banerjee, 2008) and is outer stimuli, influencing the diffusion of product across countries (Kumar et al., 1998; Banerjee, 2008). China being a large and complex society with 56 ethnic groups each with its own culture and values, there are different mindsets and values in different regions in China (Ralston et al., 1996; Zhou et al., 2009). It has thus been observed that China is a heterogeneous consumer market and not a homogeneous market (Dou et al., 2006; Zhou et al., 2009). Coastal regions of China have long been the gateway to the West through the import and export activities whilst the vast inland has traditionally relied on agriculture with all related industries depended on the natural resources (Veek et al., 2007; Zhou et al., 2009). Therefore, there are two important cultural differences between the two regions the residents from the coastal regions are more open, individualistic and innovative whereas the inland regions are more conservative and collectivistic (Cui Liu, 2000; Zheng, 2006; Zhou et al., 2009). The different regional subcultures are definitely reflected in the different patterns of consumers shopping behaviours. Therefore, it is pertinent to understand the influence of culture of the regions to avoid confounding the cultural dimension. Luna Gupta (2001) noted that culture affects consumer behaviour which reinforces the manifestation of culture. An individuals consumption behaviour is a result of the individual culture value system developed over time as they socialise in a particular group which is in turn influenced by regional sub-cultures and familial values. The first stage of understanding buyer behaviour is to focus on the factors that determine the buyer characteristics in the black box. These can be summarised as follows: The 7Ps of marketing Product, Price, Promotion, Place, Process, People and Physical Evidence shall be conceptualised and operationalised in a culturally-sensitive environment. Such analysis on consumer behaviour provides to marketers the basic and underlying motives for consumption that helps in understanding the fundamental needs, wants and different forms of the consumers decision making variables. This paper aims to review the impact of culture on the consumer behaviour in China focusing on three of the culture elements which are values, languages and aesthetics and how culture elements shape the purchasing patterns of the Chinese. 2.0 The impact of values on consumer behaviour 2.1 Definition of values Values can be defined as moral or professional standards of behaviour. Literally, it means a set of emotional rules people follow to help make the right decisions in life. It instils a sense of integrity, honesty and diligence in people. As reported by Rokeach, (1968, 1973); Tai, (2008), value is defined as an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct personally or socially preferable. 2.2 Overview of Chinese values Values, attitudes, lifestyles and consumption patterns for the people of China have been deeply influenced by their long historical and cultural traditions. It is therefore important to have a comprehensive understanding of the significant aspects of Chinese cultural norms that have been shaped and formed mainly from interpersonal relationships and social orientations of the Chinese people. Religion has been diffused throughout the society and the term religionà ¥Ã‚ ®- à ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢ (zÃ…Â ng-jià  o) did not even exist in the Chinese lexicon until the 19th century. It is highlighted that the above behavioural pattern has its origin from the works of Confucius, whose doctrines constitute the basic pillars of the Chinese life and ways of living (Bhasin, 2007; Qian, Abdur Razzaque Keng, 2007). Bhasin, (2007) also recognised that Confucianism had the most profound and lasting effect on Chinese society, where it promoted harmony through moral tenets at all levels of human rela tionships, especially the family and nation. 2.3 Values are regional Industrialisation which began on the coastal areas of China was unevenly spread and hence most of the inland regions were isolated from industrialisation. People in coastal regions with higher industrialisation levels have more interaction with imported products compare to the inland people and thus, adopt more western values. While Chinas coastal and inland regions share the same overall Chinese culture, they may also have their own distinctive values and norms (Huo Randall, 1991; Zhang, Grigoriou Li, 2008). As a result of that, coastal consumers are more individualistic compare to their inland counterparts which are more collectivistic. 2.4 Core Chinese values Understanding basic cultural competence is important when doing business in China. The Chinese core values which affect the consumers behaviour are conversed below. Family and group orientation Chinese society is made up of network of families with cultural values derived exclusively from the same. It strengthens the thought that the Chinese in general are collectivist. It is the family and kinship relations that pass on the heritage to the children and not the educational institutions (Qian, Abdur Razzaque Keng, 2007). Guanxi (à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ³ à §Ã‚ ³Ã‚ » guÄ n xà ¬) Literally consists of two Chinese characters; guan refers to a gate or a hurdle, while xi means a tie. Taken together, guanxi means pass a gate or a hurdle and get connected (Ambler, 1994; Zhuang, Xi Tsang, 2010). It is an interactive behaviour or tie between two or more individuals that established the closeness of one relationship. The larger ones guanxi network is, the more powerful the person becomes (Qian, Abdur Razzaque Keng, 2007). Renqing (à ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ º à ¦Ã†â€™Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ rà ©n qà ­ng) Renqing is a social relationship concept according to an implicit set of rules. It can be interpreted as kind of resources, assistance or favour that one gives others and one should return the assistance given once the opportunity arises. Lee Dawes, (2005); Zhuang, Xi Tsang, (2010) explained that Renqing requires that, in a group, all members should help those in need and that all assistance or favours should be repaid. Those who do not repay assistance are considered untrustworthy. Renqing also can be termed as reciprocity. Mianzi (à ©Ã‚ Ã‚ ¢ à ¥Ã‚ ­Ã‚  mià  n zÇ ) Mianzi can be directly translated as face. (Zhuang, Xi Tsang, 2010) indicated that one is given face when he or she is made to feel respected or important. The fact that saving face is so significant to the Chinese, a person is more concerned with other peoples perception of him or herself and with maintenance of his or her own status (Lee Green, 1991; Qian, Abdur Razzaque Keng, 2007). The strong notion of face saving to a certain extent discourages consumer from voicing their products dissatisfaction, where one loses face in front of others if no positive outcome from the complaint is obtained. Yuan (à §Ã‚ ¼Ã‹Å" yuà ¡n) Yuan can be interpreted as karma or destiny. Chinese believe that there are predetermined things that are beyond ones control. Generally they have low expectations towards the purchased products and tend to attribute failure of the product to fate rather than to the manufacturer. Thrift Thrift has been identified as one of the core Chinese values. Faure Fang (2008) recognised that thrift has a functional impact on social life. Traditionally, Chinese people would bargain over the price when buying goods (Faure Fang, 2008). Chinese in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai put half of their annual per capita earnings into savings (Orr, 2004; Wang Lin, 2009). Traditional creeds Traditional creeds take place in Chinese society due to absence of faith and deep spirituality. The Chinese are characterised as extremely superstitious but not religious (Fang, 1999; Faure Fang, 2008). Chinese tend to believe in all sorts of supernatural powers that can intervene in their daily life (Faure, 2000; Pye, 1986; Faure Fang, 2008). Astrology and geomancy (feng shui) are believed to have direct effect on life, from the date of birth to marriage or buying a new office to the choosing of the opening date. Long-term orientation Traditionally, time is not a main concern for the Chinese. Faure Fang (2008) cited that time is perceived as an unlimited resource such as the air that people breathe. Companies and people could have a long term and continuous perspective about life and time. The long-term orientation relevant to the study of consumer behaviour is exemplified with the habit of saving for the future by the Chinese and hence they may spend less on unnecessary items. The case of Procter Gambles Crest toothpaste which entered the Chinese market in 1997 with green tea flavoured toothpaste that built on the traditional Chinese belief that green tea is healthy and good for teeth, resulted in their revenues increased in China by 24% per year between 2002 and 2006 (Suessmuth-Dyckerhoff, Hexter St-Maurice, 2008). On the other hand Starbucks, despite having more than 400 coffee shops in China failed to recognise the cultural sensitivity of the Chinese when they opened an outlet inside Beijings Forbidden City. Starbucks represents low context culture and are not compatible with the refined taste of cultural legacy condensed in the Forbidden City (Han Zhang, 2009). As a result, the shop had to be closed down under tremendous public pressure. The examples presented clearly show that values do impact consumer behaviour in terms of consumption patterns, lifestyles and the priority of needs. Urbanisation and industrialisation do give some influences on the values but Chinese do not seem to have given up its cultural characteristic, especially in deciding on a particular product. They tend to make judgments in the most traditional manner, thinking about issues of face, respect, trust and even guanxi. Thus, marketers need to engage in different approaches when dealing with the Chinese consumers with different value orientations. 3. The impact of Languages 3.1 Overview of Chinese Language China official language is Mandarin or Putonghua (common language) where an estimate of around 80% of the urban population in China use as their main language of communication (Zhou, 1999; Li, 2004) and there are also numerous major Chinese oral dialects as depicted in Table 3. The complexity of Chinese language is due to one of its attributes, which is a tonal language that relies on four distinct tones with 5 levels of pitch range (Chan Huang, 1997). Table 3: The Sinitic language (Han Chinese) as observed by Swanson, 1999, p.35 Language is arguably the most distinct differences when it comes to culture. For Chinese as observed by Alon, Littrel Chan (2009), they associate written name with the long history of written communication in China and beautiful crafted characters can yield positive brand perceptions. Due to the numerous dialects in different regions within China, communication within different regions are not fully understood, for example, Northern Chinese (who speak Mandarin) may not fully understand Southern Chinese (who speak Cantonese) and vice versa. This results in complications when it comes to making a universal Chinese branding strategy to market in China, and care must be taken when products brand names are being transliterated so that they will have positive appeal to consumers. 3.2 Standardised Written Chinese Characters The solution to unite language in China is the introduction of standardised Chinese writing to either Traditional (primarily outside Mainland China) or Simplified (primarily within Mainland China). The Government officiated Simplified Chinese or pinyin in 1958, which relies on effort to Romanised the pronunciation of Chinese characters. Marketers have long acknowledged the importance of localising their brand names, so that their brand names recall highly amongst Chinese consumers, as this is one of the best ways to attract attention. Coca Cola transliterated its name to à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ £Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‚  (kĆº-kÇ’u-kĆº-là ¨) which means to allow the mouth to be able to rejoice is a clear example of localising brand name as indicated by Alon, Littrel Chan (2009). It can be further noted that in selecting brand names, it is essential that they are easy to remember, spell and pronounce (Li Shooshtari 2003; Alon, Littrel Chan, 2009). In a clear adherence to this, German automakers BMW can be transliterated to à ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ã‚ ©Ã‚ ¬ (bÇÅ ½o mÇÅ ½), meaning treasure horse and Mercedes Benz can be transliterated to à ¥Ã‚ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ Ãƒ ©Ã‚ ©Ã‚ ° (bÄâ€Å"n chà ­), meaning dashing speed. The knowledge of naming products which have meaningful words in China woul d ensure the acceptance and success in the Chinese market. 3.3 Two-Syllable Brand Names Due to the complexity of Chinese characters, the work of Alon, Littrel Chan (2009) noted that out of 9,400 morphemes which relate to one syllable, a combination of these morphemes, rather than individually used, created a 70% Chinese words comprising of two morphemes or syllables. Ideally, two-syllable brand names are preferred as they are easier to pronounce and remember (Chan Huang 2001; Alon, Littrel Chan, 2009). In the case of Coca Cola, when it was first launched in China in 1928, people called by its four syllables brand à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ £Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‚  (kĆº-kÇ’u-kĆº-là ¨) and as its popularity and acceptance grew, Chinese consumers started calling the brand by its two syllables as à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‚  (kĆº-là ¨) as noted in the report of Chan Huang (2001). In the case of another popular soft drink, Sprite, it is a one-syllable brand that has been popularly known by its two-syllable name in China as à ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ª à §Ã‚ ¢ (xuĆº-bà ¬) which means snow-blue, which coincidentally also denotes coldness-related word which are very positive words in China for drinks (Chan Huang, 2001). 3.4 Word-Of-Mouth Communication China is predominantly a high context culture country, whereby information on purchase decision is usually referred to family members and friends. With 67% of Chinese consumers rely on word-of-mouth communication to know about a new brand as observed by Nunes, et al. (2010), and Chinese consumers rate word-of-mouth communication seven times more credible than television advertisements (Suessmuth-Dyckerhoff, Hexter, St-Maurice, 2008). Online discussion on the internet is also an effective tool of word-of-mouth communication albeit in a different forum. This leads to companies launching internet campaigns like KFCs China website focusing on interactive discussion with a Chinese web portal, QQ.com which is accessible at kfc.qq.com (Alon, Littrel Chan, 2009). The role of language in consumer behaviour relies heavily on getting a meaningful name in brand naming. Cross cultural translation must be approached sensibly to better understand culture of China. This is often a difficult task as direct translation is not easily achievable due to the fact that Mandarin is radically different from Roman-alphabet-based language. However if done correctly, the combination of chosen Chinese characters can play an important role, thus able to communicate product attributes and benefits, traditional or modern values, beliefs and customs (Fan, 2002; Alon, Littrel Chan, 2009). 4. The impact of Aesthetics on consumer behaviour: 4.1 Definition of Aesthetics Aesthetics relate to beauty and what the senses feel, see, touch, smell and appreciate. Aesthetics are of particular interest to the marketer because of their role in interpreting the symbolic meanings of various methods of artistic expression, colour and standards of beauty in each culture. The uniqueness of a culture can be spotted quickly in symbols having distinct meanings (Ghauri Cateora, 2006 p. 87). In the perspective of marketing and consumer behaviour the term aesthetics relate to the consumers five senses of vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell in response to an object and has a direct bearing on consumer behaviour. 4.2 The relevance of aesthetics for the Chinese Market To create an impact and succeed in China market and attract consumer by culturally adapting brand names to help the product become a success in China. Various industries need to take into consideration the Chinese rich culture. Colours Colour has significant value for the Chinese due to cultural superstition in terms of product logos and package designs. The colour red (especially when combined with the colour gold) became a symbol of good luck and prosperity (Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd., 2010), however the colour black is deemed to bring bad luck or symbolises death. Logos Logo perception and designs can lead to attraction or distraction for the Chinese Consumer. Brand name, symbols and designs should not offend the local culture. Logo designs and shapes indicate the following: Even shapes like round and symmetrical signify prosperity, dynamism and harmony while uneven shapes indicate conflicts to the Chinese consumers. Numbers Numbers can be deemed to bring good or bad luck. Certain numbers such 8, 11 and 13 have positive connotation while 4 has been associated with bad luck in the Mandarin language (Fletcher, 2006). Good example for auspicious number: 6, 8 and 9 like the official opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics 2008 began at 8.00pm on 08/08/08 and non-auspicious numbers: 1, 4 and 7 denote bad luck where pronunciation of Si in Mandarin refers to death. Long-term brand viability is more likely as design is not based on of the moment creativity, but rather strategically timeless aesthetics that depict brand attitudes (Blumenthal, 2001). Henderson et al. (2003) suggest that the role of logo design in contributing to brand equity is of primary importance in less industrialized countries, when operating abroad, or in countries with logographic writing styles. India and China, for example, have diverse dialects, making language a significant barrier to communication. (Pittard, Ewing Jevons, 2007). Aesthetics and application to local Chinese customs is important for the success of international companies entering China. Consulting local Chinese experts to strategize market penetration in terms of aesthetics looking at wording, logo, designs and meaning will further enhance their success to Chinese consumers resulting in long term customer satisfaction. 4.3 Aesthetics and Brand Names Mobile phone industry where the aesthetics and looks of the product is important to enhance customer satisfaction and long term commitment is a good example. In China, study was done conducted to test the customer behaviour towards selected brands within the Chinese mobile phone market. The outcome indicates brand image influences Chinese consumer behaviour but the study is not conclusive as factors like language and location of study could limit the bigger picture. (Ogba Tan, 2009) Chinese consumers have readily embraced global brands such as Louis Vuitton, BMW, Nokia, Starbucks and McDonalds. Customisation and localisation are the key words in the strategies of foreign companies catering to the needs and preferences of Chinese consumers. (Euromonitor International from trade sources/national statistics, 2008). 5. Conclusion The impacts of culture on consumer behaviour from the perspective of values, languages and aesthetics in China have been proven to be complex and challenging tasks to the global marketers. Thus, a thorough understanding of culture is a necessary ingredient in the development of effective marketing strategy (Yaprak, 2008). The result of rapid industrialization has prompted the emergence of consumer market and culture. Consumer preferences are also changing in tandem with higher disposable income, increased consumer information and wider product selections and distribution channels which highlights the emerging growth of hedonic consumption values. The upshot of this is that the Chinese consumers are looking for more fun, gratification and pleasure in their consumption experience and it is found that hedonic values have a positive impact on the choice and consumption patterns of the Chinese consumers especially for brand consciousness and preference for foreign brands (Wang Lin, 2009). Although cultural characteristics in China often seem to be permanently enduring, a closer analysis reveals that cultural inclinations change from time to time since societies adopt and adapt to different lifestyles and priorities. This is due to the fact that individuals which constitute a particular culture continuously alter their perceptions, attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviours in light of societal and global changes. These perceptions, attitudes, values and behaviours are typified by the buying patterns of the Chinese. During the Mao era, the word sexy was completely forbidden from general use by the public. This is because a sexy attitude was held to be synonymous with shamelessness (Faure Fang, 2008) and the wearing of short skirt by women was banned. However, these days not only the Chinese media freely discuss and portray sexuality in its colourful variety but the Chinese people confidently flaunt their freedom of dressing with all sorts of skimpy fashion. The annual China Sex Culture Festival in Guangzhou exemplifies how open China has become and is a testament to a major cultural shift. It would not go out of context to highlight here that during the infamous Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the Chinese were all wearing grey and green Mao uniforms and that the roads were all full with black bicycles as the famous mode of transportation. These images remain only in grainy black and white photographs of the yesteryears since these days the Chinese, at least in the coastal megacities like Shang hai and Guangzhou clad themselves in fashionable dresses and drive big imported cars. These examples show that the shift in value perception and attitudes do have their impact on the consumer behaviour in China in the sense that culture does evolve from time to time and its evolution alters the preference of the buying masses. Cultural evolutions must then be understood by the international marketers so as to develop relevant, suitable and effective marketing strategy in the Chinese markets. In conclusion, culture and its various core elements including values, languages and aesthetics must be seen in a constantly growing perspective. This is the reason why the understanding and appreciation of culture and its limitations in the context of consumer behaviour needs to be broadened. Culture must thus be viewed as a dynamic and holistic force that constantly shapes and reshapes its elements according to the variables of time. The ability of globalisation and modernisation in impacting the Chinese consumer values are almost limitless in its scope and intent. However, China seems to have never given up its single most important cultural characteristics, which is the ability to manage paradoxes (Faure Fang, 2008). Therefore, whilst certain aspects of the culture are still adhered to, other values closely associated with that same culture is slowly or rapidly losing ground. Word count = 3995

Stress Essay -- essays research papers

In years past, careers were milestones, which demonstrated successful accomplishments within our lives. Men utilized their careers to stake claim in society; a way to categorize their family’s worth. â€Å"Honey, I’ll be working late tonight† sometimes signified that the â€Å"gang† would have a long evening of crunching numbers, entertaining clients, or even smoking cigars with the boss while talking shop. If life went according to plan, and you chose the perfect career, the worst part of your workday would be choosing the best tie to match your navy pinstripe suit. Well, things have certainly changed. Careers are no longer guaranteed based on who-ya-know concepts. Today, young men and women both prepare frantically in high school to have the best grades and make the right contacts to ensure that once they graduate, they are accepted in a top-notch colleges, in hopes to transition into the perfect career. Little do they know, that because of the changing times, high demands, advancement in technology, liberal concepts, unethical business practices, etc., careers are no longer work filled bliss and may cause a great deal of work-related stress. When you accept a position for employment, one of your last thoughts is â€Å"gee, I wonder if the work environment here causes a great amount of stress.† Of course, if you are a day trader or a high risk emergency room doctor, you have some idea that your position within the organization will in fact be demanding and have a level of stress that is greater than other careers. But, if you are a bank teller, college professor, or a bus driver, work-related stress may not be a deciding factor when one accepts a new job. There are various definitions defining the word stress. Stress is â€Å"a state of extreme difficulty, pressure, or strain,† as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Author Unknown, 2002). Stress can also be comically defined as, â€Å"the confusion created when one’s mind overrides the body’s basic desire to choke the hell out of someone who desperately deserves it† (Author Unknown). Though both definitions accurately describe stress, Robert N. Lussier, author of Human Relations in Organizations, defines stress as â€Å"an emotion and/or physical reaction to environmental activities and events† (Lussier, 2005). When defining work-related stress however, emotional or physical relations that occur are ... ...y and exercise. Exercise produces endorphins, which help make you more upbeat and cheerful. â€Å"Think positive† (Lussier, 2005). It is ok to admit when you are at fault. But, once you do, learn from it, get over it, and move on. There are many ways to detect and treat stress. These are only a few that may be used as a preventative measure. Of all the suggestions listed, the most important is to relax. The old saying goes â€Å"take one day at a time.† Once you have made the accomplishment to get that great job, see it as an opportunity and not a stress filled threat. References Armour, S. (2002, May 16). Employees seek worker’ comp for on-the-job stress. USA Today, News, 01a. Author Unknown (2005, January 27). Management standards for work-related stress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  January 31, 2005, from http://www.hse.gov.uk.stress/standards/index.htm Author Unknown (2002). Dictionary.com The american heritage ® dictionary of the english language, fourth edition. January 31, 2005, from http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=stress Lussier, R.N. (2005). Human relations in organizations: applications and skill-building 6th edition. (pp. 45 – 50). New York, NY: McGraw Hill

Communication Skills :: Communication, Effective Communication

Communication can be defined as the transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver in an understandable manner (Sanchez, N, 2009). An example of communication in healthcare is between clinical professionals and staff, patients and their relatives or carers, professionals doctors, occupational therapists, social workers, midwives, physiotherapists and administration staff (Darley, 2002). For their communication to be effective, each of them needs to put the responsibility for clear communication on himself (Healthcare Benchmarks & Quality Improvement 2009) which means that each of them should endeavour to send clear messages and to receive messages with as little distortion as possible (Mind Tools Ltd, 2009). The NHS believes that effective communication is essential for high quality service and care, and to avoid communication breakdown complaints and problems (Hamilton Mercer, 2009) such as ill informed patients, worried relatives and bad publicity Darley (2002). To avoid communication breakdown, the HPC requires radiographers to be able to use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication and to use an appropriate interpreter if necessary when communicating with service users and others (Health Professions Council’s (HPC) Standards of Proficiency - Radiographers, 2008). Minardi and Riley (1997) state that it is very important to recognise the communication skills that may improve effectiveness. Verbal and non-verbal communication are the main forms of communication (Cant and Aroni, 2008). Verbal communication is subdivided into the vocal category which includes spoken language, and the non-vocal category which includes written communication and communication conveyed through sign language or Braille (Communication and Language). The HPC requires Radiographers to be able to communicate information, advice, instruction and professional opinion in English (HPC’s Standards of Proficiency - Radiographers, 2008) since it is the main language in the United Kingdom (Mandy Barrow, 2009). For example, when performing an examination, they need to give clear instructions by explaining what they are doing and why they are doing it (Bach and Grant, 2009). If the receiver does not understand English, a good interpreter is needed to avoid misunderstanding. The receiver may also not understand the examiner’s professional language and as Minardi and Riley (1997) point out, the professional should explain technical terms in order to be understood. Written communication is the ability to write effectively in a range of circumstances and for different audiences and purposes, in good English (The University of Sydney, 2009) using memorandums, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, electronic mail (e-mail) letters, telegrams, faxes, contracts, advertisements, brochures or news releases (Reference for business, 2010).

Environmental acoustics Essay

The research from various part of the world has been able to reveal that approximately 80 million people are exposed to unacceptable high noise levels particularly, the noise emitted from road/tyre. Thus, noise sources that affect people is mostly from road traffic noise, which is by far the most pervasive. In UK for example, over 90% of the population hear traffic noise directly from home while 10% consider noise highly annoying. Thus to reduce the annoying traffic noise, it is mandatory to consider the method of reducing the sources of noise by improving the tyres and road surfaces. While various measures have been adopted in reducing the propagation of noise in the sensitive areas, all of these measures have been note to play a vital part in achieving an acceptable acoustical environment for people living near to roads. Although, in the attempt to control noise on the road surface, there is need to study the noise generated by the tyre/road interaction. Most researches conducted have been revealed that Tyre/road surface interaction noise tends to dominate at moderate and high road speeds. Thus, to control the vehicles noise, there have been various encouragements to encourage innovation and to reflect the improvements made in vehicle design. However, the progress has been quite slower concerning the tyre noise, thus it was only in recent time that there that control for tyre noise has been introduced in the EU Directive of 2001/43/EC. The directive has established a test method for the type approval of tyres with respect to noise emissions and limit values for different types of tyre. Thus, to measure the road/tyre noise emission, this paper will focus on the noise emitted from different types on different road surface. The first part of the paper will focus on the introduction. Moreover, the methodology used in carrying out the test of tyre/road noise emission will be extensively analysed in this paper. Furthermore, the result of the test will also be made available in the research paper. Finally, conclusion and recommendation for the effective methods of reducing the noise pollution from the tyre/road surface will be focused. ( Environmental Research 2004)

Parenting skills: Discussion Questions Essay

1. What role do you think discipline plays in developing a child’s self-esteem? What forms of discipline best serve the self-esteem of the child or adolescent? a. I think discipline plays a vast role in developing a child’s self-esteem, it determines the way the child will make their decision. Knowing the difference punishing and abusing a child plays a key role. Although both can be considered a form of discipline, punishing a child to harshly can affect them in the long run. They will develop a low self-esteem and become scarred for life. The child can grow up themselves to give unreasonable punishment to children they may have. The forms of discipline that best serves the self-esteem of a child might include boundary-based discipline, and emotion coaching. 2. List and discuss how activities, clubs, or sports, impact the self-esteem of children and parents. Provide at least two activities, clubs, or sports in your answer a. Children that participate in spots, clubs, etc. are more likely to have a high self-esteem. While a child participates in these groups they can achieve and accomplish goals that can higher their self-esteem. When a child is devoted to a sport, striving for a goal, and working hard they become satisfied with themselves as well. Such as volleyball, players working hard on different techniques on how to win a game, that takes time, effort, and determination. After winning, the trophies are handed out, the crowd goes crazy over the win, it puts the child/athlete on top, making them thrilled over what they’ve just accomplished leading to high self-esteem . Being involved in a debate club can provide you a boost of excitement knowing that whatever your thinking is heard and knowledge is being shared with those who are present, after winning against someone else gives you that high self-esteem, knowing you’ve just accomplished a great self-achievement.

Advertising and society Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Advertising and society - Term Paper Example I am able to decipher the true meaning of this advertisement through the insight that is available and the knowledge that I have attained over a period of time. I am sure that whosoever comes across this advertisement will have an impact in a significant way. This is the reason why people like me, my friends and the ones who are near and dear to me appreciate the true value of this advertisement, no matter how many times we watch it. This paper will take a keen look at an advertisement that has had an effect like none other, and pay close attention to the basis of semiotic theory – the signs and symbols used, the essence of social phenomenon, and a basic catharsis that is much required for a deep enough meaning that shall be attained regarding the advertisement under consideration. This advertisement which has been made by Japan Ad Council basically outlines how well The Children’s Foundation needs assistance on the part of just about everyone. The message in this adver tisement is very loud and if only one can understand what is being said, which is revealed in the ending; then the implied essence is clearly transmitted to the intended audiences of this advertisement. The need is to know where this advertisement is creating the ‘wow’ factor within the people and to what proportions because the ending reveals quite a revelation without a doubt. The empathy element seems to be present within this advertisement so that the viewers can feel for the children who are undergoing differential treatments at the hands of the authorities, and more specifically the school authorities. The empathy element is also predominantly strong since a young one is being denied the right to get educated in his own righteous way. Merely the fact that he is different from others does not give the people the license or tag a child as mentally unsuitable within the domains of the society. This is something that derives a great deal of value for the people and th e dimensions of the society. The child under discussion is being treated in a very wrong way and this has a major say in the make-up of this advertisement. The intended message is coming out loud which is much required. The people who will watch this advertisement again and again will feel that its storyline actually remarks their own life journey. They are doing much the same thing because they are not giving the young ones a chance to explore their entireties and reveal what is hidden within them to the maximum possible levels. Now is the time to touch base with the children so that they can become valuable citizens of this world and contribute with their respective talents, skills and abilities that they possess within their folds. However, this is always easier said than actually implemented within the related settings and it is a good idea to find out where the wrongs are coming into the fray and how these could be turned into the positives that are direly needed. As far as the semiotic theory is concerned, there is a pertinent need to find out where the message is making its way through and how the intended audience is being connected. This can easily be seen in the form of an ideology that suggests the assumption of empathy which works to good measure whenever children are used in an advertisement. The children premise is being correctly pointed out because it touches upon quite a few areas which are deemed as necessary to transmit the message in a fair enough manner. The semiotic theory easily mentions how planned a child was in his own thinking regimes, and how he was able to transmit this message through his drawings. The bigger picture could not be envisaged by the elders yet he was able to draw it somehow or the other, in a

Implementation plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Implementation plan - Case Study Example In an effort to ensure efficiency, effective project planning is a critical step in the implementation of any project. This involves the definition of tasks for the market, planning, and development teams (Pfeiffer, 2008). Market research was the first main task, which sought to outline the opportunities and the potential challenges in the Qatar market. This is a critical step because businesses need to understand a foreign market well before venturing into its opportunities. After successful market research, the definition of the specifications, which involves the identification of target customers as well as the distribution channels followed. These two tasks are the responsibilities of the marketing team, and marked the first milestone after five weeks. The next steps involved the design of a website and extensive project planning. Project planning in this case involved budget and export planning. The completion of these tasks marked the achievement of the second milestone, which happened in four weeks. The development team was involved in the launching of the product. In the first two weeks, the initial launching was conducted, which was accompanied by rigorous promotional activities. After the in itial launch, the VOSS premium product was then fully launched into different distribution channels that targeted top hotels and restaurants. This marked the third and most important milestone in launching the VOSS brand in Qatar, and took about five weeks. After the full launch, the teams indulged in assessment of the product performance within different distribution channels. Moreover, the product was actively monitored and customer feedback sought by the marketing team (Lodato, 2008). The last three weeks of the project involved analysis of the customer feedback to gain information that would be used in improving the product distribution in Qatar. Pfeiffer, E. (2008). VOSS Water and Retail Expansion:Implications for a

Corporate Social Responsibility - Perrier Contamination Crisis Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility - Perrier Contamination Crisis - Essay Example ........................................... 5 2.3 Ethical Nature of Response ..................................................................... 5 3.0 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 6 Reference List ......................................................................................................... 7 1.0 Introduction To put it simply, corporate social responsibility is about an attitude and vision on the part of a company to follow goals and fulfil obligations that are not merely legally or economically binding, but which also aim at achieving the results and objectives that serve the larger interests of the whole society (tutor2u 2012). It is a commitment on the part of the businesses to be subject to many charitable goals that are ethical and moral in their scope, and aid the economic development of the society while improving and positively contributing to the quality of life of the varied stakeholders like the consumers, employees, the communities in which they operate and the society at large (tutor2u 2012). It is a tilt in the business processes envisioned, planned and managed by a company in the direction of having an overall and beneficial impact on the society. Corporate social responsibility is about a duty on the part of the modern day corporations to be aware of and respond favourably towards the emerging concerns and objectives of the society (tutor2u 2012). It aims to balance the shareholders’ interests with the societal concerns. Varied researchers and academicians have proposed various models that the organizations could follow to manage their corporate social responsibility liabilities. Carroll model of Corporate Social Responsibility is one important model in that context. Carroll classified the varied CSR prerogatives and obligations of the corporations as a pyramid (Carroll 1991). Economic responsibilities constitute the first level of the pyra mid (Carroll 1991). It is the duty of all the corporations to strive to be profitable. It is the profitability objective that sustains all the other types of corporate responsibilities and obligations. Legal responsibilities constitute the second level of Carroll’s pyramid (Carroll 1991). Laws are nothing but a formal codification of what the society considers to be right or wrong. It is important for the companies to obey laws and play by the rules. It is the responsibility of the corporations to operate in a manner that respects the national and international laws. For example it is the duty of the companies to look to it that the products manufactured by them are as per the set quality and safety standards. Ethical responsibilities constitute the next level of this pyramid that is related to the moral conscience of a company (Carroll 1991). It is important that the companies act in a way that is considered to be right and just and that does not intends to harm others. For instance, if a company uses its financial power and influence to access the resources in a third world community, say mineral wealth or oil, by forcibly uprooting the inhabitants in that community, it may turn out to be profitable, but is certainly not ethical. Companies must behave in a manner that upholds the norms and considerations valued by the society. Philanthropic responsibilities constitute the top level of Carroll’s CSR pyramid. It is when the corporations take the initiative to contribute their resources for achieving social good and for

European business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European business - Essay Example The advantages that the member states have are worth an elaborate description and this would be followed shortly. First however lets first mention the euro and the European Monetary Union. The Euro, which is a common currency shared among 16 out of the current 27 member states has had a significant impact onto the union body. Around five countries also generally accept the currency even if they do not recognize it officially. Naturally as European Union constitutes some of the most major countries of the world, their medium of exchange has a significant impact onto the exchange market. It is arguably, the second most traded and important currency of the world after the U.S. Dollar. Although accepted by all the euro accepting countries, the European Monetary Union constitutes of 12 countries out of the 27. They share policies and affects. The member states act as a unified economic body and their macro and micro implications and choices are termed and analyzed as one. The first and foremost advantage of the same currency policy is indeed the reduction in transaction costs. To do business, even with the neighboring countries, one has add on additional amounts to the host country so that one’s currency is received there. It was estimated that to do business, the member countries used to spend around 1.5 billion pounds every year to buy and sell foreign currencies so that the visiting people could have money at their disposal. This however was more problematic for the members were naturally inclined to trade with their neighboring countries so as to cut on the transportation costs. However, the cost of transaction eventually reduced the amounts of revenue generation and profits and left them less motives and inclinations to trade. The same currency policy however, by the introduction of the Euro, gave the members the liberty to practically go along the border and do business with the same money that was in his/her pocket

Dilemmas of Leadership Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Dilemmas of Leadership - Term Paper Example The process of influencing others to attain a goal and also direct an organization in such a way that it becomes more cohesive and coherent is leadership. According to Kotter, leadership is how to deal with change. â€Å"Leadership focuses on change and innovation; it focuses on the big picture; it focuses on strategies that take calculated risks, and it focuses on people’s values†. (Gardner 1996) The path and goal model of leadership by Robert House expects the leader to encourage and motivate the followers in order to attain the desired objective. According to this model, the leader plays a big role in influencing the performance, satisfaction, and motivation of a group. According to Ashim Gupta (2009), when in a dilemma most leaders demonstrate a mix of leadership styles. There are four most commonly used leadership styles namely autocratic, bureaucratic, participative and the laissez - faire style of leadership. In an autocratic leadership style, the leader acts as the supreme commander and the followers have to obey him. This kind of leadership is required in factories when the work demands one to adhere to a series of systematic rules to attain the end product. For example; working in a sugar factory requires one to follow a series of methodical process to obtain sugar from sugarcane. One single mistake will result in one to repeat the process again. Hence, the best-suit ed leadership style for this case is autocratic. In bureaucratic leadership style, the leader acts as per the rules and regulations laid down by the company.

Dream Vacation Essay Example for Free

Dream Vacation Essay Eighty-five degrees, suns out, sand in your toes, a couple of brews, and you family and friends. That sounds like everyone dream vacation, but who would complain that sounds like a great time. You see during the summer I would love to take a couple of my friends to go see Dave Matthews Band play somewhere in the southwest. Seeing a concert probably isn’t the most exciting thing to do in a dream vacation, but as a group of friends we could do something so simple and have the best time ever. If my friends couldn’t come with I honestly think I would not want to go. My friends and I have all grown up together and have become so close that doing anything without one of them is just weird. We would get to this concert by car or plane, but I think if we took a car we could technically call it a road trip so it would make much more memorable. I wouldn’t bring my family because they would set rules, and on this vacation I just want to let everything go and have the best time of my life.What would be even better than just going to see Dave once, would be if my friends and I followed him on tour all summer! Unfortunately I don’t have that kind of cash, but I will have enough for this dream vacation, road trip when I start working in the summer and I can’t wait.

The Value Management Strategy Construction Essay

The Value Management Strategy Construction Essay According to Merna in (Smith, 2002) the term Value Management (VM) tend to be a blanket term that include many value techniques such as Value Planning (VP) , Value Engineering (VE) and Value Analysis (VA), therefore the definition of VM may vary from country to country and from industry to an other, the Institute of Value Management (IVM, 2010) takes Value Management as the tools and techniques concerned with improving and sustaining a desirable balance between the wants and needs of stakeholders and the resources needed to satisfy them. Its the process in which the functional benefits of the project are explicated and appraised consistent with the value system determined by the client (Kelly et al., 2004). British Standard define VM as the management style that can motivate people, develops skills and promote innovation (BSI., 2000) It is the relationship between the satisfaction of needs and the resources required in achieving that satisfaction (Venkataraman and Pinto, 2008). CIRIA defines VM as the structure approach that help defining the clients value requirements and ensure the delivery of that value through the design and construction process (Connaughton and Green, 1996), the institution of civil engineers (ICE) definition of VM take it as a set of techniques and tools to enhance the project (ICE., 1996) while (BRE, 2010) defines Value engineering (VE) as a pro-active, creative, team approach to problem-solving in construction projects to provide the best value for money. Australian based Department of Human Service (DHS) defines VM as the systematic review of the essential functions or performance of a capital project to ensure that best value for money is achieved. (Chen et al., 2009) considered Value Engineering (VE) as the organized application that uses both technical and non-technical knowledge and skills to eliminate unnecessary cost in the project. VM derives its power from being a team based, process-driven methodology and has been dominated by the north American thinking since its early days (Male et al., 2007) where Americans generally refer to the technique as Value Methodology (VM) which emerged in 1940s as a response to increasing pressure to gain more with fewer resources (Wilson, 2005). The origin of first Value Management application can be traced back to Miles a Purchasing engineer with General Electric who developed the first Value Analysis (VA) plan and the Society of American Value Engineers (SAVE), which was founded in Washington, DC, in 1959 is the premier international society devoted to the advancement and promotion of the value methodology (Alalshikh and Male, 2009).(SAVE, 2007) defined the value methodology as the systematic process used by a multidisciplinary team to improve the value of a project through the analysis of its functions. The application of value management as a formal technique will largely de pend on the value of a particular project and the level of risk involved Value management usually incorporates a series of workshops, interviews and reviews, through which the project requirements are evaluated against the means of achieving them. There are many reasons to use VM in projects one of them is the poor definition of projects at early stage as it is crucial to ensure the project success this poor definition normally comes from the shortage of time given out at that stage, therefore the stakeholders are required to define the project scope and need at early stage (Smith, 2002). In addition to that there are always elements in the project with poor value and using VM can help remove those elements. This paper will look to the VM strategy for Old Cross Community Fitness Centre (OCCFC) through evaluating and appraising the group work, the paper first define VM and traced back its origin, then moves into giving short brief about the project which is the subject of the study. Then the paper shows the steps taking in deciding the best VM study style, after that the paper moved into the generic processes of VM from the Orientation and Diagnosis phase, the Workshop phase and the implementation phase by detailing each one of the components and concentrated in workshop phase as that stage represents the team work. The environment or the context of study, the participants and why they are needed and the inputs and delivery of the study are covered and the paper concluded by the best way of implementing the study outcomes. The critical appraisal for the VM strategy adopted by the team will look at the different processes of VM study and how the team dealt with it and compare the group work with the best practise and published literature in the field, giving rationale and justify the group trends, highlights the group major disagreement with the VM best practise and define strength and weaknesses behind their choices. According to (Male et al., 1998) the VM study style represent method and approaches those need to be used during the VM workshop, it is the outcome of the stage in the project life cycle at which VM study is carried out and to do so the identification of the project current intervention point is needed. (Connaughton and Green, 1996) identified four VM/VE (Value Engineering) intervention stages as follows: concept, feasibility, scheme design and detail design while Male et al. (1998), stated that there is a generally held consensus that the following six opportunities help to achieve the highest effect on any project during a VM studys lifecycle: the pre-brief, briefing, concept design, Charette (Brief Review Workshop), detail design, and operational study (during the construction phase). In this phase of the study the Value Manager should be appointed and normally the Value Manager will held meeting with the clients in order to define objectives of Value Study, gain commitment from stakeholders and agree a bout how the value study programme should be implemented. Meeting with project sponsors and reviewing of documents is likely to happen at this stage along with conducting interviews with relevant stakeholders (Male and Kelly, 2004), selection of the participants in the value study and gathering of information is a crucial part in the this phase (Abidin and Pasquire, 2007). The structure of the value problems in details and the discussion of possible solution along with the agenda for the workshop phase are important parts in this phase and may also include how the workshop should be implemented (Male and Kelly, 2004). In this phase the team decided that more information is needed (documents, contracts, organisation, structure, client requirements, scope and more in terviews and reviews) the group also discovered the need to interrogate the project to align with strategic objectives and the understanding of the organization structure. In order to succeed it is important to know where is the project in relation to life cycle, other VM challenges/problems that are not stated need to be highlighted. All these requirements are essential in this part of the phase (the orientation).on the other hand the diagnosis also has its requirements, from the location of the site and whether it is suitable for such kind of projects, to the political factors surrounding the project without neglecting the effect of fund diversion and how the facility is going to be used. For this phase the group assumed that the investment and the brief have been sorted and duration of 15-20 days has been assigned to this phase to allow time for conducting more interviews with stakeholders and cost consultant in particular The team can be either external or existing team; the use of external team is not beneficial as conflict may arise between existing design team and external team, in addition to that the using of existing team can help in cost reduction, better development of ideas due to experience within the project, open communication and increased in implementation (Male et al., 1998). Building Research Establishment (BRE) stated that the team must represent relevant stakeholders, internal or external facilitator while. The group work choose a team that represent Newton council key members, cost consultant, architect, quantity surveyor, structural engineer, electro-mechanical engineer, relevant stakeholders and two team leaders (facilitators). That selection generally match with (Alalshikh and Male, 2009) as they composited the team in this stage with the Client representatives, end user , design team and project management team. (Male et al., 1998) mentioned five approach of VM study depends on the team composition and the team selected by the group tends to match his VM3 approach, where the personnel are the study facilitator and client representatives together with the project design team The benefits of VM have found to be most effective when an independent facilitator of the consultant/contractor team is appointed (DHS, 2010) . The group work did not mention whether those facilitators are independent or not. (ICE) suggest the team must include all relevant disciplines, have authorised decision maker and be led by value manager without mentioning the size of the team, that explain why Newton Council need to be represented as they are the decision makers. According to (Hoekstra, 2006) most owners lean towards a small 5 to 7 member VE team; one person per discipline, with no duplication, the group trend may be compatible with Hoekstra as the team represents 5 different disciplines if stakeholders , Newton council members and facilitators of the study excluded, Hoekstra also mentioned that the team may include operations, management, ITS, safety, public information, environmental and maintenance disciplines to ensure the coverage of all project aspects. Its clearly noticed that the group work tends to ignore those disciplines although in the size of the team they mentioned that it may reach 16 with variation during the study process without clear identification of the additional members and whether any considerations for other disciplines are taken into account or just that additional proportion of the size was completely assigned to the stakeholders and council members. CIRIA on the other hand recommend the use of value manager who may be either from external organization or in-house (Connaughton and Green, 1996). Again the group did not mention that and whether the two facilitators are part of the consultant/contractor team or not. One important part in the team dynamics is the facilitator and its role during study, according to (Kaufman, 2006) facilitation is the vehicle that guide the VM discipline into a viable process and there are many different type of facilitation, normally the VM facilitator involved before the project begins , being a part of deciding the discipline required in the VM team and determining the size of the team therefore the facilitator need to be well equipped with although the group has motioned the need for two facilitators in their study, they did not mention at which stage these facilitator have been brought into the project and that has a crucial impact in the kind of facilitation to be followed during the study, According to (SAVE, 2007) many factors govern the duration needed to execute the Job Plan in a value study: the size and complexity of the project, the stage of project development, the estimated cost of the project while the typical duration for the Workshop Stage is five-days, which does not include the Pre-Workshop ( orientation diagnosis) and Post-Workshop phase (implementation), (Hunter and Kelly, 2007) stated that there is a difference between study duration on the US and UK as only 1 day is given for the workshop duration in UK while its between 3-5 days in the US which is more compatible with the SAVE guidance in workshop. The group work assigned 2 days to complete the workshop phase which is between the UK the US practise in regard to the duration of the workshop