Memo of Marketing Strategy Essay

Like water to fish, the basic reasons that determine the development of a company is called general environment, which includes: demographic reasons, cultural trends, economic climate, legal and political condition, specific international events, and technological change. General environment can be a threat or opportunity for companies, it depends on how deeply companies understand and make use of it. When companies can know the general environment they are facing, they will change their products and services in accordance with the culture they are facing. If companies do not understand the environment very well, they will lose a large sum of money. From my perspective, the three dimensions below are most vital. As for demographic reasons, it contains the attributes of individuals in terms of age, sex, marital status, income, ethnicity and other personal characteristics that may affect consuming patterns. In order to make money, knowing the demographic features of the areas are crucial. Since the new entrant Wall Street Deli is opening a few blocks away, it is necessary for us to keep our business information as a secret. Our advantage is that we have been in this area a long time, we know exactly what our customers’ attributes. Besides, economic climate has a remarkable influence on the business. American economy is in recession now, so Hometown Deli has to think of some ways to stimulate consuming. They can do some discounts like dinner specials or buy two and get one free. Next, the technology can be beneficial to firms but also creates threats, as technological changes force the restaurant to think of new technological strategies. When people are waiting in line, the restaurant can provide some services like upgrading customers’ electronic devices system. They can also provide some competitions for customers to play games in case they got bored. The Porter’s Five Forces Model indicates five most common threats faced by the firms in their local competitive environments. These are threat of entry, threat of rivalry, threat of buyers, threat of substitutes and threat of suppliers. Wall Street Deli is a threat of entry to Hometown Deli, the former may reduce the profits of the latter. In addition, when Hometown Deli cannot keep their competitive advantage and satisfy customers, Wall street Deli provides superior services, the former will lose as soon as possible. The rivalry influences Hometown Deli by fierce competitions and will reduce their profits. Plus, when the supplier Hometown Deli fails to satisfy buyers, customers will not consume and fire it. If the substitute Wall Street Deli offers approximately same or superior services and products than Hometown Deli, the former will not acquire their customers and profits. For Porter’s performance, Hometown Deli manages to use the cost of leadership strategy by gaining more market share in the price war. The firm sells their product either at average prices or lower prices than their rivals. They also use efficient distribution channels or mature services and products to make more profits. Another one is differentiation strategy. By creating unique products and services, the firms can attract more customers. They should be a leader of the scientific research, have a highly creative and skilled product development team, strong sales ability and influential reputation for innovation and quality. What is more, the strategy concentrates on achieving cost advantage and differentiation by developing their strengths and occupying narrow markets. By the way, it is not rational to exploit the three strategies at the same time, since no business can do everything well. Based on the markets and environment, firms should adopt different strategies. For Hometown Deli, it is essential to keep their recipe as a secret and provide same or even better services than they used to have.

Intelligence Testing Article Analysis Essay

No other topic in psychology has ever generated as much interest as the study of human intelligence. Numerous tests and strategies have been designed to explore the quality of human intelligence in depth and to analyze the basic factors and processes which take place within the structure of human cognitive functioning. From the viewpoint of psychology, intelligence testing may provide professionals with a wide range of effective instruments of research and analysis. Simultaneously, not all professionals and scholars in the field of psychology agree that intelligence testing is an effective and a relevant tool of psychological analysis. In this context, a number of theories have been designed to explain the essence of intelligence testing as such and the factors which may impede or enhance one’s successes in the process of testing intelligence. Intelligence Testing Article Analysis Introduction No other topic in psychology has ever generated as much interest as the study of human intelligence. Numerous tests and strategies have been designed to explore the quality of human intelligence in depth and to analyze the basic factors and processes which take place within the structure of human cognitive functioning. From the viewpoint of psychology, intelligence testing may provide professionals with a wide range of effective instruments of research and analysis. Simultaneously, not all professionals and scholars in the field of psychology agree that intelligence testing is an effective and a relevant tool of psychological analysis. In this context, a number of theories have been designed to explain the essence of intelligence testing as such and the factors which may impede or enhance one’s successes in the process of testing intelligence. It is difficult not to agree to Gottfredson (2006): â€Å"the debate over intelligence and intelligence testing focuses on the question of whether it is useful or meaningful to evaluate people according to a single major dimension of cognitive competence†. Nevertheless, researchers keep to believe that intelligence testing may be of extreme value, when measuring specific aspects of human cognitive activity and seeking to expand the boundaries of human cognitive functioning. Gottfredson (2006) develops a whole set of theoretical assumptions, trying to remain objective in her evaluation of intelligence testing relevance as a tool of psychological analysis. In Gottfredson’s view, intelligence testing is usually designed to measure one specific aspect of one’s cognitive ability (e. g. , mathematical skills), but where psychologists seek to evaluate one specific cognitive function, they tend to forget that intelligence tests cannot be fully released and clarified of other mental skills. These are usually referred to as â€Å"mental impurities†; they do not have any significant effects on cognitive testing results, but should be taken into account to guarantee the objectivity of testing procedures. Interestingly, Gottfredson (2006) links the effectiveness of intelligence testing to biological factors. In her view, the effectiveness of one’s cognitive functioning depends on age; moreover, researchers tend to believe into existence of a human gene responsible for IQ. Finally, it is at least incorrect to assume that social and psychological environments produce marked effects on one’s IQ. As a result, it is unclear whether measuring one’s intelligence may produce any significant changes on the quality of one’s wellbeing (Gottfredson, 2006); nevertheless, professional psychologists are still committed to the idea of using intelligence testing to define one’s learning disabilities. O’Brien (2001) develops a set of theoretical assumptions which place intelligence testing as the outstanding means to define one’s learning disabilities and the means of resolving them, and while intelligence testing has been widely used to analyze and determine one’s learning disabilities, it would be fair to say that to some extent intelligence testing had been devised for this purpose. In his theory, O’Brien (2001) refers to the cut-off scores which may prevent professionals from investigating the cognitive implications of low-IQ groups, but which cannot also serve a serious obstacle on professionals’ way to developing more effective intelligence testing forms. It appears that on the basis of IQ alone it is possible to predict the pathways children will follow in their cognitive development, and develop a set of social adjustments low-scored children will need to improve the quality of their well-being. In this context, intelligence testing is expected to produce long-term impacts on one’s life and one’s prospects for individual and professional self-realization. Given that intelligence testing involves information processing mechanisms and relevant nerve centers which require activation, the speed of this activation and the quality of information processing shapes the cognitive image of a person and turns intelligence testing into a relevant tool of psychological analysis (Schweizer, 2000). However, how is effective intelligence testing? And what factors professionals need to consider in order to promote objectivity of testing results? Despite the wide application of intelligence testing in psychological practice, its effectiveness remains the topic of hot debate. On the one hand, there is no single definition of what intelligence is. On the other hand, it is not clear, how appropriate it is to measure the social usefulness of a person based on a single cognitive criterion (Gottfredson, 2006). It appears that the effectiveness of intelligence testing also depends on one’s mood, fatigue, or motivation. From the cultural viewpoint, the majority of intelligence tests are designed to fit to Westernized cultural criteria, and are thus of limited use in mixed populations (O’Brien, 2001). Finally, Schweizer (2000) suggests that due to the limited access of human consciousness to information, the processes of information processing involved into intelligence testing may not always reveal the true state of cognitive functioning in children and adults. Certainly, intelligence testing remains one of the most reliable and widely used methods of investigating cognitive mechanisms in humans; but the problem is that we have not yet gone beyond the boundaries of traditional cognitive knowledge. For psychology professionals, intelligence testing remains the only available tool of research, the reliability of which is usually taken for granted. As a result, whether professionals are able to look deeper into the essence of human cognition and to develop sound analytical strategies depends on their preparedness to cross the boundaries of traditional research, and to investigate the effectiveness of traditional intelligence testing procedures. Conclusion Intelligence testing remains one of the central instruments psychology professionals use to test human cognitive abilities. Despite the stable popularity of intelligence testing, its effectiveness remains the topic of hot debate. Numerous factors have to be reconsidered and reevaluated to guarantee objectivity of testing procedures. To a large extent, the reliability of intelligence testing is taken for granted, and whether this type of analytical research works to promote individuals’ social wellbeing depends on the psychology professionals’ ability to look deeper into the essence of intelligence testing and cognitive mechanisms, which are involved into the process of testing one’s cognitive features. References Gottfredson, L. S. (2006). The general intelligence factor. Scientific American. Retrieved April 28, 2009 from http://www. psych. utoronto. ca/users/reingold/courses/intelligence/cache/1198gottfred. html O’Brien, G. (2001). Defining learning disability: What place does intelligence testing have now? Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 43 (8): 570-573. Schweizer, K. (2000). Cognitive mechanisms at the core of success and failure in intelligence testing. Psychologische Beitrage, 42 (2): 190-200.

Characteristics of a Good Research Problem

A research problem is a statement that provides the context for a research study.As stated by Brewer & Hughes, (2005).â€Å"Research problems indicate gaps in the scope or the certainty of our knowledge† (Brewer & Hughes, 2005, p. 39).They point to problematic phenomena, observed events that are puzzling in terms of our currently accepted ideas, or current ideas that are challenged by new hypotheses (Dissertation Mentoring Services, 2013).The research problem is the start of bringing to light and introducing the problem that the research will conclude with an answer. Further, according to Ellis and Levy (2008) the research problem is the initial phase in the scientific method. The methodology that is utilized should be applicable for the problem that guides the research. The methodology yields the outcomes of the study, which in turn produces the support required to facilitate the findings (Ellis & Levy, 2008). The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics of a r esearch problem.The focus is on the elements of what constitutes a researchable problem, the components of a well formed Statement of Research Problem, as well as what constitutes a reasonable theoretical framework for the need of the study. As stated by Leedy and Ormrod, (2005) â€Å"The research problem is the axis around which the whole research effort revolves (Leedy and Ormrod, 2005, p. 49). † Viable research cannot be deemed important without a well-defined understanding of why the research has been performed. There are several components that make research of noteworthy importance, such as the research needs to be researchable and manageable in size.Other characteristics include the degree of how the research will influence future research and other researchers by whether or not the findings will make a contribution to the body of knowledge, the explanation of the data and make a difference for others (Dissertation101 Mentoring Services, 2013). Influence of the researc h. Good research should advance the field in which it is geared toward as well as build on the current body of available research. The impact does not have to be huge, but it must be identifiable. The study should reveal how the researcher intends to take a different viewpoint and or direction.According to Leedy and Ormrod (2010) the research should direct the philosophy in different perceptions, as well as inspire further research to be conducted as it relates to the topic (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). The advancement should reflect how the new methodologies will be used, along with the other current work, to help to better come to a conclusion in order to solve the problem (Brewer & Hunter, 2006). The problem is researchable and manageable in size. It is imperative to select a topic that is doable and that will allow many opportunities to conduct adequate primary research.Limitations such as the availability of answers should also be considered when thinking of a research problem. Addit ionally, time and expenses are of concern. Considering how long it will take to conduct the research is important as is whether or not the researcher has enough background knowledge to carry out the research, which may cause delays. The budget is a major factor and taking into consideration the kinds of tasks that will be needed, any paid assistants, specialized equipment, or software that needs to be created and/or acquired will help in estimating the amount of funds that will be needed to conduct the research.Explanation of the dataSince research requires data, it is important during the planning that the researcher analyzes beforehand whether or not any data related to the research problem can be produced. If not, then the research problem and the question may need to be changed. The decision of whether to use qualitative or quantitative data is important and based on the type of research. Once the data has been collected, the researcher must have a way to communicate the results .The data must be organized in a way that it merges the existing data with the new data to determine the quality based on the guidelines for collecting the data. Components of a Statement of Research Problem Essentially, the problem statement provides the basis for the research. The statement of the research problem reflects the general concern that leads to the specific problem and must be factual and clearly stated. Accordingly, it must be a brief precise description, which sets the premise for the problem to be studied.It distinguishes and states the underlying problems, if any and outlines the hypotheses, along with the research questions (Dissertation101 Mentoring Services, 2013). Precise, factual and clearly stated. Researcher seek to answer a question or to find a solution to a problem. Providing factual information to introduce the problem will change the perspective of what people think or know about the problem. As well the research should speak to the literature that is p revalent and to what is missing from this literature.Therefore, a statement of the problem needs to be precisely stated in one or two sentences that outlines the problem of the research. The statement of the problem should also address the question (Levy & Ellis, 2008). As stated by Levy and Ellis, (2008) â€Å"The problem statement is the statement of the problem and the argumentation for its viability. It should address all six questions, what, how, where, when, why, and who (Levy & Ellis, 2008, p. 27)†. Underlying sub-problems.Often times, research problems are too significant or very complicated be solved without breaking them down into smaller parts. The parts of the big problem are known as the sub-problems. The sub-problems make up a researchable component that will form together to equal the summation of the main problem. Division of the main problem is the fourth characteristic of formal research (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005). Presenting a hypothesis or research questions. The researcher must prepare a hypothesis related to the expectations what will be true of the results and conclusions of the study.The research problem, the goals, and the associated research questions and/or hypotheses are entwined in that a research goal is the main focus of the research that will be used to speak to the problem. Additionally, research questions help to simplify the goals into definite questions that the researcher would like answered (Creswell, 2005). According to Leedy and Ormrod (2005) by obtaining the answers to the research questions, the goals of the research will be satisfied and an impact regarding solving the problem has been made (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005).There has to be a recognizable association between the answers to the research questions and the research problem motivating the study (Ellis & Levy, 2008). A Problem Statement is based on a thorough review of the relevant literature and ongoing research. As stated by Leedy and Ormrod, (2005) â€Å"one es sential strategy is to find out what things are already known about your topic of interest; little can be gained by reinventing the wheel (Leedy and Ormrod, 2005, p. 51). † This provides the basis for a theoretical framework for the foundations and worthiness of the research problem.Theoretical Framework for the StudyTheoretical framework is the theory which enlightens and expounds the problem to be researched. The theory will also be used to observe the results. New theories solve research problems by explaining inexplicable occurrences and by overriding the uncertainty of older theories. The current theory directs researchers in creating and communicating research problems. In determining whether and in what respects a theory is problematic, researchers consider the context of accrued theoretical and experimental knowledge.The theories that appear to be challenging when observed in that context are then researched (Ellis & Levy, 2008). While the findings of research may be u nexpected, the research itself is planned. It is grounded in a theory. There should be a theoretical connection between the problem guiding the research and the research that is being directed to speak to that problem (Ellis & Levy, 2008).ConclusionA research problem statement is a concise description of a problem or challenge that does not currently have an adequate solution available, therefore, making it worthy of research. A problem statement refers to an issue that is focused on by the topic. It is, in essence, a situation that is in need of a solution. A well communicated problem drives the research. A statement of the research problem must be specific but brief and not something that refers to an isolated occurrence.It must be researchable and manageable while addressing the sub-problems and creating a hypothesis and research questions. The statement of the problem should introduce how the research develops from previous theory and how it may be able to add to the development of new theory in which to make advancements, realizing that ultimately, the purpose of research is to add to the knowledge of how the world operates in our quest to improve and expand our understanding.

Why were the framers of the Constitution concerned about the central Essay

Why were the framers of the Constitution concerned about the central government having too much power How did they address that issue Include proper in-text citations in APA format to support your answer - Essay Example The government was divided into three arms: the legislative, judicial and executive. Each arm had its specific and separate powers bestowed on it. In order to monitor the powers of these divisions, each arm was granted capacity to monitor the other two arms of the government. This would check that no arms gains excessive power. To make sure that the powers of the national government did not override the powers of the state governments, some powers were delegated to the federal government while some was reserved for the state government. Other power was shared between the two governments. This was termed as federalism. This made kept the balance that the central government did not have extreme powers while the state government powers were not dwarfed (Hames & Ekern,

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

Amazon - Essay Example This means that the company has successfully attracted the future clientele for itself. The young generation will continue using the online retailer throughout its life because they have had a good experience with the company. This is one of the greatest assets of Amazon.The company is also following cost leadership strategy with great success. The shift in the policy came after 2001 as it was the time when company decided that it has gained enough clientele to follow a cost leadership strategy. This strategy is working and it is expected to work in future as well. This is because in future more online retailers will come and competition for Amazon is increasing. The future competitors will come up with new innovations but the only way through which the new competitors can be fought is through cost cuttings. Any new competitor will not be able to compete with Amazon in future if the company offers excellent services at lowest price. Amazon is also currently trying to pursue a long te rm strategy and this is a good approach. The company should not focus on short term profits rather it should capitalize its brand name in a better way. The company is still in the growth phase therefore it should follow a growth oriented strategy. The lower profits in the short run can be accepted in favour of long term growth. The company is focusing on customer satisfaction and retention, according to the case. This strategy is also commendable as customers are the main source of revenue. Amazon is known to be customer friendly and this should remain the case in future as well. Customer base of the company is strong and this shows that customers are responding to the policies of the company. There are also certain problems in the long term strategy of the company. The company has not accumulated enough cash that is should have and it is not prepared to face any unseen economic disaster. Any unexpected economic problem can drive the company out of business and this is serious conce rn in the short run. The lower profits of the company through services are also a concern. The company should try to earn more and more revenue through advertisement. This is an area where the company is lacking. Google and Yahoo are making use of their brand name and presence to earn massive advertisement revenue. Amazon should do the same thing and should attract companies by selling places on its websites. This is an area where the company is lagging behind and more can be done in this regard. Long term growth strategy is good enough but short term cash accumulation should also under focus. Question 2 Turnaround strategy refers to a set of steps a company takes in order to rejuvenate its business that was previously not working in a desired manner. Businesses when facing serious problems are forced to think differently and come up with strategies that can bring new life to their company. Turnaround strategies help the company change its normal path and do something in order to pe rform better. Turnaround strategies involve reallocation of resources and the most common resource that is reallocated is the management. Companies are sometimes faced with problems that can only be solved by complete overhauling the way the business is run. Amazon is facing problems from its competitors and although the company is enjoying a first mover’s advantage, still competitors are quickly catching up. This is a problem for the company so turnaround strategy will aim at solving the problem of increasing competition. The company should start to think in a different way in order to save itself from the increased competition. The company should immediately turn its focus on its core activity and that is online

Argument Paper#2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Argument Paper#2 - Essay Example GM food products should be labeled because it is the right of the citizens to decide what they eat, because this will enable informed decision making and because this will increase the profitability of the smaller business owners. GM food should be labeled as food processed and produced through the method of genetic alteration because this would provide consumers to decide what they want to eat and what they want to avoid. If GM foods are not labeled, the consumers will feel that they are being forced to purchase goods and services that they do not want to consume. If GM foods continue to be sold in the markets without being labeled then it would clearly give an impression to the consumers that they are being coerced in to purchasing food items that they perceive to have a negative impact on their health. According to Runyon, the majority of the citizens are in favor of labeling GM foods as the author cites a panel review in which 11 votes were casted in the favor of labeling (Runyon, 2014). GM foods should be labeled because this would allow consumers to make informed choices. Consumers have become very concerned about what they consume due to increase in awareness of health issues. Many consumers are of the perception that GM foods can affect their health and wellbeing in a negative manner. Even several researches have proved that GM foods can impact the health of human beings in a negative manner. According to a research cited by Bronner in his article, herbicides that are highly toxic in nature are being sprayed in the fields where GM food crops are being produced and these toxic herbicides can have a major impact on the health of consumers (Bronner, 2014). GM foods should be labeled because labeling will allow promotion of production of food products in a healthier and organic manner and will even increase the profitability of small businesses. Those who oppose labeling believe that the cost of labeling would

Quality management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Quality management - Assignment Example Industrial practice involves design and business measures, workplace wellness and safety, resource control, and social, moral, and environmental stability Six Sigma, Kaizen, Lean, and other alterations on endless improvement can be dangerous to your company’s health. Even Though it may be heresy to state this, current confirmation from Japan and outside implies that it is the moment to examine these techniques (Businessballs.com, 2014). Admittedly, endless development once powered Japan’s marketplace. Japanese producers in the year 1950s had repute for bad condition but through the practice of rational and precise change, Japan was capable of moving from worst to first. At the beginning of 1970s, Japans capability to produce low-cost, quality outputs helped them control chief industries, such as automobiles, telecommunications, and customer electronics. To fight with this awesome turnaround, Western societies, beginning with Motorola, started to embrace Japanese techniques. Now, nearly all big Western business, and various lesser ones, advocate for endless development. (Isixsigma.com, 2014) However, what’s occurred in Japan? In the preceding time Japan’s main electronics firms have wasted an aggregated $21 billion and have been routinely removed by opponents from China, South Korea, and outside. (Isixsigma.com, 2014)As Fujio Ando, senior operating administrator at Chibagin Asset Management recommends, â€Å"Japan’s purchaser electronics industry is encountering failure. â€Å"Similarly, Japan’s machine industry has been troubled by a list of disturbing quality obstacles, recalls, (Businessballs.com, 2014) and has missed market share to firms from South Korea. Viewing beyond Japan, iconic six sigma organizations in the United States, like Motorola and GE, have strived in recent times to be reform leaders. 3M, which funded heavily in endless

Police academy training Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Police academy training - Research Paper Example It also included knowledge in areas such as law, traffic enforcement, officer safety and arrest procedures. Somewhat neglected areas were those of communications, problem solving, police-community relations, and diversity-the areas of which new era sees the importance. Training is now considered to be one of the key elements necessary for community policing to reach its full potential (King and Lab, 2000) Community-oriented policing, or shorter-COPS, is currently touted by academicians and practitioners (to be able to answer to crime and solve police-community conflicts) and financially supported by the federal government, enabling COPS to be a well-funded government program. However, training of police officers has yet to receive much attention. Police training is relatively a new phenomenon, even though COPS existed since the 1980s both in theory and practice. From the historical point of view, training of police officers doesn’t quite keep up with policing practice, with no exception of training in COPS. The responsibilities of police officers under COPS differ and the training programs do not focus enough on causes of crime and disorder and crime prevention; by traditional training, officers are prepared for a narrow focus on law-enforcement duties instead of focusing on more generalist approach entailed by community. Recruits spend 90% of their training time on driving, firearms, self-defense, first aid, as well as some other use-of-force tactics, even though only 10% of their duties will maybe put them in positions to need to use these skills. Some jurisdictions base their basic recruit program on a Job Task Analysis (JTA) to be able to ensure that what is done on the job is reflected by the training. However, JTA often focuses on what has been done on the job and not on what needs to be learned to be able to do the job better or to prepare new officers for community policing. Training is adapting to community policing very slowly and what makes th is transition especially difficult is the conflict values between traditional (reform) policing and the current one. The purpose of community policing training is to help officers to be able to solve problems and employ community engagement techniques every day while they are working. The recruit academy is a very important part of occupational socialization for police officers, and for that reason training centers should teach the philosophy of COPS during the recruit training. If they do not receive a proper training, officers will be less likely to understand the philosophy of COPS and, therefore, they will not be able to translate the philosophy into effective practice. The fact that policing shifted toward community relations and problem solving leads to COPS’ improved knowledge and additional skill, but doesn’t exclude the need for traditional skills. The skills that are needed for COPS will not become second-nature if comprehensive training in the theories and m ethods of community-oriented policing are not provided. This means that recruits must understand the values of community-oriented policing (e.g. building trust within the neighborhood), and also the skills that are needed for the community-oriented policing to be conducted. (Eck and Spelman, 1987). Those who promote the innovative training programs recognize the need of police recruits to learn the traditional

Answer these questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Answer these questions - Assignment Example Since Brazil dependent on primary commodities, it experienced a case of Dutch Disease during this time. Another obstacle towards Brazilian development was the elastic supply of labor. Initially Brazil took advantage of the import of slaves from Africa but with the abolition of slavery that Brazil tried to ignore for as long as it could, Brazil began to gain labor from Southern Europe. The plantation owners began to press the government to transport labor from southern Europe at low costs. Thus an elastic supply of labor was maintained which resulted in a stable labor costs. While labor costs should have increased with the abolition of slavery, Brazil managed to keep them down through its lax immigration laws. One obstacle to the development of Brazil was the high cost of transportation. The country depended on waterways for the transportation of labor and other commodities. But the topography is Brazil is such that these waterways are not strategically placed within the country. Also the flow of certain rivers did not allow for an advantage through water transportation. The other option available to Brazil was land transportation. Unfortunately, land transportation was not a feasible option as most roads were broken and vehicles could not pass by them. The high cost of transportation therefore led to a limited interregional and international trade. Agriculture producers were only limited to market in their immediate vicinity. The surplus that was being produced in certain areas could not be transported in such a manner as to profit the crop owners. The inelasticity of supply that generated as a result meant that prices would increase every time the demand of advanced products increased i n the market. Thus the domestic agriculture sector of Brazil was unable to flourish as a result of the inelastic transportation system within the country. Even though the government realized the impact of the under development

A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

A Taste of Honey by Shelagh Delaney - Essay Example There is no attempt to connect the play to a wider social world, by 'argument' (characters do not debate the issues between themselves); nor does the play articulate a position on that world (there is no obvious authorial 'point of view' on display); nor, despite the contextual readings, does Delaney exploit the metonymic function of the characters, action or set, but rather the issues are visible in the texture of the personal relationships themselves. Stuart Hall noted this aspect of the play: Delaney is not at all self-conscious about her ability to portray Salford life but she accepts this as a framework for what she is really interested in communicating-her extraordinarily fine and subtle feel for personal relationships. No themes or ideas external to the play disturb its inner form: her values are all intensive. A Taste of Honey is remarkable partly because it breaks a number of racial and sexual taboos: Jo's lover is a black sailor and her flat-mate is homosexual, and the main action of the play is the journey into motherhood of a young, unmarried teenager. It is not simply that these things are represented, but that they are represented positively-that the form of the play elicits sympathy for characters that come to us heavy with connotations, who are part of a world that we 'read about every Sunday in the News of the World'. It is precisely such socially marginal and 'a-typical' characters with which the Wolfenden Report-and the press debate that followed it-was so concerned. The action of the play is contained by a 'comfortless flat', and the stage space is clearly marked as domestic. It is, however, an interior in which all the domestic activities are potentially on display; the kitchen area, the double bed, the living and eating areas-these are all visible, delineating a whole 'way of life' in its routines and chores. Very little conventional domestic activity actually takes place in this space, though, and when it does, it is not performed by characters who inhabit traditional roles. This is part of a complex series of reversals and oppositions in the play, in which expected connections are severed. The mother figure, Helen, is very unlike a 'mother', having no domestic abilities, being feckless and sexually active. The caring role is taken initially by Jo, the daughter, and then by Geoff, a man who displays none of the conventional 'male' attributes. The nearest to a white, male, heterosexual gender norm in the play is to be found in Peter, Helen's l over and fianc, who is presented as a lecher and a drunk. The three central characters are all potentially sexually active, and the two women become so. However, sex is destructive to happiness in the world of the play-as it is in Look Back in Anger. It separates mother and daughter (Helen's marriage to Peter) and leaves Jo with a baby. Jo's relationship with Geoff is only possible because it is without sex. The only moments of genuine difficulty between them are when sex is involved; Jo's demand that Geoff tell her what he does with

American history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American history - Essay Example Moreover, the North, the South, the Free Soilers, and the Republicans had their own ways of definitions. They differed in their views as follows: Lincoln defined liberty as the ability of a citizen to do what he wishes for himself, and whatever that is a product of his labor. This made slave trade an oppression since the person who created labor was not the same one who used it, rather a different person got the freedom to utilize it. In addition, Lincoln defined Liberty as a condition where citizens could do anything they desired with others and anything they had generated with their labor. The definition of slavery was therefore not a matter of liberty, but that of human rights. On the other hand, Stephen Douglass questioned most of Lincoln’s quotes against freedom. He disagreed with most of the phrases, arguing that America had been existing half slave and half free, several years. His view was that there was no issue about some people being at liberty while others were not ; the system should have continued. The U.S was a big country and what Liberty meant for one region was not the same as the other. Differences between the North and South view of Liberty To the North, both liberty and power resided often with the community as compared to individuals. Societies had both the liberty and the duty to rule themselves as per their own wishes to invest in their general good, and to punish or favor people whose behavior threatened or improved the rest of the community. An individual was responsible to balance personal desires and needs against entire good of the community. In return, the community was responsible for caring for the sick, educating the young, and providing for the less fortune. This support expanded every person’s liberty to live in self-respect and prosper. In contrast, the South believed that the degree of liberty that one enjoyed was a directly given by God in the social hierarchy. More authority was determined by the level of stat us one had, and thus, one with more authority had more liberty to exercise. This meant that one had more â€Å"liberties† with the rights, properties, and the lives of fellow citizens. How the Free Soilers differed with the Republicans on the meaning of liberty The Free Soil party adopted the motto, â€Å"Free Soil, Free Labor, And Free Men.† They opposed the expansion of slavery into the western regions and believed in freedom and equal rights. No party had powers to make a slave than to make a leader. The free soilers viewed that through forgetting all the past political disagreements, they could form a union of free men, to obtain liberty, and have a common goal. Liberty meant having the rights to free labor without the violence of the slave authority, and to safeguard free soil for free citizens. The Republicans had the conception that, an agent is free because he is not dominated by other agents. He is dominated only when and because others have capabilities of in terference, deliberately and on a random basis, in particular choices that he has an opportunity to make. Conclusion Although the word Liberty was used by various elites and communities to give it a different meaning, the issue at hand remained to be slavery. Lincoln’s definition was the most logical, particularly in this context. Anyone who had never read about Lincoln’s declaration of liberty would probably define it in the same way. Question 2: The meaning of the fourth of July

Competence in Counseling Essay Example for Free

Competence in Counseling Essay Counseling is the professional guidance in resolving personal conflicts and emotional problems. It is advice, opinion, or instruction given in direction the judgment or conduct of another. Knowing how to posses personal qualities such as maturity, empathy, warmth, understanding, and knowledge. From a legal stand point ethics, morality, and law must be strongly conformed. It is accurate decision-making, knowing appropriate words to use, and knowledge of the governing standards that is required. Also knowing accurate information about culture and ethnicity of the present society. Aspects of Counseling Counseling has been misrepresented over the past years for different types of endorsements of products. In todays time the profession as far as counseling goes is now corresponded within its practice. The focus is on growth and wellness as well as clarification of mental disorders. In order to relate to the counseling field an understanding of guidance and psychotherapy must be understood along with having history of the profession. Guidance is leadership, instruction, or direction by helping others make important choices that affect their future in maintaining a productive and healthy lifestyle. An individual being taught guidance must learn to choose what values them the most in order to produce change within their life. This will give that particular individual a sense of direction by following instructions to becoming a leader. The goal in guidance is to promote resourceful and happy lives of individuals by helping them adjust to social actualities. Psychotherapy is a process focused on helping heal and learn more beneficial ays to deal with problems or issues within an individuals life. It is also a supportive process when going through a difficult time period or either under increased stress. It traditionally focused on serious problems associated with internal issues, personal issues, and conflicts. Normally psychotherapy is recommended when a person is struggling with a life, relationship, work issue, or a specific health concern causing the individual a great deal of pain or upset for longer than a few days. Counselors hold an important position that affect many lives throughout the course of a career. A counselor serves as an advice-giving role in a wide number of areas. There are many types of counselors, including school guidance counselors, psychological counselors, counselors for victims, youth camp counselors and more. Aspects of Counseling The vast majority of counselors are extremely caring people who are dedicated to their work and enjoy helping to make others lives better. There is a wide range of ideal personality traits that are associated with being a top counselor. One of the most important personality traits, if not the most important, is a keen ability to listen. In order to help people and find solutions to problems, the counselor must be a keen listener in order to best help the person seeking counsel. Counselors should also have an understanding of human psychology and possess a strong sense of sensitivity. Another ideal character trait for a counselor is having a strong sense of direction in order to find the best path to success for the people whom they counsel. Having a strong sense of direction usually solves problems more quickly and efficiently. Ideal counselor personality traits are a commitment to the profession, humanity and the client. The ideal counselor serves the assistance of the clients. The counselor will develop meaningful and trusting relationships with their clients and insure that this trust is not shaken or broken. An ideal counselors personality has a consumer first attitude and should represent a supporter and guidance role with nurturing characteristics to assist in the creation of a reliable bond between the client and the counselor. Other quality traits include their knowledge of the profession and its standards of practice, along with some background in psychology. A good organizational personality trait of a counselor is their willingness to promote efficient case management techniques. Aspects of Counseling As an effective counselor one of the main qualities needed is patience. Go to the next step of explanation only when the patient has clearly understood the content of the information you have provided. Therefore the counselor needs to have enough sufficient time for the patient, and should also be a good listener. Let the patient express everything he/she has to say, and give your inputs once when the patient has finished talking. A counselor should be very observant and able to interpret non-verbal communication for example if the patient looks angry, and then find out the cause of his/her anger first. An effective counselor should provide non-possessive warmth in a counseling environment. Smile and show concern and acceptance by showing comfort, empathy, and understanding to the patient. Counselors should have good knowledge on the topic /problem like compliance to medication. Some people do not take medication for the same reasons, while others demand medication. Understanding the factors why people may not do certain activities at specific time will help you to assist them better. Try to understand the feelings the patient is having in the counseling process. In other words put yourself in his/her position. Give the patient the opportunity to make his/her own decision from your message. Lastly be sure to make it aware to the patient that you as their counselor maintain confidentiality on what the patient tells you. This means that counseling must be done individually and privately. Letting the patient know that you maintain a high degree of personal reliability, trustworthiness and mutual trust as an effective counselor. Aspects of Counseling As there are three different levels of counseling relationships to be aware of nonprofessional, paraprofessional, and professional. Nonprofessionals would be considered as family, friends, colleagues, untrained volunteers, or supervisors who try in assisting those who are in need. Secondly, paraprofessionals are individuals who have received some sort of training in human relations. Lastly professionals are those who are educated with the nowledge to provide assistance on a protective and corrective level. While being the ideal, effective, and professional counselor you must also keep in mind that you must follow the ethical and legal aspects of counseling also. Ethics is defined as a philosophical discipline that is concerned with human conduct and moral decision-making. You should also familiarize yourself with morality, which involves judgment or evaluation of action, and another major definition to know is law, which is the precise organization of governing standards that are established to ensure legal and moral justice. The law does not dictate what is considered to be ethical but what is considered to be legal. Ethical codes are there to protect the profession from government. They allow the professions to control itself and functions independently instead of being controlled by legislation. In making ethical decisions counselors familiarize themselves with casebooks, professional colleagues, and principles. It is very crucial that counselors become well knowledgeable with ethics for the sake of their own well-being and of their patients as well. Multicultural psychology focuses on the cultural differences in thought processes and acceptable vs. nacceptable behaviors. It relates to normal lives such as home, education, work and relationships but also to what is considered abnormal or normal. Aspects of Counseling Knowing your patient plays a huge factor in counseling sessions as well. To know the cultural background of your patient can help you better relate to them as an individual. Many cultural ethnic groups live in the United States. A culture is behaviors, thoughts, perceptions, values, goals, and cognitive processes. An issue in multicultural counseling is the dominance of theories based on cultural values. A second issue is sensitivity to cultures in general, believes that are essential to counselors is knowledge of culturally different patients. Knowing that everyone is their own unique person, and have their own views on different things in today’s society. The counselor must also have the skills to work with patients of different cultures. Counselors must work in order to know their patients and their problems. European Americans when taken into consideration is a larger diverse population they are very common to the people of the United States. When counseling African Americans a counselor must understand the history, and coping mechanisms. Hispanics/Latinos a very diverse group as well, and regardless to their background they are very bicultural. Asian and Pacific Islanders are considered as hard working, successful, and not prone to mental or emotional distress. When dealing with many diverse groups like this a common theme is that counselors who work with a variety of culturally different patients must be knowledgeable about them collectively.

Ford Motor Companys Human resource management

Ford Motor Companys Human resource management Executive Summary Human resource management is one of the pillars on which stands the foundation of any and every organization. It deals with various aspects of organizational structure and looks into several organizational policies thereby playing a vital role in strategic planning of an organization. Though human resource management is a vast topic, job analysis and recruiting processes are highly significant. Thus, through this weekly summary, this paper will answer various discussion questions pertaining to the same. This essay will look at Ford pertaining to the organizational infrastructure including recruiting procedures, job descriptions, its elements, classifications, job analysis and methodologies as well as elements has a major scope in the corporate world. However, what I found the most important as well as the most interesting and pragmatic sub topic through this weeks learning experience is all about performance appraisal or performance evaluation. Performance appraisal is a â€Å"distinct and formal management procedure used in the evaluation of work performance† (Introduction: Performance Appraisal) or as the detailed definition of the procedure suggests, performance evaluation a structured formal interaction between a subordinate and supervisor, that usually takes the form of a periodic interview (annual or semi-annual), in which the work performance of the subordinate is examined and discussed, with a view to identifying weaknesses and strengths as well as opportunities for improvement and skills development† (Introduction: Performance Appraisal). Hence, the importance of performance evaluation becomes obvious and can be applied to our organization through various methodologies including graphic scale, checklist, forced choice, ranking, paired comparison, forced distribution, MBO, and BARS (Dessler, 2000) as well as with the aid of incentives, bonuses and word of appreciation and a pat on the back. Research by Luis et al. (2001) suggests that performance evaluation when applied adequately can reap massive fruitful results including improved customer satisfaction diffusing from employee satisfaction, ameliorated work performance and product quality, ease in retaining trained and diligent work force and so on and so forth. Business Strategy Review: Ford Motor Company is a global corporation made up of the worlds most recognizable cars, trucks, and Suvs (www.fordmotorcompany.com). It consists of eight major companies that can be separated into three categories based on their origins. First there is Mazda, which comes from Japan. Next we have the American automotives, which are Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury. The third group consists of European cars, and they are Land Rover, Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Volvo. Together they make the Ford Motor company the worlds second largest manufacturer of cars and trucks. The Japanese company offers consumers a wide range of prices, because of this people of all economical stature buy their products. Together the three American companies provide the same price ranges. Finally, the European line is strictly for the high rollers. In this essay, I have researched these eight companies and found that the reason for the Ford Motor Companies success lies within the fact that they have all the consumer gr oups covered. The only company in the first group is Mazda. For the less financially endowed, they have the Protege, and the 626.Those with a little more money might go for the luxury of the Millenia, or perhaps the Miata if they are looking for a sportier car. Mazda also makes a minivan, for all the soccer moms and large families, called the MPV. Price ranges for all of these automotives come from $12,000 and go up to $33,000. The second group also covers the price ranges fairly well. Ford takes care of the cheaper cars with its Focus and Escort, which go for $11,000-12,500. The Explorer is the most purchased SUV in the world, probably because its right in the price range of most working Americans at $16,000-35,000 (except for teachers of course). One of the most popular cars that Ford produces is the Mustang, its got a legacy in America that is backed up by the thousands of people who purchase it ever year, most of which are males that have been blessed with money at an early age. A Mustang starts at $21,000 and goes up to $32,000. Then we have the Lincoln, purchased by the rich retired people and the Mafia. All the Lincolns are sleek, luxurious, and expensive. These cars are large and powerful, giving both safety and comfort to their owners. Recently the Navigator was developed, and provided the wealthy people of America with an SUV of their own. At last we come to the third group. All these companies fit well together because of their prices, they are all priced over $36,000. Land Rover provides amazing SUVs to those who have the ability to purchase them. The next three, with the addition of Lincoln, make up the Ford Motor Companies Premier Automotive Group. These three companies aim their sales at upscale consumers worldwide. The Aston Martin is known for its high-tech products, and its high prices as well. Jaguar is an amazing car that combines sportiveness, elegance, and raw power. Volvo itself stands for safety, durability, and a premium mode of transp ort. One cannot drive down any road without seeing a Volvo at some point. The European cars provide toys for even the wealthiest of people and back their prices by producing the most precise and breathtaking cars to hit the road. HR Strategy Planning and strategic decisions about recruiting include both internal and external recruiting. There are various internal sources of recruiting that work effectively to accomplish the targeted organizational goals. As Buford, Bedeian Lindner (1995) Zoller (1996) define, â€Å"recruiting is the process of generating a sufficiently large group of applicants from which to select qualified individuals for available jobs† and apart from the external sources including media advertising, walk-ins, public and private employment agencies, educational institutions, state agencies, government programs, direct recruiting (Lindner Zoller), there are internal sources that are effective. These internal sources of recruiting include employee referrals and internal job postings (Lindner Zoller). Good, experienced, trained and hard working employees when make referrals, organizations must feel obliged. This is because, employee referral is one internal source that has so far proved quite effective in the recruiting procedure worldwide. Employee referrals minimize the work load and share the responsibility with the management which otherwise remains solely responsible for recruiting the right people at the right time (Lindner Zoller). What makes this internal source effective is the reason that those applicants that are referred by the working employees have a clearer picture of the organizational expectations, aims and vision and can shape their expectations from the organization and their duties accordingly in a better fashion than applicants that are recruited directly through other sources (Lindner Zoller). Another very effective internal source of recruiting is internal job postings. Vacancies year round can be filled in by the working as well as the deserving employees that can be found, located and analyzed internally through the application of performance appraisal. â€Å"These vacancies may represent promotions (upward moves) or transfers (lateral moves). Posting and circulating notices of vacancies maximizes employee awareness of job openings. The notice should include such items as title, department, job summary, qualifications, and salary and should be placed on bulletin boards, announced in meetings, and otherwise communicated to employees† (Lindner Zoller). Thus, this internal source of recruiting remains effective to date as it involves internal inspection and review of the working employees without having to tap the external sources. Interviewing is one of the principal elements of recruiting and obviously the most crucial of all. Both the interviewer as well as the interviewee need to be well-prepared, focused, confident and most of all considerate and well- informed. However, an interviewer must have a clear knowledge what he or she can and must or should ask. The kinds of questions depend basically on the types of interviews. There are roughly and generally three kinds of interviews that classify the types of questions that an interviewer can ask the applicant during the process of recruitment (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc). These types include: (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) Ø Structured Interview (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) Ø Unstructured Interview (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) Ø Behavioral Interview (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) Hence, an interviewer can ask direct, highly focused, rigid, limited, specific and definitive questions with the aid of â€Å"Structured interviews† (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.). These questions include pointed questions that belong to a particular set of questions or are a part of the sequence. Through unstructured interviews, an interviewer can ask questions that are more â€Å"conversational† and involve a rather â€Å"give and take of information† (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.). In addition to the above, an interviewer can ask questions as classified by the behavioral interviews wherein â€Å"the interviewer will ask very pointed questions regarding how you have handled specific kinds of situations, or how you would anticipate dealing with the kinds of challenges presented on the job. A sample question in a behavioral interview might be describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see thing s your way or describe a time you dealt with a difficult customer or co-worker† (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.). Sample questions that an interviewer may ask, include the following: (*All questions are taken verbatim from the research sources under consideration) What are your career goals and objectives? (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) Tell me something about yourself. (Insurance Staffing Consultants Inc.) What do you see yourself doing five years from now? (Mulligan) How do you make yourself indispensable to a company? (Mulligan) Whats your greatest strength? (Mulligan) Whats your greatest weakness? (Mulligan) Tell me about a time when your course load was heavy. How did you complete all your work? (Mulligan) Tell me about a time when you had to accomplish a task with someone who was particularly difficult to get along with. (Mulligan) How do you accept direction and, at the same time, maintain a critical stance regarding your ideas and values? (Mulligan) What are some examples of activities and surroundings that motivate you? (Mulligan) Tell me how you handled an ethical dilemma. (Mulligan) Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a problem with no rules or guidelines in place. (Mulligan) However, where there are certain guidelines for interviewers for asking the possible questions that can be termed as positive. Interviewers must be very careful regarding the critical as well as responsible job that they are shouldering. On the same account, interviewers must not ask certain questions that should be avoided. These interview questions include those questions that might provoke the interviewee. In addition to the above, questions that are capable of or have even a slight probability of providing a cultural clash or serve as communication barriers or are too personal must not be inquired by the interviewee who is the prospective employee of the company. Questions that are capable of compelling the applicants to get off the track and get offended or burst out must be avoided at all costs. Discriminatory questions or questions that reflect the interviewers bias or prejudice or suggest offensive remarks or the â€Å"systems† prejudice must be avoided at the time of the interview. Moreover, in case of the interviewer and the interviewee belonging to different genders, questions that suggest gender discrimination thereby arousing sentiments of resentment must also be avoided. Thus all sorts of questions or statements that have even the slightest possibility of creating negative emotions including irritation, mental disturbance, feelings of resentment, hatred or might offend (and so on and so forth) the interviewee must be avoided by the interviewer during the process of recruitment that is while interviewing. Budget: Flexible Staffing Flexible staffing options have various advantages as well as disadvantages. Here is a list pertaining to the same: Ø â€Å"Temporary reassignment† is one of the primary flexible staffing options. With the help of temporary reassignment, organizations can â€Å"cross-train† their employees thereby generating â€Å"generalists and specialists† (Flexible staffing Options).however, disadvantages include affected employee morale. This is because â€Å"the employee may feel that management is using him or her. Clear and positive communication is essential in these situations† (Flexible staffing Options). Moreover, â€Å"managers must monitor the assignment and determine a course of action should the assignment become permanent† (Flexible staffing Options). Ø â€Å"Job Sharing† is another form of flexible staffing. It also has various advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include the following: Ø Organizations benefit economically in a way that they save fifty percent of the performance incentives when employees share duties and do not hold full-time status (Flexible staffing Options). Moreover, the over time charges are also occasionally applicable and â€Å"employee satisfaction and productivity is often increased because the job structure has provided the hours needed to meet personal concerns and he/she generally has the energy and motivation to produce more in less time† (Flexible staffing Options). Ø However, there are several jobs that cannot have a dual nature and therefore cannot simply be shared among employees. Furthermore, the â€Å"paperwork† increases to almost double when more employees are working on the similar tasks. â€Å"Job sharers would need to have similar organizational styles, be able to communicate effectively and efficiently, and work together well and if one job sharer resigns, it can sometimes be difficult to recruit another person in a timely manner to share the position† (Flexible staffing Options). Conclusion Hence from the above discussion, it is evident that human resource management is a vast field with a wide scope and offers a rich array of sub fields regarding personnel management as the weekly summary suggests. Success of the recruitment plan can be gauged with the aid of constant review and weekly or bi- monthly or monthly and quite often annual evaluation of the recruitment plan. Thorough scrutiny can reveal the weaknesses and strengths of the recruitment plan thereby revealing the success factor of the recruiting and staffing strategies. The performance of the recruiters both the recently hired employees and the previously more trained employees can be used as one of the most obvious, pragmatic, clear and expedient metric to evaluate the success of the recruitment plan. Sound and professionally efficient performance of the recruiters will imply that the recruitment plan is successful. Lethargic and upsetting performance by the recruiters that might disturb the organizational equilibrium and serve as the obstacle in the path of the organizations success can be used as the evaluation tool for the success of the recruitment plan. Moreover, review of the recruitment plan in terms of the guid elines given by various consulting firms and other organizations can also help in gauging the success of the recruitment plan. The best way to handle a candidates competing job offer is to exactly know the requirements or simply put the demands of the candidate. If money is the motivator or professional prestige in terms of the designation or a fancy title is what the candidate is looking for, simply hit the point and provide him with better incentives, bonuses or an attractive package which he finds far better than the opposing firm. Moreover, look for the weaknesses of the competing firm and try to focus on your strengths and bargain accordingly both with the candidate and the competitor if need arise. In order to make a recruiting plan work for the well-being of ones organization, it is highly significant that ALL the strategic recruiting considerations must be addressed by the human resource managers in a recruiting plan. This is because if the strategic recruiting considerations are not addressed, chances are that the organization might fall prey to the highly competitive nature of the corporate world. With the world rapidly transmuting into a global village, firms need to be strategically sound in their recruitment procedures in order to hire the best possible employees available to the market thereby generating huge profits and augmenting customer satisfaction as well as establishing their reputation as a successful brand name. Hence, if the strategic recruiting considerations have loopholes, the organization will fail to have an experienced and well-trained as well as competent workforce essential for the accomplishment of the organizational goals. References 1. Introduction to performance appraisal. Retrieved July 6, 2003 from: http://www.performance-appraisal.com/intro.htm 2. Dessler G (2000). Human Resource Management, Eighth Edition. Copyright 2000, 1997, 1994, 1991, 1988 by Prentice-Hall, Inc. Compilation. Copyright _ 2002 by Pearson Custom Publishing. 3. Luis R. Go ´ mez-Meji ´a, Balkin D. Robert L Managing Human Resources, Third Edition. Copyright _ 2001 by Prentice-Hall A Pearson Education Company, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. 4. Buford, J. A., Jr., Bedeian, A. G., Lindner, J. R. (1995). Management in Extension (3rd ed.). Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Extension. Zoller, C. (1996). Filling a Position in a Small Business, Extension Fact Sheet: Small Business Series, Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Extension 5. Lindner Zoller. Recruiting employees for small businesses: a little planning goes a long way. . Retrieved July 6, 2003 from: http://ohioline.osu.edu/cd-fact/1382.html 6. Interview Tips. Insurance Staffing Consultants. Retrieved July 6, 2003 from: http://www.insurancestaffing.net/interview_tip00.htm 7. Mulligan B. Interviewers Favorite Questions and Answers. Retrieved July 6, 2003 from: http://www.jobweb.com/Resources/Library/Interviews__Resumes/Interviewers_92_01.htm 8. Flexible Staffing Options. Retrieved July 6, 2003 from: http://www.ps.vt.edu/supervisorscorner/flexstaff/

Analysis Of Bps Operational Risk Management Management Essay

Analysis Of Bps Operational Risk Management Management Essay British Petroleum PLC (BP), one of the worlds largest oil and gas companies, is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It provides its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services for gasoline and petrochemical products for everyday items (About BP, 2011). The Companys operations primarily include the exploration and production of gas and crude oil, as well as the marketing and trading of natural gas, power, and natural gas liquids. At present, BP employs over 80,000 people and operates in more than 100 countries. It produces approximately 3.8 million barrels of oil per day and has 22,400 service stations worldwide (BP, PLc Swot Analysis, 2010). In 2010, the Company incurred incredible losses from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Incident in the Gulf of Mexico due to lack of oversight and control of operational risks (McDonald, BP Oil Disaster Breaks Records, Puts Spotlight On Risk Management Failure, 2010). The Incident has caused disastrous biological environment, 13 peoples deaths and 17 others injuries (McDonald, BP Oil Disaster Breaks Records, Puts Spotlight On Risk Management Failure, 2010). Immediately after the Incident, the Companys risk management practices were investigated. The scrutiny ultimately led to the dismissal of its CEO, Tony Hayward (McDonald, BP Oil Disaster Breaks Records, Puts Spotlight On Risk Management Failure, 2010). In this report, we will explore how BP unsuccessfully managed its operational risks prior to the Incident, and the strategic steps that have been taken in order to mitigate the losses and prevent a similar crisis from happening again. Reasons that Led to BPs Exposure to the Incident According to McDonald, the Incident was mainly attributable to the poor operational risk management of the corporate executives who placed a low priority on the safety issues (McDonald, BP Oil Disaster Breaks Records, Puts Spotlight On Risk Management Failure, 2010). McDonald also mentioned that Hayward appeared to know nothing about the front-line operations in the Company (McDonald, BP Oil Disaster Breaks Records, Puts Spotlight On Risk Management Failure, 2010). Furthermore, BPs history of oil spill incidents demonstrated its poor operational risk management in the past years. These previous tragic incidents included the U.S. refinery explosion in 2005 and the Prudhoe Bay oil spills in 2006 and 2007 (Fineberg, 2007). Since the Company continued to ignore the safety issues and risk management even after these incidents, a more serious Incident in the Gulf of Mexico has occurred. Finally, BP failed to inspect the oil rig on a monthly basis as prescribed in the government regulation (Strickler, 2010). A government inspection report revealed that BPs Deepwater Horizon oil rig had missed 16 inspections in total since January 2005(Strickler, 2010). Financial Losses and Reputational Damage following the Incident Following the Incident, BP was required to reduce planned capital expenditures and increase asset disposals in order to provide additional liquidity (BP p.l.c, 2010). Moreover, a total pre-tax charge of $40.9 billion was recognized during 2010 (BP p.l.c, 2010). However, BP is still uncertain about the total amount that will ultimately be paid. The Company is currently being charged in a number of lawsuits that could lead to substantial costs (BP p.l.c, 2010). These costs may include the amount of pending and future claims, the potential expenses of implementing remedies sought in the various proceedings, and the amount of fines ultimately levied on BP (BP p.l.c, 2010). As seen in Appendix A, Moodys Investors Services and Standard Poors have downgraded BPs credit ratings immediately after the Incident. Although there have been slight improvements ever since, the current credit ratings are still lower than they were immediately before the Incident. The lower credit ratings prompted a large number of investors, who were holding BPs US Industrial Revenue/Municipal bonds, to exercise their option to tender the bonds for repayment (BP p.l.c, 2010). This caused BP a total repayment of $2.5 billion (BP p.l.c, 2010). The lower credit ratings could also limit the Companys access to new financing. In addition, the Incident has led to a significant drop in BPs share price. On June 25 of 2010, the share price went down to the lowest point of $27. 02, as compared to $60.48 on April 23 of 2010, the day of the Incident (BP plc (ADR) (Public, NYSE:BP) ). Along with the financial losses, the Incident has damaged BPs reputation, which may have a long-term impact on the Companys ability to build business relationships with new counterparties and access new opportunities (BP p.l.c, 2010). Moreover, the current counterparties, concerned about the additional financial and business risks following this Incident, may require the Company to provide collateral or other forms of financial security for its obligations (BP p.l.c, 2010). Risk and Liquidity Management After the Incident, BP has taken preventative measures to mitigate future unexpected events related to poorly-managed operational risks (McDonald, All Road Lead to CEO, 2010). On September 29 of 2010, the new CEO, Bob Dudley, announced a plan to establish a new safety division with sweeping powers to oversee and monitor the Companys operations around the world (BP Creates New Safety and Risk Division, 2010). The new division has been given the authority to intervene in all aspects of BPs technical activities. The divisions experts will be embedded in BPs operating units, including exploration projects and refineries. These experts have the responsibility to ensure that all operations are carried out in compliance with government regulations and auditing standards (BP, 2010). In order to further reinforce this new practice, Dudley has requested the head of the safety division to report directly to him so that all information regarding the Companys current operational risk status can b e conveyed in a timely manner (McDonald, All Road Lead to CEO, 2010). BP has also reinforced its accountability of risk management by restructuring its exploration and production segment from a single business into three separate functions-exploration, development and production (BP, 2010). This makes it easier for BP to monitor each function separately. To increase available liquidity, BP cancelled the ordinary share dividends in the first three quarters of 2010, secured additional bank lines totaling $12 million and announced its intention to sell up to $30 billion of assets (BP p.l.c, 2010). Conclusion Prior to the Incident, BPs executives overlooked the necessity of operational risk management. This made the Company vulnerable to operational risks. Even after the two oil spills between 2005 and 2007, BP still did not take effective measures to improve its risk management practices. Fortunately, the problem has finally been recognized by Dudley, who has initiated constructive plans to enforce operational risk management across all divisions in the Company. Appendix Appendix A: A comparison of BPs Credit Ratings before and after the Incident Before Immediate After Current Moodys Investors Service Aa1 (stable outlook) A2 (negative watch) A2 (stable outlook) Standards Poors AA (stable outlook) A (negative watch) A (negative outlook) Source: BP p.l.c. (2010, December 31). Annual Report and Form 20-F 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from BP Global: http://www.bp.com/assets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/set_branch/STAGING/common_assets/downloads/pdf/BP_Annual_Report_and_Form_20F.pdf

A Comparison of Romantic Love in A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Tempest

Romantic Love in A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, and Twelfth Night In all of Shakespeare's plays, there is a definitive style present, a style he perfected. From his very first play (The Comedy of Errors) to his very last (The Tempest), he uses unique symbolism and descriptive poetry to express and explain the actions and events he writes about. Twelfth Night, The Tempest and A Midsummer Night's Dream are all tragicomedies that epitomise the best use of the themes and ideology that Shakespeare puts forth. Naturally, one of the most reoccurring themes in Shakespeare is romantic love. It is perhaps not a coincidence that he put so much emphasis on this elusive and enigmatic emotion. In the Elizabethan age when he was writing, the arts were being explored more fervently, and thus raw human emotions began to surface in the mainstream culture. In Twelfth Night, love is a confusing and fickle thing, as demonstrated in the relationships between Duke Orsino and Olivia; Olivia and Viola/Curio; Malvolio and Olivia (she certainly has an effect on men doesn't she?); Duke Orsino and Viola/Curio. However, the characters seem to have a love-hate relationship with Cupid. Within the first line of the play, it is glorified: "If music be the food of love, play on..." (Duke Orsino, I:I). And while Olivia is annoyed with Orsino's affection, she craves Curio's. However, Shakespeare also picks on love. Not only did Malvolio's confusion about his and Olivia's relationship prove to add to the comedy, but it rather showed how one can play with love, and use it for another's harm. Apart from this example, love is depicted as a light and lovely emotion. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, love is used to cause misch... ...ok. London: Macmillan Press Ltd, 1992. 222-43. David, R. W., ed. Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost. London: Methuen, 1981. Davidson, Frank. "The Tempest: An Interpretation." In The Tempest: A Casebook. Ed. D.J. Palmer. London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd., 1968. 225. Hillman, Richard   The Tempest as Romance and Anti-Romance Shakespeare Quarterly. 34 (1983), 426-432. Palmer, D.J. Shakespeare's Later Comedies: An Anthology of Modern Criticism. Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1971. Potter, Lois. Twelfth Night: Text & Performance. London: Macmillan, 1985. Schanzer, Ernest.   "_A Midsummer-Night's Dream."   26-31 in Kenneth Muir, ed. Shakespeare: The Comedies: A Collection of Critical Essays.   Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1965. Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare. Edited Stephen Greenblatt et al. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997.   

Reuniting the Grey Wolf :: science

Reuniting the Grey Wolf In 1914 the United States Congress approved the funding to destroy wolves. Many of the Government bounty hunters decided to help farmers to protect there livestock from the destructive creatures. Sixty years later the wolves are considered as endangered. In 1973 the United State Congress passed another law (Endangered Species Act) this act stated that all endangered species could not be killed by anyone or they would face a fine of one thousand dollars and as much as one year in jail. So many organizations started programs to help the wild life one of which was called the Wolf Recovery Program. The Wolf Recovery Program was set to help gray wolfs adapted back into there natural habitat. Since the program has been started they have introduced over 160 new wolves into the wild. But not everybody was in favor of reintroducing wolves into the wild. Today the United States Fish and Wild life Service have been considering the removal of the gray wolf from the endangered species list once I daho, Montana, and Wyoming raise enough wolves to be considered to continue to expand the wolf population, this requires that each of the three states have to have a management plan in effect to prevent the gray wolf from becoming endangered again. With the current attitude of the governments in these states federal support under the Endangered Species Act it would only serve to cause the wolves to become endangered once more, or at least, hold to absolute minimum of the population that the state scan pass off as a self-sustaining population. Many of the states like Idaho want to get rid of the gray wolves completely rid of in fact it has been said that â€Å"The State of Idaho is on the record asking the federal government to remove wolves from the state by the adoption in 2001 of House Joint Memorial No. 5. The position reflected in House Joint Memorial No. 5 continues to be the official position of the State of Idaho†. Now these are the problems facing the gray wolfs today . Farmers Many of the states legislature made room for the destruction of the gray wolf because they value the economies farming industries more than the preservation of wild life. The farmer aren’t helping with the restoration with many unsubstantial losses with no attempt to validate these statements. The settlers would let there cattle to roam off public property.

Elaine Showalter-The Female Tradition Essay

In her book ‘A Literature of Their Own’, Showalter attempts to rediscover the lost Atlantis of female writingfrom the archives of British literary history, for which she tries to assemble women’s writing of that period into a linear developmental process dividing it into three phases depending upon their unique characteristics, that is, the Feminine, Feminist and Female phase which thereby establishes the existence of a female tradition in the history of literature. In this essay, I shall elaborate the three phases as propounded by Showalter while critically evaluating the boundaries of these said categories. The latter half of this essay shall deal with the complexities of Showalter’s formation and classification of British women novelist’s literary genealogy. Showalter classifies the first stage of female literary history as the ‘feminine phase’ referring to literature produced during the period of 1840 to 1880.She proposes that women wrote during this period as imitator of dominant patriarchal standards conforming to the notions of high-brow literature and internalised masculine standard of art and their view on social roles, thereby developing an internalized feminine ‘self-hatred’. The disguise taken up by female authors through the use of male pseudonyms as seen in the case of the Bronte sisters, George Eliot, etc. is a perfect example of the constant rejection that women practised with regards to their ‘masculine’ nature, while at the same time signals a ‘loss of innocence’ for women as they subtly grapple with the idea of role playing required by their gender. Certain areas of experience and knowledge such as sexuality, passion, ambition and male transcendence (as propounded in Simone De Beauvoir’s theory) lied beyond the ambits of the Victorian ‘angel in the house’ or ‘the Perfect Lady’ and therefore were suppressed by women in their writing through practices of displacement (as seen in Lydia’s case in Pride and Prejudice), splitting of self (as seen in Jane Eyre through the figures  of Jane and Bertha) or even punishment (as seen in the character of Maggie in The Mill On The Floss) to uphold the idea of ‘womanliness’ in their writing. Therefore, it seemed that women novelists were compensating for their will to write by preaching submission and self-sacrifice, working at home and denouncing female self-assertiveness. However women did not simply conform to the pattern of society’s concept of ‘work for others’ and challenged the patriarchal reception of women’s writing in their own subtle ways. Emily Bronte in her novel Wuthering Heights finds release to explore the fenced territories of dark passion, madness, ruthless desire and its politics through the character of Heathcliff as he would be less scrutinised by male critics. This struggle became a site of anxiety for women writers as the act of writing in itself represented the wish to transcend the defined feminine boundaries of their society, and therefore reconstructed the political and public spheres for women. As Showalter states, the women writers of this period often grappled with the question, â€Å"where did obedience to her father and husband end and the responsibility of self-fulfilment became paramount?† Another vital aspect of this phase is the carving of space for womenin the literary circle as done by feminine writers for women to follow against the hostility and critiques they received from their male competitors and society at large. G. H. Lewes in his 1852 review â€Å"The Lady Novelist† proposed that women’s literature had fallen short of their task owning to their natural weakness of imitation. Many male critics called women’s novel â€Å"bland, didactic and senseless rambling† not taking into account the antagonism women received at the hands of male critics whenever they tried to transgress into the ‘male domains of knowledge and language’ of politics, power and desire. The ‘damns’ in Jane Eyre or the ‘dialect’ in Wuthering Heights or the slangs of Rhoda Broughton’s heroine termed as vulgar, unholy and termed by Victorian readers as ‘coarseness’. On the one hand, this ‘double bind’ that paralysed women writers made them feel humiliated by the condescension received from male critics making them obsess over the desire to avoid special treatment and achieve genuine excellence and on the other hand,it made them anxious about appearing unwomanly in their works too. Despite all such obstacles, women overcame the hurdles placed upon them by  patriarchal conditioning of repression, concealment and self-censorship and participated in the literary process thereby creating a space for their sex which was earlier not availed to them. The major contribution of the novelists of this phase to the female tradition to follow was the enabling of a cultural exchange that had a special personal significance for women at large. Following this comes the ‘feminist phase’ spanning from 1880 to 1920 which comes to aculmination following the winning of â€Å"the vote† for women. This period was marked by protest and struggle for one’s rights, oppositional equation that the female author developed with their male critics, advocacy of minority rights and values, including a demand for autonomy and seems to stand in opposition to the earlier feminine phase as it defined by an ardent ‘feminist withdrawal’. As against the casing of issues as practiced by earlier writers, women writers of the feminist period acknowledged their sexuality, passions and desire publically without any sense of patriarchal guilt or shame. Since this period also overlaps with women’s suffragette movement in Britain and America, they had also become politically assertive and this literally was translated into literature as the battle of the two sexes. The impetus provided to women’s writin g by such political activism can be seen in the works of Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Robins, etc. The influence of the political movement gave rise to the development of an array of new characters such as men who were â€Å"effeminate fops by day and fearless heroes by night†. In contrast to earlier women writers who saw male characters as a means to escape patriarchal domination, not realising that they were exchanging one set of chains for the other; female writers of this period use male figure to further their own emancipation and re-examine the stereotypes placed upon them by their patriarchal society as done by the Sensationalist women writers in their novels. An example of this would be Florence Marryat’s Love’s Conflict where she holistically examines the exploitative trap set for women by patriarchal society’s conception of love.Such awakening resulted into a complete rejection of the notion of femininity and attacked the figure of the self-sacrificing woman in exchange for agency and self-expression. Fidelity and chastity on men’s part became a contested issue in the literature of this period and thereby reversed the  question of female faithfulness to question male loyalty. The politics of pseudonym also changed during this period as ‘Sarah Grand’ the persona taken up by Frances Elizabeth Bellenden McFall expressed a feminist pride. All these trends amalgamated into the creation of an ‘Amazon Utopia’ which rejected all notions femininity in exchange for intense female solidarity derived from a complete rejection of the then established notion of ‘womanhood and femininity’. Another major contribution of the writers of this phase is the professionalism they introduced with regards to female authorship. Just as the transition from self-hatred to feminist withdrawal was an essential shift in the two phases, similarly equality in terms of monetary payments to women writers as against the disparate differences in terms of earnings of male and female writers (a characteristic of the previous phase) was challenged and overhauled which provided women writes of this period further incentive to take up writing as a profession rather than an activity of leisure as practised by their predecessors. As Showalter argues, women by 1860’s had started â€Å"to retain their copyrights, work with printers on the commission basis and edit their own magazine†. This did not only offer women with an alternative space for securing financial support and fortifying independence from ‘patriarchal commercialism’ but also provided them with themuch required artistic and ideological freedom to explore issues concerning their lives and experiences. Women by discerning over ideas of their day to day concerns actively participated into reviewing ideas of established ‘Femininity’ and thereby providing the foundation for future women writers to develop and completely deconstruct the notion of gender and its attributes. This was followed by the last stage,that is, the ‘female phase’ beginning in 1920 and continuing to the present, which according to Showalter from 1960 onwards has entered a new era of self-awareness. This phase is the least theorised and developed by her as it is yet to meet a conclusion. The writers of this phase carry the dual cultural baggage of the history of female authorship in the form of ‘feminine self-hatred and feminist withdrawal’, yet have initiated the task of insistent self-exploration  backed by rejection of male culture moving towards separationist literature focusing on inner space and psychological interrogation rather than being socially focused so as to escape the materialistic, harsh realities of the patriarchal world. The metaphor explored by many female writers for this motif was ‘the enclosed and secret room’ which ‘extended the fantasies of enclosure’ in the form of secret rooms, hideaway attics and suffragette cells as represented in the works of Mrs Molesworth’s The Tapestry Room or Virginia Woolf’s A Room Of one’s Own. The application of this female aestheticism by writers of that period transformed itself into the fragmentation of the self through a feminist cultural analysis of words, language and ideology in their novels. This self-destructive rite of women’s aestheticism and receptivity leading to suicidal vulnerability is exemplified in the careers of Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath.Paradoxically, the furthering of female aestheticism also led to an apparent fringing from sexuality and its politics, where the site of the body wasveiled, disguised or denied for insistence of artistic freedom and autonomy, leading Showalter to state that even though women’s writing was â€Å"erotically charged and drenched with sexual symbolism, female aestheticism is nonetheless oddly sexless in its content†. This leads to the popularization of the idea of ‘androgyny’ in women literature of this period (Bloomsbury group being a major contributor to this ideology). Showalterfurther develops this phase stating that the literature of the female phaseentered a new, dynamic stage in 1960 to incorporate and develop itself on Marxist, Feminist and Psychoanalytical theories and therefore helped women to both deconstruct and reconstruct their identities while providing society with women’s view of life, experience, originality and individuality; as demanded by G. H. Lewis and J. S. Mill. Continuing with the conflicts of the feminist phase, novelists of this period continue to struggle with the binaries of â€Å"art and love, between self-fulfilment and duty†, but work by consolidating the gains of the past while working with a new range of language and experience converting sexuality and anger (earlier treated only as attributes of realistic characters) into sources of ‘female creative powers’. In this light, women writers have tried to unify their fragmented experience through artistic vision which Showalter states will  u ltimately leadthem to make a choice between assimilation and separation into literary mainstream in the near future. The assembly of the lineage of women novelists as done by Showalter through the construction of the above mentioned three phases in her book has significantly contributed to the establishment of a Female Literary Tradition and has helped to unearth the vast expanse of women’s literature, previously ignored. However, it appears to me that there are certain foundational impediments in her work. A major premise for her work remains the construction of women’s literary history through the genre of novel writing alone which thereby excludes the colossal mass of literature that women wrote in the forms of drama, poetry, diaries, social tracts, autobiographies, etc. To formulate any kind of literary history for women’s writing without taking into account all these genres will necessarily provide us with a fractional and restrictive imagine thereby undermining the profundity and versatility of women’s imagination, creativity and intellectual labour. To see novel writing as the only path through which women entered and created a space for themselves in literary field is not just a reductionist interrogation of the history of writing but is also an injustice done to the massive proportion of women writers who were not ‘fortunate enough’ to enter this particular field and instead worked incessantly to carve out a space for women in other genres as done by figures of Elizabeth Barrett Browning andAlice Meynell (poetess), Alice James (diarist), Hannah More (dramatist), Florence Nightingale and Mary Carpenter (social Tracts) etc. Similarly, many novelists also attempted other genres of writing and deflating their efforts outside novel writing is also playing into the patriarchal trap of reducing the toils of women writers to a singularly defined category for purposes of convenience. Similarly, Showalter in her book advances a certain dimension of universality into the category of 19th century British women novelist, pedestrianizing her struggles and triumphs over many others. Though she mentions that her foundation for the historical re-evaluation of women’s writing is the 19th century British novelist, her disregard for the categories of third world, post-colonial women’s literature is apparent in her vocabulary. Within the  foundation of her work, she fails to take into account the pivotal issue of class based Marxist evaluation of the development of women’s writing movement.To not take into account the economic constraints under which women had to work to enter the field of literature will blemish the depth and shared experience of a particular class of women writers and will also deter us from analysing their works as repositories of class strained social realism of that age. The absence of any class based differential paradigm for reviewing the works of British women novelists is an immense undercutting of the forces of patriarchy and capitalism and the role they played in obstructing women’s path to literacy emancipation.Therefore, even though she challenges the notion of the ‘canon’ by re-evaluating the exclusion of women from its centre, Showalter nonetheless, never deconstructs the ‘canon’ itself but works simply to readjust it to the requirements of a specific group of ’21st century female British academician’. Her stating that the sensation novelists of the late 19th century did not add significantly to the intellectual issues of that age but rather contributed to women’s cause byacquiring public literary space exemplifies the same. Nonetheless, despite all such complexities, Showalter’s assertion of the value of the ‘lost’ works of women writers and their role in history initiates a process of questioning and subverting of the patriarchal edifice of the ‘history of literature’. Feminine, Feminist and Female writers all had to contend with the cultural and political forces of their age and the epistemological classification of these three stages themselves reveals the developmental process that has taken place with regards to women’s writing. â€Å"The Female Tradition† is a record of the conditions and struggle that women breathed through to gain agency andchoice for their sex. Therefore even though Showalter does not pursue the full scope of her questions, she nevertheless opens the opportunity for individuals following her to further her theory and critically analyse the homogenizing politics of literary history, from not just the perspective of gender but also from a class, race and linguistic perspective. Here, Louise Bernikow’s comment becomes extremely crucial and exemplary: â€Å"What is commonly called literary history is actually a record of choices. Which writers have survived their time and which have not depends upon who noticed them and chose to record the notice.† Bibliography: Elaine Showalter’s â€Å"A Literature of Their Own†.