Exam Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Exam Questions - Assignment Example One of the techniques is to starting the process with individual ideas. Every individual should first put down their own ideas individually. After the first step, everyone should then bring up their ideas. Judgments should be withheld and no one’s ideas should be criticized. This then should ensure that everyone is heard. The group should then go radical and ensure that even the impractical are analyzed for any possibility. There should be emphasis on generation of many ideas as possible. The group should then build on individual ideas. c) The problem solving model can help the management team to gather information on the market and identify possible solutions to their problem. They can then define their issue, gather information and try to brainstorm ideas that can solve the problem on the sale of their product. They will then come up with a solution after critical analysis of several ideas. However they are likely to encounter difficulties in gather adequate information on their problem of their sales. This then will hinder the identification of possible solutions. d) Individuals working on their own should consider identifying the issue at their stake before trying to generate any ideas. After that, the individual should consider the technique of looking at issue on different points of view. This will enable the individual be able to consider several possibilities when generating ideas. a) The characteristics of critical thinking include defining the problem that is at hand and understanding well. Another feature is asking as many questions as possible to get all the necessary information on certain issue. Critical thinking also involves clear analysis of several assumptions and biases on certain ideas. Tolerating ambiguity avoiding emotional reasoning in several cases are also common features of critical thinking. c) Fallacies of relevance are arguments whose premises are logically relevant and are therefore in a position to establish a clear

Cross cultural awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Cross cultural awareness - Essay Example This clearly states the increasing importance of globalization in the present era. With the increase in globalization, firms are employing people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. This is where the problems of cultural stereotyping arise. There is a need for firms to train the employees in the International Human Resource Management processes. IHRM involves the study of how the HR processes (Recruitment, induction, compensation, performance management, etc) are conditioned by the political, legal, economic environments and the labor practices of the countries in which their firm has subsidiaries. The cultural adaption training given to the employees is known as acculturization. In America, autonomy is given a lot of importance whereas in countries like India, most organizations have a very bureaucratic culture. Also, in America, people are risk taking and welcome uncertainty hands on. Whereas it is the complete contrast in countries like Japan where people fear taking risks (Patricia Ann Mehegan 2006). Thus, global management is all about recognizing these cultural differences, acknowledging them and adapting to them. The global firms nowadays require managers who are well trained to adapt to the cultural difference when they go as expats in other countires. Cross cultural understanding need to be a part of employee’s learning if he wants to excel in his career. The commonly held beliefs or opinions about certain individuals, cultures or communities are known as stereotypes (Richard A. Nitsche 1977). Stereotypes are basically our perceptions of something, the image we draw in our heads of a particular person or thing. These stereotypes are based on previous assumptions, which are not always verified. People stereotype a community into two categories: the in-groups and the out groups. In-groups are the group people see in a positive light and

Invisible Contract

Invisible Contract The concept of the invisible contract can also be expressed as psychological contract which entails the unwritten employment relationship between the employer and the employee. It is an unspoken set of beliefs usually hidden or remains invisible, held by both parties which co-exist with the written contract of employment. The psychological contract is used to refer to the perceptions of what both employers and employees have regarding their business relationship based on what they are to give and receive from each other respectively. This concept can be traced back to Ancient Greek Philosophers as well as social contract theorists like John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Kotter (1973) describes the psychological contract as an implicit contract with specifications of how both the individual and organisation are meant to behave in their employment relationship. The psychological contract is an abstract relationship between employers and employees driven by their perceptions of values. According to Cluterbuck (2005) value has three core meanings and they are value as respect, value as worth and value as beliefs. Value as respect refers to the perceptions of the employees towards the organisation with regards to how the employee feels about working with that particular organisation. If the employees feel that they are contributing positively to the organisation and if these efforts are being recognised by the organisation, the hidden orientation becomes successful. Value as worth on the other hand refers to how the employers and employees create added value for each other through reciprocal rewards. For example, the organisation providing Good pay and providing training and development opportunities for the employees while the employees in turn add value to share holders in order to raise capital. In this proposal various psychological aspects will be described in the context of organization and also its employees and also the appropriate methodology for this research will be discussed for the further completion of the investigation. 1.1 Research Question What is the role of the invisible contact or psychological contract between employers and employees in Starbucks coffee in City East District? 1.2 Key Aims This research seeks: To compare the Old and New Types of the Psychological contract To explore the opinions of a selection of Starbucks Coffees employees and their managers about their side of the psychological contract. To evaluate the assumptions both employers and employees have towards the concept of the psychological contract. To explore how psychological contracts can be enhanced to increase competitive advantage in supermarkets. To examine the changes in the psychological contract over the years, the reasons for the changes and the influence the new contract is having over both employees and the organisation. 1.3 Background of the Company: Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 16,120 stores in 49 countries, including around 11,000 in the United States, followed by nearly 1,000 in Canada and more than 800 in Japan. Starbucks sells drip brewed coffee, espresso-based hot drinks, other hot and cold drinks, snacks, and items such as mugs and coffee beans. Through the Starbucks Entertainment division and Hear Music brand, the company also markets books, music, and film. Many of the companys products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks-brand ice cream and coffee are also offered at grocery stores. In May 1998, Starbucks successfully entered the European market through its acquisition of 65 Seattle Coffee Company stores in the UK.   The two companies shared a common culture, focussing on a great commitment to customised coffee, similar company values and a mutual respect for people and the environment. CHAPTER 2 2.0 Literature Review This chapter highlights the major arguments surrounding the concept of the psychological contract. The psychological contract is unwritten and therefore it is merely implied but could be explicit to some extent but not necessarily allow for agreement to the parties involvement. It can differ from individual to individual as well as from various organisations because individuals have various perceptions even with the same terms and conditions it still varies amongst individuals. The concept of the psychological contract can be traced back to Ancient Greek Philosophers and social contract theorists like John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. William Morris described Love of work as a Man at work creating something which he feels will exist because he is working at it and wills it and is therefore exercising the energies of his mind, soul and body (Morris 1870). 2.1 Definitions of the Psychological contract Agyris (1960) has been given credit for bringing to limelight the concept of psychological contract. He describes the psychological contract as a set of practical and emotional expectations of benefits that both employers and employees have of each other. Kotters (1973) defines the psychological contract as an implicit contract between an individual and his organisation which specifies what each is expected to give and receive from each other in the relationship. Morrison and Robinson (1997) on the other hand describe the psychological contract as an employment belief about the reciprocal obligations between that employee and his or her organisations where these obligations are based on perceived promises and are not necessarily recognised by agents of the organisation. According to Schein (1978) the psychological contract was described as a set of unwritten reciprocal expectations between the individual employee and the organisation. According to Goddard (1988), the way psychological contract is managed will determine how successful an organisation will become. The psychological contract entails what both parties to the contract (i.e. the employer and employee) expect from each other based on their employment beliefs and values. 2.2 Types of Psychological Contract Rousseau (1995) describes four types of psychological contract. The first type is the transactional which is short term and there is very little involvement of the parties, employees are more concerned with compensation and personal benefits rather than being good organisational citizens (Robinson et al 1994). The second type of psychological contract is the relational, which is a long term type focuses on more emotional factors like support and loyalty rather than on monetary issues like pay and compensation. The third type is the hybrid or balanced which aims at long term relationships between employers and employees as well as specifying performance requirements. The fourth type is the transitional contract which according to (Rousseau, 1995) does not offer any form of guarantee because of the ever changing nature of the organisations environment.    Short Term  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Long term Transactional (ex. retail clerks hired during Christmas shopping season) * Low ambiguity * Easy exit/high turnover * Low member commitment * Freedom to enter new contracts * Little learning * Weak integration/identification Balanced (ex. high involvement team) * High member commitment * High integration/identification * Ongoing development * Mutual support * Dynamic Transitional ex. employee experiences following merger or acquisitions) * Ambiguity/uncertainty * High turnover/Termination * Instability Relational (ex. family business members) * High member Commitment * High affective commitment * High integration/identification * Stability Table 1: Types of Psychological contract (Rousseau 1995 Pg 17) The psychological contract is an abstract relationship between employers and employees driven by their perceptions of values. According to Cluterbuck (2005) value has three core meanings and they are value as respect, value as worth and value as beliefs. Value as respect refers to the perceptions of the employees towards the organisation with regards to how the employee feels about working with that particular organisation. If the employees feel that they are contributing positively to the organisation and if these efforts are being recognised by the organisation, the hidden orientation becomes successful. Value as worth on the other hand refers to how the employers and employees create added value for each other through reciprocal rewards. For example, the organisation providing Good pay and providing training and development opportunities for the employees while the employees in turn add value to share holders in order to raise capital. There must also be a sense of equilibrium her e so the parties involved feel a sense of fairness. There are two main types of psychological contract and they are the Transactional and Relational Psychological contracts. The transactional focuses on short term and specific monitory agreements with little involvement of the parties where employees are more interested in good benefits and compensations. The relational psychological contract on the other hand is a long-term contract that focuses on support and loyalty rather than on monitory issues, it is a more emotional contract. Rousseau (1990) categorisation of obligations as relational or transactional is shown below (Table 2) Employer  Ã‚   Obligations: Transactional Employer Obligations: Relational Employee Obligations: Transactional Employee   Obligations: Relational Advancement Training Notice Overtime High Pay Job security Transfers Loyalty Merit Pay Development No competitor support Extra role behaviour Support Minimum Stay Source:   Rousseau (1990) Table 2: Categorisation of employer and employee obligations as Transactional or Relational 2.3 Changes to the Psychological contract The concept of the psychological contract has led Academics to carry out a vast and in-depth research on the subject matter. The concept of the psychological contract has changed over the years and this chapter will describe its changes. Holbeche (1998) noted that the old psychological contract existed before the 1980s where employment was guaranteed as long as employees continued to perform their best at work. The change occurred from the 1980s to the present as a result of emergent challenges to corporate strategies which were being influenced by economic turbulence. There was an urgent need by organisations to adopt change to deal with economic downturns and as a result of this most organisations began the process of downsizing and began to focus more on their core business and outsource other peripheral activities. These business strategies were required for organisational development and they challenged the old psychological contract that was based on Job security and moved focu s to a new contract that is based on employability. According to Hiltrop (1995), the psychological contract that gave job security and job stability to the relationship of both employees and employers has dramatically altered in the past two decades. He further stresses the change in nature of loyalty and commitment with the emphasis changing from long term careers to current performance. Rousseau (1995) acknowledges these changes by stating that contracts were previously transactional in nature but with the emergence of the bureaucratic era they developed to become relational. The old psychological contract was based on a reciprocal obligation of both employer and employee where employees provided loyalty to employers and employers gave Job security. Various factors led to the change in the psychological contract and they include amongst others the recession in the early 1990s as well as the effects of globalisation. This resulted in a change from the old psychological contract to a new contract. Individual offered: Organisation expected: Loyalty Loyalty In-depth knowledge of organisation Staff with a deep understanding of how the business functioned Acceptance of bureaucratic systems that defined the individuals rate of progress Willingness to build a career slowly through a defined system Willingness to go beyond the call of duty when required Individuals who would put the organisations needs before any outside interests Individual expected: Organisation offered: Job security Job security Regular pay increases Regular pay increases based on length of service Recognition for length of service Status and rewards based on length of service Recognition of experience Respect for experience Table 3: Adapted from Pembertons model of the psychological contract (1998) Table 3 represented above describes the characteristics of the old psychological contract where the organisation provided job security and rewards based on length of service and the employees provided loyalty and commitment on their part. Sparrows (1996) interpretation of this new contract is outlined in table 4 below: Change vs Stability Continuous Change Culture Performance based reward Development Employees for self-development and increasing their employability. Emphasis on development of competencies and technical skills Rewards Paid on contribution Promotion Criterion Performance Promotion Prospects Fewer chances of promotion due to essentially flat organisational structures focus on sideways moves to develop a broader range of skills Relationship Type Transactional rather than relational; no job security guarantees Responsibility Accountability and innovation encouraged Status Fewer outward symbols Trust No longer seen as essential. Emphasis on engendering commitment to current project or team. Table 4: Adapted Sparrows new psychological contract (1996) These changes occurred against a background of economic hardship; redundancies were widespread, unemployment increasing and government focused on reducing trade union powers. The outcome was a more vulnerable and wary workforce. The economic climate forced companies to examine cost reduction as a means of sustaining or increasing profits. Human resource policies were cost effective rather than paternalistic. Staff were increasingly seen as resources who were useful for a specific role and either adaptable or replaceable when that role ended. The new contract is based on the offer of the employer to provide fair pay for the employee as well as providing opportunities for training and development. As a result of this, the employer can no longer offer Job security and as such has weakened the amount of commitment employees have to offer. Atkinson (2002) suggests that the new contract focuses on the need for highly skilled flexible employees who have little or no job security but are highly marketable outside the organisation. Bagshaw (1997) states that, in this new Psychological contract, individuals need to commit to five key areas which have both short term and long term views. They are Continuous learning, Team working, Goal setting, Proactive change management and Personal advocacy and networking (Bagshaw 1997 pg 188). He further argues that if these key areas are focused on, the employees will be raising their values of future employability. Furthermore, the common dialogue between the two parties with similar interests in mind will establish commitment and loyalty. The reasons for such changes were described by Herriot and Pemberton (1997) as the Restructuring and continuous change of organisations led to increased feelings of inequity and insecurity and as a result, motivation was affected negatively. Hall and Moss (1998) demonstrate the shifting of the psychological contract using three stages of adaptation. The first stage, they described as the trauma of change state and they argued that a lot of organisations go through this stage. The second stage they described as adapting to the new contract where they estimated a 7-year period may be needed in order to fully adapt to the new contract stressing its not a linear process and as such it is possible to fall back to previous states. The third stage is described by Atkinson (2002) as the point of gradual change and continuous learning, valuing the employee and offering loyalty to employees based on performance and development. This stage seeks to avoid the trauma of the changing contract by offering fundamental respect for the individuals involved. Hall and Moss (1998) argue that changes to the psychological contract are possible without going through the first and second stages if handled appropriately. Atkinson (2002) further develops two concepts that emerge from long term management of the contract. The first is that organisations that are successful will provide opportunities and resources to enable individuals to develop their own careers through a relational approach. The second is that organisations will need to be more effective in renegotiating contracts and minimising risks of violating contracts (Rajan, 1997). This is because violating contracts will have negative impacts on employee attitudes and motivation. 2.4 Employer and Employee Perceptions Shore and Barksdale (1998) describe a productive employment relationship as one in which a degree of balance in perceived employee-employer obligations exist. This degree of balance suggests a mutual supporting relationship in which employees offer their skills and organisational commitment in return for rewards from the organisation. Winter and Jackson(2006) argue the need to consider both employer and employee perspectives, they suggested that it will enable investigation into the perceptions of mutuality of both parties and through this process, evaluate how well the employer has fulfilled his obligations to the employees and vice versa. Rousseau (1995) states that psychological contracts are formulated in the minds of the individuals and as a result reflect individual beliefs shaped by the organisation in regards to exchange terms between the employee and the organisation (Winter and Jackson 2006). Rousseau (1995) stresses the need for a link between the employees promises and obligations towards the organisation and that of the employer towards the employee. This is because of the differences in perceptions of both employers and employees of what constitutes the conditions of a reciprocal exchange agreement (Winter and Jackson 2006). Figure 1 Contracting Transitions (Herriot et al 1998 pg 102) Figure 1. Above describes the employment relationship of both employer and employee with transitions employees are likely willing to make and what they are able to offer in return. Herriot (1998) describe the process of contracting and negotiating between the employer and employee with a need for organisations to discover individual or group wants and match them with their own wants and offers through negotiation. Holbeche (1998) describes what employers perceptions of employees obligations are, as: Employees will take responsibility for managing their own careers Be loyal and committed Be dispensable when they are surplus to requirements Be adaptable and willing to learn new skills and work processes Holbeche (1998) further suggests the main components of employee expectations as: To be more employable in exchange for job security For organisation to support career development in return for loyalty For high skills and expertise to be recognised and duel rewarded According to Armstrong and Stephens (2005), a positive psychological contract is strongly linked to higher employee satisfaction, better employment relations and higher commitment to the organisation. They further suggest how performance management processes can help clarify the psychological contract and make it more positive through: Defining the level of support to be exercised by managers. Providing non-monetary rewards that reinforce the messages about expectation. Providing a basis for the joint agreement and definition of roles. Providing financial rewards through schemes that deliver messages about what the organisation believes to be important. Shields (2007), states, trust has been discovered to be a critical factor in employee behaviour and outlook. He further argues that when the level of trust between employers and employees fall, employee commitments and satisfaction deteriorate as well as motivation and effort. Guest and Conway (1997) outlined the following set of practices as having the most positive influence on employee work attitudes and behaviour and they are: Job security Training Opportunities High Pay Open communications Employee involvement programs According to Turnley et al (2003), psychological contract breach results in a number of negative results which include, lower levels of employee commitment, increased cynicism, reduced trust, reduced job satisfaction and high turnover. 2.5 Employee Motivation and the Psychological Contract Employee Psychological contracts are defined by Flannery (2002) as the important additional component to an employees job description which makes the job worth doing and reflects the main source of employees motivation. These contracts are part of what motivates employees to be productive at work and enables them to give their all at work. Shore and Barksdale (1998) discovered that employees reported higher levels of commitment, lower levels of turnover and higher organizational support when their employment relationships with their organisations were fulfilled. Rousseau (2004) suggests three ways in which employees design their own psychological contract. First, through their career aspirations, employees make different commitments to the organisation based on whether they view it as a long term employment possibility or a short term one which they need to move on to attain better opportunities. Employees with a stepping stone perspective tend to adopt transactional contracts while employees with long term employment possibilities tend to be more relational in contract nature. The second determinant is the personality of the individual, employees that are highly neurotic will tend to adapt more transactional contracts because they tend to reject actions by organisations to build relationships while conscientious workers on the other hand who possess great value for duty are more likely to have relational contracts. Thirdly, Rousseau states that employees who have negotiated special arrangements that are not usually available to others usually believe they relational contracts. This is because they have negotiated for opportunities for training and development which are special arrangements and a feature of relational contracts. A survey conducted by Guest and Conway (1997) on The Motivation and effort of employees discovered that the more motivated employees had a more positive psychological contract which presupposes that employees who are satisfied with their jobs and committed to their organisations report higher levels of general motivation so also do those with a positive psychological contract (Guest and Conway 1997). It was also discovered that attitudes have the highest influence on reported levels of motivation. Osteraker (1999) suggests there is a link between values and needs stating that individual needs, influence motivation and those needs determine how individuals will behave. Osteraker (1999) further stresses that values and attitudes can change over time due to a change in the organisation such as downsizing and restructuring.   2.6 Culture Hofstede (1984) suggests that different cultures imply different mental programming that controls activities, values and motivations. Therefore, organisational commitment is a psychological state that characterises the employees relationship with the organisation (Kong 2007). Culture is described as consisting of a system of values, attitudes, belief and behavioural meanings shared by members of a society (Thomas et al 2003). According to King and Bu (2005) employees of different cultural traditions and socio-economic environments are more likely to have very different perceptions on employer-employee relations. The type of psychological contract that individual employees will form with their employers is influenced by the personality traits, societal values and cultural norms of that particular individual (Raja et al 2004). This further implies that individual personality traits and cultural norms could provide a system that will explain why employees facing similar work environment and work conditions may form very different employment relationships with their employers (Zhao and Chen 2008).   These norms, values and beliefs provide a framework that will determine the way individuals behave and act accordingly. Individualism is defined by Gould and Kolb (1964) as an emphasis on ones self as separate from the others and an end in itself. The individual is independent and self reliant believes in self development and competition. In collectivism, the self often overlaps with a group. The main focus is on cooperation with a group, interdependence, social norms with the group comprising of t he main unit of social perception with individuals viewed as embedded in a universe of relationships (Lebra 1984). According to Thomas et al (2003)   individualism refers to the tendency to be more concerned about consequences of behaviours of ones personal goals through viewing oneself as independent of others while collectivism on the other hand refers to view oneself as interdependent with selected others with consequences of behaviour for the group as a whole and group interest. Research carried out by Zhao and Chen (2008) discovered, that individuals with an individualistic cultural value tended to form more transactional psychological contracts while people with a collectivism cultural value formed more relational contracts. It was discovered that collectivism motives tend to avoid differentiation and focus on relational contracts while self motives were more transactional in nature. This goes in line with research conducted by Lee (2000) where it was discovered that relational contracts are more likely related to behaviour in work groups in Hong Kong than in the United States. 2.6.1 Culture, Personalities and the Psychological Contract Rousseau (1995) outlines the two most important influences of employees psychological contract and they are both the organisational influences and employees personal dispositions. According to Tallman and Bruning (2008), the way employees interpret information from their employers, their observations of actions and activities in the workplace, together with their personal dispositions are theorised to create idiosyncratic contract attitudes in the minds of employees. Additionally, if management understand the factors that influence the development of employee psychological contracts, they may be able to manage these contracts more effectively (Tallman and Bruning 2008). Research carried out by Raja (2004) established a link that connected several facets of employee personality to their psychological contracts. Their research examined personality traits, including extraversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism and the extent to which these personality constructs related to employees choice of a transactional and relational psychological contracts. People high in neuroticism have poor job attitudes and they are unlikely to give of themselves other than what is necessary to maintain their jobs (Tallman and Bruning 2008). Kichuk and Wiesner (1997) further argue that people high in neuroticism are fearful, angry and functions as poor team performers with poor attitudes towards change. N

Leonardo Da Vinci :: essays research papers fc

Leonardo Da Vinci was born on April 14, 1452 in the town of Vinci near Florence Italy. He kept the name of his town for his last name. He lived during the fifteenth century, a period when the people of Europe were becoming interested in art. This period of time was known as the Renaissance period. Leonardo Da Vinci was very talented. He was a great artist, but he became famous because he was able to do so many other things. He was an architect, a musician, inventor, sculptor, scientist, and mathematician. His artistic talent revealed its self early in his life. When he was about 15 years old Leonardo's father took him to Florence Italy, to train as a painter and sculptor in the studio of Andrea del Verroccho. He studied with this master until the age of twenty five. At this point, he set up his own business and was famous for being a painter and a man of science. As a scientist, he observed everything he could in nature. Leonardo used what he learned from nature and science to make h is paintings look real. He drew and took many notes of what he observed. His notes were written backwards, probably because he didn't want people to read about his discoveries and observations. In order to read Leonardo's notes, one has to hold them up to a mirror. In 1472 he entered a painters' guild. His earliest extensive works date back to this time. In 1482 Da Vinci worked for Duke Lodovico Sforza in Milan for 18 years. He fulfilled the position as court artist, but also worked as an engineer and architect. While in Milan Leonardo developed more theories about painting. Leonardo believed that knowledge should be based on observation. He believed that observation led to understanding, and artists had an obligation to record this understanding by painting accurate images. He made sketches of everything around him. This caused him to make a master plan, his plan was to record the structure of every building in the world. He believed that this would uncover laws of harmony and prop ortion. In the fall of 1499 Leonardo left France and headed to Florence. There he painted paintings such as, Battle of Anghiari a mural that was painted for the Council Chamber of Town Hall, the famous portrait named the Mona Lisa, and Leda and the Swan.

Drugs and their uses

Disappear Disappear is commonly used to treat a wide range of conditions. These include anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, seizures, muscle spasms, restless leg yeomen, alcohol withdrawal, Benedictine withdrawal, opiate withdrawal syndrome and miner's disease. Sanitation sanitation is a hypodermic drug used to control elevated cholesterol or hyperventilation's with exercise, diet, and weightless. Aspirin Aspirin is an antiparticle medicine. This means it reduces the risk of blood clots forming in your blood.Co-coda Co-coda is a compound analgesic which consists of a combination of codeine phosphate and perpetrator, used for relief for mild to moderate pain. Postman Postman is a phosphate drug used for several bone diseases including osteoporosis. Brushfire (Lasso) Brushfire (Lasso) is a loop diuretic used in the treatment of hypertension, congestive heart failure and edema. It's also used for hepatic cirrhosis, renal impairment, nephritic syndrome, and in the management of severe hype rglycemia in combination with adeptest reiteration.Do you know what these drugs are? Meteoroid (Cellophane, Reamer, Glummest, Forefeet ) Meteoroid is an oral antibiotic drug in the beguine class. This drug is for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, in overweight and obese individuals with normal kidney function. Warfare (Minerva) Warfare is an anticoagulant normally used in the prevention of thrombosis ND thrombosis's, the formation of blood clots in blood vessels and their migration elsewhere in the body.Responding (Airspeeds) Responding is an antispasmodic drug mainly used to treat schizophrenia, specification disorder, the mixed and manic states of bipolar disorder and irritability in caustic individuals. Citizens Citizens is a second generation antihistamine used in the treatment of hay fever, allergies, angiosperm and artistic. Together (carbonized) Together is an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing drug used primarily to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder as well as triggering neuralgia.

Big Skinny Essay

Big Skinny wallets are water resistant and tough enough to machine-wash regularly. k. â€Å"Thinnest Wallet Ever† great marketing scheme 13. Core Weaknesses l. They won’t appeal to luxury customers because they are made of nylon instead of leather which is seen as a luxury material people may not be inclined to invest in a wallet that lacks the stylish approachm. â€Å"Thinnest Wallet Ever† could create competition of other wallet distributors to create thinner wallets and have Big Skinny constantly competing for the title c. Product Development Analysis vi. Made from a durable, water-resistant nylon micro-fiber 10 times thinner and lighter than leather yet just as durable. vii. â€Å"World’s Thinnest Wallet† viii. Thinner due to unique designs such as our Super Skinny wallet or sport wallet. Or our very unique leather nylon wallet hybrid series. ix. Wallets are small, lightweight, and often in need of replacement; hence, wallets are natural impulse purchases, often bought as gifts. x. the slimmest and most durable microfiber materials he could find, Kiril eventually developed a proprietary material tough enough to be machine-washablexi. The Big Skinny material was . 21mm thick—thinner than a normal business card and about one-eighth as thick as regular leather2. Problem Decisional Statement d. How should Big Skinny attract visitors to its site and how should Big Skinny convince those site visitors to buy wallet? 3. Heuristic Frames e. Continue business as usual f. Expand social networking marketing plan on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. g. Partner with larger social network sites for sponsorship and ads. Blogs, video sites, etc. h. Expand to larger retail stores putting wallets in stores building name and prestige and offering the online service as an alternative choice i. Invest in Infomercials to expand online appeal andpopularity j. Partnering with another brand such as (Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Nautica) making big skinny style wallets k. Sell the business l. Billboard marketing of the website m. In addition to the website branch onto online shopping retailer sites like Amazon, Ebay, etc. n. Have a celebrity endorse or sponsor the wallets. o. Have a larger business or retailer exclusively sale the wallets as a specific brand4. Issue Analysis p. K xii. Pros 14. Having more in house products in other stores can allow for more marketing possibilities as well especially online 15. Turn the brand into a household name, eventually people will branch from buying them in stores and instead only buy from online shops 16. Turning the business into a more so manufacturer instead of a direct manufacturer to consumer business could helpxiii. Cons 17. Adds to cost and expenses for shipping to retail shops 18. A somewhat gamble to take it from the â€Å"fair market† especially given its limited popularity 19. Doesn’t allow for individuality much and creates middle men. 5. Recommendation q. Recommend selling the wallets exclusively through a major retailer because it could expand the brand and putting the website out there. Even the holiday season maybe have deals or holiday style advertising. Having it in larger retail stores such as Target or Wal-Mart and putting them every store across the country expands name and business and could create more online traffic. To add to the existing. Could build the name and prestige to the company. Having it as an exclusive product could open opportunities to later expand it to other stores as well. Have Wal-Mart brand exclusive Big Skinny Wallets. Similar to how the iPhone was exclusively sold by AT&T and how the Apple products for some time were exclusively sold through Apple and now they are being sold at more retailers. Exclusive sales of Big Skinny wallets can increase online traffic maybe even selling a unique brand of wallets only from the company website. Offer exclusive deals.

I refuse to answer that question! The new (intimidating) college essay

I refuse to answer that question! The new (intimidating) college essay On January 25, 2012, someone on the College Confidential discussion group posted this thread: Did you ever dump a college from your list because of the type (or number) of essays? Responses flooded in, mostly from parents of students who had indeed given up on an application because they were intimidated by the essay questions, and many from the students themselves.   One woman’s daughter dropped three applications and added one that had easier essay requirements. One aunt reported that her nephews applied to one school only – Iowa State – because the school did not require essays. And another self-proclaimed lazy procrastinator chose her colleges based on the ease of their essay requirements. Colleges dropped by students ran the  gamut and were headed up by Wake Forest and U Chicago:   Barnard, Brown (2x), BU, Bryn Mawr, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, University of Chicago (8x), Claremont McKenna (3x), Columbia University (3x), CMC (2x), Cornell, University of Delaware, Duke, Elon, Georgetown, Grinnell (2x), Marquette Honors Program, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, MIT (2x), UNC (3x), Northwestern, Notre Dame (2x), NYU (2x), U Penn (3x), Princeton, Puget Sound, Rice (3x), Rutgers, Tufts (2x), Stanford (2x), Syracuse, UVA, Wake Forest (8x), and Yale (2x). Why the aversion to unique essay topics? I could rant about how students are lazy or haven’t received sufficient training in thinking for themselves or thinking creatively.   I could suggest that if our educational system did a better job on these fronts, and with teaching writing in general, students would not avoid writing essays that challenged them to invest time and thought.   I could also suggest that students don’t start their application process far enough ahead of time to ensure they have the time and attention for some uncommon essay questions. All of those things might be true, but I am more interested in the schools’ logic behind asking unusual question such as â€Å"What does Play-Doh have to do with Plato?† (U Chicago), â€Å"What is your favorite ride at the amusement park?   How does this reflect your approach to life?† (Emory University), â€Å"Imagine you have to wear a costume for a year of your life.   What would you pick and why?† (Brandeis University), and â€Å"What would you do with a free afternoon tomorrow?† (Yale). Why the inclination toward unique essay topics? Colleges may be showing themselves to be current with the times, as suggested in The new college-admission essay: Short and tweet(ish).   Some applications ask for short essay answers of 25 words, such as â€Å"My favorite thing about last Tuesday† (University of Maryland), perhaps catering to the Twitter generation.   Tufts, George Mason and the University of Dayton allow prospective students to submit a video essay instead of a written one.   Students might jump at the chance to communicate in ways that are spreading like wildfire in the world of social media. The right fit In the College Confidential discussion, most students reported that they dropped schools not simply because of the essay requirements but because there was an additional reason the school was not a good fit.   Some were not excited about their on-campus visit.   Some realized when they were asked why they wanted to attend a particular school that they had no good reason.   Conversely, some students reported taking on writing difficult essays because a school was their clear first choice.   Some loved writing the very same essays that sent other students away (Wake Forest and Chicago essays included).   And one student actually rejected a school (Wash U in St. Louis) because they did not ask a supplemental essay question!   He thought the school was trying to increase its U.S. News rankings by encouraging applications.   Not surprisingly, two other students applied to Wash U (as well as to many other schools – Dartmouth, Harvard, and William Mary to name a few) b ecause of the simplicity of their essay requirements. Perhaps colleges like Wake Forest and U Chicago are shooting themselves in the foot.   Several anecdotes appeared in the College Confidential discussion about students who got accepted into one school with a simple application (Harvard, for instance) while they were still working on essays for another school.   Schools with longer or more complex essay requirements might be losing some qualified and motivated students in addition to the ones who just don’t care enough to jump through the hoops. Yet for most schools, it appears that they are doing a good job of weeding out applicants.   If an Honors application intimidates you, that’s a very good sign that you are not meant to be in that program.   If an essay challenge makes you realize that you’re not up for that challenge, regardless of the reason, then that school has done you and itself a favor.   What a great strategy for winnowing down the number of applications to a pool of students who will face an extra challenge or two because they want so much to go to a particular school. As one member of College Confidential, stated, â€Å"Frankly, there are too many well-rounded, excellent students applying to the best universities to distinguish a select few without asking stranger, creative questions. Its there that you begin to see a students personality and thats what gets you in.† Are essay questions scaring you away from a school?   Maybe it’s time to get some help.   If you want to brainstorm with a professional about what you could write in response to some of these wacky questions, contact The Essay Expert.   We’ll be happy to help.

Public Health Promotion Strategy Essays

Public Health Promotion Strategy Essays Public Health Promotion Strategy Essay Public Health Promotion Strategy Essay Public Health Promotion Strategy of Lhuntse Introduction Public health is the first priority of a nation as health is the chief priority to man. According to the American Public Health Association, APHA(2001), public health as the practice of preventing diseases and promoting good health within groups of people from small communities to entire countries. The functions of public health include preventing epidemics, monitoring health status of the population, developing policies and laws to protect health, providing health care services at all costs and all activities related to benefiting public and their health. Bhutan, within the confines of China in the north and India in the south, was a late bloomer in to development. Now, 90% of the population has access to basic health care services delivered through a network of 29 hospitals, 176 Basic Health Units and 541 outreach clinics. Of the twenty Dzongkhags or districts in Bhutan, Lhuentse dzongkhag is one of the least developed with eight gewogs. â€Å"Most of the villages are still in accessible with lack of roads and electricity. one hospital, 11 Basic Health Units and 31 Outreach clinics render public health services in the dzongkhag. About 50% of the households have access to piped drinking water supply. †(Ninth five year plan, Bhutan, n. d). This paper plans to focus on studying the public health sector scenario in the particular dzongkhag and improving it. Purpose of the action plan Purpose of the action plan is to promote various factors such as followings To improve maternal health care, it is very essential to provide healthy manner of health services to improve maternal health care to make pregnancy safe. Mother’s education, Mother’s education is the basic knowledge of parenting. To Improvement in food supply and sanitation, improvements in food supply and sanitation will lead to increase life spans and reduce disease. Initiatives taken by the health services such as clean drinking water supply and hygiene directly help in improvement in food supply and sanitation. To Reduce in Poverty, to make reduction in poverty line . To Change living standard, with the development taking place in t he country, living standard of the people has been rapidly changed. Public health Issues and Concerns Lhuentse Dzongkhags has the concern over the issues related to public health as follows; As the morbidity among the children under five year of age and all pregnant women and women in child bearing age was accounted to , Male-767 and Female-642. (PHCB, pg. 191). The number of deliveries of the new born babies attended by health professionals was – 90 pregnant women, whereas, the number of deliverie not attended was recorded to -231 cases as noted in (PHCB, pg. 04). According to PHCB, 2005,The Dzongkhag has also noted the increase in the number of disables that was numbered to 990 people and most were disabled to seeing that was recorded to-327 people. (PHCB,pg. 211) Most of the people in the Dzongkhag had limited access to safe drinking water with the account of 253 households having piped water within house and 2377 households having piped water outside house. (PHCB, pg. 222) 5. The people in the Dzongkhag had limited acces to basic health facility of proper toilet. As, 2143 households had the accessibility to pit latrine and 423 households had no latrines at all (PHCB, pg. 241). The issues also includes, Maternal and child health The lack of nutrition in the diet leading to malnutrition Outbreak of infectious diseases The high alcohol consumption leading to increase in alcohol related diseases (Liver cirrhosis). Public Health Promotion Strategy Their strategies put emphasis on improvement ofquality of services, development of human and institutional capacity, and decentralization with focus on rural access. 1. Enhance the quality of health services To improve the quality of services and further consolidate the infrastructure. Standardization and quality assurance, focusing on diagnostic and healing aspects, and use of appropriate technology. 2. To reach the inaccessible population There are still population groups who are not reached satisfactorily by the health services. Taking into account all of the problems and factors, Out Reach Clinics (ORCs) have been constructed and organized. 3. Strengthen traditional medicine system The traditional medicine system is being strengthened with the emphasis on human resource development through the Institute of Traditional Medicine. This has also been included in the ordinary health services at the hospital. The capacity and productivity of the Pharmaceutical Units have been increased.

Bremont Watches Introduction

The good thing for luxury product is that they generally faced very less competition as there are not so many companies who produces the same luxury products and try to allure the customers. But still the competitors required to be managed at very large scale. In case of watches the number companies who produce luxury watches are comparatively high (Sarvary, 2006). Here the competition analysis has been done for Bremont watches. Further, the positioning and segmentation had also done in an appropriate manner. This report provided the clear overview about the competition level within the industry and its impact on the positioning of Bremont watches. Company overview The cited organization is active in the business of manufacturing the luxury watches and has created its huge reputation with respect to dealing with upper section of the society. The major factor which determines their success is their collaboration and dedication to some of the leading companys active in various other industries. The company commenced its business year 2002 in England and till now they have developed their business like anything. They are growing their business immensely and more that they grow of trust of customers enormously. The success of the company could be measured by the fact that they have captured a huge market share in just a span of 13 years. The overview of Bremont watches couldnt be finished without describing its most innovative and unique brand in the history of watches (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2010). It is to acknowledge that the brand has set all the parameters since its inception when they start a journey from Thames England. Trip Tick case design i s the technology which is used by Bremont watches. Use of genuine steel and crystal is something which provides the strong base of the companys product range. The tag line of the company is trusted beyond endurance could be realized within their technological development within their products. The main aim of the company is to deliver maximum value to the customers and ensuring the high level of luxury, style and elegance within the product range. Competitors/Competitive advantages/ USP The list of competitive advantage for the Bremont watches is very huge. The USPs for brand is completely amazing and inspiring as they have set all the benchmarks which helped them in creating their distinctive identity and becoming the most valuable brand. The major USP is that the Bremont watches are highly COSC certified and it just increases the reliability. Another competitive advantage factor is related to their exceptional range of products. They manufactured pilots watches and other watches which are suitable for mountaineers, people who dive or remain in water for a longer period of time, celebrities, etc. the range of products is very immense and it just increases their market ratio as well. Further, the USP is that company produces the products which are handmade and these watches are just limited editions. EP 120 is very fine example where a company sets the standards and increases their sales ratio at very large scale (Schultz, Tannenbaum and Allison, 1996). Further, the USP is that Bremont watches have created their international collaboration and tie ups with other renowned brands, Martin Baker, Jaguar and Norton are some of the greatest brands which are associated with Bremont watches and indicates towards the level of luxury status of the cited brand. It is a USP for the company that they have emerged as one of the leading watch manufacturing brand in the entire UK or in the British history. The partnership with Jaguar provides the new height of success of to watch manufacturers and enable them to increase their competitive advantage. The design of watches is also attractive which creates their distinctive identity as compare to its competitors. There are various other innovative approaches which also increase the competitive advantage of the mentioned business entity (Sharp, 1991). The company has a competitive edge in investing into their business and most importantly the business entity increase their expertise as well. The technological adv ancement of the company is also allowing them to put positive impression at the mindset of customers. The company believes that the main component of being a luxury brand is introducing the pioneer technology and giving the strong edge to the products. The industry standards have been followed by the company which also corroborates towards the highest level of competitiveness. Further, the brand endorsements have also done in an appropriate manner by the company. In order to increase the unique features of the product and to outrun the competitors the company have got into tie ups not only with other companies, but also they have their association with celebrities as well (Vieceli And Valos, 2000). It also increases their competitive advantage and can definitely put positive impact at the buying decision of the consumers. The material which company used is something which enables them to get the support and appreciation of industry experts and authority bodies. The raw material used for watches is completely fine and is of superior quality. Thus, on the basis of above discussion two major factors that could be treated USP are the strategic alliance and innovation. The strategic alliance is now a days very much significant to survive or to outrun the competitors. Ahead innovation is something which is essential element to become the luxury brands. Thus it becomes clear that the company has developed its edge on the ground of legal aspects as well. All the industry standards have been followed and different layer technology has used by the mentioned organization. The list of competitors for the company is Tag Heuer, Swatch, Rolex and other Swiss international watch brands. The Bremont watches have to face the intense competition in their industry. These international brands have also created their huge market and distinctive identity (Wang and Tang, 2003). These brands have a niche market and can capture the market share of Bremont watches if they dont follow the continuous improvement and innovation within their products . Even the competitors have got the leverage of excellent customer loyalty and it just allows them to improve their market share and profitability. Further the competitive analysis state that this situation creates the intense competition within the industry. Overall the Bremont watches have to utilize their USPs in proper manner and there is need of bringing the strategic alliances so that the brand awareness could be created and most importantly the brand value could also reach at high level. Segmentation After gaining the important knowledge about the competitive advantage for the cited organization, there is a huge requirement of gaining the proper understanding about their segmentation process. It is clear that the company is focusing upon the people who can afford the luxurious products and can purchase their items. The company is focusing upon segmenting the people in different basis and even they are clear with their market, but still they have followed the very common principle related to the segmentation. It is something which is very much crucial for any organization. The company has segmented its market on the three basis one is demographic segmentation, second is the geographical segmentation and at least the company has focused upon the psychographic segmentation (Yelkur and Herbig, 1996). All these kind of segmentation basis has their own criterias which could enable an organization to understand their market and the strategies could be developed accordingly. The demographic segmentation is the one in which company segments the market on the basis of income and age group. The company has identified the higher income group people and has definitely lead towards higher profits. The people who have handsome income opportunities can afford the Bremont watches and the company is also focusing upon those people. Ahead in demographic segmentation the major categorization has been done on the ground of age group as well. The people who fall in the middle age group are mostly targeting people for the company. They are the one who is actually attractive towards the luxury watches and the company definitely attracts them in a successful manner. Thus, in the demographic segmentation the higher income people and middle age people have been segmented. Further the occupational level the executive, business class, pilots and people who got interested in some sort of adventurous works they are the part of companys segmentation. Further company produced pr oduct for men and the gender basis segmentation is also dependent upon male customers (Fuchs and Diamantopoulos, 2010). Thus, it is a complete description about the demographic segmentation related to Bremont watches. On the basis of Geographical location the places which are economically sound the population is having a good industrial development ratio are the part of segmented areas of Bremont watches. Here the segmentation has been done on the regional basis. Only the developed economies have been segmented for providing the products. Japan, Spain, UK, etc. these are certain regions where the company is selling their products and good profit margins as well. Here at these places the company good impact on the customers and is able to attract more customers. Geographically the segmentation has been done with respect to business development as well. The class of people and their economic stability, per capita income and status also become part of segmentation with relevance to any region or area. It is something which is positive for the company and is generating a high level of business for them (Donnelly and Harrison, 2009). At last the psychographic segmentation is also quite good in terms of segmenting the market. It is the most common basis of segmentation on the ground of luxurious products. In order to increase the sales ratio of luxurious brands the psychographic segmentation should gain huge priority. As mentioned above that status quo is the basis of buying the luxurious products so it is a basis of psychographic segmentation. It is to acknowledge that the brand has divided the people on the basis of their influence and incline towards the luxury brands and watches. The limited edition watches are the example of such segmentation. Company segments the people on the basis of their habits as well. Some people have a habit to collect the limited edition watches so company segments the market as per the habitual basis. It is something which is highly positive for the company. Thus, in case of luxurious products the habitual customers, status quo and people who want to feel self actualization and full satisfaction should be the basis of psychographic segmentation and Bremont watches have also shown their adherence towards the same factor (Banerjee and Dholakia, 2012). Therefore, above the description of company segmentation strategies have been depicted and it shows that company is clear with their market segment and prepare the product line accordingly. Segmented customer profile for Bremont watches include male category and people who lie in the age 25 above as they people can afford the watches of a cited organization and they have a good reputation in their work. Income range is also high and they lay into the category of premium class customers. Further the regional segmentation includes the big and economically stable cities all around the globe. The people who believe in maintaining the status quo, and these brands have become their identity, thus it just becomes the suitable to focus on the upper section of society. Therefore, these kinds of people have fall into the segmentation category. Targeting Targeting is moreover dependent upon the segmentation process. Once the company is clear with their segments which they need to follow or target, then the targeting strategy could be developed in easiest way. Here the targeting has been done in a niche market. The company is not going here and there to find the customers. They have set mindset which allows them to focus on a particular range of customers (-Marsden, 2002). However the company has different plans for their different products. In case of increasing the sales ratio with respect to the proper segmentation the campaigning of Bremont watches is quite attractive. With the help of niche marketing they never get distracted through their main goals and objectives and it is something which allows them to get success. As they have luxury brands so they just try to maintain the niche market and follow the regular customers. In the case of luxurious brands the customer retention and customer loyalty is the major factor which revolv es around the targeting strategy. Here the entire focus is set on retaining the employees so that customer loyalty could be increased (Mcleod, 2007). For the purpose of new customer acquisition the company produced or manufactured different kind of products and they try to retain them until and unless they have not been reached at the stage of customer loyalty. The satisfaction is not guaranteed as the customers are highly elegant and deliver an excellent product to its customers. It can definitely create tough competition. Other luxurious brands also target the same category of market and it is essential to prepare concrete niche marketing strategies. The competitors of Bremont watches have their strong association with customers and have maximum reach as compare to the cited organization. Therefore, it is clear that the company is doing well and the strong combination of targeting and segmenting is allowing them to increase their brand value in a very short period of time. Positioning The company has positioned itself in well organized and proper manner. They are highly effective in gaining the attention of customers. Not only the customers; the company has attracted various brands as well, so that it facilitate them to improve their brand name. Associating with apex brands in the automobile industry like Jaguar is one kind of positioning status, which facilitates to increase the profitability and generating more business (Schaefer, 2011). In order to attract the customers, the company has positioned themselves at all the media platforms. The YouTube is the best source to get knowledge about history and other product details. Further other social media websites also register the presence of Bremont watches and it also allowed them to position themselves in an appropriate manner. It is to acknowledge that the Bremont watches now have become major brand and people have started to follow the brand. Through celebrity endorsements the company is in a position to attrac t an upper section of the society and has positioned the product as a status symbol (Goller, Hogg and Kalafatis, 2002). It is most crucial element of company positioning strategies that the brands have successfully created the brand value for status symbol and wearing the watches of Bremont company has become a fashion trend. They never compromise with the quality of product and always ensure the quality check for the purpose of maintaining the excellence and market leadership in a British region or other geographical areas where the company is having its operations. The chronometer, code breaker, EP 120, etc. these are certain limited edition brands which have also improved the positioning strategies for the company. To improve the positioning the brand has successfully brought a transformation in various forms. They have introduced some elegant wall clocks with painting within itself and it just gives a new edge to their business and helps in creating the distinctive identity (Cla rke and Freytag, 2008). Conclusion Thus, on the basis of above study it could be stated that the company has understood their market and their vision was clear from the very beginning. They were focused on the innovative business approach and manufactured the watches for a special purpose. First, they target the pilots and aircraft related business and manufactured elegant watches for them and then switch to wide market but still maintain the luxury and style. Their segmentation was proper which support the targeting as well as positioning strategies. However, the level of competition is immense and other luxurious watch brands have catered the major chunk of the market. ReferencesBanerjee, S. and Dholakia, R., 2012. Location-based mobile advertisements and gender targeting. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing. 6(3). pp.198214. Clarke, A. and Freytag, P., 2008. An intra- and inter-organisational perspective on industrial segmentation: A segmentation classification framework. European Journal of Marketing. 4( 10). pp.10231038. Donnelly, R. and Harrison, G., 2009. The Marketing Planning Process. Routledge.Fuchs, C. and Diamantopoulos, A., 2010. Evaluating the effectiveness of brand-positioning strategies from a consumer perspective. European Journal of Marketing. 44(12). pp.17631786.Goller, S., Hogg, A. and Kalafatis, S., 2002. A new research agenda for business segmentation. European Journal of Marketing. 36(2). pp.252271. Marsden, P., 2002. Brand positioning: memes the word. Marketing Intelligence Planning. 20(5). pp.307312. Mcleod, S., 2007. Diffusion of Innovation. [Online]. Available through: http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/06/diffusion_of_in.html. [Accessed on 6th May 2015].Sarvary, M. 2006. Market Segmentation, Target Market Selection, and Positioning. Harvard Business School.Schaefer, A., 2011. Introduction to Marketing in Business. The Open University.Schiffman, L. and Kanuk, L. 2010. Consumer behavior. 10thed. Harlow: Prentice Hall.Schultz, D., Tannenbaum, S. and Allison, A., 1996. Essentials of Advertising Strategy. NTC Business Books.Sharp, B., 1991. Competitive Marketing Strategy: Porter Revisited. Marketing Intelligence Planning. 9(1). pp.410.Vieceli, J. And Valos, M., 2000. Marketing Management. Atlantic Publishers Distri. Wang, Y. S. and Tang, T. I., 2003. Assessing customer perceptions of web site service quality in digital marketing environments. Advanced Topics in End User Computing. 3(3). p.16.Yelkur, R. and Herbig, P., 1996. Global markets and the new product development process. Journal of Product Brand Management. 5(6). pp.3847.

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

No topic - Essay Example The agents put more emphasis on their commission and lay aside the homeowner’s need and target. In pursuit of just their commissions, the real estate agents opt to settle for lower prices so as they can make many sales and earn a huge commission (Sandler, Corey & Keefe 23). This is usually a disadvantage to the homeowner who is convinced, by the agent, that his house is worth that amount while, in a real sense, the house is worth more. Measures that will be beneficial to both the homeowner and agent have to be put down to end this behavior and get maximum dedication from agents. Increasing the agent’s commission is certainly one way that will bring the best out of him. He will work hard to ensure that the house is sold at the right price so as to get a higher pay. Incentives have proved to work, and if used properly, they can lead to high productivity and dedication Sandler, Corey & Keefe 78). Myths that certain baseball players perform better in clutch games than any other ordinary games have been found untrue. Players should be recognized not just for their performances in crucial games but for the effort that they put in through their careers. Big corporate managers are overpaid and overcompensated for the little that they do. While the shareholders continue to suffer losses due to the poor work done by these managers, they continue to receive significant amounts as compensation at the expense of the shareholders. A system, which only allows performing managers to be paid according to the work they do and the amounts of profit that they are able to wheel in, should be put in place. Nobody should take advantage of another or harvest where they did not plant. Each working individual should receive no more or no less of what they really deserve. Compensation, recognition and all sorts of acclamation should be based on the long term performances of that particular person.

Health and Social Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health and Social Care - Essay Example Unfortunately, the theory was criticized for its inability to explain how humans organized and perceive sensations (Jarrett, 2012). Gestalts theory attempted to solve this inadequacy by validating that the mind organizes sense stimuli in order to produce perception holistically. However, the functionality focused on the functionality of the mind as opposed to the structures. This theory was influence by Darwin’s theory of natural selection thus it focused on the adaptive behavior values. The above theories were limited to the conscious part of the human mind. This prompted Sigmund Freud through the psychoanalytic theory to incorporate the unconscious part of the mind as a crucial part of psychology. The theory assumes that humans are similar to animals since they both have sexual and instincts which motivate behavior (Chadee, 2011). In contemporary psychology, psychological approaches entail some assumptions on human behavior. Despite the existence of several perspectives, there is none that is more correct then the other as each possesses certain strengths and weaknesses (Campbridge Technicals, 2015). Perhaps this is because of their various facets of approaches to the comprehension of the human behavior. The different psychological perspectives are behaviorist perspective, humanistic perspective, psychodynamic perspective, cognitive psychology, biological psychology, evolutionary perspective, and socio-cultural perspective (Jarrett, 2012). This perspective illuminates how humans (animals inclusive) are controlled by the environment. Their behaviors are as a result of what has been learnt from the environment. These environmental factors are referred to as stimuli that influence human behavior. In this scenario, the human behavior is a response towards the stimuli. The approach encompasses the classical conditioning and operant conditioning as that

The relationship between lifelong learning and vocations Essay

The relationship between lifelong learning and vocations - Essay Example A person acquires knowledge even after leaving school and while in employment. The learning needs of people continue increasing with the rising rate of technological advancement. The style of learning is also constantly changing with new inventions. For example, advancement in information technology in the last several decades has generated the need for learning regarding its application in virtually all aspects of life (Forrester 1995). For example, innovative banking systems require bankers to be competent in the use of computers for information storage, while customers are required to understand how to use new banking services such as the Automatic Teller Machine and electronic banking that enhance service delivery. Technology changes occur every year, meaning that for a person to be competent in the workplace or to access important services, he/she has to maintain lifelong learning which does not necessarily have to be undertaken at school or at the workplace. Many governments encourage lifelong learning as a policy response to the constant changes occurring in the modern economic systems. For example, Valsiner (2000) observes that there is a significant shift to a services economy from a manufacturing economy. The conventional institutions that require people to more vigorously in individual management of life have declined in the recent past, while a knowledge economy has materialized. This means that the formal education offered in the early stages of a person’s life may not be sufficient for maintenance of competence in an individual all through his/her life. This realization has made many governments especially in the developed economies to focus on promoting lifelong learning. This is accomplished through encouraging home based schooling whereby individuals acquire knowledge through the informal system, attainment of formal education through adult education, non examinable education in higher institutions of

Write a 4-page paper on the issue of GENDER and SEXUALITY in America Research

Write a 4-page on the issue of GENDER and SEXUALITY in America film - Research Paper Example This distorted stereotypical image is common in the American film â€Å"Sex and the City† and the stereotypes are portrayed under different themes as indicated below. The outline of the research will be under four different themes and each theme is going to show explicitly how the gender stereotypes are brought up in the film and the impact of those stereotypes on the characters. writer, Samantha is in the public relations business, Miranda is a lawyer and Charlotte is an art dealer http://www.hbo.com/sex-and-the-city/index.html. The film takes us through the daily lives of these women and it has several gender stereotypes. The stereotypes are however not on the four women only but also on the male characters in the movie. These stereotypes are in careers and relationships and what is expected of the men and also on the women. All these will be discussed below under the different sub titles and the gender stereotype pointed out. This is about being homosexual or heterosexual and the gender stereotype surrounding this orientation. Charlotte has a fashion designer male friend who is gay and a relationship with Carrey’s gay friend who is also into fashion and even cross dresses. This does not appear favorable to Charlotte’s friend and even makes it hard for them to be intimate in public. The stereotype comes in where the gays in the film are portrayed to appear to be only in fashion design and not in other careers. This is a way of making them appear feminine whereas it is a fact that not all gay men are feminine in nature. This is a gendered stereotype because when it comes to lesbians (like the one Samantha was dating at a point in the film, no one seems to categorize them with being in a particular career or expect them to behave in a feminine or masculine manner.) This makes the gay male in the community be stereotyped with everyone expecting them to be in the fashion industry and not in any other job. They are also expected

Continuation of Design principles 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Continuation of Design principles 3 - Essay Example The detailed architectural model is used to achieve the level of security in the system, the performance of the system as well as the effectiveness and efficiency (Coulouris, Dooimore, and Kindberg, 2001). There are three (3) forms of the system architecture include: the client based, server based and the client-server architecture. As the proposed system for ‘Electronic Credit Checking and Mortgage Approval’ is online, therefore, I have chosen the client server architecture. Architecture Design The client-server architecture for the proposed system that presents the client has to place a request to the web server by utilizing the web browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.). The web browser takes the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request, Files Transfer Protocol (FTP), data, etc. to the web server of the Mortgage Company; the web server would interact with the database server for the relevant information. The database server would send a SQL query to the da tabase and the database returns the information against the query. The database server would reply to the web server with the information received from the database. The web server would display the information on the web browser of the client. The web application would be deployed on the web server or application server; the database server would contain the database as shown in the following diagram (Kambalyal, n.d). The system architecture that has been used for deploying the web application is 3-tier architecture that provides higher flexibility; high security can be implemented at each level of the service, and high performance due to sharing of tasks between servers, moreover, it can be extended (scalable) with the requirements of the Mortgage Company (Kioskea, 2012). Design Notes The client has to use the web browser to access the web application over the internet, in order to provide security the client’s request has to be passed through the firewall deployed in the c omputer network. The firewalls not only filter the outbound traffic (the clients outside of the Mortgage Company) but also filter the inbound traffic (the clients / employees of the company) (Vicomsoft, 2012). The servers would process the request of the client and returns the required information in the form of HTML, JavaScript, PHP / ASP.Net etc. The same process would be followed whenever the client requests the information from the servers. USER INTERFACE DESIGN Process In order to design the user interface, I have chosen the first use case (process) – the online application for registration with the bank (Mortgage Company). This selected process would be initiated by the client when he / she want to register him / her with the company by providing the requisite information. Upon successful completion of the registration process, an acknowledgement would be issued by the company containing user name and password of the client. The client has to provide information / data, the system / web application would perform the validations to check whether the format of the entered data is correct for the respective field. If the format of the

The relationship between lifelong learning and vocations Essay

The relationship between lifelong learning and vocations - Essay Example A person acquires knowledge even after leaving school and while in employment. The learning needs of people continue increasing with the rising rate of technological advancement. The style of learning is also constantly changing with new inventions. For example, advancement in information technology in the last several decades has generated the need for learning regarding its application in virtually all aspects of life (Forrester 1995). For example, innovative banking systems require bankers to be competent in the use of computers for information storage, while customers are required to understand how to use new banking services such as the Automatic Teller Machine and electronic banking that enhance service delivery. Technology changes occur every year, meaning that for a person to be competent in the workplace or to access important services, he/she has to maintain lifelong learning which does not necessarily have to be undertaken at school or at the workplace. Many governments encourage lifelong learning as a policy response to the constant changes occurring in the modern economic systems. For example, Valsiner (2000) observes that there is a significant shift to a services economy from a manufacturing economy. The conventional institutions that require people to more vigorously in individual management of life have declined in the recent past, while a knowledge economy has materialized. This means that the formal education offered in the early stages of a person’s life may not be sufficient for maintenance of competence in an individual all through his/her life. This realization has made many governments especially in the developed economies to focus on promoting lifelong learning. This is accomplished through encouraging home based schooling whereby individuals acquire knowledge through the informal system, attainment of formal education through adult education, non examinable education in higher institutions of

Continuation of Design principles 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Continuation of Design principles 3 - Essay Example The detailed architectural model is used to achieve the level of security in the system, the performance of the system as well as the effectiveness and efficiency (Coulouris, Dooimore, and Kindberg, 2001). There are three (3) forms of the system architecture include: the client based, server based and the client-server architecture. As the proposed system for ‘Electronic Credit Checking and Mortgage Approval’ is online, therefore, I have chosen the client server architecture. Architecture Design The client-server architecture for the proposed system that presents the client has to place a request to the web server by utilizing the web browser (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.). The web browser takes the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request, Files Transfer Protocol (FTP), data, etc. to the web server of the Mortgage Company; the web server would interact with the database server for the relevant information. The database server would send a SQL query to the da tabase and the database returns the information against the query. The database server would reply to the web server with the information received from the database. The web server would display the information on the web browser of the client. The web application would be deployed on the web server or application server; the database server would contain the database as shown in the following diagram (Kambalyal, n.d). The system architecture that has been used for deploying the web application is 3-tier architecture that provides higher flexibility; high security can be implemented at each level of the service, and high performance due to sharing of tasks between servers, moreover, it can be extended (scalable) with the requirements of the Mortgage Company (Kioskea, 2012). Design Notes The client has to use the web browser to access the web application over the internet, in order to provide security the client’s request has to be passed through the firewall deployed in the c omputer network. The firewalls not only filter the outbound traffic (the clients outside of the Mortgage Company) but also filter the inbound traffic (the clients / employees of the company) (Vicomsoft, 2012). The servers would process the request of the client and returns the required information in the form of HTML, JavaScript, PHP / ASP.Net etc. The same process would be followed whenever the client requests the information from the servers. USER INTERFACE DESIGN Process In order to design the user interface, I have chosen the first use case (process) – the online application for registration with the bank (Mortgage Company). This selected process would be initiated by the client when he / she want to register him / her with the company by providing the requisite information. Upon successful completion of the registration process, an acknowledgement would be issued by the company containing user name and password of the client. The client has to provide information / data, the system / web application would perform the validations to check whether the format of the entered data is correct for the respective field. If the format of the

Key Sectors of Economic Growth in Kenya Essay Example for Free

Key Sectors of Economic Growth in Kenya Essay Economic growth is the increase in the amount of the goods and services produced by an economy over time. It is conventionally measured as the percent rate of increase in real gross domestic product i.e. real GDP. In Kenya the key main sectors to achieve economic growth are agriculture which is the mainstay economic growth drivers, energy sector, manufacturing and industry, service sector which is mainly tourism, financial services and banking and also the private sector. All of these sectors are in line with the Kenya Vision 2030, the economic pillar. The key sectors are as discussed below: 1. AGRICULTURE: Agriculture has been the key factor of economic growth of Kenyan economy. It continues to be the key factor that will drive the economic growth of Kenya as it contributes to about 24% of Growth Domestic Product. And for this reason the government should increase budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector up from the Kshs 53.5 billion allocated in National Budget 2012/201 so as to be in line with the Maputo Declaration which requires the budget allocation to agriculture to be atleast 10% of total Government budgets and The government should also subsidize the farm inputs such as fertilizers for the farmers, this will maximize production. Livestock farming also has to be considered. If the government increases funding to the agricultural sector, such occurrences as food shortages, seasonal inflation and unemployment would be curbed if not avoided. Agricultural sector which includes; †¢Livestock sector and dairy farming: The livestock sector provides employment opportunities while also increases income. Kenya exports from hides and skins for leather industry earned Kshs 4 billion. Also reforms need to be made on the Kenya Meat Commission. †¢Fisheries: Kenya earns around Kshs 4 billion from this sector. The sector also employs about 60000 people and also over half a million people depend on this sector for livelihood through trading and fish processing thus thee number of fish processing plants should be increased. 2. TOURISM SECTOR: The service sector of Kenya contributes 63% of Growth Domestic Product and it’s mainly tourism industry which is the country’s principal source of foreign exchange thus the government. The tourism industry along with the government has to take steps to address the security problem and to reverse negative publicity especially after the post-Election Violence of 2007 following disputed General Elections. Such steps among others should include establishing a tourist police and launching marketing campaigns in key tourist origin markets. Former minister of Tourism Najib Balala ran such campaigns in CNN. 3. ENERGY SECTOR: The energy sector an important sector to drive the smooth growth of the economy hence there is need for the Government to put up measures that would help the sector to grow thereby, contributing to the growth of the economy as the sector is depended on by manufacturing and industrial sector and also the agricultural sector. There exists limited power generation and transmission capacity in the country. This is caused by lack of adequate investment in power systems and infrastructure development. This combined with rapid economic growth, new customer connections and unreliable rainfall patterns have caused the current electricity shortage in Kenya. Though Kenya is not natural resource endowed, the natural resources the country can boast of for energy generation are small hydro, geothermal, coal, biogas, tidal waves, solar, wind and recently the oil exploration in Turkana. The government needs to invest heavily in the energy sector so that there is no over reliance on Hydro power. The government should implement a policy to attract private sector investments in the energy sector i.e. the Kenya Private Sector Power Generation Support Project. In doing so it will boost economic growth and in job creation. 4. INDUSTRY AND MANUFACTURING SECTOR: Kenya boast of being the industrialized country in East Africa, the manufacturing sector contributes to about 15% of Growth domestic Product, this percentage doesn’t as the manufacturing sector is hampered by high energy costs, shortages of hydro telemetric power, poor infrastructure and counterfeits products i.e. cheap imports. Industrial and manufacturing sector has become increasingly significant to Kenya economy due to increased urbanization. Most industrial plants are located in urbanized towns which has led to the reason Kenya has three cities i.e. Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu; they include food-processing industries such as grain milling, beer production, and sugarcane crushing. These plants contribute significantly to national income as well as generate employment. Also the oil refinery which processes imported crude petroleum into petroleum products, mainly for the domestic market. In addition, a substantial and expanding informal sector engages in small-scale manufacturing of household goods, motor-vehicle parts, and farm implements. 5. FINANCIAL SECTOR AND BANKING: Kenya is East and Central Africas hub for financial services. Most of the banking institution and other financial services firms are located in the urban centres as it is considered that urban people have higher income which is not the case, thus innovation and opening of banking sectors should be put in place in rural areas. Such innovations includes mobile banking which where now rural populations have daily access to financial services as most people now own mobile handsets. MPESA is the widely used mobile banking, it is estimated that MPESA has given access financial services to about 75% of the people. Government thus needs to encourage other mobile money transfers such as Tangaza, Yu cash, and Airtel money. In doing so it will create a competitive environment and thus many people will get access to the financial services. The Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) ranks fourth in Africa in terms of Market capitalization. Stock markets provide market liquidity that enables implementation of long term projects with long term payoffs thereby promoting a country’s economic growth. Moreover, efficient capital markets not only avail resources to investors, they also facilitate inflow of foreign financial resources into the domestic economy. Government needs to institute reforms in the financial sector as capital market development is an important component of financial sector development and supplements the role of the banking system in economic development. Capital markets assists in price discovery, liquidity provision, reduction in transactions costs, and risk transfer.

The Popular Poet William Cullen Bryant

The Popular Poet William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant is one of the most popular poets of the nineteenth century. He has attended most of the public occasions with a kind of poetry that reached all levels of society. He is a poet whose consistencies have overcome his contradictions. Due to the poet hard efforts in the hardest period of his life he was able to publish more than thirty four poems. He used the best and most pure language. He also used a clear theme in his poetry. Even though his poetry may at sometimes appear complex, and controversial, the poet presented every piece of it in an interesting easily understood way. Bryants confidence was a major aspect that led him to his creativity. The poet accomplished his success in poetry through his heart and experience. To really understand any of Bryants poetry we need to use our sense of imagination, seek, select, and carefully examine every piece of it individually. His poetry should be real for its meaning, and beauty without those furtive glances. (Mclean 74 ). When discussing any of Bryants poetry in any school, we will notice his seriousness, morality, and simplicity in all of his poems. Two of the most popular poems of William Cullen Bryant are the Yellow Violet, and Thanatopsis. These two poems if compared will show the unique style and technique Bryant used throughout his poetry. There is a unique pattern of comparison between the poems that can be explained in several ways. Bryant has added a great amount of thought which gave his poem the Thanatopsis its complexity and depth. The poet himself admits that a work of this kind cant be repeated. As much as there are thoughts that constantly attempted to change the idea of the poem, they all failed due to the strengths in the phrases that are strictly aimed at one purpose and one direction. What makes the Thanatopsis style unique is that nature supports its beauty to the graves of humans. When you look closely at the poem, you will notice that the poem suggests death is lonely. The phrase The Two Graves, (Matthew 22) explains the important need and desirability of privacy in death. A piece of poetry like the Thanatopsis has a unique strong emotional power. In the Thanatopsis, Bryant is very sensitive and close to nature. He considered death to be a very important element of nature. What Bryant here realized and beautifully put in words has enlightened his viewers to the simple truth about life. Bryant in this poem is emphasizing that death is not a negative thing, but a comfort of fait. What I find interesting in this poem is that it comforts others on the death of your future. This poem simply offers a simple comforting view of death and comfort for the living. Another intersecting point in this poem is that humans live in nature although each part of them as individuals is gone. He is saying that dont be scared to be a part of nature because you are going to join others who already became a part of it long before you. In the Thanatopsis you will find comfort and inspiration; comfort in death and the reality of it; and inspiration to all his viewers to understand and appreciate the presence of nature. Another important point about the Thanatopsis is that its an easy transition piece between deism and romanticism. Its clear in this poem that Bryant depended heavily on the New England nature, and unstable environment which all give his poetry its rationality. The language and style in the poem gave it its simplicity and easiness. Its clear that the approach of this poem is the problem of death. The poet also makes it clear that not only there are many persons from the past to share the experience of death because death is the fate of men everywhere in the present and even future generations. The poet also says that humans dont accept the nature of death because they know that they are going to lose their dignity being under the ground. The nature clarifies for those men that the men before them are all of the kings, the wise, and the good. So no matter how much dignity you have, or beauty; all these nature forms lend this dignity and beauty to the grave. Its the intellectual content and strong clear language that gave the poem its strong meaning. He also emphasizes that you should live your life the way you want, and never get affected by others thoughts about how you should live. Too many times we are afraid to be different. For any human to live without regret, they have to live their lives to the fullest while they still can. Here he means to not be afraid to do anything that we always wanted to do. He is also saying that since we are going to become dirt again, no one has the right to tell us how to live our lives. The beautiful way that the poet describes death gives the living and the dying much comfort in the process. Bryant is also saying that no one will ever be alone; so its easier to let someone go in this case. Another beautiful aspect about Bryants poetry is that it provides comfort to all humans no matter what their religious beliefs are. Bryant also is saying that death is a living but in another way which is nature and how you become a part of it. One of the poets best works is the yellow violet. The yellow violet principles are moral sense, beauty, and truth, also taste. In this poem, the nature talks to the humans who she loves who are familiar with it. When those humans are satisfied, the nature speaks in a beautiful sound, with a big smile. The nature cheers its people up. The poet here is advising you that if you think of death and its scary images go outside and enjoy the blessings of nature. Bryant here is also telling his reader that after we die, we will not be able to see the sun or the ocean anymore because the earth will eventually take all humans in to their original form. The nature and its existence are beautiful. Its clear in this poem that humans the nature for their following generations. Its said that this poem is filled with pleasurable sadness. Its a way to worn a man from any pride. The yellow violet is best explained as a description of a man rambling through a sensory laden wood. The best way to really explain and clarify the poem is that to divide it into three different sections that would make it easier to understand. First the man goes into the wood, then sees the violet, and finally gets the simple beauty of the violet and then applies all that to him and all humanity. Bryant continues to braise the violet while comparing its down to earth soul and nature to other flowers. Bryant also uses a vital imagery language easily captures us. A certain narrow and overly simplistic view of human nature that excludes a more candid, introspective, ironic, and a self critical view of humanity. (24). another important aspect is that Bryant attempt to be someone better than he was, better than those people who walk through nature. The poem suggests that he better look do wn at the people beneath him because all humans are the same in the sense that they are going to become a part of the nature. When you read the poem for the first time, you will notice the beautiful use of imagination to color and erase the danger and discomfort of death. Bryant also explains that death is a great representation to the end of any humans individual status, and any other qualities that the human race created for themselves. In the yellow violet its also clear that Bryant was a good observer of nature. Bryant was a poet who was able to link the nature of life, and the nature of nature in a simple easy language. If you read his poetry and understand it, you will notice the explosion of beautiful deep meanings that are directly linked to reality. Bryant in his clever ways describes how humanity will always change, but nature will stay the same; and how humans are a major part of the nature. The poet also points out that its the poorest, less known, and invisible; people in your surroundings are the ones who cheer you up. They will never let you down. So those who become rich, and work very hard on doing so forget that at the end they are the same as those poor ones. The wonders of nature here always repeat themselves. Bryant in this poem makes very important points about life. He clearly demonstrates that while life styles and cultures change, and die away, nature will remain the same. In conclusion, for anyone to really understand the beauty and depth of Bryants work, they have to understand who he was and his origin as a human. If you hate the fact of death, you have no choice but to accept it. At one point if not know your life, you will understand the strength Bryant goes through when he wrote this piece of art.