Emotions and the Brain Essay

The organization of perceptual systems is identical to that of motility. Perception does not occur through a constructive phase of in-processing that begins in koniocortex. Rather, it develops in the reverse direction over a series of levels to a koniocortical end phase. In other words, the process of object formation unfolds in a cognitive sequence leading from a brainstem preobject through a limbic and generalized neocortical phase, to a final modeling achieved through â€Å"primary† visual cortex. The presumed role of frontal cortex in the elaboration of action structures, that is, the rhythmic or oscillatory components of an action, can explain other seemingly non-motor phenomena which occur with frontal lobe damage. For example, perceptual disorders may arise, not from a primary deficit of perception, but from impairments in the visual exploration of space, including changes in visual search, orientation, and ocular displacement. Two aspects of dynamic systems theory deserve specific mention here; the first is the emergent quality of Jung’s methods. Amplification is an intentionally non-linear circumambulation of an image or psychic content; it operates by allowing contextually meaningful associations to be gathered up and enter consciousness. The concept of the â€Å"limbic system† as the focal brain division that must be investigated in order to understand emotionality. The medial surfaces of the telencephalic hemispheres (including cingulate, frontal, and temporal lobe areas — especially the amygdala) and interconnections with septal, hypothalamic, and central-medial brain stem areas as part of the neural landscape that constituted the â€Å"emotional brain. Cortical control of primitive behaviors and basic emotions has been achieved in several ways. One way was for the cortex to extend emotions in time by allowing organisms to dwell on past and future events. The organizational principle that has been most commonly used to summarize the neural infrastructure of emotional processes has been Paul MacLean’s concept of the triune brain. According to the classic version which offers a conceptual cartoon of the major layers of neural development, the functional landscape of the brain is organized in three strata of evolutionary progression. Although humans have the largest frontal lobes of any species, dolphins have a massive new brain area, the paralimbic lobe, that we do not possess. The paralimbic lobe is an outgrowth of the cingulate gyrus, which is known to elaborate social communication and social emotions (such as feelings of separation distress and maternal intent) in all other mammals. We should always keep in mind a key conceptual distinction when we consider brain operating systems, namely, how â€Å"open† or â€Å"closed† are these systems in relation to environmental influences FLA loop The neural substrate of language consists of a complex hierarchical system of levels corresponding to stages in neocortical evolution. The system has an anterior (frontal) and posterior (temporo-parieto-occipital) component. The two main classes of aphasia, the non fluent and the fluent aphasias, refer to these components, while the various aphasic syndromes within each class point to different levels within the anterior or posterior sector. The structure as a whole develops out of medial and paraventricular formations through several growth planes of limbic and paralimbic (transitional) cortex to a stage of generalized (â€Å"association,† â€Å"integration†) cortex. The organization of perceptual systems is identical to that of motility. Perception does not occur through a constructive phase of in-processing that begins in koniocortex. Rather, it develops in the reverse direction over a series of levels to a koniocortical end phase. In other words, the process of object formation unfolds in a cognitive sequence leading from a brainstem preobject through a limbic and generalized neocortical phase, to a final modeling achieved through â€Å"primary† visual cortex. In a fashion similar to that of the frontal sector, the perception leads from a global pre-object in a unitary field at a preliminary level to the final more or less contralateral hemifield representation at a koniocortical end stage. (Christianson, 1992) Impaired initiation with lesions of mesial or orbito-frontal cortex may involve the action as a whole, or partially. The patient may be unable to initiate any action (akinetic mutism) or show hypoactivity, inertia and lack of spontaneity. These latter symptoms may represent attenuated forms of akinetic mutism. Perhaps, the degree of encroachment on, or distance from, core regions of frontal limbic cortex (e. g. , anterior cingulate gyrus) determines the extent of hypoactivity. In the partial disorders there is difficulty initiating a vocal act (mutism, transcortical motor aphasia) or limb action (alien hand, SMA syndrome and related disorders). Perseveration also occurs with damage to frontal limbic areas and is related to disturbed initiation. The persistence of a performance is the other side of an inability to go on to the next. Impaired initiation may occur without perseveration, but it is questionable whether the reverse is true. In fact, in perseveration, the initiation deficit often seems primary, for perseveration is greater for tasks which are more difficult, and it tends to involve previously successful performances. (Christianson, 1992) With convexity lesions the action is disrupted at a stage subsequent to its activation. Derailments occur at serial points in the unfolding of the action toward a goal. Apraxia, a substitution or defective selection of partial movements with lesions of left premotor cortex, is due to an alteration of motor timing, or a change in the kinetic pattern for a particular motor sequence. Other frontal disorders may have a similar basis. Agrammatism, dysprosody and expressive amusia probably represent the disruption of an oscillator which elaborates the rhythmic or prosodic contour of an utterance or vocal action. The presumed role of frontal cortex in the elaboration of action structures, that is, the rhythmic or oscillatory components of an action, can explain other seemingly non-motor phenomena which occur with frontal lobe damage. For example, perceptual disorders may arise, not from a primary deficit of perception, but from impairments in the visual exploration of space, including changes in visual search, orientation, and ocular displacement. The lack of drive or motivation in frontal patients can also be approached from a motor standpoint. I have suggested that base levels in the action elaborate the experience, or feeling, of drive and that this experience, like the Innervationsguhl of Wundt, arises as an accompaniment of the action development rather than as an energy or a force which is only an underpinning. In other words, drive undergoes a development together with action. Some actions appear to be motivated by drives or instincts, others are purposeful or goal-oriented, and still others are volitional, in the sense that decisions are made, actions can be delayed and even witheld in pursuit of a goal. My guess is that these feeling states drive, purposefulness, volition correspond with evolutionary levels in the action development, and that this is why damage to the action structure impacts on the feeling state specified by the damaged processing stage. (Lazarus, 1991) Actions also elaborate intentions, the feeling that one it an agent who acts on an environment. This is part of the temporal unfolding of the action and its continual surge toward a future state. It is the basis for our distinction of passive and active movements. This feeling, and the other affects which the action generates, are bound up with the sense of anticipation and forward growth. The loss of, or a change in, this direction toward the future has the consequence of a greater responsiveness to ongoing stimuli and an apparent tendency to live for the immediate present. The loss of this active or volitional relation to the world is, ultimately, the most profound effect of damage to the frontal lobes. The action unfolds into the volumetric space of limbic cognition, a space of dream and hallucination. The action moves outward beyond the body itself to an extrapersonal field of body movement that is still part of and continuous with subjective mental space. This is not a grasping or manipulation space, for objects have not yet exteriorized. The emerging action is read off into keyboards innervating the proximal musculature. Actions leave the body axis and are distributed through the proximal muscles into the space around the body or onto the body itslef. At this stage, the first separation appears between perceiver and object, actor and object acted upon, agent and action. The motor envelope differentiates into partial actions, objects begin to clarify, and space begins to expand, fractionate, and draw away from the perceiver. (Lazarus, 1991) The role of limbic mechanisms in action is brought home even more clearly by conditions in which there is damage to limbic-derived neocortex on the mesial aspect of the frontal lobe. Bilateral damage to the anterior cingulate gyrus gives rise to a state of akinetic mutism resembling that which can occur with damage to the upper brainstem. The patient appears to be in a catatonic stupor and, as in catatonia, there are periodic bouts of excitement that give way to a persistent vegetative state. Stimulation of this region in man produces motor and affective responses suggestive of â€Å"a primitive or archaic level in behavior†. Stimulation adjacent to the anterior cingulate gyrus in the supplementary motor area (SMA) causes iteration or arrest of vocalization and proximal movement, especially of the upper limbs. With damage there may be a â€Å"release† of automatisms and primitive synergies of the arm and hand (alien hand) or difficulty initiating action with the arm though strength and coordination are intact. There may also be difficulty initiating speech. This can lead to selective mutism or selective akinesia, that is, ambulatory mutism or good speech with imparied initiation of limb movement. Selective difficulty initiating movements with the lower extremities occurs in the so-called gait apraxia, or magnetic gait, often associated with hydrocephalus. (Wilson, 1983) In the microgenetic theory the SMA mediates preparatory stages in action generation prior to conscious awareness. Lesions of this area disrupt speech, limb, and body action in a common manner early in the processing of the action, prior to the specification of constituent movement patterns. The disturbance of speech was viewed as motoric, not linguistic or propositional. In the microgenetic view, each response represents a bundle of action structures, consisting of the series of stages through which the action develops. Pathology disrupts the action at different points in this process. The site of the lesion determines the point in the sequence that is disrupted, and this point or processing stage constitutes the symptom or abnormal behavior. Microgeny maps onto patterns of phyletic growth. The structure of an action and the symptoms that correspond to levels in this structure are distributed over stages in forebrain evolution. Damage to older orbital and mesial frontal limbic formations leads to impaired activation (response bias or perseveration and lack of initiation), damage along the convexity leads to derailment of the action after adequate initiation (distractibility, apraxia, and confabulation), and damage to premotor and motor cortices leads to a defect in implementation of distal targets (misarticulation, clumsiness, and weakness). Specifically, the evolutionary progression from limbic to motor cortices retraces the sequence of processing stages in the microtemporal elaboration of an action. Seizures involving mesial frontal limbic cortex can lead to stereotypical actions of a purposeful type, such as scratching one’s head, manipulating imaginary objects, or pacing. The alien hand syndrome also represents a type of released automatism. Here a more complex integrated behavior of a purposeful but not volitional type is associated with damage or stimulation to zones intermediate in the action microgeny. The inner relationship between (impaired) initiation and (â€Å"released†) automatism recurs but now in the context of a more differentiated action pattern, involving segmental or vocal movements. Non-Linear Dynamic Systems. Two aspects of dynamic systems theory deserve specific mention here; the first is the emergent quality of Jung’s methods. Amplification is an intentionally non-linear circumambulation of an image or psychic content; it operates by allowing contextually meaningful associations to be gathered up and enter consciousness. As the limit of personal associations is reached, if further analysis is required, the net is widened to include cultural and archetypal elements. For this expansion to remain clinically relevant it must offer an experiential dimension as well as being an intellectual event; affective involvement is crucial, as will be discussed with dream work. A precondition for entering a state of (analytic) consciousness that can facilitate a mutative employment of transpersonal material was noted by Jung and more fully discussed by Bion, the suspension of ordinary knowing – this link between Jung and Bion was delineated by Fordham along with a number of other areas of overlap between them. All psychoanalysts looking at the applications of infant research to adult analysis, subscribe to variants of an emergentist paradigm grounded in non-linear dynamic systems. Sander’s ideas about paradox and polarity are resonant with Jung’s core perception of the dissociability of the psyche that leads to his theory of complexes with the consequent aim in analysis to foster synthesis and integration via the transcendent function. Every living system must cope with uncertainty that places it in a state somewhere between continuity and change, core polarities for Sander. In the therapeutic setting, fluctuations in relational certitude and doubt provide an emergent edge through which the co-constructed third of the relationship becomes the locus of the transcendent function. The system radically expands our understanding of transference and points to the creative possibilities inherent in a â€Å"new† experience. Which complexes are constellated in the analyst, in the patient and between them at such moments should likely be considered.

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Essay

Although dropping slightly the second year they have managed to improve this in their third year increasing their overall profitability Safety Styles has also increased both its Return on Assets and Return on Equity, this demonstrates the ability of the company to efficiently make use of its assets and equity which ultimately reduces requirements for more funding and reduces cost making better use of what they currently have. Efficiency: Safety Styles Pty Ltd appears on average over the last three years to be improving its efficiency to make better use of their assets and turning over their inventory. Safety should also focus on this area and strive to improve their efficiency. Whilst the values may seem quiet higher their total sales amount has raised which may not be taken into account with averages. Safety Styles may need to revisit their inventory strategy as their turn over period is quite high; this would be a benefit for them in the long term by having quicker access to cash for investment in other assets. They should also pay attention to their Accounts Receivable Turnover and aim to reduce this. Liquidity: Whilst Safety Styles Current ratio and Quick asset ratio is declined they are both still very healthy numbers. Safety Styles non-current assets have been increasing annually. They may want to pay attention to reducing their inventory levels and accounts receivable to give them more cash and the opportunity to invest into non-current assets or reduce their liabilities as they currently has a low level of cash compared to inventory and accounts receivable. This will make the company more â€Å"liquid† in the short term. Safety Styles also has a very healthy quick asset ratio compared to the industry standard of 2. It should be noted that Safety Styles currently do not have a high level of liabilities and seem to be maintaining their levels of dent in relation to their assets Capital Structure: Safety Styles currently have a very low gearing ratio and are using retained earnings for most of their financing. External sources of financing will be a benefit to Safety Styles to help them grow and invest in additional non-current assets.

Hrm/300 Managment Overview

Human Resource Management Overview University of Phoenix HRM/300 November 14, 2012 Human Resource Management Overview Organizations require people to run everyday operations, which mean every organization needs human resource management. Today’s paper will discuss what human resource management is, and its primary function within an organization. Every organization has a strategic plan, and human resource management play a critical role in the implementation and production of that plan. Last, will discuss the role of human resource management in an organization’s strategic planning.What is Human Resource Management? According to Reed (2012), from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Human resource management or HRM, assist in the development and education of people within the organization. The world is constantly changing and evolving each day. Human resource management must understand many aspects of society and the world to properly prepare an organization for those changes. For example, those changes could be: Globalization, technology, workforce diversity, labor shortages, continuous improvement initiatives, etc†¦ Primary Function of HRMThere are many functions of HRM within an organization. However, the primary function of HRM is to increase the effectiveness and contribution ability of its employees, while attaining the goals and objectives of the organization. This could include continuing education, department cross-training, certification processes, diversity training, etc†¦ (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007). As stated in the aforementioned paragraph, HRM has many roles within an organization. Some of these roles include compensation, benefits, training and development, employee relations, recruiting, and hiring process.Based on the broad spectrum of responsibilities for HRM, it is crucial for one to behold solid communication skills and decision-making capabilities. One may argue it is also critical to behold strong analytical skills and critical thought processes. These are skills one needs to stay competitive in today’s business world (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007). HRM’s Role in an Organization’s Strategic Plan After generations of arguing, there is still an ongoing debate about the role HRM play in an organization’s strategic planning process. Some senior management believes HRM’s role is solely as a compliance function.Other senior management looks to HRM as a consultative service. No matter one’s stance on this debate, there is no denying the impact HRM has on the strategic plan of an organization (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007). HRM professionals continue to fight for the proverbial â€Å"seat at the table† in this debate. HRM has nothing to worry about in most organizations. Successful organizations rarely develop a strategy involving human capital without the consideration of HRM. Even more important, no strategic plan is successful without effective recruiti ng, deployment, and development of human capital.This is exactly why HRM should have a â€Å"seat at the table† at all times (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007). HRM provides value at every level of the strategic planning cycle by demonstrating knowledge, alignment, success, and vision of the organization. HRM must recruit each candidate that best fits the needs of the business. If the business is suffering or needs improvements in a specific area, HRM will recruit to fill that position based on specific criteria the business is looking for to further advance its position within the competitive market.If HRM does not function at a high level within this one function, the entire business is at risk (DeCenzo & Robbins, 2007). Conclusion Exploiting opportunities and identifying goals are the two most important aspects of strategic planning. HRM plays a critical role during this process, while limiting and considering all associated risks. HRM helps align goals and initiatives while aligni ng all necessary resources to deliver the desired results of its key stakeholders. HRM should be involved in every step of every process. If one can execute successfully these uiding principles throughout each phase of strategic planning, one’s future is bright. Involving HRM will strengthen the position of the strategy by providing fact-based insight to stakeholders. In time, HRM will align the necessary resources to achieve the initiatives and goals of management and the strategic plan. References DeCenzo, D. , & Robbins, S. (2007). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (9th ed. ). John Wiley and Sons. Reed, D. (2012). University of North Carolina Wilmington. What is human resource management. Retrieved from http://uncw. edu/career/humanresources. html

Job Training and Management Development Assignment

Job Training and Management Development - Assignment Example The aforementioned steps are applicable in a healthcare setting to impart new skills needed by nurses and other healthcare professionals (Guo, 2003). For instance, during training, and in the need analysis, management tells nurses about job performance skills needed, develop healthcare objectives and assess prospective training skills. Typical skills imparted to nurses during training include hands-on activities, such as handling patients with various needs. The training exercise at any stage bears the foundation for future career excellence. Ideally, it is a process of skills’ transfer, which requires management to make skills transfer easy (Belaiche, 1999). As a result, trainers in a healthcare setting maximize similarities between work situation and training situation. Contrastingly, as the name goes, management development is an activity that targets managers. Dessler (2008) defines management development as attempts to improve future or current management performance through skills, knowledge or changing management attitude. Management development is a more personalized activity and prepares managers for additional long-term job roles (Guo, 2003).In addition, management development is a process through which manager plan for, and eventually fills senior level openings. This is commonly referred to as succession planning. Management development is implemented using two methods, which include management on-the-job training, and management off-the-job training. Either way, the process’ sole aim is to improve future and current management performance. Correspondingly, management development is of particular importance to the healthcare setting. Senior healthcare professionals are involved in training to improve skills, such as employee management. They are tasked with ensuring job satisfaction and quality nurse performance, which requires patience and strategic approach to achieve.  

Opportunity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Opportunity - Essay Example Success does not depend on how hard a person works but how appropriate a person works. Opportunities therefore present us with chance to work appropriately in order to meet our objectives and responsibilities. This essay will therefore discuss the availability of opportunities in America with emphasis on American students. As a country, America started with the American dream that was initiated by the great pioneers and founders of the nation. Through the American dream, the country has been able to achieve its current success and global position. Working towards a sustainable nation was part of the American dream that has helped the country attains its global position as the most prosperous nation and the country with the strongest economy. How much the country has lived the dream is questionable due to the current economic difficulties experienced in the country (Colombo, Cullen, & Lisle, 1992). These economic difficulties not only affect the country but also the entire world since America is a symbol of global economy. Americans and specifically the American students have the chance to prove to the world that America is capable of living the American dream. Currently there are numerous opportunities for the people and specifically the students to make this reality. Presently the country is recoveri ng from a financial crisis and it is a concern to the government and the world. The recession presents an excellent opportunity to American students to defend the American dream. Knowledge is strength; students have acquired a lot of knowledge from their school and education. Although most of this knowledge is theoretical, students have the ability to utilize this knowledge to solve the current financial problem. Finding a solution to the recurring financial crisis is important to the country’s economy as well as the global economy and hence an

Advanced Medical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Advanced Medical - Essay Example The blood-brain barrier is very selective in its functions and would normally not allow for the introduction of drugs or any other chemicals into the brain. There is a need for active transport processes which would call for the use of energy (Battison, et.al., 2005). Mannitol can open the barrier by reducing the size of the endothelial cells, and then also stretching the closed junctions. Water then would exit the cell and enter the artery in order to facilitate osmotic balance (Vialet, Albanese, Thomachot, and Antonini, 2003). Water loss would lead to cells shrinking. The opened gap would peak after five minutes following mannitol administration. At this point, drugs are introduced into the artery and the brain. The impact of mannitol in decreasing intracranial pressure has caused its widespread use in neurosurgery (Lawson, 2007). In general, the impact has been credited to the hyper-osmotic impact of mannitol which causes the extraction of water from the swollen brain. However, this pharmacological action has been put at issue due to different observations (Lawson, 2007). One is that there is a decrease in intracranial pressure prior to any reduction in white matter content. Another is based on the observation that where the intracranial pressure is significantly decreased, there is no major shift in the white water content (Cruz, Minoja, and Okuchi, 2001). Intracranial pressure also stays high even with a decrease in white matter water with the administration of intravenous albumin. Author Hartwell (1993) discussed that soon after mannitol has been transfused, there was a slight rise in white matter water content. This was followed by an eventual fall having lowest values manifesting afte r 60 minutes and with levels being much less than pre-mannitol infusion. With the introduction of evidence-based medicine, the impact of mannitol was soon questioned (Wani,

Agreements in the Package Holiday Industry and Market Opportunities Essay

Agreements in the Package Holiday Industry and Market Opportunities - Essay Example Package holidays are normally organized and structured by tour operators. These are the individuals or groups of people who put together different holiday elements into one package (Ryan, 1989). They then sell these packages directly to members of the public or indirectly through travel agents. Different holiday packages have different costs, depending on how they are structured. A normal package holiday may include the following: †¢ Accommodation †¢ Flights †¢ Meals †¢ Transfers Other elements of a package holiday can include: in-flight tickets, park tickets, ferry crossings and ski passes. Accommodation is normally offered by hotels or hostels in various tourism destinations. Transport is normally offered either by chartered or scheduled flight services. In the package industry, meals are normally offered on a board basis. This means that the tourist is offered meals depending on the type of board he takes up. Different types of board offered by package tour services include: †¢ Room only where there are no meals available †¢ Bed and breakfast where only breakfast is provided †¢ Half board where breakfast and an evening meal are the only meals provided †¢ Full board where the tourists can get three meals in a day: breakfast, lunch and an evening meal †¢ All or fully inclusive which normally includes three meals a day, soft drinks, snacks and locally available alcoholic drinks.

Look at Your Fish/ Building Arguments- Word Assignment

Look at Your Fish - Assignment Example The professor was also trying to teach Scudder to refer to the facts because whatever he/she would say, he would still tell him/her to look at the fish as a point of reference. At first, Scudder took a very short time to look at the fish and with an idea of a fish at the back of the mind, concluded that he/she had seen everything that was required of him/her. This was from the general knowledge he/she had about a fish and with that, he/she thought it was all about a fish. Scudder again after lunch came and when he/she tried out drawing the fish, it dawned on him/her that there were new features that he/she was discovered then. After another serious look in the afternoon, he/she even noticed how shallow he/she had been with his/her previous observations. The following morning, he/she was even able to explain what he/she had seen but in a new way, which was actually what the professor was trying to teach him/her. As time passed by with constant observation and of course with concentration, Scudder learned more and more. We can conclude that he/she actually would learn everything about the fish if he/she were given more time. Scudder changed from just seeing what the ordinary eye could see now seeing beyond and even be able to explain the observations. He/she also changed and learned to be patient and persistent in his/her learning. Scudder also changed from just being a mere learner into an expert in the field of study. Scudder developed a lot of interest and gained a lot of knowledge in that field of study, something he/she could not do before and would now do more than what was expected of a learner. Professor Agassiz’s method of teaching was very effective from my point of view. This is due to the positive effects it has caused to Scudder as a leaner. Firstly, it gives the learner an ample time to be able to learn from them.

Apple i-Pad in 2010 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple i-Pad in 2010 - Case Study Example This design advantage also extended into Apple’s image. Apple, Inc. would increasingly cultivate an image that presented itself as the alternative choice to mainstream computer producers. This allowed Apple to become a cultural force resulting in significant market advantage. Another prominent competitive advantage is Apple’s iTunes store. This store implements technology limiting the amount of computers the songs can be played on, further solidifying Apple’s hold on the MP3 market. In terms of the iPhone, Apple’s App Store and inclusion of its unique operating system provide the organization a strong competitive advantage. Are the dynamics in the personal computer industry favorable or problematic for Apple? The dynamics of the personal computer industry present both favorable and problematic situations for Apple. One problematic consideration is that by the late 1990s, â€Å"home and SMB customers started to buy PCs through superstores (Wal-Mart, Costco ), electronics retailers, (Best Buy, Circuit City), and Web-based retailers† (Kim & Yoffie, 2010, p. 4-5). ... How sustainable is Apple’s competitive position in PCs? Apple’s competitive position in PC’s currently is strong, but could experience challenges in future contexts. The Apple Macbook has gained a reputation for quality and contains Apple’s unique operating system. The Macbook has carved out a competitive position through its compatibility with art, design, and music software, making it the industry-computing standard. In addition, the computer has garnered a loyal customer following that views the Apple computer more than simply a product, but also a lifestyle statement. In these regards, Apple’s competitive position in PC’s remains strong. Still, one notes that this industry is highly competitive and with the recent death of company founder and CEO Steve Jobs the future of the organization may experience a position of flux. In addition, increasing competition from generic manufacturers threatens Apple’s position. It’s noted th at, â€Å"White-box† PCs reportedly represented about 30% of the overall market in 2009, and were most frequently sold into the small office and home office markets† (Kim & Yoffie, 2010, p. 5). One considers that with rapid advances in technology, the future could witness these generic manufacturers encroaching on Apple’s claims to quality and art and design efficiency. In these regards, Apple’s ultimate PC sustainability rests on its ability to remain ahead of the curve in both quality and image. How sustainable is Apple’s competitive position in MP3 players? There are a number of considerations in terms of Apple’s competitive advantage in MP3 players. One of the difficulties in future contexts will be

J.C. Bach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

J.C. Bach - Essay Example After J.S. died when J.C. was only fifteen, J.C.’s older brother, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, took over the musical instruction (Erickson 174). Bach’s works reveal the influences from both his father and his brother. Classical music is â€Å"serious or conventional music that follows long-established principles (Vandome 7)†. As a classical composer, Bach was limited to the rules placed down by the many classical artists before his time, including those of his father and brother. Indeed, the majority of what J.C. Learned growing up had been the works of his father, which helped him to understand the principles of classical music. After being taught by his father and brother, J.C. Bach moved to Italy in 1756 to learn under Giovanni Battista Martini, another famous classical musician. While living in Italy, Bach obtained the job as the organist at Milan Cathedral, where he also wrote two of his Masses, a Requiem, and a Te Deum. J.C. Bach was the only child of the ele ven Bach siblings to dabble in opera, which became a successful career for him. He first wrote the arias to be placed into the operas written by other composers, and then he wrote pastiches; it was in 1760 that he was paid to write a complete opera, Artaserse. Two years after, he was commissioned by the King’s Theatre in London to write more operas. ... However, not only did Bach remain in London, but he also became the most popular musician in England for a reign of twenty years and was given the job of being the music master of Queen Charlotte and her children. This eventually led to Bach’s marriage to the Queen’s daughter, Cecilia Grassi, in 1766 (Thompson 29). Grassi and Bach did not have children together, but instead focused on Bach’s music career. Unfortunately, at the end of his twenty-year music reign, people’s interest in Bach’s works diminished entirely. By the time of his death on January 1, 1782, he was remembered more as his father’s son than the individual musician that he aimed at becoming. After his death, Franz Joseph Haydn, another well-known name in classical music, worked off of many of Bach’s works, and many of his concerts involved quite a few of Bach’s symphonies. During his time in London, Bach met an aspiring young classical musician by the name of Wol fgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart had been touring London, as well as Paris, on the orders of his father with the hopes of promoting Mozart’s talents as a classical musician; as a young musical prodigy, Bach became interested in the future of the young man. Due to the amount of time that Bach and Mozart spent together, it is believed that Bach became one of the greatest influences on Mozart’s music. The extent of Bach’s influence can be seen in Mozart’s piano sonata in B-flat in the Linz sonata (Nicholas 88), which is similar to two of Bach’s sonatas that Mozart would have been subjected to in his time. Mozart revered Bach so much that he arranged three sonatas from Bach’s Op. 5 into

Innocent Smoothies Essay Example for Free

Innocent Smoothies Essay What is branding? Branding is the process involved in creating a distinctive look for a product or company to create desire and trust from the customers for the product or company. A way a company can use branding is by having a unique logo or motto because it’s a way for the public to recognise the brand. The name of the company is another method of branding, because if your company has a name that stands out from others it will catch people’s attention, and people will be familiar with what you’re talking about and who they are purchasing from. There are 3 different types of branding: Product branding, service branding and corporate branding. Product branding is a specific product for example Nike Air by Nike. It’s a unique part of branding because it’s a small part of the main brand. Service Branding is a specific service by a brand for example iTunes by Apple as that is just a music downloading service, while Apple is a multi product company. Corporate branding is a larger part of branding because it’s a brand that applies to a variety of products within one company, for example Malteasers are a part of the Mars Inc. corporate brand. Branding in Action: Innocent Smoothies and Children In Need This company was founded in 1998. They started with smoothies and from there expanded into food, juice and children’s smoothies. They concentrated on a health focus of their products contained 2 of your 5 a day. Innocent have about 78% market share. Innocent smoothies use an angel with a halo with no mouth as their logo; they use this as their logo to persuade customers that their products are ‘innocent’ like angels and that they are good for you and your body. This logo is a significant part of the Innocent brand because they use a distinguishable logo; no other well known brand uses a smiley without a mouth and a halo. Innocent is also uniquely recognisable because its marketing is that it’s healthy and good for you, this health aspect is a major part of Innocent’s branding. Innocent add value to their products by saying how healthy they are and how good they are for you. They only use recyclable packaging when they first formed their recycling eff orts stood at  70% they are now at 100% which is a huge achievement. The company use lots of different combinations of flavours, some you would not think of putting together. All their products are natural, no added flavours. They do their best to promote their brands by making a big thing out of being good for your body. Parents are more likely to buy as there are no additives. They boost their image as more people buy the products as lots of people are health conscious now. They also do various promotions like a woolly hat campaign to raise money for charity. They changed the name of their product to make it more successful, their previous name was Naked. That would have needed a completely different promotion as they want to be associated with good. These businesses need to promote themselves for people to see them and to recognise them for doing something differentiating them from competitors. Innocent smoothies promote themselves by doing unique things that other brands don’t, for example they notified customers how much the bottle had been recycled and they eventually had a 100% recycled bottle Children in Need are a charity in the UK that was founded in 1980. As a charity they have raised over  £600 million and they help to change the lives of disabled, vulnerable and young people of the UK. Children in Need raise money doing baking activities, fancy dress events and they encourage the public to do sponsored challenges and they have a big Children in Need television show. The Children in Need brand is best known for Pudsey the bear and its big telethon around November. Pudsey is highly recognisable in the brand because he has a unique eye patch that makes him stand out from any other mascot bear. Pudsey is also another way for Children in Need to attract children because he is a character as well as a mascot. The Children in Need brand is well known for its telethon in BBC, people recognise the telethon because it’s on a Friday night on a channel that is advert free so people are more likely to tune in. The telethon is well known for its challenges and celebrity e ndorsement and they also will have a combination of two well know shows for example Eastenders and ITV’s Coronation Street called ‘East Street’. Children in Need add value to their product by having unique merchandise; the products are unique because of Pudsey as he himself is a unique mascot. They add value to the customer because they emphasise the fact that all the money they make will go to a good cause which makes  people sympathetic, and even people who are not concerned about the children will donate because the products they provide are ‘fashionable’. Children in Need’s brand personality is that they help children and therefore that they’re caring and considerate. They are a fun charity and do a lot of fundraising events and activities, which is attractive to children and parents. Their ethical image is a large benefit to their company because people will recognise that what they do will help unfortunate children, and that will increase their customer preference for donating to their charity. This will enable them to raise more money therefore they will be able to do more fundraising and provide more entertainment. Them being seen as a fun charity will help them because the public can be encouraged to get involved in their work as it is enjoyable as well as helping at the same time. If the branding for Children in Need was not successful, and did not make them appear to be caring and considerate, then people wouldn’t donate and they would boycott from donating and participating from their fundraising . If they weren’t a fun charity then people wouldn’t be as interested in donating to their charity and they wouldn’t be as well known as they are now. They need to promote themselves so they can raise awareness of their various charities, for example in Southend they help the following charities: Southend Association of Voluntary Services, Southend Mencap and Southend Mind. Children in Need differentiate themselves by the way they promote their company, for example they have popular celebrity endorsement in their adverts. They need to differentiate themselves from other charities so that they can stand out so they can get more donations. The Children in Need charity promote their service by having famous and popular comedians in their shows and they have well known children entertainers. Another way they use promotion is by the way they have the show on BBC One where there are no TV adverts, so no adverts for competitor charities. They also promote themselves by having well known supermarkets selling their product and supporting them, for example Asda. They also use paper promotion, for example leaflets and flyers and billboards. T he most popular way they are recognised is by advertising using their mascot Pudsey. Innocent is environmentally friendly , recycle , sustainable ingredient sources, super market promo , festival , tv , humor Children in need :  helping , money 4 good , super market promotion , tv , humor Marketing mix a key tool in marketing. The marketing mix is usually vital when deciding a products marketing and include the following P’s : Pricing , Promotion, Place and Product. I will be talking about the Innocent Fruit Tubes and how the marketing mix is used in branding. Fruit tubes are a yoghurt mad by Innocent and they are made from 100% fruit and they have 2 different combination flavours: Strawberry mixed with raspberry and mango and pineapple. The company are proud to say that this product has no artificial sweeteners or any added sugar and lumpy bits. This product has and overall rating of 4.5/5 and a majority of 5/5 ratings. The packaging is designed for kids, you can tell this by the way it is very colourful and the fruit logos on each tube has a character name and an interesting fact. The size of the packaging is small and easy for customer and children to manage. The Innocent Fruit Tubes are roughly priced at around  £1.99 for a average packet of 6 tubes. The yoghurts are priced at roughly  £0.33 per yoghurt which is a reasonable cost and affordable for many people Innocent promote their fruit tubes by having promotional offers such as 12 tubes for just  £3.00 and they use TV, magazine, billboards and posters to promote their Fruit Tubes. They will have a sales team who will go and pitch their product to popular supermarkets and confectionary retailers. The most well known promotional campaign they used was The Big Knit which was when they appealed for members of the public to knit mini woolly hats for their innocent products to help raise money for the elderly and to keep people warm during the winter. Innocents Fruit tubes are on sale in multiple different places for example super market stores or online super markets and shops, cafe’s and sandwich bars. The product is distributed all over the UK as well as many places in Europe such as: Belgium, Denmark, Germany. France and many other countries in Europe and in the Maldi ves .

Coca-Cola Nepal Essay Example for Free

Coca-Cola Nepal Essay The Marketing, Sales Distribution strategy for Bottlers Nepal Limited is entitled â€Å"Refresh the Marketplace† and includes: A robust Consumer Response System to address any consumer/customer concerns, ideas, suggestions – either on product and its quality or on stock supply – maintenance of equipment etc†¦ All consumer concerns are dealt with in a fair, timely and friendly manner, so as to satisfy them and resolve their concerns. Marketing and advertising communications are focused on POS (point-of-sale), Radio, TV, hoardings, truck backs, etc†¦ Emphasis is also placed on Consumer Price to enforce Price Compliance. Marketing and advertising communications are customized to suit to local sentiments – social, religious, ethnic. Innovative packages and pack sizes are offered to give better value to consumers and ease of storage to retailers. Prices and packs are introduced in a format that is affordable to all segments of society. General Information Population: 27,5 million (28. 9 million as of July 2007 estimate) GDP per capita (purchasing power parity): US$ 1,5 million (estimated and not exact) Location: Kathmandu and Bharatpur Employees: 469 Number of MDCs: 32 Job creation multiplier effect:  ± 10,000 Local operating name: Bottlers Nepal Ltd 2 Bottling Plants Sales Manager- Bottler Nepal Mr. Madhav Kafle is the Deputy Sales Manger of the bottlers Nepal. He has been with the bottlers Nepal since 1998 he joined bottlers Nepal as a sales officer and then he was promoted to the Sales Executive and later promoted to Area Sales Manager. Qualification: Masters in Arts. Number of years with Bottlers Nepal: 10 years Territory: Katmandu (which is the largest territory and the highest sales generating territory) Key Responsibility: Forecasting sales plan / preparing sales budget Sales forecasting is done looking at the past trends. He normally takes in account the sales volume of past 3 years, activity in the market and then set the target. He considers the average growth in the sales volume and then tentatively adds 5% to 10% to the previous year’s growth and fixes the target for the year. He also consults the existing sales force for their valuable inputs in order to make the forecasting more accurate and feasible. The territory sales forecast is done according to the capacity of the territory and the sales force capability i. . some territories grow fast where as some grow slow, these factors are kept in mind while forecasting the sales target for the particular territory. The sales forecast for a particular territory is also based on the individual sales officer. He also decides on the amount of the promotional support need in order to meet the target sales. He does this by looking back to the amount of post sales support and then plans for the pr omotion. While doing this he also keeps in mind the impact on future product sales. Weekly reporting to the country manager His report to the country manager consist of the overall weekly achievement in terms sales volume of his territory and any other major issues if any which need to be addressed to the higher level management. His report is a consolidated report sent by the Area sales manager and it contains the report on the previous week’s achievement and his new plan for the coming week and the month. The plans consist of volume of production for the coming month and sales on the basis of the production. This plan is also forwarded to all the departments’ viz. arketing and production so that the departments can plan accordingly. Communication with the other departments He interacts with the production manager on regular basis to decide on the volume of production. He also works together with the Marketing Manager in order to come up with promotion for pushing sales and to develop marketing strategies for future sales target. Area sales survey for a particular area is done by the market ing department. Suggestion is taken from the marketing department before formulation of the sales plan for a particular territory. Hiring and selection of Sales force: Sales manager is responsible for hiring salespeople with the appropriate skills and backgrounds to implement the sales strategy. Good sources must be found for new hires, and those who are weak in these areas are carefully screened out. The normally advertise through newspaper. The other sources of candidates are references of current employees. The Applications and the CVs received are first collected by the Human Resource Department and then full scrutinized it. The short listed candidates are then invited for a written test. The further short listed candidates are invited for an interview with the sales Manager and the Human Resource Manager. The selected candidates are called for the training. Training Sales Force: In addition to hiring qualified people, salespeople’s competencies are usually developed through training before they are sent into the field. He identifies the training needs of the individual sales person and then informs about it to the Human Resource department. The Human Resource department in turn coordinates with the trainer. They are given 1 to 1 and half months training depending upon the sales person. Sales managers are responsible for making sure that training is completed, and they often conduct some of the classes. Most initial training programs are designed to familiarize salespeople with the company’s products, services, and operating procedures, with some time devoted to development of selling skills. Because sales training is expensive, the sales manager is responsible for selecting the most cost-effective methods, location, and materials. Training is normally imparted by the trainer form Bangkok. Motivate, Develop and inspires the sales force: Builds and maintains relationships that motivate, guide, and/or reinforce the performance of others toward goal accomplishments. Weekly sales meets are done and those who are the achiever of the highest sales in the territory are appreciated and acknowledge in the meeting. The have a program of the monthly achiever wherein the highest achievers name is put up on the board. If the performance is consistent for couple of months they are given bigger territories. Promotions are performance based. Core Competencies of the Sales Manager Communicate the principles and values of The Company through personal contact with consumers and dignitaries from around the valley in order to further enhance the consumers connection to the brands. Delegate work assignments and tasks to sales representative, providing sufficient direction so desired business outcomes can be achieved. Drives Innovative Sales Improvements: Develops new insights into ideas that result in organizational improvements; promotes a work environment that fosters the development of the sales force and increase the overall sales volume.

Leadership In Contemporary Organisations Management Essay

Leadership In Contemporary Organisations Management Essay Leadership is considered to be the key enabler of organisational performance and competitive advantage by the organisations these days (Burgoyne, 2008). The job of a leader is to lead his/her team to achieve the goal set by the organisation. James MacGregor Burns argues that leadership is one phenomenon on earth that is most observed and least understood (Paul, 2002). The views about a leader and the definition of leadership vary among different people. Daniel Goleman (2000) says that an effective leader sets strategy, creates a mission, motivates his followers and finally builds a culture in the organisation. Ken Wilber argues that an integral leader is a man or woman who supports people aspiring to move forward. They have to make their own integral map that covers all the area that humans have to deal with (Volckmann, 2005). The concepts of leadership have been developed years ago though the word is reported to have appeared in English language recently. An effective business leader is one who is well informed of the latest research which impacts upon leadership and who is also capable of applying this to their own organisation with in an ethical framework. I personally agree with this statement as it is important for the leader to move along with the changing organisational conditions. He should be updated with the latest trends in the organisation in order to effectively lead his followers. Further part of the essay will explore the research that supports my argument. PHASES OF RESEARCH ON LEADERSHIP As mentioned, the concepts of leadership, leader and the follower has emerged years and years ago. Even Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristofle have written about leadership in the period between 400 and 300 B.C. As years progressed, the focus on leadership research has undergone a dramatic change. In the earlier years, leadership research focussed on differentiating leaders and non-leaders by identifying their traits. It then focussed on the behaviour of the leaders and in the later phase focus was on the importance of situational factors, thus giving birth to the contingency approach (Paul, Costley, Howell Dorfman, 2002). The contingency approach, when compared to the previous two phases of research, is more theoretical and hence denies the notion of effective leadership traits and behaviour. Today, in modern leadership, Charisma has become a major underlining concept and the term has different meanings that overlap. The word charisma has been used to represent different conce pts through out the phases of leadership. In a business leader perspective, it is the personal quality of a leader to gain the attention of a group of individuals. EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP RESEARCHES An effective leadership requires a combination of cognitive, behavioural and personality factors (Kets De Vries, 2002) and it is necessary for him or her to keep learning. It is important to see the relationship between the leadership style of a leader and the context in which they operate. The range of behaviours of a leader is categorised as goal oriented, involving and engaging. The goal oriented leader sets a direction and plays a significant role in directing the followers to achieve the goal. The next two categories, involving and engaging are less leader-centric. From a study conducted in ten organisations, it is reported that, a leader-centric and directive style is found to be inappropriate in a changing organisation context but are common and dominant in a straight forward context. Many behaviourists stated that the leader can change his style according to the organisational strategy but Fiedler (1964) came up with the contingency theory and disagreed to it. There can be le aders who are task motivated while others are relationship motivated. There is even socio-independent leaders who are neither task nor relationship motivated (Dulewicz Higgs, 2005). This implies that the leader should choose the situation that better match his/her leadership style and avoid situation that is against their style. After a few years, House developed the path goal theory and argues that leaders behaviour can be adjusted to adapt to contingencies and thus find a suitable style for a particular situation (House, 1999). The basic idea of this theory is to support the subordinates and help them to achieve their own goals as well as the goals of the organisation. Four kind of leadership styles have been proposed in this theory: Directive, Supportive, Participative, Achievement-Oriented leadership. An effective leader is the one who knows which style is to be adopted and when (Silverthorne, 2001). Directive leaders tell their subordinates, what is expected from them and give the guidance by enforcing certain rules to fulfil those expectations. Supportive leaders would be friendlier and gives attention to the needs of their subordinates. The participative leaders lead their subordinates by involving them in making decisions and finally the achievement-oriented leaders set high standards and will be con fident on their subordinates in achieving these standards. According to the path goal theory, it depends on the nature of task for the leaders to decide upon which style to adopt and hence according to the requirement, the leader should be task oriented or relationship oriented (Silverthorne, 2001). If the nature of work is unclear, then the leader should be task oriented by giving proper direction and guidance. As the knowledge and practice of leadership change with time, many researches mention about the transformation of leadership. Earlier, the businesses tried to keep up with their rivals in the competition but today, the intentions have changed and they try to blast their competitors out. As far as business leaders are concerned, they would be left behind if they dont accommodate themselves to these changes. John Ralph, the deputy chairman of a leading Australian management company has expressed his views on transformation in leadership style while speaking about the changing culture of the organisation as, leaders should encourage their followers instead of commanding and should act as a coach rather than bosses. Ray Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Bell Atlantic expressed his vision of new leadership style emerging in the United States as a moral commitment where the leaders and employees should work as partners in achieving the goals of their organisations (Sarros Santora, 2001). Trust on the employees is most important in this. Lot of researches establish the validity of the concept, transformational leadership which brings change and movement in the organisation. Many researchers define transformational leadership as one that motivates people to create change, by distinguishing it with transactional leadership that uses the power and authority that exists in the organisation. Transformational style is denoted as leader of innovation and transactional style as manager of planning and policy (King, 1994). Transactional style depends on the current structure in the organisation while transformational style creates new pathways (Mink, 1992). An effective transformational leader should have a clear sense of goals to guide their organisation in to new directions (Burns, 1978). They should have the capability to foresee the change to a long term. The interaction among the people in an organisation and the flow of information gives rise to the need for change in the organisation. A fresh look at trends and feedbac k from frontline people becomes the catalyst for change (Herrington, Bonem Furr, 2000). Transformational leadership also influences the culture of the organisation. If the culture of the organisation itself is cultural, then the growth of individual and the organisation becomes more effective (Bass Avolio, 1993). The cultures of people in and beyond the organisation are also influenced by this. However, transformational leadership have potential dangers associated with it if the leader doesnt rely on a strong ethical and moral foundation as the danger lies in the leader-follower interactions. Such kind of behaviour is defined as pseudo-transformational leadership. From the year 1999 to 2004, there has been a considerable increase in the research on servant leadership as a result of emergence of certain servant leadership models developed by several researchers. Trust is a common factor in all the research conducted on servant leadership. Servant leaders generate and sustain trust through their communicative and supportive behaviour (Tschannen-Moran Hoy, 1998). Servant leadership begins with a natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first and then conscious choice brings them to aspire to lead, who is sharply different from one who is leader right from the beginning. Listening and understanding, imagination, acceptance and empathy, intuition, foresight, the ability to persuade, healing and serving, the ability to build community etc are some of the other attributes of a servant leader (Greenleaf,1997). It not only builds the trust between the leaders and the followers but also among the followers themselves and is thus established as an important variable in the development and maintenance of organisational trust (Joseph Winston, 2005). Studies indicate that servant leadership has the potential to improve the organisational satisfaction, productivity, safety practices and financial performance. There are numerous researches being conducted on job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Both are at times linked to each other as the employees become less committed to the organisation if they are dissatisfied with their job. Many researchers came up with a suggestion that leadership and organisational culture has great impact on both job satisfaction and commitment. Employees job performance, behaviour and expectations vary with the nation they belong to, and the way organisations are managed reflects the national culture. There are significant differences between the way firms in east and west are managed as a result of difference in national culture. Goal setting, performing the task and decision making are directly influenced by the culture of the organisation. The researchers on organisational culture has come up with different types of organisational culture but the people working in an organisation have their own values, beliefs and attitudes which are part of their national culture. Depending on those values and beliefs the organisation can have a bureaucratic, innovative or a supportive culture. Most eastern organisations have a bureaucratic culture while western organisations have innovative and supportive culture. Leadership plays a major role in the success and failure of an organisation. The relations between leadership and performance of an employee have been explored in various researches. The attributes of transformational leadership such as empowerment and clear vision can bring greater satisfaction to the employees in their job and this leadership style works well with western organisations. The leadership in eastern organisations are based on seniority, position and authority and the leader can gain commitment of the employ by their personal relationship. There have been only a few researches done on the leadership in organisations having two or more cultures also called as multicultural organisations. In a study conducted in an organisation with Australian and non Australian workforce, it was indicated that both the work groups wanted different transactional and transformational behaviours from their Australian supervisors. Hofstede came up with four dimensions of cultural values in h is research. They are power distance, individualism/collectivism, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity/feminity. Out of the four dimensions, Hofstede states that power distance and individualism/ collectivism are the most relevant ones and these dimensions were applied in the organisation where the study was conducted (Lok Crawford, 2003). An effective business leader has to be aware of the researches on the organisational culture as he is directly linked to the success of organisation and if unaware, the whole organisation can fail due to his/her actions. Team building is an activity that a leader must concentrate on to continue to be effective in his/her operations. The leaders will have to modify their leadership style according to the changing needs of employees and also the organisational change. All the books and research papers on team building clearly differentiate groups and teams. Managers seem content with group performance while leaders always lead teams which are more productive and bring improved profit to the company. Team centred leaders are visionary and they inspire team work and mutual support. Effective leaders should have the ability to get their team members involved and committed. They communicate openly and mediate conflicts before it turns destructive (Maddux Wingfield, 2003). EFFECTIVE LEADERS ACT IN ETHICAL FRAMEWORK It is the nature of most human being to enter corruption when they gain power and control, or in other sense people tend to misuse the power they have. This possibly becomes the negative side or unethical side of leadership. In transformational leadership, charismatic leaders may develop lot of enthusiastic and honest followers who will even fail to notice the negative traits of their leader (Stone, Russell Patterson, 2003). Power with in a leader even tends to create politics in the organisation which can be called as the darker side of leadership and can weaken the leader member relationship. Organisational politics leads people to become reluctant in assisting their co-workers and hence there will be a decline in the organisational commitment. These are the times when personal interest of the leader gets dominant and they may even manipulate conflicts in order to achieve self goals instead of organisational goals (McGinley, 2009). As viewed by Rost, ethical framework of leadershi p must make individual leaders and followers accountable to their ethical responsibilities as human beings (Rost, 1993). An effective leader is the one who is aware of how and where to use the power of his/her position or personal power. Using positional or personal power in the organisation with out hampering the organisational ethics and thus maintaining a strong relationship with followers is the quality that leaders should possess to make their organisation more productive. CONCLUSION The essay has described about the evolution of leadership and the various researches conducted on it. The role of an effective leader in most of the leadership approaches have also been explored in the essay. Its been argued that learning latest studies on leadership keep leaders away from work due to information overload. But considering the changing organisational culture and change in the needs of people, it can be suggested that the leader should always keep in track with the researches. Leaders face challenge in applying the latest studies among their followers in the organisation. Effective leaders explore these studies only by following the organisational ethics, morals and leadership principles. The outcomes of unethical approach to leadership studies have also been described in the essay. It is said that negative traits of charismatic leaders are overlooked by their followers and hence they are utilised by the leaders to achieve personal goals. But this always results in wea k leader member relations and reduced organisational commitment. From this essay, it can be concluded that leaders should keep themselves updated about the researches and also should act according to the ethics and principles to make their operations more effective and thus improve the productivity of their organisation.

Essay on Toni Morrisons Beloved - Misuse of Language -- Toni Morrison

The Misuse of Language in Beloved In Toni Morrison's Beloved many negative methods of communication used by the white people are effectively hijacked by the black people. The black people create a completely new message and a positive form of communication. These forms of communication, in turn, empower the oppressed black people, providing channels for the expression of ideas, thoughts, and memories. Such was the case in the American culture of the mid 1800's as depicted in Beloved because of the gap in the social status and power of black versus white Americans. The language of the whites was not able to effectively communicate the thoughts of all and was used many times as a method of coercion. Largely, I am referring to oral and written communication. Oral communication done by whites in the book tends to be in the manner of orders, or to demean, dismiss, or condemn. This gives standard oral communication a somewhat negative air. Written communication is also tainted by the white people who abuse it. For example, on pages 155-6, as Paul D is reading the newspaper clipping given to him by Stamp Paid about Sethe, he is filled with a sense of foreboding. "A whip of fear broke through the heart chambers as soon as one saw a Negro's face in a paper, since the face was not there because the person had a healthy baby, or outran a street mob. Nor was it there because the person had been killed, or maimed or caught or burned or jailed or whipped or evicted or stomped or raped or cheated, since that would hardly qualify as news in a newspaper. It would have to be something out of the ordinary--something white people would find interesting, truly different, worth a few minutes of teeth sucking if ... ...y subvert this message of dehumanization. Instead, they choose to make their scars work for them in ways other options of communication may fail. Scars prove themselves to be something solid, physical, unchanging to which people may depend on when written and spoken words may fail them. In this way, scars function as a viable alternative form of communication, acting as a medium for storytelling, identification, and shared bond between people. Scars empower those otherwise oppressed. This disproves the assumption that "definitions belong to the definers, not to the defined" in the context that whites make the definitions and rule over blacks. Instead it changed the meaning in that the black people in the book are also definers, breaking away from the rule of the oppressor's language by developing their own interpretations and means of communication.

No Wasted Time :: College Admissions Essays

No Wasted Time The first piece of "serious and literary" grown-up fiction I remember reading without duress was All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. I was fourteen, and for the past two years my pleasure reading had consisted entirely of science fiction-I consumed one book per day in this genre. Not all of this time was wasted, but the diet had become a little monotonous. The students a year ahead of me in high school were assigned to read Warren's novel. I picked up a copy in a study hall, to while away fifteen minutes of tedium. In that amount of time I was hooked. First edge of cynicism on its poetic valences. When I had read more of the book I was taken by the richness of its meanings, how thoroughly and thoughtfully the sense of every action and episode had been interlocked with all the others. I had wanted to be a writer before, but I had known that this was what a book could do, or that this was how you did it. I reread All the King's Men half a dozen times, for me it was a portal to a whole lot of other serious fiction, but the novel itself holds up very well under such intense poring. George Garrett once said that one of the problems of student writers is that they were fed a diet of masterpieces. Masterpiece fiction is too well made for you to figure out how the writer did it. To pick up technique, the thing to do is read genre.

media avoidance Essay -- essays research papers

In my everyday life I use all sorts of media, they range from cable television, Internet, radio, and the newspaper. For myself media, is the form and technology I use to receive and communicate information. The different forms of media I was trying to avoid were cable television, the internet and radio. I figured if I could avoid those things I would be doing well in avoiding most obvious forms of mass media. What I realized as I began this whole experience this whole experience is that the mass media is an important if not the most important part of my everyday life. I use it for almost everything I do and it surrounds me. On my first day of avoiding the media, which was on a Saturday, my plan going into was not check my e-mail, not watch television and not listen to the radio. This was not as easy as I thought, that morning when I woke up my first instinct was to check my e-mail. After I couldn’t do that I felt all this anxiety that I was missing out on something. But I went without, and was able to get to work without reading the newspaper or listening to the radio. It was easy for me to avoid media at work because I work at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and all I do there is check people into cars and drive around the city all day. If I don’t turn on the radio when I’m driving cars then I pretty much avoid most media. The only problem I had at work is when I would be talking to some customers and they would be talking about things they heard in the news, sports etc†¦ and I could...

Public Enemies: Book Review Essay

The author arranged the book in such a way where he would be able to simultaneously show the progress of the gangs in the so-called â€Å"public enemies† era. He also wrote what happened in every specific time period. He organized his writing by dates; he divided actions and development among the gangs into certain time spans. He mainly focused on the years between 1933 and 1936, were Bonnie & Clyde, the Dillinger gang, and other more was mainstream. Furthermore, the author’s goal towards this book was to give the reader a complete and broad overview of the FBI on the War on Crime history. His goal was to portray the whole story, after the FBI released all files all the cases in the late 1980s. There were three things that made me interested in this book. First, I was amazed by how determined these criminals was. They put thought and planning in all their robberies, which they usually end up succeeding at. Moreover, these are crimes that were implemented about 77 years ago. I also admire their nature. I could never imagine how much courage and will these crooks had in order to carry out their brutal risky heists. I especially enjoyed reading the parts where the Dillinger gang would rob banks quickly and efficiently. Then they would aggressively open fire on the police officers as they perform their getaway. They made the police seem too simple to deal with. Secondly, I was astonished by the loyalty of women back in those days. They didn’t care that their men were actually robbers and in some cases killers. Except for Bonnie Parker where she was a robber herself. They would care for their men, cover for them, and comfort them as much as they can. I found that amazing since these women don’t actually exist anymore in our present time of â€Å"equal-rights. Finally, I was mind blown by how John Dillinger managed to escape from prison twice, and in addition to that, he also freed his fellows from prison as well. The public enemies indeed did have things in common. Nearly all of them are actually European immigrants or offspring of European immigrant parents. All of them seem to be aggressive, dangerous, and trouble making since their youth. Lots of them have even been sent to prison at a very early age. Hence, the majority of the public enemies have already obtained a criminal record before they went on their large scale heists. Furthermore, they all relied on a few common things when it came to undergo a robbery. They all had planned their robberies and getaways. They also used the same technique of preparing a generous amount of powerful gun power to be used in case of a police encounter. They all did not have long lives either. Most of them were killed in their 30s. They have been able to dodge the police for so long mainly for two reasons. First of all, they were well supplied with lots of powerful weapons. This has always helped them even out with the police in a shoot out. The public enemies were also extremely violent and aggressive. In any encounter with the police they would open fire and start shooting vigorously and brutally and the police without thinking or hesitation. Thinking and hesitation are two things the police did not lack, which always gave the crooks an edge. Secondly, they usually had planned their getaways through. Nearly all of them had even kidnapped innocent people, who were sometimes dragged along the shooting during the getaways to get a better chance of escape. Finally, they made sure they had good hiding spots, and they were also on the move continuously. Eventually, the FBI and all cooperating law enforcement agencies had reached their limits of hesitation. They have decided to shoot at the crooks the second they show absolutely any sigh of resistance. Obviously, there were lot of injuries and deaths. The FBI also decided to take the public enemies down once and for all by outnumbering them and engaging them at times were they are least prepared. For instance, they ambushed Bonnie and Clyde, and when the two lovers realized they were in danger they opened fire. But they were outnumbered and eventually killed by the police. Pretty Boy Floyd was killed in Ohio during a pursuit by local officers, and was shot dead by Melvin Purvis himself. The Dillinger Gang was hunted down one-by-one, and at the end killed John Dillinger after he got out of the movie theatre. Machine Gun Kelly was arrested in October 1933 and was poisoned for life. Baby Face Nelson was deeply wounded at the battle of the Barrington and died shortly after. Finally, Baker Karpis Gang was being hunted down and somehow split up. At the end Karpis was arrested in New Orleans and poisoned for life. And he was the last one on the public enemies list.

Refugees, Migration and the Need for the Emergence of an Appropriate Moral Vision

In this essay I will discuss the problems that refugees and people who migrate. I will typically focus on South Africa and its people and in addition I will be supporting my suggestion that a new moral vision has to emerge by drawing on articles from various sources. First it is imperative that we have a clear understanding of what a Refugee is. â€Å"A Refugee by definition is a person who is outside their country of origin or habitual residence because they have suffered or fear persecution on account of race, religion, nationality† (Wikpedia).Now in South Africa one could say that we are basically the ‘Homeless Shelter’ of the African continent because of the high number of refugees and migrants that come to our shores annually. Local citizens however are far from pleased about this situation though. There is obviously a fear that along with the refugees come an increase in crime, job demands and they feel as if the refugees are steeling opportunities from them etc. This would be quite understandable if it were entirely true though.When refugees flee their home countries for various reasons, they do it with a hope, with a genuine belief that they will make a better life for not just themselves but for their families too. That to me sounds like they carry with them a vision for a good society, a vision that WE ALL should share. A new moral vision has to be brought forth. Refugees are people too. They deserve a chance at a better life, a chance to make something more of themselves, it is a basic human right and we as humans have to ensure that this is carried out.I envision a society where equal access to services and opportunities should be given, irrespective of where you’ve been or come from. I think what we need to see from government is a sort of reshuffling of ideas and strategies. They need to rethink the old ones and at the same time implement some new ones so refugees and migrants alike can have a fair shot at bettering thei r lives. The current situation is unacceptable and much is always said about wanting to build a good and equal society but too little has been done up until this point.We need to see some empathy and understanding from the local communities towards our African brothers and sisters. How would we feel if we were in their position? What would we do if we were exiled or had to flee for our lives? We as a people, as humans need to show compassion towards one another and not be the first to judge and point fingers. Refugees leave one hostile environment only to encounter another when they settle down here. It needs to be understood that these refugees and particularly migrants contribute to the economic growth and human development.As an added bonus they also enrich societies through cultural diversity, which helps create empathy and understanding amongst the communities. In a way migration helps some to realize their basic human rights. For example there is a group of Pakistani barbers i n my area, they make an honest living cutting hair, they pay rent and taxes just like every other South African and they are the nicest people you will ever meet. Their only intention in this country is to make enough money to send back to their poorer family members back home.Migrants can often be found doing the hard strenuous and often dangerous labor that the locals often try and avoid. Fact of the matter is that these migrants and refugees work much harder than the local citizens who blame apartheid for everything and expect everything to be handed to them as a result of it. We as a society, as humans need to catch a wake up. Rome wasn’t built in a day yes, but surely we can do something to change our train of thought towards this particular situation. Our sense of humanity needs to be EXPANDED.For some, migration is a positive and empowering experience, but for many they only face a life of discrimination, exploitation and even human rights violations. In order for this new moral vision for a good society to succeed the government and its citizens have to make promoting and protecting the human rights of all migrants one of its priorities. â€Å"Governments have obligations to ensure that xenophobic violence, racism and related intolerance against migrants and their communities have no place in their societies† (Navi Pillay) The way forward as I see it is to include these Migrants and refugees in elevant national action plans and strategies, like housing implementation and measures to counteract discriminatory and unfair treatment like xenophobia. Special committees and unions should also be set up specifically for migrant, migrant workers and refugees. Migration can be managed and tolerated by all whilst respecting human rights laws, ensuring a peaceful and better society for all. In conclusion I would like to end off with the statement that, all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and that everyone is entitled to a ll the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind.And therefore it is only through ourselves that we can make the necessary changes to successfully implement the new vision(s) of a good society. Bibliography 1) Wikipedia http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Refugee 2) High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay: http://www. ohchr. org/EN/Issues/Migration/Pages/MigrationAndHumanRightsIndex. aspx 3) Conradie, E. M. (2006). Chapter 2: Pp. 19. In: Morality as a Way of Life: An Introduction to Ethical Theory. Stellenbosch: SUN PreSS.

Case study Essay

Inuit was founded in 1983 by Scott Cook (Former Procter & Gamble employee) and Tom Proulx (Stanford University Programmer), that develops and sells financial and tax solution software for consumers and small to medium sized businesses. The company has always thrived to revolutionise people’s lives by solving their important business and financial management problems. Quicken was its product that was launched in 1984 and struggled the first year, but due to positive reviews in trade journals and print campaign strategies, Intuit got its first break and by 1988 Quicken was the best selling finance product on the market. Early 1990’s saw Intuit growing due to success of Quicken, QuickBooks and Turbotax. These products made some significant contribution in small businesses. Porter’s five forces Analysis for Inuit: Any organization strategy that you develop needs to include gaining a thorough understanding of the external environment that the organization is operating in. The most widely tool that can help you to do this is Porter’s five force analysis. Porter’s model considers five forces that determine the attractiveness of your market by analyzing the competitive intensity. Similarly Porter’s five forces will help Intuit the position of the market and how much do they really stand a chance in this competitive industry, with Microsoft trying to buy them off. 1. Threat of new entrant: Intuit’s marketing strategies have helped the company evolve. Positive word of mouth an exceptional customer services is its most effective marketing tools. Roughly 8 out of 10 customers have bought Intuit’s product and hence engaging with customers directly and communicating with customers on a timely basis has helped distinguish its products. This leads to a very low threat of new entrants in the market. Due to this it is very difficult for new company’s to enter the market and compete with Intuit. 2. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Since Inuit is not the only one in the market, Microsoft being the biggest competitor it increases the bargaining power of buyers giving them more than one option to choose from. Intuit is very well aware of this fact and hence spends significant amount of time and money on consumer research every year. It is very critical for Intuit to know how customers use and feel about their products. This is possible by adapting Site Visit, Lab Study and Remote study conducted by Intuit. 3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The only product that Intuit needs is a compact disc and since there are many suppliers of compact disc in the market, the bargaining power of suppliers is very low. This leads to huge competition between suppliers and Intuit has an advantage. 4. Threat for Substitute Products: There is no substitute product available for tax and financial planning software’s apart from hiring specialised people in your company in that field which is turns out to be very expensive and also time consuming. Hence there is no threat for substitute products for Intuit in the market. 5. The intensity of rivalry: Intuit faces huge competition in the market for the products they offer. Microsoft, one of their biggest competitors has tried to buy off Intuit but failed and also withdrawn its money product line after a 18 year battle with Quicken. This has been a great win for Intuit over the software giant. There are many companies providing mobile devices which have become very popular among the younger consumers and hence this increases the intensity of rivalry in the market that will be faced by Intuit. Potential Market entry methods for Intuit: Intuit has a very few ways it can enter the potential market i.e. mobile devices. Depending on various factors, Intuit can adopt acquisition. This will be very quick and fastest way to enter the mobile devices industry. Intuit can acquire some firms that are already in the mobile device  business, have a strong customer base and have all access to the company’s network files. Reference: Pearson Education Limited (2012). Marketing Management (14th ed.). Kotler Keller: Author. Submitted by: Anchal Pathak

Finance in International Markets Essay

Describe the tradeoffs that are involved for each method (such as exporting, direct foreign investment, etc. ) that Snyder could use to achieve its goal. ANSWER: Snyder can export the clubs, but the transportation expenses may be high. If could establish a subsidiary in Brazil to produce and sell the clubs, but this may require a large investment of funds. It could use licensing, in which it specifies to a Brazilian firm how to produce the clubs. In this way, it does not have to establish its own subsidiary there. b. Which method would you recommend for this firm? Justify your recommendation. ANSWER: If the amount of golf clubs to be sold in Brazil is small, it may decide to export. However, if the expected sales level is high, it may benefit from licensing. If it is confident that the expected sales level will remain high, it may be willing to establish a subsidiary. The wages are lower in Brazil, and the large investment needed to establish a subsidiary may be worthwhile. 15. Impact of Political Risk. Explain why political risk may discourage international business. Some foreign projects would have been feasible if there was no political risk, but will not be feasible because of political risk. 17. International Joint Venture. Anheuser-Busch, the producer of Budweiser and other beers, has recently expanded into Japan by engaging in a joint venture with Kirin Brewery, the largest brewery in Japan. The joint venture enables Anheuser-Busch to have its beer distributed through Kirin’s distribution channels in Japan. In addition, it can utilize Kirin’s facilities to produce beer that will be sold locally. In return, Anheuser-Busch provides information about the American beer market to Kirin. . Explain how the joint venture can enable Anheuser-Busch to achieve its objective of maximizing shareholder wealth. ANSWER: The joint venture creates a way for Anheuser-Busch to distribute Budweiser throughout Japan. It enables Anheuser-Busch to penetrate the Japanese market without requiring a substantial investment in Japan. b. Explain how the jo int venture can limit the risk of the international business. ANSWER: The joint venture has limited risk because Anheuser-Busch does not need to establish its own distribution network in Japan. Thus, Anheuser-Busch may be able to use a smaller investment for the international business, and there is a higher probability that the international business will be successful. c. Many international joint ventures are intended to circumvent barriers that normally prevent foreign competition. What barrier in Japan is Anheuser-Busch circumventing as a result of the joint venture? What barrier in the United States is Kirin circumventing as a result of the joint venture? ANSWER: Anheuser-Busch is able to benefit from Kirin’s distribution system in Japan, which would not normally be so accessible. Kirin is able to learn more about how Anheuser-Busch expanded its product across numerous countries, and therefore breaks through an â€Å"information† barrier. d. Explain how Anheuser-Busch could lose some of its market share in countries outside Japan as a result of this particular joint venture. ANSWER: Anheuser-Busch could lose some of its market share to Kirin as a result of explaining its worldwide expansion strategies to Kirin. However, it appears that Anheuser-Busch expects the potential benefits of the joint venture to outweigh any potential adverse effects.

Entrepreneurship Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Entrepreneurship Case study - Essay Example The most obvious reason for branding him as one is that he sought and recognized an opportunity in the niche market took a risk and organized his resources (Harper, 2003; pp 10). He realized that ladders were used in everyday setting thus he created a set of rails that went attached to the ladder would increase the safety levels. This was a new product that is handled well would transform into a profitable venture. By so doing, he hoped to attain financial freedom and provide a better life for his family. He is an entrepreneur as he was future oriented and had a vision that by investing in his business venture, his financial status would be improved and he would spend more time with this family. The only way one can determine his future is by investing in it. He was willing to sacrifice in the short run to reap benefits in the long run. He spent time in developing an idea that had never been tried before but this did not mean that it could not be achieved (Harper, 2003). Sid mobilize d at his all the capital resources at his disposal due to his innovative nature. The general blueprint of his entrepreneurial strategy was rather simple and centralized as Sid wanted to simply sell his product to the local market as he had previous interactions with them (Economic Expert, 2008). Sid Stevens was market driven and was well aware that his success was pegged on the satisfaction of his customers. He was ready to modify his approach to be synonymous with the market demand when there was a demand for different rail specifications. He also managed to create employment and this had an impact on the economy in the long run due to the accelerator and multiplier effects on the economy. Sid Stevens was committed to being the best in his venture and his frustration with his employees on their compromise on quality was unending. He has a strong sense of business ethics that guided his desire to provide quality products. Despite the challenges and frustrations, his resilience in the pursuit of success was undeterred. Initially, his wife, the banker and his former employer expressed their skepticism on the viability of the project. However, Sid's optimism on the possibility of what the future held saw him remain true to his cause (Knight, 1967). Once it took off, he was a f ocused and effective decision maker as any delay in the decision making process will compromise the business. QUESTION 2: The Beermat Entrepreneur notes that four cornerstones are necessary for an entrepreneurial endeavor to succeed. What cornerstones did the Ladder Rail venture have, and which were missing What could Sid have done to fill in these gaps in his business The Beermat entrepreneur demands that ha potential entrepreneur profiles himself so as to determine if one should embark on an entrepreneurial venture or to team up with an actual entrepreneur as a corner stone of a new company or as a member of the dream team of a more established company. A cornerstone is an individual with expertise in certain business areas such as management, leadership, public relations, recruitment, marketing and finance. The four cornerstones according to the Beer Mat entrepreneur are involved in finance, technical operations, business' sales and delivery. These individuals are instrumental in the overall well being of the company as they have the technical know how to deal

Is family therapy (a.k.a. Maudsley method) more effective treatment Research Paper

Is family therapy (a.k.a. Maudsley method) more effective treatment than individual therapy for anorexia nervosa - Research Paper Example is has been followed by researches and counter researches that are meant to disapprove either of the procedures and come up with the best therapy that suites everyone. Comparisons have been made to each of the therapies s as to identify loopholes that may be used to criticize either of the procedures. The controversies rose from prescriptions from doctors. Some doctors recommended that patients suffering from anorexia nervosa stood a better chance of quick recovery through family therapy. On the other hand, other doctors recommended that such patients were better off if they adopted individual therapy as a mode of healing their complication. As a result, there was conflict of interest. Many have since come up with varied finding most of which are supported by valid reasons. However much this matter still remains unresolved, quiet a number of people have believed on various findings and have since settled permanently on them. This course will help in identifying the best treatment amongst the two by giving relevant support points and evidences affiliated to researches conducted by different organizations and individuals. According my opinion that is justified by a number of researches which will be highlighted in this course, family therapy is far much better as compared to individual therapy because of very many viable reasons. This conclusion comes after numerous researches and comparisons that have managed to prove, beyond any reasonable doubts, that family therapy is a better procedure as compared to the latter. As already highlighted in the introduction, family therapy is far much better than individual psychotherapy. Family therapy involves the parents of the ailing teenage by making sure that the patient takes the correct type and amount of food. Parents are also advised by doctors to ensure that their ailing children do just enough body exercise. The disease of anorexia nervosa makes its patients believe that they are fat and hence the urge to cut weight

Business Planning and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Planning and Development - Essay Example The company offered the products and features that were acceptable by the customers. This not only increased the sale rate but also reduced the cost of products. The cost leadership strategy had a positive impact on the company. It ignored the different market segments and focused on the mass market (Porter 1997). The advantages of employing this strategy were that the company charged lower prices, yet got the same profit. The market shares were protected from the rivals. The business had opportunity to reduce its price to compete with the substitute products. All these advantages have secured the business and gave the rivals and competitors a hard time. The difficulties that the company had faced were the technological advancements that the rivals have brought, like better features in low price. The imitation ability of the rival was another hurdle for the company (Cost Leadership Strategy 2010). Following the low cost strategy, our company has targeted less market as compared to ri vals to have a balance between price and cost of the product. The other difficulty that the industry has encountered was related to the market share. Some of the rivals also opted for the low cost leadership strategy due which our market shares reduced. ... The biggest challenge for our company was to provide unique services to the customer and to satisfy maximum number of customers. In achieving this target, we have invested and worked a lot. We have hired consultants, creative teams and professional marketing staff. All of these helped in making a position in the market and increasing the sales and profit of the company. The plans that the company has for future includes expansion of target market, enhancement of customization for the consumers and increase in production units. This requires more assets and operating expense. For that, the company needs loan from the bank so that the operations and sales do not get messed up due to lack of expenses and opportunities. The trade off related to these expansions may be the cost versus benefits. The benefit that the company may get is the profit. And the cost is the cost of expansion and other operating expenses. Benefits and costs are often expressed in monetary terms and are adjusted wit h the money value, which makes the flow of benefits and of costs to be expressed on a common basis of their actual and present value. Â  The biggest problem with this trade off is the accuracy. It’s not necessary that the estimation of the cost and its benefits is always estimated accurately. If the things do not work out, the cost versus benefit may subject risk of bankruptcy. For that, the company must have enough operating expense by which it can keep the company working. The establishment of the business requires a lot of sacrifices and commitment. On a personal note, the commitments that I had to make include the sacrifices of one’s own needs. The lack of prioritizing basic