Bend It Like Beckham Review

The title of the movie that was instructed to me to write a movie review is bind It Like Beckman,'I a genial ethnic sports comedy directed by Grinder Chad. â€Å"Bend It Like Beckman† is a British film co-funded with Germany. It was released in the UK in 2002 and in the United States in March 2003. It turned out to be one of the surprise hits of 2002, making over Ell million at the UK box office, while also proving popular with American and European audiences. Beckman is David Beckman, star of the Manchester United soccer am (and the husband of one of the Spice Girls).The observation â€Å"nobody bends it like Beckman,† from which the title derives, apparently refers to his ability to curve the ball past the opposing goalkeeper. The story centers around eighteen-year-old Jess, a hardworking Indian girl who loves British soccer star David Beckman and Jules, an English girl who befriends Jess after she observes her running circles around a group of strapping young men pla ying soccer in the park. Jess comes from a very strict Indian family where gender roles are clearly defined. Women are expected to learn to cook and are for their husbands, who are, of course, expected to be the sole breadwinners.This might be fine for Jess' older sister Pinky, however Jess has a dramatically different vision of her own future, and it doesn't entail settling down and cooking the perfect chapatti. More than anything, she wants to join her idol on the football pitch, but her parents will never accept a football player for a daughter. Jess sees herself as a female version of her hero, David Beckman, competing in soccer rather than cooking for an acceptable Indian man as tradition dictates. So Jess is forced to hide her passion from her loved nest, even her sister Pinky, who is about to be married to her long-term boyfriend Teeth.Jess is then secretly joins Jules' competitive women's soccer team which is the Winslow Harriers and is forced to lead a double life in order to not disappoint her parents and still play the sport for which she lives and breathes. Sneaking out to practice and traveling with the team to tournaments puts a strain on her home life. She has to lie to justify her absence from home. To complicate matters, she finds herself falling for her soccer coach. Jess is the main character in the film. She tries to be a good girl for her other and father but can't help sneaking Off to play football.While Jess has to lie and sneak around a lot, her rebellious streak is not aimed to hurt her parents. Jess' dream is to play football professionally, at the beginning of the movie it was just a dream, but when she was invited on a proper team and started to see herself as a proper player, her dream started to become her goal. Jess has always been very strong and determined in the movie, except over time she becomes more determined, and even stronger. We see Jess talking to Beckman at the beginning of the movie, and as she grows and tauter, she finds out she can have trust in other people.She finds Jules and Joe who she feels she can confide in and talk freely to. Jess also gains more confidence as she progresses through the movie, at fritterers would never dream of confronting her parents like she did at the end of the firm. Joe, Jules, Tony and her whole football team support her in her goals and she gathers up more and more courage and self-esteem. A great example of her self- esteem gain is when Jess at first does not want to show her scar to the world, she hides it away and will not go onto the field in her shorts because everyone will see it.Joe talks to Jess and they bond over their injuries, this makes Jess feel more comfortable with herself and realize that she may not be the only one and when she is on the field, no one will care. By the end of the movie, Jess is able to stand up for herself, share her Opinion and feel confident about herself. Bend it like Beckman is and overall a good firm and an excellent movie for everyone to watch although it is lacking in plot and dialogue. It has a warm feel good message of girl power and breaking traditional barriers but it is predictable in its storyline.One thing that was a great asset to the film was the colorful Punjabi culture and ceremonies. Some may say ‘it's just a movie' but I know from personal experience that millions of youth face difficulties in choosing cultures when living amongst two different ones. From this movie, the moral values that I've learn is firstly, respect. Jess was never disrespectful to her parents. On the other hand, it was her parents who were being disrespectful to her. They didn't look at her for who she was, instead they only saw who they wanted her to be. The second moral value that learned from this movie is caring.Jesses parents made mistake in their attempts to parent their children, but they also had real strength. The strength was their basic and strong love for Jess. The problem was that they didn't loo k at who Jess had become. They saw her as they wanted her to be. This caused Jess to deceive them but didn't do her any real damage because, before it was too late, they saw what was important to their daughter and changed their position. Had they not done this, Jess would have had to choose between her relationship with her parents and her dream to be a football player. That would have really damage their relationship.

History of Ballet

Ballet is one of the most beautiful, graceful dances known to the dancing world. From the tutu to the pointe shoes the need to see the expression of the steps given. Being able to see how the illusion of a flying princess is one of the most mysteries that come with a ballet show. The history of Ballet has evolved into one of the most well-known type of dances in the world this is from only the men having roles in the ballet to women being able to express emotion. History Then: Ballet started in the late 1400s during the Renaissance. When Catherine de Medici who married King Henry the second of France know for throwing large parties. These parties would last for 8 hours straight of music, food, dancing and other entrainment. These parties would be held for the King, Queen and nobles plus military. With these big beautiful parties going many got interest in this dancing the people saw. Now by the many people of the noble and military began to study dance. This study of dance was now today called ballet. King Louis XlV the worlds first ballet school in 1661. Till this day the position that were used in school back then are used today to keep the tradition alive. Since ballet was born in France most of the position and steps are in French. For example Grande pose means big pose and this is when one arm is in second position, and the other is in third position. With the years over time around the 1800 the new style of type of ballet was born called Romantic ballet. The new style brought ballet to be more less with costumes because its a lot lighter and less restricting when it came to show skin for the females who were dancing. Plus women started dancing on pointe and preformed roles that were graceful and fairly like roles. With this came impressive partner work and lifts were added. There are three man types of ballet one is Italian Ballet it’s dancers are known for their ability to execute different steps and turns. Second is French and their known for how elegant and graceful the dancers are. And last but not least is the Russian ballet is known for their extreme emotional expression and is also the combination of the other two ballets. With ballet being going from all men to women, it has proven that this dance will continue to change. History now: Ballet has kept its classic and elegant movements the same but the way they see the female dancers has change the look of it. With ballet there are little dark secrets that are hidden and with it. No matter how nice the dance is there is going to be women that want look better than the next girl on the barre. The old look for dancers was to be short and have muscle because being on pointe is very hard. But now sense society wants girls to be all skinny so ballet with that took it to the extend. And with this many higher schools require their girls to not be on diets so that their fat they eat will be burned up by the end of practice. Having the thought many of the parents of young daughters are brought in to have a talk about how they can portion out their kid and also talk about the training they need to make a career out of this. But ballet is not all bad it has become to know with the more modern song, in which mean that ballet has became also fast beat and sassy when it came to the girls role. No matter what there is there is a fence with ballet that many love it or hate it just depends what side you’re on. Play one Giselle: Giselle is one of the few many famous ballets still know in the ballet world today. A little about this ballet is a peasant girl in a village that was surround by hills in the medieval days. With that there is a Count name Albrecht who dresses up as one of the peasants who lived at the village. So going down there he meets a village girl by the name of Giselle who was very much so pretty. The town didn’t like the noble Count to be dating this peasant girl and her mom didn’t think that her daughter could handle falling in love with someone so soon knowing that a heart break could happen. Giselle later goes to die because of being so mad and filled with grief. When she dies she has to be a ghost for her man from being thrown in the lake because the Queen wants him to dance. At the end she save him and returns back to her grave where she lays. This is a very beautiful ballet but the work the dancers do in the behind the sense is way more to make it the ballet it is. One of the activities is the main character has intermission which is a break in between plays and for this the ballerina must change in a gown and white powder also wings to get that ghostly affect. When dancing the ballerina will slam her pointe shoes on a hard surface so that they are soft, so when on the dance floor they will not make a sound. The dancer must transform the thoughts of a human to the thoughts of the spirit she will dance. A quote from the Cynithia Gregory stated that â€Å"Every step is like a sentence, with the dancer talking to her partner is the audience†. This quote means that dance is like a mine in which a dancer must be able to portray the right emotion and expression that the ballet set for them. Giselle is a love story many can and cannot relate to but many people say it is just beautiful to see. Play two Nutcracker: The Nutcracker is one of the Christmas tales that everyone can see. This ballet is about a family who has a Christmas Eve party at their house and a magician was invited to come. With that he brought gifts in which the gifts seem to come alive. So then there were life size toys that these boys at the party are attacking and Clara the main character doesn’t like the fighting and begins to cry. So the magician gives her a doll which is a Nutcracker doll, the little boys start to get jealous about the getting the doll and them nothing. Instead the boys take it and break it; Clara at night goes to bed and finds at that when she creeps down stairs to find a live size nutcracker doll fighting with toy mice and toy soldiers. Once the nutcracker fights all them he turns into a handsome price who takes Clara on an adventure kingdom and other places. At the end Clara gets back home and still doesn’t know whether the trip she took was a dream or not with her price. The Nutcracker is not just for young people, it’s all ages just because everything is there romantic, action, comedy this ballet is a great family one. Play three Swan lake: Physical Demands: Ballet it’s self is a physical demand on peoples bodies and can cause things to go wrong. Ballet movement aren’t in the human nature to do just off the back, that why training is so important. But don’t let the pretty tutus and the amazing make up fool you the pain a dancer goes through can wipe off of anyone. The lower legs and foot of ballet dancers is impact in their movements. This increases the pressure on the knees and can cause sprains real fast. In point shoes the toes nails split so this will happen when in a show where there is no time to switch shoes so they dance it out and most likely the toe nail is gone and you must peel it off and put a band aid on t and continue dancing with a smile. The pointe shoes in not comfortable for the dancers it is just a new way of dancing so there is a box shape in the shoe which can cause cramping and from that can cause blister that mainly burst right during a show or practice because you’re constantly on them. Some of the injures a ballet dancers get are hyperextension of the spine, hip tentinitis, and k nee and ankle complications. How other dances relate to ballet: 2 famous ballet dancers: Conclusion:

P2 and M1 for communication Essay

There are a wide range of skills we can use to communicate for example we send, receive, and process huge numbers of messages every day. But communication is about more than just exchanging information; it’s also about understanding the emotion behind the information. Communication can improve relationships at home, work, and in social situations by deepening your connections to others and improving teamwork and decision-making. It enables you to communicate even negative or difficult messages without creating conflict or destroying trust. Communication combines a set of skills including nonverbal communication, attentive listening, the ability to manage stress in the moment, and the capacity to recognize and understand your own emotions and those of the person you’re communicating with Argyles theory, communication cycle has six different stages that help you communicate you ideas.it also takes into consideration how you put your ideas across e.g. body language. An idea occurs, you have an idea that you want to communicate. Message coded, you think about how you are going to say what you are thinking. You put your thoughts into language or sing language. Message sent, you speak, sign, write or in some other way send a message. Message perceived, the other person has a sense of your message. They hear you words or see your symbols. Message decoded, the other person understands your message or what you have just said. This may not always be easy as they may make assumptions about your words and body language e.g. for example you went to the doctors and the doctor asked what wrong and you reply saying ‘I have a constant pain in my ear’. The doctor would need to keep the conversation going by rephrasing the question to something like so it’s your ear that’s hurting? This is to make sure you understood or got the right answer. Message understood, if all goes well your ideas will be understood. Argyles theory, communication cycle is a very useful thing to use when trying to communicate to sensitive patients. The communication cycle is a very useful cycle as it makes sure that you don’t say anything insensitive or hurtful to the person who is meant to be receiving the information. the communication cycle is also useful because there are a wide range of stages to help you communicate with others which helps you send someone information with them understanding what you are saying for example a doctor telling a patient when there next appointment is they could use the cycle to help them give the patient the information. But what do you think? Here is a diagram  of Argyles theory. Tuckmans theory In Tuckmans theory explains that as the team enters each stage they develop maturity, ability, relationships and the leader changes leadership style to fit in with the group.it also allows the team to look at the stages to see what stage they’re currently at. There are five different individual stages forming, storming, norming, performing and adjouring.Tuckmans stages are all necessary and inevitable in order for the team to grow, to face up to challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, to plan work, and to deliver results. Forming, the team is assembled and the task is allocated. The team members rend to behave independently as they don’t know each other and may feel intimidated. Individuals are also gathering information and impressions about eachother. Storming, the team starts to progress, addressing the task by suggesting ideas. Relationships may also be starting to develop. It is also essential that a team has a strong leadership. Depending on the culture of the organisation and individuals the conflict will be more or less supressed. As the team starts to move out of the storming stage they will enter the norming stage. This tends to be a step forward by the team agreeing on the rules and values by which they operate. By now the team should start to trust each other. After the arguments, they now have a better understanding of eachother and are able to appreciate each other’s skills and experience. Performing, at this stage the group will be filled with enthusiasm. The team will be able to function as a unit as they find ways to get the job done smoothly and effectively without inappropriate conflict. Some people don’t get up to this stage Adjouring, when team members are proud of what they have achieved and happy to have belonged together but at the same time they recognise that it is time to move on.tuckmans theory is a very useful theory as it gives you a range of information about team building, group skills and there stages. Overall, Tuckman’s Stages is a balanced group effort. And also shows how they’re progressing by maturing and building relationships. Here is a diagram of Tuckmans theory. Personally I think argyles theory is more effective and important than  Tuckmans theory as he gives you a load of communication skills to help you give people information. so it’s more than likely that the other person will understand the information they’re receiving. I don’t think Tuckmans theory is more important than Argyles because in Tuckmans theory he doesn’t give you much information about communication. But both theories are effective and are useful. Effective communication and interaction play an important role in the work of all health and social care professionals. For example, care professionals need to be able to use a range of communication and interaction skills in order to: work inclusively with people of different ages and diverse backgrounds, respond appropriately to the variety of care-related problems and individual needs of people who use care services, enable people to feel relaxed and secure enough to talk openly, establish trusting relationships with colleagues and people who use care services, ask sensitive and difficult questions, and obtain information about matters that might be very personal and sensitive. Nurses may have used their communication and interaction skills to find out about the symptoms of your health problems or may have given you advice or guidance on some aspect of your health behaviour or lifestyle. website Date Time http://www.studymode.com/essays/p-2-Discuss-The-2-Theories-1360439.html 29/09/2013 23:15 http://www.studymode.com/essays/Argyles-Communication-Cycle-And-Tuckman’s-Interaction-1092710.html 29/09/2013 23:19

The public's interest should be taken more into account when the Essay

The public's interest should be taken more into account when the decision is made to disclose a person's health details. Discuss with reference to public health law and confidentiality - Essay Example The Human Rights Acts validates the responsibility of medical personnel to avoid disclosure of confidential medical information. However, Article 8 provides exceptions to confidentiality rights when public interest is involved (Garside & Branthwaite, 2006). The Access to Medical Records Act of 1988 also gives the right to patients to review medical information contained in their records which may be submitted to their potential employers. Along with other relevant health-related legislation, these provisions take note of the public’s interest in considering possible breach of confidentiality agreements. In child abuse cases, public disclosure of health records is important. Many family members prefer to keep information about the child’s health and condition within the family. â€Å"The most difficult dilemma of all often arises in cases of possible child abuse or other criminal activity where individuals refuse to allow disclosure of information, despite the fact that silence puts other people at risk of harm† (Wilks, 1999). The potential for violence that might befall the child is often not prevented when social workers and other health care givers, who are privy to vital health information, have their hands tied by the confidentiality agreement. Public interest is important where â€Å"disclosure to the relevant authorities of suspected abuse or neglect of a patient who does not have the capacity to consent, such as a young child or someone with mental disability is considered to be in the patient’s best interest† (Tranberg & Rashbass, 2004). In cases where the patient has the capacity to consent, his wishes must be respected, except where the abuser may also potentially harm the minor children of the patient. For the greater interest of the minor children and other people who may also be harmed, medical records should be disclosed to authorities. â€Å"The rights of family members to

Homer, Shakespeare and Sophocles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homer, Shakespeare and Sophocles - Essay Example Hospitality is a prominent concept throughout the story. In book four, Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca in secret and begins to look for allies among his former employees. The opening of book four shows that Eumaeus is an industrious person. It tells of how he has built up the pig-sties through his own work, and that he above all of Odysseus' servants takes the best care of his animals, even going so far as to sleep with the pigs at night. He is also shown to be hospitable after the Greek fashion because he always sends the best of the hogs for the suitors, even though he is most likely not happy about doing it. He shows hospitality to Odysseus in beggar form, showing that he is compassionate and not proud. Later he prepares a second meal from one of the fat hogs that are normally reserved for the suitors, and in this his fairness is perfect, as he divides the meat into exactly equal portions. At this second meal he also presents a sacrifice to the gods, showing that he is pious as well. In drawing a comparison between xenia, piety, and morality, it is shown that the Greeks placed very high importance on the concept of hospitality to strangers and friends alike. As with many Greek choruses, the chorus in Antigone provides insight on the characters and plot of the play, and provides important cues that signal how the audience should feel about and relate to events and characters. In Antigone the chorus appears at pivotal moments to comment on what has occurred. Choruses also add meaning to a play because they are usually composed of a specific type of Greek citizen - for example in Antigone the chorus is made up of Theban elders. This adds meaning to the play because the elders were important for maintaining order in Greek cities, and for the king, their support is crucial - in fact Creon actively tries to win their loyalty. Throughout the play the chorus is torn between remaining loyal to Creon and the necessity of supporting divine law. In Antigone the chorus of Theban elders supports Creon at the beginning. They are loyal to Creon, and pledge their support (but not their approval) of Creon's plans. However, the chorus begins to change their stance when Creon tells Haemon that he intends to have Antigone executed. The chorus warns that because he is separating two people in love, Creon's actions may offend "[s]he against whom none may battle, the goddess Aphrodite". The members of the chorus are also city officials, therefore they must be pious, and withdraw support from a king who is out of favor with the gods. Later, when Tiresias warns of the gods' punishment they urge Creon to take his warning and bury Polyneices. The chorus ceases supporting Creon because he is close to losing the blessing and support of the gods. They advise Creon to take the only action which will allow him to remain in the gods' favor, and rejoice when he finally takes their advice, however at the end of the play they still judge that his a ctions have gotten him what he deserved: "By far is having sense the first part of happiness. One must not act impiously toward what pertains to gods. Big words of boasting men, paid for by big blows." Othello Othello is a Venetian general, courageous, intelligent, and skilled in battle. However, he is also socially insecure. Even though he shares religion,

Legal Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Legal Research - Essay Example Accidents can take several forms and each one of those might produce diverse results ranging from minor to moderate to fatal injuries. Among the major forms of accidents that take place, road accidents are deemed to have the potential of much frequent occurrence2. Notably, the common grounds of court ruling in road accidents take into account the duty of care beard by the road users, contributory negligence performed by the driver(s) and insurance coverage of the driver(s), in order to rule the offence and correspondingly deliver opinion on the liabilities of the driver. The ultimate ruling may affirm that i) one of the parties involved in the accident was entirely faulty, which caused the accident and thus the liability is to be bestowed on that party completely; ii) both the parties involved were equally liable for the damages caused due to the road accident and must be charged with 50:50 liabilities in compensating each other’s losses; iii) either of the parties involved in the road accident was more responsible than the other and therefore the liability shall be shared in a proportion where one party bears more but not the entire compensation than the other party involved3. Taking into account these principles along with other statutory provisions, the aim of the paper will be to analyze a particular case related to road accident. Subsequently, the paper will provide advice to the victim of the accident described in the section of case overview regarding all the legal procedures thereafter. Case Overview Headed for celebrating a short weekend holiday in their campervan, Mr. Johnson and his family had to experience a fatal accident, where the driver in the other car was killed. The driver in the other car, D, had been driving erratically when it hit Mr. Johnson’s campervan. When police arrived to the accident scene, even though they conceded that Mr. Johnson was not faulty, they charged Mr. Johnson for the death of D. The other relevant particu lars of the case state that Mr. Johnson’s campervan was uninsured and that he too did not possess a full license, which, according to the police made him chargeable under the relevant act. Additionally, further investigation to the accident revealed that the D was under the influence of alcohol when driving, which was the cause of his driving erratically and had further caused his death in the road accident. Undoubtedly, the point of concern in this case is to justify the proportionate liability of Mr. Johnson and make him bear least liability of the accident. Relevant Laws In the case of Mr. Johnson and D, the applicable statues will be under the Road Traffic Act 1988, and the relevant Tort of Negligence. As a matter of fact, the proportionate liability chargeable for Mr. Johnson and D will be required to be considered in ruling the compensation liability of Mr. Johnson. As disclosed in the above mentioned case, where Mr. Johnson was hit by another driver, in-spite of the fa ct that he/she was driving within the prescribed speed limit, Section 125 of the Highway Code of UK rules that being in a particular speed limit does not signify it is safe and justified to drive for any particular situation and get exempted from the liability of the road accident damages. Although charges and penalties in such cases are minimal, a legal

Aristotle and Meaning of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aristotle and Meaning of Happiness - Essay Example If a person wants to gain real happiness then he should desire and aim for virtues in himself which eventually become real happiness of a person and will last within person's soul till eternity. Values like sincerity, honesty, honor, morality, justice wisdom and courage are the qualities which enlighten the human and bring inner happiness with can never be taken away. (YUKSEL.ORG) HAPPINESS WITH VIRTUE AND VALUES VS WORLDLY AND SELF CREATED VALUES: For Aristotle happiness is what enlightens and satisfy the soul. And happiness cannot be measured with worldly things like wealth, fame and social setup. From the virtues are the moral values of a person and they are real happy for a person as they define and satisfy the inner being of that person. And according to Aristotle real happiness can only be gained through virtue. He defined two types of virtues: moral and intellectual. Moral virtues are those which are explained and generated by feelings, choice, and action. The feeling of care, honesty, and justice etc. are the moral virtues which show the feeling and values of a person towards life and others. Whereas intellectual virtues are those which are related to person's cognition like wisdom (W. Russ Payne) IN THE LIGHT OF BOOK â€Å"TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE† The book â€Å"Tuesday with Morrie† writer by Mitch Albom is a memoir of the time the writer and his professor had together. It tells a heart touching story of a unique relationship which a student redevelops with his teacher Morrie Schwartz who is fighting against a fatal disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). After 16 years of graduation, when Albom accidentally see his professor in TV program Nightline while tripping channel he becomes totally shocked and stunned to know that his most favorite teacher is suffering from a terminal disease. This accident brings all the flashbacks to Albom’s mind and he recalls his pledge he did to his teacher on the last day to his graduation; which w as to stay in touch with him but he wasn’t able to fulfill it. And how on the last day of graduation Albom gifted Morrie a briefcase, with which he expressed his deep feelings of departure and gifting him a gift because he doesn’t want his professor to forget him. And how his sir Morrie was equally emotional and he sees him crying when he turned away after meeting him. This was very painful for Albom to recall and felt guilty that in his busy life he overlooked and forgot his promise. And after coming to know that he is suffering from ALS and is on wheelchair he felt great remorse and regret not staying in touch. Soon after this Albom’s starts visiting his teacher and realized that he has lots more to learn from his teacher. And just after coming to know about his teacher’s fatal condition, Albom who’s heart was full of agony immediately goes to meet his sir who even after a gap of 16 years recognize his students. This was not only painful for the student to see his teacher in such condition but a very emotional and nostalgic point in Morris life to see his student coming at his door after 16 years which brought all flashbacks of past. Albom starts visiting his teacher every Tuesdays and talked about life and knowledge. Albom and Morrie already had a very cordial father and son like relationship back in college but it took a new turn when after the lapse of sixteen years, Albom again started to visit him.  

Research paper Critique Of Human Resource Managment Essay

Research paper Critique Of Human Resource Managment - Essay Example Secondly, is the complete documentation of data and methodology, which could be made available to other researchers upon request, thus enabling others the opportunity to test the viability of research results, critique a research or establish statistical measures of reliability of the research results (Polit et al, 2001; Bozinovski, 1995). Research in the field of International Human Resources Management is intended to expand what is known in the practice of Human Resources (HR), empower the professional HR manager to capably foresee and manage the complex and constantly changing challenges facing the human resources management, as this is paramount for the continuous relevance of human resources management as a tool for achieving the developmental and market competitive goals of firms and companies, in the emerging global market (Parahoo, 1997). Critiquing a research work, therefore, involves a caref... The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse a chosen piece of human resources management research report titled 'The Impact Of Human Resource Management Practices On The Implementation Of Total Quality Management: An Empirical Study On High-Tech Firms' a recent paper presented earlier this year by Ching-Chow Yang (2006) and published in the TQM Magazine Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 162-173. Generally, the research paper looks into what relationship exists, if any, between Human Resources practices and the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). This is reportedly, due to the high failure rate in the implementation of TQM despite its perceived numerous benefits in generating improved quality and efficiency, increasing customer satisfaction and market competitiveness. The researcher argue that, although, this high failure rate of TQM implementation has been attributed to the fact that companies and firms place little importance on human resources management, as it affects TQM, little or no empirical research efforts exists to back up this argument. This has therefore given rise to the necessity of the research at hand. Objectively evaluated, this appears to be a reasonable premise upon which the research effort is based, thus enhancing the utility of such a research results for the implementation of TQM and improvements of human resources practices. As suggested by Stevens et al. (1993), this research therefore fulfils the requirement of adding to knowledge and expanding what is already known in the field of enquiry. Research Structure Quoting Confucius, Farh et al. (2005) stated that "a mechanic who wishes to do his work well must first sharpen his tools." They explained that when conducting high quality empirical

Management and Organisations in a Global Environment Essay

Management and Organisations in a Global Environment - Essay Example at carrying out relevant research and applying the interpretation of the data emanating from the same in order to transform the company and render exponential growth to its operational effectiveness. Systems and technology consultancy: this includes working with private as well as public companies and corporations to source and provide information regarding financial services, energy, government and public services, manufacturing and telecommunications, among many others, so as to promote the scope for strategic partnerships between the public and private corporations. Kuwait is a country with a rich culture and strong ties with tradition. This has led the entrepreneurs in Kuwait to regard tradition and culture in all their activities. There strong presence of culture in business negotiations has become a standard in today’s world of commerce. (Stokes, 2001) The preparation for negotiations in a certain country involves a strong focus on learning more about the traditions as well as culture of the country. This helps the negotiator get comfortable with the business climate that is followed in the country so as to have a better grasp over what is happening around him or her. (Furusten, 1999) This has been seen in KCS as well. (Kuwait Computer Services – Official Website) In the Middle East, there are a plethora of customs as well as traditions that are a part and parcel of their activities in every walk of life. For example, a major part of this involves food habits. The Kuwaitis, as a people, focus on the food at every occasion. They have a wide variety of dishes that are prepared and savoured according to the occasion. The scope for stability as well as innovation and risk in this case is in the fact that the Middle Eastern culture needs to be studied in order to come up with a fool proof structure on which the knowledge management criteria may be arrived at and finally evolved. (Hofer et al, 2002) The function of culture helps employees in gaining wider

Teaching English Language Learners in the Content AreasMathematics Essay

Teaching English Language Learners in the Content AreasMathematics - Essay Example To address these challenges, there is need for teachers to employ specific strategies that can improve students learning experience and further improve performance among them (Egbert & Ernst-Slavit, 2010). To ensure that students engage meaningfully and that they benefit from each other when learning mathematics, I suggest collaborative learning to be applied in class. Under this strategy, the teacher forms groups of four or five students, with each group containing an English native speaker. It is also ensured that students work with diverse student backgrounds; a factor that allows each student to get exposed to different cultures. This strategy relies on the finding that collaborative learning among students can help break language barriers better compared to direct teacher-student interaction (Anahalt, Farias & Farias, 2009). One of the main benefits of collaborative learning is that it fosters friendship among students from diverse backgrounds. Students, therefore, learn to rely on each other in a positive way when solving mathematics problems. Collaborative learning, in this case, uses diversity as a tool for learning rather than a challenge for English language learners. Additionally, this strategy promotes socially constructed learning, where the teacher acts as a mediator. The teacher uses language to monitor interactions within social relationships that in this case are groups of students. This benefit relies on the proposition that what individuals are made up of and how they think are functions of their social relationships. This strategy equally provides a rich language, encourages thinking, and consequently yields high-level academic performance among ELLs (Anahalt, Farias & Farias, 2009). One of the technologies presented by Grandgenett, Harris and Hofer (2009), is the virtual manipulative that allows teachers and students to concretely represent abstract

Effects of Divorce Essay Example for Free

Effects of Divorce Essay Divorce can be defined as the termination of a marital union, the canceling of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and the dissolving of the bonds of matrimony between married couples (Wikipedia, 2013). Divorce affects the couple and children (if any). The divorce is the most serious social problem that affects almost the entire life of the children and the couple, it also makes troubles like: sadness, despair, and unforgettable moments (Williams, 2013). In this paper, I will be discussing the factors contributing to divorce in Canada and will also explain certain statistics used as well. The methodologies that I will be using are both the qualitative and quantitative approach. The reasons I am using both of them are because by using the quantitative research, I will develop mathematical hypotheses pertaining to the phenomena. Also to analyze this topic with the use of statistics to make it somewhat accurate, while for quantitative; because it will explain in word data about my information. I strongly believe that these two forms of methodology will properly explain the factors contributing to divorce. The history of the legalization of divorce in Canada predates that of its colonial overseer, England, where it was only in 1857 that divorce was legislated, mainly on grounds of adultery. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island respectively enacted divorce laws in 1761, 1791, and 1837, generally on grounds of adultery (Wu Schimmele, 2009). It was not until 1968 that Canada enacted its first unified Federal Divorce Act, which was followed by the more liberal or no fault act of 1985 and it was mentioned that the sole reason for divorce is marriage breakdown, which is defined as either living apart for at least one year, or committing adultery, or treating the other spouse with physical or mental cruelty. Though divorce rates have not increased recently in Canada, the number of divorced persons is however increasing with population growth. In 2007, there were 972,183 divorced women and 712,531 divorced men in the population (Statistics Canada, 2007). The difference between the men and women is because divorced men re-partner faster and more than women and also because women live longer than men.

Product, Pricing, and Channels Paper Essay Example for Free

Product, Pricing, and Channels Paper Essay The following paper reviews how the Magnolia Bakery, offers its products and services to a target markets that are considering fresh bread from the oven every day delivery at the customers’ doors, early in the morning, for family breakfast. This discussion reviews include several areas such as the product features and benefits; the phases of the product’s lifecycle; the packaging of the product; the pricing strategy, and the channels of distribution. Product Features Magnolia Bakery offers four new items on its already extended list of products. These are four different kinds of bread. The choices of bread were carefully chosen to offer quality and healthy benefits. The choices are: Baguette, Black Bread, Focaccia and Bagels. Each one of these types of bread has a particular texture and taste that will give to the customer a great breakfast experience: Baguette is a thin loaf of French bread with a crisp crust, very characteristic of France. The Baguette is made with wheat flour and no added additives; Black Bread, or Rye Bread, is made with various quantities of flour from rye grain. Rye is a cereal grain, which gives a dark color and more dense texture from the wheat flour breads. This bread has important qualities because it holds a substantial amount of fiber and small amount of fat. This is good bread for diabetic patients since it doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar, as the other breads do. Focaccia Bread is another option. This is a more flat bread topped with olive oil and herbs. The texture of Focaccia Bread is similar to the pizza dough, and it is made with high-gluten flour. Our Focaccia will be have supplements with nutritive value and low calories using little amount of olive oil. And for last, but not least-the Bagel-all American breakfast bun. Bagel is yeasted wheat dough bread first boiled and then baked. Bagel will be a product that can be offered to the Jewish community. With these new items, that Magnolia Bakery wants to provide, it will offer a new service of delivery, from 5:00 to 10:00 am, directly to the door of the customer. Product Life Cycle The lifecycle of the bakery would have started with the introduction stage and that would have consisted of the target marketing, price, distribution, and promotion. The price had to be adjusted around the culture and the quality of the product. The distribution step would have included on how they would make the bread and where they would make bread in order to give it to the customer. The next that the bread company experienced in the beginning would have been the marketing part. Now with marketing is where they figured out who, what, and whys of who they would want to market too. This stage is important because if a customer like the service that is being provided, word of mouth travels fast. The information that is gathering through marketing and the customer is what products they like and how often certain breads or pastries are purchased. The growth stage is vital because this is where the company depends on the customer and the company pushes forward their name within the indu stry. In this stage there should be an increase in marketing, distribution, promotion, and pricing. Pricing is a big deal because the product should never be over priced however, the bakery is indebted to the investors for some years so this should evaluated. The items that are baked are done within the store and they are not resold. Within the maturity stage is could be a long wait because this is where over cost has subsided and the bakery will begin to see the fulfillment of their hard paying off. The business began to become more lucrative and the business can began to look within some other options. The options could include building another store in other states or around town. The decline stage is not necessarily a company closing its door, but it could also mean it is being sold off to a corporate minded company and being able to grow. This could include a name change for them or relocation. In could also mean changing the color of a product and making if different. However, with a bakery they could do a face lift on the building and do a reopening. It is vital that all the se stages have a plan to go along with it, because if not during the decline a business can close their doors forever. The cycle may not always go in this order but it will give a good idea of what may happen. Packaging With packaging for backed good there are many ways to add value to the  product. Going green: the company can purchase boxes and bags for their bread products that are recycled, the use of pot consumer materials can reduce the carbon footprint and this is something that some consumers look at in recent years. Coupons: the addition of coupons to the packaging can help to gain reoccurring business, if you buy a loaf of bread and the box has a coupon for a free loaf when you buy 2, this could help to expand on other products as well. (Imagine a coupon for a free dozen muffins when you buy 2 dozen at regular price) Vibrant designs: the use of vibrant colorful designs on the packaging may help to peak interest in the product contained within. If you are at a neighbor’s home and they have a beautiful blue and gold box sitting on the table, this may peak interest in what is inside the box. Other ways to increase the value of a product in this case could be to have a menu on the box, perhaps you open the bag and printed on the inside (safely) is a copy of the menu of products sold by the establishment, and this can be a constant reminder of what other products are available every day. Though some of these ideas may cost more than others, the ideas to draw the consumer in, so they will consume more product the appeal is one way to increase consumer traffic. One last way to increase value of the service would be to include a survey with the delivery; this survey could help critique the performance of the delivery driver as well as the quality of product. This kind of feedback can always help to improve the business and help make it better. Pricing Strategy Magnolia Bakery will need to implement a pricing strategy when launching its new delivery service. Magnolia should consider how much consumers, specifically in its target market segments, will be willing to spend for the value this service provides. Since this new service being offered gives Magnolia the capability to reach a greater number of customers, management should focus its strategy on attracting these new customers. This means Magnolia Bakery should take a sales-oriented approach to its pricing strategy, meaning a strategy with a goal of increasing sales by getting customers â€Å"in the door.† There are a couple of different ways this can be done. Magnolia could provide incentives for customers to start using its service through a limited time introductory offer, such as free delivery for the first 30 days. Magnolia could also offer discounts to existing  customers in exchange for bringing in business from a friend, providing them with an incentive. Once it establi shes a customer base, Magnolia will also want to look at maximizing its profits. Prices for the product should match in-store prices, as the costs of producing the product are not affected by the distribution method, with the exception of volume discounts. The increased costs come from transporting the goods to the customer. There should be some charge for the convenience of the delivery service to offset costs, but this charge should not be so high that it discourages customers from using the service. A reasonable starting point would be $10 per week, with distance from the store as a consideration. Magnolia should also consider that higher volume orders bring in more profit. An offer of no delivery charge for orders over $50 dollars per week, for example, may encourage larger orders. However, not everyone in Magnolia’s target market segments has an income that would be sufficient for them to take advantage of volume discounts. Senior citizens are a group that would find the service useful, but would be more encouraged to use it if Magnolia offered a senior discount or sent out coupons in the mail. Finally, Magnolia will need to factor in competition with regard to its pricing, as there are others who could offer the service as well. Too high of a price compared to competitors would reduce sales, while too low of a price could start a price war. Distribution Channels In the four â€Å"P’s† of marketing, placement is a very important element in the marketing strategy. Multiple distribution channels will aid Magnolia Bakery in expanding our reach and also grow revenue from the sale of the bakery’s fresh bread and other products. Offering direct delivery in the neighborhoods of our shops will continue with our focus of personalized service to loyal customers. Building distribution channels using local retail grocers and specialty markets will allow us to sell through value added resellers (VAR). Members of our sales team have already contacted several wine and gift related boutiques that have an interest in Magnolia Bakery’s breads and desserts, to include in gift baskets and special picnic baskets. When working with value added resellers such as these shops specializing in food baskets, we will be able to work together to find the right products to complement the others goods joined in the baskets. While considering all distribution channels, including those of our value added resellers, we need to know that we will meet the needs of consumers. Our bakeries and production plants will need to be able to handle the increase of sales and that of certain products during times of peak demand. The value added resellers will be the places where our customers will be coming in contact with our goods and we will need to be able to deliver to the VAR to complete the delivery channel. Our level of service will play an important role and we must do it in ways that are preferred by customers. How we deliver our baked goods to our customers is just as important as the products themselves. We need to supply the right products at the right times, to the right places. Whether we are using a direct distribution channel delivering products through our stores to customers, or through value added resellers, we must have consistently quality products every time. Conclusion There are still a lot of questions to answer and decisions to make from the concept of an idea to introducing the product to the customer. Before launching the fresh baked bread to the customer, Magnolia Bakery has to check that everything is in position so it goes efficiently. What if one of these questions, not answered, or a decision made before the release of the product causes dissatisfaction? The product may not reach expected sales goals. Many aspects play into the success of the final product and whether if fails or thrives. The product, pricing, placement, and promotions, as well as the channels in which Magnolia Bakery is delivered are important parts of launching any new product. References Focaccia Bread Nutrition Facts. (2013). Retrieved from weight loss answers.com: http://weightloss.answers.com/nutrition/focaccia-bread-nutrition-facts Jr., D. P., J.P. Cannon Jr., E.J. McCarthy. (2011). Basic marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach (19th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Nathan, J. (2014). www.slate.com. Retrieved from A short history of the bagel: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2008/11/a_short_history_of_the_bagel.html Taste Williams-sonoma. (2012, February 28). Retrieved from blog.williams-sonoma: http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/focaccia-bread-basics/

Electronic Company Sales and Recruitment

Electronic Company Sales and Recruitment Elec company is specialized in importing and distributing electronic and electrical products in Sri Lanka market. Their product range consist of television, home theater systems, digital cameras, kitchen appliances, refrigerators, gas burners and ovens, washing machines and personal computers. The organization wants to make use of their promotional effort to the maximum so that they are planning to come up with an integrated marketing promotions to support the selling activities. Company is going to develop the sales structure and required to add few more people there to support the expansion. They wont to set sales targets for representatives, come up with a plan to recruit new positions to the sales function, develop a benefit package for them, introduce sales package for them, introduce techniques to co ordinate and control sales procedures for the company. In this report there is a sales plan to the company and there are some suggestions to expand sales. First explained about the personal selling to support the personal mix and analysis the role of the sales team within the marketing strategy. Then revised their sales strategies in line with the cooperate objectives. Then explained the appropriate recruitment strategies and selection procedure. The role of motivation for field sales representatives, remuneration package and training in sales management. Explained the sales structure, territorial design, sales recordings and methods to control sales activities. After that explained how sales representative could make use of database in setting effective sales management programmed. Then developed a sales plan to promote electronic and electrical items. Finally investigate the opportunities for using exhibitions or trade fairs to promote the electronic and electrical items to the target customers. Introduction Elec Company is specialized in importing and distributing Electronic and Electrical products in Sri Lankan market. Their Products range consist of Televisions, Home theater systems, Digital cameras, Kitchen appliances, Refrigerators, Gas burners and ovens, Washing machines and Personal computers. Currently it is covering the main cities in the country with ten sales representatives. They all report to one sales manager who is located in the head office. They go on filed visits and make sales to B2B shops which are operating all over Sri Lanka. Some times their sales trips spring to two or three days in filed, before they make the next sales visit. But, their selling tasks within the company are not properly organized. In many occasions, they met together, since there is no proper field visit scheduling done. Sales records are poorly maintained. The company wants to restructure their business operations and align the sales operations to match with the organizational objective. The company wants to streamline the sales channel and expand the business operations to achieve the organizations corporate objective. The company is willing to implement a proper planning and monitoring system to have a better quality sales operation and to increase the profitability. Personal selling Personal selling is where businesses use the sales force to sell the product after meeting face-to-face with the customer. The sellers promote the product through their attitude, appearance and specialist product knowledge.  They aim to inform and encourage the customer to buy, or at least trial the product. A good example of personal selling is found in department stores on the perfume and cosmetic counters.   A customer can get advice on how to apply the product and can try different products.   Products with relatively high prices, or with complex features, are often sold using personal selling.   Great examples include cars, office equipment and many products that are sold by businesses to other industrial customers. Point-of-sale merchandising can be said to be a specialist form of personal selling.   POS merchandising involves face-to-face contact between sales representatives of producers and the retail trade.   A merchandiser will vis it a range of suitable retail premises in his/her area and encourage the retailer to stock products from a range.   The visit also provides the opportunity for the merchandiser to check on stock levels and to check whether the product is being displayed optimally. Advantages of personal selling are high customer attention; message is customized, interactivity, persuasive impact, potential for development of relationship, adaptable and opportunity to close the sale. Organization sell and customer buyer behavior in relation to purchase decisions Digital crameras and the washing machines products that selling at the Elec company. People buying Digital crameras and the washing machines for different purposes. First we have to identify the purposes of the customers before selling products. Digital crameras are mostly needed for the younger generation and photographers. But when we come to the washing machines, mostly it is important for women. Then the company have to use different ways to advertise their products. When the company is going to advertise for the washing machines, it is better to put those advertisements in a womens news paper rather than putting that advertisement in other newspapers. When selling digital crameras it is little bit different. When the company selling digital crameras it is better to advertise in commercial magazines than womens magazines. Washing Machine Buyers Digital crameras Washing machines are house hold items . It is already use in houses. When people wants to get a washine mechines they mainly focused about the price and the facilities in that. Consumers are individuals, households or businesses who use the products. Consumer characteristics vary from country to country. Therefore it has become challenging task for marketer to understand the need, buying behaviour of consumer before developing product and marketing program. It has been found that the consumers decision making process is influenced by Usability aspect. Here the peer group pressure, Promises, Digital Processing, Flash, Location services, Cost of service Spare parts cost combined together affect the consumer to decide while purchasing a digital camera. The feature of the product is next important factor that heavenly influences the buying decision of the consumer. Here the consumer pays a great attention towards features like Picture quality, Zoom facility memory of the camera. The accessories have become an important factor in purchasing a digital camera. Apart from the features, the customer is very much interested in other add-on  like colour, carriage bag, weight trendiness of the camera. Other factors that are crucial in decision making while purchasing digital camera are service, value for money promotional schemes. Price has not emerged out as a very crucial factor for the consumers. The consumers give more weight age to usability features of the product in comparison with price. Promotional schemes like discounts emerged out as the least important factor for the consumers. Role of the sales team The sales team is responsible for researching and analyzing the business and the market. Using the information gathered, the marketing plan, budget and key performance indicators are developed. Action plans are devised and the marketing strategy is implemented. The marketing department measures and reports on the results of the marketing strategy. Staff in the marketing department train staff in other departments so they are conscious of current campaigns. The purpose of their activity is to manage the four Ps of marketing. The aim is to stimulate demand for the business goods and services and to generate leads. Leads are customers who are likely to make a purchase. Leads are identified by collecting the details of people who contact the business to ask about products or services, or by gathering details of prospective customers from online surveys, competition entries or newsletter subscriptions. Lists of potential customers can be purchased and classified into ranges of income, loc ation and purchasing preferences. The marketing department can analyze their customer database to highlight customers and their preferences, those who make regular purchases or those who are due for upgrades or replacements. After raising interest and demand for the products and services, the leads that are generated are passed on to the sales department. Leads are people who may make a purchase. It is up to sales staff to contact people, identify their needs and help them make a purchasing decision. Sales staff deal directly with customers and they must build a good relationship. Sales staff also deal with people who walk in off the street or contact the business through their website. The role of sales staff is to make sure the business gets a return from its investment in marketing and to turn demand into sales. Corporate Sales Planning Elec is having multiple ranges of electrical and electronic home appliances to meet with different needs of the families. Company management is more focused on building a business which is sustainable and more profitable for the stake holders. Further they want to have the brand presence as well. The company vision is more focused on creating better values for their end users, sellers and other stakeholders. Further the company is looking for the growing opportunities with business expansion and new sales force recruitment. Moreover the company should develop and competitive environment for the target market to choose Elec products over the competitor brands. Elec management should understand the corporate objectives of their organization clearly and should develop the sales planning accordingly. The sales force management in the Elec Company seems to be very weak and the company is not having and efficient tracking system on the employee customer visit plans. The company is in a position where they have to make strong call on how they are going to manage their sales planning and client management. Elec as a importer and supplier of house hold electronics and electrical thorough out the country, the company should understand the need for designing a sales plan with clear reporting and account management guidelines. As the company is managing a considerable amount of resellers its will be better to change the sales representatives roles to Key Account Managers. Key account managers will be assigned with different shop owners who could be taken care by the respective account managers. Each shop will be considered as separate accounts. The account manager will be responsible to handle any queries related to the accounts under his observations. When the company is designing the account managers reporting lines it can have a 2 layer or 3 layer reporting line. The overall sales and distribution operation would be handled by the country head for sales. And he can have three Senior Sales managers reporting to him, who will be responsible to handle the account managers. The account management can be differentiated into two main criteria. The first criteria would be the large resellers who by more than certain quantity every year. The company can check their past sales records and list the top 25 B2B buyers as the Key Accounts of the company. And the Key accounts can be handled by the Key account managers while the other B2B customers can be handled by the other customer account managers. Among the 3 senior sales managers one manager should handle the Key account Managers who will be handling the main customer accounts of the company while the other 2 senior managers could handle the other customer account operations. When assigning the account managers to the resellers other than the key account managers, the company may practice a territorial approach. This will help the company to plan their sales operations effectively. Same way the company can divide their key accounts into 3 or 4 territories which will make the client management and customer visits more convenient. Company can figure out the compatible staff from the current sales force and promote them as key account managers. If they give the internal staff, the opportunity to handle the key accounts, it will be much convenient for the company to have the rapport with the existing customer hence they already have some kind of relationship among them. Proposed Hierarchy of the Sales Department at Elec Company Country Head Country head for sales should be responsible for overall sales planning and budgeting of the department. The country head will be a member of the senior management team and will have the sales planning with the corporate objectives. He will play a major role in communicating the overall organizational expectations with the sales unit staff. He should have the capacity to develop a sales design and make rapid decisions based on the customer and corporate demands. Senior Manager Key Accounts Senior Key accounts Manager will be handling a team of Key account managers who will be responsible for delivering the set profit targets and achieving the organizational goals. Further the managers will be responsible to manage the account managers reporting to him and to provide them better guidance in delivering satisfactory performance. Further the senior account manager will also have occasional liaisons with the key clients. Senior Manager Customer Accounts Management Senior Manager will be responsible for handling the staff directly reporting to him and growing the unit performance. Also increasing the profitability of the sales team will be a major goal of the manager. Managers will also handle the customer grievances and provide professional guidance to the team members in personality development and business development. Key Accounts Manager Key account managers will have the direct liaison with the key customers assign to them and increase the companys profitability and developing the brand presence in the assigned region. Also they will be responsible to retain the customers and grow the portfolio size. Customer Account Managers The customer account managers will be responsible to handle the customer accounts of the company from the assigned territorial limits. The Account will be handled in terms of increasing sales and convincing the accounts to promote the Elec products over the competitor products. Also the Account managers will be responsible to have sustainable account management and relationships with the customers. Restructuring the sales department should be planned properly as the changes take place in the company to avoid the staff getting the wrong message. The company should give the existing staff more priority for the appropriate positions. And the company should have a clear change management strategy in the role changes and planning. Human Resources Management Human resources management functions related to the sales department will include staff retention, employees welfare management and motivation, recruitment and selection, training and development and Employees Evaluations and other activities related to the staff management. Human Resources Planning for the Sales Unit Human resources planning process involves identifying the need for human capital against the organisational goals and current human capital strengths. Any company in the market should do a human resources planning in order to have a competitive human resources and enjoy the economies of scale. Any decision on recruitment should be made only if the necessity is found through a human resources planning activity, if not the recruitment may be a burden for the organisations future. At Elec, as the company is planning on expansions and growth, the company is in need for more staff to match the need of the sales expansions and adoption of new customer accounts. Human resources planning will have several sensitive steps which need to be carried out with strategic thoughts and information. Evaluating the organisational goals and objectives This should be found from the top management decisions and needs. Identifying the need of human resources (Human resources Demand) The company HR should negotiate with the line managers and middle managers on the need of employees for the achievement of set objectives. The need can be identified by the average productivity assumptions. Identifying the currently human resources availability (Human resources Supply) Gather information from the HRIS or from departmental managers and payroll system on the availability of staff power. And the skills of the employees should be also identified. Evaluating the gap between supply and demand. The management should evaluate the gap existing with the demand and supply of human resources and the skills. Planning the strategies to meet the required human resources level. If the supply and demand is matching the company could focus on training and developing the employees to achieve the goals. If the company has staff surplus, it should implement strategies to downsize the human capital, if not they can reduce the working hours of the employees or prepare rosters for working. But the company may focus on new account adoption and increase the targets of the staff that are with little portfolios. If the company has a staff shortage the company can increase the working hours of the staff and pay overtime or if the need is a long term oriented, they can recruit new employees. Also they can outsource few functions which are not core activities of the business. Implementation of the plan and monitoring the process as a continuous cycle. The activities planned should be implemented and monitored to assure the execution aligns with the planning. And the planning process is a recurrent process which needs to be carried out frequently to assure the human capital is utilised effectively. The above HR planning process should be carried out on a frequent manner to understand the companys sales departments position based on the human resources need. This will help the managers to understand the over heads and shortfalls in the unit. Recruitment and Selection Process The need for recruitment would be identified through an effective HR planning process. ELEC should make their recruitment decisions by carrying out HR Planning activity. If the recruitment is done just for the request of the department managers the company may have to suffer unnecessary financial losses. The recruitment and selection process of the company should be strategically designed to match with the company culture and the industry they operate in. Recruitment and selection process may have the following steps in general. Analysing the vacancy identifying the job role and specialities need for the job role. Analysing the skills and qualifications expected to meet the vacancy. Identify the personality needed from the individual for the position vacancy. Identifying the recruitment method whether the company is planning to fill the vacancy from the internal staff or looking from outside. The company can call applications though education and professional bodies, via referrals and public advertising, etc. Selection process Screening the applications received to identify the qualified candidates. Preliminary interviews for the shortlisted candidates Exams/tests related to the job for the successful candidates Next level of interviews Reference checking and background analysis Offer of employment Acceptance by the employee and employment contract. Induction Evaluation of the Selection process The above procedures could be followed by the ELEC to recruit a suitable candidate for the vacancies. Elec can recruit staff with experience in the same industry and can attract staff members from their competitors by giving better benefits for their staff members. Selecting and recruiting the most suitable candidates will help the company to have a committed staff force who will help the company in achieving the competitive advantage over the competitors. Employees Motivation Elec Company should implement a better employee motivation system as the current system in the company is not very competitive to have a satisfied and motivated sales force. In order to have a motivated sales team the company should focus to develop a satisfied sales force and then motivating the sales team. If the company invests on employee motivations without achieving the employee satisfaction the company many suffer unnecessary losses. The company should make the employees to feel that they are being taken cared by the company and if they perform more the company will reward for their additional contribution. Company should take initiatives to hear the employee grievances and provide proper solutions to match their needs. The company can include employee protection schemes with insurance benefits and health protection for the staff and immediate family members. Also the company should introduce a competitive rewarding scheme based on the account management profits generated by each account manager. This will give them the motivation to focus on increasing the sales and build a strong business portfolio for their benefits and organizations benefit. In addition Elec can introduce a sales tracking mechanism which will provide the staff real time updates on their portfolio position and how their monthly incentives are going to be. Also if the company can introduce Tabs or laptops for the sales staff to have communication medium with the head office and to see the stock in demand and orders to the stores based on the clients needs. This will reduce the companys operational cost on communication medium though the initial investment may look higher. Further the company should have employee get together, family outings and special value adding rewards such as MDs awards to recognize the employees for their extraordinary contribution to the company growth. In addition to the above the company should invest more on the employees training and development. This will help the employees to have a trust on the company. Also they will be happy to see themselves growing within the company. Marketing Mix and Business Development Company should develop a marketing mix based on the corporate strategy of the company. The marketing mix will focus on the competitive advantage over the competitors. The Elec products are tangible and the consumers always want to have key benefits and values to be matched for the money they pay. Elec should evaluate the cost benefits before designing the marketing mix of the company. The marketing mix will be more focused of reaching the shop owners than the end users as the shop owners will be focused on sales growth to end users. Elec should build good rapport with the shop owners and identify the product movement style and analyze the best markets places for the range of products they have. They should provide the right products and the right quantity to the right shop to avoid returns of the goods which will cost extra on transport. Further the company should fix a price which will give better yield for itself, shop owners and cost advantage for the end users. Also they should match their prices with the main competitors to win in the price competition. The Company will have their main stores based on the head office and distribute the goods every fortnight based on the orders received. This system will help them to enjoy the cost advantage again without having many distribution centers. The market placing will be done through the account managers to the shops they manage. And the end users can buy the products from the shops hence the company doesnt need to meet the end user directly. Further the company could train the shop technical staff on the repairs and damage complain handling which will help Elec to have a professionalism in the shop level as well in treating the customers fairly. Also this will help the shops to be satisfied with the support given by Elec. Promotional activities related to the product range will be handled by the Elec corporate office. The promotional activities of the company will have 2 phases where one phase will be focused on the shops and the other phase will be focused on the end users. The public media advertising will have more focus on the general public and end users. But the advertisements done for the end users may have considerable influence on the decision making of the shop owners as well; hence the message received from the media will create a stereo typing on the shop owners mind. The company will carry out personal marketing to the shop owners with the support of the technical sales team and the account manager. Also the senior managers will be getting involved in negotiating the wholesales pricing and the profit margins with the shop owners. International movement of the company is pretty competitive. As the company is still focusing on establishing the brand in Sri Lanka they should do a feasibility study on the competitiveness and profit advantage of entering a new international market. Participating in Trade fairs will help the company to meet the end users in the selected area and identify the real needs and demands of the end users than they learning from an intermediary. Also they can learn about the influences of the other brand in the customer decision making process. Conclusions In summary Elec should develop a sales plan focused on account management concept and differentiate the account based on the profitability and turnover. The high profitable accounts will be managed by the key account managers and the other accounts should be managed by the customer account managers. The company may have to invest more on developing a professional account management team. Further the company has to invest in recruiting the best candidates and training them. The marketing mix of the company should be restructured to match the organizational overall expectation and the company can have products distribution strategies to match the regional demands. Also the whole sale pricing should be negotiated with the key customers and the senior managements involvement is much appreciated on this. Also the company moving international is not recommendable at this point of time hence the company is in need of more cash to stabilize themselves in the local market.

Affirmative Action :: essays research papers

Affirmative action is a growing argument among our society. It is multifaceted and very often defined vaguely. Some can define affirmative action as the ability to strive for equality and inclusiveness. Others might see it as a quota-based system for different minority groups. Is affirmative action fair? Are minority groups on equal footing? Is gaining employment for minorities difficult? Is education easily obtained for the minority groups of people? Affirmative action endeavors to answer all these questions, while allowing society to believe harmony exists. Affirmative action has definitely helped women and minorities in their careers, but it has yet to succeed in the goal of equality in the business world for women and minorities. As more and more women are faced with discrimination in large firms, more have decided to strike out on their own. Today employers both private and public require individuals to take a test before entering their place of employment. For example, if one were to apply for a job in a supermarket a test for your basic educational skill is required. To become a fireman, policeman, teacher, or Kentucky Fried Chicken employee you are required to take a test before being hired. To further your education you need to take a test to enter a University. Jobs for today are in the technological, computer, and Internet areas. The need to be educated is a part of life. In our society there are difficulties with basic education. Affirmative action gives minorities the right to equal education. Is affirmative action fair? Affirmative action has become a tool for minorities to use for equality in the business world. Women, African Americans, Hispanics and the like now have a level tool that would support their rights as individuals in the business world. Yes, affirmative action demonstrates fairness. Are minority groups on equal footing? Today, affirmative action is recognized however, the 'glass ceiling' is still there. The glass ceiling refers to "you can see it, but you can't get it". Minorities can reach for the ceiling but still have difficulty actually trying to touch it. Unfortunately affirmative action cannot tell society to behave in a way that would place every individual, every minority group on equal footing. Affirmative action is a great tool for minorities. It encourages equality in humanity. I agree and support affirmative action in that individual's should be treated equally. Affirmative action is still needed. Although women and people of color have come a long way in the decades since the Civil Rights Act was passed, discrimination still exists.

What Heidegger Wishes To Transcend: Metaphysics Or Nietzsche :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

What Heidegger Wishes To Transcend: Metaphysics Or Nietzsche ABSTRACT: In this paper, I shall focus first on Heidegger's attempt to tackle the problem of 'metaphysics' and his wish to transcend it. Then, I shall try to evaluate his thoughts about transcending metaphysics in connection with his interpretation of Nietzsche's anthropology, which he considers to be the highest achievement in metaphysics. In my presentation today I shall focus first on Heidegger's attempt to tackle the problem of "metaphysics" and his wish to transcend it. Then I shall try to evaluate his thoughts about transcending metaphysics in connection with his interpretation of Nietzsche's anthropology which he considers to be the top achievement of metaphysics. At the beginning of his main work Being and Time Heidegger has made clear that his aim in writing it, was to deal with the meaning of Being in a concrete way and posed the question of Being as the primary question of philosophy today. Therefore it would be useful, as a first step, to take a look at the main reason which has led Heidegger to this assumption and consequently to the inquiry into the meaning of Being. Heidegger asks the question of the meaning of Being with respect to a fact which, to his mind, characterizes our times and which he calls "homelessness". This fact is due to "the oblivion of Being", as a result of which Being "has abandoned us". (1) The basic problem that worries Heidegger is related just to the recognition of this fact. He maintains that although Being has been investigated since ancient times in different periods, it has not yet been elucidated, because the question about the meaning of Being has been neglected. (2) Due to this negligence of the meaning of Being, man has lost almost all his connections with Being and lives now in a technical, artificial world: man has lost his "ground", he is "homeless" . (3) Heidegger tries to find a way to help man to transcend this homelessness, which he considers to be dangerous for the present and the future of the human being. This is the reason why Heidegger, already in 1929, asks the question of "what is metaphysics?". He thinks that this question itself can open the way he is looking for, because it plays a very important role in putting the question of Being correctly and in settling the problem of homelessness of the human being.

Existentialism :: essays research papers

Existentialism In our individual routines, each and every one of us strive to be the best that we are capable of being. How peculiar this is; we aim for similar goals, yet the methods we enact are unique. Just as no two people have the same fingerprint, no two have identical theories on how to live life. While some follow religious outlines to aspire to a level of moral excellence, others pursue different approaches. Toward the end of the Nineteenth-Century and on through the mid-Twentieth, a movement followed "existentialism," a philosophical theory of life, in order to achieve such a level. Even though the idea of existentialism is complex, certain themes are common amongst philosophers and authors: moral individualism, freedom of choice, responsibility, alienation. Fundamental to understanding existentialism is the conception of moral individualism. Existentialism rejects traditional ethical endeavors. Philosophers since the time of Aristotle, circa Third-Century B.C.E. (before the common era), have held that everyone should aim for a common peak of ethical achievement. Aristotle argued for the existence of a divine being, described as the "Prime Mover," who is responsible for the unity and purposefulness of nature. In order for humanity to attain such a climax, everyone must imitate The Almighty's perfect profile. Aristotle's basic philosophy deduces that humanity strives for an identical peak of moral excellence, as judged by a higher being (Aristotle). Existentialism declares that the individual must choose his way; there is no predetermination. Since the universe is meaningless and absurd, people must set their own ethical standards. The universe does not predetermine moral rules. Each person strives toward a unique moral perfection. The Nineteenth- Century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, who was the first writer to call himself e)existential, reacted against tradition by insisting that the highest good for the individual is to find his uniqueness. His journal reads, 'I must find a truth that is true for me ... the idea for which I can live or die" (Existentialism). Existentialists believe that morality depends on the individual, rather than a supreme being. Next to moral individualism, the inevitability of choice is the most prominent existentialist theory. Existentialism assert that people do not have a fixed nature, as other animals and plants do. Our choices determine who we are. The Twentieth-Century French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre proclaimed that the most Important choice is the choice of ourselves. Each character makes choices that create his nature. Existence suggests freedom where mankind is open to a future that is determined by choice and action. Choice is inescapable and central to human existence; the refusal to choose is a choice. Even when a

The Impact of Weak System Security

In addition to this, it is not just the organization itself that can feel the brunt of the impact of weak security. Employees whose responsibility it is to ensure that there are no weaknesses an also be hit hard. Generally, it is up to managers to ensure that there are no weaknesses in a systems security; or at least to reduce the risk of negative impact/damage on the company. This means that if there is a major weakness is found in the system of an organization, managers could lose their jobs as a result of negligence etc.This then puts the managers in a situation where they are losing money, not just the company. Loss of Customers- Weak system security can also result in the loss of customers as people will not want to use a business that has problems with their security s their personal details or information may be at risk. For example, if a bank has a weakness in its security, and this weakness is exploited by hackers; then customers' information may be stolen and used to purcha se goods under their name.This goes against the organization's key responsibilities to its customers as they have a responsibility to keep their customers data safe and hidden from unrestricted access. This means that if people's data is stolen or lost then they will more than likely move to a rival organization where they think that their data will be safer. This will result in the loss of customers from the company and a massive lost in trust; possibly resulting in the loss of jobs as there aren't enough customers to make a profit for the company.Increased Costs- An increase in costs can also be incurred from the weakness in a systems security. This can be caused as a result Of needing a specialist engineer etc to come in to the company to see where the weakness in the systems security is. This may cost a lot of money as it is; and more money will need to be spent in order to get another specialist to come out and fix the problems that are there. In addition to this, customers may wish to receive mom sort of compensation as payment for the information that the company has lost about them. Or Image- A poor company image can be another nasty effect of weak system security. If a major company has even one or two system weaknesses it can reflect very badly on its image as people will start to lose trust in the overall protection that the company offers to its customers. A poor company image can have a massive impact on the ability for a company to make enough money to actually make a profit on the goods they are making/selling. A poor image may then result in the loss of customers and earnings from the many.It is therefore vital that the company ensures that there are no weaknesses in its security so that their company image stays strong. All of the above impacts can be related to the organizations key responsibilities to their Customers. The Organization has a massive responsibility to ensure that all of their customers' personal data is kept secure, and that o nly the people who are authorized to access it are able to and only at the right times. This links in with the data protection act of 1998, as companies must provide suitable means of protecting customers' data.

Application of Deontological ethical theory Essay

In places where there are interactions among people, ethics become one of the most important principles that guide the behaviour, decision making, and evaluating the conduct of the people. Deontological theory is used to evaluate ethics and guide people for ethical considerations. Gender ethics is one of ethical issues that is most prevalent in the society where women live is a society that denies them education, economic, and marital equity. Hence, ethics can be said to be the principles by which people live by in the society. This paper will discuss the deontological theory and how it is applied in gender ethical issues such as economic, educational, and marital equity that are prevalent in most societies. In most education insinuations across the world, admission is in part based on gender and in part in merits, which questions the ethical practice. Gender issues have led to some students been denied chances to get quality education in schools of their choice (Willingham, & Cole2013). Although the issue can be seen as ethical as the schools try to admit students while balancing the gender, it is unethical behaviour on the deontological theory point of view. Male students may be denied a chance for quality education at the expense of a female student. The society expects that a student who has passed his examinations should be in a position to secure the position of a good school and obtain quality education. Deontologists argue that, in order for the schools to portray good gender ethics, it should not discriminate in terms of gender but it should consider merits for its admissions. Gender issues concerning economic equity in work place have been perceived as the most ethical dilemma that organizations face. Some organizations discriminate women in terms of wages and employments (Baker et al., 2009). Women are paid unfair wages while some are denied employment positions based on gender. The gender discrimination can be considered as unethical on the point of view of deontological theory. In this theory, people do right to other people because the societies uphold it as corrects. In this situation, it would be ethically correct not to discriminate women based on gender since the society does not prescribe to that behaviour. On the other hand, offering competitive remunerations and employing people on merits is a socially accepted behaviour and thus follow deontological theory. Consequently, most societies regard women as lesser being when it comes to marital affaires. Women are denied rights to marital make decisions and hence they are bound by the status and the power of their husbands (Baker et al., 2009). Moreover, their roles in the family are only seen as to involve household chores and not any other occupation that is male-oriented. In deontological point of view, this is unethical behaviour and male and female should have equal rights in making marital decisions and supporting families. The strength of deontological theory is that it mandates people to be consistent in doing the right things. That is deontologists try to be consistent with their behaviour because they believe of what is morally upright (Ess, 2008). Hence, the theory can help to address the gender ethics issues across the society in that it helps people in the society to do the right thing irrespective of their situations. For example, when a person knows that discrimination based on gender is morally wrong, the person may live to protect gender equality and always avoid discrimination. In addition, the theory results in a responsible society where each person knows his or her moral obligations and strives to meet them without failure. The conflicts that may arise from the unethical behaviours as a result of people failing to meet their moral obligations is eliminated. The weakness of this theory is that is does not explain how one can ethically act when he or she encounters two moral obligations. It only defines absolute situations. In gender ethics, an employer may employ a female worker for other reasons rather than moral obligations in disguise of gender equality. For example, a female worker may be employed for sexual favours although she is qualified based on merits. This means that the employee could have employed the worker on merits but he has other reasons. Although the employee can be seen to have acted based on moral obligations, he was unethical due to preformed hiring motives. Hence, from this situation it is evident that there is a conflicting moral obligation, which the theory has not factored in when evaluating the ethical behaviours in the society (Thomasma, 2009). Conclusion                      From the paper, it is evident that gender ethical issues are one of the major ethical problems in the society. It is experienced in economic, education, and marital situations. Deontological theory tries to explain how people can act based on their moral obligations. In gender ethics, moral obligations will involve gender equality in economic, marital, and education fields. Deontologists uphold gender equality in the society since it is a moral obligation. The strength of this theory is that it helps the society to be consistent in its behaviour. However, the weakness of the theory is that it only defines absolute situations and fails to explain situations where moral obligations may be conflicting. References Baker, E. H., Sanchez, L. A., Nock, S. L., & Wright, J. D. (2009). Covenant marriage and the sanctification of gendered marital roles. Journal of Family Issues, 30(2), 147-178. Ess, C. (2008). Culture and global networks: hope for a global ethics. Information technology and moral philosophy, 195, 225.Thomasma, D. C. (2009). Theories of medical ethics: the philosophical structure. Military Medical Ethics, 1, 23-60. Willingham, W. W., & Cole, N. S. (2013). Gender and fair assessment. Routledge. Source document

Product Life Cycle of Fads & Trends Essay

Products with short PLCs The products that follow a short PLC are called â€Å"Fads†. Fads are fashions that come quickly into public view, are adopted with great zeal, peak early & decline fast. Fads do not survive because they do not normally satisfy a strong need. The marketing winners are those who recognize fads early and leverage them into products with staying power. In this paper, a concise description of short life cycle products is provided. The industries analyzed range from entertainment to health foods. The challenges faced by marketers in each industry to build brand equity are analyzed in depth. A study of common challenges across categories gives a generic idea of the challenges faced by products with short PLC. The solutions to these challenges are proposed. Fashion â€Å"the currently accepted or popular style†- generally what the majority of people follow in clothing, fast food, etc. Fashion cycles may last for some time as they spread beyond the innovators. Fad cycles are short and do not re-occur – â€Å"fashionable only to certain groups† Styles are Fashions / Fads that come back over time and can last a short few months, or a couple of years – very common in the clothing industry and house decor. The World of innovations has witnessed many Fads. A brief leap into time reflects the trends of Fads: 1960’s – Bellbottoms, Platform Shoes 1970’s – Disco Music 1980’s – Friendship Bracelets, Break Dancing 1990’s – Napster, Flared Jeans 2000’s – Health & Energy Drinks, American / Indian Idol Business Sector-wise Distribution of Products with Short PLC Health Foods Diet foods have a short PLC because they generally come into existence because of the popularity of an individual who propagates health / diet foods. Challenges to Marketers: †¢ Diet foods may not appeal to the sense of taste of each & every individual. †¢ Lack of immediate results leads to loss in confidence in the product. Events Gala events & theme parties hosted by celebrities, and media shows are products with short PLC from the perspective of the event organizers. Challenges to Marketers: †¢ Events are expensive, so they lack consistency. Events are at times just an outcome of snob factor. Remix Albums Albums by DJs and remixes of old songs are not examples of great music or lyrics. They just follow the present trend that is popular among the youth who desire variety and change. Challenges to Marketers

Pepsico Restaurants Case

MGM 399 1:30-2:50 PepsiCo’s Restaurants PepsiCo started off being a passive company, but later took a more aggressive stance into acquiring key figures like Frito Lay, Pizza Hut, and KFC. The mastermind CEO Calloway orchestrated unique mindsets within each business, and also learned through experience (buying a bakery that failed). Calloway has a lot of success but now faces another important decision: Should he acquire Carts of Colorado? I believe this decision does have some issues and some risk, however overall the benefits might outweigh the problems.If PepsiCo has the right managerial experience and finances Calloway might want to acquire or at least do business with COC. As stated in the case PepsiCo has many competitors in the restaurant industry. The primary reason for acquiring COC is to give PepsiCo a larger advantage over their competitors and maintain sustainable growth. One way these carts can be of great value is their accessibility. Having a low cost mobile serv ice has great benefits. You can read also Classifications of RestaurantsAn example of mobility might be in an amusement park, or a populated city. Another advantage towards acquiring COC might be backward integration. If the carts are doing well other companies might want to buy carts from PepsiCo. A costly venture within the carts is technology. Research and development might be costly in the beginning stages. Management has to be efficient and up to date just as it would be in a restaurant. According to PepsiCo’s Foodservice Revenue of $250 billion 25% of that is from Quick Service.From the expertise with quick service, this should be implemented to increase revenue with the COC. From the case COC was technically bankrupt, and owed $1. 25 million. Pizza Hut helped to keep COC in business. PepsiCo has the capabilities that COC did not have in order to achieve sustainability. PepsiCo analyzed COC as not being the lowest-cost cart and kiosk manufacturer. They also evaluated its engineering and design to be around 18 months ahead of its competitors. This can be very attractive looking at the short term.Maintaining the competitive advantage in technology can be costly, especially since PepsiCo does not have much experience in this field. If PepsiCo acquires COC they would have to invest in technology which could be too expensive. The first recommendation is getting the carts or kiosks in the best location possible according to demographics and population. Backward integration may be possible down the road, but can also oppose a threat by giving competitors some market share. The main risk factor or issue down the road might be the technological aspect.I would suggest hiring managers that have mixed expertise with engineering/design, and with restaurant management skills. PepsiCo can definitely use their success in the quick service business. By using similar standards as they did with Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC can be very helpful in order to reach their growth goals. The low c ost of the carts/kiosks may be one of the more attractive incentives. My overall decision is to not acquire COC, but come up with some kind of an agreement/contract to do business with them.The main reason for not acquiring COC is PepsiCo would have to invest a lot in resources that deal with technology/R&D. I think it is too risky to get involved in areas where you do not have the correct resources/capabilities to maintain net gains. After a few years the competitors would have the same machines and loss could be evident. COC can provide a temporary competitive advantage. By just doing business with COC this can secure a competitive advantage in the industry for snacks/beverages/food at a low risk.