Retailing Strategy an Example of the Topic Business Essays by

Retailing Strategy Making a strategy for the welfare of the business would be one of the basic parts of any business plan which most of us are very familiar with. As a retailer, it is must for us to design strategies that would serve as the backbone of all of the actions that the business will go to execute as the operation goes on. Retail strategy covers all of the aspects from the basic selling of goods in the market down to the most complex part that even books cannot discuss completely-consumer behaviour. Prediction is one of the most important skill that retailers must have in order for their business to be more successful. At this point in time, let us determine the necessary elements of a retail strategy. Without a strong and realistic retail strategy, there is a big possibility that your business might not perform well in the market which could cause undesirable consequences to the welfare of the company (Malik 1). Need essay sample on "Retailing Strategy" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Product Selection This only suggests that in order for the owner of the business to become successful in their operation in the market, they must have the wide range of product that they will offer to their target consumers (Ic.gc.ca 3). If one could observe, this section does not only applicable to retailing business but also to other type of businesses. There are actually two kinds of product selection; the first one would be that owner might dominate the market place through having the largest and the widest selection of product category imaginable (like Wal-Mart and other successful retail stores that currently operates in the market) and the last one would be to have the merchandise that is so unique up to the extent that people will be the one to look for you. In other words, to dominate the retailing market, it is a must for individual to determine the product line that they will display into the shelves of their store (ERA 67). There are also time wherein you have to improve and innovate your product line in order to make it more appealing to its target customers like what happened in Good Year India wherein they made the necessary improvements on their product line just to attract more customers thus increasing their sales and profits (Thehindubusinessline.com 1). Consider the case of Wal-Mart, they offer a wide range of products from clothing down to house-wares and food supplies and even offer them to various medium of distribution like over the internet [Wal-Mart online Stores], (Product Selection for Online Business. 1). Through this they were able to manage entertaining large number of customer everyday since they have the wide range of products that the latter needs for their daily consumption. Another point that must raised here would be, if a consumer firstly think of your store every time they need from any of your product category, then, one could say that your successful in dominating the retail industry based from Product Selection. Convenience It is not enough for a retailer to have only the widest product available in the market. To some extent, considering the convenience of the customers is a vital factor in successful penetration of the target market (Russel there are times wherein customers prefer accessible stores even if it is not offering high quality and at the same time wide category of goods. This case usually happens in busy cities where people are most of the time in a hurry and cant afford to drive a few extra minute just to visit your store and buy their needed goods. Furthermore, the length of store hours could also affect the success of the store. There are stores who offers 24 hours of service which eventually able to entertain those people working in night shift. If your store offers more of food supplies, then, you might consider operating 24 hours a day. There are also times wherein consumers buy goods even if it is not included on their list of goods. Like for instance, even if the consumers first in tention is to buy food supplies in the store, after seeing the new set of designers clothes displayed in one of the corners of the store they might also buy it even if it is not their original reason why they were inside the store. In other words, retailer must also consider offering goods that has a high possibility of attracting customers even if the latter has no intention of purchasing it in the first place. The last but not the least factor to consider under convenience would be the shopping experience that customers will derive every time they shop at your store. Shopping Experience Oftentimes shopping is boring and if only retailer could make the shopping experience of their customers memorable and enjoying up to the extent wherein customers will not fell any dull moment even in a split of second from the time they set their foot into the store, then, there is a possibility the said customers will surely shop again to that store (Ic.gc.ca 1). It would be better if the said customers would pass their wonderful experience to their friends and other family members through word of mouth and this for sure would improve the number of customers that are visiting to your store and so your sales and profit. There are a lot of ways to give customers with memorable experience while shopping. The store could provide recreational facilities where families could make bonding with each other; they could also establish coffee shops and other relaxing stores like spa that will relieve the stress of the customers; or the management must offer exceptional entertainment and servic e through well trained employees. Through the said strategies, customers will surely visit back your store and this time might bring more potential customers. Price This is self explanatory element of how retail store might create a strategy for their successful penetration of their target market. Consumer behaviour, most of the times, is driven by the price level of a certain good (Bergen, Davis & Rao 1). Especially during nowadays wherein most of the consumers earn less income as compared to the previous year, they tend to become more price conscious this should be consider by the management of any retail store when planning for their pricing scheme for the next period (Bernan & Evans 1). Retailers are known for offering goods that are of low price like Wal-Mart which has been loved by consumers and become successful for it offers the cheapest products in town. If possible, lower down the price of your goods in order to attract more customers since price serves to be the basis of consumer behaviour (Li, Sexton & Xia 1). The reason why Wal-Mart has been able to offer the lowest price in the market is due to the fact that they purchase goods for m their suppliers in great volumes giving them the power to huddle for a discount from their suppliers that gives an avenue for them to offer it to lower prices as compared to their competitors. Wal-Mart also has strategically located distribution centers that lower down their operational costs. Having a strategically located distribution channels would help any company to lower down their operational costs (Gerth 1). Goal Setting Just like any other businesses operating in the market, in order to guide the management in making strategies and policies for their store, it is a must for them to identify first the goal that they want to achieve after a given time. This would give them the direction of where the store is going to and help them to structuralize their strategies and plans for the welfare of the entire company (So 4-6). Identifying the target market is included in this section as well as the profit, sales and employees of the store are discussed in here. In other words, most of the vital elements of operation of the retail store depends in this section for this gives an idea to the management as to what are the requirements in order to accept an applicant, as to how to establish their pricing scheme, as to what to prioritize on their operation and which supplier will they accept based from the goals that top managers set for the guidance of the entire store in planning and executing strategies (Wares 1). Operational Expansion By the time the business is going well and the economy recovers from its instability, then, it is a must for retailers to expand their operation domestically and internationally just like Wal-Mart and other top retail stores in the market (Jones 1). This assures the company of additional market to deal with and at the same time serves as the avenue for their impressive growth (Vargas 1). If the company will not dare to expand their business, they will remain stagnant and less progressive and time will come other retailers will run over them so that is why they really have to establish plans of expanding their operations to other market or increase the size of their firm to accommodate more customers (Ipsen 1). Works Cited Bergen, Mark E., Davis, Scot How to Fight A Price War: Analyzing the Battleground. Bernan, Barry Pricing and Small Retailers: Questions to Consider. 2002. Gerth, David Unit 13: Channels of Distribution, Logistics, and Wholesaling. 2000. Nscc.edu. Ipsen, Erik Oil Firms Refine Retail Strategy. 1 October 1993. International Gerald Tribune.

American imperialism essays

American imperialism essays In the late 1800s, I believe that the United States was an imperialist nation even though it was mainly the European powers doing all the imperialism like Spain and Great Britain, but the United States like it usually does, and acted exactly the opposite of what they preached. While the United States was being hypocritical we had imperialist conflicts with Spain, Cuba, The Philippines, China, Alaska, and Hawaii. Spain, the biggest conflict with the United States, at this time had control of Cuba and the Philippines. The Cubans revolted from Spanish rule because the Cuban economy was so terribly horrible. The Spanish in an attempt to control the second revolution put many Cubans were affected by a policy of reconcentration. Reconcentration is similar to the WWII German concentration camps, the Spanish forced a few hundred thousand Cubans into guarded camps. The prisoners ranged from young children to seniors. These camps killed around 200,000 Cubans, which created uproar in the American journalism. Since these stories of Cubans being tortured sold lots of papers the journalists continued creating more and more fantastic stories of the tortured Cubans and of the destruction of the American sugar plantations by Cuban rebels. This eventually lead to the journalism called yellow journalism. This type of journalism is just to increase the newspapers sales; the two major yellow journalists were J oseph Pulitzer (Worlds) and his new enemy William Randolph Hearst (Journals). These newspapers caused an almost domino effect of events leading to the American intervention in Cuba. Although yellow journalism pushed the public in the direction of war the president, McKinley, moved a ship called the U.S.S Maine around Cuba to protect American interests in Cuba. On February 15th 1898, the U.S.S Maine was destroyed killing more than 250 Americans. The yellow journalism in a rush to get mo...

Brand and Burberry

Burberry, founded in 1856, is a leading international luxury brand. Burberry designs, manufactures and licenses apparel and accessories for distribution through its own stores and network of prestige retailers worldwide. In early 1998, the new management team at Burberry set out its strategy to reposition and revitalise the brand, which resulted in significantly improved results and strengthened the base to build the business. With continuous growth since last five years, Burberry has faced new challenges of brand sustainability and positioning in a volatile industry (fashion) where customer behaviour is unpredictable. Thus, it requires a strategy that lays foundations for long-term growth and addresses the issues related to the challenges of product extension, management of the Burberry check and customer segmentation. To reach a recommendation, we come up with five criteria: Brand image; Financial implications; Competitive advantage; Market growth and Ease of business. As maintenance of the brand image is always the fore most important factor for the luxury brands in order to sustain in the market we based our recommendation on this criterion. Based on the situational analysis, we narrowed to the following three alternatives: 1. Status quo 2. Reposition the brand through segmentation of the market 3. Reposition the brand to target core customers After careful scrutiny and evaluation of alternatives, we recommended that Burberry should reposition its brand in order to target the core customers. By implementing this alternative, Burberry will be able to sustain its brand positioning in the fashion industry, which would provide competitive edge to Burberry over the other luxury brands. Association with high-end customers would further enhance the brand image, which would be very helpful to sustain the market growth in global arena. Further, Burberry would be able to implement this strategy with much less efforts and with minimum financial implications. 2. Situation and Problem Definition Burberry, founded in 1856, is a leading international luxury brand. Burberry designs, manufactures and licenses apparel and accessories for distribution through its own stores and network of prestige retailers worldwide. In early 1998, the new management team at Burberry set out its strategy to reposition and revitalise the brand, which resulted in significantly improved results and strengthened the base to build the business. With continuous growth since last five years, Burberry has faced new challenges of brand sustainability and positioning in a volatile industry (fashion) where customer behaviour is unpredictable. Thus, it requires a strategy that lays foundations for long-term growth and addresses the issues related to the challenges of product extension, management of the Burberry check and customer segmentation. With the above issues in mind, we will carefully analyze the situation (Section 4) and develop the alternative course of actions (Section 5). Further, using the recommendation criteria (Section 3), we will evaluate each alternative (Section 6) and will come up with a recommendation in form of a business strategy that Burberry should adopt (Section7). Finally, we will prepare an action plan for the implementation of the recommended business strategy (Section 8). 3. Recommendation Criteria In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the alternatives and to reach a final recommendation, following criteria is devised. 1. Brand image: Burberry has gained a reputation as distinctive luxury brand with international recognition and a broad appeal. Any poor strategy at this stage would hamper the brand value of the company so the recommendation should strengthen the Burberry brand. 2. Financial implications: Firms often need to spend tremendous amount of money to make tangible changes to the product and packages, as well as intangible changes to brand’s image through advertising. Therefore, strategy adopted at this stage would have a huge impact on the profitability of Burberry. So alternatives will be evaluated to reach the final recommendation that should have minimum financial implications. . Competitive advantage: Another key criterion is that of competitive advantage. Fashion industry is highly competitive and Burberry is facing competition from all brands i. e. from lower end to higher end, and from lifestyle to fashion. Therefore, maintaining competitive edge in this market is very important and hence, we would take this factor into account in reaching the final recommendation. 4. Market growth: Repositioning and revival of the brand has led the company to the fast growing path and Burberry would like to continue it in future. Business strategy adopted by Burberry at this stage would have long-term impact on its growth. Therefore, market growth becomes an important criterion for basing any recommendation. 5. Ease of Business: Entrepreneurs always try to bring simplicity in their processes and business. Accomplishment of different strategies requires different level of efforts. Therefore, we will evaluate our alternatives on the dimensions of efforts. Maintenance of the brand image is always the fore most important factor for the luxury brands in order to sustain in the market. s very critical. Therefore, of all the criteria mentioned above, we have determined the brand image is the most important criterion on which we will base our recommendation. 4. Situational Analysis (refer Appendix A for SWOT analysis of Burberry) Since last five years, Bravo, chief executive of Burberry, renewed the popularity of the company brand by successfully implementing the combination of key strategic initiatives, including:  ·Changed the company name from Burberry’s to Burberry and introduced a contemporary logo and packaging. Introduced the Prorsum designer collection for women in Spring 1999, which further extended to menswear for the Spring 2000 season. In addition, the collection provided valuable design inspiration for the Burberry and Thomas Burberry clothing and accessories collections.  ·Enhanced the awareness and perception of the brand among customers and the fashion industry through an image-building global advertising campaign and extensive editorial coverage.  ·More modern merchandising focus and product extensions, transforming the fashion consciousness of the brand. Reviewed the distribution channels, leading to more focu sed presence in premier retailers worldwide. Additional opportunities were addressed in the retail division with the closure of a number of non-strategic Burberry stores, the opening of a new store in Las Vegas and a new flagship store in London.  ·More disciplined stock control, enhanced systems and a substantial reduction in the size of the range, leading to improved profitability.  ·Renegotiation of Japanese licensee arrangements resulted in enhanced control of the brand, the confirmation of Burberrys pre-eminent position in Japan and a very significant boost to profitability. Analysis of the marketing plan of Bravo on the four dimensions of marketing mix (4Ps) reveals the Burberry’s present competitive positioning in the fashion industry. Bravo targeted to transform Burberry products as luxury products with functionality and positioning Burberry as a luxury brand, which is â€Å"aspirational but also functional. † She promoted the Burberry brand in two phases. The first ad campaign conveyed the brand values as â€Å"classic and chic and fun and witty† and second ad emphasized on the fashion side by presenting â€Å"good girl bad girl† theme. Further, in order to present the brand’s new position in the market, she raised the prices and focused on a particular price point. The price range of Burberry apparels is comparable to Hugo Boss (Exhibit 15 of the case) and that of accessories is between Coach and Gucci (Exhibit 16 of the case). Finally, she attained the global presence of Burberry by utilizing three distribution channels (retail, wholesale and licensing) and by exercising tight control over its distribution channel. Bravo’s goal was to transform Burberry from a tired outwear to a luxury lifestyle brand that is aspirational, stylish, and innovative. However, in order to attract younger customers while retaining Burberry’s core customer base, promotion campaign seems to be an inherent juxtaposition of almost opposite association in Burberry’s new position. In first phase, ad campaign seems to convey the classic and new style of the brand while in second phase, it emphasized more on the fashion side of the brand, which resulted in the popularity of the brand among the non-target customer, urban youth and hip-hop musicians. As the lifestyle of a new non-target customer is very different from the lifestyles of Burberry’s core customers, there is a probability that the brand affiliation of Burberry with this non-target market would eventually alienate Burberry’s core customers. Analysis of the Burberry sales breakdown chart clearly indicates the increase in the percentage sales of the accessories to the total sales and decrease in the percentage sales of apparel to the total sales, over the three years. In case of accessories there are two main reasons for the increase. One, the wide range of price points made them an accessible entry point for new customers and secondly, Bravo rightly set the price of its accessories according to its niche i. e. between the price range of Coach and Gucci products. However, in case of apparels, although Burberry put lot more efforts as compared to other sections (introduction of 450 to 500 apparels styles each season in womenswear and 330 to 350 apparels styles each season in menswear), its percentage sales did not increased, primarily because of incorrect pricing. Market research showed that apparels of Burberry has a niche between the labels of Polo Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani, but Bravo priced its apparels almost equal to Hugo Boss, which is much higher then the target competitors. This inconsistent with the original positioning might make consumer confused and even suspicious of the brand’s overvaluation, which in turn will somehow damage its image. On the other hand, even with the higher price range, over all increase in the sales of the apparels points to the requirement of the revaluation of the Burberry’s niche in the market. As markets are not stagnant, especially in the fashion industry where the consumer’s tastes and trends shift very rapidly, Burberry should constantly review the needs and wants of the customers. Thus to maintain the competitive edge in the market, Burberry should constantly update its product. Extension of the existing product line and entering into new needs product categories would be the two strategies that Burberry should adopt to sustain the growth of the company. Burberry is known in the fashion market for its distinctive checks. Thus the brand image of Burberry is associated with the checks. Further, having customers who buy Burberry products only because of its prominent checks and also, customers with one item check aspirational in the target market segment, forming a strategy to manage the ubiquity of check become even more critical for Burberry, which would clearly affect the positioning of the brand. Overuse of the check pattern can present a risk of diluting the brand, which can eventually lead to customer burnout. In sum, analysis of the case indicates that over the past five years, Bravo and her team were able to revive the Burberry brand and provide the new positioning in the market. However, there are some areas, such as, pricing of apparels and consistency in target market, which does not reflects the discipline of the luxury brand and demands repositioning. While there are other new areas, such as, management of the Burberry check and extension of product line, that should be addressed to maintain the popularity of the brand. Thus, it clearly indicates the requirement of the repositioning of the brand in order to sustain the brand image and to lay foundation for long-term growth of the company. 5. Alternatives Following are the alternative business strategies that Burberry can adopt for managing the popularity of the brand and strengthening the brand’s positioning in order to sustain the growth of the company. 1. Status quo 2. Reposition the brand through segmentation of the market 3. Reposition the brand to target the core customers 6. Evaluation of Alternatives 1. Status quo: This is the simplest alternative, as it requires Bravo and her team to perform no action other than continuing the business in same manner. Sustain the brand position as aspirational luxury brand along with functionality factor and advertise it with the goal being to attract younger customers while retaining Burberry’s core customers base. Further, focus on the set price point in the apparel and accessories market, continue with the extensive use of Burberry check, update the current product line, and further tighten the control on the distribution channels. The advantage of this alternative is that it is very easy for the Bravo and team to follow as they have hand on experience with this strategy. Also, sustaining this strategy would be having very less financial implications. However, in the changing world of fashion and lifestyle, this strategy would not be able to sustain the brand image for the long term, which would result in the loss of competitive advantage over the other luxury brands that Burberry brand has attained over the last five years by reviving the brand’s positioning. With the same strategy in place, sustaining market growth would also be hard to achieve. 2. Reposition the brand through segmentation of the market: Under this alternative, Bravo and her team, should adopt a strategy to change brand focus to target two segments of the market, hip-hop youth and core customers and realign the brand’s core emphasis with changing market preferences. Thus, introducing two new product categories, one with designs and fabric representing the latest fashion that matches with the wants and needs of the new market segment of Hip Hop musicians and urban youth, and another with high-profile high-end fabric and design representing the lifestyle that addresses the needs and wants of the core customers. Further, reassessing the Burberry niche in the market and setting the prices of the products accordingly and realigning the use of Burberry checks according the market segments. The advantage of adopting this strategy is that it would enhance the competitive advantage of the Burberry brand over the other luxury brands. It would help the Burberry brand to represent both, fashion and lifestyle, at same time thus increases the likelihood of increasing the market growth. However, even with the clear segmentation, it would not eliminate the concern that youth affiliation with Burberry brand would alienate Burberry’s core customers, which would have a negative impact on the brand image of Burberry. Further, although repositioning will improve the brand’s fit with its target segment, it is not without cost. A risk of not recovering the costs if repositioned brand is not credible to the customer is also associated with this strategy. It would also be very difficult to maintain these two different segments of market and would demand lot of efforts from the Bravo and her team. 3. Reposition the brand to target core customers: Under this alternative, Bravo and her team should focus on its core customers by realigning the brand positioning, and grow the brand in the emerging global markets. The strategy to realign brand positioning will include the use of high-profile fabric and design that should represent both lifestyle and fashion. Burberry will also have to devise the strategy for the use of Burberry check in order to bring soul to its designs and to re-evaluate his niche in the market in order to align the price of its apparels and accessories accordingly. This strategy will guarantee the sustainability of the loyalty of the Burberry’s core customers. This brand affiliation with the core customers would enhance the brand image, while strategic use of Burberry checks and introduction of products with both lifestyle and fashion would help to sustain the brand positioning in the fashion industry. This would provide the competitive edge to Burberry over the other luxury brands. Emergence in the new global market would provide enough opportunities to Burberry to maintain its market growth, however, in the short run, losing some section of the non-target customer would hurt the revenues of the company but in the long run, core customer loyalty would be beneficial to the company. Implementation of this strategy would also be easy for Bravo but it would be challenging to the designing team of Burberry to develop design that should represent both fashion and lifestyle. Burberry would also have to incur some costs in order to reposition the brand that fits with its target customers. 7. Recommendation In order to assess the different alternatives mentioned in Section 6, we will use the criteria mentioned in Section 3: Brand image; Financial Implication; Competitive advantage; Market growth; and Ease of Business. We set up a chart listing all alternatives and assign points to each alternative based on the five criteria. Ranks are assigned with a higher number indicating higher rank i. . better the alternative ranked against specific criteria, higher the number assigned. Of all the criteria mentioned above, we have determined that brand image is the most important criterion so we have assigned double the weight as compare to the weights of other criteria. Finally, the alternative that collects the maximum total points shall be considered as the alternative of our choice. AlternativeBrand ImageFinancial implicationsCompetitive advantageMarket growthEase of BusinessTotal Weight2 x1 x1 x1 x1 x Status quo2311310 Reposition through segmentation of the market4123111 Reposition by targeting core customers6232215 Based on the analysis of the chart above, it is recommended that Burberry should reposition its brand in order to target the core customers. By implementing this alternative, Burberry will be able to sustain its brand positioning in the fashion industry, which would provide competitive edge to Burberry over the other luxury brands. Association with high-end customers would further enhance the brand image, which would be very helpful to sustain the market growth in global arena. Further, Burberry would be able to implement this strategy with much less efforts and with minimum financial implications. 8. Action Plan The recommended alternative can be implemented in three phases. 1. Brand strategy formation and brand repositioning 2. Brand strategy implementation 3. Measurement, evaluation and adjustment of brand strategy Phase 1: Brand strategy formation and brand repositioning Redefine the corporate mission statement that should address the target customers. Formulate strategies to address internal requirements, such as, design of Burberry products that represents lifestyle and fashion and management of usage of Burberry checks, and external requirements, such as improvement of customer’s brand recognition and reinforcement of the new brand, while maximizing the effectiveness of financial budgets. Phase 2: Brand Identity system It would be accomplished in two steps: Step 1: Brand Identity System: conveys a single Brand image and personality through all your marketing communications. The brand value conveyed by advertisement campaigns should match the corporate goal of brand positioning. Step 2: Integrate Marketing Strategy: leverage Brand Strategy across all marketing communications and extend the strategy internally i. e. to all the related departments. Further, reinforce the â€Å"Defined Brand† through interactions both internal and external to your organization in order to strengthen your Brand. Phase 3: Measurement, evaluation and adjustment of brand strategy It would work as the quality check on the brand strategy. To accomplish this phase, two step approach should be used Step 1: Response Analysis and Tracking System: obtain feedback by setting up a Response Analysis and Tracking System for individual media, as well as measuring the effectiveness of marketing investments. Further create an objective metrics that should measure the performance of your Branding Strategy in creating awareness/exposure, inquiry and action/sale. Step 2: Evaluation and Adjustment: ongoing evaluation of performance is critical to gauge the impact of the Brand on the markets. In order to make effective adjustments, a system should be devised to ensure effective and fast responsiveness to the feedback. Appendix A: SWOT ANAYLSIS Environment Evaluation PositiveNegative Internal Strengths-Leading luxury brand with more than 150 years of istory-A top management team made up of A-list industry talent -Broad market base and product lines;-Global presence-Wide brand awareness; Burberry check widely known around the world and derived 25% of all company revenue-Brand is considered classic as well as contemporary-Large profit margins-Tight controls over the distribution channelsWeaknesses-possibly over-extended brand that do not relate to the brand’s image -Historical problems as sociated with licensing and check management-The actual price is not consist with its price positioning-Heavy reliance on the check pattern-Newly emerging customer base could alienate core customer base. ExternalOpportunities-growing luxury market in Asia Pacific-Extending product categories and customer segments Threats-Competition with both lifestyle and fashionable brands. -Volatile industry

No topic Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

No topic - Case Study Example Thus, its main aim was to observe the financial and accounting standards in government owned companies, through this the liability of manager to subordinates will be increased. Therefore, the rampant crisis of trust in American capitalism that was aroused from scandals in WorldCom, Enron and other companies will calm down (SOX, 2002). However, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) has also created major negative effects in the United States corporate. First of all, majority of companies have decided to stay held privately since being public makes them to accountable to the SOX act. Additionally, other public companies that had their names in the stock list have removed themselves. Therefore economists say that this is a big concern since it could lower the economist’s entrepreneur spirit (Zhang, 2007). Secondly, senior managers nowadays instead of putting more attention on strategizing the growth of their firms, they have been seen to be more concerned on the ethical statuses of their organizations. Furthermore, they are hesitative to make brave business decisions and have become hesitant in their plans to expand. Thus, the SOX has become somehow too much of a regulation for the corporate America (Rao,

Personal And Professional Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personal And Professional Development - Essay Example Trainings, workshops, and observations, in addition to other professional development activities, help educator’s enhance their own teaching skills. This enables new and veteran teachers alike to be able to take their teaching to an entirely new level. Professional development involves not only the learning of new instructional methodologies and strategies, but they also enable individuals to keep up to date with new technology that can be effectively implemented into today’s modern classroom. In today’s rapidly advancing and globally progressive world, it is more important than ever that teacher’s today strive to grow professionally in their own right, so that they can foster the continued growth of their own student’s as well. 2. Learning-Environment Observation Studies Gaining the confidence required to be an effective teacher can often come by observing others in action. In so doing, the mentality shifts from one of trepidation to one of accompl ishment. As we see others performing duties well, we begin to feel that we can do the same. This involves observing multiple disciplines to gain a solid overview about the teaching styles evident in the classroom that both promote and foster an environment conducive to the learning process. It is also important to observe others as a means of teacher development. Rossner (1992) argues that, â€Å"Teacher development is not just to do with language or even teaching: it’s also about language development, counselling skills, assertiveness training, confidence building, computing, meditation, cultural broadening – almost anything in fact† (p. 4). Teaching is about much more than communicating facts and figures to young people. It is... This report stresses that professional development can help a new teacher grow in his or her abilities, in addition to leading to an increase in self-confidence. As a new educator in the second year of a teacher-training program, it is important to understand this process begins now. The prospect of entering a class of bright, young, and energetic students without any proper training or observations under my belt would be quite frightening indeed. This paper makes a conclusion that as has been demonstrated to this point, this module has instilled in this student the importance that personal and professional development has on the life of an educator. Teachers must be willing to constantly grow into their profession. New teachers have the responsibility to observe, learn theory, implement methodologies, and adapt to an increasingly technological and globally connected world. Teaching is a serious profession. Young people only possess a limited amount of time to acquire all of the skills and training that are necessary for themselves to enter into society as productive members, so teachers must work hard to ensure that this transition is as effective as possible. This begins with a thorough understanding of what it takes to be an educator, transcends into the role of counsellor and mediator, and continues to the role of life-long learning. In the end, teaching is a most rewarding profession, but also one that requires a great de al of foresight and perseverance.

PTSD; The Battle Wounds You Can’t See Essay Example for Free

PTSD; The Battle Wounds You Can’t See Essay â€Å"I engaged the enemy in numerous gun battles. I was close to someone that was killed or injured. Fear and death were all around me. The military even had me plan for my own death I was numb inside. When I returned home, did you really expect me to pick up from where I left off?† (Combat PTSD) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is one of the most overlooked stressed related diseases of all time. PTSD can affect anyone after an event or a series of events that threatens your life or others; causing intense fear, horror, and since of hopelessness. People who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can often have a short attention span, making them unable to sit for long periods of time. Victims of PTSD find it hard to stay focused on normal, everyday activities. Almost anything can trigger an anxiety attack. PTSD affects the mind, causing a victim to be on constant edge. People with PTSD often find themselves feeling as if they are re-living a traumatic event, causing them to be unable to focus on the present. PTSD is a whole body tragedy inside humans that causes enormous difficulties in everyday life. My uncle, who is a retired United States Navy Veteran, spent 25 years traveling around the world and in many war situations. He finds himself getting side tracked all the time. There are many times he finds himself in situations he doesn’t remember getting himself into. One second he is working on paying bills, then the next he is staring into space, not thinking at all. He told me that he use to think it was impossible to not think at all. Yet, it is common when you have a mental disease that controls your life. Everyone has their own priorities to worry about, their own problems they need to block out; but with PTSD the exhaustion does it for them. Victims of PTSD find the numbness that comes with being exhausted normal.  They live in chaos that only exists in their head. They try to keep themselves busy so they don’t relapse and have a mental breakdown. Society can replace damage that was caused by war efforts: buildings, houses, and shopping centers. But the soldiers, they never get over it. Memorizing daily routines may not seem like a huge deal to all of us, but victims of PTSD find it almost impossible. The ability to memorize is a gift that humans are given to help make life easier. Freighting situations stimulate the brain to activate the nervous system and the adrenal glands causing the glands to secrete stress related hormones. Everyone’s human mind is made up of all the same pieces and parts. But how and when our brain chooses to project them is how we all differ. Our brains develop this selective nature of what we memorize. Our ability to remember traumatic events can harm us. Memories that trigger an anxiety attack with PTSD victims react when a stress related hormone activates the memory gland in our brain. This causes PTSD victims to only remember traumatic events. My ROTC instructor Sargent First Class Fredrick Lawshe has many experiences with his memory. He said that he once was driving to pick up his daughter from school, and while on the way there he forgot why he was driving and ended up turning around and pulling back into his driveway. His wife walked into their living room and asked him, â€Å"Where is Maggie? I thought you were heading to pick her up?† He said to me that after she brought it up, it all hit him again. He ran back to his truck and flew to her school. After all was said in done he came to the realization that while he was driving the first time he found himself back into a war state of mind. He stated, â€Å"I use to drive around Afghanistan in tanks all alone, with the orders of, â€Å"If you see anything move, shoot it.† I guess when I was driving in the car, I thought I was back in Afghanistan driving a tank.† Every human is born with the ability to memorize (exempt rare disease, and head injuries). People without PTSD memorize things without effort. It just comes natural. People with PTSD have to work at memorizing things making it more of a chore, especially when it may not be permanent. PTSD victims are put into reality without first letting go of the past. Nightmares are likely for people who suffer from PTSD. Nightmares can wake up a person in the middle of the night, making sleep a little less than impossible. Without the needed hours of sleep one can become physically and mentally abusive to ones self. People with PTSD often worry about general problems that can put them into danger. If the thought of always having to protect them at night, they will stay up to do whatever it takes to do so. Matthew Rottman stood a six-hour post every day. Standing post is the military term for standing guard while everyone else is asleep. While on post, Rottman was on constant watch, reacting to every noise that he heard. Still today Rottman stays awake while his wife and two children sleep; to make sure that nothing will harm them during the night. The feeling of always needing to be on the look out makes it difficult to get a good nights rest. Some victims of PTSD turn to alcohol or even drugs to help them cope with their symptoms. But in fact, to much alcohol can change the quality of sleep, making it less refreshing. It is not the victims of PTSD that do not want to sleep; it’s the fact that when they do, they have no control of what the mind thinks. It makes for another sleepless night. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can cause the brain to go into relapse mode, causing a victim of PTSD to go into a rampage. Sometimes if a victim suffers to a higher degree of PTSD; attempts or murder, or violence will increase towards others has been brought about in some court cases Even though this is rare occurrence, it is possible. The human body can be very sensitive when it comes to how the brain operates. When a victim of PTSD is triggered be something around them, the brain tells the adrenal glands to release epinephrine. Epinephrine is the body’s way to show excitement and to pump adrenaline throughout the body. Meaning that if to much is produced parts of the brain can shut down making the victim go into a â€Å"crazy† state of mind; placing them back into the event that caused PTSD. The victim no longer can control what the brain does, leaving them in no control of their own body. Sometimes victims get so wrapped up into what is around them the  PTSD takes over, and the violence starts. In a blog chartroom an adult explains his experience with violence involving PTSD. â€Å"After being diagnosed with PTSD from abuse as a child. I do lash out when triggered, especially if someone touches me and I dont see them coming and super especially if anyone goes near my head. I lash out with words (very loud usually) and have swung my fists instinctively. I dont plan it, intend it or mean it it just happens. It feels like a defense, even if its a total overreaction.† We have all read these newspaper headlines: â€Å"PTSD made him a Murderer!† â€Å"Psychologist: Killer has PTSD!† â€Å"War damaged vet kills girlfriend; PTSD to blame?† â€Å"Officer uses PTSD defense for strangling, battering his wife.†(Andy O’Hara, Sergeant) It is the headlines like theses that are making society fear veterans. Society has a view towards them because of the social media. If civilians understood the mental characteristics of PTSD, that would not be so quick to judge. PTSD is not what is wrong with you; it is what happened to you. Almost every victim of PTSD will engage in some degree of depression from high dosages to very slim. Depression is when you loss interest in activities that use to give joy, significant change in weight, and feelings of guilt and uselessness. PTSD and depression go together because PTSD constantly brings back flashbacks of events that can cause depression. Some victims with PTSD go through depression stages where they feel their life is not worth living, and attempt it end it. Depression can cause anxiety attacks that end up with most people in therapy. Treatments can include antidepressants, counseling, and sometimes group therapy is recommended so others with PTSD can all express their feelings so they are able to see how others with PTSD are copping with it. PTSD and depression therapy are not one hundred percent accurate for cure, but it is a start to a long life of recovery. Judy, a wife and a mother or 5 children; was abused as a child and as her life continues she feels as if she can longer love her husband, and no longer live her life to the fullest. â€Å"†¦I couldn’t remember most of my childhood, why even the word â€Å"childhood† felt like a heavy blanket over me. The memories were so real that I often experienced physical reactions to them, such as spontaneous bleeding. I was diagnosed with PTSD, as well as depression, and things finally started to make sense†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even though depression is a whole mental disability itself PTSD can often led to it, causing recovery almost impossible. Being put into the war scene isn’t like what you see in movies or play in video games. Maybe the guns and the technology are the same but unlike video games where you have unlimited lives, in real combat you only have one. When many veterans finally get home it is not what they expected. Some come from war with no stable income or even a family. Throwing a solider into the real world after a 4-year tour over seas is like throwing a wild bear into a dog show; he’s going to have no idea what he’s doing there. (Meadows) Most veterans who commit suicide are veterans who didn’t receive treatment for their PTSD. Suicide rates will al ways be high but studies have shown that risk is higher in people diagnosed with PTSD. After a 7 year tour in combat Sargent Erik Willie came home to his beautiful wife, and 2 loving children. The four of them were the picture perfect family; when he returned home he refused to talk to anyone about what he encounter. His wife started to notice him tossing and turning in the middle of the night. When she would question him, he would laugh it off; but onetime he did not find it as funny. When she confronted him to stop tapping his fork on the kitchen table, he then stood up grabbed her by the arms and pinned her against the wall. She screamed at him to let her go. He then dropped her to the grown, slowly backed off. As he went to help her up she pushed him away. She ran into the bathroom. Willie then noticed that his PTSD was serious, but still refused to seek medical help. As the days went on, Willie was cautious of every move he took. His wife blew off the whole incident as if nothing happened. Willie found himself in places and situations he didn’t remember putting himself into. After many more violent episodes, his eight-year-old son found him sitting on the end u p of the bed with the barrel of the gun in his mouth. Willie stood up, kissed his son on the forehead and shut the door. Around and hour later he walked in on his dad; but this time he was sitting in the bed; he was lying on the floor with a pool of blood around him. Depression affects everyone different, but unfortunately for Willie, it took his life. Military Veterans make up 7 percent of the American population, but they account for 20 percent of its  suicides. In 2012 more United States soldiers died by their own hands than in battle; suicide was the number one cause of death among US troops that year (CBSnews). People without PTSD face typical daily tasks such as driving a car, socializing with others, and sleeping. But to ones with PTSD see these simple tasks as obstacles. Because PTSD affects parts of the brain that interact with social inability a victim with PTSD finds it almost impossible to do â€Å"normal† everyday activities. Everyone has their times of frustration when they cannot do a simple task; but with PTSD victims live with the fear of the unknown. They fear the judgment of others when they are unable to do a task. They also fear the agony that could be forced upon them. PTSD victims are scared to even make one wrong move that could trigger an emotional breakdown. Bipolar disease is one of the common diseases that are associated with PTSD. One second someone with PTSD could be with there loved one, having the time of his or her life, then in a few seconds they are back in a combat zone fighting for their life. Up to 30 percent of PTSD patients will also be diagnosed with bipolar disease at some point. Bipolar mental disability is the act of having mood swings based on the environment around you. Bipolar, patients are more likely to have high suicide number attempts. Because depression, anxiety, and PTSD can make recovering from bipolar worse, therapy is recommended to every patient. Survivors of a traumatic event sometimes lack interest in social or sexual activities. They start to feel detached and worried in their relationships. They start believing that everyone is an enemy. They also may feel as if they need to protect their loved ones. This makes them come across as tense or demanding. For example, if someone was sexual abused as a child by a family member they sometimes will have issues with others touching them, or even trusting them. Amy Douglas; a 30 year old woman that claims that still after 25 years she can not forget her stepdads hands on her body. At night she wakes up screaming because of the nightmares that happen over and over again. She can’t keep a job because they thought of trusting a man with hire authority frightens her. She cannot keep a steady boyfriend because her fears of a man taking advantage of her. â€Å"I also believed that the older I got, the more I would forget about it all†¦ I never was the one to show my emotions, in high school I had a lot of friends, but I never got into boys.† Amy states that, â€Å"†¦but now I am older, the flashbacks are more intense, I can hear myself  telling him no, and that I wouldn’t tell mommy. I’ve tried to love but nobody wants to be with a girl who has monsters in her head that never sleep†. Post Traumatic Stress disorder is a state of mind that no human could live a normal life with. It is where you are afraid to ask for help because you believe it will destroy whomever you tell, so you cope by keeping it deep inside yourself; where it will only destroy you. With PTSD your head is a horrible place to be; everyone is a threat, you start to see that quiet people have the loudest minds. Where space is craved to help others breathe; where being around others is exhausting. It’s where you wake up useless, terrified, and unskilled in your own habits. It is where the old you disappears and a new shell is formed around you. PTSD is where caring for yourself is an act of survival not just a life quality. Works Cited David. Brain Affected in Ptsd. CNSforum. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. . O’Hara, Andy. NATIONAL CENTER for PTSD Home. NATIONAL CENTER for PTSD Home. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. . Schirald, Glenn. The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth [Paperback]. The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook: A Guide to Healing, Recovery, and Growth: Glenn Schiraldi: 9780071614948: Amazon.com: Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. . Print Wood, David. â€Å"Combat Veterans With PTSD, Anger Issues More Likely To Commit Crimes: New Report, â€Å"The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 09 Oct. 2012. Web. 28. 2013

Times May Not Be A’Changin’ :: essays research papers

Times May Not Be â€Å"A’Changin’†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although portrayed in a particularly gruesome scenario, author Shirley Jackson conveys the importance of upholding tradition in her short story, â€Å"The Lottery.† While the climactic execution-by-stoning isn’t quite a modern example, it still serves to show us that some traditions are worth upholding. In our society today, it seems as if there is a growing movement to look forward and embrace the new instead of remembering our past. But to effectively make changes and plan for the future, it is essential that we turn to our history. One of the greatest issues in the world today is that of patriotism. In the immediate wake of September 11th, nearly all residents of this country proudly proclaimed themselves â€Å"Americans,† putting aside personal bias, differences in religion, and family roots to support the rebuilding of a nation. Lately, however (since our involvement in the Iraq War), this notion of unity and brotherhood has once again ta ken a backseat to personal agendas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the same way that the town is proud to continue its June 27th tradition, most people also take pride in feeling allegiance towards their country (specifically the United States). Perhaps it is deep family roots or a strong connection with constitutional ideals; whatever the reason, patriotism seems to stick with Americans. Even though our interest in our country has been at an ebb and flow since the beginnings of the Revolution, we tend to strongly identify with this nation. The small town has a grizzly ritual that leaves at least one person each year particularly unhappy, yet we do not hear talk of moving away. We only read of other towns that have done away with the lottery: â€Å"They do say†¦ that over in the north village they’re talking of giving up the lottery (McMahan 87),† and there is â€Å"nothing but trouble in that (McMahan 87).† Even Tessie Hutchinson, the unlucky ‘winner,’ claims that the practice is unfair, but nonetheless goes along with it. Analogously, a soldier who dies for his country does so for the greater good. The soldier is so passionate about the ideals of his nation that he is willing to die defending them. He does not want to die, but knows he is doing so for a good cause – that of liberty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The townspeople are not fighting for their freedom from oppressors or antiquated ideals; on the contrary, they are struggling to maintain their heritage.

Investigation Completion and Analysis Essay

Evaporation is a process where liquid is converted to vapor with the purpose of separating it from a dissolved solid or from a liquid that is higher in boiling point in experiments or investigations on how to separate soluble solid in liquids (Holland, 2005). Evaporation technique was chosen for the experiment because it is easy and simple to execute compared to other methods of separation such as distillation. 2. Distillation Distillation is an investigative technique used in separation of mixtures based on conditional and differences required to change the components phases of the mixture. It can be applied in a mixture of liquids, and the mixture of soluble solutes and solvents like in this experiment. During the distillation process, the water is heated into the gas phase of the vapor leaving the salts deposits, then condenses back into liquid form that is then collected. The process is then repeated again to improve the water purity (Porteous, 2010). This method was obtained because pure water can be obtained 3. Crystallization This technique is a process of solid crystals formation from a solution. This technique is a technique of separating solids and liquids in which transfer of solute from a solution to a solid crystalline which pure occurs (Jones, 2002). This method was chosen because pure solutes can be obtained. Modifications made, and justification for the changes 1. In evaporation, I applied some heat from flames to the containers holding solution of water and salt. I applied the heat to increase the rate of evaporation instead of leaving it open in the air and under the sunshine that is slow. 2. I used ice in the condenser to condense maximum amount of vapor. Moreover, I re-distilled the condensed water to get maximum dissolved salts again. 3. In crystallization, I left the crystallization process to proceed slowly undisturbed instead of fast cooling. This was to prevent impurities from getting attached to the salts and also to get bigger crystals. Ways to ensure the accuracy To ensure accuracy, I ensured that the same amount of solvent and solution was used in the three experiments. Moreover, an equal amount of time was applied on all the experiments to get accurate results. Lastly, I ensured that the salts and the water had no impurities that could affect their boiling points. Ways to ensure reliability Reliability in the techniques was determined by the experiments producing consistent results. To ensure reliability, I started with the evaporation method which the results were salt and water, distillation and crystallization also produced consistent results of salt and water.Ways to ensure validity Validity indicates the extent to which the applied technique in the separation process separated the components it was intended to separate. To ensure the validity, I ensured that salt and water which were the components of the solution that was to be separated were the end products. The process requires a lot of heat energy which might be expensive. However, solar heat is slow and evaporates small quantities of the solution. The method is suitable in situations where salt is the only product needed. However, collection of water vapor is difficultDistillation The distillation process desalinate water removes dangerous heavy metals like mercury, arsenic and lead, and the soluble salts that harden the water such as magnesium, calcium and phosphorous. Therefore, it is preferable for distillation of drinking water. However, this process is ineffective in separation of soluble salts that has lower boiling points than water such as synthetic chemicals, chlorine solutions, herbicides and pesticides (Porteous, 2010). Moreover, it requires large source of heat which is costly. Lastly, the distillation process strips water its natural trace elements; hence the hydrogen composition in water increases and makes water acidic (Porteous, 2010). Crystallization The process is complex compared to the evaporation method. It is also unsuitable where water is to be collected as an end product. However, it is advantageous since pure salts can be obtained for usage (Jones, 2002). b) Suggestions of possible improvements Alternative sources of heat could be used such as the use of solar energy to reduce high costs incurred in the evaporation and distillation process. Despite the fact that solar energy cannot produce a high amount of energy needed to heat the large amount of the solution for a longer duration of time, it is the best cost-wise. Given that some dissolved salts have lower boiling points than the water hence difficult to separate them from water, the boiling point of water can be lowered by lowering the gas pressure above the liquid. The distillation process strips water its natural trace elements, hence making water to be acidic due to increased proportion of hydrogen. To avoid water being acidic, beneficial salts can be added into the water for human consumption such as calcium that is good in formation of bones. References Holland, C. D. (2005). Fundamentals and modeling of separation processes: absorption, distillation, evaporation, and extraction. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall. Jones, A. G. (2002). Crystallization process systems. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Porteous, A. (2010). Saline water distillation processes. London: Longman. Source document

Mkt 421 Week 1

Summary of Point Values for Course Assignments ASSIGNMENTSPoints Individual (75%) Defining Marketing Paper (Week 1) (Sunday, January 8th, 2012)8 Marketing Mix Paper (Week 2) (Sunday, January 15th, 2012)8 Marketing Research Paper (Week 3) (Sunday, January 22nd, 2012)8 â€Å"Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing† Simulation Summary (Week 4) (Sunday, January 29th, 2012)8 Environmental Factors Paper (Week 5) (Sunday, February 5th, 2012)8 Final Examination (Week 5) (Monday, February 6th, 2012)15 Participation (2 points per week, ? point per qualifying day – 2 substantive posts = qualifying day)10 Weekly Summaries (2 points per week)10 Learning Team (25%) Marketing Plan: Phase I Paper (Week 2) (Monday, January 16th, 2012)5 Marketing Plan: Phase II Paper (Week 3) (Monday, January 23rd, 2012)5 Marketing Plan: Phase III Paper (Week 4) (Monday, January 30th, 2012)5 Marketing Plan: Final Paper (Week 5) (Monday, February 6th, 2012)10 Total100 Week One: Marketing Fundamentals DetailsDuePoints Objectives1. 1Define marketing. 1. 2Explain the importance of marketing in organizational success. 1. 3Describe the elements of the marketing mix. 1. 4Explain the importance of the marketing mix in the development of marketing strategy and tactics. . 5Create a marketing plan. 1. 6Identify quantifiable elements that can be used to evaluate, monitor, and control marketing effectiveness. ReadingsRead Ch. 1 & 2 of Basic Marketing. Read Ch. 1 & 2 of Marketing Management. Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. ParticipationParticipate in class discussion. Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days duri ng the week. (2 points per week, ? point per qualifying day – 2 substantive posts = qualifying day)2 Discussion QuestionsRespond to weekly discussion questions. Discussion questions will count as participation. Learning Team InstructionsResources: University Library, Internet Create the Learning Team Charter. (Due Week 1) Create a new product or service for an existing organization. LEARNING TEAM MUST HAVE INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL ON PRODUCT AND ORGANIZATION PRIOR TO STARTING ON PHASE 1. Begin working on the Marketing Plan. Your Learning Team will complete assignments related to creating a Marketing Plan. These assignments will culminate in the Marketing Plan: Final Paper and Presentation due in Week Five. POST: Final Deliverables Folder in Team Forum The Marketing Plan deliverables are: Marketing Plan: Phase I Paper (Due Week 2) Marketing Plan: Phase II Paper (Due Week 3) Marketing Plan: Phase III Paper (Due Week 4) Marketing Plan: Final Paper and Presentation (Due Week 5)Monday, January 9th Individual Defining Marketing Resource: University Library Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you define marketing. Include in your paper your personal definition of marketing and definitions from two different sources. Based on these definitions, explain the importance of marketing in organizational success. Provide at least three examples from the business world to support your explanation. Properly cite sources used in the paper. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. A Certificate of Originality should be included. Sunday, January 8th 8 Individual Weekly SummaryPost your summary in the Main forum and begin responding to each other's summaries. Summaries should include key learning points for the week. Summaries should be at least 200 words. POST: Summary thread for each week in the main forum. Monday, January 9th2 Week Two: Marketing Research DetailsDuePoints Objectives2. 1Justify the importance of marketing research in the development of marketing strategy and tactics. . 2Analyze the importance of competitive intelligence and analysis in marketing. 2. 3Identify various segmentation criteria that impact target market selection. 2. 4Describe the various types of organizational buyers and consumers and the factors that influence their purchasing decisions. ReadingsRead Ch. 8 of Marketing. Read Ch. 4, 5, & 6 of Marketing: An Introduction. Review this week†™s Electronic Reserve Readings. ParticipationParticipate in class discussion. Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week. (2 points per week, ? oint per qualifying day – 2 substantive posts = qualifying day)2 Discussion QuestionsRespond to weekly discussion questions. Discussion questions will count as participation. Individual Marketing MixResources: University Library, Internet Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you describe the elements of the marketing mix (product, place, price, and promotion), utilizing three different sources. In addition, select an organization with which you are familiar and describe how each one of the four elements of the marketing mix affects the development of the organization’s marketing strategy and tactics. Describe how each element is implemented. Specifically identify your selected organization and the industry in which it exists. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. A Certificate of Originality should be included. Sunday, January 15th8 Learning Team Marketing Plan: Phase IResources: University Library, Internet Create a new product or service for an existing organization. This product or service will be the basis for your Marketing Plan Paper. Obtain your instructor’s approval of your product or service before beginning this project. Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper to include the following: †¢An overview of the existing organization †¢A description of the new product or service †¢An explanation of the importance of marketing to your selected organization’s success †¢A SWOTT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, and Trends) analysis on the new product or service †¢The marketing research approach you would use to develop the marketing strategy and tactics for this new product or service Refer to the Marketing Plan Outline listed on the student website for the general framework of the Marketing Plan. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. A Certificate of Originality should be included. Monday, January 16th5 Individual Peer EvaluationAfter each Learning Team project, you will be asked to complete a Peer Evaluation to assess the contributions of each member of your Learning Team (including yourself). I will take these Peer Evaluations into account when assessing individual contributions to the Learning Team projects. The Peer Evaluation form and instructions for posting are included in a separate message in the Course Materials forum. POST: Individual Forum Monday, January 16th Individual Weekly SummaryPost your summary in the Main forum and begin responding to each other's summaries. Summaries should include key learning points for the week. Summaries should be at least 200 words. POST: Summary thread for each week in the main forum. Monday, January 16th2 Week Three: Marketing Strategy: Product and Price DetailsDuePoints Objectives3. 1Describe the relationship between differentiation and position of products or services. 3. 2Analyze the impact of the product life cycle on marketing. . 3Identify the appropriate price strategy that should be used in the development of the strategic marketing plan. ReadingsRead Ch. 4, 9, 10, 17, & 18 of Basic Marketing. Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. ParticipationParticipate in class discussion. Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week. (2 points per week, ? point per qualifying day – 2 substantive posts = qualif ying day)2 Discussion QuestionsRespond to weekly discussion questions. Discussion questions will count as participation. Individual Marketing ResearchResources: University Library, Kudler Fine Foods Virtual Organization Use the Virtual Organization link on the student website to access additional company information on Kudler Fine Foods. Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you justify the importance of marketing research in the development of Kudler Fine Food’s marketing strategy and tactics, and identify the areas where additional market research is needed. Analyze the importance of competitive intelligence and analysis in regards to the development of Kudler Fine Food’s marketing strategy and tactics. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. A Certificate of Originality should be included. Sunday, January 22nd8 Learning Team Marketing Plan: Phase IIResources: University Library, Internet Use the product or service you selected for your Marketing Plan: Phase I Paper. Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper in which you address the following: Identify the segmentation criteria that will affect your target market selection. Identify your target market. Describe the organizational buyers and consumers of your product or service and the factors that influence their purchasing decisions. Discuss how these factors will affect your marketing strategy. Analyze current competitors and define the competitive landscape for your product or service. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. A Certificate of Originality should be included. Monday, January 23rd5 Individual Peer EvaluationAfter each Learning Team project, you will be asked to complete a Peer Evaluation to assess the contributions of each member of your Learning Team (including yourself). I will take these Peer Evaluations into account when assessing individual contributions to the Learning Team projects. The Peer Evaluation form and instructions for posting are included in a separate message in the Course Materials forum. POST: Individual Forum Monday, January 23rd Individual Weekly SummaryPost your summary in the Main forum and begin responding to each other's summaries. Summaries should include key learning points for the week. Summaries should be at least 200 words. POST: Summary thread for each week in the main forum. Monday, January 23rd2 Week Four: Marketing Strategy: Place and Promotion DetailsDuePoints Objectives4. 1Analyze the impact of channel management decision on marketing. 4. Select appropriate distribution channels. 4. 3Identify the appropriate place and promotional strategy that should be used in the development of the strategic marketing plan. ReadingsRead Ch. 11, 12, 14, & 16 of Basic Marketing. Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. ParticipationParticipate in class discussion. Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week. (2 points per week, ? point per qualifying day – 2 substantive posts = qualifying day)2 Discussion QuestionsRespond to weekly discussion questions. Discussion questions will count as participation. Individual Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing SimulationResources: Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing simulation Complete the simulation, Using Perceptual Maps in Marketing, located on the student website. Write a 1,050- to 1,450-word summary in which you address the following: For each of the three major phases in the simulation, describe †¢The situation †¢Your recommended solutions, including why †¢Your results Summarize the different marketing components addressed in this simulation by answering the following questions: What is the relationship between differentiation and positioning of products or services? Is the repositioning of the product in the simulation as you had expected it to be? Explain why or why not. What is the effect of the product life cycle on marketing? What effect did the product life cycle have on the product in the simulation? Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. A Certificate of Originality should be included. Sunday, January 29th8 Learning Team Marketing Plan: Phase III Resources: University Library, Internet Use the product or service you selected for your Marketing Plan: Phase I Paper. Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper to include the following information: Describe the attributes of your product or service in detail. †¢Describe the pace at which your product will move through the product life cycle and the factors that will affect its movement. How will the product life cycle affect the marketing of your selected product or service? †¢Identify the positioning and differentiation strategies for the product or service. †¢Identify the a ppropriate price strategy that should be used for the product or service. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. A Certificate of Originality should be included. Monday, January 30th 5 Individual Peer EvaluationAfter each Learning Team project, you will be asked to complete a Peer Evaluation to assess the contributions of each member of your Learning Team (including yourself). I will take these Peer Evaluations into account when assessing individual contributions to the Learning Team projects. The Peer Evaluation form and instructions for posting are included in a separate message in the Course Materials forum. POST: Individual Forum Monday, January 30th Individual Weekly SummaryPost your summary in the Main forum and begin responding to each other's summaries. Summaries should include key learning points for the week. Summaries should be at least 200 words. POST: Summary thread for each week in the main forum. Monday, January 30th2 Week Five: The Dynamic Environment of Marketing DetailsDuePoints Objectives5. 1Identify environmental factors that affect marketing decisions. 5. 2Explain the impact of technology on marketing. 5. 3Analyze the importance of social responsibility and ethics in marketing. ReadingsRead Ch. 3 & 13 of Marketing Management. Read Ch. 15 & 16 of Marketing: An Introduction. Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. ParticipationParticipate in class discussion. Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week. (2 points per week, ? point per qualifying day – 2 substantive posts = qualifying day)2 Discussion QuestionsRespond to weekly discussion questions. Individual Environmental FactorsResources: University Library, Internet Select an organization with which you are familiar that conducts both domestic and global marketing. Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you identify the environmental factors that affect global and domestic marketing decisions. Address the following as they relate to the organization’s marketing decisions: Analyze the influence of global economic interdependence and the effect of trade practices and agreements. †¢Examine the importance of demographics and physical infrastructure. †¢Analyze the influence of cultural differences. †¢Examine the importance of social responsibility and ethics versus legal obligations. †¢Analyze the effect of politica l systems and the influence of international relations. †¢Analyze the influence of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as well as the influence of local, national, and international legislation. †¢Explain the effect of technology. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. A Certificate of Originality should be included. Sunday, February 5th8 Individual Final ExaminationResource: Basic Marketing Click the link to the Final Examination on the student website available at the end of Week Four through the end of Week Five. Complete the Final Examination. You are allowed one attempt to complete the exam, which is timed and must be completed in 3 hours. Results are auto graded and sent to your instructor. However, please post a copy in your individual forum. Monday, February 6th15 Learning Team Marketing Plan: Final Paper Resources: University Library, Internet Use the Marketing Plan Outline listed on the student website as a guide. Write a 6,300- to 7,000-word paper integrating your previous Learning Team assignments into a final Marketing Plan Paper. In addition, address the following information in your paper: †¢Identify the appropriate place and promotional strategy that should be used in the development of the strategic marketing plan. †¢Develop an initial sales promotion schedule. †¢Create an advertising plan. †¢Identify public relations opportunities for the product or service. †¢Analyze the effect of channel management decisions on the marketing or your selected product or service. Select appropriate distribution channels for your product or service and address costs in terms of placement, shipping, and middlemen. †¢Develop a budget for your plan. †¢Identify quantifiable elements that can be used to evaluate, monitor, and control the effectiveness of your marketing plan. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. A Certificate of Originality should be included. Monday, February 6th10 Individual Peer EvaluationAfter each Learning Team project, you will be asked to complete a Peer Evaluation to assess the contributions of each member of your Learning Team (including yourself). I will take these Peer Evaluations into account when assessing individual contributions to the Learning Team projects. The Peer Evaluation form and instructions for posting are included in a separate message in the Course Materials forum. POST: Individual Forum Monday, February 6th Individual Weekly SummaryPost your summary in the Main forum and begin responding to each other's summaries. Summaries should include key learning points for the week. Summaries should be at least 200 words. POST: Summary thread for each week in the main forum. Monday, February 6th2

Why the US Government Cant End Illegal Immigration

Why the US Government Cant End Illegal Immigration Illegal immigration into the United States is a highly profitable proposition for both employers and the U.S. government, and it also benefits Mexico, which is the largest source country of undocumented immigrants into the US. The US and Mexican governments actively entice illegal immigrants to enter this country and to work illegally for profit-hungry U.S. employers. Poverty-stricken immigrants , who are often desperate to house and feed their families, respond to the financial enticements...and then are blamed by U.S. citizenry for illegally being in the US. The purpose of this 4-part article is to explain why the US federal government cant afford and doesnt soon plan to to end illegal immigration. Part 1 - United States Borders Are Barely EnforcedTen million illegal immigrants live in the US, according to estimates by academic and government agencies, although Bear-Stearns investment firm analysts claim that the US illegal immigrant population may be as high as 20 million people. About 75% of undocumented immigrants arrive across the US southern border with Mexico, and hail from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia and other Central and South American countries. The bulk...about 50% of all illegals....are Mexican-born people. Time magazine stated in 2004 that illegal immigration accelerated under the Bush Administration, with the US gaining 3 million additional illegal immigrant residents in 2004. A third of all illegal immigrants in the US live in California. Other states with large illegal populations are, in descending order, Texas, New York, Illinois, Florida and Arizona. After more than 100 years in existence, President Bush dissolved the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)in March 2003 and absorbed it into the new Homeland Security Department, along with FEMA and dozens of other federal agencies created to help citizens and residents. Until its dissolution, the INS had been part of the Justice Department since 1940, and before that, part of the US Labor Department. After the September 11, 2001 tragedy, the Bush Administration complained that the INS was insufficiently focused on deporting and expelling illegal immigrants, and thus asked that it be transferred to Homeland Security. The US Border Patrol is charged with the responsibility of enforcing illegal immigration across US borders. Until 2003, the Border Patrol was part of the INS, but was also folded into Homeland Security (as a separate agency from INS). The massive US intelligence agencies overhaul passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in January 2005 required Homeland Security to hire 10,000 more Border Patrol agents, 2,000 per year starting immediately. The Border Patrol currently employs 9,500 agents who patrol 8,000 miles of border. But Bush Administration ignored the law mandating the hiring of new agents. Said Congressman John Culberson (R-TX) to CNNs Lou Dobbs, Unfortunately, the White House ignored the law, and only asked us for 200 more agents. Thats unacceptable. Culberson was referring to the federal budget for 2006 in which President Bush provided funds for only 210 new agents, not 2,000 additional agents. Both houses of Congress worked together twice in 2005 to bypass the White House, and hire 1,500 new Border Patrol agents......500 shy of that required by law, but far surpassing the mere 210 planned by President Bush. The US-Mexico border remains significantly under-patrolled. On October 7, 2005, 80 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to the President, calling on him to enforce immigration laws, and deferring consideration of the White Houses proposed guest-worker immigration program. History has shown that enforcement provisions are ignored and underfunded... said the Congressional letter. Meanwhile, Congressman Culberson told CNNs Lou Dobbs on October 7, 2005, Weve got a full-scale war going on our southern border. You dont need to go to Iraq to see a war. Weve got widespread lawlessness...We need boots on the ground...ASAP. Part 2 - Widespread Poverty and Hunger in MexicoAccording to the World Bank, 53% of Mexico population of 104 million residents live in poverty, which is defined as living on less than $2 a day. Close to 24% of Mexicos population live in extreme poverty, which means they live on less than $1 a day. The bottom 40% of Mexican households share less than 11% of the countrys wealth. Millions live in extreme poverty,and children are compelled to work on the streets in order to help provide food for their families. Unemployment in Mexico is realistically estimated near 40%, and there are no government unemployment benefits. There are also virtually no welfare benefits to provide the basics for poverty-stricken, often-starving women, children and families. Poverty wasnt always as pervasive as it is today in Mexico. In 1983, the devaluation of the Mexican peso triggered an explosion of US-owned factories, called maquiladoras, along the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border. Corporations closed thousands of factories within US borders, and relocated them to Mexico to take advantage of cheaper labor costs, few required benefits and legally-acceptable poorer working conditions. Hundreds of thousands of poor Mexican workers and their families moved to northernmost Mexico to labor in the maquiladoras. Within ten years, though, those same US corporations closed the maquiladoras, and again relocated factories, this time to Asia, which proffered even cheaper labor costs, no benefits and often abject working conditions acceptable to local governments. Those hundreds of thousands of Mexican workers in the maquiladoras, and their families, were left with nothing. No benefits, no severance. Nothing. To complicate economic matters more, Mexicos 1994-95 privatization of its banking and telecommunications industries thrust millions more into poverty with increased consumer prices, rising unemployment and wage and benefit cuts. Mexicos massive privatizations in 1994-95 also created a new privileged class of home-grown millionaires and billionaires. As of 2002, Mexico ranked fourth in the world in billionaires, behind the US, Japan and Germany. To summarize thusfar, millions of Mexican families live in soul-stripping poverty...unemployed, hungry, without healthcare...and the US border with Mexico is significantly under-enforced. Part 3 - US Employers Routinely Hire Illegal Immigrants, With Little PenaltyIn March 2005, Wal-Mart, a company with $285 billion in annual sales. was fined $11 million for having untold hundreds of illegal immigrants nationwide clean its stores. The federal government boasts its the largest of its kind. But for Wal-Mart, it amounts to a rounding error-and no admittance of wrongdoing since it claims it didnt know its contractors hired the illegals wrote the Christian Science Monitor on March 28, 2005. If it werent so easy for illegals and employers to skirt worker ID verification, the settlements requirement that Wal-Mart also improve hiring controls might have a ripple effect in corporate America. but the piddling fine will hardly deter businesses from hiring cheap labor from a pool of illegals thats surged by 23 percent since 2000....But enforcement is pathetically inadequate, especially since 9/11. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 provides for sanctions against businesses that hire undocumented workers, which means workers without proper identification. The legislation was enacted once Mexico-US border maquiladoras run by US corporations began closing, and those workers streamed across the border, searching for jobs of any kind. But heres the rub. In 1999, under President Bill Clinton, the US government collected $3.69 million in fines from 890 companies for employing undocumented workers. In 2004, under President George Bush, the federal government collected $188,500 from 64 companies for such illegal employment practices. And in 2004, the Bush Administration levied NO fines for US companies employing undocumented workers. In 21st-century America, its an unspoken agreement between employer, the undocumented employee and the federal government: the employee provides acceptable ID that appears authentic, the employer asks no questions, and the US government looks the other way. Fake ID...Social Security cards, US permanent residency cards (i.e. green cards), US temporary employment authorization cards....are readily available for about $100 to $200 in every major American city,and plenty of smaller ones, too. Wrote reporter Eduardo Porter in an April 5, 2005 New York Times article, Currently available for about $150 on street corners in just about any immigrant neighborhood in California, a typical fake ID package includes a green card and a Social Security card. It provides cover for employers, who, if asked, can plausibly assert that they believe all their workers are legal. Why would employers hire undocumented workers? As one person in Arizona noted, It looks like entering the US through the desert as undocumented immigrants is some kind of employment screening test administered by the US government for the hospitality, construction and recreation industries. Willing to work at the most dangerous jobs, an immigrant a day will also die in the work place, even while for others the work place has become safer over the last decade. And undocumented workers, grateful for any job, will work for lower wages and minimal or no benefits, therefore enabling employers to make higher business profits. Cheaper labor costs and lesser working conditions equal greater profits for business owners. In a January 2005 World Net Daily article, a report by investment firm Bear Stearns was cited that clearly illustrates that millions of US jobs have shifted from the legal workforce as employers have systematically replaced American workers with lower wage illegal aliens. For illegal immigrants, its about finding any work to feed, clothe and shelter their families. For employers, its about profits. But why would the US government look the other way, allowing employers to replace American workers with undocumented workers from other countries? ...experts blame the twin pressures of ethnic advocacy and business interests reports the Christian Science Monitor. Translation....ethnic advocacy means buying favor...and votes....within the illegal immigrant community. If an immigrant doesnt vote, he/she has relatives who do. In the 21st century, Hispanics surpassed African-Americans as the largest ethnic group in the United States. Many believe that the Bush Administrations lack of immigration enforcement in 2004 was directly connected to the Republican Partys goal to court the Hispanic vote, and to entice Hispanics to join Republican ranks. Translation...business interests means profits. When labor costs are lower, business profits are higher. When thousands of businesses have higher profits, then the US business community is stronger (and happier). More votes and more voter perception of success. A major economic drawback, though, to allowing thousands...probably millions...of US businesses to pay under-market wages and benefits to undocumented workers is that it depresses wages for all workers in the US. All Americans workers, then have decreased incomes, lower benefits and higher rates of poverty and hunger. An obvious moral drawback to allowing US businesses to pay under-market, lower than even minimum wage rates, is that its wrong. Minimum wage and standard minimal working conditions are established to humanely provide for the safety and welfare of all workers...not just American-born workers. Its a matter of decency and human rights, rooted in the United States Christian-Judeo heritage. Its wrong and exploitative, and its immoral. Its an updated form of economic slavery. Writes Dr. Groody, Immigrants die cutting North Carolina tobacco and Nebraska beef, chopping down trees in Colorado, welding a balcony in Florida , trimming grass at a Las Vegas golf course, and falling from scaffolding in Georgia.... With an economic gun at their backs, they leave their homes because hunger and poverty pushes them across the border....Every day, immigrants dehydrate in deserts, drown in canals, freeze in mountains and suffocate in tractor trailers. As a result, the death toll has increased 1,000 percent in some places. And theres one more reason why would the US government would look the other way, thus allowing US employers to replace American workers with undocumented workers from other countries. A huge, seemingly insurmountable reason. A $7 billion a year problem: Social Security. Part 4 - Undocumented Workers Give $7 Billion Annually to Social SecurityAccording to a New York Times article on April 5, 2005, ...the estimated seven million or so illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year....Moreover, the money paid by illegal immigrants and their employers is factored into all the Social Security Administrations projections. However,since illegal immigrant workers are here illegally, and ostensibly presented fake ID to the US employer, they will never collect Social Security benefits. For illegal immigrants, Social Security numbers are simply a tool needed to work on this side of the border. Retirement does not enter the picture, reports the New York Times. The Social Security Administration remains solvent in large part due to deductions taken from the paychecks of illegal immigrant workers, yet Social Security will never pay benefits to those workers. The workers pay in, but they never receive back. Wouldnt the federal government detect fake Social Security numbers? According to that April 6, 2005 New York Times article, Starting in the late 1980s, the social Security Administration received a flood of W-2 earnings reports with incorrect-sometimes simply fictitious-Social Security numbers. It stashed them in what it calls the earnings suspense file in the hope that someday it would figure out whom they belonged to. The file has been mushrooming ever since: $189 billion worth of wages ended up recorded in the suspense file over the 1990s, two and a half times the amount of the 1980s. In the current decade, the file is growing, on average, by more than $50 billion a year, generating $6 billion to $7 billion in Social Security tax revenue and about $1.5 billion in Medicare taxes. ...the mismatched W-2s fit like a glove on illegal immigrants known geographic distribution and the patchwork of jobs they typically hold. An audit found that more than half of the 100 employers filing the most earnings reports with false social Security numbers from 1997 through 2001 came from just three states: California, Texas and Illinois. As shown by this information, the federal bureaucracy clearly knows which companies employ probable illegal immigrant workers, and it even knows which workers are likely illegals. And the government does nothing about it. Not one penalty was levied by the federal government against an employer in 2004 for hiring undocumented workers. SUMMARY The equation to explain the whys of illegal immigration into the US is simple: Add: Widespread abject poverty and starvation in Mexico after US corporations relocated their cheap-labor plants from the US-Mexico border to Asia, and after Mexican banks and telecommunications were privatized, creating dozens of instant billionaires and plunging millions into poverty. Add: An extremely porous, under-enforced US-Mexico border. Add: US employers anxious for more profits, and willing to exploit the poverty and fears of illegal immigrants to do so. Add: The federal government anxious to curry favor with , and garner votes from, business owners and the Hispanic community...thus, willing to under-enforce borders and immigrations laws, and ignore illegal hiring by employers. Add: The Social Security Administration dependent on taking in $7 billion annually of contributions from illegal immigrant workers who will never receive benefits from the system. THE RESULT: Millions of illegal immigrants working for low wages and in poor working conditions, grateful for scraps to fall from the US table of prosperity, per Dr. Groody. Wealthier US businesses, and a much-richer Social Security Administration, neither which reimburse local and state authorities and taxpayers for the costs (education, health care, law enforcement and more) associated with illegal immigrants. And a very angry US citizenry, who vilify immigrants for being here, rather than blaming the business owners who hire and exploit them, the US government which lets them enter the US and profits greatly from them, and the Mexican government which is happy to see them immigrate out of their country. Our nation virtually posts two sign on its southern border: Help Wanted: Inquire Within and Do Not Trespass, says Pastor Robin Hoover of Humane Borders. Without the help of immigrant labor, the US economy would virtually collapse. We want and need cheap immigrant labor, but we do not want the immigrants.

A University Guide for the 21st Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

A University Guide for the 21st Century - Essay Example Moreover, what are the key messages that can be ascertained from a rigorous critique of the very methodology of the STUG ? IT WILL BE DEMONSTRATED THAT A CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF THE STUG YIELDS A TWO-FOLD IMPROVEMENT FOR DURHAM UNIVERSITY: ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND INCREASED DIVERSITY BY ALL RELEVENT INDICATORS. SCOPE & BREADTH OF DATA PRESENTED: Established in 1993 and both funded and supported by universities across the UK [APPENDIX: D] the Higher Education Statistics Agency houses a significant body of data pertaining to university demographics – indeed, HESA tracks performance indicators, finance, enrollment, student achievement at all levels, faculty demographics, and a wide range of other very useful information [see: APPENDIX: B-C; E - F]. For the STUG, the HESA is the source for a number of their key indicators in regard to how they compare one university in the UK against the next [APPENDIX C]. The following analysis is dependent upon both the various university guides such as the STUG, the Guardian annual survey and the Complete University Guide, but also the annual key indicators that are accumulated and presented at HESA. The details of the analysis will be comparative as far as including both the newspaper distillation of the HESA information ( and beyond the HESA too), with particular attention paid to the STUG, but also the HESA in its raw and more expansive form. METHODOLOGY: There is both qualitative and quantitative methods employed in this analysis. First, the data stated in the previous section will be compared in terms of key performance indicators. In numerical or quantitative terms, significant improvements, changes or declines will be noted and presented. Particular focus will be paid to the indicators that are Durham specific, however, it is difficult to isolate Durham University when considering notable

Management Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Management Journal - Essay Example Kelvin said that he was not aware because he was a new employee at the company. I told him to always ensure that he plan his time effectively to ensure that he perform significant tasks before others. I advised the employee because I knew that effective management of time leads to the success of the business (Koontz and Weihrich 67). I also talked to the employee because I knew that it was my role as the manager of the company. September 3 2013 Management is a challenging task because it involves balancing work and family functions and time. I thought about this statement when I discovered that today was the twentieth anniversary of the company, and at the same time, it was my first born’s birthday. I was stressed while thinking of how I would ensure that I attend the two functions and satisfy the company and my family. I had to think of an effective plan that would help me manage the day’s time efficiently, although it was a bit challenging. I thought of a plan where I would attend the company’s function in the day as my family prepares for an evening party for my son. The plan was successful, and both teams were satisfied with my attendance. I played the role of a father and manager at the same time. Before I was promoted to be a manager, I had heard supervisors talking about how they had difficulties balancing time and work. Today I followed their advice, and I found out that balancing work and family increases satisfaction, and it reduces stress (Koontz and Weihrich 195). September 4 2013 Today, I had a conference with all employees, and the aim of the meeting was to remind them the goals of the company. I have always known that communication is vital in the management because it informs workers about the goals to pursue, the tasks to undertake, and the techniques to utilize (Koontz and Weihrich 199). I have also read numerous books that argue that managers must possess effective communication skills so that they can lead others in the right direction. This was my first day to talk to the employees as a manager, and I had to ensure that I pass the company’s message clearly. Before attending the meeting, I read a book that pointed out various forms of communication. The book argued that communications between managers and employees takes place through bottom-up or top-down approaches. Top-down involves supervisors passing information to employees at lower levels; company objectives may be communicated using this approach. Bottom-up technique is one where employees speak to managers often when giving feedback (Koontz and Weihrich 100). The readings gave me confidence, and I attended the conference and passed the information to workers clearly. The day was successful, and my confidence increased when other managers said that I had excellent communication skills. September 5 2013 Today, one of my employees approached me and said that she had a problem coping with her workmate who was uncooperative. The two perf orm their tasks in one office where they file company documents. Mary, the employee who approached me said that Annette spent most of her time on the phone instead of working. This increases Mary’s workload, and she leaves the office late every day. I confirmed this from other workers, and I also checked the register and found out that Mary leaves the office three hours after the closing time. I knew this was a problem, and I had to solve it intelligently to ensure that the two get satisfied with the solution (Koontz and Weihr