Analyzing Ekphrastic Poetry Flashcard

Analyzing Ekphrastic Poetry

The Role of Project Manager

The Role of Project Manager Free Online Research Papers The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the role of an efficient project manager. This can be achieved by discussing what project management is and why it is important in modern business. The role of project manager involves considering various aspect of planning, coordinating and controlling of project. This section of the essay will demonstrate the role of project management. This can be discussed in the two stages, one is the core role of project manager (i.e. activity planning, creating charts scheduling, risk analysis and control) and the innate role played by him dealing with the project teams and other subsidiary tasks which are essentially performed by all managers. Further the essay will evaluate the role of project manager from my personal stint with project management at my earlier job. Project Management institute has defined project as â€Å"A temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product or service† (Project Management Institute, 2004). Project management has been practiced since the dawn of times. From the time the civilizations became stable and started building roads, bridges, rotating crops etc they routed their projects unintentionally via project management techniques. But the increase in modern complexities like budgeting, cost, quality and time led to evolution of effective management technique which came to known as ‘Project Management’. Project management has earned world wide popularity and importance owing to its effectiveness while managing complexities in projects and rapid growth in project oriented organizations which has also contributed to professionalization of project management (Meredith and Mantel, 2006). Every project revolves around three main objectives first is to deliver required performance to meet clien ts expectation, second is the cost of the project, adding pressure on the manager to finish the project in prescribed budget and to complete the project in given time frame but with new developments and customer focused economy, customers views as well plays vital role. Though project management being highly goal oriented and vital, it has been observed that project management has some limitations. The three main limitations according to William Killian are as under 1) Project priorities and competition amongst the talent may hinder the stability and long term interest of the organization. 2) The life of project being short and the organization indulging in scheduling for such temporary project may have to suffer in long term planning. 3) Further Killian adds that shuffling project teams often, my disturb the balance of the organization consequently hinder the growth in the specialized field. Along with these there is also conflict in delegating authority. The senior manager tend to relinquish the authority and hence the middle and lower level manager are left in dilemma which further affects the performance, quality of work and time. However this constrains varies from project to project and it is also depends on the capability of the project manager. An efficient manager will be able to tackle this with his experience and skill whilst the inefficient manager will be fumbling with problems and try to settle it out. These limitations rather challenges will be a crucial test for a project manager in achieving the project goals successfully (Killian, n.d.). The project manager’s task begins as soon as he is appointed the manager for a project. It is apparent that managers need to make choice amongst the possible projects and it is obvious that manager will select the project the maximize returns and the value of project portfolio for the company. Also it is important to note that project manager must keep in mind the long term strategy of the company while accepting and rejecting the projects (Milosevic, 2003). Like for a firm which is new into the project management business, it may have to accept certain projects at minimum possible return so as to get foot hold in the industry. The accepting and rejecting a project is very important task at the same time it is conflicting task (meaning the project may be profitable to some and may not be to some managers). However, there are several tools that can aid the project manager in deciding the viability of the project for example scoring model, analytical hierarchy process, economic method (Net present value, pay back and internal rate of return), portfolio selection approach and real options approach (Milosevic, 2003). Nevertheless, these methods assume that project manager has more projects than the resources available to successfully complete the project. These methods hence only help in selecting a project that maximizes portfolio value, rather than helping the manager to decide whether to accept the project or not (in case of single project). Thus in the end the manager is in vulnerable position to decide about the project, consequently the manager may take an immature decision leading to failure of the project. Along the similar lines another important aspect for the manager is the closure of the project. Managers often hesitate to close the project even when the condition becomes reasonably adverse. He presumes that positive returns will flow once the period is over, but in most of the cases the condition worsens and the manager is held responsible for the failure of the whole project. Hence as Kerzner (2003) says project appraisal is the most important phase in the life of the project. Once the first step is taken by accepting the project the project manager’s core project works commences. The manager has to undergo research process and chart out budget and schedule. It is evident that most of the managers use programme evaluation and review technique (PERT) or critical path method (CPM) for project scheduling. But recently the use of PERT has reduced owing to the increased use of computerized technique. The use of these methods will help the manager to arrange the activities in logical sequence and allocate time required for each activity. The manager has to decide which path to be undertaken for connected activities. He has to choose appropriate person for the tasks and develop the project teams as well. Further he has to ensure that adequate facilities and supplies are available when needed especially in the early stage of the project. Simultaneously he has to start building relationship with the client and start knowing their requirements and expectations. As the work on project begins and more people are added the plans and schedule have to be updated accordingly and also the detail plan for the entire life cycle of the project are to be ch arted from the point of beginning of the project management till the work is finally completed (Meredith Mantel, 2006). Further it is important to discuss the responsibilities of the project manager whilst discussing the role of project management as an efficient tool to tackle complexities and uncertainties in projects. As per Meredith and Mantel (2006) project manager is responsible to mainly three group of people one is the senior management of the organization, second is the client and he is finally responsible to the project teams. Performing responsibilities towards each of this group is essentially the core and vital role of project manager. His role towards the organization entails conservation of resources, timely and accurate project communication. The project manager is expected to keep the senior management of the organization informed about the project status at all stages, including the problems anticipated, chances of running over budget or being late in completion of the project. Thus his basic responsibility is to give the management the true and fair view about the proceeding and tak e measures towards successful completion of the projects Likewise the project manager is responsible towards to client by ensuring the integrity of the project is maintained even in the case of conflicting demands made by the other parties with legitimate interest. At the same time the manager is expected to ensure the quality, dimensions and other specifications of the client. On the other hand the project manager’s role in the project team varies with the nature of the team. His contribution in the project specialized team will be different from his contribution in other functional teams. Mantel and Meredith remark that it is crucial for the project manager to help the project workers with the transition of work or new projects. The project worker tends to pay more attention towards their own career as the project nears completion, leading to non completion of project on time. Hence forth the manager should be aware of this and help in the transition process. With the advent of agile projects combined with increased modern complexities and uncertainties the role of project manager has become more intense and challenging (PMBOK Guide, 2006). The project manager has to perform the role of risk manager as well along with the normal role he performs. Project managers are often expected to anticipate the future and prepare their organization and project against risks and problems. The challenge is not to identify risk for a single project, but to predict it consistently and ensure that every project has the same level and depth of risk analysis (pmi.org, 2007). PMBOK guide (2006) refers to risk management as a process where the project manager along with the project team is required to conduct risk management planning, analyze, respond and monitor the project. Avoiding the risk management in any of the project may even result in total failure of the project. Therefore, managing risk is important element of project planning. Along with the core role as a project manager he also has to act as a leader, a motivator, a guide and also as relationship manager. The scope of project management is widening, thus adding more pressure on the project manager. With globalization the word of mouth these days, the project managers are managing offshore projects. For example the IT industry based in India whose most of the clients are in Europe and North America, the project manager has understand the requirement of the client and has to even send the teams to do the same and even work on the project in some other country. The manager’s task becomes more tedious managing teams in home country and in the foreign country. In such cast the manager has to develop a communication system and monitor the project proceeding regularly. But the main issue in such project is the cultural difference. The manager must adapt to multi cultures as well as different working and social environment especially in offshore projects . Mental and Meredith (2006) emphasize that actual role of project management deals with reducing the conflict between stakeholders in the project (the project team, client, senior management and public). As mentioned earlier in the essay as like other manager the project manager to be effective communicator (Mintzberg, 1973). Project manager plays a role of facilitator for the organization and the client while managing a project. Henceforth communication is vital aspect of project manager’s role. In order for a project to be successful there are two main essential ingredients that is people and effective exchange of ideas within them. If there are no people nothing can be done and without communication no body will know what to do. So communication is like engine oil if the engine is not provided with oil it will not run similarly one need to understand that communication should be treated as engine oil for any project. It is the role of the PM to ensure that there is effective communication within the team (Wideman, 2006). From my own experience as a project manager handling a business development project in South Africa, I personally feel that communication and coordinating the activities is the main task of project manager. I had to manage two project teams one the investment planning team the based in South Africa and the other back office team in India. The investment planning team had to be briefed about all the latest proceedings in the financial markets and communicated effective targeting strategy to approach clients for investing in India. The investment planning team use to approach the clients and in case of any discrepancy on the clients end had to be cleared out by me. Any investment deals that were closed had to be communicated to the back office team in India to carry out further proceedings at the earliest. Here my role essentially was monitoring the activity. On the other hand my responsibility towards the senior management was to keep them updated about the progress, inform them abou t any anticipated problem. We were facing budget constrain to reach our targeted objective. Hence I had to communicate the same to the senior management and got increased the budget. The most important lesson for me being a project manager is keep the stake holders of the project informed and also keep the teams happy for smooth running of the project. The senior management does not like surprises. The PM should spend considerable amount of time communicating with individual members of the team in order to understand their needs and concerns. The PM should also encourage communication within the contributors of the project. He/she should also try to establish regular communication with the clients and also the senior management about the progress of the project. Another important feature for effective communication is that the PM should emphasize more on written communication (Kerzner, 2003). It is important to note that project manager’s work does not end on successful delivery of the task expected of him but he also plays a vital role in closure of the project. The closure of any project should be a controlled end. The PM is responsible to prepare the end project report with details of the main findings of the project. The Pm should also represent a formal view of the projects degree of success. The PM should also organize a project closure meeting with the concerned people. The meetings main aims should be to reviews the overall project and ensure the completeness of the major project deliverables. The project closure meeting should also be attended by the Project owner along with the Pm as it is the final control point. The PM should also provide the project owner with the end project report (get ahead, 2005). In this final phase the project manager will be juggling the monitoring of fine detail with a review of the strategic objectives to ensure the project does actually achieve the desired outcomes (JISC info net) It is evident from the above facts that role of project manager is comprehensive, dynamic at the same time challenging and rewarding as well. As Mantel and Meredith comment PM’s job is not free from problems and frustrations being responsible for the outcomes of the project. The problems involve dealing with parties, senior management, client, project team and public. With professionalization at the heart of business today, the manager task is expected to become more gruelling delivering quality for clients at the same time he has to be within the budget limits stated by the organization. He has to maintain appropriate trade off between client’s expectation and the stipulated budget. As more and more IT firms adopting project management model for their operations the scope of project managers seems bright. It can be concluded that there is no specific role of project manager; he has to work as the situation demands from him. It has been found that the real issue of th e project manager is not technical but human (Mental and Meredith, 2006). And lastly as Mental and Meredith argue that challenge for the project manager these days is moving from technical to managerial position to identify the need and develop interpersonal skills. Bibliography Anonymous, â€Å"Project Closure† Available from: jiscinfonet.ac.uk/InfoKits/project-management/pm-project-closure Accessed on: 20/03/07 Anonymous, â€Å"project initiation and project closure† Available from: getahead-direct.com/gwpm07-project-initiation-and-project-closure.htm Accessed on: 20/03/07 Kerzner, H (2003) â€Å"Project management- a systems approach to planning scheduling and controlling† Wiley publication Meredith, J and Mantel S (2006) â€Å"Project Management- A managerial approach† 6th Edition John Wiley and sons publication Milosevic, D (2003) â€Å"Project management toolbox tools and techniques for practicing project manager† Wiley publication Project management institute, USA â€Å"A guide to the project management body of knowledge â€Å"(2004) Wideman, M (2000) â€Å"Communication: The project life blood† accessed on 20/03/2007 Available from: maxwideman.com/musings/lifeblood.htm Accessed on 20/03/2007 Research Papers on The Role of Project ManagerThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalResearch Process Part OneInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyOpen Architechture a white paperLifes What Ifs

Theory and Personal Development - Person centered and Psychodynamic Essay

Theory and Personal Development - Person centered and Psychodynamic Counseling - Essay Example Freud was a student of von Brucke's and took on many of his ideas regarding psychology. The psychodynamic approach is epitomized by classic psychoanalysis, in which the patient seeks to experience the "truth" about themselves through breaking down the defenses that have built up to prevent them from reliving the events and processes in their past that have created the problems they are experiencing in the present day. This approach states that present conditions have identifiable causes in the past. Cause and effect is at work. Within my own life psychodynamic counseling might be suitable for uncovering my feelings and experienced in growing up with a brother who had learning disabilities and who received attention and financial support from my parents that at the time I felt was being withheld from me. Psychodynamic counseling might enable me to answer the question of whether this now distant feeling of being rejected influences me today. Are there stresses within my present personal relationships that reflect this past feeling of abandonment Sibling rivalry is of course a generally accepted fact of most psychological models, but in my case is it exasperated and thus lengthened because of the unique circumstances of my relationship with my brother The psychodynamic approach might also be used to explore the fact that I had a "caretaker" role within my family at a comparatively young age, due to my mother's multiple pregnancies and what I now identify as post-partum depression. Did I become self-reliant to an unhealthy extent, thus distancing myself from people Again, this type of approach would seek to uncover the true nature (and thus influence) of these past experiences and seek to apply them to my present psychological state. In the psychodynamic state, the past is indeed prologue to present. Further, it is almost determinative in nature (Parkes, 1971). In contrast, the person-centered, or humanistic counseling, would concentrate upon the manner in which I perceive myself consciously in the present and would only consider my childhood as it directly affects my present situation. Thus the fact that I desire to have children, but have so far been unable to get pregnant might be explored vis--vis my mother's bad pregnancy experiences. This past would be a direct effect upon my conscious mind however, rather than the sub/unconscious influence that might prevail within the psychodynamic model and which would thus need to be revealed to me through my psychotherapist. As Jacobs (1986) suggests, the psychotherapist needs to be sure that he/she does not dominate the process to the degree that the actual subject is lost within a morass of interpretation. I am also presently considering whether if my husband and I do have children they will experience the same poor childhood that I did. Essentially, will I be as bad a mother as my mother was The person-centered approach would take this question at face value - and essentially assume that my mother was indeed a bad mother - and explore how this belief influences me in the present day. Psychodynamic counseling would explore how I had come to the conclusion that my parents were bad parents, and what effect it had

Short answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short answers - Essay Example ng Congressional action with his authorship of the Federalist Papers and his stern belief in a more balanced and financially fair system of government expenditures. An early and notable military leader during the war for American independence, Washington eventually rose to become the first president of the United States. A devout American patriot, Washington was respected by many citizens in that time as both a strong military might and a fair potential president. Despite Washingtons retirement to Mount Vernon prior to being elected the first American president, he remained influential in many governmental matters until his death in 1797, supporting the idea that Congress should fund the debt of the nation. An early puritanical leader, Hutchinson maintained somewhat radical religious beliefs for that time, eventually establishing a bible study lesson for citizens who had migrated to the New World in the 1600s. Her viewpoints on religion eventually caused her to be banished from the early colonial society, however her progressive thinking in relation to religion serves, today, as a map for the evolution of religious beliefs in early colonial America. Angry over Britains imposition of excessive taxation, colonial Americans opened up crates of tea, which was set for exportation to other nations, and dumped it into the harbor to prevent England from receiving profit and taxes on the tea. The colonists were also angry that imported tea distributors/manufacturers were not paying import taxes, which could have assisted the economy of early America. This act enraged England and is noted as the starting point for the Revolutionary War. Angry over Britains constant imposition of taxes on the colonists without their approval, the term no taxation without representation involved the early colonial American belief that taxes cannot and should not be expected to be paid (or acknowledged) without some form of governmental representation that speaks on behalf of citizens.

Week 1 - Discussion 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 1 - Discussion 2 - Coursework Example The motivation factors may include a rewarding system that recognizes groups or individual performance. According to Lockwood (2006, 4), â€Å"rewards and recognition also help both to retain talent and to improve performance.† Also, they should recognize and appraise the employees who are performing well and particularly those achieving progressive improvements records. Other forms of employees’ motivation may include promotion, financial and non-financial rewards, etc. Managers should be good leaders in their organizations to motivate and improve performance of their staff. They should inculcate best leadership skills such as ensuring effective communication of the organizational objectives to the employees and coordinating the workforce to relinquish the potential towards the right goals (Gregory, 2011). Also, they should build teamwork and delegate responsibilities to the employees as well as hold the groups or individuals accountable for what they achieve. This will also improve the decision-making process by reducing bureaucracy in the organization. Finally, employers can hire competent workers and initiate training programs to provide training to the employees so that they can advance their skills and acquire latest skills (Dreher & Dougherty,

Plans For Introducing The Laptop Bags In UK Marketing Essay

Plans For Introducing The Laptop Bags In UK Marketing Essay Introduction Marketing is defined as, A co-ordinated process which makes the best use of available resources to present a product proposition to a target market in order to achieve objectives, and then evaluating how successfully this has been done. Peter Verwey, TMA marketing manual Philip Kotler defines Marketing as the art of identifying and understanding customer needs and creating solutions that deliver satisfaction to the customers, profits to the producers and benefits for the stakeholders. Marketing is the performance of those activities which seek to accomplish an organizations objectives by anticipating customer or client needs and directing a flow of need-satisfying goods and services from producer to customer or client, says E. Jerome McCarthy of Michigan State University. http://www.audiencesni.com/library/lb-downloads/reports/Strategic%20Marketing%20Planning.pdf As the mission statement of Royale Company is To excel in customers world Vision: Making a difference with great quality and value for the products Values: Quality, value, innovative, service and integrity. Royal company does ensure and strive to get their vision of excelling customers world are measured in depth to the way they run their business and the way they serve their customer be it home or abroad. Royal company mission and values are also met by ensuring that they meet customers expectation with appealing, superior quality products at value for money. Marketing Environments of the UK Royal company has decided to launch a fashionable and convenient bag designed for laptop known as L bag As per the marketing study it is said that people want their laptops and phones to be functional and fashionable and there is a real crossover in product at the current market. UK market wants product to associate them with a brand image. People make choices in what technology they buy based on the feel good factor and what it says about image or personality over what it can actually do. Which is why Royal company has decided to design in different colours, for the sophisticated, the understated and the loud. As tech gets smaller, portable, part of fashionable image and essential and hence fashion industry in generally is waking up to technology. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3224441.stm There was a real niche in the market for a lightweight stylish bag that had the technology in it to hold a laptop, but also the technology in it so that if you dropped the bag, the laptop wouldnt break. As young generation in UK are finding it essential and easier to carry the laptop with them around as it is getting slimmer and lighter. With wi-fi hotspots, allowing high speed net access without wires, popping up around the country in bars and cafes staying connected on the move is becoming an important part of it. Laptops are becoming a fashion accessory in UK where people do not carry an ugly bag with a well fashioned dress. All the design that went into laptops bags was focused on the travelling businessman but no thought that now a day laptop is used by younger generation as well which would be a easy target for new product L bag. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3224441.stm Marketing Strategy: Whereas marketing strategy is a systematic approach to a major and increasingly important responsibility of management: to position and relate the firm to its environment in a way which assures its success and makes it secure from surprises Ansoff and McDonnell (1990). Every organization needs to know the market very well in order to do succeed in the business and Royal Company is no exception to this. The main features of market orientation are as follows: Customer Focus: Royal Company strives towards delivering the best products as per the needs and requirement of the customers. Competitors Orientation: In retail business Royal Company has survived and served customers for many years. Inter Functional Coordination: It needs to have excellent inter functional coordination to provide smooth service to customers. It means working together as a team. Marketing Plan for introducing the Laptop bags in UK market: In order to formulate the marketing plans as the UK market is very competitive, Royal Company must use their financial resources to create and sustain a high profile with multi level marketing campaign to raise their profile in UK and establish the idea of quality bags for laptop. Need to be innovative in the market are as follows: Business survival For better returns To take advantage of opportunity For profitability Competitive Advantage Macroeconomic Analysis is divided into internal environment and external environment. Internal environment consist of Firms own management structure, the strategies and objectives, the different departmentation within organization. The ability to serve the customer is mainly affected by the internal factors. The external factors mainly consisted of suppliers, distributors, customer, competitors and publics and also the group of shareholder. On the other tool that will be used in these areas is Porters five forces. Just as SWOT and Porter five forces is used to identify new product, services and how a business can be profitable in the market. A PEST Analysis of the industry examines the, social, economic, local, technological, national, political, and global influences to understand opportunities and threats well. Retail industry had an assumption that to some extent these factors (political, economic, social, legal and environmental) will be applicable. Political: It influences organizations in many ways. This factors can create advantage and opportunity for any new organization. They can pose restriction on duties and obligation on organizations. Royal Company has to know the political environment in UK very well such as market regulations, legislation such as the minimum wage and anti discrimination laws, trade agreements and restrictions. Economic: Retail industry is very sensitive to interest rate and also fairly recession proof. Because of September 11 events, stocks were plummeting and prices are low all time due to this the world economy have suffered heavily. However after the September 11th attack the world economy is up and the retail industry are boosting again and consumers are becoming more optimistic. An economy undergoing recession will have high unemployment, low spending power and low stakeholder confidence against a booming economy. Social: There are changes in consumer taste and lifestyle present both opportunities and threats for the retail industry. People are know more thinking about the fashion and brands image which they can easily afford and have them as well. Population changes also have a direct impact on organizations. Changes in the structure of a population will affect the supply and demand of goods and service within the economy. Technical: the way a business would operate has changed greatly due to Technology. Royal Company needs to use this available technology such as the internet and other information exchange system, incorporating a multitude of software which helps to manage the business. In retail industry the introduction of online shopping via internet is now a common place for shopping. IT system undertakes the companys administration, management, and paperless operations which are monitored by the secured sever, it provides a flexible base for running the business. UK is at the forefront of technologically developed. Hence Royal Company gets an advantage of developed logistics and distribution channels already in place. One other tool that will be used in these areas is Porter Five Forces. This model can be used to good analytic effect alongside other models such as the SWOT and PEST analysis tools. Five Forces analyses five important in the determination of competitive power and these are: Buyers power: Suppliers power: Rivalry among competitors: Threat of new entrants: Threat of substitute products: Below is the diagram which describes the Porter Five Force Model: Diagram1: http://colette3010.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/5forces.jpg The Problems which Royal Company will be facing and threats of substitute supermarkets, supplier power, buyer power and the power of customer can be explained by Porters five forces. Buyer power also decides the prices in the market. If products are expensive than other products will be purchased. This mean market is disciplined which make the pricing disciplined as well and stops them to destroy the market in a profit war. Supplier power is an essential part of this model. Suppliers demand that retailers should pay them certain price for their service and goods supplied. Threat of substitution is always been affecting any organizations, however they try to ensure brand image and quality by having the best value for the products. Competitors and new entrants is also another threat for Royal Company as they acknowledge these seriously, and therefore the company always plan to improve upon developing its stores. Royal Company can determine its strength, weakness, opportunity and threats to its business by using SWOT analysis: STRENGTHS various range of products Available 24 hours a day Cash Flow Position is strong Increase turnover and trading profits Balance Sheet is strong Leading Supermarket Chain Awareness of Brand Human resources Online Shopping capability to turn assets into advantages OPPORTUNITIES Globally Developing brand alertness Forming New Markets Globalizing the Market Alliances Innovation Growth in Low cost brand Diversification Offering available new markets with advanced margins WEAKNESSES requires local awareness of customers and culture overseas brand THREATS existing New competition Raw materials prices are instable downturn in Economic Globalising the shifting market Takeover bids Low cost brands from Far-East Extremely high competition for resources and customers Product Sales Cycle: Diagram2: http://dpl.kaist.ac.kr/DM_wiki/images/d/d5/Product_Lifecycle.gif Introduction Stage: In the introduction stage, Royal Company seeks to build product awareness and develop a market for the product which is described as As Royal Company wants to enter the UK market, it has to make sure that the product it wants to launch should be according the needs and style of the UK people. Royal Company has made a market research and aspires to launch Laptop Bag in the market. http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/product/lifecycle/ The impact of Marketing Mix is as follows: According to kotler, el al (1996), marketing mix is a social and managerial process by which individual and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with other. It is an important tool in marketing that helps a company to identify a number of variables that stimulate purchasing decisions for any product. There are 4 Ps in marketing mix notably Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Royal company has used this tool to enter UK market with launch of new product line to target people from all walks of life to puruse them to purchase the product known as L bag. Development of Product with description: L Bag: http://www.purseblog.com/images/Burberry_Denim_Messenger_Diaper_Bag.jpg Traditionally it is believed that a good product will sell itself. It become easy to lauch a product which is wanted by customer to make go along with the market and fashion trend. Basic features of L bag is that: It has a main compartment with a padded sleeve which can carry 17 inches laptop so others like 14, 15, 12.1 inche and smaller could fit in it easy. A second compartment which carries neccessary power adapters and other accessories of the laptop. It also has to be strong that it could hold the weight of laptop plus some other neccessary things. Side compressions strap A third small compartment with small sections to hold mobile, pens, credit cards, coins. Basically like an organiser. Benefits of L bag: It has special disk jackets inside where one can carry various discs. USB memory sticks holding has small pockets for it. Dimensions is 17 x 12 x 6 inches, 43 x 30 x 15 cm which can be used by commuters cause it will be smaller than the minimum dimensions allowed in flight cabin size which acoording to the new rule passed on 7th January 2008 is 56cm x 25cm x 45cm(www.bbcnews.co.uk) then even traveller could use them. Mp4 and Mp3 music Holder with adjustable strap to adjust with different sizes. Shoulder strap on the bottom has Mp4 and Mp3 controller. Contents of the bags is felt with riveted on sensitive parts of the bags. Carry a 17 inch laptop with its accessories. It is in fashion and matching the latest clothing trends It serve more than one purpose. Benefits of the L bag over traditional backpack are: Less straps hanging on the outside, which thus means less danger of getting stuck The plain shape make them smaller when empty It is quicker to get things in and out of the bag thanks to the big lid It doesnt have to be carried on the back making it easier to protect the contents from pickpockets It does not have to be taken off when reaching for its content, just swing it round. Pricing Strategies: Price is one factor in marketing mix which triggers the purchasing power for any customer. It has always been an attraction to consumers and a challenge to the product manufacturer. If prices are high then it wont sell which can be fixed by reducing the prices. http://freepresentationslides.blogspot.com/2008/09/introduction-phase-of-product-life.html Developing Marketing Strategies and Plans from Khawaja Naveed A rapid penetration strategy consists of launching the product at a low price and spending heavy level on promotion. Royal company has used strategy that promises to bring about the fastest market penetration and the largest market share. This strategy makes sense when the market is large, the market is unaware about of the product, and most buyers are price sensitive there is strong potential competition. The introduction phase starts when the new product is launched. In this introduction phase, profits are negative or low because of the low sales and heavy distribution and promotion expense. The promotion expenditures are at the highest ratio sales, which conducted to New and unknown product should be passed to customers. Induce trial of the product. Secure distribution in retail outlets. L bag is launched for younger generation in UK. As the price is very sensitive factor in marketing , it is hence important to price the product right. http://freepresentationslides.blogspot.com/2008/09/introduction-phase-of-product-life.html It is difficult to know the market value of new product hence a soft opening is recommended where u faces a small group of customers rather than the big crowd which one might not be able to handle on the first day of business. Promotional Strategies: For a marketing position to be sustained it should be linked with a promotional strategy and these are basically two promotional strategies that could be selected and these two are Push and Pull strategies. The Push promotional strategy relies on the companys sales force and its promotional activities to be able to create a consumer demand for a particular product and it aims to sell directly to the consumer without any distribution channels. The Push strategy tends to rely on high advertising and consumer promotion to be built a consumer demand for a product. Product requires innovative, creating marketing solutions in order to successfully differentiate them from competing product in the market place. One of the best ways to introduce the product in the new market with new product is through product publicity. One of the methods that Royal Company can use is through Editorial coverage which can be achieved to the maximum through newspaper and magazines. Place / Distribution Strategies: Putting the right product in the right location at the right time is a daunting challenge that involves a delicate balance of demand. Strategic distribution is a competitive advantage that accrues generally from the configuration of a distribution network ( who, what, where, when ) and more specifically, from the selection of partners ( middleman ) who intermediate between the company and the customer by performing necessary fulfillment and service activities. Royal companys distribution strategy is largely defined by its decisions on the number and type of customer interfaces. There are two fundamental fulfillment such as: Direct distribution Indirect distribution In general, both direct and indirect distributions are becoming integral to most companies retail distribution strategy. At this level, there are two types of distribution which Royal Company can select from: Exclusive distribution (retailer carries only one brand) Shared distribution (all major brands are carried) As L bag is entering UK market with new image, Royal Company has opted for Shared distribution along with other brands. Assuming denim so widely accepted and United Kingdom has 73% of the population n using denim as suggested my Global Lifestyle Monitor. http://faculty.msb.edu/homak/HomaHelpSite/webhelp/Distribution_Strategy.htm Branding: The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. Royal Company sees branding not as a measure to target market over the competition, but as a solution to the customer problem. Royal Company has worked towards branding to ensure that a good brand has been achieved which delivers the message clearly Confirms credibility Connects with the target prospects Motivates the buyer Concretes user loyalty Product success comes only with deep understanding of market conditions, real customer requirements, and competition as well as translation of that business intelligence into high quality product within the window of opportunity. Successful products are ones that meet customer needs, are innovative and that offer value. The characteristics of a new product launch strategy were found to have a significant impact on the intensity of competitive reactions. Competitive reaction is diagnosed in terms of changes in the marketing instruments of the competitors. The data show that competitors react primarily by means of price changes, product changes and promotion changes. For a sales person it just is not that easy. A few ways one can begin is to command the respect of customers so that they will see salesperson as an authority on the products he/she sell. Gaining trust: Building relationship with customers is more important than the products sold. It is essential to know the customer, listen to them carefully and explain about the product. The messenger bag functions and advantages, and let them go at their own pace without pushing. Product knowledge: Knowing the product, study inside and out, makes a sales person prepared to answer to any questions asked regarding the products by customers. Be accessible: It is necessary for customer to know that the sales staffs are available to answer any questions they may have or to discuss any concerns they may have. Or simply making them aware of the product and promotion if any going on. Market Positioning: According to Mercer, D. (2000) is defined as the location of a product (or service) relative to others in the same marketplace and then promoting it in such a way as to reinforce or change its position. The factors that are considered for market positioning are: Product should be compared with other competing products Products position- the way the product is been defined by the consumers on their important attributes Applying a simple buying process which should help the consumers to categories the products according to their needs Segmentation: Blythe, J. (2005), states the segmentation is to identify a group of people who have a need or needs that can be met by a single product, in order to concentrate the marketing firms efforts most effectively and economically. Definition provided by business dictionary.com, market segmentation is defined as Process of defining and sub dividing a large homogenous market into clearly identifiable segments having similar needs, wants, or demand characteristics. In segmentating the market Royal Company must have taken these four factors: Geographic Segmentation will take into consideration such dividing people or market into different geographical locations. The country, climate, size of a place segmented into size of its age wise population. Behavioural segementation is based on the customers need and subsequent reaction to those needs or toward the purchase of intended products. It is important for Royal Company to understand the behaviour of the buyer, as they are targeting younger generation it becomes important to have right pricing to attract customer in the market. Phychographic Segmentation: Royal Company will be segmentating people according to their lifestyles and values. Target customers interest, opinions, values, attitude and the activities they perform. Demographic Segmentation: It is refers to a wide study of the potential customers. While marketing a product many variables like age, gender, education, income, size of the family, occupation, culture and religion, language and nationality are taken into account. This segmentation can help and has worked profitably. It play an important and vital role in determining whether a product can be mass marketed or designed for specific group. In UK Number of Males under 16 in 2007 was 5,895,000 and between 16 24 in 2007 was 3, 788,000. In UK Number of Females under 16 in 2007 was 5,615,000 and between 16 24 in 2007 was 3,580,000. In 2007, the majority of people in many non white ethnic groups living in Great Britain described thier identity as British, English, Scottish or Welsh. This included almost nine in ten (87%) people from Mixed group, 85% of people from Black Caribbean group and eight in ten from Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups ( 80% and 78% respectively). Royal Company has decided to launch it new product in LONDON as the total population of London: Males 3,738,000 in 2007 Females 3,819,000 in 2007 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_social/Social_Trends39/Social_Trends_39.pdf http://www.buzzle.com/articles/market-segmentation-strategy.html Market Positioning: According to Mercer, D. (2000) is defined as the location of a product (or service) relative to others in the same marketplace and then promoting it in such a way as to reinforce or change its position. The factors that should be considered for market positioning are: Launch product should be compared with other competing products. Product position is the way the product is been defined by the consumers on their attributes. Applying a simple buying process which should help the consumers to categories the products according to their needs. Implementation of Marketing Strategy There are different marketing strategies that may differ depending on the different situation of the business. Benefits and costs of Marketing strategy: It depends on the kind of research conducted, targeted market, goals and aims of an organization methods and tools used for market research. A marketing startegy helps compile marketing goals and actions into a cohesive whole. In the same way different ways of strategy such as advertising, channel marketing, promotion can be elaborated. Marketing startegies are interative and dynamic in itself. Royal company would be focusing its energies and resources on course of action which can lead to increased sales and target market niche. Royal Companys marketing strategy has deeply constructed and combined product development, promotion, distribution, pricing and other elements, identified its marketing goals. It hasexplained how they will achieve and had determined the choice of target market between age group of 16-24 mainly which are younger generation. Basic implementation of marketing strategies includes: Target audience Key element Implementating ( Launching the product ) http://www.bnet.com/cp/implementing-a-marketing-strategy/66491 Recommendation for Royal Company for new product launch of L Bag for laptop: The ability to bring superior and unique product to market in a cost effective manner is the secret for good business performance and growth. Growth is pressurized by high levels of competition, shorter product lifecycles and ever changing market conditions. Company needs to have new ways to deliver value to their customers. It is important to be innovative to existing market once the company has managed to survive the market. Royal company should shorten time to market while reducing developing costs; it should adopt holistic view of the development process. One of the most critical strategic initiatives in new product introduction is: acquiring an explicit definition of customers requirement with customer and not RD vaccum. Conclusion: It is clear that perfect product launch can support business growth initiatives, superior product and effective cost management through integration of product lifecycle activities with customers. http://www-935.ibm.com/services/ch/bcs/pdf/scm-perfect-prod-launch.pdf

Business Plan for a Nightclub Essay examples -- Business Management Fi

Business Plan for a Nightclub LEVEL 3 plans to be a chain of upscale nightclubs centering around the middle Georgia areas. It is demographically targeted to middle aged adult’s ages ranging from 25 and up. LEVEL 3 aims at providing quality entertainment, food and refreshments along with a welcoming environment that will give our customers a unique and entertaining experience. Company Overview This company evolved through a partnership on January 19th 2005. LEVEL 3 is located in Perry, Georgia and caters to the surrounding Middle Georgia areas. The company plans to attract upscale and mature customers whose ages range from 25 and older. LEVEL 3 will be the premier, high-energy themed dance and night club in Middle Georgia. We will provide our customers with live entertainment, quality food and service along with a great atmosphere. We want to create an intimate setting that will make our customers feel a sense of belonging. Easily manageable and profitable, this business appeals to customers who want to relax and meet different enjoyable and exciting people. It will capitalize on the ever growing demand for a safe and sophisticated nightclub. Our objectives are to profit on our excellent location in Perry, Georgia, with commitment to the community developments. We also want to maintain tight control of costs, operations, and cash flow through diligent management. In additi on, we will maintain a food cost below 33% of food revenue and beverage costs below 25% of beverage revenue. Finally, we plan to exceed $3 million in annual sales by the third year of plan implementation. LEVEL 3 plans to launch with a highly publicized grand opening event in the summer of 2005. It intends to expand to other cities within Georgia after revenues excel. Product Plan LEVEL 3 will be characterized by the elaborate dance club situated in a spectator setting which comfortably accommodates 350 guests. The area will offer two private sky boxes and one banquet room which can be combined for use in a conference or private party setting. Also these rooms are intended for special events and daily use. In order to reach and maintain a unique image of quality, LEVEL 3 will provide attentive and friendly service through a high ratio of service personnel to customers, and will also invest in the training and supervision of its employees. The initial hours of operation will be fro... ...footage than anyone else in the region. A simple, yet unique, themed menu and atmosphere will create a sense of 'belonging' for locals and tourists alike. Our operating credo is: "happy enthusiastic employees create happy enthusiastic guests." The main objectives of the development of this new venue are: †¢ Capitalize on excellent location opportunity with swift commitment to the new Town Square development. †¢ To launch the venue with a highly publicized grand opening event in the summer of 2001. †¢ To maintain tight control of costs, operations, and cash flow through diligent management and automated computer control. †¢ To maintain a food cost below 33% of food revenue. †¢ To maintain a total beverage cost below 25% of beverage revenue. †¢ To exceed $3 million in annual sales by the third year of plan implementation. The keys to success in achieving our goals are: †¢ Provide exceptional service that leaves an impression. †¢ Consistent entertainment atmosphere and product quality. †¢ Managing our internal finances and cash flow to enable upward capital growth. †¢ Strict control of all costs, at all times, without exception

Reflection Paper on Organization Behavior

kiwiberry2900 3/9/2013 MGMT 541 Self-reflection paper Motivation Motivation represents psychological processes that cause arousal, direction, and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal directed. There are substantial positive relations between job characteristics, satisfaction, and motivation. Job characteristics of Variety and Task Significance were found to be particularly important to employee satisfaction and motivation.These are examples that almost everyone will encounter in real life: Job design and job enrichment My work experience when I was in Shanghai was with the Taxation Bureau. Initially I was assigned general work in the department such as doing tax registration for the new companies and I wasn’t motivated. The job was simple, just checking and cataloging all of the documents that the company representatives provided, and giving them the application forms. I also answered related questions and followed up after the companies with the tax license were san ctioned.At this job position, the skill varieties were very limited. The routine work was just following the rules and did not need any professional judgment. After a month or so, I felt bored. Besides the skill variety, the job also lacked autonomy. Sometimes I just went out for some reason, probably there were several company representatives were waiting for me, while other time there is nobody show up in a whole day. As a young woman, I can’t further myself in the job, anyone can do it. I had no progress, no satisfaction about the job and no intrinsic motivation.Although the tasks were significant to the whole bureau, it is hard to see our bigger function of the organization. In the end, after I pleased the human resources department several times, I was allowed to join another department. A lot of young people did not like to be fixed on a general position which would not allow them to accumulate the professional experience and explore the deep side of the field, and that often makes a problem in the hierarchical organization. Equity theory The Shanghai Taxation Bureau in which I had worked for more than 10 years is a hierarchical organization including a lot of levels.It is the administrative and management body that carries out the state’s taxation activities within the administrative jurisdiction of Shanghai Municipality. Its main functions and responsibilities include implementing state taxation laws, regulations and codes, researching and formulating tax development plans and annual work plans for local taxation. The administrative position involves supervising every month’s tax declaration and collection and making sure the money will be transferred into the state treasury according to the related laws, regulations and codes.There are 26 branches attached to the taxation bureau, and over 10000 employees working in the shanghai taxation bureau. Big organizations necessitate more comparison between people, or between branches. Peop le from every section seek to get equal benefits out of their input. There are a lot of couples in Shanghai taxation bureau. So if some branches gave the bonus to their employees, everyone in the whole system knew it. And afterwards other departments will mimic the policy to motivate theirs. That reflected the equity theory.From the equity theory, an individual’s motivation level is correlated to his perception of equity, fairness and justice practiced by the management. The higher an individual’s perception of fairness is, the greater their motivation level and vice versa. In the above context, I remembered that the branch leader who first gave the bonus will emphasize the special task they have completed, in order to stimulate his employees who have experienced high level hardship or difficulties. But other branches will spotlight their own achievements in the assignment, ultimately got the same bonus to protect or comfort their own morale in the workplace.In the yea r-end evaluation, every branch or individual will assess their own projects and achievements in the whole year and the human resource management would make overall balances and give different levels of reward. While some job positions comparatively have more opportunities to make achievements, others have less. Under that kind of situation, the management carried out the policy of job position rotation, therefore, almost every qualified employee with education history of financial and accounting would have the opportunities to rotate their positions. This policy is motivational, Extrinsic motivation and intrinsic otivation At my department people were driven by extrinsic motivation. We compared the bonus income, the benefit to others and calculated the upcoming income or vacation. We also expected to be promoted and got high level benefits. As if that is the core of our daily tasks. Sometimes we did some project according to superior’s will rather than the real information to avoid offending the leader. We even did not consider whether the result was meaningful or not. Although the department management wanted to motivate the employees and gave the gift cards to everyone before the festivals, we were not satisfied.We wanted to get more benefits comparing with employees at other branches. From the theoretic framework, these are hygiene factors which would not make people satisfied. Sometimes we got into research projects and worked with the other teammates. These were independent projects. The person in charge the project totally explained the purpose of the project and we felt we got involved and engaged. We were empowered to use our own way to collect data, analyze it, and draw the conclusion. We felt very satisfied in these projects.We cooperated with each other, attracted by the task, and we can focus solely on the project without complicated interpersonal relationships inside of this kind of temporary group. Further more, it was different from our r outine job, which gave us the opportunity to widen our view, enrich the job content, therefore satisfying all the teammates. This arrangement is like intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual rather than relying on external pressures or a desire for reward.Leadership From my experience, people want to motivate each other. He should build up himself first, has a long-term vision about the organizations, sets a goal for himself, matches the big environment and has the necessary ability or expertise in some area. Then he should also be authorized to be a leader. He may use his social skill and other ability and management resources to motivate people, and bring them together to a higher level. In my personal experience, I met good leaders as well as bad leaders.When I was a volunteer in a nonprofit organization at Chicago, I was elected as a member of the board of trust ees. In this setting, the president is our board leader and he displayed a typical bad leader profile. First of all, he is not a role model. He should have a positive attitude, and be supportive to every volunteer, but unfortunately he always escaped working hard and treated other volunteers like slaves. Secondly, he did not consider the opinions of other board members, he liked to be self-centered and lack of empathy. This character embodied in his schedule and his arrangement.He had no expert power, his personality is awful and he even played tricks in the nonprofit organization, which made everybody astonished. Now he had lost in the election for the board members. Admittedly, the situation above is very unique. Generally most authorized leaders have some attractive traits such as self-awareness, self-confidence, social skills and persuasive abilities. At the same time, they fully understand the organization goals. But different leaders have their own personal features. My friend Fan is a director of the audit department.I had been in his department for 3 years, and we became friends in the end. Fan is a veteran, he had little professional knowledge in auditing, but he knew management well. His job is to motivate all the auditing group leaders and auditors. He used his legitimate power at first to assign tasks to every group. After the tasks were finished, he gave all the evaluation report to every group with the help of his assistant. At the same time, he used his reward and referent power. He always kept the department on the way of organizational goal, showed his positive attitude, gave everybody most extent of autonomy.He also used his personal relationship to strive for the best interest of our department. That is why he got everyone’s respect. In his department, morale is very high. Nobody wanted to leave. Ahthough Fan is a good leader in most aspects except his professional knowledge, he can’t exert his expert power in his leadership. A great leader is a natural leader, who can exert his idealized influence power to his followers, and help to set common goals for the whole organization, incorporate, motivate followers, have them a clear picture of the future, make them active beyond the call of the duty.Bibliography Kreitner, Robert, and Angelo Kinicki. Organizational Behavior. Boston, MA: Irwin/McGraw- Hill, 1998. Print. â€Å"Equity Theory of Motivation. † Equity Theory of Motivation. N. p. , n. d. Web. 09 Mar. 2013. â€Å"Welcome to Shanghai Municipal Office of State Administration of Taxation. † Shanghai Municipal Office of State Administration of Taxation. N. p. , n. d. Web. 09 Mar. 2013. W. Chan Kim. â€Å"Fair Process Managing in the Knowledge Economy. † (n. d. ): n. pag. Web.

Biography of Tom Hayden, Activist and Politician

Biography of Tom Hayden, Activist and Politician Tom Hayden (December 11, 1939–October 23, 2016) was an American anti-war activist and the co-founder of Students for a Democratic Society. In later life, he was elected to public office in California. Fast Facts: Tom Hayden Known For: Co-founder of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and a political activist focused on anti-war efforts, civil rights, and progressivism in American politicsOccupation: Activist, author, professor, and politicianBorn: December 11, 1939  in Royal Oak, MichiganDied: October 23, 2016  in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSpouse(s): Casey Cason  (m. 1961–1962), Jane Fonda  (m. 1973–1990), Barbara Williams  (m. 1993–2016)Children: Troy Garity, Liam Jack Diallo Hayden Early Life Hayden was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, to Genevieve and John Hayden. His father, a former Marine of Irish Catholic descent, was an accountant for Chrysler. The Haydens divorced when Thomas was ten, in large part due to John’s violent alcoholic tendencies. Hayden was raised by his mother and grew up attending Catholic elementary school, but he broke with the Church when he grew older. Hayden began his career as the editor of his high school’s newspaper. He then went on to attend the University of Michigan, where he served as the editor of the student newspaper, the Michigan Daily. It was at this time that he became more politically active, eventually co-founding the leftist student group Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). He met his first wife, Sandra Cason, through their shared activism, and the couple married in 1961. Radical Activism Hayden began his larger-scale activism as a Freedom Rider in the South, riding into the segregated South to protest the non-compliance with a Supreme Court ruling that had made segregated buses unconstitutional. As president of the SDS, Hayden drafted their manifesto, the Port Huron Statement, which became an early inspiration for the â€Å"New Left† and young, radical leftist movement in the United States. After divorcing Cason in 1962, Hayden moved to Newark, New Jersey, where he worked from 1964 to 1968 with inner-city residents and witnessed the 1967 â€Å"race riots,† which he attributed to more than just racial conflict. It was in 1965, however, that Hayden began his more visible and controversial activism. Alongside Communist Party USA member Herbert Aptheker and Quaker peace activist Staughton Lynd, Hayden visited North Vietnam, touring villages and factories. He continued his anti-war activities into 1968, when he joined the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam and protested outside the Democratic National Convention. Those protests led to his indictment, along with several of his fellow protestors, on charges of incitement to riot and conspiracy. Their case became known as the â€Å"Chicago Seven† (named after the city where the convention and protests occurred), and although Hayden and other protestors were initially convicted of crossing state lines with the intention to riot, the decision was later reversed, and the government did not retry the case. Following the trial, Hayden continued to make highly visible visits to Vietnam and Cambodia, the latter of which had been drawn into the war under the Nixon administration. Hayden had become involved romantically with actress Jane Fonda, who was also an anti-war protestor and famously took a trip to Hanoi, the North Vietnamese capital, in 1972. The couple married in 1973 and welcomed their son, Troy Garity (given Hayden’s mother’s maiden name for his surname). He also founded the Indochina Peace Campaign, which organized anti-war dissent and fought for amnesty for those who dodged being drafted. Entry into Politics In 1976, Hayden made his first political move when he challenged incumbent Senator John V. Tunney for a California Senate seat. Although he was initially viewed as a fringe candidate, he wound up finishing a strong second in the Democratic primary. In the 1980s, he served in the California state assembly and, in the 1990s, in the state senate. Hayden served on the advisory board of the Progressive Democrats of America, a political organization and grassroots political action committee created to advocate for more progressive policy within the Democratic Party. He also became a strong advocate for animal rights and authored a bill that improved protections for pets and shelter animals. Throughout his career, Hayden taught at the university level at several California universities. For the most part, his courses specialized in social movements, political science, and history of protests. He also authored or edited nearly 20 books. Later Life In 1990, Hayden and Fonda divorced; three years later, he married his third wife, Barbara Williams, a Canadian-American actress. The couple adopted a son, Liam, who was born in 2000. The 2016 election would be the last campaign season he participated in: although he reportedly supported Bernie Sanders early on, he publicly supported Hillary Clinton. However, Hayden did not live to see the results of the election. After a lengthy illness and a stroke, Hayden died on October 23, 2016, in Santa Monica, California. He left behind a large volume of published work, as well as a legacy of pushing for progress, even (and especially) when it went against the â€Å"establishment† thinking. Sources Finnegan, Michael. â€Å"The radical inside the system: Tom Hayden, protester-turned-politician, dies at 76.† The Los Angeles Times, 23 October 2016, https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-tom-hayden-snap-story.html.McFadden, Robert D. â€Å"Tom Hayden, Civil Rights and Antiwar Activist Turned Lawmaker, Dies at 76.† The New York Times, 24 October 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/25/us/tom-hayden-dead.html.Schaffer, Scott. â€Å"Tom Hayden: American Activist and Author.† Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 7 December 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tom-Hayden.

Cannery Row-fiction paper essays

Cannery Row-fiction paper essays Mack wasted no time with small talk, Lee, he said, Doc over theres got a problem. He needs me and the boys to go and gather up 300 frogs for an order hes got. We need to borrow your truck, so we can go to Carmel Valley. Lee was reluctant but gave into the proposition; however, Doc had been a tremendous customer throughout the years; Lee felt he owed it to Doc to help him out wherever he could. Mack and the boys packed up to begin their road trip, destination: Carmel Valley. Mack knew around where their destination lie. As the trip commenced they became consumed in the chatter of how their money would be spent. Doc was to give them 5 cents for every frog they captured and returned to him. All the boys determined that the money was to be spent on a party for Doc, to thank him for being such a great guy. They chatted with excitement as their imaginations ran wild, thinking up extravagant party ideas. In the bed of the truck lied a 5-gallon-jug of whiskey; that Eddie had brought from the bar. As they drove, they began to take drinks, in hope of making the trip more enjoyable. Somewhere along the line Mack thought it would be a good idea to take a short cut; he thought he remembered from the last time he went to Caramel Valley, with Doc. The road came to end where a bridge lay broken, washing down the river. They were at a dead end. Gay being the bright man, who he was, talked all the boys into thinking that the car could make the jump if they got enough speed. Instructing them that, if we get enough speed, we can make this here jump, and it will save us a day of backtracking. The boys went along with this idea, deciding after a couple more drinks that backtracking sounded as though it required actual effort. They put the truck in reverse moving as far back as possible, accelerating as fast as their car would permit. Barely breaking 55, they made it across the jump. However,...

The success of Apple with the application of Porter's strategy theory Essay

The success of Apple with the application of Porter's strategy theory - Essay Example In 1996, Jobs arrived on Apple's campus for the first time in nearly 11 years, becoming interim and then permanent CEO† (Kanter, 2010). Many commentators therefore separate Apple’s history under Jobs as â€Å"Jobs I† and â€Å"Jobs II,† with the latter being his re-introduction to the company. Apple, during its early years, was quick to establish a core competence. As one group of authors states, â€Å"A company’s core competence can relate to any of several aspects of its business: expertise in building networks and systems that enable e-commerce; speeding new or next generation products to market; good after-sale service; skills in manufacturing a high-quality product; (and) innovativeness in developing popular product features;† these authors also stress the importance of â€Å"speed and agility in responding to new market trends and changing competitive conditions; know-how in creating and operating a system for filling customer orders ac curately and swiftly; and expertise in integrating multiple technologies to create families of new products.†(Thompson and Strickland, 1997). ... â€Å"We are living through extraordinary times for the music business. One of the great success stories of the 20th century is turning unpleasantly sour in the 21st† (Cook, 2003). From this perspective, it is fairly impressive that Apple has been able to capitalize in a market where it is essentially competing with a free product by putting its own 99 cent downloads up against it, successfully. â€Å"Apple has sold more than 500 million songs in 19 countries since it introduced iTunes in the United States over two years ago. While iTunes by itself is not viewed as a big money maker for Apple, it has helped drive sales of its wildly popular iPod portable music player† (Apple, 2005). From this perspective, the service is selling the hardware. Another major issue facing Apple is that if consumers do not see what they want aligned with their needs in a retailer, they are likely going to go someplace else to hire the product they are seeking. â€Å"The record companies hav e never had it so bad. The world is still saturated with popular music, but somehow its very omnipotence has taken the shine off its profitability: as popular as pop stars are, many of us have had enough of them† (Cook, 2003). Porter’s framework applied Porter’s Five Force analysis has achieved wide credibility as a form of industry analysis. Also, some of Porter’s key concepts can be applied to Apple. â€Å"The intensity of industry competition and an industry’s profit potential are a function of five forces of competition: the threats posed by new entrants, the power of suppliers, the power of buyers, product substitutes, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors† (Schmalnese, 1985). Porter’s Five Forces model of industry analysis is, stemming rationally from the

The Song of Roland exemplifies model knightly behavior. What qualities Term Paper

The Song of Roland exemplifies model knightly behavior. What qualities were most desired in a knight What were the worst crimes - Term Paper Example The soldiers of the time had special titles, Knights that did not only highlight their proclaimed ability but also set them above the normal citizens. The knights went through a rigorous recruiting and training process that thereafter resulted in brave individuals who substituted their personal interests with the interest of the state and their divine call. The special soldiers had a specific age group and originated from specific families in the kingdom thus implying that the title of a knight preferred extraordinary personalities who had the heavenly selection. The early societies had an effective way of coercing loyalty using religions. By claiming that knights had some deific anointment, the soldiers therefore obeyed their leaders and followed their commands without questioning. The religions made knights brave enough to offer their lives in order to protect their kings and immediate leaders. The loyalty ensured discipline, which kept the military coherent enough to protect their internal interest. Ordinary soldiers who exhibited extraordinary skills and behavior would also graduate from their elementary roles in the military roles to become knight. However, such occasions were rare thereby making the few who would appear saintly. The details of the battle of Saragossa as depicted in the song of Roland reveal a number of qualities that made knights. One such quality is bravery. All knights would at one time fight in major battlefields. The wars of the time, unlike the modern art of warfare used less technology and soldiers had to interact using the rudimentary weapons. Several soldiers could therefore die in the process a feature that demanded extreme bravery. Knights swore to substitute their individual interests with those of their kingdoms a feature that still is desired in the earlier societies. The leaders of the societies managed to use religion among other divine features to foster the interest of the societies by making their knights willing to sacr ifice themselves simply to make the societies safer. In a great show of bravery, Roland a young man leads the rear of an entire army with only a handful man. His strong enemy overpower and threaten to kill him but he still refuses to call for held an act that would appear cowardly. He later blows his horn not to seek help from the bigger legion but to inform his leader of their predicament. In addition to bravery, knights required both obedience and loyalty. The military of the times just as still is today had a specific bureaucratic structures with each higher position demanding great respect, obedience and loyalty from their juniors. The knights followed and acted on orders without ever questioning the sources provided they came straight from their immediate seniors. Acts of disobedience were rare and would often attract harsh public punishments to instil both fear and discipline on the remaining soldiers. Obedience and loyalty aided the leaders control their troops, which constit uted of different people from diverse backgrounds. Before recruitment, the knights went through a rigorous training which aided instil the specific values and societal virtues into them. Additionally, the use of religion helped develop holistic armies united by the common respect for their leaders and nation through committing oaths, which they would not dare betray. Roland is a young man but holds a higher rank in the military, he uses his