Skills and Experiences Acquired In the Past 12 Months Lab Report

Skills and Experiences Acquired In the Past 12 Months - Lab Report Example Likewise, in the mastering my new language skills, I listened to the podcast as it enabled me to develop a positive feeling for the language in question while also allowing me to learn more and more words. The use of such devices like the podcast enabled me to understand how different sentences are put together hence enabled me to learn my new language skills just like a baby learns to talk a mother’s language (Dyer, Gregersen & Christensen, 2011). Through my inquiry for innovation networks, I found it important since it is like to develop skills for discipline because fostering innovation skills in any area is greatly dependent on the disciplines taught. This will include having the grasp of technical skills, skills in thinking and creativity, behavioral and socials skills. Likewise, through the inquiry, I would like to develop skills in pedagogies which will constitute problem-based learning at the site, cooperative learning, and meta-cognitive learning. This will be tremendously essential to me because it will enable me to focus on different aspects of innovation like design thinking amongst others. In addition, throughout the inquiry, I would like to attain the skills of assessment in order for me to develop and assess various creativity aspects and other habits of the mind related to innovation. Lastly, I would like to develop the skills for international mobility through the inquiry because it will be crucial in enabling me foster skills I have acquired from different sources to match those of the globalized economy (Kuhlthau, Caspari, & Maniotes, 2007). My contribution in the learning process towards innovation networks would be placing myself at the center of what happens in all situations. This will enable me to achieve both cognition and growth as I will be self-regulated hence able to control my mind and emotions to  set various realistic goals and monitor my progress throughout the process.  

Examining Major Library Management Software Information Technology Essay

Examining Major Library Management Software Information Technology Essay With the gradual shift from earlier agricultural era to todays information era the users expectations towards library services has been changed. Now a days users are intended to get their required information through online. Even they have not enough time to search manual bibliographical sources of information to know the location of the document in the library, they needed. Users are so busy now. Therefore it is necessary for every library information centers to automate their services that are offered to the users of information. 2. WHAT IS LIBRARY AUTOMATION? International Encyclopedia of Information technology and library science defines automation as the technology concerned with the design and development of process and system that minimize the necessity of human invention in their operation. The term Library Automation in the past was used to refer to the mechanization of the traditional library operations like acquisition, serial control, cataloguing and circulation control. Today it is used to refer computerization of not only traditional library activities but also such related activities as information organization, information storage, retrieval, use etc Although computers play very important role in the automation of libraries, application of telecommunication and reprography technology is also equally important. 3. NEED FOR LIBRARY AUTOMATION The need for library automation can be explained following To facilitate wider and deeper access to information; To increase the retrievability of the resources; To achieve a new level of library management; To improve the existing services and to introduce new services; To improve control over collection; To have an efficient control over the entire operation; To avoid the duplication of work; To facilitate sharing of the resources among various libraries. Some of the factors that forced the libraries to go for automating the activities are: Information Explosion; Space Saving; Time saving; Availability of information in electronic form; Cost effectiveness; Data manipulation; Exploitation of computer readable databases. Therefore it can be said that the success of library automation mostly depends upon the nature of the software used for the purpose. Software helps in performing each every operations of an automated library information centers so quickly easily. 4. WHAT IS LIBRARY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE? An automated library is one where a computer system is applied to manage one or several of the librarys key operations. Such as acquisitions, serials control, cataloging, circulation and the public access catalogue. Automated library system depends on library automation packages are also called Library Management Software (LMS). Library automation software provides centralized management and process automation for government; public, private libraries .Library automation applications provide integration of self-service kiosks and online web portal access for catalog search, content delivery or reservation requests and patron check-out history. They also track and automate notification of overdue books and fines. 5. BENEFITS OF USING LMS IN LIBRARY Software helps in performing library operations quickly easily and thus saving the time of the users and staff. It also saves the manpower. LMS are integrated software package. LMS are compatible to various hardware systems. It is compatible to national international bibliographic standards. Operation in a multi-user environment. Operation in a networked environment. User friendly and menu driven. Least response time. Capable of handling bibliographical, numerical as well as textual data, also variable field. Sub-fields repeatable fields. Provision of data security through password. Provision for thesaurus and authority file maintenance. Output facility through card printing; bibliographies and on magnetic media (tape; diskette etc). Facilitate search through Boolean logic; Single term search; Multiple term search; Truncation search; Field directed searching etc. Import/ Export of data through standard exchange format. Provide powerful scanner capabilities. Display, sort and print records as per user defined formats. WWW interfacing. Multimedia compatibility. 6. LIBRARY AUTOMATION SOFTWARE PACKAGES There are hundreds of library automation software packages available at the global level. It is difficult to list them all. Here is a table that shows list of some available software packages designed and developed for the libraries. TABLE: 1 Sl. No. Name of the software Designing, Developing, Marketing/Distributing Agency/Organizations 1 CDS/ISIS (DOS), WINISIS(WINDOWS) UNESCO ,in India NISSAT/DSIT acts as the nodal agency 2 ALICE for Windows ,OASIS for DOS Soft Link Pvt., Australia. Marketed in India by Soft Link Asia 3 BASISPLUS and TECHLIB PLUS Information Dimensions Inc.(IDI), USA and NIC, New Delhi 4 SOUL INFLBNET center, Ahamedabad 5 Libsys Libsys corporation, New Delhi 6 Koha Katipo Communications Limited of Wellington, New Zealand 7 VIRTUAILS VTLS Inc, Virginia, USA 8 LAMP Jointly by Netherlands Library Association ,Pakistan Library Association and UNESCO 9 LIBSUIT SOFT-AID Computer Ltd., Pune 10 LIBRIS Frontier Information Technology Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad 11 WINSANJAY By DESIDOC under a NISSAT project 12 NG-TLMS.NET Developed in Germany by TRANCE Group 13 AUTOLIB By Autolib Software System, Chennai 14 E-GRANTHALYA By NIC, Bangalore 15 GRANTHALYA NISCAIR 16 NEWGENLIB By collaboration of Kesavan Institute of Information and Knowledge Management(KIIKM), Hyderabad and Venus Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 17 NEXLIB NEX Evolve Logic Solution Pvt. Ltd. 18 SLIM Algorhythems Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Pune 19 LIBMAN Datapro Consultancy Service,Pune 20 Maitrayee CMC Ltd., Kolkata 21 MINISIS Nirmal Institute of Computer Expertise, Tiruchirapalli 22 TULIP Tata Unisys, Noida 23 NILIS Asmita Consultant Ltd.,Mumbai 24 EASYLIB Easylib Corporation, Bangalore 25 TROODON Comtek service Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi 6.1 SOUL: A SEMI COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE SOUL (Software for University Libraries) provided by INFLIBNET center, Ahmedabad, INDIA. This software is intended to be provided to all the university libraries, which have been covered under INFLIBNET for which a separate agreement will have to be signed by each library. For others who are interested in using this software, particularly public funded organizations, separate modalities are being worked out including pricing, support, training etc. Hardly a cost in comparison to other commercial software is given by the libraries. That is why SOUL software is a semi commercial software. The software was designed to automate all house keeping operations in Library. The software is suitable not only for the academic libraries, but also for all types sizes of libraries, even school libraries. 6.2 LIBSYS: A PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE Libsys is a proprietary software. The term proprietary is derived from the Latin word proprietas meaning property. Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of its owner. The purchaser, or licensee, is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, but restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering. LIBSYS is developed by Libsys Corporation, New Delhi. Libsys is a complete, comprehensive, integrated system that manages all aspects of all kind of libraries i.e. public, national, higher education and research libraries. 6.3 KOHA: AN OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE KOHA is a full featured Integrated Library System. It is an open source software. There is no cost for the license; you have the freedom to modify the product to adapt it to your needs. Like other open source software KOHA also provide the original source code used to create it so that users can modify it to make it work better for them. KOHA developed initially in New Zealand by Katipo Communications with Horowhenua Library Trust in1999. Koha is using now by so many libraries around the world, including academic, public, school, special libraries of Australia, Africa, Canada, USA, France, India and off course New Zealand. 7. COMPARISONS BETWEEN THESE THREE KINDS OF SOFTWARE This paper gives emphasize on a comparative study among these 3 types of software. Each one has unique features regarding to its server, web server, Architecture, client, price, standard support, training provided to the customers etc. The following Table: 2 Shows the comparisons between these. TABLE: 2 Sl. No. FEATURE SOUL LIBSYS KOHA 1 Architecture Client-server based architecture, only OPAC is web based. Based on client-server model and TCP/IP for communication and networking. Based on a client-server architecture. 2 Server Windows-NT/ Windows2000 server (operating system) MS-SQL server 7.0/ Advance server 2000(RDBMS) personal web server or Windows NT IIS with option pack 4.0 installed or Windows 2000 as server for web opac college version windows-98/ ME/NT/2000/XP/2003(operating system). UNIX, LINUX Pentium machine with SCO Unix/Unix Ware SunSparc with solaris Alpha with OSF/1 RS/6000 with AIX HP-9000 with IRIX Windows NT/2000/XP Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP/ 2003(operating system) Windows/Linux 3 Client Standard Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP) Standard Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP) Web Enabled (JSP implementation) Unix Workstations X-Windows Workstations (Xterm) VT220 compatible terminals Thin Java clients. Windows/Linux 4 Web server IIS Apache, IIS Apache, IIS. 5 GUI Based on GUI browsers. Based on GUI browsers. Based on GUI browsers. 6 Character Encoding Unicode for Language Computing Support ISCII UNICODE UNICODE 7 Standard support Support internationally known standards such as MARC 21, CCF, AACR2, LCSH. MARC 21 and AACR2R(selected authority fields) a)Industry standards: Z39.50, UNIMARC, ISO2709, MARC21 b)Technical standards: the OPAC is valid XHTML, and respects the standards o accessibility c) web standards recommended by the WWW Consortium. 8 Database MSSQL, MYSQL Software can be used with either SQL Server, ORACLE, or MySQL as a back-end RDBMS with ODBC compatibility. Koha uses a dual database design that utilizes the strengths of the two major industry-standard database types (text-based and RDBMS). This design feature ensures that Koha is scalable enough to meet the transaction load of any library, no matter what the size of the library. 9 Data import /export data exchange through ISO-2709 standard CCF(ISO-2709), MARC(ANSI-Z39.x) data exchange through ISO-2709 standard 10 Acquisition Module yes yes yes Catalogue Module yes yes yes Circulation Module yes yes yes OPAC Module yes yes yes Serial Control Module yes yes yes Administrati-on Module yes yes yes 11 Training and manual An extensive training in SOUL will be provided to the library staff on site upon its installation by Inflibnet staff Only user manual is available, system manual (such as installation and configuration of server not provided) system manual kept hidden or not provided so that AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) can be taken from libraries. Full training and manual is provided 12 Support Team National and Regional Soul coordinators are appointed for this,free support is provided Costly only on the basis of AMC(10 to 20% of total costs) charged from the libraries Only online discussion and support is available free of cost 13 Price 20-50 thousand. No AMC 4 to 5 lakhs and 10-20% AMC. Free 14 License No other commitment, what is their in it may be used Bias with developers and distributors, even committed things are not yet done properly at various places where it is in use. General Public License 15 Latest Release SOUL 1.0 was released during CALIBER 2000. The latest version of the software i.e. SOUL 2.0 released by the end of the year 2008. 3.2 (October 2010) 16 Nature of developing organization Non for profit or government Commercial Developing under open source category. 8. CONCLUSION As it was mentioned earlier that the success of library automation mostly depends upon the nature of the software it is used for. Therefore it is necessary for any library information center that they choose the software very carefully. The management must discuss about how the software matches the librarys requirements, product quality, cost factor, various features of the software, its functions, installation date and time duration of installation, staff training, support services, licensing, used standard etc. Here we discussed about these 3 software and it can be said that as in Koha the source code is open so the users are free to innovate and improve the software to meet their needs free. Innovation also means that open source software has much faster development cycles when compared to proprietary and commercial software. Because as the source code is open so it can be improve again again. But this is not possible in the case of other 2 software. LIBSYS is so costly (around 4-5 lakhs). So it is not possible for a small library to adopt it. But in case of a big library where money is not a big issue for their LIBSYS is appropriate. Because data entry, searching procedure is so much easy in LIBSYS and also when technical support is needed for application of the software in the library LIBSYS always provide it. Although SOUL is not so costly but it required a large technically strong manpower. So SOUL is appropriate for a big library who can provide manpower but at the same time they have not enough money to effort LIBSYS or some other costly software. Although SOUL has a college version also. And for a small library which can not afford money but they are intendent to make their services and operational functions automate and even they have not also manpower ability. For them KOHA is the only option. Even though wide range of Library automation softwares are available , it is necessary for librarians to keep watch on the developments and to choose appropriate software package depending on their needs.

Birthing Cermonies Of Other Cultures Essay -- essays research papers

Birthing Cermonies of Other Cultures The birthing ceremonies of the Indian culture has a lot of different aspects then the American culture does. I guess that is why they are different cultures. All cultures have different views on different things such as religion, but they also share the same as well for example every culture has some form of the family. This is what helps most cultures understand other cultures. In the Indian culture their view of bringing a child into the world is much different then the American culture's view. In the Indian culture there are a lot of preparations that go into getting the parents and the community ready for the new member. Their culture does more work with the child before they are even born. First of all plans are made for them so they know who is going to be there to witness the child being born into their society. They are usually the grandparents, the representatives, and the Godparents that were selected by the parents and the representatives. The mother is to keep on working as she did before the baby is born. They say that this shows the child the importance of work in their culture. During the pregnancy, around the seventh month, the mother introduces the baby to the natural world. She does this by taking walks in the fields and over the hills. They believe that the baby is consciously taking all of this in to prepare him/her for life within that culture. When the baby is born none of the mothers children should be around. The only people there are the ones that were chosen by the representatives and the parents. If someone can not make it then someone will have to fill in for them. The only people besides children who are not allowed to see are the single women. The only way that they can attend is if there is no one else to go. There has to be three couples at the birth of the child, the child doesn't just belong to the parents but to the community as well. It is considered to be a scandal if an Indian women goes to a hospital to have a baby. For the mothers other children there are not to know where or how the baby is born. Only the three couples know where the child is born. The children are told that a baby has arrived and they can not see their mother for eight days. After the baby is born the placenta has to be burned at a certain time. If the baby was born at night then it is burned at eight in the mo... ... sleep with more men then someone else did. In our society I believe we want to treat everyone the same but to me it doesn't seem like we are doing a very good job of it. My next story is about another initiation but this is into a tribe of headhunters. The test began when they had him lay down in a pit of carnivorous ants. He had to lay there until they gave him a signal to get up because it was over. The test doesn't stop there next was he had to go into the woods without any weapons or food and survive for three days and nights while three headhunters are hunting you down. If you fail this part of the test then they do a ritual using your head, but if you pass you are finally allowed to join them as headhunters. They apply gender roles kind of like we did. The male has to be strong and not a coward whereas the female is dependent on the male. In our society we have a lot of initiations that go on like for clubs, sorority, fraternity, but none of them are usually this much based on courage most of them are based on embarrassing you. I think that these four stories show you how your society is not the only one and also it is not the best but just different from all of the others.

How Are Othello and Blanche Dubois Alienated in Their Societies? Essay

‘Compare the ways in which alienation of individuals from their societies is presented in the two texts you have studied.’ George Bernard Shaw once said that ‘conflict is the essence of drama’, and if that is true, then the plays Othello and A Streetcar Named Desire would thus be rife with drama, as conflict in inexorably presented by the two respective playwrights, Shakespeare and Williams, through the alienation of individuals from their societies. This creates constant conflict and friction within the plays as the relentless efforts of their ‘outsiders’ is constantly pushed back by an even greater force that rejects them from being a part of society. In each of these plays, there are common literary devices that each playwright uses to bring about this alienation, with the most obvious of them being the juxtaposition of the characters to other characters and to their ‘newfound’ homelands, as well as the imagery and words that the other characters use against them or to describe them (with diction and its various forms also being an overarching factor that achieve s this effect of alienation). In the very first scene of the play, Iago already plays on Othello’s ‘otherness’ towards Brabantio, purposefully making jabs at Othello’s race, giving him a reason to disapprove of his daughter’s new marriage by painting a vile picture of what Othello will do to his daughter in ‘you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse’. The bestial imagery invoked by Iago is only further propagated throughout the play in which he constantly uses Othello’s skin-colour to give others a reason to distrust him. The most obvious way in which the alienation of individuals is presented in the two plays are the juxtaposition of the ‘outsider’ to their new surroundings, namely Othello the Moor from Othello and Blanche Dubois from Streetcar. For Othello, the Moor general is considered an outsider to everyone in Venice, where the play is set, simply because he is of African descent whereas everyone else is a fair-skinned Venetian. Thus, every single character that he interacts with paints an almost immediate contrast as he does not share the same heritage as them. The most crucial contrasts that are portrayed through Othello are that between his wife, Desdemona and his counterpart and adversary, Iago. Similarly, in Streetcar, the alienation of Blanche Dubois, an ‘upper-class’ woman who comes from a wealthy background (Belle Reve) is presented through her sister Stella, and brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski as they are unable to accept the changes that comes with her moving into their lives. Stanley, whom Blanche considers to be a Polish immigrant (derogatively referring to him as a ‘Polack’) has already established an extremely comfortable lifestyle with his wife and the introduction of Blanche threatens all of this, and so he ultimately decides to eliminate her from the picture. This is presented in the contrast between these two polar opposites. Where Stanley is proud to be in his own skin and confident of his physical attractiveness, ‘My clothes’re stickin’ to me. Do you mind if I make myself more comfortable?’, Blanche is shown to always be covered up and shielded from natural light, as she is afraid that the people and compan y in her life (what she needs the most) will resent her when they see her real and natural looks. The extent to their differences run further than that though, as Stanley (along with the other characters who lives in the French Quarter) is used to being outspoken and blunt, speaking his mind towards whatever he sees fit, whereas Blanche is constantly hiding behind lies and falsifications, and it is fundamentally, in these conflicts of interests and behaviors that society as a whole is generally unable to accept Blanche into their lives, because she is so different from them and is unable to adapt wholly to them. As an offspring from the characters being unable to accept these individuals into their respective societies, it can be seen that the setting itself is another dramatic device in which the playwrights use to highlight the alienation of an individual from its society. In Othello, Shakespeare uses the setting of Venice in Act 1 and then later on, Cyprus in the rest of the play to again, show how Othello (at the time of the play) would never be accepted into such cultures. Firstly in Venice, there is an inherent xenophobia within the society that is unable to accept Othello into their personal lives, thus showing that Othello’s value in society is nothing more than a tool, and that the respect that he is accorded with is only due to his contributions to the state, without which he is nothing. This can be seen from the treatment he receives from others, most notably the First Senator and the Duke in ‘Here comes Othello and the valiant Moor’Â  and ‘Valiant Othel lo, we must straight employ you’ respectively. Even though the noblemen speak to him with respect and dignity, it is shown that they treat his ‘otherness’ as an intrinsic part of his character that they cannot refrain from addressing him with, therefore showing that Othello had always been considered an outsider that only has a place in the Venetian society as someone who can offer service. In Act 2 onwards, the introduction of a new setting Cyprus shows Othello’s further alienation from his society. Ironically, Cyprus is a somewhat more ‘hostile’ environment in which most of his travelling companions are unused to feel uncomfortable in as it is much more ‘rough’ than genial Venice. It is in Cyprus which Othello feels more at home at, unleashing his innate behavior such as the rage he unleashes in Act 3 and the violence he commits onto Desdemona in Act 4, showing the contrast that he is much more comfortable in this ‘foreign environment’ than the rest of his Venetians. Thus, the dramatic setting is another device that Shakespeare uses to present the alienation of the individual Othello from the rest of his society. Again, this is true for A Streetcar Named Desire as the main setting, ‘Elysian Fields’ is basically a cramped apartment that Blanche is completely unable to adapt to, given her background living in a huge plantation in the Southwest for most of her life. In Elysian Fields, Blanche is not only forced into a small two-room compound shared with what she feels are ‘foreigners’ above her but also, to share it with the very person she is most uncomfortable with, Stanley, and it is her constant efforts to change this environment to better suit her that so enrages Stanley in the first place, as it threatens his very way of life. In the very introduction of Blanche in scene 1, ‘[She touches her forehead shakily.] Stella, there’s – only two rooms?’ she already expresses her disappointment and disdain in putting up in such an environment, and thus it shows that from the start, Williams had already shown that Elysian Fields is a place that Bla nche definitely does not belong in. Furthermore, Blanche constantly revels (or shows off) to the other characters about her old home in Belle Reve, which literally means ‘beautiful dream’, juxtaposes heavily with the cramped and obviously uncomfortable Elysian Fields in which she currently resides in, and this inability to let go of the past thus shows that Blanche will never be able to fit into society, which is what Stanley will inevitably drive her out from. Therefore, the use of dramatic setting is also used in Streetcar to alienate Blanche from the society.

American Football and High School

ballFootball is life. football change everything. i started playing football when i was eleven years old. but before that, my father want me to play basketball. it was not nice playing basketball for me because i do not fit on these game. Here comes football which was introduce to me by may childhood friend. we always play a small sided game in our village and then i found out that i was good on it. so i trained to play football. i have been playing football for six and a half years and now, i am in college. ut football here in the Philippines is not well organize and they do not recognize it. i do not want to end my career as a football player and i do not want to end my career as a football player with no good things happened. my dream, is to go to a country that organize football and to be a professional football player like the the young super star Cristiano Ronaldo and the like. God gave me a gift to play football and the skill to play football so i am going to use it to work an d train hard to make may dreams come true.My family can not afford to send me abroud to play football or to enroll me in to a football school. so i am just hoping that miracle could happen and a school or somebody would conact me and offer me a full scholarship or to sponsor me in to a football school . My contact number is09065885273  or you can email me at  [email  protected] com if you know someone who could help me please tell them about my situation and contact me. Becoming a professional football player is a dream of many young men around the country.While many dream of the opportunity only a few get to make it a reality. If you're serious about being a football player and think you have what it takes, keep reading. To become a professional football player, you'll not only need be very good at playing football, but also to think strategically and make the best use of your talent. There are things you can do in both high school and college to boost your chances of being a ble to join a league, including developing your skills, knowing how to perform for scouts, and choosing the right school for your skill level.You may want to consider putting together a press kit to send out to college and league recruiters. If you're having trouble getting schools or leagues interested in you, you might want to work with a  sports agent  as well. If you can't get into the  National Football League  (NFL) or United Football League (UFL) immediately, then it's important to try to keep playing in another one, like the Canadian Football League (CFL) or  Arena Football  League (AFL); or a semiprofessional league. Pre-College Experience While you're in high school, it's essential to develop your physical skills and play as much as possible.Most college football players are scouted from high school teams, and getting a scholarship to play football is seen as a good indicator of talent. You can also join local football leagues and camps to help develop yourself physically and build your sports resume. Make sure to find out what scouts in your area or college of choice are looking for — common criteria include  agility, jump height, the amount of weight you can bench press, and your 40 yard dash time. If possible, try to make highlight videos of yourself to send to  coaches  and schools, and attend any college football camps that you can.You should also start considering which colleges you want to go to while you still have a few years of high school left. Most professional leagues tend to recruit from bigger schools, but if you think you'll be in over your head or won't get any playing time, then look at smaller schools where you know you can excel. If you do end up needing to go to a smaller college, then try to choose one that's near a bigger college that gets a lot of scouts, as recruiters will be more likely to visit your school if they're already in the area.You can start looking for open tryouts at this time. Though mos t college football teams send personal invitations before allowing players to try out, some hold open tryouts for anyone interested. You can check out the teams’ official websites to keep updated on any information, such as the dates, venues, and other requirements and documents needed for enlistment. If you start getting a lot of media buzz or interest from colleges, you should make sure you understand the recruiting process in your country.In the US, college football recruiting is done under the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) guidelines, which include regulations on the ways, times, and frequency with which college recruiters can contact players. They also detail the legal aspects of National Letters of Intent (NLI), which is a legally binding agreement in which a high school student agrees to play for a specific college for at least one year. If you don't get any invitations or scholarship offers, then you can try to go to a school that plays in a lower division and work your way up, or you can try to join a ollege team as a walk on. College Experience Once you're in college playing for a team, you should continue to hone your physical skills. Look for players on professional teams who are in the position you want to play, and try to get to the point where you can match their playing statistics. You should develop your sense of teamwork and character as well, as this is an important aspect to many league scouts. It's important to have a good relationship with your coach too, since many coaches know scouts and having a good recommendation from them can make a big difference in whether you get chosen or not.Similarly to when you were in high school, try to play as much as you can and generate media buzz, especially if you're from a smaller school or one that plays in a lower division. If a scout does visit your school, it's crucial that you are on your best behavior before, during, and after practice. Besides the physical aspects, sc outs look for things like how you treat your teammates, what your relationship with your coach is like, how energetic you are during warm ups, and whether or not you have a good attitude. If you get scouting feedback that's negative, use it as an opportunity to improve.You should start thinking about what league you want to join, and educate yourself about their recruiting process and what specific things they look for in players. Though many college players hope to be drafted by the National Football League (NFL), if that doesn't happen immediately you shouldn't give up. Keep playing for any league you can so that you can keep yourself in top shape and you won't have gaps in your playing experience. Press Kit Whether you're in high school or in college, you can often benefit by having a resume or press kit that you can send to teams you want to play for.Your resume should include your basic information, the position you play for, and your accomplishments as a football player. A pre ss kit, on the other hand, can include copies of articles where you or your team had been previously mentioned, photographs, and even a CD that contains a video of some of your best performances on the field. All these will help you stand out among other candidates and increase your chances of becoming a professional football player. It is important that you follow up on your submissions by calling or sending e-mails, to express your sincerity and to keep track of our application status. Working with an Agent You may also want to find your own sports agent who will help establish your career as a professional football player. An agent often has connections with football teams and can represent and endorse you as a competent and valuable player. He or she keeps your best interest at heart by being involved in contract and  salary  negotiations, finance management, and even in monitoring your practice schedules. In this way, you can focus on honing your football skills without hav ing to worry much about the legal and financial issues that come with being a professional athlete.How to Become a Professional Football Player Answer This Question Report as Glamorousbulb:1 year ago Join your high school football team. The road to football stardom usually begins in high school. Scouts regularly check standout high school seniors, and performing well in high school is what leads to a college scholarship. Then, know and understand the game. You can't hope to be a professional football player if you don't understand how the game works from all sides. It's not just important for you to know your position, but all the positions on the field and how they work together to create the game. Next, practice.Become the best at whatever your position is. There are thousands of boys around the country who are vying for the same opportunity so the more you practice the better your chances of being a standout at your position. Also, land a scholarship to a D-1 school. If you follo w Steps 1 through 3 then you will position yourself to get that all-important scholarship. If you don't get a scholarship, attend a D-1 university and walk onto the team. This makes it a lot harder to become a professional football player but your chances will be better than sitting at home uneducated. Become a standout on your college team.However you make it onto the team you want to make sure you're one of the star players of that team. This means applying Steps 2 and 3 to your college career. Get an invite to the Combine and impress the scouts. If you've been a standout on the college team and garnered some All-American honors you may be asked to the Combine. This is your chance to impress the scouts who are responsible for drafting for the pro teams. While not getting invited doesn't mean you won't be in the NFL, it definitely increases your chances. Lastly, sit back and wait to be drafted. Your dream of being a professional football player is around the corner.

Free Essays on Martin Guerre

The Return of Martin Guerre By: Natalie Davis The story was based in the early 1550’s, a young peasant, Martin Guerre from Artigat had left his wife Bertrande and their son Sanxi and their inheritance to seek adventure in Spain as a mercenary. After leaving his family for nearly nine years a man claiming to be Martin returns to the village to claim his wife and land. Bertrande accepts the man as being her husband and they have another child together. Martin has a dispute with Pierre over the management of the family estate and ownership of the rents from Matins land during his absence. During their dispute a passing by veteran had claimed that â€Å"Martin† is not who he claims to be. He said that Martin had lost a leg at the battle of Saint Quentin and that he really was Arnaud de Tihl from a neighboring village. Both Martin and Arnaud had soldered together in the war, where they had became friends. The Guerre family was very divided over the story. Pierre and his sons -in-law believe the soldier’s story, and Pierres daughters and Bertrande continue to believe â€Å"Martin† is Martin. As their case was being heard before a judge (Coras), a man with a wooden leg enters the courtroom. The man enters right before the judge was going to free him. The man claims to be Martin Guerre. The judges were then forced to determine who the real Martin was. After having certain people look at them and ask them both questions. They figured out that the man claiming to be â€Å"Martin† wasn’t and his name was Arnaud. He was convicted of being an imposter and later was executed for the crime. Now the village had resolved the dispute. How did Bertrande seek freedom? Family- She was willing to go against her own family to seek a better, happier life. She had lied about him being her husband, because she felt that Arnaud treated her better. She wanted to be totally feed from her old marriage, and she wanted to be treated better and have a b etter life wit... Free Essays on Martin Guerre Free Essays on Martin Guerre The Return of Martin Guerre By: Natalie Davis The story was based in the early 1550’s, a young peasant, Martin Guerre from Artigat had left his wife Bertrande and their son Sanxi and their inheritance to seek adventure in Spain as a mercenary. After leaving his family for nearly nine years a man claiming to be Martin returns to the village to claim his wife and land. Bertrande accepts the man as being her husband and they have another child together. Martin has a dispute with Pierre over the management of the family estate and ownership of the rents from Matins land during his absence. During their dispute a passing by veteran had claimed that â€Å"Martin† is not who he claims to be. He said that Martin had lost a leg at the battle of Saint Quentin and that he really was Arnaud de Tihl from a neighboring village. Both Martin and Arnaud had soldered together in the war, where they had became friends. The Guerre family was very divided over the story. Pierre and his sons -in-law believe the soldier’s story, and Pierres daughters and Bertrande continue to believe â€Å"Martin† is Martin. As their case was being heard before a judge (Coras), a man with a wooden leg enters the courtroom. The man enters right before the judge was going to free him. The man claims to be Martin Guerre. The judges were then forced to determine who the real Martin was. After having certain people look at them and ask them both questions. They figured out that the man claiming to be â€Å"Martin† wasn’t and his name was Arnaud. He was convicted of being an imposter and later was executed for the crime. Now the village had resolved the dispute. How did Bertrande seek freedom? Family- She was willing to go against her own family to seek a better, happier life. She had lied about him being her husband, because she felt that Arnaud treated her better. She wanted to be totally feed from her old marriage, and she wanted to be treated better and have a b etter life wit...

Introduction to Renaissance Architecture essays

Introduction to Renaissance Architecture essays At the end of the fourteenth century, gothic architecture began to wear off and renaissance architecture moved in. Europe was evolving out of the middle ages and in the Renaissance period. The beliefs in humanity were growing in popularity. Along with the changes in ways of life, politics, families and etc. the architecture and architects were also changing. The architects of the time revived yet also changed the ideas from classical Greek and Roman architecture. They did however; begin using new materials such as brick, and in particular red brick. Architects and artists no longer worked independently of one another, which is why many renaissance buildings contain murals, and statues. One of the most common features throughout Renaissance architecture was the use of the dome. Many of these domes had paintings or other various works of art on them. Some good examples of this are the Duomo of Florence, and St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. Renaissance architecture traces back to Florence, Italy around the early fifteenth century. A group of Italian scholars, some of whom were amateur architects influenced the birth of Renaissance Architecture. These scholars knew classical culture well and considered it far more superior than the culture of their present time. The key originator of the new Renaissance style was Filippo Brunelleschi of Florence, his first great project was the dome for the Cathedral of Florence. Italians eventually considered this dome to be their greatest engineering accomplishment. Their style then quickly spread outside of Florence to cities such as Rome and Milan, and eventually made it's way North to the Netherlands and then began to encompass the rest of Europe, however, France did not witness Renaissance architecture first hand until almost 125 years after it began in Florence. The finest French Renaissance buildings are their amazing castles or chateaus, such as those at Fontainebleau, and Ch ambord. ...

How to Write a STRONG Follow Up Email After Your Job Interview

How to Write a STRONG Follow Up Email After Your Job Interview After spending hours preparing for your job interview, the big day finally arrives. You go to your interview and all of your preparation has paid off. You ace it! You leave your interview feeling satisfied and confident. But you’re not quite finished yet. Even though you nailed your interview, someone else may have performed just as well. So how do you go above and beyond to differentiate yourself? You can’t just go home and watch reruns of Seinfeld. I mean, you can, but not before you perform one last crucial step. Send a follow up email after your job interview. According to  Whitney Purcell, associate director of Career Development at Susquehanna University, it’s vital to send a thank you email within 24 hours after your job interview. You should also make sure to send it during company business hours (obviously).But more importantly, Purcell goes on to say that sending a simple thank you note is not enough. Your follow up email needs to make you stand out f rom the crowd. You should highlight the best parts of the conversation you had, followed by a reminder as to why you are the best fit for the job.So the question becomes how do you write a strong follow up email after your job interview? According to  Dr. Deborah Good, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business, the email below is  ideal because it contains 6 very important characteristics:  Ã‚  Source: [BusinessInsider]

Evaluating the Hero's Journey of Harry Potter Essay

Evaluating the Hero's Journey of Harry Potter - Essay Example We instantly feel connected to the ordinary man, who is destined to turn into an epitome of gallantry, because â€Å"what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality† (Campbell and Moyers 4). This is why the pattern of a hero’s journey has always been the same in every period. Christopher Vogler and Stuart Voytilla categorized Campbell’s theory into twelve stages. Amazingly, most of the present age literature and cinematic masterpieces fit perfectly on these stages. To prove this theory, we need to compare a modern example of heroic endeavor with these stages. This paper is an attempt to evaluate the journey of Harry Potter, the ultimate icon of a mythic hero for today’s generation, in the movie â€Å"Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. â€Å" The first stage introduces us to the hero's ordinary world. Voytilla describes it as â€Å"the Hero’s home, the safe haven upon which the Special World and the Journey’s outcome must be compared† (Voytilla 8). In this stage, a deliberative effort is made by every storyteller to express the hero’s dissatisfaction with his life. In the movie, Harry is an orphan leading a miserable life under the guardianship of his uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and cousin Dudley. Their attitude is hostile and harry live inside a cupboard. Rowling describes his life in the book as â€Å"the Dursleys often spoke about Harry, as though he was something very nasty that couldn’t understand them, like a slug† (Mulholland 108). This aspect of a hero’s life is indispensable because troubled life makes the hero stronger, able to rely on himself, and enhances his decision-making power (Vogler 84). According to Neil Mulholland â€Å"Harry is a great wizard. However, often, greatness is bred from childhood strife† (Mulholland 8 9). The second stage initiates the call to adventure which Campbell believed â€Å"signifies that destiny has summoned the hero† (Campbell 48). It could be a call in its literal meaning, or just anything that could compel the hero to leave the ordinary world (Vogler 100). In Harry’s journey, a call comes on his 11th birthday when he receives a â€Å"letter from No One† about being accepted in Hogwarts. Later, Rubeus Hagrid appears at the door and informs Harry that he is a wizard and the time has come to join Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft. Third stage implies the hero’s refusal to the call. It happens because of â€Å"the fears and insecurities that have surfaced from the Call to Adventure† (Voytilla 8). Harry’s initial response to Hagrid’s proposal is â€Å"I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard." Hero’s reluctance is natural because fear of the unknown is human nature. The uncertainty surr ounding the task, and the mysterious special world offered is what entices the hero, and restrain him from taking the step as well (Vogler 107). Fourth stage involves meeting the mentor. Voytilla explains that â€Å"the Hero meets a Mentor to gain confidence, insight, advice, training, or magical gifts to overcome the initial fears† (Voytilla 9). In every tale, there is some guiding factor, most likely a man or woman, who compels, explains, and trains the hero (Vogler 39). Harry is mentored initially by Hagrid and later Albus Dumbledore, the principal of Hogwarts. They not only enlighten him

My Feets Is Tired But My Soul Is Rested Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Feets Is Tired But My Soul Is Rested - Essay Example They all waited for almost 360 years and nothing changed for them, they were facing many problems like:Â  Becoming frustrated by such conditions the Negroes thought of taking a direct action because all the negotiation agreements were rejected by the Authorities. They all knew that this step would be painful but they believed that getting the freedom is never easy. So they agreed to take the big step as they all were fed up with the word Wait. They all waited for almost 360 years and nothing changed for them, they were facing many problems like:Poor were becoming poorer due to lack of opportunities. Children were not allowed go to school.Black children were not allowed to play with white kids in the same amusement park.There was no respect for black women.Public humiliation e.g. they had to sit on back of the buses and the front was for the white citizen. Always had to face the fact that A Negro is Nobody.This all was the result of unjust Law. The law constituted the differences reg arding the Whites and Blacks. According to law there were many acts which if performed by whites were legal, but illegal if done by blacks. Getting angry of all these differences the Negro finally decided to take an action. They decided to boycott the bus travels after a woman named Rosa Parks was arrested because she refused to leave her seat for a white person; according to the law, the front of the bus was for white people only and the back was for the blacks and if the bus is full and a white person gets in, the black had to stand for him.

Whether bear hunt should be permitted in New Jersey Research Paper

Whether bear hunt should be permitted in New Jersey - Research Paper Example The hunters are driven by thirst for blood and the profit garnered as federal and state agencies implement programs such as wildlife management that is designed to boost the numbers of black bear species. These programs help ensure that there are plenty of animals to be killed by hunters and consequently plenty of revenue from the sale of hunting licenses. My take on this is that such programs by the government should be replaced with those of creating better facilities to cater for these bears. With the implementation of the zoos, nature should be allowed to take its course through delicate balance of ecosystems which ensures their own survival if they are uninterrupted. Nature helps maintain this balance by killing the sickest and weakest individuals. Unusual natural occurrences cause overpopulation as natural processes work towards stabilizing the group. Starvation and disease are tragic, but they are nature's ways of ensuring that strong, healthy animals overcome and healthy, str ong animals survive and uphold strength level of the rest of their herd or group. Shooting an animal because it might starve or become sick is arbitrary and also destructive thus ought to be stopped. This activity is disturbing to both the citizens and the bears themselves. On noticing they are being trailed, the bears can choose to be vicious Hunting accidents destroy property and can injure, cows, dogs, cats, hikers, and other hunters as well. Secondly the bears might choose to get into the residential attacking innocent people who are unaware resulting to havoc and deaths, destruction of property insecurity and tension. A way to keep black bear populations in balance in New Jersey would be to ensure that free-roaming, healthy wildlife are never artificially fed by the wild or tamed and these should be applicable to other wild animals. Animals that are artificially fed lose their fear of humans and begin to approach residents as well as hunters. Feeding also causes animals to bree d at an accelerated rate, resulting in more animals. The more animals you have in small areas, the more the likely hood they will be perceived as overpopulated or as a nuisance, especially when they start to eat fish, damage gardens, or defecate on sidewalks and many people

Sleepy Inn Motel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sleepy Inn Motel - Case Study Example Even though it is near a quickly expanding resort region, this represents long-term growth and Huang needs to change his revenue stream much more quickly. Huang faces competition from Hilton Inn, Ramada Inn, and Best Western as well as many other lower-priced hotels similar to his own. His larger competition represents very well-known brands with a great deal of brand recognition and brand loyalty by a variety of mixed demographics. Further, since the only promotional material for this region are two billboards operated by the Tourist Bureau, Huang simply cannot rely on the marketing competency of this agency to fill his capacity rates. Huang maintains a low-cost pricing policy that he had established in the hopes that it would bring enough attention to make travelers choose Sleepy Inn Motel over other well-established branded competition. However, the problem here is that 68 percent of visitors to the region are younger couples and older couples with no children, two demographic gro ups that typically have much more access to higher financial resources. This is likely the reason why Huang witnesses visitors turn into his parking lot, but never enter the building. Once a hotel has established brand recognition and brand loyalty, it is difficult for a smaller, virtually unknown name to compete effectively without very intensive integrated marketing campaigns that must be managed and updated constantly. Further, the study conducted of local tourist needs identified that 78 percent believed it important to have recreational facilities before choosing to make a purchase. This is a substantial volume of customers and it is likely that Huang’s lack of a swimming pool is the reason why individuals turn in, but then leave in favor of the larger hotel brands. The costs of adding a swimming pool and other recreational facilities, such as a gym or child’s area, would be a budgetary problem for Huang who is currently experiencing lower-than-average occupancy r atios. Days Inn does not require extensive financial investment and this is a very well-known brand with many different loyal demographics, including military, school teams, business travelers, and senior citizens. Days Inn already has their own well-established marketing campaigns that include on-air promotions such as the described promotion with Blue Bonnet margarine and also a senior citizen discount card to invite incentive purchases. Since Days Inn also has a dedicated customer reservation line, a travel magazine, and a website, this represents the best long-term option for Huang under a franchising agreement. Days Inn might also allow Huang to establish his own unique in-house marketing literature if this were required which could be determined at the time of contract negotiation. The amount of money demanded under the franchising agreement, by Days Inn, is only eight percent of total room revenues. To support choosing Days Inn rather than operating his own brand, a brief rev enue analysis is required. At $45 per night, with only 55 percent of occupancy, this represents $10,395 weekly in gross revenues. By moving under the Days Inn brand, at $70 per night and 68 percent of occupancy, Huang will earn $20,090 in gross revenues weekly or $80,360 monthly. This is almost double what Huang is

How, if at all, are 'Thatcherism' and 'New Labour' interrelated Essay

How, if at all, are 'Thatcherism' and 'New Labour' interrelated - Essay Example He was the first serious politician of the left to appreciate the legacy of Mrs. Thatcher and was able, unlike his predecessors, to operate in the post-Thatcher world. Blair identified where the new centre was and quickly occupied it, leading to many branding him as a ‘closet Tory’. However, we have to decide whether he merely stripped down socialism to make it acceptable in post-Thatcher Britain or whether he has taken certain social democratic values and added them to a variant of free market neo-liberalism that was prevalent in Thatcherism. Although there seems to be a significant continuation of policy in many areas, this may have been necessary for Labour to win back lost electoral ground by pursuing a large degree of conformation to the highly successful Thatcherite campaigns. It is therefore necessary to compare Thatcherite and New Labour policies before we can say how interrelated the two ideologies are. Is the ‘Third Way merely a more compassionate version of Thatcherism or is it a new ideology, combining traditional social democratic values with neo-liberal tendencies that have grounded themselves in British politics? Free trade ideology developed out of Adam Smith’s distinctive contribution to the eighteenth-century European Enlightenment and reached its apogee in the Liberalism of William Gladstone, and so forth. (3) The importance of Thatcherism, therefore, lay not in the novelty of its ideas but in the context of their operation in the late 1970s and 1980s. Thatcherism as an ideology stood for a limited but firm government, the rolling back of the welfare state, the end of consensus politics and a staunchly anti-European and independent attitude on many vital issues. (Adams 1998, p. 95) The question of just how successful the Thatcher revolution was in making Britain a better place is a matter of fierce controversy. How

The Pixar Marketing Comparative Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Pixar Marketing Comparative Analysis - Essay Example It has been observed that the benchmarking policy will be more effective if comparative cases are used. Our team members are technologically sound and they are having an expertise in developing marketing plans. In the current study, Pixar has been selected to gain insight on the new product development (Annacchino, 2007). The organization is specialized in developing â€Å"animated shorts, feature films, animated logos for clients like IBM and Paramount and commercials for clients like Listerine and LifeSavers† (Kahn et al., 2013). â€Å"The Walt Disney Company† acquired Pixar and operated it as their subsidiary. The case study will help the team in emphasizing on various factors of teamwork. Pixar is having three corresponding groups working simultaneously. Three main strategies are used by the employee groups like technical development, creative development, and production.The firm is using high association strategies for the employees. Management of the firm is colle cting insights and suggestions from the employees. Pixar also emphasizes on the developing high collaboration between the employees and management, which helps in gaining creative ideas and increase technical efficiency among the employees. Management of Pixar adopted the approach â€Å"experiment and refine† in order to execute rapid and instant decisions. It reduces risk potentials as sharing of risk is easy. Finally, it can be said that case study will be aiding in making effective new product development strategies.

How, if at all, are 'Thatcherism' and 'New Labour' interrelated Essay

How, if at all, are 'Thatcherism' and 'New Labour' interrelated - Essay Example He was the first serious politician of the left to appreciate the legacy of Mrs. Thatcher and was able, unlike his predecessors, to operate in the post-Thatcher world. Blair identified where the new centre was and quickly occupied it, leading to many branding him as a ‘closet Tory’. However, we have to decide whether he merely stripped down socialism to make it acceptable in post-Thatcher Britain or whether he has taken certain social democratic values and added them to a variant of free market neo-liberalism that was prevalent in Thatcherism. Although there seems to be a significant continuation of policy in many areas, this may have been necessary for Labour to win back lost electoral ground by pursuing a large degree of conformation to the highly successful Thatcherite campaigns. It is therefore necessary to compare Thatcherite and New Labour policies before we can say how interrelated the two ideologies are. Is the ‘Third Way merely a more compassionate version of Thatcherism or is it a new ideology, combining traditional social democratic values with neo-liberal tendencies that have grounded themselves in British politics? Free trade ideology developed out of Adam Smith’s distinctive contribution to the eighteenth-century European Enlightenment and reached its apogee in the Liberalism of William Gladstone, and so forth. (3) The importance of Thatcherism, therefore, lay not in the novelty of its ideas but in the context of their operation in the late 1970s and 1980s. Thatcherism as an ideology stood for a limited but firm government, the rolling back of the welfare state, the end of consensus politics and a staunchly anti-European and independent attitude on many vital issues. (Adams 1998, p. 95) The question of just how successful the Thatcher revolution was in making Britain a better place is a matter of fierce controversy. How

The McKissack and McKissack Group Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The McKissack and McKissack Group Inc - Essay Example McKissack has worked on various civil developments, fresh water and wastewater projects and have examined hundreds of miles of pipelines. Business strategy of McKissack has always been based on long term basis. And records show that over the past 100 years, McKissack has acquired and retained hundreds of clients through their excellent business relationships and customer retention. And they have achieved this through broad management approach and forming and achieving concrete strategic objectives. McKissack is a close knitted business entity which administers each project from its seed stage to its completion, while overseeing all the operations. McKissack is always looking for projects in the market that require innovative yet pragmatic and affordable construction solutions and the reason that gives them the courage to take such bold steps is their experiencing of completing thousands of projects in the past 100 years. Teamwork, quality and commitment have always been the hallmark of their business strategy that enables them to grow as an outstanding industry. The legacy of McKissack dates back to over two centuries when Moses McKissack (a slave) became an expert builder after learning the craftsmanship from his owner William McKissack, who was among the first contractor in the US. Moses McKissack, before dying in 1865, passed on his knowledge of structure to his son Gabriel Moses, who did the same by teaching the skill to his two sons; Moses III (born 1879) and Calvin (born 1890). When Moses III believed that he was skilled enough to start his own construction business, he moved to Nashville in 1905. He received education in architecture and engineering and in a short time got commission for structuring the Carnegie Library at Fisk University, which was the first major structure designed by a black American in America. After that assignment, he got recognition which landed him many more contracts of various colleges in the South and some Middle Tennesseeâ₠¬â„¢s better-quality homes (Governor A.H. Robert’s mansion was among them). In 1912, Calvin and Moses were the first individuals who were registered under the new licensing law with the State of Tennessee. The McKissack brothers did not stop there and proceeded to make Tennessee’s first black designing and building firm in 1922. They received national recognition when the US Government paid them $5.7 million to construct an air base at Tuskegee in Alabama. To this day, this contract remains the largest construction contract given to a black firm by the federal government. Moses McKissack had six sons who went into education, architecture, construction and law. Moses was invited to the Whitehouse to discuss the issue of national housing problem because of his expertise in architecture and construction in housing projects. This occurred during the reign of President Franklin Roosevelt. Calvin became the president of the McKissack firm after the death of his brother Moses who was succeeded by Moses’ son, Williams in 1968. McKissack flourished under the leadership of Williams who held on to the innovative ideas of his father and brought much praise to McKissack’s design and construction. Williams retired in 1983 and his wife took over the firm as Chief Executive Officer. Since then, she has brought

The Company Culture Of Enron Management Essay

The Company Culture Of Enron Management Essay Just as the destiny of individuals is determined by personal character, the destiny of an organization is determined by the character of its leadership. And when individuals are derailed because of a lack of character, the organization will also be harmed (Josephson, 1999). The merger of two Houston-based pipeline companies in 1985 led to the creation of Enron. It started as an energy delivery company, but the deregulation a few years later helped it change its focus and become an energy matchmaker or energy broker. The company started matching the buyers and sellers of energy and utilised creative trading methods to generate profits. So in a short span of time, Enron corporations fortunes changed from just a surviving company and it become a thriving company- a symbol of successful American corporation. 1.2 The Company Culture The deregulation in 1988 led to a dramatic change in the corporation. Enron had become the symbol of dynamism and aggression. The culture at Enron was to encourage creativity amongst the employees. It embraced a culture that rewarded cleverness. The employees were motivated to explore innovative approach to their work. The limits were pushed for performance on the individual employee level to sustain the astonishing growth levels that the corporation was experiencing. It was slowly moving towards a culture that admired unchecked ambition. In the pursuit, Enron led a culture which believed in stretching the performance until the limits of ethical conduct were overlooked. We will also see ahead how the leadership at Enron affected a change in the culture of the corporation. If corporate leaders encourage rule-breaking and foster an intimidating, aggressive environment, it is not surprising that the ethical boundaries at Enron eroded away to nothing. Schein (1985) has focused on leaders hip as the critical component of the organizations culture because leaders can create, reinforce, or change the organizations culture. This applies not the least to an organizations ethical climate (Sims, 2000; Trevinoet al., 2000; Sims and Brinkmann, 2002).According to Schein (1985) there are five primary mechanisms that a leader can use to influence an organizations culture: attention, reaction to crises, role modelling, allocation of rewards, and criteria for selection and dismissal. Scheins assumption is that these five criteria reinforce and encourage behavioural and cultural norms within an organization. So to summarise the culture at the company as depicted in the movie which was influenced by the following factors. Leadership Behaviour (reference?) Espoused values and visions Communicating the vision for the organisation through stated strategic long-term objectives in the vision statement/annual general meeting statement. Role modelling and attention There were multiple instances of Management-Employee seminars. There were also Enron Gas services solution days, where the management would use motivational speech to inspire employees. Reaction to crisis Initially in the nascent stages of the accounting misdemeanours the management devised way to avert crisis with efficient use of Public relation to make the event look insignificant. Programs , structures Criteria for rewards and personnel decision Enrons remuneration system rewarded individuals who adopted Enrons aggressive, individualistic culture and were based on short-term profits and financial measures. Symbols , rituals and stories The enron management way of celebrating success- organising weekend adventure trips. Jeff Skilling mantra- Do it right, do it now , and do it better 1.3 The External Environment Enron had become an energy trading giant in the US market and it was expanding in more sectors and international markets. The surprise with the companys growth was not its ingenuity of doing business but the speed at which it was expanding. But with a careful balance of public relation and good CSR skill, Enron had succeeded in developing a niche amongst the American corporate houses, the American media and the masses. It was a symbol of corporate excellence teamed with an ambitious zeal to succeed at all cost. Enrons spectacular success was receiving positive reviews from the press and the financial analyst community which was incremental in adding fuel to the companys competitive culture. So the movie very succinctly describes the leadership at Enron which encouraged a culture that was morally flexible leading to ethical degeneration in the name of ambition. Leadership at Enron The pillars of Enron were the top management team which always believed in exuberant performance. They were driven in their pursuit of delivering on the bottom-line numbers at all cost. This attitude was percolated to the complete organisational structure at Enron by dividing the company in either the high performing employees or the so- called low-performers. The employees who were a part of the upper-crust were handsomely remunerated. This led to a negatively infected passion amongst the employees to break the performance bench-mark in the organisation to happily afloat. The reflection of the leadership style in the movie is Indirect leadership It is evident from the movie that there was a heavy influence of the top management on the culture of the organisation which cascaded down to all the employees of the company, but indirectly. A form of indirect leadership involves leader influence over the organization culture, which is defined as the shared beliefs and values of members (Scheinn, 1992- trice Beyer, 1991). Leaders may attempt either to strengthen existing cultural beliefs and values or to change them. There are many ways to influence culture, and they may involve direct influences (communication, a compelling vision or leading by example) or other forms of indirect influence, such as changing the organization structure or reward system. Transactional leadership It refers to the leadership style wherein the leader exchanges rewards of economic or financial value with the follower. These rewards are based on the premise that the leader recognises the parameters and the levels of performance which justify reasonably the task and also clarifies the conditions under which the rewards are available for justification. The goal is to enter a mutually beneficial exchange, but not necessarily to develop a enduring relationship. Although a leadership act transpires, it is not one that binds the leader and follower together in a mutual and continuing pursuit of a higher purpose. But in the movie it is also seen that leaders were in a constant pursuit to convince their followers about their genuine interest of promoting the welfare of the stakeholders, which was not the case in reality. Yet they were successful in blinding the stakeholders (employees) with their leadership position and skills. So here we see an overlap of transactional as well as transformational leadership traits as the leaders at Enron were successful in their motive. Effective transformational leaders may exhibit transactional behaviors, but their leadership style also includes one or more of the following characteristics: idealized vision, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass, 1985; Bass Avolio, 1994). These characteristics are assumed to transform followers and motivate them to do more than initially expected. This transformation presumably occurs through raising the followers awareness of the signi ¬Ã‚ cance of designated outcomes, getting followers to transcend their self-interests for the good of the organization, or augmenting followers needs on Maslows (1954) hierarchy of needs (Bass, 1985). Although leaders and followers purposes may begin as separate but related, they eventually become fused into a linkage of power bases that provide support for both members of the relationship. Leadership is about making choices (Kouzes and Posner, 2003). Choice is a binary action that divides options into two sets, the desired and the undesired ones, according to a higher principle or value (Rawls, 1999). Mostovicz (2008) posits that the way people choose is a reflection of their worldview. This discovery can be approached in 2 ways (1) By the need for achievement (the Lambda worldview); or (2) By the need for affiliation (the Theta worldview). Both the world views have a unique set of characteristics. The Lambda are self- motivated and highly driven to attain individaulistic goals whereas the Theta are more society welfare oriented. The Lamba have a narrow prespective towards the society as such whereas the Theta have a much broader view. The unique characteristics of both the worldviews along with leadership approach is as mentioned below. Theta Lambda Motivation/reason Socially oriented Personally oriented Goal Seeking unity and certainty Seeking challenge and creation Behaviour Communion Agency Benefit Building respect Looking for personal freedom Leadership principle Authenticity = truthfulness Authenticity =genuineness Inclination Toward choice Toward contrast Perception of truth As an objective As a set of rules Transformation of a leader A leader is born. Qualities are subconscious A leader is developed consciously So the reflection in the movie about the leadership at Enron is more on the Lambda worldview. The attitude induced by the top management through the company made the organisation develop a Lambda view which led to the massive breakdown of the ethical machinery. The Leader Jeff Skilling- the man with the ideas. He was the kind of a person who had big vision of things. One of his favourite books was the Selfish Gene, which was a description about the human nature being steered only by greed and competition in the service of passing on the genes. He wanted to alter the way in which Energy was being traded. He succeeded in initiating a market for natural gas wherein it started being traded as stocks. He converted energy into a financial instrument and this led to Enron becoming the largest energy trader in North America. Kenneth Lay was a visionary and he liked people who shared this attribute. Jeff Skilling fit in the picture perfectly. He was aggressive, intelligent and possessed exemplary leadership qualities which was incremental in creating a culture of aggression and incentivised competition in the organisation. Under his leadership the organisation transformed from a small energy market player to the biggest energy trading company in North America with a rapidly expanding global operations network. The company was being driven by the aggressive and individualistic attitude which was strongly ingrained in the system by Jeff Skilling and the policies of the management team for attaining short term profit. These were successful in achieving the results in hindsight but were seriously damaging the ethical balance in the system. According to the Big Five model (Hogan, Curphy Hogan, 1994, Page 61), Jeff Skilling exhibited the Surgency personality type which had specific traits of Extroversion, High Energy/activity level and a Need for power. Charisma was the most important aspect of his personality. He believed in gaining power and self glorification, caring very little for his followers, the ideals or values. This is usually seen in the case of negative charismatics. He used his charisma, to influence people in a way which made them awe-stricken, wanted his acceptance and hence they could not criticise him or his actions. This not just has an influence on the followers, but has an effect on the leader as well. The leader in such cases become not only over-confident but also delusional of their infallibility. To describe further we utilise the following table to understand the charismatic leadership and its effect on the organisation. The leader has total and absolute authority. Leaders build their eminence and maintain their grip on their followers throught a well-articulated ,emotive communication of their vision. The leader cultivates a compelling and captivating self image Immense faith invested in the leader Heavy emphasis on the charismatic attributes of leadership. The CEO had immense and unchallenged authority. Events such as the annual management conference, where leaders promoted themselves in a thearitical manner. Intense faith exhibited by emploess in Lay and Skilling and a declining confidence in the quality of their perceptions Charismatic Leadership A totalistic vision, leading to a higher sense of purpose and achievement. Employees assured they were transforming how business was conducted in the world. An intense transcendent ideology. A high degree of personal commitment by followers, to the goals of their leaders. The replacement of the followers existing belief system with a sense of being involved in a meaningful or revolutionary change. A compelling vision and intellectual stimulation Intense recruitement rituals, designed to engage employees in a process of affliation. The transformation of attitudes, behaviour. Constant messages that those hired were part of a special elite and were the brightest and the best in the world Indoctrination rituals that alternate between stressful and exhilarating. A process of conversion enacted Continuous indoctrination ,to reinforce initials sense of affiliation Individual consideration Perceived dissenters marginalised Financial data falsified Cultivation of obscure jargon, familiar only to people within the organisation Punitive internal regime. Promotion of a Common Culture Punitive internal environment: dissent demonised Unidirectional communication Negative information suppressed and positive information maximised. Total conformity from followers Power and Influence- Amongst the different types of powers Skilling had both at his disposal. He made use of his position power due to his position in Enron and also the personal power. In terms of position power it appears that applied the reward power which meant that his followers complied in order to obtain rewards and also legitimate powers where in the followers complied as they believed that he had the right to make the request due to his position. Also, we could see the use of his personal powers to a great extent where in his vast knowledge about the subject enabled his followers to comply. The followers also admired him and aspired to be like him due to his charismatic personality which also gave him the referent power which helped him gain loyalty and commitment. In order to influence his followers in supporting him he did use rational persuasion to show them the logical side of his argument based on factual evidence. The followers at some time did realise that Skilling was being unethical in his practices and in spite of this realisation still continued to support him. To explain the influence Skilling had on his followers we can make use of the 3 well known experiments-Milgrams experiment, Solomon Aschs conformity and Zimbardo prison experiment. Milgrams experiment tells us how people conform to an authority figure. The agentic state theory explains this further by stating that the person comes to view himself as an instrument in carrying out another persons wishes and therefore no longer sees himself responsible for his actions. Similarly the other 2 experiments highlight the human behaviour in terms of role conformity and social conformity where in people have a tendency to come under the pressure of social acceptability and conforming to everything they feel they need to in order to be a part of the group. Leader-Member Exchange Enron was a company of believers. In a survey in 1997, employees who were surveyed for a feedback faced tremendous faith in the leadership of Kenneth Lay and Jeff Skilling. It has been discussed in this analysis that the company had an indirect leadership style, whereby influence of the top management percolated to all the employees in the company through the use of multiple communication strategies (Enron Gas services day) when the top management discussed the future strategy of the company, the importance of employee contribution, commending excellent employee performance etc. So the employees became blind believers in the methodology adopted by the leadership at the organisation and started working with the win at all cost attitude which led to the slow erosion of the ethical fabric. Also the reward system that was created in the organisation, reflected the expectation of the management. The companies reward system only appraised employees who performed consistently with little re gard to ethical conduct. Overall, Enrons reward system rewarded individuals who embraced Enrons aggressive, individualistic culture and were based on short-term profits and financial measures. Leadership development at Enron Leadership calls for total commitment to the perpetual process of purpose seeking. While leaders are usually concerned with their legacies, their commitment to purpose has to go far deeper. This total commitment implies that, in reality, leaders seek either my way or nothing. However, this commitment is intrinsic; it calls for the leader to mobilise himself, body and soul, but in no way does it imply extrinsically that what is not my way is wrong. Ideal leaders do not exist in practice. Thus, we can relate to leadership as a progressive development only. Since humans cannot be fully conscious of our emotions, a posteriori, we cannot fully mobilise them in order to understand and attain our life goals and purpose. Because our purpose remains opaque at best, it follows that leaders will act unethically even when they do so unwillingly or unconsciously. The only way for leaders to improve their ethical position is to interact with others in society to help them reveal their hidden agenda over time. The particular worldview, in turn, shapes these agendas, either Theta or Lambda, that a person embodies in his search for greater self-awareness and contextualisation with his external environment. Appendix

A tree grows in brooklyn :: essays research papers

â€Å"A person who pulls himself up from a low environment via the boot-strap route has two choices. Having risen above his environment, he can forget it; or, he can rise above it and never forget it and keep compassion in his heart for those has left behind him in the cruel up climb.† (pg 129) Betty Smith’s novel A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is a tale of poignant family relationships and childhood and also of grim privation. The story revolves around the protagonist of the story, young Francie Nolan. She is an imaginative, endearing 11-year-old girl growing up in 1912, in Brooklyn, New York. The entire story revolves around Francie and the Nolan family, including her brother Neelie, her mother Katie and her father Johnny. An ensemble of high relief characters aids and abets them in their journey through this story of sometimes bleak survival and everlasting hope. As we find out, the struggle for survival is primarily focused against the antagonist of this story, the hard-grinding poverty afflicting Francie, the Nolan’s and Brooklyn itself. The hope in the novel is shown symbolically in the â€Å"The â€Å"Tree of Heaven†Ã¢â‚¬ . A symbol used throughout the novel to show hope, perseverance and to highlight other key points. Although the author, Betty Smith, denied ever writing a novel with socially political motives, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn abounds with references to class issues. Nearly every scene, every character illustrates or deals with the problem of poverty in early twentieth-century America. For the Nolan’s, being poor means they must always think about being poor – how they will buy the next load of coal, where their food will come from, their insurance, rent, medicine, all the necessities of raising a family. The novel also shows that poverty is not just the absence of food or comfort, it is the direct cause for Uncle Flittman to leave, Johnny’s utter nothingness and Francie’s inability to go to a high school. Every action in the novel is based around a limited amount of resources, as not only the Nolan’s but also the entire community suffers. Exploitation abounds, whether in the overpriced sale of candy, child labour in metal collection, dishonest grocers a nd butchers and employers with impunity to set their own rules. Katie does her best with the household money, and we find that for the poor sometimes a luxury isn’t in getting something, but in being able to waste it.

Romeo and Juliet Essay example -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

It is deeply ironic that â€Å"love†, which is regarded so highly in our society, is a very general term without well-defined specific terms. For instance, there are not even explicit terms to describe the specific types of love one feels between, say, a family member, and a romantic interest, which are clearly distinct and almost completely universal. We naturally seek a universal definition of love, a complete truth. I daresay that I doubt one exists. This ambiguity of terminology has undoubtedly caused much conflict; history has no shortage of examples. Further irony arises in that despite being central to life, both physically and mentally, we still seem to struggle greatly with the concept; mathematics has much better utilized its ubiquity among the ancient civilizations. As a corollary, love is one of, if not the, most common theme in literature and the other arts. Here, we shall examine a specific example. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare il lustrates romantic love, infatuation, and familial love, and how all three contradict each other by promoting different courses of action. Firstly, Shakespeare depicts infatuation in his play. Note that infatuation is distinct from romantic love because infatuation lacks certain qualities, such as a conscious will to maintain said love. We refer to Romeo’s feelings for Rosaline before the party. Romeo says: She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair, To merit bliss by making me despair. She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow Do I live dead that live to tell it now. (1.1.221-5) From this quote, Romeo’s feelings of Rosaline are extremely apparent: Romeo â€Å"loves† Rosaline, in common terms. However, this affection does not contain the usual elements th... ...3-4). There is no denying that this decision is obviously far from optimal. And hence the point is proved- the two types of love have hence produced a much more counterintuitive result than expected. Indeed, this contradiction is one of the central themes of this work. In Romeo and Juliet, there exist multiple types of love, and they all contradict each other by motivating characters to perform actions that they would otherwise not perform under the influence of one alone. In particular, Shakespeare illustrates both infatuation and familial love. Furthermore, all three types of love contradict each other- romantic love permits instantaneous destruction of infatuation. Similarly, familial love and romantic love, when both present, cause much agony to Juliet. Indeed, this work well demonstrates why love can be so powerful and at the same time so disastrous.

6 Steps India Can Take to Help Rape Victims Essay

The outcry over the brutal gang rape of a young woman in New Delhi last month has not only brought into focus the issue of violence against women in India but has also shone a light on the way the country’s criminal justice system frequently fails rape victims. There were 24,206 rapes reported in 2011 by the National Crime Records Bureau, equivalent to one rape every 20 minutes. While many Indians are calling for changes in the law such as capital punishment for rapists and new legislation to protect women, many civil rights’ lawyers disagree. They say India has good gender laws already, but they need to be strengthened and enforced. The following is a list of six steps India can take to ensure rape victims receive adequate care and support and that swift justice is delivered, compiled from interviews with police, lawyers and human rights activists. 1. GENDER SENSITISATION & MORE FEMALE POLICE Like most large organisations in the country, India’s police force is male-dominated – only 6.5 percent of officers are women. Deep-rooted patriarchal beliefs mean the police force, like many other institutions such as government bodies or parliament, is often seen as insensitive to the issues faced by women. Gender sensitisation training as well as increasing the number of female police officers in India will help change attitudes within the police force, activists and lawyers say. This would also help ensure victims’ complaints are treated seriously and sympathetically. 2. MORE POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY There have been numerous cases of girls and women being turned away by the police when they try to report a rape – officers do not take the crime seriously or they blame the victim. In many instances, the largely underpaid, overworked police officers have little interest in registering or investigating a gender crime that can take years to reach judgment. Sometimes, if the accused is powerful or wealthy, police can be influenced into taking no action. Activists say current methods of filing complaints against the police are cumbersome and difficult for the average Indian. A simple mechanism should be set up to channel and address public complaints and police should be penalised or suspended if found guilty of dereliction of duty, they add. See more: Analysis of Starbucks coffee company employees essay 3. GUIDELINES FOR SUPPORT OF RAPE VICTIMS India has no formal protocol in place for medical or psychological support of victims. They are often not given adequate treatment for injuries or infections, let alone counselling. Cases have been reported of traumatised victims who are made to go from one government hospital to another for medical examinations or who are forced to sit for hours in bloodied clothes after the assault. Activists say there needs to be a standard protocol across the country to examine and treat rape victims, such as the World Health Organisation’s guidelines for medico-legal care for sexual assault victims. 4. STRENGTHENING RAPE INVESTIGATIONS A failure to invest in the police force has left many officers lacking the expertise and resources required to conduct adequate investigations, resulting in weak evidence and low convictions. Lawyers say the handling of forensic evidence such as fingerprints, hair or nail samples – a key component in rape cases where the onus lies with the prosecution to prove the rape – is often collected, transported and stored in a careless manner. The core competencies of the police need to be strengthened and officers must be given training and resources to carry out their work, lawyers say. Standard operating procedures for conducting investigations need to be applied across the country, they add. 5. FAST-TRACK RAPE COURTS One of the biggest impediments to gaining justice for rape victims is the lengthy duration of the trials, awyers say. A lack of prosecutors, judges and courts mean that an average rape case can take five to 10 years to get to the judgment stage, leaving victims or other witnesses vulnerable to intimidation or unwilling to pursue such drawn-out court trials. The Delhi gang rape has fuelled demands for special fast-track courts to deal with crimes against women, but some lawyers say not only are such courts costly but that swift justice does not always mean just justice. Some legal experts add that India needs to invest more in the legal and judicial system and concentrate on hiring of thousands more judges and prosecutors. 6. WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM Victims and witnesses can be intimidated by the accused, who in some cases is granted bail by the court, even though rape is a non-bailable offence. As a result, victims can feel pressured into accepting illegal â€Å"out-of-court† settlements such as a small cash payment. In more extreme instances, the victim’s family is pressurised into marrying their daughter to the accused.

The Chrysalids Essay (How Characters React in Desperate Moments)

Characters Reactions in Moments of Desperation in The Chrysalids People react differently in moments of desperation. There are generally many different kinds of reactions towards moments of desperation in the world. Joseph Strorm and David Strorm (his son) had different reactions in moments of desperation. Joseph and his son had opposite reactions in the novel. Joseph Strorm and his son had opposite reactions in the book.Joseph Strorm reacts to deviants very seriously and without sympathy. He is also portrayed to be very religious. David Strorm on the other hand, is the only son of Joseph Strorm. He possesses a telepathic ability which is unacceptable in his community, Waknuk. David’s reactions towards deviations are quite different from his father. He makes certain decisions wisely. He is very considerate unlike his father. Joseph Storm shows no sympathy towards mutants because he believes that they are sent from the devil. In the Chrysalids, how characters react in moments o f desperation reveals insights into their true nature.Joseph Strorm’s reactions in moments of desperation show his true nature in The Chrysalids. Joseph Strorm’s reaction towards David was very extreme because he was associating with a deviation. David befriends Sophie and discovered that she had six toes on each foot. David promised to keep her secret. However, when Sophie and David were fishing, another boy in the district discovered Sophie’s footprint on a rock and reveals it to everyone. Joseph Strorm becomes very angry with David and he interrogates him. â€Å"Who was this child-this blasphemy-you were with yesterday?†Joseph Strorm also beat David because he despises mutants and he believes that a mutant comes from the devil. Joseph Strorm’s reaction towards David, who wished for a third hand, shows the religious views of Joseph. Joseph was mad at his son because David made a sinful statement. â€Å"You –my own son- were calling upon t he Devil to give you another hand!† Joseph Strorm took this statement very seriously which shows how serious deviants are taken. He is a very strict person and uncompassionate to his son. Joseph Strorm was so distraught with his son because of his despitefulness towards mutants. Joseph Strorm’s reaction towards Aunt Harriet was embarrassing.Aunt Harriet was Joseph’s sister-in-law who bore a blasphemed child. She wanted to switch babies with her sister (Mrs. Strorm) to get a certificate for her baby. Although she  didn’t feel the same way whatsoever about her child as Joseph does. â€Å"She is not ashamed.† He uttered a lot of negative and bitter words to her. â€Å"I don’t understand how you dared to come here, to God-fearing house, with such a suggestion. Worse still, you don’t show an atom of shame or remorse.† In conclusion, Joseph Strorm is very religious and he is the only character in the novel that has the greatest disl iking towards mutants, deviations and blasphemies.David Strorm also had some reactions in moments of desperation in The Chrysalids. David Strorm’s reaction towards Aunt Harriet’s death was very frightening. David is very scared because his aunt died as a result of hiding a deviant baby. He is frightened that he might get killed if he is discovered. Therefore, he prays to God to take away his telepathic gift so he could be like every normal person. â€Å"Oh God†¦please, please let me be like the other people, on’t you make it so that I wake up in the morning, I’ll be just like everyone else, please, God please!†David Strorm’s reaction towards Anne’s marriage was shocking. Anne was part of the telepathic group who decided to get married. David was very shocked that Anne was going to marry a norm. â€Å"For one thing, the man was Alan Ervin†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He is also very frightened because she would reveal to her husband, her secret and the group’s secret. Therefore, David meets his uncle and decides to take a grave decision. He decides to kill Anne but his uncle decides to kill Alan so the group might be free.David Strorm’s reaction towards his father and the Inspector interrogating him about Sophie showed David’s loyalty for Sophie. He promised to keep her secret no matter the circumstances. Joseph Strorm shouted at his son because he knows his son was lying. David knows that his father was going to beat him. â€Å"†¦I knew too that with my father’s present mood, it would happen whether I told or not. David was beaten for hiding Sophie. In conclusion, David is a very considerate boy. He had desperate reactions in The Chrysalids, which he had to take certain decisions wisely.ConclusionIn the Chrysalids by John Wyndham, how characters react in moments of desperation reveals insights into their true nature. John Wyndham stated a lot of characters with their reactions in moments of desperation. Joseph Strorm and David Storm are part of the examples of characters in The Chrysalids that had reactions in moments of desperation. These are the two major characters in the book that had many reactions in desperate moments. Generally, everyone in the world have different reactions either good or bad towards moments of desperation. This occurs in John Wyndham’s novel, The Chrysalids.

Analysis of Nestle’s Business Environment

Company Overview Nestle, based in Switzerland, is the world’s leading food and nutrition company measured by revenues (Nestle, 2013). The company sells baby foods, breakfast cereals, coffee, confectionery, frozen food, pet foods, yoghurt and snacks through extensive distribution channels all over the world spreading out from facilities run by the company in over 100 countries. It owns several major consumer brands such as Stouffers, Nescafe, Kit-Kat, Carnation, Nestle water, among many others used by millions each year and which have established Nestle’s successful global brand image (Interbrand, 2013). This success can be attributed to clear focus and vision, as well as success in its continual differentiation and brand positioning which strengthen its market position (Jones, 2012). To sustain this success and thus maintain leadership in its market, the company must often audit and review its strategic position in light of changing factors in its business environment. This paper undert akes this strategic assessment employing the PESTLE framework of analysis. PESTLE analysis The PESTLE framework is a strategic tool used to measure market potential and situation of company (David, 2009). It focuses on factors in the external environment which encompass effects from the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental spheres. Political factors With operations spread out across the globe, Nestle is liable to political influences unique to various jurisdictions including applicable laws and regulations governing business operations, as well as stringent international health and safety requirements of significance in the food and nutrition sector, such as the ISO 9002 and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) preventative food safety systems. The primary goal of these regulations is the protection of consumers from poor quality, potentially health averse/harmful products (Hill, 2006). The company has suffered challenges related to contamination of its products and poor quality supplies which have led to product recalls and market concern. This has hurt the company’s image and impacted sales as well as challenging it with regard to quality control (Nestle, 2013). The company has responded appropriately to address these, to ensure quality and safeguard confidence in its products (Jones, 2012). For successful engagement internationally, Nestle should endeavour to meet these expectations and to conform to the requisite legislations and regulations applicable. Economic factors The global business environment has recently been significantly hindered by economic setbacks due to downturn and global recession. These have adversely affected demand for products through its effect on consumer spending. However, recovery has been swift and the continuing globalization and consolidation has further enhanced growth and demand for product with the convergence in consumer tastes and preferences globally (Hanson et al., 2011). The rise in emerging market economies portends surplus buying power, as well as economies of scale which proffer added economic advantage (Vandewaetere, 2012). The leverage of huge resource capital and R&D capability into continual introduction and redesign of products enables Nestle to strengthen its competitive advantage. Through the localisation of operations in over 100 countries across the globe, the company manages to address the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on import and export aspects of trade (Jones, 2012). Social factors As a producer of finished consumer goods, Nestle is hugely dependent upon customer satisfaction and desirability of its product range to achieve success (Jones, 2012). The company, thus, chooses to embark on huge spending in its competitive sectors to maintain its brand image and to enhance product desirability. Competitive advantage in the sector requires continuous research and development leading to the frequent introduction of new products and redesign of products (Interbrand, 2013). This is a significant strength of Nestle and among the notable factors upon which its industry, sector or market leadership is based (Nestle, 2013). There is an increasing trend towards healthy eating which is increasing demand for healthier food products. This is laden with potential to affect product lines such as chocolate drinks (Jones, 2012). The company has taken specific steps such as the acquisition of specialised start-ups, and successful partnerships to meet the needs of health conscious co nsumers and thereby to take advantage of emerging market trends and opportunities (Vandewaetere, 2012). Nestle is therefore considered to be well adjusted to its market segments given its focus on this growth driver as well as its focus on popularly-positioned products which aims to provide a brand to meet every need. Its more than 8,000 brands enable it to achieve this strategic focus and to compete successfully against corporate rivals (Interbrand, 2013). Technological factors The fast pace of technological development and associated capabilities portend significant challenge for competitiveness in modern industry. Nestle has endeavoured to keep up through enormous investments in research and development to enhance its capability, as well as process efficiency which have enabled its successful differentiation and enhanced competitiveness (Nestle, 2013). However, the company still experiences challenges in its quality control with its inability to provide consistent quality in food products hurting company image and affecting sales (Jones, 2012). The company’s response in this regard has been quite appropriate enabling it to weather this challenge successfully. It has endeavoured to ensure quality in the foregoing and to safeguard confidence in its products through its seal of guarantee initiative (Interbrand, 2013). Environmental factors Nestle is involved in numerous programs aimed at making the company more eco-friendly which are inherent in its C SR initiatives. However, the company is criticised for its weak approach and over the effectiveness of their programs (Jones, 2012; Interbrand, 2013). With the scale of their operations across the globe and massive quantity of output, it is imperative that the company should enhance focus on its environmental impact which is a notable concern in modern industry. This factor has capacity to ruin reputations and affect performance (Hill, 2006). Legal factors Global operations in diverse jurisdictions require astute legal capabilities which Nestle seems to be endowed with. The company’s successful operations in over 100 countries attest to this giving it an edge in unmatched geographical presence in the industry. It also has notable competency in mergers and acquisitions which have enabled it to diversify and to successfully enter new markets thereby sustaining its competitive edge (Vandewaetere, 2012). Major challenges affecting the company Three major challenges are identified and explored to gauge their effect and to find out ways in which they might be addressed. Quality of products and supplies A major challenge with huge capacity for adverse impact on Nestle’s business potential concerns the quality of products delivered and thus the quality control schemes for its products. There have been instances of contamination of products as well as poor supplies which have led to a number of product recalls from the market (Interbrand, 2013). This challenge is fundamental particularly with regard to operations in the food and nutrition industry which is subject to stringent quality, as well as health and safety regulations. The company is subject to a high bargaining power of customers for the most part due to the availability of a wide range of substitute and alternative products in the market and fierce competition from worthwhile rivals (Carpenter and Sanders, 2007). Flouting of health and safety regulations also portends risk for operations in various jurisdictions and may lead to bans in markets and/or restrictions on the use of concerned products. This would definitely be a hindrance to business and would not only adversely impact sales but also would hurt company image and brand positioning which are vital intangible assets in a highly competitive market (Hanson et al., 2011). To reduce the negative impact of this challenge, the company needs to tighten its quality control procedures and schemes for products and also needs to enforce stringent procedures in the choice of suppliers and in the procurement of raw food items from them (Interbrand, 2013). This would not only guarantee conformance with requisite legislation but would also ensure that quality is maintained and adhered to across the entire supply chain. Also essential are measures to ward off loss of consumer trust and drop in confidence in products offered. Assurances in this regard are critical for the maintenance of brand image and reputation, and as well serve to guarantee product performance in the market (Jones, 2012; Vandewaetere, 2012). Weak implementation of eco-friendly initia tives Nestle pursues eco-friendly initiatives as constituent in its corporate social responsibility (CSR). Yet, these initiatives have been subject to extensive criticism over weakness in its approach and over the effectiveness of their programs (Vandewaetere, 2012). Environmentally friendly initiatives are particularly of concern for such entities as Nestle given their scale of operations across the globe and quantity of product output considering its 8,000 product brands (Interbrand, 2013). The primary objective of the company is the delivery of the best quality in everything from primary produce, choices of suppliers and transport, to recipes and packaging materials (Nestle, 2013). However, every stage in its supply chain is bound to have adverse environmental impact which is a notable concern in modern industry given the drive to environmental responsibility. Disregard of such concerns exposes the company to risks to reputation which could have a direct impact on performance (Ha nson et al., 2011). Increasing trend towards healthy eating With the rise in diseases associated with sedentary lifestyles, food choices, and eating habits, there has emerged global awareness of their impacts on individual health. This has engendered health consciousness and regard for choice of foods and their nutritive value or possible consequences. This has led to a trend towards healthy eating which continues to drive consumer preference and demand for healthier food products (Luthans and Doh, 2012). Such a trend is bound to affect popular product lines, such as chocolate drinks, that Nestle offers impacting demand and therefore market performance (Vandewaetere, 2012). In its consumer goods business, Nestle is hugely dependent upon customer satisfaction and desirability of its products to achieve success. It is thus immensely susceptible to market dynamics and trends such as eh above which it can do very little to control and manage (Kazem and Richard, 2008). The problem is further exacerbated by the emergence of social media and global networking through the internet which continues to drive globalization and which is causing a global convergence of consumer tastes and preferences (Hanson et al., 2011; Luthans and Doh, 2012). To counter this challenge, the company needs to embark on initiatives to develop a healthier range of products to cater to health conscious consumers and thereby to take advantage of the emerging trend and opportunities. Nestle should be keen to note the various dynamics and their impact on performance, and should develop flexibility which would enable faster response and adaptability to changes in the market (Jones, 2012). With a sound financial resource base, it is prudent for the company to pursue mergers and acquisitions, which it has done quite successfully, leveraging on its competence in that regard (Vandewaetere, 2012). This way, it is able to hasten its learning curve and guarantee success of initiatives (David, 2009) particularly in light of the fact that the company has an immense range of brands and a complex operational matrix which are in themselves quite a challenge to manage successfully. Conclusion Several factors affect Nestle in its international operations among them political, economic, social, technological, as well as environmental and legal factors, which are significant influences determining the success of operations in modern business environment. Three particular challenges are identified as having substantial impact on Nestle’s operations and business potential. They include: quality of products and supplies which portends loss of confidence in product; the company’s weak implementation of eco-friendly initiatives which are essential not only to check the environmental impact, but also serve as proof for goodwill to society; and, the increasing trend towards healthy eating which is a concern for future competitiveness of the company’s products. These challenges should be addressed to guarantee success of products in markets, as well as overall competitiveness. References Carpenter, M., and W., Sanders, (2007). Strategic Management: A Dynamic Perspective. Harlow: Pearson Prentice Hall. David, F. R. (2009), Strategic management: concept and cases (12th Ed). Pearson, NJ: Prentice Hall. Hanson, D., M., Hitt, R., Ireland, & R., Hoskisson, (2011). Strategic Management: Competitiveness and globalisation (Asia-Pacific, 4th Ed). South Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning Hill, C., (2006) International Business: Competing in the Global Economy, (7th Ed) Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Interbrand (2013). Best Global Brands 2012. Accessed 1/9/2014 from: http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/2012/Best-Global-Brands-2012.aspx Jones, S., (2012). Strategic Management at Nestle. Accessed 1/9/2014 from: http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/strategic-management-at-nestle-5907881.html Kazem, C., and L., Richard, (2008). Sustainable competitive advantage: towards a dynamic resource-based strategy. East London Business School: University of East London, UK. Luthans, F., and J., Doh, (2012). International Management: Culture, Strategy, and Behaviour, (8th Ed). Maidenhead: McGrawHill Nestle, (2013). Annual Report – 2013 (English). Accessed 2/9/2014 from: http://www.nestle.com/asset-library/Documents/Library/Documents/Annual_Reports/2013-Annual-Report-EN.pdf Vandewaetere, B., (2012). Personal Interview – 28th November, 2012: Responsible for European Affairs, Nestle. Accessed 2/9/2014 from: www.Nestle.com