School Reflection - 1042 Words

Over the course of my life, I have experienced a wide variety of schooling: I was homeschooled until the end of seventh grade, virtual-schooled through eighth and ninth grade, private schooled tenth grade, and finally public schooled at Ronald Reagan High School for the remaining two years. It was during these last two years that I was most conscious of my schooling and was able to observe imposed standards better than the other institutions I had attended. There I spent the critical years of my life, between childhood and adulthood, and was exposed to distinct organizational criteria. Although state funded, the school was also a member of the International Baccalaureate (IB), which meant it had outside forces imposing objectives on the†¦show more content†¦The school valued conformity to IB’s expectations and was not appreciative of deviations in style. This caused difficulty for many students as grading by IB, for tests and projects actually submitted to the organiz ation, was often subjective and quick to penalize divergence. This ultimately led to a culture of instilled conformity. While IB’s criteria were also very beneficial as they held students to a high standard, they did not accommodate students who needed a more individualized approach, which was ironic as individual learning was commonly encouraged. However, it should be noted that the school’s approach to education attempted at diversifying its options. While the majority of learning was conducted through lectures and source analyzation, there were also hands-on opportunities to learn, such as outdoor labs and community explorations. While not entirely even in distribution, this range of differing learning opportunities did succeed in keeping students engaged. Overall, the emphasized culture of the Ronald Reagan HS was of an Anglo-European focus. History and psychology classes were all European centric and varied little in their subjects. While there were classes that f ocused on non-white topics, they were certainly in the minority. Subsequently, the diversity of the curriculum was lacking. Information provided was almost always viewed from a single viewpoint and there was typically a limited number ofShow MoreRelatedReflection Paper On Public Schools And Private Schools1046 Words   |  5 PagesReflection Paper High school. For all, its the two words that outs you on a nostalgic trip down memory lane. For some it, brings us down a happy trip, for others, it make us cringe overtime someone mentions high school in a sentence. It all depends on your â€Å"background† in high school. There’s always been this argument present stating the difference between public schools and private schools. Its been said that the students attending private schools. Yes, I can say the public school system has partiallyRead MoreMini Teaching Reflection - Private School Setting1412 Words   |  6 Pages Mini Teaching Reflection - Private School Setting School: St. Philips Lutheran Cooperating Teacher: Jan Jacobson 4 weeks/ 3-4 hours daily School Setting: St. Philips is a one - floor, ranch - styled school on the outskirts of the Albany Park neighborhood. This is a private institution that operates based on funds provided to them through tuition and donations. There is no shortage of happiness in this school as you can hear children’s laughter throughout the halls and throughRead MoreA Reflection On School Art Club768 Words   |  4 Pages Colors have always been my inspiration. While in primary school, I started painting the models of heart, brain and different human body parts for school art club and various competitions. My teachers would display the diagrammatically solved answers of my biology tests to the whole class. On one of our yearly anti-narcotics day back in high school, a team of experts was invited to deliver a lecture for imparting awareness amongst the students about the fatal effects of drugs and held a paintingRead MoreMiddle School Reflection Paper767 Words   |  4 Pageswent by. Everyone was so kind, sweet, and innocent I was one of those particular children who had no worries about the conflicts of middle school. Until I actually opened a part of my brain that I have never experienced before. That part of my brain made me wonder, it made my confidence slowly dispatch from my brain as more and more thoughts of middle school interfered with my learning and made me develop ideas on how junior high could go horribly wrong. As the thoughts rampaged and explored my well-beingRead MoreReflection Paper On Grade School948 Words   |  4 PagesWriting was a challenge for me in grade school that quickly turned into a fear. I believe it became a fear because I was unsure of myself and my ability to understand the purpose of writing. Throughout grade school, I struggled to write and complete book reports and essays. It was not until I reached High School that I began to fully understand the concept of writing. During the last weeks of my sophomore year at Beachwood High School, I was assigned to write a reflective essay. In that essay I wasRead MoreReflection Of The Metromorphosis Of A High School Community1385 Words   |  6 PagesDuring my time as a high school student, I considered myself an artist and was deeply involved with the art community within my school. However ever since I began college and was bombarded with all the new responsibilities and expectations, I have constant ly failed to connect with that part of myself once again, and as I sat in my chair at the unveiling of this year’s edition of the student-run magazine Metromorphosis, with a version of it opened within my hands, I felt the artist within me resurfaceRead MoreSchool Law Module Three Reading Reflection Essay1640 Words   |  7 PagesSchool Law Module Three Reading Reflection American Public School Law, Chapter 8 – Student Speech and Expression Chapter Eight overviews the freedom of student speech and expression on public school property. The First Amendment provides students with the ability to openly speech and express themselves; however, there are limitations to these rights. Schools must balance the students right to free speech and expression with the need for a safe school that is advantageous for learning. As teachersRead MoreElementary School Reflection890 Words   |  4 PagesRunning Head: JOURNAL REFLECTION 1: A CASE STUDY OF A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, INCLUSIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Journal Reflection 1 Reflection of: A case study of a highly effective, inclusive elementary school. Connell Reddick Jr. Augusta University Summary: A case study of a highly effective, inclusive elementary school The study conducted at Creekside Elementary School (CES) in Florida was aimed to investigate the contributing factors which led to the success of their highlyRead MoreMy Reflections on My 1st Semester in High School Essay904 Words   |  4 Pageswhen I took my PLAN test. My reading remained the same as a 16 . As a sophomore I tried to take everything a little bit more serious and when I took my IACT the score wasn’t what I expected! It went lower I got a 12 on reading. When I was in middle school a teacher told my class â€Å"Sometimes are scores are not accurate not because we are not good but maybe that day just wasn’t your day†. Ever since I heard that I remembered that quote for all my tests because I feel like it describes me and my test skillsRead MoreMy First Semester At Goizueta1596 Words   |  7 PagesStanford Business graduate Jennifer Porter notes, â€Å"Reflection gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos, untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider multiple possible interpretations, and create meaning† (2017, p. 1). As you will see, this reflection has enabled me to summarize my first semester, discover what I have learned about myself, lay out a path for growth, and create meaning. I hope you will use my reflection as a marker for what future students can uncover

Female Sexuality And The Paradox Of Sexual Freedom By...

Freedom, opportunities, and information are some features of this modern society. Clearly, humans are now having a very different life compared to the past. Along with this well-developed world, people get more chances to express how they think, do what they want, and love who they love. Especially young people, they become more independent and are capable of living their own lives. However, while society provides people a lot of benefits, it actually makes their lives even more complex at the same time by leaving them pressures and confusions of who they really are. In her essay, â€Å"Selections from Hard to Get:Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom,† Leslie Bell mentions that while in this new-in between developmental period American twenty-something women have more freedom and opportunities about their sexual lives than previous generations, they are struggling with the paradoxes of their relationships and desires. Bell suggests that social expectations and culture guidelines, which are conventions of female sexuality and stereotypes of being a good girl, prevent these young women from pursuing their sexual desires and limiting their relationships with men. However, even these women have chosen the way they live and what kind of sexual life they want in order to be bad girls to break those old rules, they ended with losing their identities. In general, female sexuality is impacted more by establishing a women’s identity rather than clinging onShow MoreRelatedThe Power Of Context By Malcolm Gladwell Essay1633 Words   |  7 Pagesof occurrence of specific events. Leslie Bell, the author of â€Å"Selections from Hard to Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom,† largely focuses on female sexuality detailing the often confusing situations  that twenty-something ladies have to contend with, with regards to their sexual freedom. She argues that female sexuality remains a persistently emotional iss ue and that the emotions have enhanced the hard stances taken in the female sexuality debate are largely fueled by theRead MoreSexuality And Criminality By Leslie Bell Essay1717 Words   |  7 Pagesissues in any modern society: sexuality and criminality. In the first article, Leslie Bell mostly focuses on female sexuality largely detailing the often confusing situations that twenty-something ladies have to contend with as regards to their sexual freedom. Female sexuality remains a persistently emotive issue in many societies. Religious and social beliefs that prevail in the society fuel the emotions that enhance the hard stances taken concerning the female sexuality debate. The author MalcolmRead MoreParadox Of Finding Identity Within Sexual Freedom1339 Words   |  6 Pages Paradox of Finding Identity In Sexual Freedom Freedom, opportunities, and information are some features of this modern society. Clearly, humans are now having a very different life compared to the past. Along with this well-developed world, people get more chances to express how they think, do what they want, and love who they love. Especially young people, they become more independent and are capable of living their own lives. However, while society provides people a lot of benefits, it actuallyRead MoreSexuality And Criminality By Leslie Bell Essay1599 Words   |  7 Pagesemotive issues witnessed in the modern society. These issues include sexuality and criminality. In the first article, Leslie Bell mostly focuses on female sexuality largely detailing the often-confusing situations that twenty-something women have to contend with based on their sexual freedom. Religious and social beliefs that prevail in the society fuel the emotions that enhance the hard decisions made concerning the female sexuality debate. In the second article, the author Malcolm Gladwell mostlyRead MoreParadox Of Finding Identity Within Sexual Freedom1703 Words   |  7 PagesParadox of Finding Identity In Sexual Freedom Humans now have a very different life compared to the past since freedom, opportunities, and information together are playing a vital role in this modern society. Especially young people, they become more independent and are capable of living their lives. However, while society provides people a lot of benefits, it makes their lives even more complex at the same time by leaving them pressured and confused about who they really are. In her essay, â€Å"SelectionsRead MoreThe Strength Of Sexuality : A Statement1425 Words   |  6 PagesSeptember 15, 2014 The Strength in Sexuality To make a statement, women need to utilize a weapon that the public will respond to: sex. Sex has become a means of establishing independence and identity because of its scandalous nature. For centuries, the topic of sexual intercourse was riddled in controversy, unspoken of and hidden behind closed doors. Although sexual desires were part of the human psyche, women were discouraged from thinking, speaking, and participating in sexual acts and encouraged to remainRead MoreThe Contradictions Of Women s Sexual Freedoms1646 Words   |  7 PagesContradictions of Women’s Sexual Freedoms Psychotherapist Leslie Bell’s Hard to Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom argues that young women in their twenties engage in â€Å"splitting†, a defensive process in which people dissociate their ideas into separate parts that are unequally valued (28-29). This predicament leads them to choose between two different â€Å"strategies of desire:† the â€Å"Sexual Woman† and the â€Å"Relational Woman† (29). While the Sexual Woman enjoys being promiscuousRead MoreThe Power Of Context By Malcolm Gladwell1579 Words   |  7 Pagesaffected by the physical surroundings because things that exist in individual’s residence also shape who they are. Similarly, Leslie Bell in her article, â€Å"Hard To Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom†, discusses that because of the change of physical surroundings, women now have more courages to express what they want, especially the needs of sexual activiti es, but the cognitive associations of the public would bring women who have desire of sex prejudgments that are harmfulRead MoreChanging Environment Of Women s Rights And The Paradox Of Sexual Freedom1458 Words   |  6 Pagesrelationshi Although the popular talk of women rights and freedom in the society does help women in certain degree to develop a sense of control and success in recent years, the topics of sex and relationships remain controversial and shameful to talk about. In â€Å"Selections from Hard to Get: Twenty-something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom†, Leslie Bell discovers in her experiments and interviews that despite the choices of freedom and exploration modern women have, they are even more confusedRead MoreThe Power Of Context By Malcolm Gladwell Essay1802 Words   |  8 Pagesmembers of the involved society. Similarly, Leslie Bell tackles culture changes and environment can affect choices and raise internal conflicts regard to twenty-something women. In â€Å"Hard to Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom,† Bell argues that today’s young women need to face the widely contradictory cultural changes may cause them extremely difficult to freely a nd fully realize their wants because of the vulnerabilities of female. In the same way, Michael Moss, the author

Renaissance and Discovery Free Essays

string(46) " exemplified the ideals of humanist teaching\." Renaissance and Discovery I The Renaissance in Italy A. The renaissance was the period when people began to adopt a rational and statistical approach to reality and rediscovered the worth and creativity of the individual. Most scholars agree that the Renaissance (which meaner â€Å"rebirth† in French) was a transition from medieval to modern times. We will write a custom essay sample on Renaissance and Discovery or any similar topic only for you Order Now Before the change, Europe was a fragmented feudal society with an agricultural economy with a church who dominated their thoughts and culture. Once the change happened, Europe was a growing nation, an urban economy, and people had new opinions on thought, culture, and religion. The Italian Renaissance began with the deaths of Patriarch (the â€Å"father† of humanism) and Biochip (author of the Decadence). With that, the Florentine humanist culture spread through Italy and into northern Europe. Scholars considered ‘civic humanism’ describe the coalescence of humanism and civic reform. 1 . The Renaissance first shaped up within the merchant cities of late medieval Italy. Italy had a cultural advantage over the rest of Europe because it had a natural gateway between East and West. Once commerce revived on a large scale, their merchants quickly mastered the business skills in organization, book keeping, cutting new markets, and securing monopolies. The trade-rich cities became powerful city-states and dominated the political and economic life around the area. The endemic warfare spawned assisted the growth of Italian cities and urban culture. The factions might have subdued the cities as they permitted each other to concentrate on. Instead, they decided to weaken each other which strengthened the merchant oligarchies of the cities. Unlike cities which were dominated by kings and princes, the Italian cities remained free to expand their own. Five major, competitive tastes evolved: the duchy of Milan, the republics of Florence and Venice, the Papal States, and the kingdom of Naples. Social strife and competition for political power intensified that most evolved into despotisms in order to survive. Florence was the best example of social division and anarchy. Four social groups existed within the city; the old rich, or grand, the nobles, and merchants who ruled the city. In the late 13th and early 14th centuries they began to challenge the old rich for political power. In 1457 about 30,000 people were officially considered paupers, which meant having no wealth at all. These divisions caused conflict to every level of society which added to fear of foreign intrigue. True stability did not return until the ascent to power of the Florentine banker and statesman in 1434. Medici was the wealthiest Florentine and natural statesman who controlled the city internally behind the scenes, manipulating the constitution and influencing elections. A council which was known as the Signora governed the city, these men were chosen from the most powerful guilds representing the major clothing industries, or other groups like bankers, judges, and doctors. Medici was able to keep councilors loyal to him in the Signora. His grandson Lorenz the Magnificent ruled Florence in almost totalitarian fashion during the last chaotic quarter of the 15th century. To prevent internal social conflict and foreign intrigue from stopping their cities, the dominant groups installed hi strongmen or despots. Their purpose was to maintain law and order. Since despots couldn’t count on the loyalty of the populace, they worked through mercenary armies through military brokers known as conditioner. Not only was a despot subject to dismissal by oligarchies which hired him, but he was also a popular object of assassination attempts. Most city-states’ ambassadors not only represented them in ceremonies and negotiations, but became their watchful eyes and ears at rival courts. Such widespread support occurred because of the main requirement for patronage of the arts and letters was what Italian cities had in abundance:great wealth. . Some scholars believe humanists were the champions of Catholic Christianity, opposed to the pagan teachings of Aristotle and the Scholasticism his writings nurtured. To others, it was a neutral form of historical scholarship adopted to promote above all sense of responsibility and political liberty. Humanism was the study of the Latin and Greek classics and the ancient Church Fathers for its own sake and in hope of reviving respect ancient norms and values. The Florentine Leonardo Bruin gave the name humanists to the learning that resulted from scholarly pursuits. Bruin was a star student of Manuel Chrysalis, the Byzantine scholar who opened the world of Greek scholarship to humanists when he taught in Florence. The first humanists were orators and poets who wrote original literature in classical and vernacular languages inspired by and modeled on the newly discovered works of the ancients. The study of classical and Christian antiquity existed before the Italian Renaissance. These precedents only partially compared with the achievements of the Italian Renaissance of the 14th/1 5th centuries. Unlike their Scholastic rivals, humanists were less bound to recent tradition; nor did they focus their attention on summarizing and comparing the views of recognized authorities. Italian humanists made the full riches of Greek and Latin antiquity available to contemporary scholars. Patriarch was the â€Å"father of humanism. † He was involved in a popular revolt in Rome and served the Viscount family in Milan. His most famous contemporary work was a collection of highly introspective love sonnets to a certain Laura, who was a married woman he romantically admired from a distance. His critical textual studies, elitism, and contempt for the learning of the Scholastics were later shared by humanists. He was far more secular in orientation than his near-contemporary Dante Aligner. He had also been an avid collector of manuscripts and also assembled an encyclopedia of Greek and Roman mythology. The goal of humanist studies was wisdom eloquently spoken, both knowledge of the good and the ability to move others to sire it. Pitter Paolo Verger left a summary of the humanist concept of a liberal education. The ideal of a useful education and well rounded people inspired far- reaching reforms in traditional education. Vitiation ad Felt exemplified the ideals of humanist teaching. You read "Renaissance and Discovery" in category "Papers" He had his students read the difficult works of various writers and subjected his students to vigorous physical exercise and games. Balderdash Castigation’s Book of the Courtier illustrates, the rediscovered knowledge of the past was a model and a challenge to the present. The successful courtier is to be one who knows how to integrate knowledge of ancient languages and history with athletic, military, and musical skills, while at the same time practicing good manners and exhibiting a high moral character. After the fall of Constantinople to the Turks, many Greek scholars fled to Florence for refuge. This became the background against which the Florentine Platonic Academy evolved under the patronage of Cosmic De’ Medici and the vision of Amarillo Fiction and Pico Della Miranda. Renaissance thinkers were attracted to the Platonic tradition and to those Church Fathers who tried to synthesize Platonic philosophy with Christian teaching. The appeal of Platonism lay in its flattering view of human nature. It’s distinguished between an eternal sphere of being and the perishable world in which humans lived. Strong Platonic influence is evident in Picot’s Oration on the Dignity of Man. Pico wrote the Oration as an introduction to his pretentious collection of nine hundred theses. Palpation’s teaching depicted humans as the only creatures in the world who possessed the freedom to be whatever they chose and be at will to rise to the heights of angels. The humanists could become critics of tradition even when that was not their intention. Dispassionate critical scholarship shook long standing foundations, not at the least of which were those of the medieval church. Lorenz Villa revealed the explosive character of the new learning. Although a Catholic, he became a hero to Protestant reformers. Humanists believed education should promote individual virtue and public service, hence civic humanism. Toward the end of the Renaissance, many humanists became cliquish and snobbish, and intellectual elite more concerned with narrow scholarly interests and writing pure, classical Latin than with revitalization civic and social life. . In Renaissance Italy, the values and interests of the laity were no longer subordinated to those of the clergy. This development was due in part to the church’s loss of international power during the great crises of the late Middle Ages. This new perspective on life is prominent in the painting and sculpture of the high Renaissance when art and sculpture reached their full maturity. Renaissa nce artists were helped by the development of new technical skills during the 1 5th century in addition to the availability of new materials. Leonardo ad Vinci was a true master of many skills and one of the greatest painters of all time. His inventive mind foresaw modern machines as airplanes and submarines. Raphael was a man of kindness and a painter of great sensitivity, he is famous for his tender Madonna’s and the great fresco in the Vatican which was a perfect example of Renaissance technique. Michelangelo excelled in a variety of arts and crafts. His David showed a great example of Renaissance devotion to harmony, symmetry, and proportion, all serving the glorification of the human form. His works were later more complex and suggested deep personal changes which marked artistically and philosophically, the passing of High Renaissance painting and the advent of a new Tyler. 4. Throughout the Renaissance, slavery flourished Just as extravagantly as art and culture did. Contemporaries looked on such slavery as a merciful act since their captors would otherwise have killed the captives. After the Black Death reduced the supply of laborers, the demand for slaves became higher. Slaves were imported from Africa, the Balkans, Constantinople, Cyprus, Crete, and the lands surrounding the Black Sea. Owners had complete dominion over their slaves which meant the power to â€Å"have, hold, sell, alienate, exchange, enjoy, rent or UN-rent, dispose of in their wills, edge soul and body, and do with in perpetuity whatsoever may please them and their heirs and no man may gainsay them. † Tartars and Africans appeared to have been the worst treated but in ancient Greece and Rome, slaves were generally accepted as family members and integrated into households. Not few women slaves became mothers of their masters’ children. Fathers often adopted children of such unions and raised them as their legitimate heirs. Slaves remained a foreign and suspected presence in Italian society as uprooted and resentful people. B. Italy’s Political Decline: The French Invasions (1494-1527) . Italy had always relied on internal cooperation for its peace and safety from foreign invasion (by the Turks). This was maintained during the second half of the fifteenth century thanks to an alliance known as the Treaty of Load. Around 1490 hostilities between Milan and Naples resumed. The peace that the Treaty of Load made possible ended in 1494 when Naples threatened Milan. Ludicrous made made a fatal response to these political alignments by appealing to the French for aid. Breaking an Italian rule, he invited the French to re-enter Italy and revive their dynastic claim to Naples. He hadn’t noticed that France also had dynastic claims to Milan or how there would be more French territory once they encamped in Italy. 2. The French king Louis XSL resisted the temptation to invade Italy while keeping French dynastic claims in Italy alive. Such appeasement only brought about Pier’s exile by a citizenry that was revolutionized by a radical Dominican preacher (Savonarola). Savonarola convinced the fearful Florentine that the French kings arrival was a long-delayed and fully Justified divine vengeance on their immorality. This allowed Charles to enter Florence without resistance. N the end, the Florentine proved not to be the stuff theocracies are made of. After the Italian cities reunited and ousted the French invader, Savonarola days were numbered. Eventually he was imprisoned and executed. Ludicrous IL Moor desired a French invasion only so long as it weakened his enemies, he saw events created by himself which threatened Milan. In reaction, he Joined the League of Venice which was strong enough to send Charles into retreat and end the menace he posed to Italy. 3. The French returned to Italy under Charlie’s successor, Louis XII. Probably the cost corrupt pope who ever sat on the papal throne, he openly p romoted the political careers of Cesar and Lucrative Boring. In Roman the pope’s ally within the League of Venice continued to contest the Papal States for their loyalty. Seeing that French alliance would allow him to reestablish control, Alexander secured French favor. He annulled Louis Xi’s marriage to Charles Vic’s sister so he could marry Charlie’s widow (Anne of Brittany). Most important Alexander agreed to abandon the League of Venice. In exchange, Cesar Boring received the sister of the king of Invader. Cesar also received land grants from Louis XII and the promise of French military aid in Roman. All was a scandalous trade-off that made it possible for the French king and the pope to realize their ambitions within Italy. In 1500 Louis and Ferdinand of Argon divided Naples between them and the pop and Cesar Boring conquered the cities of Roman without opposition. Alexander victorious son was given the title â€Å"duke of Roman. † 4. Cardinal Giuliani Della Rover succeeded Alexander VI as Pope Julius II. Julius raised the Renaissance papacy to its peak of military prowess and diplomatic intrigue, gaining him the title of â€Å"warrior pope. This humorous account purported to describe the pope’s unsuccessful efforts to convince Saint Peter that he was worthy of admission to Heaven. Pop Julius drove the Venetians out of Roman and fully secured the Papal States. Realizing this long sought papal goal, he turned to the second major undertaking of his pontificate: ridding Italy of his former ally, the French invader. The French were nothing besides persistent. They inv aded Italy a third time under Louse’s successor, Francis l. The victory won the Concordat of Bologna from the pope in August 1516. This concordat helped keep France Catholic after the outbreak of the Protestant Reformation, but the new French entry into Italy set the stage for the first of four major wars with Spain in the first half of the sixteenth century. 5. The foreign invasions made shambles out of Italy. Machiavelli was more convinced through the more he saw. He became the Italian political unity and independence were ends which Justified any meaner. Machiavelli was impressed by the way Roman rulers and citizens defended their homeland. They possessed the ability to act decisively and heroically for the good of their country. Such romanticizes of the Roman past exaggerated both ancient virtue and contemporary failings. He also held republican ideals which he didn’t want to vanish from Italy. He believed a strong and determined people could struggle successfully with fortune. He scolded the Italian people for the self-destruction their own internal feuding was causing. He wanted an end to that behavior so a reunited Italy could drive all foreign armies out. It’s been argued that he wrote The Prince as a cynical satire on the way rulers behave and not as a serious recommendation of unprincipled despotic rule. But Machiavelli seems to have been in earnest when he advised rulers to discover the advantages of fraud and brutality. He apparently hoped to see a strong ruler emerge from the Medici family which had captured the papacy with the pontificate. At the same time, they retained control over the powerful territorial state in Florence. The Prince was pointedly dedicated to Lorenz De’ Medici, duke of Robin, and grandson of Lorenz the Magnificent. The second Medici pope watched helplessly as the army of Emperor Charles V sacked Rome was also the year of Machiavellian death. How to cite Renaissance and Discovery, Papers

Advertising and Promotional Tools in Marketing

Question: Describe about the Advertising and Promotional Tools in Marketing. Answer: Introduction Chan Hinky founded Polar Puffs Cakes Ltd Company in 1926, the first Polar Caf was unique and attractive and it was located at 51 High Street. While projecting its growth in the Singapore market, the Caf weathered during the world war 11, the growth of the company was as result of the modernization of relevant industries in the country. In 1986 Polar Caf was moved to new premises at the Raffles Place, this was accompanied along with the opening of the factor at Leng Kee Road. After a decade, the company continues to grow, leading to the opening of the new outlet, this through the implementation segmentation business strategy. As the company increase in terms of economic development, and the increase in demand for the products produced the company was moved to the larger location in Woodlands. Polar Puffs Cakes Ltd Company is considered as the exceptional company in the production of cakes. According to the above introduction of the company, the company has striven toward improving their performance as well as increasing the sells volume of the products produced(Pieters, Elsen, Wedel, 2016). Marketing approaches are discussed to be the company strategic approach, which has lead the company to realize its profits and achieving it relevant goals within a specified time framework(Kemp, 2016). Marketing is defined as the process, which the company used to identify and anticipate on the customer requirements, it involves the business strategies that the company is using to distribute their products to the respective client. Public relation also is the key concept of the marketing; it comprises how the company is presenting its products and services to the customers. The public relation in marketing is embraced to be the essential practices of managing the spread of relevant information between the customers and organization(Austin Pinkleton, 2015). However, adverting is also a key element of marketing, many companies uses advertising approach gathering for more customers, they use different logos to persuade customers. Any operating company has the mandate of ensuring that it uses relevant strategies to get more customers as well as increasing the sale volume(Ahmed, 2002). Advertising is considered as the key element of marketing since it covers significant information and characteristic of the company products(Mueller, 2014). Promotion is also the component of marketing(Babin Zikmund, 2015); it involves the delivery of the company products based on customer requirement. Polar Puffs Cakes Ltd Company has elaborate on the key aspects of marketing, adverting and promotional tools of marketing are used by the company to market its products to the customer(KotleR, Burton, Armstrong, 2015). Advertising and promotional tools in marketing at Polar Puff Ltd Company Polar Puff Ltd Company is an operating company that involves in food production while implementing the essential process of accomplishing the strategic goals and objectives, the company management mandates to strategies on the substantial marketing approaches(Aaker Biel, 2013). They have the responsibility of ensuring that, the company production process of constant and that they meet the customers needs and demand(Kotler Armstrong, 2010). The company has to consider specific marketing strategies that suit their production process for specific products(Wilson, Zeithaml, Bitner, Grem, 2012). Advertising Advertising is explained to be the primary aspect of marketing, its id defined to be an audio or the visual form of marketing communication, which employs on openly sponsored, non-personal message to promote, sell product or an idea. Product advertising converses the features as well as the benefits of the product to the customer and related prospect. Polar Puff Ltd Company embraces the essence of advertising by using to launch new products, announce the changes on the existing products(Aaker Biel, 2013). Customers are the main stakeholders of the company, according to this particular case, Polar Puff Ltd Company has embraced taking into consideration the interest of the customer in relation to the products produces(Daymon Holloway, 2010). The management must focus on the consumers interest when the management considers the client interest they intend to win the customer trust and loyalty(KotleR, Burton, Armstrong, 2015). Corporate Advertising Corporate advertising is the prime aspect of advertising; it plays a crucial role in the company operation. Polar Puff ltd Company embraces the functionality of corporate advertising by using it to increase its sales volume. The company product in Woodland is reflected to be the best in the region because of the commitment as well as exceptional strategies that are used by the management(Lau, 2015). This implies the strategies entailing corporate advertising to look for suppliers who can supply and deliver quality products and raw material to the company, allowing the company to supply quality products(McAlister Srinivasan, 2016). Corporate advertising has helped the company to build confidence amongst the customers and prospects by communicating relevant information, it has also allowed the company to measure its market position against other competing companies in the market(Potter, 2012). Financial Advertising Financial advertising is an essential category of advertising. Polar Puff Ltd Company growth was determined by the financial strategies that were adopted to improve on the customer's satisfactions(Babin Zikmund, 2015). The company development and growth is based on the financial advertising approaches adopted. Advertising in the financial, as well as the business section of the newspaper and magazines, has raised awareness of the company amongst stakeholders, investors who wish to invest in the company. Moreover, publishing the company financial performance in the commercial paper allowed the company to embrace its success to the shareholder, management, suppliers, and customers(Aaker Biel, 2013). Promotional marketing tools Promotional marketing is a vital component and essential part of marketing that needs to be embraced by the organizational management while they perform their job functions. Cakes are the most loved foodstuff that most love eating, they are avoidable and having relevant nutrition content that contributes to the health of a person(Ahmed, 2002). Cakes need the company to primarily strategies and implement on essential marketing strategies that will ensure that the products produce are distributed to the market in good time, cake products are considered perishable, the company management needs to ensure that such products are distributed to the market before the specified time(Churchill Iacobucci, 2006). Polar Puff Ltd Company development and the economic growth were steered by the essential promotional tools that were implemented by the company management(Jefkins, 2016). Realizing the best technique and tools of the promotional market allows the company to increase in sale volume as well as getting long term based clients(Wilson, Zeithaml, Bitner, Grem, 2012). Contacting of local Businesses Improvement of Polar Puff Ltd Company in terms of production and sales performance is determined by the how the company contacted the local business enterprises, wholesale and retail business organizations should be considered important by the company in order to increase in their sale volume(Austin Pinkleton, 2015). Polar Puff Ltd Company produces large volume of cakes, embracing on the supply chain management and relevant channels enhance that the company is on the move towards achieving its strategic goals and objectives. The company needs to make profit by considering the relevance of wholesalers and retailers(Wilcox Reber, 2016). Retails allows the company to increase in profit making by purchasing more products from the company, retailers give the company to realize the interest of consumer based on the produced products(Jefkins, 2016). The company has extent their promotional technique by contacting the local market planners; this will allow the company sale more products. Build an Email List Polar Puff Ltd Company needs have implemented on the essential promotional tools, the company has increased its profitability making because of the development of relevant strategies that enhance marketing goals are achieve. Creating an email list is seen to contribute minimal benefits to the company but it provides a broad success to the company, the company management ensured that they have all contact list of customers; by creating email list, the company is able to promote and communicate new products to the customers(Daymon Holloway, 2010). The company marketing department has embraced in creating the email portals that will be used by the customers to access the company products. Develop a Website Many consumers get to know more about the company and its products, Polar Puff Ltd Company use website as a promotional tool, website allows the company to post new products that need to be known by the consumers(Lu, Ba, Huang, Feng, 2013). The company attained it success of improving the designs and test of cakes produce since consumer give their comment regarding the products(Percy Rosenbaum-Elliott, 2016). As the company anticipates to get positive attributes from the consumers, the company intends to improve in products designs and test as well as focusing on adding contents that contribute to healthy life. Polar Puff Ltd Company applied the use of website as their promotional tools since it is cheaper and it creates customer awareness. Public Relations Tools The public relation tools that are executed by the management specifically promote the success of Polar Puff Ltd Company, several promotional tools are tied to public relation and they play primary role in achieving the strategic goals(Pike, 2015). The company management invested in developing public relation strategies such as newsletters, press conferences, and press releases. The public relation tools that are implemented by the company executives were redirected to proactively promote existing cakes and newly launch products, as the country media industry was growing, the company also was using the opportunities to attained its goals and objectives(Potter, 2012). Public relation allowed the company to equally adapt with each stakeholder in the market, these aspects encourage the company to measure its marketing performance against the performance standards. Apparently, the success of the company was built by making decisions that are based on the public opinions. Magazines Magazines are the primary aspects of promotional tools that are used by the company while marketing their products. The olive magazine is an example of the official magazine that was developed and published by the company, the main purpose of the magazine was to provide exceptional recipe procedure that could be used while baking cakes(KotleR, Burton, Armstrong, 2015). The use of magazines by the company was seen to be fruitful since it targeted specific customers; the company used professional images and noble to persuade their customers. Newspapers Newspapers are also the primary marketing tools that are used by the organizations while performing their marketing business operation. In public relation newspaper are used to market company products with the purpose of reaching out to many customers. Company administration makes a decisive approach to ensuring that they invest in newspaper advertising, the use of newspapers in marketing allows the company to reach more client at the same time promoting ist reputation in public. The use of newspapers will allow the company to provide clear descriptions of the products as well as the geographic location of the company. Communication Communication is a complex and fundamental factor of marketing process in an organization. Communication refers to the exchange of information from one person to another. Company management plays a crucial role while implementing marketing strategies by communication the general objectives of marketing, communication in marketing also can be explained to the all the messages and the media strategies the company deploys to communicate about the marketing plan. Polar Puff Ltd Company has embraced in taking the advantage of communication in marketing. Communication in the enterprise is considered to be a pertinent factor that allowed the company to achieve its objective within a prescribed period. Communication marketing is an element of the public relation activities that includes product reposition, branding and sales presentations. Blogging Blogging is another low-cost promotional technique used by the company. According to the study, Polar Puff Ltd Company is comprehended to be posting new and relevant blogs that relate to the products produced. The company management invested on the promotional technique since it allowed the company to increase it sells volume(Babin Zikmund, 2015). Blog posting allows the company to provide testimonial, special offers as well as the cakes portfolios. Traditional marketing Polar Puff Ltd Company success is derived by flashbacking to the inception period. Traditional media describes the success of the company since it was focus toward reaching out to many customers, the traditional promotional remained to be the prominent aspect of marketing approach that was utilized by company while they accomplish the company goal and objectives. After the company was formed(Daymon Holloway, 2010)it realized the importance of using messages, presenting products through televisions, radio stations, newspapers, and magazines. Consequently, the company utilizes the use of billboards directories, aerial as well as point of purchase display, during the execution of the marketing. Non-traditional marketing Marketing operation of a company involves what the company is to offer to the customers. Non-traditional marketing strategies rely on the new unconventional marketing approaches. According to the Polar Puff Ltd Company, any marketing strategy that falls out of the traditional is considered non-tradition. The primary purpose of non-traditional marketing is to create striking marketing experiences that attract the interest of the customers through the creativity. Street Marketing Polar Puff Ltd Company placed huge cake sculptures of products on city streets; this approach was intended to persuade consumers about the products produces by the company. The intention of street marketing was to create awareness to the customers about the existing products of the company. Stealth Marketing Polar Puff Ltd Company used the stealth marketing approach as the non-traditional marketing approach. The stealth marketing refers to the construction of cake like structures around the city. The company painted young women holding cakes in both hands, the cakes represented the existing products of the company, while the woman represented customers who intends to purchase the company products. Events Events are the described to be the non-traditional marketing strategies implemented by the company. According to the study, the company uses various events to market it products, events marketing is embrace as sponsoring several activities using the company name and facilities. Recommendation and conclusion Recommendation Polar Puff Ltd Company involves the production of cakes, the company growth and development was determined by the implementation of the essential strategies. Cakes require the company management to ensure that they implement on the vital approaches that will encourage the accomplishment of goal and objectives. Yellow Pages Yellow pages is could be used as the alternative advertising approach. Polar Puff Ltd Company is encouraged to utilize the importance of yellow pages, it should allow the customer to take advantage of the directory telephone that will redirect them toward getting what they needs regarding the company production process as well as the products produced. Posters and bulletin boards Poster and bulletin can also be the best marketing model that can be used by the company while striving towards achieving it goals and objectives. Polar Puff Ltd Company is recommended to instrument on the essential strategies such as using the poster and bulletins, the use of bulletins and posters allows the customer of the company to view the new products produce, the company should use bulletin to reach out customer by explaining to the about price changes and new cake products and designs. The company is recommended to utilize the use to licensed municipalities; the company should invest in poster by ensuring that they pay the required taxes in order to be given permission to installed posters in different sections of the cities around Singapore and other regions in the market. Annual reports During the annual reporting, Polar Puff Ltd Company is required to ensure that it provides an over view of the produced product, the company management should ensure they decisively play their role by information the stakeholders about the new products, improvement of the existing products amongst other primary aspects. Conclusion In conclusion the paper has explained on the key concept and aspects of marketing. Marketing is explained to be the strategic approach that is used by the company management while they promote and communicate their products to the customer. Adverting is higlited by the paper as the primary element of marketing that is mostly by the selected company, its id defined to be an audio or the visual form of marketing communication, which employs on openly sponsored, non-personal message to promote and sell product. The models of advertising comprise the financial advertising, developing email list, developing a websites that will hold the essence of the opinion driven from different stakeholders. Promotional marketing tool is also considered to the foundation of effective marketing plan, organization that uses promotional marketing plan are comprehended to accomplish their marketing objectives within a normal and a specifies time. The Promotional tools are presented by the paper to be playing a vital role while implementing the marketing plan and related strategies. The Public Relation is explained by the paper as the fundamental element of the marketing operation, it forms the basis of the company success. It comprises the use of PR tools such as magazines, posting of blogs and using of traditional Medias; the decision that are made by the management based on the public relation represents the interest of every stakeholder in the organization. The recommendation provided by the paper should be well embrace by the management in order to achieve the strategic goal and objectives. References Aaker, D. A., Biel, A. (2013). Brand equity advertising: advertising's role in building strong brands. Psychology Press. Ahmed, P. K. (2002). Internal marketing: Tools and concepts for customer-focused management. Routledge. Austin, W. E., Pinkleton, B. E. (2015). Strategic Public Relations Management: Planning and Managing Effective Communication Campaigns . Routledge. Babin, B. J., Zikmund, W. G. (2015). Essentials of marketing research. Nelson Education. Churchill, G. A., Iacobucci, D. (2006). Marketing research: methodological foundations. New York: Dryden Press. Daymon, C., Holloway. (2010). Qualitative research methods in public relations and marketing communications. Routledge. Jefkins, F. (2016). Public Relations: Made Simple. Elsevier. Kemp, G. (2016). Public relations in marketing. The practice of public relations. KotleR, P., Burton, S., Armstrong, G. (2015). Marketing. Pearson Higher Education AU. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G. (2010). Principles of marketing. pearson education. Lau, H. (2015). A responsive framework for optimal advertising policy in the digital music market. In International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Applications, ICIEA 2015. Lu, X., Ba, S., Huang, L., Feng, Y. (2013). Promotional marketing or word-of-mouth? Evidence from online restaurant reviews. Information Systems Research, (Vol. 3). McAlister, L., Srinivasan, R. (2016). Advertising Effectiveness: The Moderating Effect of Firm Strategy. Journal of Marketing Research,, 53(2), 207-224. Mueller, B. (2014). International advertising. Percy, L., Rosenbaum-Elliott, R. (2016). Strategic advertising management. Oxford University Press. Pieters, R., Elsen, M., Wedel, M. (2016). Thin slice impressions: How advertising evaluation depends on exposure duration. Journal of Marketing Research. Pike, S. (2015). Destination marketing. Routledge. Potter, N. (2012). The library marketing toolkit. Facet Publishing. Wilcox, D. L., Reber, B. H. (2016). Public relations writing and media techniques. Pearson. Wilson, A., Zeithaml, A. V., Bitner, M. J., Grem. (2012). Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm. McGraw Hill.

English essay The decline of the west Essay Example

English essay The decline of the west Essay West Sometimes In your life you have times, where everything do not makes sense for you. We all have bad days, button still need to find a meaning of your life. It Is Important to find yourself and live life as it is. There are also declines In the real world, for example the decline In the West. The short story The Decline of the West Is a good example of this, because the theme Is about these kinds of problems. The text Is written by Hanoi Kurdish, and the short story was published in 2010 in a collection of Hanoi Surprises stories. Mike is the main character in the short story The Decline of the West. Mike is 45 years old. He has a wife whose name is Imagine. Mike looses his job, because he gets fired and after that he thinks a life is difficult and he cant see positive things in his life. Mike is also under pressure, because the short story takes place in the middle of the financial crisis. Mike seems to be a little bit weak. Mike at forty-five, had no idea what he would do. First he had to lose everything. (Page 4 1. 1. 73-74). We will write a custom essay sample on English essay The decline of the west specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on English essay The decline of the west specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on English essay The decline of the west specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This quote shows us that Mike seems to be weak after he loses his Job. Mike Is also a little bit an egoist after he loses his Job. He does not care about what his family tries to say to him. Just call me the Delivery man. Thats my name. But even you might have noticed theres a financial crash taking place. (Page 5 1. 1. 147-148). Mikes wife, Imagine, tries to talk with Mike about the problems, but Mike does not want to talk with his wife. He does not want to tell her wife what was happened at his work, and it shows that Mike is a egoist. He does not care about anything. The point of view in the short story (The Decline of the West) is a limited point of view from Mikes site. We know that, because the narrator follows the main character Mike in the whole story. We are as readers able to understand (a little bit) what Mike is thinking about. I have a quote, which shows us that the point of view in the short story is a limited point of view in third person. He switched on the garden lights and, looking out at the new deck where last summer theyd held barbecues, thought, l paid for this with y time, Intelligence, and the education the state provided me with. (Page 2. L. L. 18-20). The quote shows us that it Is a Limited point of view. The narrator knows a little bit about Mike, and sometimes we are In his thoughts, but the point of view Is not an omniscient point of view, because the narrator is not omniscient about Mike. The limited point of view makes the short story more open. It gives the effect that we sometimes need to think about what the short s tory is about. We do not hear what the author thinks and it makes the short story more clear. The setting in the short story The Decline of the West is described a bit negative. In any case if we look at the relationship in Mikes family. In the beginning the setting is good. Mike is looking forward to seeing his family again. Mike had endured, and hed been looking forward to opening the door into the warm hall, hearing the voices of his wife and children. (Page 2 1. 1. 1-3). The quote shows that the setting is quite good In the beginning of the short story. The story takes place In London In the comfortable outskirts. Mikes family has a big house with five floors and off-street parking, which Is overlooking a green. In that way the setting Is also good and the environments are very well But teen setting changes quickly. MIKe loses Nils JODI Ana rater Tanat teen setting is bad. Mike cant see positive things in his life anymore, and he only thinks about himself. Family life could appear chaotic, but theirs was finely organized, with every hour accounted for. (Page 4 1. 1. 77-78). Leave me alone! Dont ever talk to me again! Buck off, evil old man, Just die! Eve been wanting to do this all day! These quotes show us (the fact) that there is a rough atmosphere in the family. The setting is described in a negatively way in the most of short story. The title is called The Decline of the West, because we can compare the short story to the decline in the West. There was a big decline in the West in the middle of the sass. Sometime in the mid-sass debt stopped being shameful and after 1989, there appeared to be general agreement: capitalism was flourishing and there was no finer and more pleasant way to live but under it, singing and spending. (Page 4 1. 1. 83-85). The quote describes a little bit the decline in the West in the middle of the sass. It is a little bit the same in this short story, but this is a personality decline. It is a decline in Mikes life, because he gets fired, and he cant see positive things in his life. How easy it was to fall, and how tempting it was suddenly would be best to die! (Page 4 1. 1. 100-101). The quote says something about the situation in Mikes life. The quote shows us that Mike cant see positive things in his life and that is why, we can say the act that there is a personality decline in the short story. dubbed!

soft drink industry essays

soft drink industry essays When there is industry there is competition. The bigger the player, the harder they can play. The big players always try to consume many of the small competitors. When they do this they can expand their market share. A perfect example of this is the soft drink industry; Pepsi and Coke have always been archrivals. They are always trying to gain market share, by absorbing many smaller beverage companies to appeal to the public. This paper will discuss the history between these two industry giants and how they financially stand at this point, plus how supply and demand effects this industry. Coca Cola was invented by an Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886. His bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, named the product after two ingredients, coca leaves and Kola Nuts. By 1895 the product was available in all 50 states. By 1916 the Company was sold twice, had over 1000 bottlers, and was publicly traded (Dow Jones, Coke). During World War II, the president of Coke Woodruff said, "every soldier will have access to a 5 cent bottle of coke"(Dow Jones, Coke). The company received government aid to build 64 overseas bottling plants during that time. This is how Coke began its ties with many foreign markets. Caleb Bradham, a Pharmacist from North Carolina, invented Pepsi. He Called it Pepsi Cola because, he claimed it cured Dyspepsia or more commonly known as indigestion. He registered the trademark in 1903. Pepsi tried to follow the same root as Coke by signing up bottlers, by 1923 Pepsi was on its last leg until Loft Candy Company bought it in 1931. It increased its bottle size but kept its 5-cent price. In 1939 it introduced its first radio jingle (Dow Jones, Pepsi). Pepsi had a rough start compared to Coke, and always tried to rise out of the shadow of this industry giant. "According to Coca-Cola Company, the two most famous expressions in the world are ok and Coca-Cola" (Dow Jones, Coke). The world's largest soft drink Company, Coke has...

Food Safety and Sanitation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Food Safety and Sanitation - Assignment Example Boxes with watermarks may signify that the food item has bees let to partially thaw in the course of transit. It is advisable at all times to open at least one box per shipment and test out the core food item temperature with a thermometer that provides instant results. Again, it is extremely vital to always confirm the net weights of the food items, and in case of any uncertainties, it is advisable to ask guidance from the quality assurance board. In order to ensure that your employee is consistent with these guidelines, it would be best if he trained practically. This is to mean that he/she accompanies you severally for him to observe the entire process. It is also vital for him to take down the necessary details, for instance, the appropriate temperatures for each item in case he happens to forget them. A number of factors characterize rejection of shipment, for instance, if the dates on the item are not suitable for your food service establishment if the qualities of the products are not up to standard. When receiving food items such as fish, one only ought to smell the sea and not the product. Another factor is if the temperatures of the products do not meet shipping specification and if the net weight does not match one’s order. Another important aspect is if the animal products lack inspection stamps that indicate that they have been inspected by a legal medical officer. Lack of this stamp is a serious issue since one cannot determine whether the product is fit for consumption. Identify the different types of storage found in a food service establishment. What are some examples of each and what food items would you store in each? In addition, what are the proper temperatures that are needed in each in order to be in line with standard storage guidelines?

Managing Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Organizations - Essay Example Modern people differ much from the people of the previous century in terms of their goals, methods of their reaching, communication, ambitions, etc. Managing people now is not an easy task thus it needs new approaches. Thus, managers of the modern companies are looking for the new ways of employee motivation. Freedom for action is an essential factor to consider. Actually, when we hear about the organization, where employees make decisions themselves, we usually can’t believe that, because a great number of successful companies are hierarchical bureaucracies (Microsoft, Apple etc.). It seems impossible also for many managers to provide staff with opportunities to set the goals for the company instead of them and to realize these goals without being controlled and thoroughly supervised. Also we all know the conclusion made by Max Weber: bureaucratic organizations are the most successful players on the stage of the market economy. However, modern experts admit that Weber’ s conclusion can’t be considered fully grounded as the famous sociologist may not know some important facts on bureaucracies. Modern investigations show that workplace stress prevents people from high performance. Working in the conditions of hierarchical bureaucracy, people are able to realize only 60% of their potential. Thus, it is essential to look for alternatives. Moreover, as it was mentioned above, modern people often refuse to work in the atmosphere of dictate, when they should only fulfill somebody’s orders and do not have an opportunity to express their own opinion. Such working conditions prevent people from the realization of their creative potential and it is obvious that such realization would contribute to company’s success. New ways of managing people should be found by modern supervisors. Recent studies held showed that there are some companies who successfully practice freedom of employees’ action. Their success is built on the principl es of liberating leadership listed below. Liberating leader is a one who: listens to employees’ propositions instead of imposing his own views; openly shares his views on successful organizational performance in order not to make employees confused; does not motivate employees to give them an opportunity to motivate themselves; plays the role of â€Å"culture-keeper†. Actually, the behavior of workers in the organization is determined by the number of factors, external and internal. These factors contribute to organization performance in freedom action conditions. Among the internal factors is first of all trust in leadership. Leadership plays an essential role in any type of organization, no matter if it is freedom company or hierarchical bureaucracy. Workers of any organization usually tend to mirror the work of leadership and the supervision should be implemented in the way so that employees may feel its support but not a dictate. The second important internal facto r is organizational culture. The atmosphere in the company should be friendly and positive, work schedule should be flexible. The external factors also mean much, for example, it is interesting to cooperate and communicate with another companies in the market. â€Å"Research findings show that collaboration with other firms and with customers can be a significant source of product

Discuss the importance of the Sahara and the Indian Ocean in ancient Essay - 2

Discuss the importance of the Sahara and the Indian Ocean in ancient African history - Essay Example Sahara region connected people from eastern, southern, central, north and some parts of western Africa. Among the countries that were touched are Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Congo, Egypt, and Nigeria among others. These countries contributed different commodities for trade according to their daily activities. For example, the southern Sahara region was a famous area in production of minerals, Egypt was well known for production of sorghum and Nigeria provided yams to the trading interaction (Giblin 10-13). These areas that were well known in production of agricultural products were part of the great hinterland that was served by the Indian Ocean. The areas were, therefore, linked to the outside world by the Indian Ocean that opened trade with Arabs and other people in the world. However, the trading interactions were not involving Africans and Arabs but Africans contributed a lot to the trade among themselves. The trading activities in that area involved exchange through barter trade of commodities that included foodstuffs and minerals as per different needs of different people in those regions. This is an evaluation of the activities that prevailed in the ancient Africa involving the Sahara Region and the Indian Ocean to inform the importance of these two features of African geography. The influence it brought to the people that lived in those areas as well as the benefits they reaped from these interactions discussed. There are things that informed the interactions between the people in these parts of Africa and were aimed at benefiting the people that engaged in them. For example, noting that most of the Sahara region is characterized by unreliable precipitation, there was serious need to get ways to acquire food that was not sufficient in those areas. For Egypt, sorghum was produced only after major floods that used to come in rare occasions. In other places, growing

Change is inevitable

Change is inevitable Question Provide a critical analysis of an organisational change which you have directly experienced. You may select one element or aspect of the change for a particular discussion. You will be expected to use the main concepts of the relevant parts of the literature on managing change, to diagnose, account for, and explain the change. Consider what lessons can be learnt from that initiative on the strengths and weaknesses of programmatic approaches to change. Introduction Everyone says change is difficult. It is difficult to conceive because one must inevitably deal with people issues and uncertain future. The more so to implement because consequences can be difficult to predict, harder to track and therefore can create a dynamic all of their own. Is this really so? Is it not true that we are living in an era though which dramatic changes of productivity, technology, brand, image and reputation are common place? Thus reaffirming the words of Heraclitus the Greek philosopher who said â€Å"Change is the only constant thing in life† Change is inevitable but often its easier said than implemented because every change faces resistance in some form and carries with it certain consequences. A classic example would be my experience working in MARG Ltd, one of Indias biggest infrastructure company today. I was given the role of a â€Å"Business Analyst† in 2007 immediately after I graduated engineering. It was my first job, my first real life bu siness experience. I was a part of the company for 2 years. The following parts of my essay consist of all the changes the organization went through in the areas of structure, culture and technology. However considering the requirements of the essay a detailed analysis is written on structural change which is an internal change model. The first part identifies the problem due to monumental growth of the organization in terms of financial support received and the subsequent increase in huge human capital required to carry out the projects. The second part consists of the literature review pertaining to the structural change the organization witnessed followed by a brief critical analysis of the entire scenario. The conclusion consists of the mistakes made and lessons learnt followed by a personal reflection on the dynamics of change management. In April 2007 MARG Ltd consisted of 400 employees. By October 2007, the organization grew to 3250 employees with multiple branches exploding in 7 different cities throughout India. That is nearly 9 times its growth in human capital. This happened due to an investment of USD 12.6 million received from deutsche bank for a total land asset of 12400 acres including 2 potential Special Economic Zones and a port infrastructure development. Being a company with only 2 verticals namely Real Estate Residential and Real Estate Commercial, it diversified into 6 verticals consisting of (a) Real Estate Residential, (b) Real Estate Commercial, (c) Port Development, (d) Industrial Clusters, (e) Special Economic Zones and (f) Power generation with about 500 employees in each vertical. Now each vertical had more employees than the entire company had in April. The earlier organizational structure was a traditional functional structure. This structure can be illustrated by the companys activities group ed into departments such as personnel, Marketing, Finance, Sales, Legal and Civil Operations. All the functional departments excluding finance which had a CFO as its business head had 1 CEO reporting directly to the Chairman, 2 Vice presidents (1 for Real Estate residential and 1 for Real estate commercial) reporting to the CEO and the rest of the team reporting to the VPs. This was a simple structure which had its advantages during that phase of the organization. A complete coordination was achieved as the entire operations of the company were achieved through the CEO overseen by the chairman. This structure allowed for the development of employee expertise in all areas, it provided career paths for professional staff involved and finally there was an effective utilization of personnel across various departments (Carnall, C. 1990). However this structure created pressure on the organization for its further growth in the aspect of geographical dispersion, project diversification and increase in human capital. Hence there was a structural change needed in the form of a matrix structure. The chairman decided on this structure as it offered equal importance on the market and the functional focus to the organizational work. Also most academics have believed that such structure is favourable for large construction, aerospace and computer software companies (Hardy, C. 1994). This favours organization which deals with more than one complex project and where there is a need to coordinate and develop project and various specialist activities. As the demand for various specialist inputs is variable over the completion time lines of the project, this structural change seemed to be the best possible solution which not only promoted the effective deployment on a project when needed but also offered the adaptability over time so that resources can be easily switched between projects. The advantages of a structural change of this nature were (a) it identified the project man agement structures, (b) provided accountability for the project, (c) allowed development of cohesive and effective teams of specialists working towards the objectives of a key project, (d) provided for the professional and career development of specialist staff, (e) and most importantly they provided for the flexible use of specialist staff (Carnall, C. 1990). However every choice carries with it certain consequences and uncertainties. The consequences on the negative side which were later realized was that there was difficulty of handling such a matrix structure in terms of reconciling the need for flexibility with the need for project coordination and control. Now this reconciliation required good working relationships between project and functional management which did not exist. This is because about 90% of the employees were fresh entrants. They did not know the people they were working with. Most of them were fresh graduates and never had any previous work experience in infrastructure. Some of the experienced employees who joined recently were not from the industry. Also the biggest issue was that the employees who have been present since the start of the organization felt threatened with the implementation of the new structure as this does not give them the accessibility they had before with their Chairman. The people who had report ed to their respective bosses had now had to report to somebody else. For example the CEOs had to report to the newly appointed Executive Directors, Vice presidents had to report to business heads who in turn had to report to the CEOs. The entire working relationships and comfort zones of various employees were disrupted by the new structural change. Though people understood the need for such a change and that it was required for the benefit of the organization considering its monumental growth, people feared the loss of power and control thus giving rise to insecurities and conflicts. Based on the literature review the 3 main problems identified in the organization with such a structural change were the struggle between; Centralization vs. Decentralization: Being a company with functional structure, the process was a centralized one where the coordination was more straightforward with decisions being made by the chairman at clearly recognized points within the organizational structure. Also the senior management were in a comfortable position with established policies that they are used for many years. It suited the chairman for he had control over all the day to day activities, most decision making and a convenient resource allocation. In this model the centralization of power and control of procedures was focused on the chairman ( Brooke, T. 1987). But however in order to go to the next level of growth and meet the market demand, it was necessary for the organization to be decentralized. With 6 verticals and a man power of 3250 this seemed to be the sensible choice. With as many as 27 projects spread over 6 verticals, delegation was the key factor in meeting objectives. Delegation can reduce the am ount of stress and overload experienced by the senior management. When senior management is overloaded, the exercise of control is diminished. With delegation it was possible for the senior management and the chairman to move away from day to day activities and focus on long term planning and creating a vision. Also it helps the bottom line management in providing opportunities to make decisions and attain personal satisfaction by matching their personal goals with that of the organization. It assists the management development in widening the on job skills of managers and prepares number of people who are capable of undertaking senior positions in the future. It also provides flexibility, with the establishment of sub units it helps in improved controls and performance measurements and accountability can be identified (Bartlett, C. 1991). Control vs. Commitment: This aspect is important for the overall effectiveness of the organization. MARG had a control model where work was divided into specialized tasks. Performance expectations were defined as ‘standards that define the minimum acceptable performance. No attempt was made to establish maximum or potential performance. With the matrix structure, it was necessary to bring the commitment model. But that meant changing the attitude and expectations of the employees. In this model, job profiles were redesigned to be broader and teams rather than individuals and the each business unit was held accountable for performance. This also involved that people rely on shared goals for coordination; influence was based on expertise and information and not on position anymore. Performance expectations were set relatively high. Continuous improvement was expected and monitored. At the same time lot of motivational programs were incorporated as a part of the business managemen t. The organizational structure was designed to be flatter to enhance performance and commitment (Walton. 1987). This gave birth to reward policies, open door policies and performance management systems. This also seemed to enhance employee management relations. Change vs. Stability: Its a common notion that in a changing world every organization must change to survive and prosper. However while this happens its also mandatory to deploy people to produce goods and services to the market as usual, even if we are demanding extra effort from them as they experience change. This is where it is essential that a balance is maintained between change and stability (Chandler. 1962). This often refers to the transition phase between when the change is implemented and the consequences arrive. The transition phase is normally uncertain in a number of areas. Every employee might react differently to changes. The response is not the same always. MARG experienced similar difficulties. Even though awareness for change was established and people understood the need for change, the existing employees couldnt handle a shift in their normal routine and they had give up on their control and power. To bring about a structural change and yet retain the harmony and employee satisfaction seemed to be a challenge for the company. Even though the problem was identified and the corrective measures were taken to overcome them. There was a hurdle in problem solving and it was the blocks in the minds of the employees. These can be categorized as follows; (a) Perceptual Blocks: This involves the employees stereotyping. They saw what they expected to see. They only saw the new structural change as a threat and not as an opportunity to increase their performance or making use of the opportunities to go up the corporate ladder. There were tendencies to delimit the problem area too closely thus defining it narrowly. Thus they never faced the real problem which was their motivation and commitment. Also there were difficulties in using all the sensory inputs (Adams. 1987). The employees felt that they were overloaded with information on changing structures and the reason for it. With fresh job descriptions and new recruitment there were lot of things happening in the organization and the employees couldnt use all the information for their benefit. (b) Emotional Blocks: This involves fear of taking risk, incapacity to tolerate ambiguity and employees preference to judging rather than generating ideas (Olsen. 1986). The existing employees were afraid to take risks and execute the expected tasks for they feared redundancy and felt insecure that if they failed somebody else in the company would take their place and felt loss of appreciation also as a possible outcome. The matrix structure was put in place quickly and it carried with it certain complexities. The available data was overloading and employees felt it was misleading, full of opinions and had different values. In trying to analyze the available data, they missed out on promising opportunities and self development. Finally they were constantly judging the ideas and solutions put forward by the new members and the new bosses. This lead to early rejection of ideas in their minds resulting in organizational objectives not being met. (c) Cognitive Blocks: This aspect doesnt deal with the employees but is associated with the inadequacies of the management. This comprises of incorrect use of language, inflexible use of strategies and lack of correct information (Janis. 1989). Since the top management were from different backgrounds and industries they were using incorrect languages which portrayed a completely different picture for an infrastructure company. Most senior professional come from a comfortable and set environment which had established process, systems and protocols. Also most of them come from traditional companies. Hence there tendencies to stick to what they know and were stuck with their earlier methodologies. This did not suit the current of MARG as it was still in its transition phase and in early phase of establishing fresh policies and process. In spite of the challenges faced, continued focus resulted in establishing a firm matrix structure with all the employees aligned to the objectives of the organization. There were numerous mistakes made but it also lessons were learnt. This section outlines all the mistakes made, the lessons learnt and finally identifies a change model MARG followed in academic language. The time gap between which the change was planned and executed was very quick. Though its understandable that it was need within a quick span of time it shook the organization by its roots with resistance from all sides. One of the major mistakes was that the chairman being used to getting himself involved in the day to day activities continued to do that even with the new matrix structure and this resulted in the displeasure of CEOs, Executive directors and VPs. This affected their decision making as they would have to wait for the chairman to make every decision. Employees developed their own negative perceptions o f structural change and criticized every plan and ideas without thinking about its benefits. MARG followed a clinical approach earlier where the set limited employees and the comfortable environment made it efficient for success through a psychological contract between the employees and the chairman (Bell. 1995). Employees security was established through personal relationships. However with the new structure it was necessary to adopt a linear approach. In this approach change was implemented as a linear process where the managers were expected to identify organizational adaptations ahead and the new systems developed would propel the organization towards static equilibrium thus resulting in stability (Stacey. 1996). The problems as mentioned earlier were solved in 3 stages. First step was unfreezing. Creating awareness among employees for the need of change and the benefits it would bring not only to the organization but also to the employees. Then comes the step moving. Here new i deas are tested and existing process is revamped. This is followed by refreezing where new behaviours, skills and attitudes are stabilized and commitment to change is achieved (Lewin. 1997). The last step was done in 4 stages. First was the conceptualizing process then the motivation process, the commitment process and finally the implementation and evaluation phase (Kotter. 1988). As a result the organization was able to produce the following after a series of trial and error method; (a) established a sense of urgency for change. (b) Created a guiding coalition. (c) Developed a vision and strategy. (d) Communicated the changed vision. (e) Empowered employees for broad based action. (f) Generated short term wins. (g) Anchored new changes in future (Kotter 1996). All this was possible by working through the blocks and with a series of trial and error method the expected result was obtained. Though the price for such a change was key employees and CEOs resigning, with the objectives b eing met it was a lesson learnt for future transformational change. In the current market scenario it is mandatory for such rapid and monumental changes to handle the increasing demand. As Argryis (2004) said â€Å"If the rate of change outside the organization is faster than the rate of change inside, the end result is nigh†. Hence such rapid monumental changes are needed and every change will always carry with it certain uncertainties and challenges. But thats the only way for organizational development. Bibliography Adams, J.L. (1987) Conceptual Blockbusting, pp 18 pp 43, Penguin Publications Argryis, C. (2004) Double Loop learning and organizational change, pp 104, Wiley Publications Bartlett, C.A. (1989) The critical path to change, pp 57 pp 79, Prentice Hall Publications Burnes, B (2004) Managing Change, pp 61 pp190, Prentice Hall Publications Carnall, C. (1990) Managing Change in Organizations, pp 14 18, pp 120 -pp 142, Prentice Hall Publications Chandler, A. (1962). Strategy and Structure, pp 97 180, MIT Publications Dawson, P. (2003) Organizational Change, pp 43- pp 54, Routledge Publications French, W.L (1995) Organizational Development, pp 55 pp 90, Prentice Hall Publications Hardy, C (1994) Managing Strategic Action, pp 290 pp 320, Sage Publications Janis, I.L. (1989), Dynamics of Change management, pp 119 -pp 123, Mc Graw Hill Publications Kotter, J.P (1996) Leading Change, pp 55 64, Harvard Business School Press Lewin, K. (1997) The cognitive and behavioural elements of organizational change, pp 210 pp 241, Sage Publications Stacey, R (1996) strategic Management and Organizational dynamics, pp 199 207, Prentice Hall Publications Olsen, S. (1986). Strategic Control and Organizational Design, pp 145 pp 151, Mc Graw Hill Publications Wilson, D.C. (1992) A strategy for change, pp 25 pp 90, Routledge Publications

Concert Life Essay -- essays research papers

We were the metal, Ericson stadium the magnet. With the burning heat reaching down to scold our pale defenceless faces we began walking impatiently at a pressing pace towards the stadium. The stadium projected a hum of activity and instrumental sound, which was deafening the ear, already! . We clutched our tickets tightly as though they contained the final ingredient to the cure of cancer.Rapidly consuming energy drinks which were to provide us with the weaponry energy to battle a physically and mentally tiring day of dancing and trancing to magical beats and vocals .We swarmed with countless other bees to the gate of the hive .The excitement at this point was unmeasurable, indescribable, undefinable .We entered mesmerised, it would have been mentally impossible to take in what surrounded me at once, frozen with shock my eyes flickerd as though malfunctioning, enjoying fragments of what there was to see. There were t shirt sales, pricing stands, EFTPOS machines , people , autograph signing booths , people , stages and people , tents and people , rides , skateboard ramps and more people. With no knowledge of direction I journeyed into close proximity of the main stage where Australian band 'Regurgatator' encouraged thousands of rocking heads. We ventured through the crowd to destination unknown with our path being dictated by others equally as lost.In time I gathered my senses and began to absorb the surroundings the best I could. I obtained the timetable of acts, which edu...