Essay about The Psychology of Social Media - 1716 Words

Living in the 21st century requires one to stay current with latest technological advancements. Ever since the development of social networking sites, people are now able to create a carefully-crafted identity for themselves. This has led psychologists to question how well these online personalities match the person in front of the computer. The innovative branch of media psychology looks into how social networking portrays individuals and initiates human interactions within a society. A basic question is how well are people able to get to know each other through social networking sites? In a research study, Psychster Inc. explored characteristics of profile pictures and their association with impression. Using a specially designed†¦show more content†¦Gosling polled the group using a standard Five Factor model personality test which measured extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to new experiences (Steele, Evans, Green, 2008). Then researchers rated the same subjects based solely on their Facebook profiles, which usually included pictures and lists of interests. The researchers found a correlation between assessments in four of the five categories. Gosling was not surprised that emotional stability was the only attribute showing no significant results across personal and online assessments because it is a quality that people are good at concealing across most media (Wilson, 2007). Although the â€Å"extroversion† category showed the highest correlation, research suggests that openness to new experience is perhaps exhibited better online than in person. Judith Donath, an associate professor at the Media Laboratory at MIT who reviewed Goslings research, divides the content of social networking sites into signals and unintended cues. According to Donath, Facebook users do not intend to share super personal information on their profiles. People who happen to share a personal status update might be perceived as over- sharing without meaning to (Wilson, 2007). According to psychologist John Suler and his idea of â€Å"The Online Disinhibition Effect†, some people, while online, self-disclose or act differently than they wouldShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Social Media On Psychology2508 Words   |  11 PagesIf Freud Had a Cell Phone: The Usefulness of Social Media in Psychology It’s two o’clock in the morning and the telephone rings, startling the psychologist. Groggily, she answers not knowing who is on the other end. As the doctor listens carefully to the voice on the phone, she realizes that it is one that is all too familiar. It’s one her patients. This patient has been dealing with some depression issues and is ready to do something drastic. The psychologist talks calmly with the patient for severalRead MoreSocial Media And Organizational Psychology At Harvard University1374 Words   |  6 Pagesof the group as well. In recent years, some research has been done on finding out just how much better is group work than solo work. The findings might come as a surprise to you. J. Richard Hackman, the Edgar Pierce Professor of Social Media and Organizational Psychology at Harvard University has ran a few experimental groups to find out the answer. Even though many people will say that group work will bring people together; factors such a s group thinking, opinion and larger groups can make for aRead MorePsychology and the Media Essay1735 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ The Image of Psychology through the Eyes of the Media Abstract Psychology can be presented by the media in forms such as magazine or newspaper articles, and the most popular today is through commercials watched on TV. Psychology is presented in a form of science today compared to what it was viewed as in the late 1800s and onto the 1900s. It is more of a science nature because viewers have to think about the meaning of the article or commercial to understand the message thatRead MoreSocial Psychology And Multiculturalism1644 Words   |  7 Pages Psychology has become an integrated part of our real life. Psychology affects life under different theories and identifications. For example, social psychology and multiculturalism work together to create the social change people aspire to. However, social psychology, according to Jahoda (2016), cannot explain the link between the social behavior and the social norms of the society and culture. Hence, social psychology could be a challenge when a person tries other cultures. Furthermore, there areRead MorePsychology Is Everywhere You Look957 Words   |  4 Pages Psychology is everywhere you look (Caldwell 2014). It can be found within TV shows, music, sports, and even society. The textbook, Exploring Psychology, begins to explore the social, cognitive, and emotional roots of prejudice within society (545). Prejudice has remained a huge obstacle throughout world history. With the recent murders of unarmed African American men, the aspect of police brutality begins to relate back to prejudice. According to Jesse Holland of the Associated Press, the recentRead MoreA Study on American Popular Culture892 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican Popular Culture Culture and Popular Culture Popular culture is consumed through interaction in the social media that includes television programs, movie theaters and virtual social networks. From the media, interests lie in the political developments and discussion concerning governance. These media satisfy appetite for political information while guiding an understanding on the national issues and choices made. Culture is the complex whole including customs, law, morals, belief,Read MoreSocial Psychology And Multiculturalism1714 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Psychology has become an integrated part of our real life. Psychology affects life under different theories and identifications. For example, social psychology and multiculturalism work together to create the social change people aspire to. However, social psychology, according to Jahoda (2016), cannot explain the link between the social behavior and the social norms of the society and culture. Hence, social psychology could be a challenge when a person tries other cultures. FurthermoreRead MorePsychology Is The Scientific Study Of The Mind And Behavior791 Words   |  4 Pagesinner most feelings. The field of psychology was created to understand human behavior to help make society a better place and people live much easier. Psychology is field with sub fields that differ but the underlining core values are the same. The path to becoming a psychologist is challenging and not easy but most people entering the field feel like it is their calling. I cannot pen point one exact language or a specif form of communication that makes the psychology field special because differentRead MoreNegative Effects Of Social Media1350 Words   |  6 Pagestoday’s society, social media is an important tool that many people use daily for various purposes. On social media, people share their opinions, events in their lives, and news. They also use social media as a tool for entertainment and as a way of keeping in touch with their friends. Because of its various uses, the use of social media increased very significantly over the years and it is no surprise that many scholars from different disciplines took an interest in the use of social media. These scholarsRead MorePrejudice And Stereotyping : A Social Psychological Perspective1160 Words   |  5 Pages Prejudice Stereotyping: A social psychological perspective The ability and desire to relate to someone or compete with others, is a fundamental norm and a common aspect in everyday life. The notion to discern ‘us’ from ‘them’ is a way we make inferences of the people we meet and engage with. These everyday inferences affect the way we think, use, and interpret information which guide us to behaviors and beliefs. We use prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination all too often and

Feminism And Radical Feminism - 1176 Words

Exam Question # 2 Radical Feminism is a form of feminism that emerged in the 1960s from the women’s movement. This form takes a more drastic approach to women’s empowerment and equality than the Liberal Feminism stance. Radical Feminism is defined as the belief that society is a patriarchal one controlled by men in all aspects of it. Women are oppressed not only socially and economically, but sexually and biologically. Radical Feminists are defined by key beliefs, such as subjugation maintained through violence and sexual slavery. Women are said to be tricked into sexual slavery through institutions such as marriage, and consequently lack control over their own bodies. Women are told to aspire to being a mother and wife above all else.†¦show more content†¦This form is especially influenced by the teachings of Karl Marx. For example, women are seen as a key component of the family in society, Marxists view this as a sign of oppression rooted in labor. Because w omen are expected to remain home and care for the family they are partaking in free domestic labor and receive no income from it. As a result, they are dependent on men financially and are viewed as a form of free labor who are exploited by men. Radical feminists would view this more as a tool for men to have access to sexual gratification and limit the freedom of women outside of the home. Marxist feminists point out the exploitation faced by women that relegate them to second class citizenship and financially dependent on men. They point out that women, especially women of color, are paid less for their work than their counterparts of a different sex and of white women in the workforce. They also argue that women are brainwashed and influenced to think housework is their most essential role and their treatment in the workplace promotes this ideal of domestic labor. While radical feminists believe in overthrowing the patriarchal society to secure women’s rights and equality , Marxists believe in overthrowing the capitalist system specifically. Women would have equal access to income and economic prosperity, and all duties such as domestic labor could be split equally among both sexes and exploitation would come to an end. OnlyShow MoreRelatedLiberal Feminism vs. Radical Feminism Essay1490 Words   |  6 PagesLiberal Feminism and Radical Feminism The goal of feminism as both a social movement and political movement is to make women and men equal not only culturally, but socially and legally. Even though there are various types of feminism that focus on different goals and issues, the ultimate end to feminism is abolishing gender inequality that has negative effects on women in our society. The issues and goals that a feminist may have are dependent on the social organization or the type of economicRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Liberal, Socialist, and Radical Feminism2052 Words   |  9 PagesComparing and Contrasting Liberal, Socialist, and Radical Feminism In today’s society it is nearly impossible to go a day without being subjected to some form of media that does not marginalize women. The media takes a myriad of forms that include but are not limited to televisions, phones, and the radio and it is no surprise that the media has a huge impact on society. Most of the time the media is heralded as a pivotal source of news and entertainment however, many look down on the media givingRead MoreRadical Feminism in Like Water for Chocolate Essay737 Words   |  3 PagesThere are many different definitions of feminism. Some people regard feminism as the idea that women deserve the same amount of respect that men deserve. There are the other schools of feminist thought that hold women superior to men. Yet another believes that the gender roles controlling women are artificially created and not innate knowledge, and thus men and women are equals with only history the determining factor and how gender equality is established. There are clear feminist overtones in LikeRead MoreRadical Feminism Versus Liberal Feminism1931 Words   |  8 Pagesextension of feminism into theoretical and philosophical discourse. They aim at understanding of the nature of gender inequality .They in turn examine women’s social roles and life experiences .While in general some provide a critique of social relationships .Most feminist theories also focus on analysing gender inequality and the promotion of women’s rights, interests and issues .Among such theories are the Liberal feminism and the Radical feminism theories. While Liberal and Radical feminism both seekRead MoreFeminism Types and Definitions Liberal1287 Words   |  6 PagesLogin Plans Pricing How It Works Courses Degrees Schools Careers | Register Search Courses Lessons Feminism Types and Definitions: Liberal, Socialist, Culture Radical / Sex and Gender in Society / Sociology 101: Intro to Sociology / Social Science / Courses Like? Feminism Types and Definitions: Liberal, Socialist, Culture Radical Video Quiz Congratulations! You ve reached the last video in the chapter. Transcript Start the Next Chapter Race and Ethnicity Definitions: SocialRead MoreFeminism And The Second Wave Of Feminism1351 Words   |  6 PagesAny given person can define feminism in a different way. Some view it as a women’s movement for women, by women and against men. It can also be hard to distinguish the different types of feminism when the more radical, outspoken people or organizations can overshadow the rest. In general, feminism is another way in which to view things, another lens in which to see the world. It is another platform for people to express themselves as whole individuals and become a voice for others that may otherwiseRead MoreFeminism And Gender And Ethnic Studies1172 Words   |  5 PagesMy Interpretation of Feminism Feminism has had a deep impact on me since I was infantile. Though she never mentioned it, my mother was an active feminist. I grew up playing with toys considered to belong to either sex. I was taught to be strong and to let my emotions out, and I was given freedom to make my own identity. This was my first experience of social feminism, followed years later by learning the definition of feminism and learning to also see discrimination politically and economicallyRead MoreFeminism : A Social, Economic, And Social Equality Of The Sexes1465 Words   |  6 PagesFeminism. This seemingly harmless word can ruin or heighten a person’s reputation, it can give someone new views on the world, it can destroy relationships, it can build new ones; this single word can change lives. Most people categorize â€Å"feminism† as a code for women that tells them to hate men, not shave, burn bras, be vegan, and if there is any time left over maybe, just maybe, to fight for women’s rights. Now, there are definitely feminists that fulfill this stereotype but the vast majority ofRead MoreFeminism Is A Political, Cultural, Or Economic Movement?1542 Words   |  7 PagesFeminism has been around since the early 1900s, but the longer it stays around the less needed it’s become (â€Å"History and Theory of Feminism†). 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Small Enterprise Performance

Question: Prepare a report mentioning the importance of developing business skills needed in reviewing and managing the performance of a small enterprise. Answer: Introduction In the modern era, there is a rapid expansion of several small-scale business enterprises. This is mainly due to their effective implementation of tools of strategic management. It can be deduced that several internal and external assessment tools are required to be implemented and monitored by the small-scale organizations in order to sustain in this competitive environment (Stokes Wilson, 2010). This assignment will highlight a critical evaluation of a small-scale business enterprise named as Quality Retailers Private limited. The organization is a retail organization and lacks knowledge of business skills and development. It can be also deduced that the learner as a business consultant will conduct an effective internal and external audit of the organization. Profile of the small scale organization and its strengths and weaknesses The organization Quality Retailers Private limited is a retail organization and mainly deals with clothing products and accessories. It can be also inferred that the organization lacks resources and it has quite a number of competitors in the particular locality. The place of the organization is United Kingdom and the city is Birmingham. The total number of employees of the organization is around 20. In the company hierarchy, the top-level position is the CEO of the company. The next comes the four managers that are, marketing, human resource, finance and operations. The remaining 15 employees are their sales executives. The mission, vision and goals of the organization are to make their future sustainable by increasing their sales volume and profit margin. In addition to this, the short-term objectives of the organization are to improve their resources in an effective manner. The long term objectives of the organization is to provide better customer service to their customers with their diverse range of products. There are quite a number of similar types of organizations, which are located nearby the place of the retail store. The internal audit of the given retail organization of Quality Retailers Private limited can be evaluated by the help of its SWOT analysis (Burns, 2010). Strengths- The major strength of the organization is its unique range of products with an effective pricing strategy. The organization Quality Retailers Private limited follows a low cost pricing strategy that has grasped the eyeballs of quite a number of customers. In addition to this, it can be also deduced that the core competency of the organization is its effective customer service. Being a small retail store, the organization has a few numbers of prospective customers. Nevertheless, with an effective customer service, the organization Quality Retailers Private limited has successfully turned their prospective customers to loyal base of customers. Weakness - The major weakness of the organization Quality Retailers Private limited is in terms of their amount of resources. Being a small-scale retail enterprise, the organization has a lower amount of financial, operational and marketing resources. In addition to this, it can be also deduced that the organization has an ineffective management who lacks planning and coordinating skills. Due to this reason, the organization is required to evaluate and implement all the given tools of strategic management within their system. Another major weakness of the organization is their lack of knowledge in the implementation of several management principles and tools within their system. The structure of the organization is very simple and there is no proper organizational culture within their system (Revell et al. 2010). The organization does not implement any kind of updated operational resources. The external audit or external factors of the organization Quality Retailers Private limited can be analyzed with the help of its existing opportunities and threats. Opportunities- Being a retail organization, Quality Retailers Private limited has a great opportunity to grow. This is mainly because; the demand for retail products is on the higher side. In addition to this, the product width of any retail organization is huge. For this reason, there are chances that the organization can expand its product width in an effective manner. Therefore, there is a huge scope for the organization to develop their business in the competitive market. Threats- Being a small-scale retail organization, the organization Quality Retailers Private limited faces a serious threat of sustainability issues. In addition to this, due to threat of competitors in the market, the sales of the organization may decline considerably. Another threat that the retail organization can face is in terms of modern form of technology. These are the major threats that the organization Quality Retailers Private limited can face in their internal environment (Ayanda and Laraba, 2011). Analysis of the given business with help of comparative measures of performance The performance of the small business organization Quality Retailers Private limited can be interpreted through several tools of performance measurement. Several performance measurement tools needs to be applied by the management of the organization to analyze and investigate its performance. These performance measurement tools can be in the form of balance scorecard, interpretation of financial statements, management by objectives and feedback from the prospective customers. The similar kind of business in the same area has a higher amount of sales and higher amount of human resources. The biggest competitor has sales figures of 10,000 pounds every month. On the other hand, the sales of the given organization are low as 5000 pounds average per month, in addition to lower amount of resources. It can be deduced that the organization Quality Retailers Private limited can use either of the given tools to analyze and measure its performance. If it is seen that the sales and profits of th e organization is not at par with the objectives designed by the management, then it can be deduced that the performance of the organization is not up to the mark. In addition to this, it can be also inferred that if the feedback of the prospective customers is up to the mark, then, the respective organization Quality Retailers Private limited has performed considerably well. However, it can be inferred that the sales and profits of the organization is not up to the mark due to lack of planning and availability of resources (Chaston and Mangles, 2002). In addition to this, the liquidity ratios and profitability ratios of the organization is on the lower side. This is due to lack of effective sales volume. The organization was able to sale only 10,000 units in the last quarter. The human resource efficiency of the organization is not up to the mark. This has resulted into lower production efficiency. Appropriate actions to nullify the weakness of the organization Several steps are required to be taken and implemented by the organization Quality Retailers Private limited. It can be inferred that the organization has to opt for several sources of short term and long-term sources of finance. With availability of sources of finance, the organization Quality Retailers Private limited can maximize its amount of operational and financial resources. In addition to this, the management of the organization is required to apply tools and techniques of planning and coordinating to evaluate their future prospective. In addition to this, it can be further inferred that these strategic management tools will help in the sustainability of the give retail organization. Quality Retailers Private limited is required to work on their respective strengths to develop a competitive advantage in a successful manner. This will further help the retail organization to overcome their weaknesses in terms of their present competitors. The weakness of the organization in te rms of their structure and culture can be overcome through proper knowledge management tools that are required to be implemented by the management of Quality Retailers Private limited. In addition to this, the top-level management has to use several communication and promotional tools to communicate and promote their products with the amount of resources they have (McAdam et al. 2010). Analysis of the process of maintaining and strengthening the existing performance It is of great essence for every business organization to analyze and maintain their existing performance in an effective manner. It can be deduced that there are several process of maintaining the existing performance of the organization Quality Retailers Private limited. This can be done with the help of performance measurement tools like balance scorecard. The retail organization needs to maintain its effective service quality and maintain it by taking feedback from the prospective customers. In addition to this, it can be also deduced that the organization can process the feedback through filling up of questionnaires of the customers who visit the store. The performance of Quality Retailers Private limited can be more strengthened through evaluation of effective source of funds. If the organization can procure source of funds, then it can be implement modern operational resources. These operational resources can be improved in the form of application of E-CRM, SAP and other forms of modern technologies. If the organization Quality Retailers Private limited can effectively implement these forms of technologies, then it can easily maintain and strengthen its existing performance in terms of effective customer service. In addition to this, the organization needs to maintain a proper balance scorecard to monitor its performances. These performances can be further strengthening through minimization of the different variances of the performance of the organization Quality Retailers Private limited. In addition to this, it is important for the organization to maintain their existing performance and develop their strengths in order to develop a competitive advantage in terms of its competitors. In this manner, Quality Retailers Private limited can maintain and improve their existing performance (Wiggins et al. 2010). New areas of business expansion of the small-scale organization There are several areas through which the given small-scale retail business organization can expand. Being a retail organization, there is wide scope of opportunity for the particular business to expand. This can be in the form of product expansion and strengthening of the given resources. At present, the organization only deals with clothing items. In future, the organization Quality Retailers Private limited can diversify its business activities into several food items and accessories. This is further help the organization to segment a wide variety of range of customers in all parts of market segments. In addition to this, the organization can also go online like other retail organizations in the current market scenario. This will further help the organization to compete with the big competitors in the retail market segment. However, it can be deduced that if the organization can effectively procure the total amount of resources in terms of sources of finance, then, they can easily make their future sustainable. In addition to this, it can be also deduced that the organization has to work on its strengths to make their future mission and goals. Due to this reason, it is important for the organization to overcome their near obstacles and think about their prospective future. The organization can also expand its branches to all parts of the city. However, it is important for the organization to set up their long term and short term business goals. The first and foremost step of the retail organization Quality Retailers Private limited to improve and increase their product width and product ranges. After this, the organization can increase and expand their store branches. In addition to this, the small-scale retail organization is required to cater and segment the online platform as well. This will help the organization Quality Retailers Private limited to position itself as a brand and target the potential retail customers of United Kingdom. In addition to this , the organization may also diversify in new markets. These may be in the form of electronic items. However, this can only happen in case if the organization can attain and breach its break-even point effectively. In this manner, the organization Quality Retailers Private limited can expand its operational activities of business (Kim and Park, 2006) Assessment on existing plans and objectives of the small-scale organization Being a small-scale retail organization, Quality Retailers Private limited does not have proper organizational structure. They also lack in terms of implementation of different management objectives and principles. However, one of the existing plans of the organization is to survive in terms of sustainability in the current competitive market. The organization has plans to achieve complete sustainability by providing effective customer service to the prospective and loyal customers to visit the stores on regular basis. On the contrary, the retail organization Quality Retailers Private limited lacks an effective long-term strategic planning process. In addition to this, one of the primary visions of the organization Quality Retailers Private limited is to maximize its sales and increase their resources. This can be done through the help of effective utilization of funds. However, the management of the organization Quality Retailers Private limited lacks skills of planning that will dr ive the organization to their potential success. Therefore, it is important for the small-scale retail organization to revise their existing plans in terms of the current needs and requirements of the respective markets (Burns, 2010). Figure 1: List of existing objectives of the organization Revision of plans to incorporate the given changes The retail organization Quality Retailers Private limited has to revise their existing plans in an effective manner that will help them to gain competitive advantage. At first, the organization is required to procure a sufficient amount of short term and long-term sources of finance. This will further help them to maximize their amount of financial and operational resources. In addition to this, the organization needs to take effective feedback from their customers in terms of improving quality of their products and services. Objectives Achieved or not To increase sales No To increase customer base No To increase total amount of resources Yes More effective customer service Yes To increase product width Yes Sales and customer base of the organization can be increased with more effective means of marketing and promotional tools. The organization needs to improve their customer base by catering different segments of products and depend upon word of mouth marketing. This will help the organization to increase sales by the next quarter. In addition to this, the organization Quality Retailers Private limited needs to hire more amounts of sales executives to promote their products on door-to-door basis (Race and Stewart, 2007). This is mainly because of the fact that the organization does not have many resources in order to promote their products on large-scale basis. Therefore, the organization is required to divide their objectives on short term and long-term basis. It is important for the organization to attain their short-term objectives at first and then opt for their long-term objectives. In addition to this, the organization needs to implement a functional organizational structure with in their system. In addition to this, it can be also deduced that the organization Quality Retailers Private limited is also required to make effective strategic plans in order to introduce new products as per the requirements of the existing customers. Apart from this, the organization Quality Retailers Private limited may implement a participative leadership style within their system to motivate the employees effectively. This will further guide the organization to resolve all their issues of sustainability and fewer amounts of sales. This will be further evaluated with the help of an effective action plan. Action plan for implementation for changes in the organization The action plan that can be formulated for the small-scale retail organization Quality Retailers Private limited is in terms of SMART objectives in an effective manner. The designed for the organization is extremely specific in nature. It is also measureable through effective feedback of the customers. In addition to this, it is also achievable and attainable for Quality Retailers Private limited in terms of management of service. Such kinds of objectives are also realistic for the given organization. The period for the designed objectives can be framed within the first two year of its implementation. The sales and customer base of the organization can be increased wit the help of the following action plan:- Activities 1-2 months 2-4 months 4-8 months 8-12 months 12-18 months 18-24 months Evaluation of objectives Allocation of resources Product expansion Promotion of products Strategic alignment of resources to increase sales and customer base Measuring and monitoring the objectives Table 1: Gantt chart for the proposed changes of Quality Retailers Private limited (Source: Created By Author) Impact of the Changes that are proposed to the small scale organization and their personnel There are several positive impacts for the organization Quality Retailers Private limited due to the proposed changes. First, the organization can manage and increase their operational, financial and marketing resources in an effective manner. Second, the organization can attain a degree of competitive advantage and core competency with respect to their competitors. This will further guide the small-scale retail organization Quality Retailers Private limited to direct them at a level of sustainability. In addition to this, the organization Quality Retailers Private limited can improve and increase their number of resources in terms of human resources. In addition to this, the employees of the organization will be highly motivated due to the impact of positive structure and culture of the organization. Apart from this, the organization can easily achieve economies of scale with the implementation of the given strategy. This will further assist them to achieve them to attain their goal s and objectives of the business. It can be further deduced that the sales and net profit of the organization will increase at an increasing rate (Zhang, 2012) Process of management of the changes There is several process of change management in case of every modern business organizations. In the given case, it can be further inferred that the small-scale retail organization Quality Retailers Private limited can implement Lewiss change management model. This mode has three stages. These are unfreezing, implement and re-freeze. In case of the given organization Quality Retailers Private limited, the management has to unfreeze all the existing business processes that are not at all suitable for them. Apart from this, the organization needs to implement all the respective changes that are required to be implemented in an effective manner. The process of implementation is of great essence for the given organization Quality Retailers Private limited. In the last stage, the organization has to make these changes permanent in their internal environment. These can be done with proper communication with all the internal and external stakeholders. The organization may use several effect ive communication and performance measurement tools to manage and implement these changes in an effective manner. In this manner, the organization can implement and manage the overall process of change management (Blackman, 2010).The organization must all also have a contingency plan if there are variances of results. Monitoring the improvement of the organizational changes The small-scale retail organization Quality Retailers Private limited needs to monitor their respective changes in an effective manner. In addition to this, it can be deduced that these changes can be monitored with the use of tools like management of objectives, balance scorecard, feedback of customers and figures of sales volume and profit margin. It can be also deduced that the management of the retail organization Quality Retailers Private limited can divide their objectives based on short term and long-term preference. If it is seen that the organization has achieved their short term objectives with an period of time, then it can be said that the organization Quality Retailers Private limited has achieved their desired objectives. In addition to this, it can be further deduced that the organization can take the feedback of their customers in terms of their achievement of their objectives. They also implement performance monitoring tools like balance score, which will help them t o compare with all the elements of performance in their internal and external business environment. This will further help the organization to overcome their challenges (Torri, 2012). Conclusion A small-scale retail organization like Quality Retailers Private limited faces many challenges in their internal and external work environment. This is mainly due to the efficiency of their management. This can be solved with effective utilization of different strategic management tools and techniques. 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Mitigating Climate Change Through Small-Scale Forestry in the USA: Opportunities and Challenges. Small-scale Forestry, 9(4), pp.445-462. Chaston, I. and Mangles, T. (2002). Small business marketing management. Basingstoke (Hampshire): Palgrave. Desai, V. (2009). Fundamentals of entrepreneurship and small business management. Mumbai [India]: Himalaya Pub. House. Fletcher, D. (2002). Understanding the small family business. London: Routledge. KIM, H. and PARK, D. (2006). Selecting High-Risk Micro-Scale Enterprises using a Qualitative Risk Assessment Method. Industrial Health, 44(1), pp.75-82. Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2006). Principles of marketing. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Lamb, C., Hair, J. and McDaniel, C. (2002). Marketing. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western. Race, D. and Stewart, H. (2007). Private native forestry in new landscapes: challenges and opportunities in New South Wales. Small-scale Forestry, 6(2), pp.189-203. Torri, M. (2012). The jamu system: linking small-scale enterprises, traditional knowledge and social empowerment?. IJESB, 15(4), p.488. Van Putten, I. and Jennings, S. (2010). Modeling Forest Owner Harvesting Behaviour and Future Intentions in Tasmania. Small-scale Forestry, 9(2), pp.175-193. Venn, T. and Calkin, D. (2008). Challenges of Socio-economically Evaluating Wildfire Management on Non-industrial Private and Public Forestland in the Western United States. Small-scale Forestry, 8(1), pp.43-61. Zhang, Y. (2012). Future computing, communication, control and management. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer

Virtual Team at Ta Stearns Essay Example

Virtual Team at Ta Stearns Essay Organizational Behavior| Virtual Team at TA Stearns| Case Incident Solution| | | Questions and Answers 1. Why is this group a team? This group is a team because they are engaged in a positive coordination and enduring their efforts which is resulting in greater performance. 2. Has anyone in this case acted unethically? The two employees Tom and CY violated their company’s trust. They did this by hiding their new technique of working which helps them save additional hours, and they preferred it using for their leisure. And the company is in impression that they are working complete working hours and justifying their money. In the other case they would’ve handled more work and gain more money and bring the benefit to the company at the same time 3. What if any characteristics of groupthink are manifested in the work team? Their high moral status was one of the factors that was resulting in groupthink. The group members think that they can cover up their new innovative strategy and assumed that it was ok to keep this hidden so that they can enjoy more free time. They coordinated their schedules on how to work on these issues, even tried to hide it from the group leader. 4. Has Dave been an effective team leader? Yes he was as he was very much watchful on his team and knew the members enough to judge that there is something unusual going on which he needed to sort out quickly. He even discussed his issues with Cy, which shows that he was a good leader. 5. What should Dave do now? Dave should make the upper management aware of what the virtual team is been going on. He could’ve introduced this strategy in a positive way to save time, and as an added skill of the virtual team. We will write a custom essay sample on Virtual Team at Ta Stearns specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Virtual Team at Ta Stearns specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Virtual Team at Ta Stearns specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Free Essays on The Explosive Child

Ross W. Greene defines an inflexible-explosive child as a child who is unable to â€Å"shift gears and think clearly in the midst of frustration†(Greene 1998). His book The Explosive Child is a book that gives many examples of many different children who in situations are IE. The book is a good tool for parents or people who work with children who need help when it comes to dealing with inflexible and explosive children. The examples he gives throughout the book are good when trying to see what will and what won’t work for the individual child. The idea of giving in to these IE children is not what Greene says in the book. I think that the main idea that Greene is going for is that as a parent you need to decide what to make the issue of, knowing that it might lead to a meltdown. As a therapist a diagnosis of and IE child might be difficult because the child might have a meltdown before they even get to the therapist’s office. The TAT is a test that might be helpful when diagnosing the child. Listening to the stories that they tell can give insight into what the child feels, and possibly to why they act in the way they do. The Explosive Child is a book that is good for parents, teachers and even therapists. It has good information, and explains how these difficult children can be dealt with. This book is good for anyone who works with children. It could be a good resource for parents as well. They need to know that their child isn’t the only one who is inflexible and explosive.... Free Essays on The Explosive Child Free Essays on The Explosive Child Ross W. Greene defines an inflexible-explosive child as a child who is unable to â€Å"shift gears and think clearly in the midst of frustration†(Greene 1998). His book The Explosive Child is a book that gives many examples of many different children who in situations are IE. The book is a good tool for parents or people who work with children who need help when it comes to dealing with inflexible and explosive children. The examples he gives throughout the book are good when trying to see what will and what won’t work for the individual child. The idea of giving in to these IE children is not what Greene says in the book. I think that the main idea that Greene is going for is that as a parent you need to decide what to make the issue of, knowing that it might lead to a meltdown. As a therapist a diagnosis of and IE child might be difficult because the child might have a meltdown before they even get to the therapist’s office. The TAT is a test that might be helpful when diagnosing the child. Listening to the stories that they tell can give insight into what the child feels, and possibly to why they act in the way they do. The Explosive Child is a book that is good for parents, teachers and even therapists. It has good information, and explains how these difficult children can be dealt with. This book is good for anyone who works with children. It could be a good resource for parents as well. They need to know that their child isn’t the only one who is inflexible and explosive....

Biography of George S. Patton, Famed American General

Biography of George S. Patton, Famed American General George S. Patton (November 11, 1885–December 21, 1945) was an American Army general noted for winning battles in World Wars I and II. He first came to attention as a commander fighting Pancho Villa in Mexico and helped revolutionize the use of tanks in warfare. Despite his many successes, his aggressive, colorful personal style and his temper often caused issues with his superiors. Fast Facts: George S. Patton Known For: Famed but controversial American combat generalAlso Known As: Old Blood and GutsBorn: Nov. 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, CaliforniaParents: George Smith Patton Sr., Ruth WilsonDied: Dec. 21, 1945 in Heidelberg, GermanyEducation: West PointSpouse: Beatrice AyerChildren: Beatrice Smith, Ruth Ellen, George Patton IVNotable Quote: Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. Early Life Born on November 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California, George Smith Patton, Jr. was the son of George S. Patton, Sr. and Ruth Patton. An avid student of military history, the young Patton was descended from American Revolution Brigadier General Hugh Mercer and several of his relatives fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. During his childhood, Patton met former Confederate raider and family friend John S. Mosby. The old veterans war stories helped fuel Pattons desire to become a soldier. Departing home, he enrolled at the Virginia Military Institute in 1903 before transferring to West Point the following year. Compelled to repeat his plebe year due to poor grades in mathematics, Patton reached the position of cadet adjutant before graduating in 1909. Assigned to the cavalry, Patton went on to compete in the modern pentathlon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. Finishing fifth overall, he returned to the United States and was posted to Fort Riley, Kansas. While there, he developed a new cavalry saber and training techniques. Assigned to the 8th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas, he took part in Brigadier General John J. Pershings Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa in 1916. World War I During the expedition, Patton led the U.S. Armys first armored attack when he assaulted an enemy position with three armored cars. In the fighting, key Villa henchman Julio Cardenas was killed- earning Patton some notoriety. With the U.S. entry into World War I in April 1917, Pershing had Patton promoted to captain and took the young officer to France. Desiring a combat command, Patton was posted to the new U.S. Tank Corps. Testing new tanks, he observed their use at the Battle of Cambrai late that year. Organizing the American tank school, he trained with Renault FT-17 tanks. Swiftly advancing through the ranks to colonel in the wartime army, Patton was given command of the 1st Provisional Tank Brigade (later the 304th Tank Brigade) in August 1918. Fighting as part of the 1st U.S. Army, he was wounded in the leg at the Battle of St. Mihiel that September. Recovering, he took part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Distinguished Service Medal, as well as a battlefield promotion to colonel. With the end of the war, he reverted to his peacetime rank of captain and was assigned to Washington, D.C. Interwar Years While in Washington, he encountered Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower. Becoming good friends, the two officers began developing new armored doctrines and devising improvements for tanks. Promoted to major in July 1920, Patton tirelessly worked as an advocate for the establishment of a permanent armored force. Moving through peacetime assignments, Patton led some of the troops that dispersed the Bonus Army in June 1932. Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1934 and colonel four years later, Patton was placed in command of Fort Myer in Virginia. A New War With the formation of the 2nd Armored Division in 1940, Patton was selected to lead its 2nd Armored Brigade. Promoted to brigadier general in October, he was given command of the division with the rank of major general in April 1941. In the U.S. Armys build-up prior to World War II, Patton took the division to the Desert Training Center in California. Given command of the I Armored Corps, Patton relentlessly trained his men in the desert through the summer of 1942. In this role, Patton led the Western Task Force during Operation Torch, which saw his men capture Casablanca, Morocco in November of that year. A Unique Style of Leadership Seeking to inspire his men, Patton developed a flashy image and routinely wore a highly polished helmet, cavalry pants and boots, and a pair of ivory-handled pistols. Traveling in a vehicle featuring oversize rank insignias and sirens, his speeches were frequently laced with profanity and espoused the utmost confidence in his men. While his behavior was popular with his troops, Patton was prone to indiscreet remarks which often stressed Eisenhower, who had become his superior in Europe, and caused tension among the Allies. While tolerated during the war, Pattons vocal nature ultimately led to his relief. North Africa and Sicily In the wake of the U.S. II Corps defeat at Kasserine Pass in February 1943, Eisenhower appointed Patton to rebuild the unit at the suggestion of Major General Omar Bradley. Assuming command with the rank of lieutenant general and retaining Bradley as his deputy, Patton diligently worked to restore discipline and fighting spirit to the II Corps. Taking part in the offensive against the Germans in Tunisia, the II Corps performed well. Recognizing Pattons achievement, Eisenhower pulled him to aid in planning the invasion of Sicily in April 1943. Moving forward in July 1943, Operation Husky saw Pattons Seventh U.S. Army land on Sicily along with General Sir Bernard Montgomerys Eighth British Army. Tasked with covering Montgomerys left flank as the Allies moved on Messina, Patton grew impatient as the advance bogged down. Taking the initiative, he sent troops north and captured Palermo before turning east to Messina. While the Allied campaign was successfully concluded in August, Patton damaged his reputation when he slapped Private Charles H. Kuhl at a field hospital. Having no patience for battle fatigue, Patton struck Kuhl and called him a coward. Western Europe Though tempted to send Patton home in disgrace, Eisenhower, after consultations with Chief of Staff General George Marshall, retained the wayward commander after a reprimand and apology to Kuhl. Knowing that the Germans feared Patton, Eisenhower brought him to England and assigned him to lead the First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG). A dummy command, FUSAG was part of Operation Fortitude which was intended to make the Germans think that the Allied landings in France would occur at Calais. Though unhappy with losing his combat command, Patton was effective in his new role. In the wake of the D-Day landings, Patton was returned to the front as the commander of the U.S. Third Army on August 1, 1944. Serving under his former deputy Bradley, Pattons men played a key role in exploiting the breakout from the Normandy beachhead. Surging into Brittany and then across northern France, the Third Army bypassed Paris, liberating large chunks of territory. Pattons rapid advance came to a halt on August 31 outside of Metz due to supply shortages. As Montgomerys efforts in support of Operation Market-Garden took priority, Pattons advance slowed to a crawl, leading to a protracted battle for Metz. Battle of the Bulge With the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge on December 16, Patton began shifting his advance toward the threatened parts of the Allied line. As a result, in perhaps his greatest achievement of the conflict, he was able to quickly turn the Third Army north and relieve the besieged 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne. With the German offensive contained and defeated, Patton advanced east through the Saarland and crossed the Rhine at Oppenheim on March 22, 1945. Charging through Germany, Pattons forces reached Pilsen, Czechoslovakia by the wars end on May 7/8. Postwar With the end of the war, Patton enjoyed a brief trip home to Los Angeles where he and Lieutenant General Jimmy Doolittle were honored with a parade. Assigned to be the military governor of Bavaria, Patton was irritated not to receive a combat command in the Pacific. Openly critical of Allied occupation policy and believing that the Soviets should be forced back to their borders, Patton was relieved by Eisenhower in November 1945 and assigned to the Fifteenth Army, which was tasked with writing the history of the war. Patton died on December 21, 1945, from injuries sustained in a car accident 12 days earlier.

Forensic psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Forensic psychology - Essay Example nding this early stress can be highly useful in providing insights into the treatment and pathophysiology of depression and other forms of abnormal psychology. According to Durand and Barlow (2005) psychosocial factors that affect the brain function and structure include social learning in both the conditioning and cognitive processes. These processes normally affect implicit memory as well as blind sight. This means that an individual may develop mental disorders due to the kind of psychosocial experiences that he has been through. What this means for future research is that researchers have to look into prior experiences that an individual has been through before making any diagnostic conclusions (Kaufman, et. al, 2000). Researchers have to put into considerations the differences in each case before making decisions. This might help in curbing he stigma associated with mental illness labeling. The categorical approach is based on the idea that an individual is or is not a member of a specific discrete grouping. This approach assumes that all levels of human behavior are divided into normal and pathological categories. It also assumes that these behavioral classes discrete, homogeneous and non-overlapping. In this approach, the diagnosis is normally a yes or no decision. The main advantage of this approach is its effectiveness in research and understanding. A disadvantage of this approach is its clear use of inclusion and exclusion standards. In this approach, a person either has a disorder or he does not (Brown and Barlow, 2005). The dimensional approach classifies an individual’s behavior according to specific dimensions. According to Krueger, Skodol and Livesley (2006), many professional working in the personality disorders field are increasingly turning to the dimensional approach in developing diagnostic schemes for mental disorders. One of the advantages of this approach is its effectiveness in predicting functional impairment as compared to other

Irish Immigrants and Scottish Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Irish Immigrants and Scottish Society - Essay Example The arrival of the large mass of Irish immigrants belonging to lower social classes and carrying no educational values, but only the desire to survive, made it difficult for both sides to coexist and found the basis of a new society. The immigrants brought with them the religious and ideological conflict between Catholics and Protestants and supplemented in this way a problem that haunted British history from early times. As Tom Devine discusses in his paper there is a major crisis that started with the first wave of immigrants who came from area belonging to what is nowadays the Republic of Ireland and who were mostly Catholics. In such conditions, generated by what should be interpreted as the fled from famine and not immigration per se, the identity of the Irish immigrants transformed itself in a very spectacular way. Their values that were founded on religious beliefs represented an impediment in the process of assimilation that was supposed to take place between the Scottish society and its values and the newly arrived. The differences between the Irish and the Scottish are not to be analyzed only in terms of religion, but also from a social perspective; the nineteenth century meant for Scotland industrialization, new means of work and production that were not present in the rural Ireland. Lack of systematization of work generated not only the difficulties related to food in Ireland, but it triggered problems such unemployment and lack of education and working skills. After the first wave of immigrants, in the years following 1800, the Irish who came to Scotland carried with them a different aspect of Irish identity and, as Tom Devine points out, the interaction with the Scots was starting to open new paths, and the relationship between the two waves of immigration unveiled the fact that there were significant differences of mentality between them and that in the first decades there has been an agrarian improvement in Ireland and that Protestants developed a different intellect and thus were able to cope better with the new social environment. Comparing the two movements, the first one, the Catholics, were driven to Scotland by famine, these people who formed in Ireland a crafting society changed their lives in a significant way, leaving behind their rural homelands and throwing them in the middle of a society that they could not cope with because they lacked industrial skills. However, their identity was not shattered immediately because of the pride they took as Catholics, without realizing that to be an Irish immigrant is not all about expressing a religious statement. The stubbornness and will to survive shaped both English and Irish identities and the experience generated even by these uneducated and ill people imposed new values in the British history. Nevertheless, their desire to permanently reinforce their beliefs and also to create the necessary institutions devoted to its practice helped them surpass their minimal organizational status and rise in time to that of the more evolved Scottish society. The Protestant Irish belonging to the second wave provided a change for the Scottish society and Irish

Vodafone Case Essay Example for Free

Vodafone Case Essay The UK mobile telecommunications market is one of the most competitive in the world and, as a consequence, customer attrition or ’churn’ is high. In 2005, as part of a strategy to build on its market leadership, Vodafone UK began the quest for a competitor intelligence tool that would help its sales advisors reduce customer attrition and secure new sales. Vodafone wanted a service that would deliver timely, accurate information on the tariffs, deals and handsets being offered by its competitors to the employees that need it most the customer facing staff. After a rigorous analysis of competitor intelligence offerings from over a dozen providers, Vodafone UK selected CInergy’s Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢. The service delivers same day market tracking and analysis of key competitor information from other mobile operators, major retailers and mobile virtual network operators. Quarter by quarter reduction in churn Measurable improvements in conversion rates Integration with retention and sales strategy Easy deployment with minimal impact on IT/CRM systems Partnership approach to implementation and training The Challenge With thousands of tariff, handset and offer combinations available in the market, keeping contact centre advisors up to date can seem an impossible task. Vodafone UK recognised this challenge and identified that it required a competitor intelligence tool that would help it to retain existing contract customers, notably at time of contract renewal, and attract more new customers. The company had initially considered developing its own solution, but had soon found that this would have been excessively costly both in financial terms and in the amount of resource required and identified that this was not its core area of expertise. Vodafone UK also found that there was a dearth of competitor data that was comprehensive and accurate enough for advisors to rely on during high pressure customer negotiations. The company therefore sought a partner which understood the specific challenges of the mobile telecoms market and which could apply that expertise to the data it delivered. Business Objectives â€Å"This has been an excellent implementation for CInergy, and Vodafone’s innovation and dedication to the project has enabled it to achieve very good results from the CInergy AIâ„ ¢ system†. Brian Boroff, MD, CInergy International Vodafone UK’s brief was that it wanted to understand its competitive landscape more clearly, to enable it to respond swiftly and effectively to customer requests and to ensure that it had a clear picture of how its offers stacked up against the competition. Specifically, the company wanted this information to be available not just to the management and marketing functions, but directly to advisors in its contact centres who deal with customers day to day. The company also wanted a system that would not have major implications for its IT platforms and which could be integrated into the existing desktops used by contact centre advisors, complete with Vodafone corporate branding. Finally, Vodafone UK needed an exp ert in the field that could provide end to end support from designing the service, through to delivery, advisor training and rollout across the organisation. The Solution: CInergy AIâ„ ¢ CInergy had already developed its Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ (AIâ„ ¢) competitor intelligence platform for the mobile telecoms market at the time that Vodafone issued its RFP in 2005. By designing an appropriate interface and tailoring specific service modules to meet Vodafone’s needs, CInergy was able to meet the criteria detailed in the RFP and to deliver a fully working system in a very short timeframe. After a successful trial, the service was rolled out to the majority of Vodafone’s contact centre community around the UK during 2006. Key features of Vodafone UK’s implementation of CInergy’s AIâ„ ¢ include: Comprehensive tariff and promotion monitoring Handset / device tracking with up to date pricing from all major competitors On demand, side by side comparisons of different deals, tariffs and handset options Expert analysis and scripted points that enable Vodafone sales advisors to demonstrate ’why we’re better’ Fully branded interface to match Vodafone  UK’s Intranet Reliable, accurate data analysed by teams with mobile telecoms knowledge A hosted, secure platform Delivering Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ Vodafone and CInergy worked closely together to ensure that Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ would deliver optimum benefits in terms of improved customer retention and sales. This partnership approach has enabled Vodafone to achieve a swift return on its investment. The company has found that its levels of churn have decreased as more sales advisors become familiar with the system and are able to integrate the CInergy AIâ„ ¢ functionality and information into their acquisition and retention processes. CInergy supported Vodafone in the development and delivery of induction training on Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ for all contact centre advisors with access to the system. Now that the system is in use, short refresher sessions delivered in the weekly advisor meetings ensure that all advisors are kept up to date as new features are introduced. Since CInergy AIâ„ ¢ was launched in 2006, CInergy has worked with Vodafone to implement two major upgrades to the system, as well as providing regular enhancements to the interfaces, functionality and database content based on feedback from the advisors who use CInergy AIâ„ ¢every day. â€Å"Since we’ve started using the system, it has contributed to a fall in our churn rates quarter by quarter, ensuring we remain highly competitive in the UK market†. John Coulstock, Senior Manager, Vodafone UK The Results As John Coulstock, a senior manager at Vodafone, explains, â€Å"We launched Accelerated Intelligence in Q3 2006 and it is currently in use by a large number of our contact centre advisors. Since we’ve started using the system, it has contributed to a fall in our churn rates quarter by quarter, ensuring we remain highly competitive in the UK market. We’ve found that the more our agents use the system, the more sales they are able to close. The CInergy  AIâ„ ¢ application has become an integral part of our customer retention and sales strategy.† Vodafone has now renewed its contract with CInergy for an extended term. CInergy’s AIâ„ ¢ service has delivered a range of benefits to Vodafone including: A contribution to a reduction in contract churn since its launch in Q3 2006 Improvement in the rate of saves in consumer and enterprise customer bases Reduction in call handling time Increased ability to set deals in a market context leading to better acquisition performance Improvements in operational efficiency by eliminating onerous, manual data collection Improved reporting, trend prediction, forecasting and analysis Clear understanding of competitor offerings to improve key pricing messages in advertising, dealer negotiations and channel marketing CInergy AIâ„ ¢ Content Modules CInergys AIâ„ ¢ is a powerful platform which is modular to suit the needs of todays mobile operators: Tariff and price tracking Detailed handset and device information Channel specific deals and advertising Source: Vodafone KPIs, December 2007 CInergy’s Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ has contributed to a 18.6% reduction in churn since its launch in Q3 2006. As Brian Boroff, MD of CInergy concluded, â€Å"This has been an excellent implementation for CInergy, and Vodafone’s innovation and dedication to the project has enabled it to achieve very good results from the CInergy AIâ„ ¢ system.† Vodafone UK Contract Churn Within OneYear of CInegy Al Rollout About Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ CInergy’s Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢(AIâ„ ¢) puts competitive information into the hands of customer facing teams, enabling them to counter competitive offers and achieve higher retention and sales performance. The service enables service providers to significantly improve the number of sales they  close in a single call, helping to drive down the cost of customer acquisition and retention as well as improving revenues. Accelerated Intelligence is proven in the UK mobile telecom space having worked with four of the UK’s main network operators, delivering an average incremental customer save rate of 1.59% and reduction in call handling time of 22 seconds. CInergy International was set up in 2003 to deliver customer acquisition and retention solutions to providers of mobile and fixed telecom, broadband and digital television services. â„ ¢ About Vodafone UK Vodafone UK has 18.4 million customers and is part of the worlds largest mobile community offering a wide range of voice and data communications. The company is committed to providing mobile solutions that allow both consumer and business customers to make the most of now. Vodafone customers can now use Internet on your Mobile to view and navigate web pages and their favourite sites such as YouTube, eBay and the BBC. In addition, Vodafone connects customers across the globe with roaming agreements worldwide. It provides 3G roaming in 29 countries and offers great roaming value with Vodafone Passport.

Free Essay: Use of Symbols and Symbolism in Three Green Windows :: Three Green Windows

Use of Symbolism in Three Green Windows Superficially, Anne Sexton's poem Three Green Windows is an account of an old woman daydreaming an the verge of sleep. Upon looking deeper the reader realizes, through the use of general symbolism, the author portrayed the daydreams about a better life by a middle-aged woman, recalling the events of her past, and picturing what her future will be like. The order of the stanzas followed the order of present, past, then future. The organization made the shoreline of the woman falling asleep more realistic. At first, the woman described her present situation: falling asleep while realizing her life was wasting away: "I have forgotten that I grow middle-aged" (line 6). The narrator, (the old woman), then went on to describe the simile of how she felt she looked in her present aging state. "I see three wet gargoyles covered with birds" (lines 10). The "gargoyles" symbolize how the woman felt her looks resembled; the ugly gargoyle covered with birds somewhat represents the woman's feeling of ugly wrinkles and loss of beauty with age. The last line which mentioned the skins of the gargoyles, backs up these views about how the gargoyles covered with birds represents the woman's face growing ugly and wrinkled with her age, "Their skins shine in the sun like leather" (line 11). Throughout the first stanza the narrator began to notice things which reminded her of her past and future. The second stanza moves into the woman recalling her past. The stanza begins with the simile describing the woman to be "as light as a sponge" (line 12) symbolizing her small state as a child in her past. In lines 14&15; this symbolism was prevalent, as the woman described her mother: "She is my mother. She will tell me a story and keep me asleep." The childhood innocence which the woman seemed to remember also obviously symbolized through the objects which she discussed. "I see leaves- leaves that are washed and innocent, leaves that never knew a cellar, born in their own green blood like the hands of mermaids" (lines 17-21). The leaves seemed to symbolize her childhood innocence, and obviously they also showed how the innocence was lost with her growing older. The narrator's future was portrayed through the use of symbolism in the third stanza. The reader is able to gather a feeling of being in heaven.

Prison Gangs Essay

United States of America, what a beautiful place to live where great opportunities lie ahead of you and the American dream is right around the corner. Although United States of America is one of the most valued countries in the world with booming economy and intelligence, we face problems of our own such as homicides, terrorism, immigration, politics and etc. One of the biggest problems that we face today is prison gangs. It is very important to know and to learn about prison gangs because prison gangs will gain a stronger hold in communities if communities do not structure intervention to include more than law enforcement suppression. If that happens, street gangs may become better structured and drug gangs may become more powerful forces in the community (Fleisher & Decker, 2001). The purpose of this research paper is to knowledge the reader about the importance of prison gangs, overview of their organization & activities and finally contributes solutions to rising problem. We often question ourselves, what is a prison gang? And how do they differ from the street gangs? Lyman (1989) defines that, prison gang is an organization which operates within the prison system as a self-perpetuating criminally oriented entity, consisting of a select group of inmates who have established an organized chain of commands and are governed by an established code of conduct. Street level gangs honor and respect highly of the prison gang members and wishes to become a member of a prison gang one day. Prison gangs influences and carries a great power over the street level gangs. Prison gangs are also known as the â€Å"bad of the bad† to the street level gang members. The almighty, organized and professional prison gangs reign over the street gangs and on our society today and it is becoming a devastating problem. It has been estimated that, there are two million men and women serving prison terms in America (Fleisher & Decker, 2001). That is more than eighty percent of the population in city of Los Angeles. Criminologists argue that the criminals often do not have the power to control the destructive forces in their environment, which created their disabilities. Which defines that many criminals are victims of family abuse and neglect, school disciplinary practices that expelled them before they had sufficient education to pursue a career, and impoverished neighborhoods well outside the opportunity networks in the dominant community (Fleisher & Decker, 2001). It is depressing to admit the fact that the community and their families may have created these law breakers, but however, few members of the prisoners became high risk organizations in our society and has become one of the biggest problems today. Although the researchers have stated that â€Å"it was very difficult to obtain the data on the number of prison gangs and information about the prison gang,† through persistent and careful observation, a core-important information of the biggest prison gangs were able to be gathered. The prison inmates form groups and organizations based on their need for identity, belongings, personal interests and race. Fleisher and Decker (2001) stated that the first known American prison gang was the Gypsy Jokers formed in the 1950s in Washington state prisons and the first prison gang with nationwide ties was the Mexican Mafia in 1957. The Mexican Mafia prison gang started at the Deuel Vocational Center in Tracy, California and it was California’s first prison gang. The Mexican Mafia also known as the â€Å"La Eme,† was originally found by 13 inmates who were active Latino street gang members previously from different neighborhoods in the Los Angeles Area. The Mexican Mafia was born in order to protect themselves from other gang members, hostile inmates and prison staffs (Valdez, 2009). The Mexican Mafia gang eventually grew to be one of the biggest prison gang organization and focuses on criminal activities including drug trafficking and wars with other prison gangs. In order to become a member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, one must have a sponsoring member and undergo a blood oath to prove his loyalty to the gang. The members of the Mexican Mafia frequently had tattoos on their right hands with the word â€Å"Eme,† and an eagle holding a snake in its mouth, symbolizing their organization. The Aryan Brotherhood of the Texas was the white supremacist group in California. These prison gang members opposed racial threat of African Americans and Hispanic inmates and countered the organization and activities of the Black and Hispanic gangs. The Aryan Brotherhood simply neglected Black and Hispanic inmates, desired the power to rule the prison system and was involved in drug trafficking. In order to join the Aryan Brotherhood, one must commit â€Å"making one’s bones,† requiring taking a life of someone. The Aryan Brotherhood followed one simple rule, â€Å"Blood in, blood out,† defining that the only non-violent out of the organization is by natural death. The Aryan Brotherhood gang members often had tattoos of a cloverleaf, swastika, lightning bolts and/or the letters â€Å"AB† on their bodies. The Black Guerilla Family became one of the most politically charged revolutionary gangs in history. The Black Guerilla Family is an organized prison gang established by George Lester Jackson, a leader of Black Panther who united with the Black Liberation Army (BLA), Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), and the Weatherman Underground Organization to create a powerful organization of the history. The Black Guerilla were feared by many of the prison guards due to their demonic presence and continued to remain in control until today. Tattoos such as the â€Å"prison watchtower surrounded by a dragon with a quarter moon depicted in its body,† and â€Å"silhouette of a rifle with a sword lying over it to form an X,† symbolized The Black Guerilla Family. The famous, almighty and traditional Los Angeles street gangs, also known as the Crips and Bloods are also found in prison systems today. Valdez (2009) examines that the two gangs, Crips and Bloods may war with each other while on the street, but however, there seems to be a truce and alliance between these groups inside the prison system and the probable reason for that is for their protection from the existing prison gangs. As these members in prison joined together, they insured protection and guide amongst themselves. In West Coast prisons, the Crips formed the consolidated Crip organization and the Bloods found the United Blood nation (Valdez, 2009). As most of criminologists already know that the prison gangs dominate the drug business and drug trafficking, many researchers have argued that the most prison violence are due to the prison gangs. Motivated by a desire to make money and be at the top of an institution’s inmate power structure, prison gangs exploit the inherent weakness resulting from overcrowded, understaffed mega-prisons such as correctional staffer’s inability to watch these activities of the inmates every moment of each day, every moment of each hours to month after month (Fleisher & Decker, 2001). Although I have not mentioned many other prison gangs and organizations, prison gangs continue to increase in numbers and it is continuing to become a big problem in our society. After all, prisons are institutions supported by millions of taxes in order to rehabilitate these criminals into a better person and keep them out of trouble, but unfortunately, prison system is where many street gang members learn the secrets of becoming highly professional criminals. Fleisher and Decker (2001) states that collaboration between correctional agencies and university researchers is a key to creating strong solutions to the difficult, persistent problem posed by prison gangs. Further researches and studies in this subject are required and solution to the problem must be operationalized immediately to prevent prison gangs from gaining stronger hold in communities, become better structured, and become much more powerful forces in the community. As we all dream and hope to increase the quality of our lives, dangerous issues and problems must be solved in order to fully achieve peace in our communities.

Pandora Case Analysis Essay

Abstract Pandora provides personalized Internet radio stations to its customers. Pandora provides this customized radio free of charge to its users. In combination with other business models, Pandora has successfully implemented the freemium business model in which 99% of its users receive a free service and 1% of the users pay for premium services. This business model is not appropriate for every type of business but can be profitable for some types of businesses with a planned implementation process and a clear understanding of customer values. Analyzing the success of Pandora provides information on the necessary requirements in order for business to earn a profit using the freemium business model. Pandora Case Analysis Pandora offers an Internet radio service, which tailors the music played, based on user preference. Pandora began as a free service to its consumers, while they found a way to earn a profit. Pandora utilized several different business models before implementing the freemium model. The freemium business model provides free services to 99% of the customers and expects 1% of the customers to pay a fee for premium services (Laudon & Traver, 2011). This business model can be very effective and profitable for certain types of business when managed correctly. Analyzing Pandora’s successful use of the model provides insight on which conditions need to be present in order for the freemium business model to be effective and profitable. The freemium business model is appropriate to use when the product or service is widely available and there are low variable costs in providing the product or service to each customer. It is also important that the business takes into consideration the timing of implementation and understands their customer’s values. History of Pandora The foundation of Pandora began with the creation of the Music Genome Project in 2000 and the service officially launched in 2005 (Westegren, 2009). Pandora’s founder Tim Westegren set out to create an on-line radio  station that categorizes music based on 400 different attributes such as melody, rhythm, instrumentation and harmony (Westegren, 2009). In order to accomplish this task, Westegren hired musical analysts who listened to music and created a database which links songs together based on similarity of those attributes (Shelly, 2009). This database provides the foundation for users to log into Pandora and enter an artist or a song that they want to hear. The search is a â€Å"seed† and the database creates a station based on the features of the song entered on the search. The station contains artists and songs that are similar to the search, but does not actually play the exact song or artist entered (Shelly, 2009). Pandora is interactive as users provide feedb ack to the database by giving a song thumbs up, thumbs down, or skip the song entirely (Shelly, 2009). The more the user listens to Pandora, the better the system understands their preferences (Shelly, 2009). In other words, by frequently interacting with the database, users receive a more customized radio station. Pandora Business Models Pandora continues to explore different revenue building business models in order to maximize monetization. These models include monthly subscription fees, advertising, contracting with on-line retailers and the freemium business model. When Pandora launched in 2005, their first business model was to provide 10 hours of free music and then require users to pay a monthly fee of $36. Pandora found that users listened to their 10 hours of free music, but were not willing to pay the monthly subscription fee (Laudon & Traver, 2011). When this subscription model failed to produce a profit, Pandora modified the model and provided 40 hours of free music for a month and after those hours were used, customers could either pay $.99 per song, sign up for the premium service, or do neither of these and not hear any more music (Laudon & Traver, 2011). Even with this modification, Pandora struggled to earn a profit. Pandora continued to improve their business model by adding advertisements to the site and radio stations. At the time, Pandora had almost 100,000 users; so many companies were willing to pay for advertisements on the site (Laudon & Traver, 2011). While the advertisements helped Pandora financially, it was still not enough to make a profit. Pandora then started  contracting with Amazon and other on-line retailers and included an option for users to purchase songs. Users can click the â€Å"buy† button, which redirects them to the retailer’s website. Pandora receives a fee for providing business to the retailer (Laudon & Traver, 2011). In addition, Pandora began contracting with Apple allowing users to listen to music on their iPhones (Laudon & Traver, 2011). The current model of Pandora combines advertising, contracts with retailers and the freemium business model. It is common for established businesses to earn a smaller percentage of its revenue from the premium model (Hung, 2010); therefore combining multiple revenue models maximizes monetization. Pandora continues to earn revenue from businesses paying to advertise on the site and through contracts with Amazon and Apple when users purchase music. Pandora implemented the freemium model in which 99% of users receive the service free and 1% of users pay for additional services. Approximately 1% of Pandora users pay $36 per year for premium services, which includes no advertisements and higher quality content (Laudon & Traver, 2011). As Pandora is a popularly used site, that 1% amounts to approximately 500,000 customers paying $36 per year which equates to almost 17 million dollars in revenue. Business Requirements Pandora’s effective use of the freemium business model provides insight on which conditions need to be present in order for the freemium model to be successful including the type of business, timing of implementation, and understanding customer values. The freemium business model is not appropriate for all types of businesses. It is most effective when the business provides a product or service that is widely available, has a customer base of over one million, and the variable cost of providing the free product or service must be low or close to zero (Laudon, & Traver, 2011). Pandora meets both requirements of having a large customer base and low variable costs. Currently, Pandora has approximately 47 million users (Statista, 2012), which is a large audience and exceeds the preference of one million. The cost of Pandora providing the service to one person is close to the cost it takes to provide the service to 47 million people. The variable costs per user are relatively low, as the main cost come from  software to provide Internet radio and the database to create radio stations. Once the software and database are created, they can be used multiple times without adding additional costs. Timing of Implementation Businesses who meet the criteria of having a large enough customer base and low variable costs also need to consider the timing of implementing the freemium model. Customers become accustomed to receiving a free service and expect that services to remain free. Requiring customers to pay for the service may result in the customer no longer being interested in the service. Research shows that waiting at least a year after offering the free service and a month after growth of the free usage slows is the most effective time to move to a fee service (Pauwels & Weiss, 2008). The wait period allows the site to gain popularity and customers to realize the free service’s value (Pauwels & Weiss, 2008). When Pandora first became available, customers were not willing to pay the subscription fees, as they had not yet determined the value of the service. Users listened to their free music until it ran out, and then waited until the next month when the free service was available. As the website gained popularity and customers realized the value of having a personally tailored radio station, they became more willing to subscribe to premium services. Pandora successfully implemented the freemium model almost six years of offering the free service. Customer Values One of Pandora’s strengths is the perceived value of its service to customers. Research shows that the perceived value of free content versus fee content determines if users will choose to pay for the service (Pauwels & Weiss, 2008). Pandora strives to provide each individual user a radio station that only plays their favorite songs. Most businesses fail to customize their products to each individual customer, so Pandora brings a personalized service to the customer (Westegren, 2009). An added benefit to the fee content is no advertising. Most other streaming radio stations and traditional radio stations play many commercials, which can result in listeners changing the station. Pandora’s premium services provide commercial free, advertising free, personalized radio for only $36 per year.  The benefit of the fee content encourages some users to pay the annual subscription. Pandora also allows users to connect with and recommend stations to their friends. This connection with friends through social media can be just as effective as receiving a review from a professional critic (Shelly, 2009). Most people have similar tastes in music as their friends and value their opinions. The personalized customization, no advertising and connection with friends increases customer value resulting in subscribers who are willing to pay for the service. Conclusion Analyzing Pandora’s successful implementation of the freemium business model provides insight on how other businesses can also benefit from this model. The freemium business model is not appropriate for all types of businesses. Two criteria that businesses must have are a large customer base, preferably in the millions, as well as low variable costs of providing a free service to customers (Laudon, & Traver, 2011). Businesses that meet these criteria must also take into consideration the timing of implementing the model and understand customer values. Pandora currently has well over a million active users and relatively low variable costs in providing the service. Reviewing Pandora’s history shows that timing plays an important role. Customers were not willing to pay for the service until they understood the value of the service. Pandora is aware that customers value individual customization and sharing their music with their friends. By offering a service that creates individual radio stations based on the user’s preferences and allowing them to share that music with their friends, has resulted in users who are willing to pay for premium services. Businesses interested in implementing the freemium business model can benefit from analyzing Pandora’s success in the model. References Hung, J. (2010). Economic essentials of online publishing with associated trends and patterns. Publishing Research Quarterly, 26(2), 79-95. doi:10.1007/s12109-010-9158-3. Laudon, K. C., & Traver, C. G. (2011). E-commerce: business, technology, society (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Pauwels, K., & Weiss, A. (2008). Moving from free to fee: how online firms market to change their business model successfully. Journal of Marketing, 72(3), 14-31. doi:10.1509/jmkg.72.3.14 Shelley, A. (2009). Pandora. Notes, 66(1), 138-142. Statista. (2012). Pandora’s active users from 2009 to 2012 (in millions). Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statistics/190989/active-users-of-music-streaming-service-pandora-since-2009/. Westegren, T. (2009). Tailor your product to 1 million customers. (cover story). Financial Executive, 25(8), 38.

5 Answers to Questions About Direct Address

5 Answers to Questions About Direct Address 5 Answers to Questions About Direct Address 5 Answers to Questions About Direct Address By Mark Nichol 1. I want to tell athletes at my school, where the mascot is a wildcat, to be proud of their team’s accomplishment. Should I write, â€Å"Be proud Wildcats† or â€Å"Be proud, Wildcats†? I see things like this written all the time without a comma, but something tells me I should include one. You’re right. Both exhortations are correct, but if you write, â€Å"Be proud Wildcats,† you’re telling your readers to be proud Wildcats. â€Å"Be proud, Wildcats† is addressed directly to the athletes; you’re telling the Wildcats to be proud. It’s a subtle difference, but the version with the comma conveys the meaning you want. Also, when pondering whether to write something the way you see it all the time, consider the source: Direct address shows up a lot in informal, conversational (and frequently careless) writing such as email messages and written notes, but in published form, a comma generally (and correctly) separates the term of address from the statement. 2. One issue that comes up in my email communication is the situation in which I am addressing a known group of families, ladies, parents, or students. If I begin my email with â€Å"Hello, Ladies,† should â€Å"Ladies† be capitalized? According to The Gregg Reference Manual, in the salutation of a letter (or an email message) a form of direct address capitalize the first word and all nouns. 3. When should familial terms like mom be capitalized? Capitalize mom and related words when the term is a form of direct address substituting for a name: You’re asking, â€Å"Can I go see a movie, Mom?† just as you would ask, â€Å"Can I go see a movie, Jane?† When you speak of your mother to another person, substituting mom for her name, the word, for the same reason, is capitalized: Compare â€Å"I asked Mom if I could go see a movie† and â€Å"I asked Jane if I could go see a movie.† But if you precede mom with a pronoun, it is a generic noun, equivalent to a designation for any other person: â€Å"I asked my mom if I could go see a movie† is equivalent to â€Å"I asked my dentist if I could go see a movie.† 4. Why is the word miss not capitalized in your example â€Å"Please, miss, can you tell me the time?† The capitalization system for addressing people by a term other than a name is confusing. The first letters of words for job and familial titles are capitalized, but titles of respect like sir and miss, as well as terms of endearment (such as dear), are styled entirely in lowercase letters. 5. In â€Å"Your majesty, his imperial highness summons the prince to the Command Council Tent,† should I change his to His? Yes, but you shouldn’t uppercase only the first letter of his. Both â€Å"your majesty† and â€Å"his imperial highness† are used as titles; thus, all those words should be initially capitalized: â€Å"Your Majesty, His Imperial Highness summons the prince to the Command Council’s tent.† Technically, because â€Å"his imperial highness† is in the third person, it should not be initial-capped unless it precedes the person’s name, but such courtesies for monarchs are often excepted from this rule. (Also, if there is an official body called the Command Council, by all means capitalize its name. However, although you would capitalize room or chamber, for example, if there were a designated space for it to meet, because of a tent’s ephemeral nature, I don’t think tent merits the same treatment. Note that in the reference to the Command Council, I’ve made that body’s name possessive.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†People versus Persons10 Tips About How to Write a Caption

Definition of Barnburners and Hunkers

Definition of Barnburners and Hunkers The Barnburners and Hunkers were two factions that battled for dominance of the Democratic Party in New York State in the 1840s. The two groups might have been obscure footnotes to history  remembered mostly for their colorful nicknames, but dissension between the two groups played a major role in the presidential election of 1848. The issue underlying all the fracturing of the party was rooted, as were many political disputes of the day, in the growing national debate over slavery. In the early 1800s the issue of slavery was mainly kept submerged in the national political debate. For one eight-year stretch, southern legislators had even managed to suppress any talk of slavery in the U.S. House of Representatives by invoking the infamous gag rule. But as territory acquired as a result of the Mexican War came into the Union, heated debates over which states and territories might allow slavery became a major issue. The disputes playing out in the halls of Congress also traveled into states where slavery had been outlawed for decades, including New York. Background of the Barnburners The Barnburners were New York State Democrats who were opposed to slavery. They were considered the more progressive and radical wing of the party in the 1840s. The group had splintered off from the Democratic Party following the election of 1844, when its preferred candidate, Martin Van Buren, lost the nomination. The Democrats candidate in 1844 who offended the Barnburner faction was James K. Polk,  a dark horse candidate from Tennessee who owned slaves and advocated for territorial expansion. The Barnburners were anti-slavery and viewed territorial expansion as an opportunity for pro-slavery politicians to add more slave states to the Union. The nickname Barnburners was derived from an old story. According to a dictionary of slang terms published in 1859, the nickname came from a story about an old farmer who had a barn infested with rats. He was determined to burn down the entire barn to get rid of the rats. The implication was that the political Barnburners were obsessed with one issue (in this case slavery) to such an extent that theyd burn down a political party to get their way. The name apparently originated as an insult, but members of the faction seemed to take pride in it. Background of the Hunkers The Hunkers were the more traditional wing of the Democratic Party, which, in New York State, dated back to the political machine set up by Martin Van Buren in the 1820s. The nickname Hunkers, according to Bartletts Dictionary of Americanisms, indicated those who cling to the homestead, or old principles. According to some accounts, the word hunker was a combination of hunger and hanker, and indicated that the Hunkers were always set on attaining political office no matter the cost. That also aligns to some extent with the common belief that the Hunkers were the traditional Democrats who had supported the Spoils System of Andrew Jackson. Barnburners and Hunkers in the Election of 1848 The division over slavery in America had been largely settled by the Missouri Compromise in 1820. But when the United States acquired new territory following the Mexican War, the issue of whether new territories and states would allow slavery brought the controversy back to the forefront. At the time, abolitionists were still on the fringe of society. It wouldnt be until the early 1850s, when opposition to the Fugitive Slave Act and the publication of Uncle Toms Cabin made the abolitionist movement more acceptable. Yet some political figures were already firmly opposed to the spread of slavery, and were actively seeking to keep a balance between free and slave states. In New York States powerful Democratic Party, there was a division between those who wanted to stop the spread of slavery and those who were less concerned, regarding it as a distant issue. The anti-slavery faction, the Barnburners, broke from the party regulars, the Hunkers, before the election of 1848. And the Barnburners proposed their candidate, Martin Van Buren, a former president, run on the Free Soil Party ticket. In the election, the Democrats nominated Lewis Cass, a politically powerful figure from Michigan. He ran against the Whig candidate, Zachary Taylor, a hero of the recently concluded Mexican War. Van Buren, supported by the Barnburners, did not have much chance of regaining the presidency. But he took away enough votes from the Hunker candidate, Cass, to swing the election to the Whig, Taylor.