Corporate Social Responsibility in the C0-Operative Bank Essay

1. Introduction This report aims to review the corporate social responsibility (CSR) models which managers should consider important when deciding their CSR stance. The report will also review the corporative bank and their stakeholders regarding CSR. The report will then go on to analyse and evaluate the corporative bank’s CSR and ethical position. 2. Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a topic has received the attention of organisations and managers as a whole. The 1950s marked the start of the modern era of CSR for managers, where Howard R. Bowen (1953) defines social responsibilities in his publication as the businesses’ duty to make decision and follow principles that are acceptable to society. However, Milton Friedman (1970) argued that social responsibilities is for people not businesses, he claims that the only responsibility business managers should have is to use all their resources to maximise profit and increase shareholder’s wealth (Friedman, York Times Magazine, September 13, 1970, pp. 32-34). 2.1 Carroll’s CSR Models In 1979, Carroll developed a social responsibility model with a hierarchy of four responsibilities, starting from economic, moving to legal, ethical and discretionary responsibilities (see fig. 1.1). This CSR model talks about responsibilities which are the main areas that managers should consider when taking a stance on CSR. The summarised views of Carroll’s hierarchy are businesses should strike to make profit as their main priority, and then complies with the rules and regulations of the law; also behave ethically and finally be good corporate citizen (Carroll, 1979, p.500). The hierarchical four responsibility model was later improved by Carroll in 1991 as â€Å"pyramid of corporate social responsibility† (see Fig. 1.2). 2.2 Modern CSR Arguments As the definition of CSR developed and gain more attention over the years, more arguments over CSR began emerge. In reviewing CSR, both Goyder (2003) and Moore (2003) argued that firms claiming CSR in expectation of achieving greater profitability is unethical. Firms should take up CSR only if they can ensure positive impact on society and the environment. Even though Jones (2003) argued that managers must not use CSR as a business strategy but should see it as an ethical stance. However, he does not believe firms taking advantage of the opportunity to make profit is unethical. (Wan Saiful wan-Jan, 2006, pp.176-184) 2.3 Introduction of 3C-SR Model In order to counter the deficiencies of previous approaches, Meehan et al (2006) devised the 3C-SR model- â€Å"competitive advantage through â€Å"social resources†Ã¢â‚¬ . This model claims that Corporate Responsibility (CR) is a tool to making profit not ways of reducing revenue. This model is made up of three inter-related components, ethical and social commitment, connection with partners and consistency of behaviour. According to Meehan et al, if management encompasses all three elements it will build a strong corporate social performance and become a good corporate citizen. (Meehan et al, 2006). However, the models has not been based on observations and experiments, also there was no criticisms by other authors. It is subjective base and was not well supported. 3. The Co-operative Bank and Their Stakeholders The Co-operative bank is a part of the co-operative group, the largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom (UK). The bank offers a range of financial services such as saving accounts, current accounts loans and overdrafts. They are an organisation that makes profit consistently while operating in a socially and environmentally responsible manner by putting their ethics into action (www.co-operativebank.co.uk). The Co-operative Bank is sensitive to the needs of all their stakeholders (see fig 1.3). It aspires to meet common economic, social, environmental and cultural needs of their stakeholders. Stakeholder of a company is anyone who has can be affected or can affect the company’s actions or decisions. The co-operative bank acts quickly on relevant and important stakeholder concerns. Engagement with their stakeholders is an important continuous activity. The cooperative bank’s CSR stance of responsible finance which consists of ethical screening, financial inclusion and microfinance is important to each of their stakeholders. (Co-operative bank sustainability policy, 2010) 4. THE CO-OPERATIVE BANK’S CSR and ETHICAL STANCE ANALYSIS 4.1 Sethi’s Three-Stage Schema Sethi’s three-stage schema is useful in determining and analysing the Co-operative bank’s adjustments of their corporate behaviour to social needs. There are three categories of social commitments; social obligation, social responsibility and social responsiveness (Sethi 1975, pp. 58-64, cited Carroll, 1979). Social obligation refers to companies behaving in response to market forces or legal restrictions. Managers of such companies only limit their response to social issues which are guided by law and the economic system. Social responsibility is corporations acknowledging social values and expectations also the importance of ethics. Whilst social responsiveness states that it is important for firms to search for ways to be socially responsibly in the continuous changing society in the long run than how to react to social pressures (Sethi 1975, pp. 58-64). Co-operative bank is continuously searching for ways to be socially and ethically responsible to meet to match the dynamic social system. They are constantly coming up with ethical policies either to meet suppliers needs or customers needs. They plan to the most socially responsible business in the UK. The bank is also making profit maintaining their economic duty to be successful. (http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/our-plan/responsible-finance) 4.2 The 3C-SR Model Ethical and Social commitments: This element represents the values aspect of social resources. This component comprises of the promises that organisation made to their stakeholders, also the ethical standards set by them which are stated in their mission statement and goals. (Meehan et al, 2006). The Co-operative bank seeks to be the leading retail bank in global financial services industry. They have been operating with values that have been handed down by the founders which are social responsibility, openness and honesty. They aim; ââ€" ª To be profitable ââ€" ª To meet customers and community needs ââ€" ª To respond to members and give them a fair return ââ€" ª To be an ethical leader and exemplary employer in order to inspire others The Bank is very committed to delivering value to their stakeholders. In 1992 they launched their ethical policy when the customers requested that they would like their money to be invested ethically. The policy was formed to reflect customers’ ethical concern not that of the managers. The bank practice ethics in action by turning away businesses that are involve in unethical practices (fossil fuel extraction, child labour etc). The bank’s suppliers gets paid fair price and there is effective communication between them and the bank, which leads long term relationship. With the banks fantastic delivering value policy some customers and employees are yet to be satisfied. (The co-operative bank sustainability report) The Co-operative Asset Management (TCAM) ensures that there is gender balance within their banks employees and also there is no discrimination. In 2010, the bank extended this policy to other companies they do business with (The co-operative bank sustainability report, 2010, p112). Connections with partners in the value network Norman and Ramirez (1993, p69, cited Meehan et al) claims that a business network gets value from a value creating system in which all the stakeholders and the business itself work to together to create value. Meehan et al believe that if anyone of the parties fails to embrace the value network structure, then the socially oriented business model is bound to fail. If one organisation chooses to associate with another organisation, the nature of that relationship should be based on credibility on both parties, then the value structure works. In the other if on party fails to meet the commitment of the other then a stakeholder deficit will occur (see fig 1.4). The Co-operate bank ensures that their corporate customers share the same values with them as in gender equality and anti-discrimination through their TCAM. There is also their ethical screening which helps them maintain the ethical finance image. The ongoing employee, members and customers survey ensure that the connection between them and the bank is still there (The co-operative bank sustainability report). Consistency of behaviour The consistency element refers to organisations implementing their policy to conform to the commitments and maintain the performance in the long term. It is the behavioural component of the social resources over time and across all aspects of an organisations operation. The common source of criticism is when businesses claims to be socially responsible and fails to act responsibly towards society. (Meehan et al) The Co-operative bank’s ethical policies and social responsibilities have been improved to meets stakeholders needs and maintained over the years. The bank has been consistent with a satisfaction survey for their employees called â€Å"the Voice† carried out twice a year. They have also maintained their investments to their local communities and society at large over the years (The co-operative bank sustainability report). Ethical investment policy generated in 1992 is still an ongoing process for the bank (http://www.thenews.coop). In maintaining this policy, the bank is loose out on income resulting to a reduction in income for turning business away. 5. Conclusion This report has reviewed some of the different CSR theories and models that are important to managers when they are deciding on their CSR approaches. The report also reviewed how CSR has been evolving over the years with theories and models of different scholars. The co-operative bank engages their stakeholders in all their CSR approaches which help them to understand the stakeholders better. The bank understands the fact that a successful business occur only when all the stakeholders work together with mutual ethical values. Using the sethi’s three stage schema and the 3C-SR model to evaluate the Co-operative bank, it is quite clear that the bank is an ethically and socially responsible corporation. Even thought they are losing income and spending a lot to remain ethically and socially responsible they still insist on maintaining ethical policy. On the other hand the benefits of sustaining their ethical policy out weight the losses being made. The bank made a more profit in 2010 than 2009. The bank is not only using CSR as a business strategy but they are also being sensitive to all the needs of their stakeholders including positive impact the environment. REFERENCES Articles Carroll, A.B. (1979), â€Å"A Three-Dimensional Conceptual Model of Corporate Performance†, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 4, No.4, pp. 497-505 Bowen, H.R. (1953), Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, Harper, New York, NY. Carroll, A.B. (1991), The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: towards the moral the moral management of organizational stakeholders†, Business Horizons, July/August, pp. 39-40 Carroll, A.B. (1998), â€Å"The four Faces of Corporate Citizenship†, Business and society Review Vol.100 No.1, pp.1-7 Friedman, M., (1970) â€Å"The Social responsibility of business is to increase its profit†, York Times Magazine, September 13 1970, pp. 32-34). Meehan, J; Meehan, K; Richards, A. (2006), â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility: the 3C-SR model†, International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 33, pp.386 – 398 Sethi, S.P. ((1975), â€Å"Dimensions of corporate social responsibility†, California Management Review, Vol. 17, No.3, pp. 58-64 Wan Saiful Wan-Jan, (2006), â€Å"Defining Corporate Social responsibility†, Vol. 6, Issue 3-4, pp. 176-184

Contribute to the Support of the Positive Environments Essay

An positive enviroment has requirements.The early years foundation stage requires all prodivers to keep some written records e.x a recored of all medicines administered to children and a record of complaints received from parents and their outcomes.This is to keep the child safe and let the teachers know how to impove the enviroment.Most school are vist by Ofsted once a year to check if th are meeting the legal health and safet reuirements are in place.Ofsted national standarads included : – smoke alarms and emergency equipment available that is ready to use. – Tempreture at the right degrees -all areas well lit -Plugs covered. Mu 2.8 contribute to the support of the positive environments for children and young people 3.4 Quiet time gives the child time to decrease their stress levels and give them a chance to calm down.While physical Acitivities helps the child to strenght their mucles and heart.Its importance for the child to have a balance between these two so they will get both of the physical and mental effect of them.Rest and Quiet time focuses on the well being of the mental and emotion level. The child rests give them time to think and rest their mucles while Physical acitivities focuses on the physical as in streghting and weight of the child.It helps to develop the communication skills that helps the child with their future.It teachies the child how to work as an team and the importance of exercise.Rest and Quiet time gives the child the knowledge of how to calm themselfs down and in the right sense of how to let their emotions out.It helps them to control their breathing and thoughs. Mu 2.8 contribute to the support of the positive environments for children and young people 4.1 An balanced deit contains a balance of all five food groups: grains,vegetables,fruits,dairy and meats (ormeant alternatives).Child need an balance of food and nutrient to develop and grow.Child should have their 5 a day becuase they are a good souce of their vitamins and minerals.heir Fruit and vegtable helps them to say healthy and reduce the risk of heart disease,stroke and some cancers. An balance diet helps to develop the body and strenghts the body.The health eating programmed is about creating healthy and happy children and young people to help them to focus on learning.The foods we feed our child affects their weight,cholecterol levels,blood pressure,insulin regulation,brain function,emotional health and immune system.An commitment to a healthy life style is shown to bring many years of activity and enjoyment.

ECommerce application for Computer Hardware Sale Essay

ECommerce application for Computer Hardware Sale - Essay Example It likewise details what prior investigations have proven and how the current research relates or differs from past efforts. Unanticipated consequences may also be indicated by previous research, whose one's own investigation can investigate (Cooper, 1998, p. 3). To understand where ASP fits into the big picture of Web development, it is necessary to understand the concept of a server-side scripting language. The regular, non-ASP Web pages works when the Web browser on the client computer (the computer belonging to the user) makes a request for a page, say file.html. Assuming the requested file exists on the Web host computer where the Web Server software can find it, that software replies to the request by sending the file back to the browser. Any additional files (images, for example) required to display the page are requested and received in the same way. The protocol used for this exchange, and indeed for all communication between Web browsers and Web servers is called Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) (Liberty, Jesse. Hurwitz, Dan, 2005). This literature is important in the research since the details are able to present a scenario of how ASP is used. In addition to plain HTML code, small programs written in JavaScript can also be run by the web browser while the page is displayed in the browser. Therefore, the Web browser must understand not only how to read HTML and display text and images, but it must also be able to run JavaScript programs appearing inside Web pages. This arrangement, where the Web browser runs the script after receiving it from the Web server, is called client-side scripting (Edwards and Adams, 2006). The Web server is completely oblivious to whether the file it is sending contains a script or not; it is all up to the browser (the client) to handle execution of the script. ASP fits into a different category of technologies, called server-side scripting, where it is no longer the browser running on the client that is responsible for running the script. Instead, it is the Web server that runs the script. In this case, however, the filename ends with .asp (file. asp, for example), branding it as a file containing an ASP script that needs to be processed by the server. The server recognizes this, and instead of directly sending the requested file back to the browser, it sends the file to the ASP scripting engine. The engine is a component of the Web server software that can interpret ASP scripts and output the results as HTML. Just as when the page contained client-side JavaScript and the server was completely unaware of this fact, when the page contains server-side ASP script, the browser does not know this at all. The ASP code contained in the page is interpreted and converted to plain HTML by the ASP engine before the browser gets to see it; so as far a s the browser is concerned an ASP page looks just like any normal Web page. All the work is done on the server-side; thus the name, server-side scripting. (Murach and Boehm, 2006). Jones (1999, p. 368) states that one must make a means to create a table that can accept the rows from many remote databases if a task is given to write the local order-entry application and an ASP.NET page to accept the orders through a secured connection. Changing the data from the laptops is not allowed in this process. Jones views this as a tough problem

Managing the Hospitality Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing the Hospitality Experience - Essay Example This is achieved through an effort to entertain guests (Jones 2002). According to Jones (2002), hospitality should be an experience rather than a service. Guests’ experiences should be attractive to both their families and friends. Guests are craving for authentic local experiences that will establish an emotional connection (Hemming ton 2007). An excellent example is the Andaz5th Avenue Hotel. According to the general manager of Andaz5th Avenue Hotel, the experiences include fashion, events and food. According to USA today valuable and rare experiences are significant driving factors in the hospitality sector. 31 per cent of customers said destination hotels are perceived to be a hidden gem. 26 per cent of the interviewed customers said they loved to share photos of the hotels they stayed. Creating the elusive guest experiences to different customers is achievable but demanding. The expectations of guests are divergent and differ with times and seasons. Another compelling exa mple is the Renaissance Hotel. Renaissance hotel brand has introduced an ad targeting both leisure and business travelers. The brand insists that business guests who insist on free Wi-Fi and breakfast must have an experience, as well. Dan Vinh, Renaissance vice president, said the hotel hopes to offer a unique experience. He believes guests are stimulated by the environment in order to be productive. Q2. According to Visser, hospitality entails sharing of security, food and shelter with a stranger within the community who has no friend or relatives. The act of providing and receiving generosity creates mutual trust. According to Doud, generosity is a gracious act. He argues that, the use of the word stranger in the definition of generosity tends to imply that the receiver of the generous act does not deserve it because they are not acquainted to each other. The word grace implies a respectful attitude given towards people who do not deserve or earn a worm consideration. Hospitality is also hereditary. Once an act of hospitality has been done to a person or household, the same is extended to the descendants and passed on from generation to generation. This establishes a long term bond (Kandampully & Sparks 2001). Bonds established through hospitality were supposed to be temporal. The agreed period was three days, and the guests were expected to reciprocate by not overstaying. Hospitality had territorial limitations. Protection was offered within the period of stay and the boundaries of territorial influence. For instance, Arabs only offered protection as long as the guest was in within their home. Beyond that, the guest could end up become a victim of the host. Therefore, the guests used to leave at night and without any farewell to the host for fear of being pursued by the host. According to Pitt-Rivers, hospitality was not necessarily a mark of friendship. Providing hospitality, according to Pitt-Rivers, was an act of sanctity where a hostile stranger and a h ost were neutral to each other. Hospitality was an act of self interest because certain gains were expected. According to Selwyn, hospitality gave way to a transformation where the aggrieved regained their trust and friendship in the course of exchange of services. Hospitality is known to transform friends into closer friends. Hospitality is an act of selfless will where acceptance and trust are propagated. This causes hospitality to be a source of symbolic ties that create unique connections between people.

Chinese media boundaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chinese media boundaries - Essay Example In light of the above findings, it is evident that there trends necessitating disconnection when it come to this vital field. The media undoubtedly plays an important role in the lives of people. People relies on this institution for news and other information. As a result, it is vital to ensure that whatever is reported is free from manipulation or bias. It is for this reason that a research is conducted to identify the issues that influence reporting. This paper proposes the following as the research questions for the research: Does variance in political and governmental structures influence how media report government-related cases? Can the media be entirely free from manipulation? Should patriotism be a defining factor when reporting or should the truth be reported irrespective of the impact? Does the West’s level of civilization in comparison to China’s contribute to the way reporting is done? As noted above, reporting normally varies with different media houses le t alone nations meaning it can never be uniform. That is to say, there is a probability of America’s NBC to report the same news with CNN but from a very different context. According to Groseclose (2011), Ruschmann (2006), Davenport (2010) and Sloan & Mackay (2007) this discrepancy is fuelled by a number of issues including the motive of reporting, the interpretation and the validity of the source. In this case involving the Chinese, the problem is important because the cities in which the protests are taking place are vital to business world.

In Hospitality Industry, Which International Skills, Knowledge, Essay

In Hospitality Industry, Which International Skills, Knowledge, Behavior And Experience Could be an Advantage In the Development of Future Career - Essay Example This paper stresses that relative to the nature of cross-cultural management, the best skills, knowledge, behavior and experience that could be advantageous in the development of future careers in hospitality revolve around understanding Cultural Intelligence (CQ). Based on Arora and Rohmetra’s (2010) explication CQ entails the ability to exploit the knowledge and skills across state, ethnic and culturally diverse workforces. The overall understanding of Cultural Intelligence principles gives management and leadership teams a selection of perceptions that could apply efficiently, in diverse environments through understanding and management of consumers, individual employees or groups. This report makes a conclusion that as a hospitality practitioner should be on understanding, particularly the cross-cultures and performance on the international platform. Misunderstanding does not occur among managers alone; it can be prevalent amongst employees or employee and customers. Generally, a greater part of hospitality is about service provision thus without communication and strong relationships, there are limited chances of success. Nonetheless, Cultural Intelligence proves to be effectual when managing cross-cultures. The divisions provide an easy breakdown and gives detailed approaches for the common situation. Using the four divisions as the core guideline will facilitate additional knowledge, skills, behavior and experience enhancing my overall performance and progression in the hospitality industry.

England's Seven Years War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

England's Seven Years War - Essay Example For some historians, the Seven Years’ War is seen as an extension of the War of Austrian Succession. Frederick II of Prussia had forced Austria into the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa signed only to buy time to rebuild Austria’s military and extend its alliances. Austria successfully created bonds with France and Russia, while Prussia’s sole but powerful ally was England. England and Prussia formed a strong alliance, due to the military dominance of the former on the sea and the latter on land.2 According Schultz, while the causes of the Seven Years’ War were European in nature3, across the globe, France and England competed for commercial and colonial supremacy. In America especially, the attempts of the British colonies to expand westward were thwarted by French presence in the Mississippi Valley. The French built a series of forts there to stop British movement, which became a focal point for armed conflict.4 In Europe, bolstered by the support of England, Frederick II attacked Saxony and Prague. The Russians attacked and bested a force in East Prussia at the Battle of Gross-Jagersdorf. Austria and France worked to crush the Prussian army in 1757, but Frederick II was able to victor at the Battles of Rossbach and Leuthen, restoring the Prussian advantage.5 The French enjoyed early successes in the war. Sloan notes that French troops were vigorous in asserting their presence in New York, while the English did very little.6 The French general Montcalm easily took Fort Oswego there and began to assert a real and threatening presence in North America.7 The French also had victory at Fort William Henry, which they surrounded and attacked for five days, killing 300 British who were also suffering from a small pox epidemic. Although Montcalm had promised the British they could

Crosscultural Miscommunication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Crosscultural Miscommunication - Essay Example Negotiating styles of Australians and Canadians are explored to identify their similarities and differences against the GLOBE framework. It is seen that negotiation skills are of primary importance for any leadership position across all kinds of businesses and it determines the success of the business to a large extent. Negotiation is of relevance when there is a need to achieve common goals and the same needs to be communicated to the other parties. Also, when communication and personality differences are identified, need for negotiation can arise. In such situations, the participants are required to have a clear idea of the goals needed to achieve and also be aware and respect the differences in communication and personality styles (Walters, 2007). Wade observes that a culturally common solution is offered at the beginning of any negotiation (1999). Both Australians and Canadians prefer to start an informal conversation before the actual negotiation process. Australians tend to prefer straight forwardness as their Canadian counterparts and do not leave much to be interpreted in a conversation. Both have a culture of saying 'no' directly when they are uncomfortable with the negotiations.

RESEARCH PAPER ON NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

RESEARCH PAPER ON NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE - Essay Example â€Å"Nathaniel’s passivity and indolence appeared especially unmanly in the presence of Robert Manning’s energetic capabilities, not only to the uncle but to the boy himself. The resulting self-distrust was to be permanently in conflict with Hawthorne’s innate pride† (Erlich, 1984). His family’s Puritan past would weigh heavily upon him throughout his life and would be strongly reflected within his writings. Although he was strongly encouraged to take up the family trade and become a merchant marine, Hawthorne had decided, by age 17, that he wanted to be a writer. Hawthorne’s official education started at the age of 15 when he attended the Samuel H. Archer School as preparation for college. He entered the Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine by 1821 (Swisher, 1996). While he was there, he formed lifelong friendships with future literary giant Henry Wordsworth Longfellow, future president Franklin Pierce and future Navy Commander Horatio Bridge. He also spent another 12 years following college living in his mother’s house and educating himself in how to be a good writer by studying his Puritan past, nonfiction and fiction works of note (Swisher, 1996). While he always styled himself a writer, he held several small jobs necessary to support himself. These included magazine editor, customs house worker (in a variety of capacities) and as a farmer for a brief period at Brook House, an experimental commune (Swisher, 1996). After he moved to the Lenox countryside to escape angry Salem residents, he met Herman Melville who was to have a profound influence on The House of Seven Gables. â€Å"The presence of this brooding mariner, poetic soul such as Hawthorne’s father had been, stirred the deepest memories – and doubts – of the older writer. Melville’s talk of the sea, of time, eternity, death, myth, and literature, his metaphysical leaping, struck

The Crucible Essay Example for Free

The Crucible Essay The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a drama about a small group of teen girls in 1692 Salem, Massachusetts caught in an innocent conjuring of love potions to catch young men are forced to tell lies that Satan had invaded them and forced them to participate in the rites and are then forced to name those involved. Thrown into the mix are greedy preachers and other major landowners trying to steal others land and one young woman infatuated with a married man and determined to get rid of his innocent wife. Fueled by the lies and blasphemy in the town, they’re finally brought to a â€Å"melting point† where they buy into the deceit and start to charge witchcraft. The Crucible represents test, trail, ordeal, formation by fire, and vessel baked to resist heat. The title reflects the meaning of the work as a whole theme. First, John Proctor is a tested and formatted by fire character. In The Crucible he is tested by the court and the citizens in Salem. In the play Abigail Williams accuses John Proctors wife of witchery and is taken to trial but john proctor want to accuse Abigail of murder. He is trying to do anything possible to save his wife of being lynched. John Proctor was put through a severe test of faith in him and came through in the end by finding the good in him and refusing to cast away his name in signing a confession. John Proctor was confused on how he felt towards his relationship with Elizabeth he felt like he was a â€Å"not a good man† to her. Johns character is considered a formatted by fire character because of the way he has developed from the beginning to the end of the play. Next, Elizabeth Proctor represents trial and a vessel baked to resist heat character. Like many puritan women, Elizabeth Proctor is reserved, slow to complain, and dutiful. Yet, Elizabeth is pained by the fact that her husband was having an affair with their â€Å"strikingly beautiful† young servant. But Elizabeth doesn’t seem to care. Abigail Williams accused her of witchery to try to get John Proctor back. Throughout the play she struggles for her innocence’s and so does John. He manages to do anything possible for Elizabeth to be free, even if it meant to lie and accuse Abigail of murder. Elizabeth manages to escape lynching because she receives the news that she is expecting a child. Elizabeth is a vessel baked to resist heat character because she manages everything to not get involved in problems also she wasn’t guilty of any charges and managed to escape being lynched. To conclude, the drama The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a drama about a group of girls that are caught in an innocent conjuring of love potions to catch young men are forced to tell lies that Satan had invaded them and forced them to participate in the rites and are then forced to name those involved. But once they confess on whom they saw the say names of people they don’t like because they want revenge on all their enemies. The Crucible represents test, trail, ordeal, formation by fire, and vessel baked to resist heat. The title reflects the meaning of the work as a whole theme.

Course : Thematic Independent Study

Course : Thematic Independent Study Topic : Strategic planning Essay 1 question : How does strategic planning create a competitive advantage for an organisation? Name : Tamryn du Preez Supervisor : Kunofiwa Tsaurau Due Date : 18 October 2010 Words : 4 160 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction. pg 4 Definition of strategic planning.. pg 4-5 Preparation for strategic planning.. pg 5-6 Timing.. Who should be involved? .. Input.. Preparatory work. Planning the agenda/process Strategic planning process pg 6-7 Gathering Information.. Developing mission statement. Setting goals and objectives. Identifying actions and allocating resources. Implementing the plans Monitoring the progress.. Evaluating the progress.. Contributions of Strategic Planning pg 7-9 1.5.1 Financial Benefits. 1.5.2 Nonfinancial Benefits.. Strategic planning techniques pg 10-11 SWOT analysis Scenario Planning.. PEST analysis.. Forecasting Competitors analysis Sensitivity analysis. Strategy planning at different levels.. pg 11-12 Corporate level Business Level Operational level Types of strategic planning time horizon.. pg 12-13 Long-term planning.. Intermediate planning.. Short- term planning.. Components of strategic planning pg 13 Strategy and culture Internal and external.. Balanced scorecard perspectives Market focus.. Conclusion pg 14 Referencing and Bibliography. pg 15-16 1.1 INTRODUCTION: Today many organisations face challenges to keep up with the rapid changes in the world. These changes are taking place mainly because of technology, which creates and leads to a faster contact between people, economic markets, governments and larger organisations. This advancement pace of technology does bring in its benefits and its disadvantages. Therefore it is vital that organisations always remain aware of the changes in their environment and adapt accordingly in order to remain competitive and to distinguish it from the competitors by creating a competitive advantage. This study reviews the literature of strategic planning in order to gain insight on how an organisation can lead to a competitive advantage. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the topic the study will identify how strategic planning will help a management team understand exactly what strategic planning is, how to plan strategically and how to ensure that strategic planning is implemented in your organisation. The importance of this topic is to identify how strategic planning is important not only for the survival or growth of an organisation but also on how it can help the organisation lead to having a competitive advantage over the competitors that choose not to follow a process for strategic planning. The strategic planning process is a step by step course set in place in order to help guide the organisation in been successful. This review also clearly identifies how strategic planning contributes to the success of an organisation and how it can be seen as a competitive advantage. It provides a deeper understanding of strategic planning techniques that are used to help managers make the best possible decisions with information that is available to the company. LITERATURE REVIEW This is the main body of the essay and it reviews all the academic literature related to the subject of strategic planning. The aim is to review the critical points of current knowledge including substantive findings as well as theoretical and methodological contributions of strategic planning. 1.2 Definition of strategic planning: Strategic planning is an organisations process of defining their strategy or their direction, and making decisions on allocating resources in order to pursue the strategy, this includes capital and people (Bradford R.W and Duncan JP, 2009). Different business analysis techniques can be used in strategic planning. Strategic planning is the formal consideration of an organisation future course (Bradford R.W and Duncan JP, 2009). Strategic planning is a sets out the overall direction for the business, is broad in scope and it covers all the major activities within an organisation (Boddy D, 1988). According to Shapiro J, 1996, strategic planning is the overall planning that facilitates a good management Process. According to Geyer Y, 2006, strategic planning is a process that an organisation follows that is disciplined and thorough. Geyer Y, 2006, indicated that strategic planning takes note of the internal dynamics of an organisation and the external dynamics of the world. Strategic planning analyses whether the organisation is effective in its objectives and goal (Shapiro J, 1996). According to Shapiro J,1996 strategic planning establishes whether the organisation needs to change its direction in order to fulfil is purpose or create a competitive advantage. McNamara C, 2002, added that strategic planning identifies where the organisation wants to be at some point in the near future and identifies how it is going to get there. The strategic part of the planning process continues to adapt to the current changes of the organisation (McNamara C, 2002). Strategic planning is considered to be a comprehensive plan that is designed to connect all of the firms decisions and their activities (McNamara C, 2002). Strategic planning is the ability to make decisions for the future, and is considered to be a systematic assessment of the benefits and costs, and clear rules for decision making (McNamara C, 2002). 1.3 Preparation for Strategic Planning: Authors Shapiro, J. (1996), Ducker P. (1996) and Gibson C.K (1995) proposed how preparation is critical to result in good planning. These authors all concurred that without preparation it is difficult for an organisation to maintain their strategic focus. According to the authors, timing, who should be involved, input, preparatory work, and lastly planning the process should be prepared and this is critically discussed below. 1.3.1 Timing The questions to ask here according to Timing is, When do you need to do a strategic planning process? How often do you need to do a strategic planning process? At what point in an organisational or project cycle do you need to do a strategic planning process? How long should a strategic planning process be? (Shapiro J, 1996). 1.3.2 Who should be involved? The key questions to be asked is who will participate in the strategic planning process and who should facilitate the strategic planning process (Shapiro J, 1996). The management team of the project or organisation needs to be understood by all the staff and board members and they should all be involved in the planning process (Shapiro J, 1996). According to Ducker P, 1996, administrative staff should be involved because they need to understand the organisations issues and problems. 1.3.3 Input According to Shapiro J, 1996, strategic planning process looks at the big picture, it is useful to get external input into the process. It is easy for those involved in the work of the project or organisation to lose sight of the overall picture and to think about the issues from the point of view of our own work only (Shapiro J, 1996). Ducker P, 1996, added that getting someone with a wider view and wider concerns may open doors to new ideas and ways of thinking. 1.3.4 Preparatory work This is a review of an organisations work and of the internal functioning that is needed to be done (Shapiro J, 1996). According to Shapiro J, 1996 the review of the work can be done by an external evaluation before the strategic planning process in order to feed into it. The review of the internal functioning of the organisation can be done by an external review conducted to find the right people that will come with useful information (Shapiro J, 1996). 1.3.5 Planning the process According to Shapiro J, 1996, it is important to know what an organisation wants to achieve and what has to be done to achieve these outcomes. It is also important to know what additional issues need to be dealt with in the time available (Shapiro J, 1996). Preparing for the strategic  planning  process  helps an organisation ensure that when they implement the strategy it is a success (Gibson C.K, 1995). 1.4 Strategic planning process: According to the authors Boddy D, 2005 and Wirth R.A, 2009 the planning process can be viewed as a circular flow of topics and action steps. Boddy D, 2005 mentioned seven steps in the strategic planning process which includes gathering information, developing a mission statement, setting goals and objectives, identifying actions and allocating resources, implementing the plans, monitoring the progress and evaluating. These seven steps are critically discussed below. Figure 1 Strategic planning process Evaluating the progress Gathering Information Develop mission statement Monitoring the process Setting goals and objectives Implementing the plans Identify actions and allocate resources Source: David Boddy, (2005), Third Edition, Management An Introduction, Pearson Education Limited, Europe. 1.4.1 Gathering Information According to Boddy D, 2005, this is any information that an organisation can use to guide their choices in building a strategic plan. The information can be collected internally or externally (Boddy D, 2005). Gathering information can collected as primary information that has not yet been conducted or secondary information, which is data that has already been collected (Boddy D, 2005). 1.4.2 Developing a mission statement According to Boddy D, 2005 this is a broad definition of an organisations operation and scope, it aims to distinguish it from other organisations. A clear plan depends on the ultimate purpose of the task (Boddy D, 2005). By developing a mission statement it is a way of the organisation to express a realistic vision of what the future could be if the plan were to succeed (Boddy D, 2005). 1.4.3 Setting goals and objectives These are set in order to identify the desired outcome for the individuals, groups, and the entire organisations (Boddy D, 2005). According to Boddy D, 2005, the goals and objectives turns the generalities of the mission statements into a specific commitment- what is to be done. Goals and objectives provide a focus for an organisation and it used to measure the actual performances (Boddy D, 2005). 1.4.4 Identifying actions and allocating resources According to Boddy D, 2005 this is the part of the planning process that involves deciding what actions need to be taken in order to achieve the objectives and it identifies who will do them. The fifth step is implementing the plan. This step also includes one to decide on possible actions which are affected by what the firms objectives are (Boddy D, 2005). 1.4.5 Implementing the plans Boddy D, 2005, emphasised that a good plan is not worthwhile until something happens and people implement the plan, by acting to make the plan visible. David Bobby added that planning helps by inducing confidence in a process, leading to high levels of acceptability from those involved. Planning is a necessary part of success, but it is not sufficient if it is not put into action (Boddy D, 2005). 1.4.6 Monitoring the progress and evaluating the result Boddy D, (2005) stated that the final stage in developing a plan is to set up a system that would allow people to monitor the progress towards the goals. Boddy D, 2005, added that managers can evaluate progress by using a programme overview chart. The overview chart gives a snapshot of the progress and indicates the areas where there are issues and it shows the expected completion date (Boddy D, 2005). 1.5 Contributions of Strategic Planning: According to the authors David FR. (2001), Hayes B. (2003), Zuckerman A. (2000), Shrader, C.B. (1993) and Almond K. and Barlow J, (2002) there are principle benefits of strategic planning that helps an organisation formulate better strategies through the use of a more systematic, logical and rational approach to a strategic choice. These authors have mentioned the financial and non financial benefits which are critically discussed below. 1.5.1 Financial benefits of strategic planning According David FR, 2001, strategic planning allows an organisation to be more productive rather than reactive in shaping its own future; it also allows an organisation to initiate and influence activities. Researchers indicate that companies using a strategic planning concept are more profitable and successful than those that do not use the concept. Businesses that are using strategic planning concepts have shown an improvement in their sales, profitabilitys, and in their productivities compared to those firms that are not using a systematic planning activity (David FR, 2001). Firms that use the planning system theory generally exhibit superior long-term financial performances relative to their industry (David FR, 2001) The Strategic planning concept and tools provided that there is a cost effectiveness that yields better interest deposit rates (Hayes B, 2003). According to Bill Hayes, 2003, strategic planning has shown to result in an improved or an increased customer service due to the firm been able to produce high quality performances. This is because the companies using a strategic approach are able to make more informed decisions with good anticipation of short and long-term consequences (Hayes B. 2003). According to Zuckerman A. 2000, strategic planning has helped companies to identify and prioritize their opportunities for financial improvement, mainly revenue-generating plans. This in turn has showed to offer the greatest opportunity for significant long-term benefits (Zuckerman, A, 2000). The relationship between strategic planning and company performance lies at the very heart of the discipline, yet no clear summary statement has been made about the numerous empirical findings dealing with this subject (Shrader, C.B. 1993) 1.5.2 Nonfinancial benefits of strategic planning According to David FR, 2001, strategic planning helps avoid financial demises and it also offers other tangible benefits, such as enhanced awareness to the external threats, improved understanding of the competitors strategies, reduced resistance to change, it shown to provide a clearer understanding of performance-reward relationship, and it increases employee productivity. The strategic planning process also helps with identifying and rationalizing the need for change to all managers (David FR, 2001). According to David FR, 2001 strategic planning has allowed organisations to financially identify what it is they want to accomplish in the long-term. Strategic planning allows the management team to assess future assumptions and alternatives. The management team can look at the company as a whole rather than just been focused on their individual responsibilities. Individuals in the credit union will strive harder to achieve objectives they help set. Strategic planning has helped companies to improved their planning eliminates ambiguity and enhance the teamwork and culture (David FR, 2001). According to the authors Almond K. and Barlow J, 2002, strategic planning has helped increase the ability of management to make decisions that will assure long-term financial institution survival and growth of the firms. Strategic planning has also increased the firms ability to control long-range direction, as it has allowed the board to focus on key strategic issues, as opposed to management problems (Almond K. And Barlow J, 2002). According to Almond K. and Barlow J, 2002, strategic planning serves a variety of purposes in organizations, including to: Clearly define the purpose of the organization and to establish realistic goals and objectives consistent with that mission in a defined time frame within the organizations capacity for implementation. Communicate those goals and objectives to the organizations constituents. Develop a sense of ownership of the plan. It has resulted in the firms using the most effective organizations resources by focusing the resources on the key priorities (Almond K. And Barlow J, 2002). According to David FR, 2001, strategic provided firms with a base from which progress can be measured and establish a mechanism for informed change when needed. Strategic planning also has helped managers to listen to everyones opinions in order to build an agreement about where the organization is going (David FR, 2001). Almond K. And Barlow J, 2002, states that strategic planning has provided a clearer focus for the organization, thereby producing more efficiency and effectiveness. Almond K. And Barlow J, 2002, also mentioned that strategic planning can benefit you company as it can be seen as the glue that keeps the board members together. Strategic planning produces great satisfaction and meaning among planners, especially around a common vision (David FR, 2001). David FR, 2001, also added that firms using strategic planning has indicated results of increases in productivity from increased efficiency and effectiveness, strategic planning also has helped management solves major problems in the organization by been able to address different strategies. According to David FR, 2001, strategic provided at the end of the day allows an organization to be more proactive than reactive in shaping its own future. Historically, the principle benefit of strategic planning has been to help different organizations to formulate better strategies for their business through the use of the more systematic, logical and rational approach to strategic choice (David FR, 2001). 1.6 Strategic Planning Techniques: According to the authors Boddy D. (2005) Bacal R. (2002) and Salem M. Al Ghamdi, (2005) there is a wide range of strategic planning techniques available to gather information for strategic planning. There are six planning techniques identified by these authors and they are the SWOT analysis, scenario planning, PEST factors, competitive analysis, forecasting, and sensitivity analysis. 1.6.1 SWOT Analysis According to Boddy D. (2005) a SWOT Analysis is an analytic tool that is used to help summarise the organisations main strengths and weaknesses that are relative to the external opportunities and threats. Bacal R, 2002 added that it helps identify the external and internal factors in order for the business to know the environment better. Boddy D. 2005 added that managers need to focus only a few trends and events that are likely to be important for the business growth. 1.6.2 Scenario planning Bacal R, 2002 stated that scenario planning is a fancy term for a very logical process the what if process. Boddy D. (2005) added that it is not an attempt to predict the unpredictable but it is a way to consider multiple and equal plausible futures for an organisation. These scenarios are not just based on a hunch; they are logically consistent but different from each other (Boddy D. 2005). 1.6.3 PEST Analysis According to Bacal R, 2002, the PEST analysis is another tool that is similar to the  SWOT analysis, but is more focused on the external environment and the important factors out there that can affect the present and future of a business. The PEST acronym stands for: political, economic, social and technological (Boddy D. 2005). These factors can affect your business either directly or indirectly (Boddy D. 2005). 1.6.4 Competitive Analysis According to Bacal R, 2002 a competitive analysis involves looking at those companies that compete in the same market place as you do. Bobby D. (2005) stated that organisations need to look at the critical aspects of a strategy that must be achieved to secure a competitive advantage. A competitive analysis is really a subset of doing an environmental scan (Bacal R, 2002). 1.6.5 Forecasting According to Boddy D. 2005, forecasting is predicting the future of the business. Forecasting is based on the analysis of past trends such as input prices, sales patterns or demographic characteristics (Boddy D. 2005). All forecasts are based on assumptions and managers can assume the past trends will continue (Bobby D. 2005). According to Boddy D. 2005 forecasts rely on extrapolation of past trends and therefore organisations need to question their inherent assumptions as they interpret the results. 1.6.6 Sensitivity analysis According to Boddy D. (2005) this is a method that is used to test the assumptions of key variables in a plan in order to increase the confidence in the choices a business wants to make. According Bacal R. (2002) sensitivity analysis can be useful to provide recommendations for the decision makers. Sensitivity analysis helps enhance the communication to the decision makers and increases them understand the system (Boddy D. 2005). 1.7 Different levels of strategic planning: According to the authors Burk Wood M. 2004 there are three different levels of strategy namely corporate level at the top, business level is the middle section and lastly operational level which is the lower level. Each level has different responsibilities and goals and this will be critically discusses below (Burk Wood M, 2004). Figure 2 Organisational levels Corporate Level Business Level Operational Level Source: Marian Burk Wood, (2004), Marketing Planning principles into practice, Pearson Education Limited, England. 1.7.1 Corporate level The Corporate Level looks at the companys Vision, goals, philosophy and the culture of the organisation and determines planning accordingly (Burk Wood M, 2004). Corporate strategy refers to the overall strategy for a diversified company (Burk Wood M, 2004).It is concerned with the mix of businesses the company should compete in, and the ways in which strategies of individual units should be coordinated and integrated (Burk Wood M, 2004). 1.7.2 Business level According to Burk Wood M, 2004, strategic planning at this level is concerned with the firms mission, business goals and the firms competencies. Burk Wood M, 2004, added that an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions are used to gain a competitive advantage. This is done by exploiting the core competencies in a specific product market which is done on business level (Burk Wood M, 2004). 1.7.3 Functional level Occasionally, plans will be made at the  functional  level, to allow managers to specialize and to increase managerial accountability (Burk Wood M, 2004). Burk Wood M, 2004 stated that at a functional level managers will be concerned with coordinating manufacturing, marketing, human resources, finances, research and development, and information systems (Burk Wood M, 2004). 1.8 Types of strategic planning: According to Morton L.P, 2009 and Lenehan P.F, 2002, strategic planning is the long-term process that determines the path for business owners to reach their goals. The other two business planning processes are more short term (Linda Morton, 2009). Below the time horizons long term, intermediate term, and short term will be critically discussed. 1.8.1 Long term planning According to Lenehan P.F, 2002, the long-term planning process should strengthen both management and the board of directors. The objective is to have everyone leave the off-site meeting with an understanding of the game plan for the next 5 years, which will be updated at an annual off-site planning meeting (Lenehan P.F, 2002). 1.8.2 Intermediate planning Linda Morton states that Intermediate-term planning  includes strategic objectives and has a time horizon of from one to two years. It outlines how the strategic plan will be pursued (Morton L.P, 2009). In marketing, intermediate plans are most often used for campaigns, with the goals and purpose of the campaign supportive of one of the business long-term goals (Morton L.P, 2009). 1.8.3 Short term planning Short term planning  includes operational objectives for specific departments and individuals and has a time horizon of one year or less (Morton L.P, 2009). A short term plan allocates resources and outlines objectives to meet the intermediate plans and the strategic planning process (Morton L.P, 2009). Morton L.P (2009) stated that short term planning allocates those resources day-to-day for business development. 1.9 Components of a strategic plan: According to Oslen E, 2007 there are several different components of strategic planning that needs to be explained to your planning team. The components are strategy and culture, internal and external, the balanced scorecard perspectives, and market focus (Oslen E, 2007). 1.9.1 Strategy and Culture According to Oslen E, 2007, an organisations culture is made up of people, processes, experiences, ideas and attitudes. A strategy is where the organisation is headed. A company cannot have a strategy without a culture or vice versa. The culture is the core of the business, and if it is not in order, the best strategy in the world cannot work for the company (Oslen E, 2007). 1.9.2 Internal and External According to Oslen E, 2007, the strategy is external when you gathering information from a companys customers, competitors, industry and environment. The external information can help a company identify the opportunities or threats that they might face. Through employee surveys, board assessments and financial statements are ways to identify the companys strengths and weaknesses that are internal (Oslen E, 2007). 1.9.3 Balanced scorecard perspectives According to Oslen E, 2007, the balanced scorecard is a framework that is used to develop the firms goals and objective in four areas. These areas are financial, customers, internal business processes and the employees (Oslen E, 2007,). The financial, internal processes and employees are the internal factors of the balanced scorecard whereas the customers are the external perspectives (Oslen E, 2007). 1.9.4 Market focus According to Oslen E, 2007, the growth of a market comes from focusing on the customers and delivering superior value to them consistently year after year. Built into a companys strategic plan is market-focus framework, this is vital because it ensures that the company is focused on growing (Oslen E, 2007). According to Oslen E, 2007 by focusing on the market a company will understand the needs of the customers. CONCLUSION: A strategic plan is simply a tool to be thought of as a guide or map. It has a starting point which is todays conditions and environment. It has an ending point, where the company wants to be in terms of success in the future. Strategic planning is a process that answers the question of how is the best, most likely way to be successful as defined by the stakeholders and allowed by the customers and embraced by the employees. While there is one way presented on how to conduct the strategic planning process it is by no means the only way. The process has to fit the culture, resources and style of the company. It must reinforce the confidence of management to make consistent, workable decisions. The benefit of a strategic planning discipline is that it facilitates effective decision making, better selection of tactical options and it leads to a higher probability of achieving the owners or stakeholders goals and objectives. High quality information is critical to the success of the strategic plans of any organisation. All other factors can be in place, but if the information is inconsistent in any way, then success is much less likely. If success is achieved it may well be at a high cost. High quality information must be acknowledged as one of the organisations main concern. Adopting a continuous development and improvement approach to the information gathering and interpretation process is essential.  

Interpreting The Descent of Odin :: Descent of Odin Essays

Interpreting The Descent of Odin  Ã‚   There are several different ways to interpret a poem. Each word can either be a metaphor for something else or the words can mean exactly what they say. Either way there can really never be a completely wrong interpretation of a certain poem because everyone is going to see things in their own way. For example, an object or a phrase could have a double meaning. A conversation that seems somewhat insignificant could be very important to the meaning and the tone of the entire poem. This is the case in â€Å"The Descent of Odin† by Thomas Gray. The poem has several different hidden meanings and messages that might not be visible to the untrained reader. The poem has several interesting aspects to it. The first is the very obvious, over active id of Odin. He is trying to retrieve information from the Prophetess when all she wants is to be left alone. In the beginning he is very demanding about what he wants. He will not let her rest until he finds out all of the information he wants. â€Å"Yet a while my call obey; Prophetess, awake, and say,† (Gray, pg. 43). Odin’s child-like characteristics are very obvious. Finally after whining enough, he was able to obtain all of the information he needed, his superego takes over and represses the id from carrying on and tormenting Prophetess. He is able to let his superego take over, unlike Prophetess who is very selfish and is not in control of her own free will. Prophetess was also guilty of doing a little bit of whining herself. Instead of helping Odin right away, she complained about the fact that he had disturbed her. â€Å"What call unknown, what charms presume to break the quiet of the tomb? Who thus afflicts my troubled sprite, and drags me from the realms of night?† (Gray, pg. 41-42) She is annoyed that someone dared to wake her. Her selfish little id is rearing its ugly little head and causing her to complain and be grumpy. She is supposed to help people when they ask about the things that Odin asked about, hence the name Prophetess. Instead of being completely selfless, like she should be, she decides that being stubborn and rude is the way to treat people. Both characters are guilty of giving into their ids, but Prophetess is much more unwilling to let her superego take over to subdue her id.

Grigory Pechorin: The Superfluous Man Essay -- essays research papers

Mikhail Lermontov's protagonist, Grigory Pechorin, belongs to that group of literary characters known individually as the 'superfluous man.'; Generally an intelligent, educated individual, the superfluous man would appear to be one who has been either unjustly treated or outcast by society in general. The superfluous man attempts to find a place for himself in the world, but perhaps due to the combination of his talents, upbringing, personality and intelligence, continually finds himself on the outs with his peers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If the above definition is accepted as valid, then Pechorin might appear to be the consummate superfluous man. From the outpouring of his tale of woe to Princess Mary, we may come to the conclusion that Pechorin has no concept of cause and effect, at least not as it applies to himself as the cause. Moreover, it becomes fairly apparent that he is of the belief that he is a victim of the world, which is more interesting, as one considers the culture of victimization that has become popular in recent years. Who has not heard the excuse, 'I did it because my (parents/state representative/dog) (harassed/bit/abused) me when I was a child.'; In my opinion, the growing interest in pop psychology and the related fields of social psychology and child psychology have greatly contributed to the decay of moral rectitude and the concept of taking responsibility for one's own actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The translator attributes Pechorin's capriciousness to the lack of employment for his gifts. I do not agree with that assessment, as it has been my experience that only those who have made up their minds to lack direction will be unable to find an activity that occupies their mind and appeals to them. One possible pursuit would be some form of art. Skill matters little, if the activity is pleasing. Cultural appreciation, gastronomical excess, or sexual exercise would all be suitable endeavors. We see that Pechorin certainly takes pleasure in the company of women, though in his own words, 'I must confess I don't really like strong-willed women,'; (111), the female sex does not hold an unbounded appeal for him. But his relationship with Vera, and his reaction to Maxim Maximych's inquiry about Bela clearly show that he is capable of feeling some emotion for others, although he refuses to expressing it. This is entirely Pech... ...given all it needs to survive and learn intellectually, but no moral boundaries, will come to be greatly like a sociopathic personality. They will most likely be incapable of relating to others, save as far as they are themselves effected. They will not display anything near the level of enlightened self-interest that enables society. For all intents and purposes, they will be a sociopath, and due to the initial lack of guidance, they will be at best highly resistant to change, and at worst, totally irredeemable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pechorin is either a coward, in which case he should be pitied, if not despised for his unwillingness to change, or he is a sociopath, in which case he should be exterminated, without a spark of guilt or pity, for the benefit of society. He clearly does not fall into the sociopathic category, as his displays of emotion – faint though they are – prove. So he is a coward, unwilling to come to terms with himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pechorin is not merely the superfluous man of the 19th century, but rather a mirror held up for all of humanity. His insensitivity, fear, and self-loathing reflect us still to this day.

A Case Analysis of Calyx and Corolla Essay -- Flower Companies Busines

A Case Analysis of Calyx and Corolla This analysis focuses on the case study of Calyx & Corolla, a mail order flower company. Calyx & Corolla is a relatively new company that utilizes a different distribution channel than conventional companies for fresh flowers. Calyx & Corolla mails flowers direct from the growers to the customers via Federal Express and eliminates the middleman (Appendix A). This permits Calyx & Corolla to provide fresher, longer-lasting flowers to consumers. The management of Calyx & Corolla is contemplating a change in their long-term business strategy as they examine their ability to compete with more traditional outlets such as retail flower shops and wire services like FTD. Ruth Owades, the founder of Calyx & Corolla, has hired Marketing Consultants (MarCo) to assess the strengths and weaknesses of her business and make recommendations on how her company can fully develop their mail order concept. Background: Calyx & Corolla is a small mail order flower company that was founded in 1988 by Ruth Owades. Ms. Owades secured $2 million in capital from approximately 18 different investors in order to launch the company. By 1991, Calyx & Corolla exceeded $10 million in annual sales and Owades and her associates were reassessing the firm's long-term growth strategy (Wylie and Salmon, 1991). Up to this point, Calyx & Corolla was primarily a mail order company, but management is now considering expanding their market and is unsure of how they should proceed. Recently, a well-financed venture capital-backed start-up failed and Calyx & Corolla acquired some of its assets. Another unproven competitor recently entered the market, financed by a large Japanese conglomerate. The company's success is primarily due to a few key employees. Ruth Owades plays a major part in the selection and pricing of flowers and other merchandise that appears in the catalog. Fran Wilson, the vice president of operations, is responsible for customer orders and service, day-to-day communications with growers, systems development, and finance. Ann Hayes Lee is responsible for merchandise development and catalog creation and production. She is also responsible for non-direct mail initiatives that are aimed at accelerating the growth of the business. Calyx & Corolla espouses the values and creativity of these individuals and their employees. Taking into consi... ...ists will cost $20 C&C could find (1000) floral shops interested in selling C&C products at a substantial profit. C&C would allow floral shops to keep 30% of the sale Particpating floral shops would sell (1) C&C product per week The average sale at the florist shop would be $47.63 (from Appendix B) The average COGS at the florist shop would be $10.95 (from Appendix B) Sales Revenue Estimated C&C Estimated Floral Shop Number of Rate of Number of Sales Revenue Sales Revenue Catalogs Customer Orders per Order @ per Order @ Distributed Response Received $47.63 x 0.7 Average Sale $47.63 x 0.3 Average Sale 1000 52 52000 $1,733,732 $743,028 Costs of Goods Sold (COGS) Number of Rate of Number of Estimated Catalogs Customer Orders Cost of goods sold Distributed Response Received @ $10.95/sale 1000 52 52000 $569,400 Florist Derived Catalog Business Sales and Marking Costs (SMC) Number of Production & Number of Costs for Costs for Total Sales & Catalogs Mail Costs @Order Shipping Handling Marketing Costs Distributed $20/Catalog Received Orders Orders per Group 1000 $20,000 52000 $468,000 $260,000 $748,000 Sales Revenue - COGS - SMC for Catalog Sales for C&C = $416,332

Library Media Center Essay

Libraries have always been a source of knowledge and almost unlimited information for students, lovers of literature, and researchers. The ability to find the information needed is in the hands of the Librarian. This individual is well versed in all library materials from microfiche to non-fiction books and the fastest way to access these materials. This reflection paper examines three programs and technologies associated with Library Media, along with the qualities required for an outstanding Media Library Manager. As technology has advanced so has its place in the library realm. Library Media Programs The media programs found in school libraries operated by certified teacher-librarians give students access to various resources that help the students become well versed in their academic world. The learning requirements for school students continue to advance and students need some help to meet that challenge. This is also an area that is important to the district as well as individual schools. The following is a list of five library media programs that will be beneficial to schools, teachers, and students. Reading Promotion Under this program literature gets a breath of fresh air. Stories and concepts that might have seem boring and outdated to modern day school children gain a new appreciation and critical thinking through activities such as readers’ advisories, booktalks, and awards programs (OSPI). Modern day students are several generations removed from the time of Shakespeare and the concepts of old English. It is important to show the students that Macbeth, Othello, and other classical forms of literature can teach them modern day life skills. By engaging the students in critical thinking to determine how classical literature can be used in their everyday lives keeps these magnificent works alive in the hearts of the next generation and they serve a functional purpose. Information & Resource Management In order to ensure that all the materials students need are readily available, up to date and easily located there must be a high degree of resource management. Some ways to make sure these resources are properly catalogues are: library collections, databases, web pages, and/or instructional resources (OSPI). Children live in the world of ease of use and quick access. If students come into the school library and cannot find the information they need then they will not come back or only come back when absolutely necessary? Curriculum & Instruction Collaboration As mentioned in the previous section students come into the library to find resources in order to answer questions about their homework, get information for papers, and study for tests. It is important that the teachers and the librarians stay in touch when it comes to the school curriculum (OSPI). Communication between the two parties allows for the right materials for the job and various forms of those materials to be distributed or available to the students. In this ways learning is made much simpler. Information Services This is the area where print and electronic information resources come together. It is imperative that students and teachers are taught the most effective means to access and use these materials (OSPI). Without specific training students may become frustrated and then waist time doing unproductive activities. Also, the teachers need to appear knowledgeable to the students. Students need to have the ability to access knowledge from print in traditional ways as well as the knowledge to gather electronic information in the modern way. Library Program Advocacy â€Å"Communicate the school library program’s vision, goals, and learning objectives to administration, staff, parents, and community to advance the program and its role in the learning environment (OSPI). † Libraries like any other department or program require funding in order to compete with other departments and programs. The library is only known for dusty books  and as a place of study; this may not interest children or their parents. The community, the parents, and the children must all be well informed about the importance of the library for their own educational purposes as well as those of future generations. The next section is dedicated to the types of technologies that libraries use in relation to its media. Library Media Technologies There are different types of technologies to be had when dealing with the library. One of the most common is the personal computer that has been integrated into the system. There are also additional technologies such as Web 2. 0 and Library 2. 0, which will be discussed in detail in the next sections. Computers Computer is devices used to store, retrieved, produce, and search for resources. Personal computers are used by adults and children to surf the Internet, chat online, complete work projects and homework assignments. It stands to reason that computers would make their way into the library system. The card catalogue has been a long standing record keeper in the library world. This collection of information on materials and their location was often housed in big wood or metal cabinets that the students would need to access. The information about the materials was literally printed on cards that the children had to read in order to fiction, non-fiction and other assortments of resources. Now with the advent of computers the card catalogue has been revolutionized. All the information found on the cards in the card catalogue can now be found on the computer in an electronic database. This is much easier for the library patrons because any computer in the library will have the information and there is no longer a need to line up in a central location to get resource information. Also, the need to consult with the librarian reduces because the patrons can now find the information for themselves. There are even programs on the computers that tell the patrons exactly where to go to find the materials. If after all the information is given from the electronic card catalogue and the patron still cannot find the location then the librarian is summoned. At first this might seem like a bad thing because librarians need jobs but this new freedom allows the librarians to become better skilled at finding and teaching patrons how to best utilize the library media resources. This education includes ways to use both the regular and the electronic card catalogues. There is always the possibility that the Intranet or Internet will go down but that will not stop the need to study and get homework done. Speaking of the electronic means to complete assignments it is time to discuss Web 2. 0 and Library 2. 0. Web 2. 0 Web 2. 0 incorporates these concepts: collaboration, wisdom of crowds, personalization, community, web-based, and transparency (Vacek). This new program has broadened the horizons of Internet users. One of the hottest ideas was creating a personal websites that others could see, interact with, and then possibly leave comments. Now this idea has evolved into blogging websites. An individual can post a question or place a statement and then open the floor for several different users to provide their opinions and help exchange their knowledge. This is part of that sense of community discussed in the previous paragraph. It is important to note that anyone using information from websites such as blogs should double check the information with sources from the school library database and other trusted academic websites. These are the websites that end in . org and . gov. Moving patrons to another leave is Library 2. 0. Library 2. 0 â€Å"Any service, physical or virtual, that successfully reaches users, is evaluated frequently, and makes sue of customer input is a Library 2. 0 service. Even older, traditional services can be Library 2. 0 if criteria are met (Vacek). † Library 2. 0 can provide magazines online for students and adults to access at any point in time. It provides links to websites such as LinkedIn and Facebook which are types of community websites. The first is based on a community of professionals. Facebook, an important form of social media, provides a chance for students and adults to access company information and also to provide their information for potential jobs. Library 2. 0 has advanced features such as library suggestion box, globally available services, and making information easier to find and access (Vacek). Traditionally, the suggestion box was a box located within a building that was specifically designed to get feedback from patrons about a product or service that might need improvement. Now patrons can access suggestions boxes online in the form of feedback. Globally availability of services means that patrons are no long shackled to one location. Anyone with an online connection can access the information from any location. And of course as talked about previously the very usage of computers with the proper training provides ease of use for the patrons. The next section is dedicated to librarians and how they utilize the media in the library. Media Management Librarians It was previously mentioned that the librarian was the primary helper of the library patrons. These were the experts that performed almost all the library functions for the patrons. These individuals showed the patrons were the card catalogue was located, how to read the information on the cards and then directed them to the location of the sought after materials. In many cases the librarians had to go with the patrons to find the information which could be a hassle sometimes. While one person was being led by the librarian the other patrons would most likely have to wait depending on the number of librarians were available to assist. There were times when the librarian would actually retrieve the information for the patrons and then stamp the books to let the patrons know when the materials were due for return. In the modern world of library media management the entire process of finding and acquiring materials is very different. The librarian is still the resource person but in a different capacity. Since the advent of technology almost all the materials and resources the patrons need can now be found through the electronic database. This means that a patron can access the electronic card catalogue from any computer in the library. The location and availability of the resource in question will be displayed on the screen. The interaction between the librarian and the patrons becomes that of teacher and resource guide. The librarians now have the job of adequately training the patrons, new and old about the electronic databases and how to effectively use them to find materials. It is also important for the librarians to teach the patrons how to use the traditional means to find information like the actual card catalogue. There are certain characteristics required to make an effective media librarian such as certification to best satisfy and assist the patrons. Media Librarian Characteristics One of the main characteristics required for an excellent media librarian manager is certification. â€Å"A professionally-trained library media specialist can optimize each of the other impact factors (quality of information resources, level of patron usage, and level of instructional collaboration), maximizing their program’s impact on student achievement (Spinks). † The level of achievement that is obtained from having certified media librarian managers continues to increase. This does not mean the uncertified staff members no longer serve a purpose. These individuals would be better suited for positions such as clerical workers and operational task assistants. Another way that certification can help make the media library experience more effective is to link the curriculum of the teachers with the library materials that are available for the students. Sometimes when I teacher creates a curriculum or is given one for the students during a school year that are supplemental materials needed to complete the assignments. These materials may not be available with the original set of books for the class. When the certified media librarians and the teachers work together all the materials needed can be reasonability acquired. With the new tools provided by technology the students could easily get access to the materials through the Internet or the electronic database. The students could learn about new resources such as GoogleSholar if academic journals and materials are needed. There will be some materials that the students are not allowed to take out of the library but at least the students will have the information available for their use. The librarian can get a list of materials for the subjects that teachers do submit and then order those materials. The media librarian and the teachers  can communicate through e-mail or face to face in order to discuss any changes that need to be made after the order has come in. It has also been briefly discussed how additional training is needed and administered by the media librarian. The concept of the teaching is quite simple; the media librarian is an expert concerning the new technologies and programs that are used within the library. It then becomes the librarians responsibly to make sure that the patrons are familiar with the new technologies and programs so they can retrieve resources faster. Trainings can be conducted during the time the students are in the library or special times may be allotted for this type of training. The trainings can be repeated as needed when new material comes out, new technologies are implemented, or new programs have been added to the media library. Diversity is very important and the media librarian must take that into consideration when authorizing new technologies and programs. The media library materials need to include information about African Americans, Asian Americans, Islamic Americans, LGBT, and disabled patrons. Materials available in Braille and also that are voice activated would be very important to the learning process of the individual. Another benefit is the opportunity to learn about another culture from materials that are located in the library. Conclusion The sources of knowledge and information for the modern day patron are no longer isolated to printed materials and the traditional library. Even the traditional librarian has undergone a huge change. Programs like advocacy coupled with technologies such Library 2.0 are able to draw in more interested parties and with the help of a certified librarian the possibilities to new knowledge are expounded. The more the patrons become familiarized with the materials and how to get them the more time the librarian can take on improving his or her own skills concerning. In the near future there may be no need for these gladiators of the new library world. It would be possible for people to download information directly into their devices with a tutorial on how to use them. Only time will tell the wonders of this new media concerning libraries, librarians, and patrons. Let’s keep our eyes open. References  Spinks, A. (2009). Library Media Programs and Student Achievement. Retrieved May 13, 2013 from http://www. cobbk12. org/librarymedia/proof/research. pdf State of Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). (n. d. ). School Library Media Programs and Teacher-Librarians. Retrieved May 13, 2013 from http://www. k12. wa. us/SchoolLibrary/ Wools, B. (2008). The school library media manager (4th ed. ). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Vacek, R. (n. d. ). Technology Trends in Libraries – Today & Tomorrow. Retrieved May 13, 2013 from http://www. slideshare. net/vacekrae/technology-trends-in-libraries-today-tomorrow.

Georges Marvellous Medicine Essay

Roald Dahl is an imaginative writer and does create vivid images in the readers mind. i do agree with this statement. Roald Dahl has used many narrative techniques such as imagery, vocabulary and humours illustrations. Georges Marvellous Medicine should be read by all students, because of all the techniques and key features used. Georges Marvellous Medicine is a story about a young boy who’s tempted to do â€Å"something† about his so called â€Å"grandmother†, and by something he means searching around the house collecting all kinds of horrible ingredients that will make grandma disappear, but instead, of disappearing she gets bigger !.The story affects on themes such as groth, family, good people, bad people, understanding people jealousy and greed. An important theme is good people because, being evil / bad, doesn’t pay out later, what goes around comes around an example would be grandma to George. Roald Dahl was the best storyteller in the 20thcentury. He used fantastic plots that matched by the extraordinary events in his life. He played with the vocabulary, and invented his own words. Roald Dahl stories have brought delight to millions of people.He was born in Llandaff, Wales on September 13th 1916. His parents were Norwegian and he was the only son of a second marriage. His father Harald and his elder sister Astri died when Roald was only three. He remembered his mother as â€Å"a rock, a real rock, always on your side whatever you’d done. Roald Dahl died on the 23rd of November 1990. An interesting narrative technique Roald Dahl used to make his stories entertaining and creative were his own words / vocabulary. An example of them would be: Squigglers, jacky jumpers, heigh – nonny- no and spissing.These words present imagery which makes all Roald Dahl’s stories imaginative and entertaining. Italics is also another narrative technique style Roald Dahl used to emphasise a word. An example of an italic would be: No wonder, good. He slants these words, to make their voices have expression, for example, sarcasm. No wonder : Obviously he had left something out of the medicine. The illustrations by Quentin Blake are another narrative technique, used by Roald Dahl in his novel, Georges Marvellous Medicine. The illustrations help the reader to picture the key events and storyline.These illustrations are quick sketches, in black ink which support the fast rate in the storyline. An example would be, when Grandma hops out of her chair once George hands her the medicine. This book cover Georges Marvellous Medicine created and designed by Quentin Blake is effective as a visual text as it illustrates the key ideas in the novel. This book cover aims to target at children promoting a light and comical storyline and themes. For example, the childish font in the cream coloured box has forms of abstract and vector lines which would attract children’s attention.The large saucepan is a salience im age because of the size of the pan. It makes you wonder the many ingredients put into it and the power of this potion. The ladle on which George is holding, guides the viewers eyes around the book cover. This is a form of vector lines. In conclusion, Roald Dahl is an imaginative writer and does create vivid images in the readers mind. Roald Dahl’s novel Georges Marvellous Medicine is an entertaining and imaginative novel with its made up vocabulary and humorous illustrations.Quentin Blake, the creative illustrator of this novel. is one of the finest illustrators in children’s literature. His illustrations are original and easy to follow. Once again, Georges Marvellous Medicine, by Roald Dahl is an entertaining novel and should be read by all students because of all the key features used. The moral / coda of the book Georges Marvellous Medicine, is that grandma had learnt her lesson for being so cruel and wicked to George, as they say, what goes around comes around.

Stress Management Tips for College Students

Stress Management Tips for College StudentsBeing a student can be a very an exciting time – with loads of new friends, clubs, courses and experiences with the new semester, there’s a lot to look forward to and enjoy; however, there can also be a lot of pressures with juggling part-time jobs, assignments and exams and essays. Trying to manage all these things at once can cause students a lot of stress. We believe with appropriate focus and following stress management tips for college students, you can be in much better shape. According to Dr. Forbes, â€Å"Stress occurs when your tension level exceeds your energy level, resulting in an overloaded feeling and as long as our available energy exceeds our tension level, then we’re in an okay state†. Dr. Forbes says. â€Å"But if energy is low and tensions are higher, then that can result in a state of anxiety, depression, and feeling overwhelmed.† David S. Walonick explains in his article that â€Å"short-term stress has served a useful purpose in our survival. Long-term stress, however, involves increasingly higher levels of prolonged and uninterrupted stress. The body adapts to the stress by gradually adjusting its baseline to higher and higher levels.†It might not seem like it when you’re feeling down, but living a more stress free life is possible. If you’re not careful, working too hard and worrying too much can lead to â€Å"burnout† – when everything seems bleak and you have nothing left to give. There are some really easy ways to beat stress effectively. Here are some of the stress management tips for college students:1. Eat a Healthy DietEating fresh fruit and vegetables is really important. Studies have found that juices filled with vitamin C, such as orange or grapefruit juice, are good for your immune system and can help with stress. When you’re busy and tired it can be tempting just to grab another pizza or ready meal, but cooking from scratch can be therapeutic as well as being healthier. Stress Management Tips for College Students2. ExerciseExercising once a week is a proven way to reduce students stress. It helps your body produce endorphins, which make you feel good. Even daily walks of 30 minutes can help reduce stress levels but it’s even better to work out intensively. Even if you don’t feel like it at the time you will feel the benefits afterwards. Joining a sports club could also help with stress as the regular contact with other people should help relieve your stress.3. MeditationIt might sound simple, but sitting quietly for 10 minutes a day can really help with stress levels. If you’ve never tried meditation before, it’s worth a go. Good breathing techniques can put you in a more relaxed state as they send oxygen surging through your bloodstream, helping to calm you down and beat the stress.4. Take a break!Short breaks between working can help you switch off. But longer breaks are important too. How about taking the weekend off to relaxMake time for fun and for yourself even if this means that you have to schedule time away from your work. You’ll hopefully come back to your work feeling fresh.5. Sleep (and sign off Facebook)Sleep is always the best medicine and some people find that small 20-minute naps can help increase productivity. As students we tend to spend too much time on social media sites and answering emails, texts and phone calls. Sociability is fun – but too much of it, and too much computer time, can lead to more stress. Failing to switch off from work because of your electronic gadgets will only make you even more stressed.6. Use our siteDon’t forget that our site is also here to help support you through the pressured times; our essay writing and exam preparation services are designed to relieve you of the stress of preparing an assignment while getting you the highest possible marks. Visit our site to find out more. How do you manage stressShare your tips in the comments section belowTo modify or extend any essay or to get pricing on a custom essay Contact Us Today Stress Management Tips for College Students Stress Management Tips for College StudentsBeing a student can be a very an exciting time – with loads of new friends, clubs, courses and experiences with the new semester, there’s a lot to look forward to and enjoy; however, there can also be a lot of pressures with juggling part-time jobs, assignments and exams and essays. Trying to manage all these things at once can cause students a lot of stress. We believe with appropriate focus and following stress management tips for college students, you can be in much better shape. According to Dr. Forbes, â€Å"Stress occurs when your tension level exceeds your energy level, resulting in an overloaded feeling and as long as our available energy exceeds our tension level, then we’re in an okay state†. Dr. Forbes says. â€Å"But if energy is low and tensions are higher, then that can result in a state of anxiety, depression, and feeling overwhelmed.† David S. Walonick explains in his article that â€Å"short-term stress has served a useful purpose in our survival. Long-term stress, however, involves increasingly higher levels of prolonged and uninterrupted stress. The body adapts to the stress by gradually adjusting its baseline to higher and higher levels.†It might not seem like it when you’re feeling down, but living a more stress free life is possible. If you’re not careful, working too hard and worrying too much can lead to â€Å"burnout† – when everything seems bleak and you have nothing left to give. There are some really easy ways to beat stress effectively. Here are some of the stress management tips for college students:1. Eat a Healthy DietEating fresh fruit and vegetables is really important. Studies have found that juices filled with vitamin C, such as orange or grapefruit juice, are good for your immune system and can help with stress. When you’re busy and tired it can be tempting just to grab another pizza or ready meal, but cooking from scratch can be therapeutic as well as being healthier. Stress Management Tips for College Students2. ExerciseExercising once a week is a proven way to reduce students stress. It helps your body produce endorphins, which make you feel good. Even daily walks of 30 minutes can help reduce stress levels but it’s even better to work out intensively. Even if you don’t feel like it at the time you will feel the benefits afterwards. Joining a sports club could also help with stress as the regular contact with other people should help relieve your stress.3. MeditationIt might sound simple, but sitting quietly for 10 minutes a day can really help with stress levels. If you’ve never tried meditation before, it’s worth a go. Good breathing techniques can put you in a more relaxed state as they send oxygen surging through your bloodstream, helping to calm you down and beat the stress.4. Take a break!Short breaks between working can help you switch off. But longer breaks are important too. How about taking the weekend off to relaxMake time for fun and for yourself even if this means that you have to schedule time away from your work. You’ll hopefully come back to your work feeling fresh.5. Sleep (and sign off Facebook)Sleep is always the best medicine and some people find that small 20-minute naps can help increase productivity. As students we tend to spend too much time on social media sites and answering emails, texts and phone calls. Sociability is fun – but too much of it, and too much computer time, can lead to more stress. Failing to switch off from work because of your electronic gadgets will only make you even more stressed.6. Use our siteDon’t forget that our site is also here to help support you through the pressured times; our essay writing and exam preparation services are designed to relieve you of the stress of preparing an assignment while getting you the highest possible marks. Visit our site to find out more. How do you manage stressShare your tips in the comments section belowTo modify or extend any essay or to get pricing on a custom essay Contact Us Today

Communications Scenario Essay

Effective office communications are not always easy. To communicate with one’s coworkers in a manner that is professional and efficient takes effort on all parties involved in the conversation. When speaking to a member of the opposite sex, one must be aware that differences exist in the way in which messages are sent and how messages are received. In the attached scenario, two peers must work together to run the business while their manager is away. Unfortunately, the communication between Mary and Steve in the scenario below was not very successful, professional, or effective. 1. If Steve were addressing a male coworker instead of Mary, would he have chosen to communicate in the same way? Men and women communicate differently. Because this has been proven in multiple studies throughout the years, one should recognize this and be aware of these differences when dealing with members of the opposite sex in business communication opportunities. Unfortunately, emotions tend to overcome common sense sometimes and communication breakdowns occur. Cynthia Burggraf Torppa, PhD, (n. . ) states that â€Å"Although at times differences in women’s and men’s communication styles seem to be constant and overwhelming, they are really quite minor. For example, both women and men can be nurturing, aggressive, task-focused, or sentimental. What is important to think about, however, is that women and men sometimes perceive the same messages to have different meanings. In fact, it may be as a result of the differences in message interpretation that the â€Å"battle of the sexes† occurs. Studies indicate that women, to a greater extent than men, are sensitive to the interpersonal meanings that lie â€Å"between the lines† in the messages they exchange with their mates. † If Steve were addressing a male coworker, he would have spoken the same way. What should have happened differently is that Steve should have been more aware of how Mary would have responded to the way he presented his problem. Men and women could more effectively communicate if the opposite sex had a heightened awareness to how each interprets messages differently. Men, because they tend to compartmentalize their communication into a smaller part of the brain, tend to be better at getting right to the issue, the more female brain (will) gather a lot of material, gather a lot of information, feel a lot, hear a lot, sense a lot. † (Gurian, 2005) 2. If Mary was treated in the same fashion by a female coworker, would she have responded in the same way? Mary may have reacted somewhat differently if this communication had occurred with a female coworker. She may have been more at ease communicating with another woman. However, in times of stress, people react in different ways. Many women, like Mary, tend to like to confide in others in order to obtain someone else’s point of view on the situation while others may choose to confront the situation head-on in an attempt to find a solution that makes everyone happy. 3. How was this exchange perceived by the male and female employees who overheard it? If others overheard this exchange, the males and females may have had very different view of how the communication was handled and what the real message being sent was. Many have said that women tend to let their personal feelings get too involved in the work environment and tend to take things personally. Men, on the other hand, are said to be able to not let personal feelings get in the way. Other women who may have overheard the exchange may tend to side with Mary, perceiving Steve as being a â€Å"typical man† who is unable to communicate his feelings in an adult fashion. Other men who may have overheard the exchange may have wondered what the problem was but would have been more inclined to ignore the exchange. Employees who observed Mary’s action of resorting to seek comfort from another female employee may believe that Mary is insecure about her role as a manager. As acting managers, both Steve and Mary should have kept the differences out of the view of teammates. Employees should not be witness to a disagreement between two managers and the destruction of the reputation is furthered by the way Mary sought comfort by discussing the situation with a coworker and by Steve slamming the door. While the CFO is away, Mary and Steve need to have a private conversation to work through the differences that have been displayed. Good communication skills and listening skills will be critical in this situation. Each will have to â€Å"flex† their normal personality styles to be able to communicate effectively and work through this scenario. A solid front must be presented to the rest of the team so show that issues can be worked through and that both Mary and Steve are capable of being in charge in the CFO’s absence. Scenario Mary Smith and Steve Johnson have equal roles in management positions at Company X, Y, and Z. They have been asked to work and make decisions together, while the CFO is away on business. An issue has developed, on which Mary and Steve disagree. While discussing the issue on the phone with Mary, Steve abruptly yells, â€Å"You aren’t listening to me,† and hangs up. A shocked Mary goes to another female employee to discuss how unfairly she feels she is being treated by Steve. Meanwhile, Steve has slammed his office door to brood alone. Do Mary and Steve not like one another? Do they not work well together? The answer is probably no to both questions. The cause of the distress is likely due to the ineffectiveness of their inter-gender communication, fueled in part by the stressful task of filling in for the CFO. Mary and Steve were communicating in stereotypical male/female patterns. Steve aggressively vented his anger at Mary and Mary meekly retreated to the solace of a fellow female employee, instead of confronting Steve. Each individual is unique; however, there are biological, social and cultural factors that influence how we communicate with the opposite sex.