Leadership Interview Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership Interview Paper - Essay Example or the final round of the interview was the main part of the selection process as it aimed to analyze the leadership quality of the interviewee and evaluate his leadership knowledge implementation skill. Leadership is a quality of a human being by which he or she can effectively control a group of people or situation. It is a tough ability which affects the behavior of any human being for accomplishing a mission. It is the quality to influence or motivate single or a group of people to go ahead towards the assigned goal and achieve the goal. All these can be summarized as that, a leader is simply someone who has the ability to create a path and lead others to follow it. So without any experience no one can be a leader i.e. he should have comparatively better knowledge from others i.e. the follower then only he can lead a group of people. A leader needs to have some essential previous experiences to become a leader and that would be very helpful to develop the leadership style of a person. One is working in a team as well as leading the team by the knowledge and skills and proper understanding of group dynamics. To lead a team or group of people who are involved in similar kind of work, the person or group leader needs to have better knowledge of and expertise on the particular work than other team members. It is only then that he or she can guide or lead the team and can motivate the members to go forward to achieve the assigned goal effectively. Second important experience that a leader needs to have is protesting against an unfaithful and unethical happening and encouraging his followers to do that as well. If a person is guiding a group of people the person can be called a successful leader only when his or her followers follow his positive or negative path of direction to achieve the goal. Positive path refers to the working of a group together to achieve a set target which can be either a company target or, a long term project or it can even be a

Food Security Essay Example for Free

Food Security Essay As the effort to alleviate poverty and increase food security takes on new dimensions on the backdrop of increasing challenges, asset-based community development has become a key strategy. There has been a shift of focus to individual, communal and institutional asset and the capacity or potential they have in building the capacity of achieving locally defined development (Social Design, 2010). The asset-based community development strategy is based on the principle that including as many people as is possible in a development project increases the probability of the project remaining sustainable even after the experts implementing it leave it under the management of the community. The asset-based community development strategy begins by first acknowledging that the existent poverty and insufficiency in a community cannot be solved by the human, physical and intellectual assets at the disposal of the community (Social Design, 2010). It involves the mobilization of members of the community so that these assets, coupled with external investment, can be effectively utilized to improve the community’s capacity of meeting the developmental challenges that face it. In addition, there needs to be creation of awareness about alternative means of acquiring additional assets and resources. Secondly, asset-based community development should be viewed as complementary to developmental work already in progress within the community; and must be based on the traditions rooted within the community with regard to organization, community development and developmental planning (Social Design, 2010). It should be noted that not a single entity (government, the business community, civil society and the community itself) can bring meaningful development on its own, so the essence of asset-based community is to forge a working partnership between all the stakeholders to bring about improvement in sufficiency, democracy and respect to human rights (Social Design, 2010). The process must therefore be based on transparency and accountability, justice and participation. Having established this operational framework, attention is shifted on ways of mobilizing the community and the assets it has towards a clearly defined vision. The first step is mapping all the assets within the community and its local institutions (Social Design, 2010). Full mobilization in this context is only achieved after the community can address its agenda and challenges with an awareness of the resources that it has to counter the developmental challenges it faces. Second, elaborate plans should be put in place to build strong relationships within the community so that these resources can be aggregated and given a common focus towards progress. Strength and self-reliance are attributes bolstered when all members of the community are linked and actively involved in finding solutions to the challenges that face them (Social Design, 2010). The community realizes that it has a great potential than it had realized and there is a rejuvenation of hope, motivation and renewal. After relationships have been established, the assets owned within the community are mobilized towards economic development and for the purpose of sharing information. This includes the assets relegated due to lack of information on how to harness them or lack of the applicable technology. The community is then convened as a unit to participate in the development of a vision and the plan to achieve it. As said earlier, the assets and resources within poor communities are not sufficient. Asset-based development strategies need therefore to leverage outside resources to support them; and after all these steps have been taken, the community is on its way to self-sufficiency (Social Design, 2010). Sustainable livelihoods frameworks (SLF) Sustainable Livelihoods frameworks provide a basis for poverty analysis so that policies, programs and projects designed to reduce poverty can be specifically tailored to meet developmental challenges facing a community (Ludy Slater, 2008). Through SLFs, a coherent approach to the analysis of economic challenges can be performed, leading to the identification of suitable intervention and the timetable for these interventions. SLF implementation are founded on analyzing livelihoods, risks and vulnerabilities of individuals, households and the community so that key drivers of poverty and their remedies can be established (Ludy Slater, 2008). Sustainable livelihoods frameworks are centered on people and their capacity to mobilize the natural, human, social and financial assets at their disposal in response to opportunities and risks so that the quality of life can be improved. An emphasis is laid on strengths rather than weaknesses, and the strategy is to make targeted people have the awareness that they have the assets and the potential to utilize them in pursuit of livelihood goals (Ludy Slater, 2008). SLF implementation is multidimensional and aims at first identifying the constrictions standing in the way of individuals and households and analyzing the same to yield the opportunities that may arise therein; developing specific but diverse strategies to empower the people to pursue paths towards securing their livelihoods. SLFs focus on each target’s individual strategy for socio-economic development and therefore favor full participation and multidisciplinary approach at different levels (Ludy Slater, 2008). They thus are flexible to organizations planning specific interventions to poverty and allow focus to be on the elements within a society most likely to face developmental challenges. Entrepreneurial ideology in rural project Entrepreneurship has been identified as a very strategic intervention for accelerating development in rural areas. It creates employment, prevents rural unrest and leads to the creation of wealth at the local level reducing dependency especially for women and other marginalized people (FAO, 1997). There is acceptance that entrepreneurship in rural areas by itself cannot achieve development; so the emphasis of this ideology is the creation of an environment that makes entrepreneurship in rural areas a viable venture. The premise of the rural entrepreneurship ideology is that diversification from subsistence agriculture holds the key to economic development (FAO, 1997). Attention is therefore paid to alternatives like the promotion of tourism and other trades like carpentry, training, retailing and sports. The genesis of rural entrepreneurship is the creation of a supporting environment through policies that establish macro-economic stability, property rights and an international outlook (FAO, 1997). The necessary inputs to the entrepreneurship process like capital, infrastructure and management training can therefore be dispatched to the rural areas as a base for establishing a vibrant economy, consequently increasing sufficiency and reducing dependency. ? References Food and Agricultural Organization, FAO. (1997). â€Å"Rural development through entrepreneurship† Retrieved on 20/5/2010 from http://www. fao. org/docrep/W6882E/w6882e02. htm#P359_61606 Ludy, E. Slater, R. (2008). Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to understand and tackle poverty. Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Social Design. â€Å"Asset-Based Community Development† Retrieved on 19/05/2010 from http://www. socialdesign. org/assets/development. html

Gatsbys Mysterious Nature in The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald :: essays research papers

The 1920’s was a time of prosperity, woman’s rights, and bootleggers. F. Scott Fitzgerald truly depicts the reality of this era with The Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby, an enormously wealthy man, is famous for his extravagant parties and striking residence. However, this is all that is known about Gatsby. Even his closest friends continue to wonder what kind of man Gatsby actually is. The mysteriousness of Gatsby is demonstrated by conceivable gossip, his random departures, and the missing parts of his past. It is human nature for people to question the character of those around them, and in Gatsby’s case, his friends did not have much information about him. Since little is known about Gatsby, his neighbor, Nick, must depend on misleading rumors about the man of mystery. At one of Gatsby’s glamorous parties, a group of women gossip, â€Å"One time he killed a man who had found out that he was the nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devil† (61). Other guest place Gatsby as an illegal bootlegger or as a German spy during the war. While some of these stories may be true to his past, most are the outcome of society’s ignorance of Gatsby. As Nick and Gatsby become more acquainted, Nick is invited to dine with Gatsby for lunch. They arrive at the restaurant, and eat while engaging with one of Gatsby’s business partners. After the three enjoy their lunch, Nick bumps into Tom Buchanan, the husband of Nick’s cousin, Daisy. Attempting to introduce Gatsby to Tom, an â€Å"†¦unfamiliar look of embarrassment came over Gatsby face†¦ I turned towards Mr. Gatsby, but he was no longer there† (74). The reason for his disappearance is unknown, thus adding to the ambiguity of Gatsby. Throughout the book, Nick strings together pieces of Gatsby’s past. However, his uncertainty grows as Gatsby reveals himself one day while driving to town, â€Å"[Gatsby] hurried the phrase ‘educated at Oxford,’ or swallowed it, or choked on it, as though it had bothered him before. And with this doubt, his whole statement fell to pieces, and I wondered if there wasn’t something a little sinister about him, after all† (65). With hesitation in his voice, Gatsby is surely not revealing the truth. The many holes in his storyline can certainly lead one to question the validity of his past.

Roman propaganda vs. Todays propaganda :: essays research papers

Propaganda is when someone uses allegations, ideas, or rumors to further their own cause and hurt someone else. I do believe that the Romans used this method to make themselves and their empire look better. The Romans might have been some of the first rulers to use propaganda, but since their time we have seen many political leaders use the same methods to make themselves achieve a higher level of affection from the people under them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first sign to me of their propaganda was their architecture. First, I believe the gigantic statues and buildings represent the idea that the Romans had wealth because they could afford to build and decorate such an extravagant thing. Second, I think they were also supposed to portray that they had high intelligence because they could create the architectural wonders that had never been done before. Lastly, I think that they wanted every one to believe their army was undefeatable because most of their statues or monuments portrayed massive victories in battle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that the characteristics that they portrayed helped them in their propaganda by making the people think that the leaders must be worthy because they were able to have all of these things. In my opinion, they built these structures not only to try to make the roman people believe they had all these characteristics, but also for other societies to hear about or see and be either intimidated or astonished by their empire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today’s society, the politicians in the United States do not build elaborate buildings as propaganda. I think the main reason for this is all the architecture of the government was built long before they came into office. For example, the White House in Washington D.C. was built long before President Bush came into office and it was never meant to be changed. Even though they do not build architecture, I do believe they use it when it comes to buildings that are already there. I took notice that when the President addressed the nation during the first few hours of the War he was sitting in his office not in the pressroom. Looking back to me it was as if he wanted to give the impression that it was just another obstacle and he was calm and working in his office at home. Even though the White House is equipped with many offices and people, it is still called the â€Å"White House,† so when the T.

Different Views on Ethical Perspectives Essay

We, as human beings are more often aware of our actions. Before we make decisions critical analysis comes with a great consideration. We are able to analyze these things because are considered as rational beings and we have the ability to think to the highest level we can. We opt to consider whether these things are good or not, if it’s right or wrong and if it’s really needed or not; this we often consider as ethics. Ethics is an issue of morality. There are things that we do that others consider wrong, but others may consider righteous. According to the society we should act as what it considers right; norms are one of the foundations of ethics and we should act accordingly. Norms can be a basis of what is morally right or wrong. There are four perspectives to be discussed in this paper, each of them having their own characteristics and each of them having their strong points and their weaknesses. The perspectives are universally known as the character or virtue, deontology or the perspective of obligation, the theory of utilitarianism and the equity or principle of relativism. The theory of utilitarianism points out two things; one thing is better than the other if we could gain more pleasure from it, and the other thing is not that good, or better yet to say evil, if we could only gain pain from it. This theory also states that we do things voluntarily, that one is considered as the pilot of his own decisions and that such consequences could have not taken place if only he did or did not do such actions. The amount or quantity of pleasure or pain takes into a great consideration in the concept of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is better understood as having the maximization quantity of benefit and less quantity of bad or the pain it can cause. A person would have two distinct choices, the first one is that if he does the action he would gain more pleasure or shall I say he can maximize the benefits of the action; the other is that if he does the action he would have to gain more risks and consequences. The first choice would be most favored because we, as human beings would not want to suffer from the choices we make, we do not want to be suffering from the consequences of our actions so what we do is do the thing that would give us the most favorable and maximum quantity of pleasure (Moore, 1912). Virtue is an ethical perspective that tackles about the actions that we make and the ideals we have in life that we should strive for and that these ideals help us in developing our highest potentials as human beings. This focuses on the traits or character that one has, the dispositions in life and the attitudes whether be it bad or good. Virtues are acquired through doing it everyday, they become a person’s characteristic when they are practiced for the longer time. There are a lot of characteristics and virtues a person can have; truthfulness, patience, honesty, and courteous are some of these. Virtue would help us in pursuing the ideals that we have in life (C. A. Manuel Velasquez, Thomas Shanks, S. J. , and Michael J. Meyer 1996). The theory of ethical relativism states that morality is based on the culture of a society. It singles out that one can either be wrong or right, bad or evil depending on the society the person belongs to; the society is the one concerned in creating its own culture. This theory is basically called relativism because being good or bad is relative of the kind of society a person belongs to; the society dictates whatever thing is perceived as good or bad. Every single society shares a common culture, this culture defines good and bad and the people should act with accordance to the standards of the society they belong. This theory is often argued because of the fact that every single society has its own culture and therefore has its own perception of bad or good. However, this theory is useful in exploring the reasons behind the differentiation of culture among societies (C. A. Manuel Velasquez, Thomas Shanks, S. J. , and Michael J. Meyer, 1992). Obligation perspective holds the golden rule â€Å"do not do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you†. It simply states that we should do what is only right and not what is wrong. It holds the principle of doing what is good because of the obligation. Say for example, a person should tell the truth because that person is bound to have an obligation to tell the truth because he doesn’t want other people not to trust him and because he upholds the value of truthfulness. This perspective is sometimes being pertained to utilitarianism, but it is totally different. While obligation is obligatory, utilitarianism is a voluntary act. After taking the ethical awareness test, I have known that what ethic perspective dominates in me is the obligation or the deontology. My perspective is based on my obligation or duty to do what is morally right. With this, I am to consider a thing as ethical if I choose how I act and what rules I am willing to oblige. It is also stated in my ethical perspective that the people should not be treated as a means to justify an end, simply stating â€Å"the end does not justify the means†. I also believe that every single individual should be given the respect that any man should have and therefore I won’t be able to comply with the policies and social traditions aimed at the best interest of the society as a whole. However, my approach to ethics requires legal and humane limits, I simply believe that people should be allowed to make their own choices and I advocate policies that have the intention to ensure equal opportunities for all as well as equal respect. My ethical perspective upholds the principle of doing things in accordance with the standards of right and wrong. However, though my ethical perspective aims to do what is morally right I am faced with numbers of dilemmas with regards to work. These problems would somehow cause me frustrations and may lead to a more devastated life in the future for it is not only concerned in the present but it also pertains to the future. One of the problems I am going to face with this perspective is that the people I work with might argue that some people within a society are not able to act in their own best interests. I may find this a fallacy because it was once used in the denying of the equitable treatment to women and the minorities. This somehow would result to frustration. The second problem I am to face with this perspective is that what I perceived to be morally right may not benefit most of the people. It doesn’t necessarily mean that if I have perceived a thing to be morally right it would maximize the good or pleasure. This would cause me another frustration because if I had made a decision which I perceived to be right and it didn’t work to be beneficial I may have doubts when I make a decision again. It might cause greater problems in the future. Another dilemma I am to face with this perspective is that defending this may end up in economic hardship; in worst cases I can be terminated. Say for example, in a working place several employees should be terminated because the company is having low production because these people are handicapped or they are simply not productive, the best action would be to terminate them but I, as a moralist would say that they should not be terminated because they have children. In the long run, if these people would be in the company and the company has still a low productivity the company would have losses and it may lead to closure because of the losses. Having things perceived as morally right may not be totally right; some may be beneficial but some can create more problems. We as human beings should act accordingly to whatever it is that we perceive because these choices are free of charge, because God created us with the opportunity of having what we call free will and should be practiced. We should not depend on what others may in making our decisions but we should also be ready for the consequences that accompany our decisions. Whatever action we do we should think of it twice, we should think that there are always two sides of a story. We should not be bounded by obligations because this might cause us greater frustrations in the future and this may lead to a very low self-esteem. We don’t want these to happen that’s why we should think critically and make decisions wisely because we are the pilot of our own lives.

Navajo code essays

Navajo code essays The Navajo Indian Code was used in the military, specifically the Navy and Marines. It was introduced for World War 2. The person who introduced the Navajo language as a code was a man named Philip Johnston. He was the son of a Navajo missionary and was one of the estimated thirty non-Navajos to fluently speak the language. Johnston showed the value to Major General Clayton B. Vogel by testing the code under combat situations. The code is also a lot quicker than any other code machine up to that date. The Navajos could actually transmit a 3-line English message in about 20 seconds, compared to the machine with took about 30 minutes. The code is actually just a Indian language that was impossible to figure out. They would use the Navajo tribes people to relay messages from one station to another. They would have one Navajo on one radio and another Navajo on the other side of the radio. The military personal would tell them what to say, then the Navajo would translate it over the radio, and the other Navajo would re-translate it to the other military personal. The Navajo Indian code was so effective because it wasnt like any other language used. The only people who spoke it were the Navajos and the very rare white person. It also doesnt have routes, like English or Italian do to Latin. Also there are many different dialects of the language, so it make it so complex and so impossible to decipher them. So it was very hard to figure out, and thats why they were able to use it without it being broken. During the war about 400 of the 50,000 Navajo Indians were code talkers with about another 100 working in other contributions. Before the Navajos could go out to the military units, they had to complete a training course. The training course taught them military terms to communicate with. After their training was over they were assigned a unit and performed their duty as a transmitter. Even after the war...

Ariel Dorfmans Death and the Maiden and Bertolt Brechts Mother Courage Essay Example

Ariel Dorfmans Death and the Maiden and Bertolt Brechts Mother Courage Essay Example Ariel Dorfmans Death and the Maiden and Bertolt Brechts Mother Courage Paper Ariel Dorfmans Death and the Maiden and Bertolt Brechts Mother Courage Paper thus, although the country had been freed from the oppressive rule of the dictatorship Paulina was still oppressed within her own house itself. However, the entire atmosphere changes after Scene 3 when Paulina takes possession of the gun. With the gun in Paulinas hand Dorfman shows a different side of her, the earlier compliant Paulina is gone and in her place is a woman who is in control of the situation. Paulina realizes that it is the gun which allows her to speak her mind and finally make choices, in Act 1 Scene 4 when Gerardo tells her to put the gun down as it is preventing any dialogue from taking place, she counters saying that as soon as she puts the gun down all dialogue will terminate since Gerardo would use his strength to win the argument showing that the gun is her only source of defense against him. The gun becomes both a symbol of power and a symbol of defense for Paulina who being a woman would never be able to physically overpower Gerardo. Thus, keeping a more feminist view in mind, both Gerardo and Miranda represent a male-dominated world where Paulina, the woman, has very few choices and is forced to take a very desperate and dangerous way out, represented by the gun. Dorfman also shows the reader how this would not normally be way in which Paulina would free herself, shown by her inexperience in handling the gun. (Act 1, Scene 4, Its clear she did not know how to fire the weapon) It also shows how new this freedom of choice was for Paulina. The gun is not only for Paulinas protection but is also her only means to gain justice for herself. While she does talk about people who had been denied justice like her, the emphasis is always on the word me. The fact that it is a gun that she uses, a weapon that only protects her and harms others shows the reader that she wanted her justice no matter what the cost was to anyone else. In Mother Courage, the cart is a clear symbol of survival. It is Mother Courages only means of enduring the war and supporting her children. Similar to Paulina in Death and the Maiden, Mother Courage too is a woman all alone in a world controlled by men (a fact that all the powerful posts in the army such as general belong to men). However unlike Paulina, Mother Courage is very well versed with business and this shows us that she has been living like this for a very long time. We can see this from Scene 1 where she bites the half-florin and says shes got no faith in any kind of money showing that she has traveled far and wide and has vast experience in business matters. Another example of this is in Scene 2 when she haggles effectively with the cook over the price of a hen. Mother Courage may seem very business minded with her cart being the only reason to live being her cart; however the reality of the situation is that the cart is just a means of earning money to take care of her children. When Swiss Cheese is captured she is ready to hand over her cart in exchange, the only reason she bargains for more is the fact that she still ahs a daughter to care for. Taking care of her children probably has a broader societal meaning, it could refer to the protection of the weak and oppressed during the war, this can be further justified by the fact that none of the children share the same father and non of this matters to Mother Courage in whose mind they are all her family, hence, the conventional idea of what a family should be like is completely broken in this way where a cart is what keeps them together. This can be compared to Gerardo and Paulina who, while married share a very dysfunctional relationship with Paulina ironically being able to tell Roberto more things than she can tell her husband. Once again the idea of family is challenged where Paulina can only be heard through the sound of gunshot. In Mother Courage there is no continuity between the scenes, yet Mother Courage and her cart remain constant even in a war, on the other hand, in Death and the Maiden the flow of the story is constant, however Paulina and her actions are not. Although she lives in an age of democracy, the gun in her hand dissolves all such ideas and brings it down to a question of who has the strength to do what they want. In Act 2, Scene 1, while pointing the gun to Robertos temple she says Out there you bastards may still give the orders, but in here, Im in command. Is that clear? This shows almost twisted thinking on Paulinas part in a world where everyone had the right to speak out. Another interesting aspect to note is that the gun in Death and the Maiden would probably have been more suited in the war-ravaged setting of Mother Courage, the cart which is a symbol of business would fit far better in Death and the Maiden where the country has just attained democracy and is free of oppressive dictatorship. The cart is symbolizes the prosperity and capitalism which democracy is supposed to bring. However, the gun and the cart seem very out of place in their respective environments. While it is obvious that the authors had not planned both stories together we still see a common thread of thought in the writing of both authors, in one case the gun shows a shadow of the past, the presence of the oppressive dictatorship is still looming over while in Mother Courage the cart shows the future, the war will one day end and normal life will return. While the ideas seem very contrasting in nature, the common factor is that they both show the reader that nothing is truly perfect or complete; there is no continuity in any form of system, The very fact that it is so difficult shows us that this idea could never be conveyed to the reader through sheer words, the image of the gun and the cart instead paint this picture in our minds. While very different, both the gun and the cart play very similar roles in each story. Their importance to the leading characters is unquestionable and the many ideas they reveal, while different, show the reader the same thing. Hence, it must be said that these items form an integral part of their respective stories.

How to Write a Term Paper Thesis

How to Write a Term Paper Thesis How to Write a Term Paper Thesis There are many tips a student needs to keep in mind while writing a term paper thesis. A student needs to put in as much effort as possible in order to secure a decent grade. First of all, it is imperative that the student starts early and makes sure that their topic is chosen within first seven days, during the next week the student should study the research articles. If the student becomes lazy and does not follow such a schedule, it will create problems for the student. It is important that students take into consideration what interests them when selecting a topic. Students should also make sure that sufficient discussion has taken place with the professor before the topic has been finalized. Regular meetings should continue to take place with the professor to ensure that the student is on the right track, while making sure that the selected topic is neither too narrow, nor too broad. It is always a good idea to see your professor on a regular basis, since the professor will see you are working hard and you will also extract information, regarding proper indexes and catalogs, from the instructor. You should also make a complete list of potential key words that might be used to collect research material for the research topic. It will be best if you try to use mostly primary sources for your research material. Meanwhile, remember tips such as noting down ideas in a separate journal so that you do not forget them, and you can make use of them later. Clearly identify the notes on research material, and point out the areas which are to be directly quoted, and which are to be rephrased. One must be careful to avoid plagiarism since it is still considered a crime if it is detected. Ensure that your paper is checked for plagiarism and corrected before it is submitted. Note taking is also very crucial in order to maintain the progress you have made while making sure that the notes are clear and not vague. If you consider making the notes on a computer then you can easily retrieve them whenever they are required. However, it could complicate things since you will not be able to view all the notes at the same time, so this could cancel out the benefit of ease of access that computer note taking brings. Moreover, it is important that a very good outline for the paper is created before starting to write the paper. This will ensure that the structure of the paper is well managed and systematic, while also making sure that you have covered all the points. You need to ensure that a proper and clear thesis has been stated and that the whole study revolves around that thesis statement. Meanwhile, stating facts and figures is a very crucial element of a research paper. Ensure that the statistics that have been stated on the paper are accurate by checking them several times. Finally, the sources used for the research should be mentioned carefully, and after concluding the essay, there should be sufficient time for the student to proofread the document several times, to ensure the grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the document is flawless. will gladly help with term paper writing on any topic and discipline. Our writers are willing to write high-quality custom term papers from scratch!

Consumers Perceptions of Global and Local Brands Dissertation

Consumers Perceptions of Global and Local Brands - Dissertation Example For consumers, the global reputation provides a more satisfying element and they find to spend some extra money worthy for global brand whereas for companies, global brands enhances market share, market position, and customer base with a push in the profits. With the increase of more and more global brands and the expansion of global brands in different parts of the world, customers are in different parts of the world are looking to buy more global brands. Customers perceive that the quality of the products offered by global brands are far more in comparison to the quality of the products offered by different local firms and therefore they are more inclined to buy products that are available globally rather than only in the local region. The preference of global brands over local brands have increased rapidly in developing countries as well within the consumer goods industry, people from developing countries find global consumer brands more trustworthy and environmental friendly than local brands. This has allowed multinational companies to expand their operations in the developing countries and gain huge profits from this diverse market. There are several factors that influence the buying decision of an individual and the marketing managers of global brands identify and analyse these factors and then by focusing on these factors they are able to win the battle against different local brands available in different parts of the world.

Interpersonal Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Interpersonal Skills - Essay Example (Haar, Retaining Experienced, Qualified Teachers: the Principal’s Role). These effective teachers can help the students to adopt their skills and learn many things from them; things that are not taught by them verbally. Among these skills, teachers can teach the students to develop their interpersonal skills, so that the students can interact or deal with others in a better way. Teachers should educate the students to build their interpersonal skills so that these skills can help them to build their confidence and improve their relationship with each other. To embed positive interpersonal skills in the students, teachers can use number of role plays that can help the students to polish their skills to this extent that it becomes part of their life. My strengths as a communicator Anything that is done by a person affects another person emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually is called communication. Communicating with one another is the main skill on which the entire l iving thing relies, to fill their special and daily needs. Since communication is a two way process therefore I understand that if one is a good speaker as well as a good listener only then the person can prove himself as a good communicator. As a communicator few of my strengths include; my willingness to listen to other people. As a person I prefer to listen to others so that I can understand them better and make them comfortable. I am also careful about other’s emotions; my sensitivity has also helped me become a good communicator. Other than this, my friendly personality also helps me to become more approachable for others and they feel free to talk to me in any regard. These were my strengths that I possess as a listener. As a speaker few of my strengths include; effective speaking, I am very comfortable in talking to others. At one time I can listen to others, while at the same time I can also make them understand my stance very easily. Moreover, I am also a confident i ndividual who is able to communicate with others and can adjust with them in no time. Other than this, I am also a quick thinker who can comprehend the situation comfortably, thus can act accordingly. However, though I possess all these strengths but unfortunately, I am only able to perform these tasks effortlessly when I am communicating in my first language, Arabic. When it comes to express myself or communicate with others in any other language, or in English for that matter, the problem arises as I do not have enough command on it. What do I yet need to develop in myself? The area that I find I need to develop as a communicator is my body language. Since the body language helps one improve their communication skills, the way one holds oneself also has an impact on how others perceive them and treat them. This shows that the body language helps others make decision on how to treat people in public and in person. As a communicator a major problem that I faced was poor eye contact with others. I understand the importance of having an eye contact while talking to anyone in order to prove your words and let others have interest in your conversation. Even though, I can contentedly make eye contact with the other person when I am talking in my native language, however, in second language the same task seemed difficult to me. In addition to this, I had weak listening skills for a foreign

Global Studies Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Studies - Term Paper Example On the other hand, Khan argues that dictatorship is a way the government officials opt to use leadership positions to influences processes to their own benefits (17). It is an obvious assumption that dictatorship is only meant for the benefit of the commanding officer or officers in the government. Across the globe, many nations governed by dictatorship have very low per capita income and live in deplorable conditions. This is an indication that democracy is a key instrument in the development of a country. However, Held points out that democracy slow down democracy (12). He supports his argument by arguing that if every option by every citizen is to be considered before making a decision, most countries would not have made any decisions in terms of development and implementing policies (Held 12). For this reason, dictatorship seems to be the solution for a fast development option in any country. The fewer considerations a government makes, the less time it would take for it to devel op the country. However, dictatorship is a dreadful form leadership; and citizens fight for democracy until their will is fulfilled. The battle for democracy may be disastrous to a country. Regardless of the strides made in development, the battle for democracy may ruin the development record of any country (Held 56). The growth of a country based on extractive political institutions is not sustainable. The factors that makes this leadership style significant or long term will be discussed in broad detail. Additionally, why countries do not use dictatorship if there are ways to address the factors that may cause only short term development is also relevant. In analyzing the report on per capital income by the World Bank 2011, there are revelations that dictatorship is enemy of development. Comparing a nation like Zimbabwe and the United States makes the argument simpler. Zimbabwe is in position 198 in terms of per capita income and a nation like Botswana is in position 98 (World Ban k 1). Zimbabwe is more of a dictatorship nation while Botswana is a democratic nation. The development record of these two nations cannot be compared and this can be attributed to the different leadership styles by the two nations. However, Zimbabwe has many resources and a larger human resource force. From this analysis, one may easily point out that dictatorship has led to the decline of economy in Zimbabwe. The same case applies to any other nation that uses dictatorship on its citizens. Khan points out that sustaining development under dictatorship is difficult since the government lacks support of its citizens and numerous NGOs (78). This minimizes the chances of investments and donors to government projects. The argument is supported by Held who points out that the support of citizens and other institutions on government projects is important to sustain the economy and development of a country (123). Governments depend on funding and loans from financial bodies. However, most of these bodies do not support regimes that use dictatorship. The global war for democracy has been influenced by the lack of support to regimes that use dictatorship. Apart from the lack of financial support, dictator governments are always at a risk of political revolution (Benhabib 96). In recent years political revolutions have crippled many nations. Nations suffer great loss to their economy after a

Examining a chosen area of media law that relates to the processes or Essay

Examining a chosen area of media law that relates to the processes or business practices involved in magazine publishing - Essay Example This paper aims at discussing the levels to which the law gives such individuals right to privacy. This will be in relation to the right and freedom given to the magazine publishers by the constitution. The intellectual property right is the right given to an individual to control any of his or her intellectual creations. Mostly violation of this right by magazine publishers through publication of these creations without the owner’s permission this may involve the inclusion of photographs a written work by individuals the on the public eye. If a magazine publisher chooses to use any person material without their consent, this would be termed as a violation of intellectual property rights (Phillips & Firth 1999:84). Some of the victims of such violation are photographers, visual artists, and literal creations. If magazine publishers would use images of works by famous photographers without their assent, they would be guilty of violation of this right. However, the magazine can always use these creations by getting in touch with the persons involves and getting either written or verbal assent for the use of these creations. Another form of intellectual property right mostly abused by magazine publishers is the trade secrets. The trade secrets include confidential information that a business or a person uses to get an advantage over their competitors. This information might negatively involve the parties involved if the information gets to the public. A perfect replica of such an incident is one where maybe an artist had a formula or a manner in which he came up with his work. If a magazine publisher publishes this information without the consent of the artist, then the artists’ privacy would have been invaded. The magazine publisher, however, has the right to print this information if the secret of trade violated human rights in any way. The law protects individuals from exploitation just to some limit. Contract law is a section of law that is funda mental for the making of oral and written agreements. These kinds of agreements usually have an association with exchange of goods and services, money, and properties. It entails topics such as the nature of responsibilities, limitation of actions, freedom of contract, privacy of contract, termination of contract and covers also agency relationships, commercial paper, and contracts of employment. In this case, the contract would involve the publisher and the public figure. Such agreement always involves information on the nature of co-existence between the two parties. Magazine publishers sometimes use information about some of the public figures to come up with some of their article. There are cases where the magazine publishers have an agreement of exclusion of some of the information. In such an incidence, it would be a breach of contract if the magazine publishers goes ahead and publishes the information The law of libel protects each and every person from defamation in whatever means. Libels refer to written defamation. This may take place if a magazine publisher decides to publish a story that defames. If it would be proved that the information on the publication is not true, then the publisher will be guilty of defamation. Defamation always takes place as a result of gossip or speculations. When this takes place, the victim usually experiences hatred, shame, disgrace, contempt or ridicule. In some cases, the victim can even experience all the mentioned outcomes. Victims of defamation; however

Research Proposal Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Proposal - Research Paper Example This is because the combination ensures very high level of empirical representation of data as well as consolidates the validity and reliability of data collection and analysis. It is estimated that the present research will cost USD 900 and span for a period of 2 months. It would however become the hub of comprehensive information for Al Waseet to identify its market base and rightly strategize on both short term and long term to take advantage of this market. Background Al Waseet enters the Daily New Paper market as a new entrant who is faced with a number of critical competitions, which if not addressed could affect and undermine the success of the business (Project Management Institute, 2008). But to address the issues effectively, it is important to have a comprehensive marketing research that identifies key opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses of the company (Alexis, 2007). It is against this background that the present marketing research proposal is necessary. It w ould be observed that access to information is fast becoming a necessity for the ordinary person on the streets of Bahrain (McClain, 2002). This is partly because the world is shrinking in terms of access to information and becoming closed up under the wheels of globalization. The Daiky Newpaper industry has therefore become competitive in Bahrain. This notwithstanding, Al Waseet is in a position to creating its own competitive advantage that would make it not just a local force in the business but a company with international repute (Perry, 2008). Problem Definition/ Objectives of the Research There exists a well formulated Newspaper industry in Bahrain (Gabby, 2009). This however does not mean that the door is closed to new entrants. The only problem is that new entrants would have to have their own competitive advantages and marketing strategies that would help them win new lines of customers. The objective of the research is therefore to come out with both short term and long te rm strategic marketing plan that would ensure that Al Waseet gains a competitive advantage as a new entrant on the Bahrain market. Approach to the problem As a marketing research, it is highly important that the proposed research have qualities that make it possible to have tangential access to information (Tawiah, 2009). More to this, it is important that data collected can be ascribed to both qualitative and quantitative scrutiny. In light of this, there shall be a mixed approach towards the research whereby the researcher shall use a mixed approach made up of qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Research Design The selection of research design is directly linked to the research approach because the research design should be selected in a way that makes it possible to achieve the provisions of the research approach, which is proposed to be a mixed approach. To this end, the researcher proposes the use of survey research design for the present study. With a survey rese arch design, the researcher will be offered the opportunity to use a number of data collection instruments to collect a combination of qualitative and quantitative data from both the field and from existing literature (Alpha, 2005). Fieldwork/ Data Collection The fieldwork is going to constitute an important component of primary data collection. What this means is that the researcher is going to use fieldwork to collect

Examining a chosen area of media law that relates to the processes or Essay

Examining a chosen area of media law that relates to the processes or business practices involved in magazine publishing - Essay Example This paper aims at discussing the levels to which the law gives such individuals right to privacy. This will be in relation to the right and freedom given to the magazine publishers by the constitution. The intellectual property right is the right given to an individual to control any of his or her intellectual creations. Mostly violation of this right by magazine publishers through publication of these creations without the owner’s permission this may involve the inclusion of photographs a written work by individuals the on the public eye. If a magazine publisher chooses to use any person material without their consent, this would be termed as a violation of intellectual property rights (Phillips & Firth 1999:84). Some of the victims of such violation are photographers, visual artists, and literal creations. If magazine publishers would use images of works by famous photographers without their assent, they would be guilty of violation of this right. However, the magazine can always use these creations by getting in touch with the persons involves and getting either written or verbal assent for the use of these creations. Another form of intellectual property right mostly abused by magazine publishers is the trade secrets. The trade secrets include confidential information that a business or a person uses to get an advantage over their competitors. This information might negatively involve the parties involved if the information gets to the public. A perfect replica of such an incident is one where maybe an artist had a formula or a manner in which he came up with his work. If a magazine publisher publishes this information without the consent of the artist, then the artists’ privacy would have been invaded. The magazine publisher, however, has the right to print this information if the secret of trade violated human rights in any way. The law protects individuals from exploitation just to some limit. Contract law is a section of law that is funda mental for the making of oral and written agreements. These kinds of agreements usually have an association with exchange of goods and services, money, and properties. It entails topics such as the nature of responsibilities, limitation of actions, freedom of contract, privacy of contract, termination of contract and covers also agency relationships, commercial paper, and contracts of employment. In this case, the contract would involve the publisher and the public figure. Such agreement always involves information on the nature of co-existence between the two parties. Magazine publishers sometimes use information about some of the public figures to come up with some of their article. There are cases where the magazine publishers have an agreement of exclusion of some of the information. In such an incidence, it would be a breach of contract if the magazine publishers goes ahead and publishes the information The law of libel protects each and every person from defamation in whatever means. Libels refer to written defamation. This may take place if a magazine publisher decides to publish a story that defames. If it would be proved that the information on the publication is not true, then the publisher will be guilty of defamation. Defamation always takes place as a result of gossip or speculations. When this takes place, the victim usually experiences hatred, shame, disgrace, contempt or ridicule. In some cases, the victim can even experience all the mentioned outcomes. Victims of defamation; however

Principles and strategies that apply to the limousine business and Assignment

Principles and strategies that apply to the limousine business and that can apply to each members business - Assignment Example The Landslide Limousine Company will have to recruit knowledgeable and innovative employees and provide incentives to them. Hence, it will be significant to utilize the performance incentives to stimulate growth and remain competitive in the competitive limousine service. Limousine service entails offering the customer the best service. The employees are important in service delivery, and the employers should accord them the privileges such as rest as contained in the Federal Motor Carriers Safety. In order to avoid the high employee turnover, the Landslide Limousine Company will have to utilize merit pay to motivate employees. The company can utilize the number of referrals, as well as, customers surveys as a basis for offering the workers pay on merit package. It is noteworthy that the critical goal of merit pay entails linking the pay to the performance in a way, which is reliable with the operations of the business (2011). The compensation of the workforce will encourage the individual employee to work to attain greater performance. In essence, the pay on merit will stimulate the engagement levels of the employees, as well as, keep them satisfied with the

Persuasive Letter to Hon Tony Clement Essay Example for Free

Persuasive Letter to Hon Tony Clement Essay Clearly, there are supporters and opposition concerning using human eggs for stem cell research. However, it is my opinion that when the donor does so of their own free will, this should be allowed by law. In fact, with minimal studies results indicate that stem cells are vital in the future cures of many diseases that plague our nation –and the world. Personally, I believe donating human eggs for stem cell research should be as common as giving blood. Women are permitted to donate eggs for in vitro-fertilization; therefore, I feel there is little to no difference in donating for stem cell research. If there is any indication of a difference it is in the number of lives that can be saved through this much needed research. Furthermore, there are no increased health risks poses to women who donate eggs, according to a report commissioned by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (Medical News Today, 2007). The Bedford Stem Cell Research Foundation has made available a large amount of information on the social, political and medical aspects of donation and research. However, when reviewing this information, I find the opposition most often base claims against stem cell research on the interference of egg use for other research needs (Romney, 2006). If more people would educate themselves on the positives of stem cell research, they would clearly see that egg donation is a gift. It is a gift that works in much the same way as organ or blood donation. In concluding, I ask that you think of those who are watching their loved ones suffer from ailments such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Imagine the differences such advancements can make in the lives of so many who would otherwise be facing turmoil and the end of their days. Is it not worth it to allow women to give freely of themselves to save the lives of others?

Effect of Prefabrication Methods on Housing in the UK

Effect of Prefabrication Methods on Housing in the UK Would the Increasing Use of Prefabrication Methods in the Construction Industry Significantly Reduce the Housing Shortage Within the UK? Chapter 1 Problem Specification There is a widespread belief that a housing shortage exists in the UK. Although all regions are expected to see growth in household numbers, the greatest pressure will continue to be felt in Southern England (i.e. London, the South East, South West, and Eastern regions.) For example, the population of the South East region alone is expected to increase by 50,000 a year – about 1 million extra homes in the next twenty years or so. While 70% of population growth is in London and the south of England only about 50% of house building takes place there. The housing industry has in recent years been under severe pressure to meet the increasing population. For this reason the UK is presently suffering from a high housing shortage, which is likely to rise over the next 15 years, due to the high volumes of migrant workers from the EU and the increase in population. The total number of people living in the UK grows whenever there are more inward migrants than people leaving the country. International inward migration is a significant contributor to population growth. Recently the Government Actuary’s Department increased its figures for net inward migration to the United Kingdom from 95,000 to 135,000 people per year for the period to 2021. It is therefore necessary for the construction industry to dramatically increase production in house building in order to reduce the effect this shortage will have on the UK such as consequent impacts on house prices, conditions, overcrowding and homelessness. Despite the strong economy, housing production by both private developers and social housing providers has been falling. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the number of homes built during each of the past five years has remained static at 154,000. It is for this reason that house prices continue to soar. It is clear that the construction industry must build faster and more efficiently to meet the increasing needs of the UK housing market. The UK construction industry has been known for its lengths and costs in completing construction projects therefore leading to slower completion of developments. This is a wide spread problem that needs to be addressed for the housing demands to be met. Household projections, based on 1998 figures from the Government Actuary’s Department and past trends in household formation, suggest that between 1996 and 2021, England will need to accommodate an extra 4.3 million households. Estimates suggest that the backlog in 1996 was approximately 650,000 households. It seems likely that the figure has increased over the last five years because supply has not matched demand. There are difficulties within the UK construction industry to which attention has been drawn by the Latham and Egan reports. Structural, technical and cultural change in the years ahead may lead to a sector better able to respond to the demands upon it. With the use of better management techniques and the implementation of new technologies in new housing markets, projects lengths (i.e. Construction time) and costs could be significantly reduced. There are many ways of rapidly reducing completion time of construction. In this day and age these approaches are known as Modern Methods of Construction, such as prefabrication. A radical approach for cutting project time by using different techniques, such as off-site construction and factory conditions. Pre-fabricated homes – One area highlighted to improve the current situation by the Government and others within the industry, is that of off-site construction. Prefabrication was used to provide quick and cheap homes after the Second World War where nearly 160,000 homes were prefabricated, and is being proposed again as a solution for providing affordable homes. Off-site construction has made huge advances since the Second World War and even more over the last couple of decades, offering methods which have been proved to be quicker and cheaper than traditional house building methods. One of the major issues associated with prefabricated homes is the stigma attached to them, with many people seeing them as a poor alternative to traditional construction. A MORI poll in 2002 indicated that 90% of people would prefer to live in a traditional home rather than a prefabricated home, showing that the UK population along with the construction industry is still slightly reluctant to pl ace their faith in prefabricated homes. The benefits of prefabrication are well known, with off-site construction offering a controlled environment where building elements can be produced quicker than traditional methods, and at a supposedly lower cost. At its best, prefabrication can see some 40-week building programmes being reduced to 16 weeks, which if used on a wide scale could see rapid growth in the UK’s housing stock. There is also an advantage held within the factory environment, offering greater safety for workers than on-site and also the controlled environment makes it possible for a consistent, high quality finish to be achieved. With skills shortages on-site, the opportunity to produce standardised building elements in factories could also further improve standards and quality. Built in clean, efficient, factory conditions not in the often chaotic circumstances of construction sites, in unpredictable and inclement British weather – may make for higher standards, faster construction as well as a safer industry. Better procurement methods may mean less friction between clients, professionals and builders. Shortages of sufficiently skilled labour may also be remedied, to some extent, by factory. Therefore this method of construction could be seen as a potential solution to the housing shortage in the UK. Currently prefabrication is not a common approach for most contractors to use. The main reason for this is because off-site manufacture (OSM) of house building components currently has the capacity to produce around 40,000 homes a year, far short of the figure needed to meet official housing projections. As such, the Government is promoting pre-fabrication and off-site manufacturing techniques, looking to methods such as steel and timber frame to help solve the housing shortfall, particularly in relation to quality and site skills shortages. Even with prefabricated homes having been produced for the past 100 years, they are still relatively untested in the UK on a large scale, and therefore the verdict is still out on whether they are suited to the UK and its construction industry. There are already companies in the UK trying to build affordable housing by using off-site construction methods, such as BoKlok, Ikeas biggest idea yet. Having seized the market for affordable home furnish ings in the past decade, the Swedish retail giant is now planning to provide the homes themselves. Planning permission was approved for the first British BoKlok development: 36 flats in St James Village, Gateshead, due for completion within a year. More will follow many more, probably, since BoKlok is quick to build, energy efficient and aimed at households earning between  £15,000 and  £30,000 a year. Currently they tend to use more traditional methods, and therefore this issue has to be tackled to bring prefabricated construction further into the lime light of construction. The affordable housing sector represents a prime area of growth for the prefabricated buildings market. The benefits of rapid build times and the cost efficiencies resulting from the volume production of cellular units incorporated in the overall structure tend to result in affordable rents and value for money for the public housing sectors. A wide range of house builders such as Bellway, Westbury, Bovis, Lovell, Willmott Dixon etc, are using prefabricated buildings in affordable housing projects and their use has increased substantially during 2003-05. If every household is to have the opportunity of a decent home, some fundamental changes will be needed not just to the mechanisms we use to deliver new homes – with reforms to the effectiveness of our planning system and our house-building industry. In conclusion, the issue of housing shortage within the UK may become one of the most significant social and economical problems being faced over the next twenty years. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to explore whether the implementation and use of Prefabricated Construction on a wide spread scale could have a significant positive impact on the housing Shortage currently being seen in the UK. There is a concern that in a number of critical areas, the emerging policy framework is based on unrealistic assumptions. It is questionable whether it will in practice deliver the necessary supply of houses to meet the UK’s economic and social requirements over the next twenty years. Literature Review â€Å"Britain is heading for a property shortage of more than a million homes by 2022 unless the current rate of house building is dramatically increased, according to reports from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).† The UK has been known for its shortage on housing over the past 10-15 years, and therefore there are many sources of literature relevant to the study. Such sources are Government Policies, reports, articles, books, surveys and case studies that outline the scale of the problem and give statistics, such as the number of homes that need to be built in order to relinquish this status in the UK. The shortage of housing is making house prices soar from year to year, making it much harder not only for general house buyers but especially for first time buyers. This issue does not seem to be focused on in any literature as there doesn’t seem to be any long term solutions for it, making this topic an ever growing problem. Government Report The Barker Report (2003) Review sets out a series of policy recommendations to address the lack of supply and responsiveness of housing in the UK. The report further goes on to outline a number of key factors which are to blame for the housing shortage, including the lack of houses being built as well as the extra provision of land by local authorities to make it viable for developers to achieve the build targets to decrease the housing shortage. The report argues that a UK housing Shortage is having widespread economic and social consequences. The government estimates that by 2016 there will be 3 million new UK households. It recently published the Sustainable Communities plan outlining a major new house building program to help meet the growth. The government is said to be encouraging Modern Methods of Construction, which it says can achieve â€Å"a step change in the construction industry to produce the quantity and quality of housing we need.† Housing completions are expected to steadily increase in the longer term in line with proposals and initiatives to address the general housing shortage, particularly the provision of more ‘affordable’ housing in key urban areas. However, a significant increase in completions is largely dependent on the overall economic environment, consumer confidence levels etc, in addition to land availability and the planning approvals process, which remains a key barrier to growth at present. While this was focused on in the Barker Review in 2004, house builders are reporting few improvements to date in the planning process and the availability of land for development is a key long term issue. On her follow up to the 2003 report, Barker 2004 states that planning authorities and processing of applications need to be improved, whilst also the availability of land is becoming increasingly harder. She pinpoints reforms to the planning system; incentives for local authorities to support development, and a higher turn around from the construction industry, including completing site developments as quick as possible. These issues need to be focused on as they are key elements that could be contributing to the current shortage in the housing market. Barker (2004) encouraged the government to change its planning policies to allow more houses to be built on Greenfield’s, as she claims at present there is not enough land available for the housing demand to be met. Barker also called for a substantial increase in productivity from the construction industry. She states in her review that to reduce the current rate of housing inflation from 2.4% to the EU average of 1.1%, an extr a 120,000 houses will need to be built per annum on top of the current output. The overall message from both Barker reports (2003/2004) is the clear need for more houses to be built in the UK, especially the large problem areas such as the South-East and London in order to become any closer to achieving larger number of homes available in the UK. However there are no recommendations on how it might be possible to reduce programme lengths and costs. This is a key area that needs to be identified within the dissertation. Mathiason (2003), already claimed that as long as inflation continues to rise, house builders will be under no obligation to build as they will be profiting from the land that they already own, as the price is ever increasing due to shortage. Perhaps the use of MMC and faster construction times would drive the developers to building on these lands, but they will never be fully implemented unless planning policies are also reviewed. Prior to the Barker review the Government drew up a Sustainable Communities Plan (OPDM, 2003) to tackle several issues, including the urgent requirement for affordable homes. The plan aims to set out a long term programme of action for delivering sustainable communities to both urban and rural areas. One of the vehicles highlighted for delivering these sustainable communities is off-site construction, with modern methods of construction earmarked for additional investment. It also suggests heavy investment in public transport and rail links in particular, to help with the decentralisation of London, which will combat the lack of available land and high demand for housing in the South east. The Sustainable Communities Plan (OPDM, 2003) also provides the Housing Corporation with an extra  £100m for its  £200m Challenge Fund for encouraging modern methods of construction. The Challenge Fund, run by the Housing Corporation offers incentives to developers using innovative methods for building communities. It is however, one of the only initiatives running to encourage the use of modern methods of construction. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2002a) predicted that Britain was heading for a housing shortage of more than a million homes by the year 2022. As well as launching Land for Housing, the report from a JRF Inquiry, the conference is debating Britain’s housing in 2022, the first in a series of working papers examining the long-term measures needed to tackle social disadvantage. Both warn that the impending housing crisis will hit hardest in London and the South. Although these regions contribute 70 per cent of the rising demand for new homes, only 50 per cent of new homes are currently being built there. By contrast, in the Midlands and the North, there are growing problems of low demand in some areas, and of empty and abandoned property. Lord Best, Director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and author of the working paper, said: â€Å"We estimate that the difference between housing demand and supply will have widened into a yawning gap of 1.1 million homes in England alone by 2022: most of it in London and the South East. This genuinely shocking statistic shows why the time has come for policy makers to recognise that a plentiful supply of new and affordable homes is of the greatest importance the nation’s future health and prosperity.† AMA Research has published the Fifth Edition of the â€Å"House building Market UK 2006†. Recent changes in the overall housing market and corporate activity amongst house builders have renewed interest in the house building market. The fifth edition of this report focuses on the recent developments in this specific sector along with the characteristics and corporate activity of the leading suppliers to the sector. The report provides information on national and regional suppliers within the house building market and provides a comprehensive review of the major aspects of the new house building sector. Off-site construction has a reputation of producing drab, uncharacteristic boxes for homes within the UK population. However, the face of prefabricated homes has changed for the better with Dyckhoff (2003) commenting that they have been transformed into the speedy, affordable loft-style saviour of Britain’s housing market. What the literature above demonstrates is that there is a clearly growing problem with the housing market. Shortage of housing is increasing and still nothing has been pinpointed as the route cause, this seems to be an ever growing problem and a clear solution has not been found. Certain claims made by authors in previous articles and reports will need to be looked into for there validity, so that a clearer understanding can be brought across as to the route cause. In conclusion to the above, this dissertation will therefore be focusing on the following Research question: Methodology It is necessary to begin the dissertation by looking into the theoretical ideas behind the emergence of the shortage in the housing market. It is important to ensure that key information and research is collected using different methods of gathering data. Collecting relevant data will continue to develop my understanding of the housing Shortage in the UK and will overall develop the strength and success of the dissertation. The data collected will also suggest whether any previous attempts have been made to tackle this problem, and if so, are there any solutions that have already been put forward. The opening chapter will focus on the time where non-traditional constructions methods were called for. Special attention is given to how the Government and Local Authorities acted at the time. This will help in developing an understanding of when Modern Methods where first used and the reasons why they came about, which will follow on into the next chapter. Acknowledging the reasons for there use, and developing a detailed background on the housing sector, Chapter 3 analyses the state of the current housing market and the scale of shortage being experienced. Taking into account the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and its perceptions for the next twenty years, I will look into how many new homes are required to be built over the next coming years so as to rectify the current issue. This section will be implemented with the use of surveys, and data collected over the years that show the current yearly house building rate, and the prospective increase needed. I will also be taking into account the population increase due to migrant influx, higher number of divorce rate, higher life expectancy, and the birth rate. This information can be compared with the projected number of houses being built so that I can get an idea of possible key issues that are contributing to housing shortage. In conclusion this dissertation will focus on comparing the findings between traditional and modern methods of construction, which in whole will then be applied to the housing Shortage and possible methods of rectifying the problem. As well as comparing these methods of construction, it is also necessary to ascertain whether or not house builders today are building at their optimum rate. Once this is identified, the potential advantages of the scheme can then be applied to the rate at which they could be working. This will identify the possible gains from using MMC, and whether or not a significant reduction in house shortage can be adapted from this approach to construction. Chapter 2 Background Research Two features dominate the history of housing in Britain in the 20th century: state intervention in the mass production of housing for the working class, and the prolific suburban expansion of towns and cities. To some extent, the two overlap, but both emerged from a situation at the beginning of the century, when housing provision and quality of life had failed to keep up with the frantic pace of Victorian industrial development. Before the 1890s, the dire state of working-class housing had been improved by trusts and societies, who produced grim but safe and sanitary tenements, and there was little direct state intervention. The 1890 Housing Act empowered local authorities to purchase and demolish slum dwellings, and re-house their inhabitants. At the end of the First World War, there was an acute housing shortage. Beginning with Lloyd Georges Homes Fit for Heroes policy, four million new homes were built during the interwar period, 1.5 million of them directly by local councils or with the aid of state subsidy. During the war construction projects came to a halt, progressively worsening the housing shortage that had already existed before the war. The government already set plans to reconstruct and renovate sub-standard housing that where out dated, this and many other projects where all affected. 1919 brought in the â€Å"Town and Country Planning Act† which imposed obligation on local authorities to plan housing provision for their local towns. During the same period, given the situation of materials and skilled labour shortage, the local government board appointed a standardisation and new methods of construction committees to consider the question of standardisation in regard to materials, structural fitting and methods of construction (BRE, 1987). Bye-laws were also modified to allow the wider use of non traditional methods and materials (Ley, 2000). As well as this many other institutes, including British Research Satiation which has now become British Research Establishments, were also founded under the governments initiative to look for and trial new alternative materials and methods (Davenport, 1990). Between the First World War and Second World War various types of housing systems (prefab) were approved by the committees. At first, pressure applied to local authorities to provide houses in such a short space of time, with no direct incentive to economies, would encourage the use of those new methods regardless of their costs. However, detailed arrangements of subsidies changed several times after 1921 (Cornish and Clark, 1989) and local authorities could no longer disregard cost factor when considering new developments. In addition, the materials and skilled labour for the traditional construction methods came back on stream sooner than the government initially expected. As a result, construction of houses using new methods had virtually ceased by 1928 (Yates, 2001). The main contribution of the attempt was, therefore, providing a small number of additional houses, probably less than 250,000, compared to the total 4,500,000 buildings erected between 1919 and 1938 (Ross, 2002). The economic depression of the 1930s slowed the pace of house building, but the Second World War caused much greater damage: by 1945 nearly half a million homes had been destroyed, a quarter of a million were seriously damaged, and another three million suffered lesser damage. The immediate crisis was partly met by the rapid construction of 125,000 cheap pre-fabricated homes, but it was followed by a housing boom that equalled and exceeded that of the 1920s. As previously discussed in Chapter 1, after the world wars had ended in the UK and between the early 1950’s and late 60’s the construction industry experienced an extreme shortage within the housing sector which led to a great need of re-building. Due to the extremities the war created, traditional build was not an efficient enough method, leading to the introduction and use of Mass Production Methods. Following the Second World War there was an even greater demand for the rapid construction of dwellings. In 1942, well before the war had ceased, the government had appointed the Burt Committee which brought together people from different parts of the building industry, government departments and building research station (Bullock, 2001). The aim of the committee was to seek alternative materials and methods of construction suitable for the building of houses and flats, having regard to efficiency, economy and build ability, to be able to make recommendations for the post -war program. Post-War, the government planned new construction projects for the redevelopment of the housing sector, one of which was the development of 500,000 new dwellings with a completion time of 2 years (Davenport 1990). In the twelve years after the war, two and a half million new dwellings were constructed, three-quarters of them by local authorities. However, the construction of new housing was outpaced by the decay of existing housing stock. By 1963, 3 million people were still living in substandard housing, and official housing policy moved once again towards slum clearance and redevelopment. Prefabricated housing has been used in the UK during periods of high demand, such as after the World Wars and during the slum clearances of the 1960s. In total about 1 million prefabricated homes were built during the 20th century, many of which were designed to be temporary. However, problems arose over the quality of building materials and poor workmanship, leading to negative public attitudes towards prefabrication. Nevertheless it has continued to be used in the UK for hospitals, hotels and schools, as well as for housing in other countries. Although this is the case, prefabrication must be used in greater quantities widely, merely to see if it can make a difference to the housing shortage currently being experienced within the UK. MMC is a new term intended to reflect technical improvements in prefabrication, encompassing a range of on and off-site construction methods. The 20th century saw an enormous improvement in everyday housing conditions. Even in the early 21st century, local authorities are demolishing remaining high-rise blocks to make way for low-rise, high-density housing. During the early 60’s the Government set up the national building agency in order to urge local authorities to take up industrial system building (Rovetz, 2001). Local Governments and the Ministry of Housing also held a series of conferences to encourage and support industrial prefabricated system building in the mid 60’s (Jones, 2000). Additionally under the Housing Subsidy Act 1956, the arrangement of subsidies was changed in order that local authorities could receive more subsidies per flat if they built higher blocks of flats. The arrangement of this progressive height subsidy was abolished in the 1969 Housing Act. By the end of the 60’s, both high-rise and industrialised system building lost ground in the construction industry. Chapter 3 The Housing Shortage at Present â€Å"Britain is heading for a property shortage of more than a million homes by 2022 unless the current rate of house building is dramatically increased† according to reports from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). There are a series of short and long-term factors playing their part. The government wants to steady the UKs runaway housing market, and end its boom and break housing cycles. House prices in the UK have almost doubled since 1995 and many people are now unable to get a footing onto the housing ladder. There is also a lack of affordable or social housing. This problem of high house prices is compounded by the shortage of houses being built. In 2001 house building fell to its lowest level since 1924 excluding the war years and its immediate aftermath. New housing accounts for less than 10% of residential property transactions in England and Wales compared to 40% in 1965. The circumstances are likely to get worse before they get better. According to estimates, there are between 220,000 and 230,000 new households being formed annually (OPDM). Yet, only 165,000 homes were built in the year of 2002. If this was the case 5-6 years ago, then how is the housing shortage coping now? The population is increasing, while the average size of households is declining. This is caused by a range of demographic factors, such as increasing life expectancy, and more divorces. All in all, it adds more pressure to housing supply. The report lays much of the blame at door of the UKs planning authorities. Many who have tried and failed to obtain planning permission in recent years may echo the reports findings that the system is complex and takes an unacceptably long time. All in all, the report calculated that refusals for planning permissions in major housing developments increased from just 15% in 1996-1999 to 25% in 2002. The report also points out that if house building was to take-off in the UK skills shortages are likely to come into play. At present more than eight out of ten construction firms report skill shortages even modest growth would require 70,000 new workers the report concludes. As a result thousands of badly needed homes are not being built. However, at this stage the report makes no recommendations as to how the planning process can be quickened up. Housing shortages are set to become one of the most significant social issues of the next 20 years. Unless we act now, shortages will lead to overcrowding and homelessness. But they will also have knock-on effects for the whole of society, driving up house prices in areas of high demand, inhibiting economic growth and making it harder for good quality public services to be delivered. Property insiders, politicians and young people looking for homes in Britains thriving cities are united on one point: the country is in the grip of a serious housing shortage. But opinions are widely divided when it comes to placing the blame for a situation where, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the number of homes built during each of the past five years has remained static at 154,000, with the number of low-cost â€Å"social† houses being built falling from 16,999 in 2000-2001 to 13,601 in 2002-2003. As the buck is passed between housing professionals, planners, builders and the government, first-time buyers are left desperately trying get on the property ladder. â€Å"Slow planning is stifling. The government says councils should decide on most planning applications for 10 or more new houses within a maximum of eight weeks. But only 16% of decisions come in that time,† (House Builders Federation, HBF), which accuses councils in the north of England of deliberately preventing new homes from being built. The councils say that they already have enough new homes under construction, but the HBF disagrees. The Barker Review of Housing Supply was commissioned by the chancellor, Gordon Brown, to discover why Britain, the world’s fourth wealthiest economy, has a housing shortage with property prices beyond the reach of many. House building is at its lowest level since 1924; the gap between supply and demand widens by 60,000 annually — an average of 219,000 new households is created each year through longer lifespan, more solo-living from choice and an increasing divorce rate — and will exceed 1.1m in England by 2020; and the number of low-cost homes being built for housing association tenants is lower than at any time since 1995. Meanwhile, the government targets for about 225,000 new homes each year until 2016. The HBF says there is excessive public consultation and claims councils want ever-higher cash payments to improve the infrastructure in return for planning permission. It also says planners want so much social housing that it threatens the economi

Summary of Summer of my German Soldier :: essays research papers

In the town of Jenkinsville, Arkansas, twelve-year-old Patty Bergen witnesses Nazis being taken to a prison camp. When she runs off to her family’s store, her father does not seem enthused. Patty’s parents do not treat her the way she wishes to be treated. Still, she tries to show her parents love. One day at the department store, a group of Nazis come in to buy straw hats to protect them from the sun as they work in fields. Only one, Frederick Anton Reiker, speaks English. He and Patty have a nice conversation. He wishes to be called Anton. Before he leaves, he asks for a fake diamond pin. Patty is confused, but she sells it to him anyway. Patty’s father has forbidden her from hanging out with Freddy Dowd. One day when her father is not home, he sits next to her on the sidewalk. They play a game, Hit the Hubcap, where a person must throw a stone at a passing car’s hubcap. The window of the first car is accidentally broken. Patty’s father finds her and beats her. One night Patty sees Anton running to the station. She runs after him and he agrees to hide above her garage, a secret hiding place. When she brings him food, they get to know each other. Patty leans that Anton used the gaudy pin to escape from prison. He told a guard with financial problems that the pin was worth five thousand dollars. The guard took the pin and Anton was free. The F.B.I. was bothered with Anton’s escape. At the department store, they questioned Patty. A reporter, Charlene Madlee, takes Patty along as she interviews the prison camp. After going home and bringing food to Anton, Patty stays outside. Freddy Dowd comes at the wrong time, and Patty’s father chases after her. As she is being beat, she sees Anton running to her father. Patty yells at him to go away, and he backs into the garage. Ruth, the housekeeper, sees him and the next day, she questions who it is. Patty quickly explains that he is the escaped soldier but doesn’t act like a Nazi. Ruth promises that she will not tell. She has Patty and Anton eat. She soon joins them, and they have a long conversation. It is quickly stopped when they hear a car. Anton rushes to hide under Patty’s bed. It was only a neighbor with a question.

Hispanic Diversity in the United States :: Immigration Latino Hispanic Immigrants

The Hispanic diversity of the United States has been well documented in immigration and population numbers for many years. In 1994, there were 26.4 million Hispanic Americans living in the Continental United States.In 2005 that number had ballooned to over 35 million.Now in 2008 the number is over 45 million people.(US Census 2008) The four main groups of Hispanic citizens are the people from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Central America.Our Hispanic population has given the United States many contributions to politics, economics, family traditions and bilingual advancement in the world. Mexican Americans, probably our best known and documented immigrated citizen to The United States has made great strides in developing our culture and adding Rich history to our country.Economic contributions cannot be overlooked,while being one of the least educated groups and most economic disadvantaged groups Mexican Americans are a key attribute to our economy by continuing to participate In great numbers in the workforce in pursuit of their part of the American dream. Mexican Americans are excellent contributors to politics as well. Cesar Estrada Chavez Founded and led the first successful farm workers' union in U.S. history.This was aimed at fair wages for worker to avoid the poverty he was forced to endure as a young man Federico Pena Was the first Mexican American to head the Department of transportation.

Business Environment Essay

Introduction Analyze the relevant factors in the business environment of this company. If you don’t find information in the article on some of the facets of the business environment, feel free to speculate or to use other sources. For each trend, explain if it represents an opportunity or a threat. Business environment comprises of external and internal factors that influence the performance of the company. The case of Ahava reveals that its performance, successes and challenges faced by the company can be traced to the nature of environment, both internal and external, where the company operates. To start with the internal environment, it is apparent that the company’s success is mainly because of the internal forces or factors. The first internal factor is the good organizational or corporate culture as evidenced by high entrepreneurial spirit of the founders. It is because of this spirit that the company was founded. The case shows that Ahava was founded when Ziva Gilad and other partners noticed female tourists bottling mud to take home and opted to start a business of selling the same mud but in processed form to tourists (Lev-Ram, 2009). Organizational or corporate factor is a source of opportunity to the business. Other internal factors include proper management, and innovation and invention. All these factors offer opportunity to the company. Apart from the internal environment, there are many external factors that influence the performance of the company. The first external factor is the political factors. The case reveals that the company is under the threat of political forces such as Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The case reveals that most of the countries in Europe have even started sanctioning the products from the Israel. Another external factor that influences the performance of the Ahava is the ready market. The case reveals that the cosmetic products produced by the company have huge ready market, both locally and internationally. This is evidence by the assertion made by Iva Litovsky that â€Å"Thousands of tourists come to the Dead Sea for the spas and the treatments† (Lev-Ram, 2009). This is an opportunity to the company. Another external factor constituting the external environment that influences the performance of the Ahava Company is the minimal competition. The case reveals that Ahava has competitive advantage over its competitors in many respects such as acquisition of raw materials, advertising and even the sales stalls. Explain the strategy of the firm, in terms of targeting and positioning. The case reveals that the company has good targeting and positioning strategy. Right from the time it was founded, the case reveals that the company has been having good targeting strategy. In fact what compel the founders to venture into the business is the ready market provided by thousands of tourists who come to the Dead Sea for the spas and the treatments (Lev-Ram, 2009).   The case also reveals that the company is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the area’s natural resources and translate them into an export product. Explain how the targeting and positioning for this firm’s products are reflected in the marketing mix. Marketing mix is summarized by 4 ps. The 4Ps are represented by product, place, price and promotion. The targeting and positioning are reflected by two Ps of the marketing mix, the place and promotion. Concerning the place, the case reveals that the company was positioned in a place where the market is high. Dead Sea is the most suitable place through which the company could sell its products because thousands of tourists could come for the spas and the treatments (Lev-Ram, 2009). In addition, the company is expanding its place to international level. The case shows that the company has expanded its market to America and Europe. As far as promotion is concerned, the case reveals that the company has put in place many measures to market its products both locally and internationally. This is evidenced by the fact that since 2000s, the Ahava started to pour the necessary resources into marketing, advertising and branding abroad (Lev-Ram, 2009). References Lev-Ram, M. (2009). Turning Dead Sea mud into money; Transcending politics and ecology, an Israeli cosmetics firm goes global.   CNN. Last Updated: December 10, 2009: 9:51 AM ET

Graduate School

I have had many dreams about my future and where I would go in life. In all my dreams I do in fact attend graduate school. This is so because I would like to attain a job that requires more than just a four year degree, so that I may receive a high paying salary. The benefits from an advanced degree are numerous. I would like to obtain an advanced degree because unlike undergraduate school, graduate school is more of a narrower field of study. The schooling may be more difficult and more work but I do think it will pay off in the end. As a graduate student I will develop clearer goals as to what I want for my future.As a graduate student I will create many opportunities for myself to receive practical experience in my field of study. Learning in an atmosphere where the professors and other students love my field of study just as much as I do will be truly refreshing. It is also no secret that most companies look for advanced education beyond a bachelor’s degree because a gradu ate degree is more prominent. With a graduate degree I will most likely earn a considerably higher salary than if I just settle with a bachelor’s degree. I would like to succeed in my lifetime to become wealthy.With an advanced degree I will have opportunities for advancement over than I solely had my bachelor’s degree. I would like to be one day be a hospital administrator or a manager of my branch. Having an advanced education will help me achieve this goal. I have a dream of becoming a successful person that will have financial stability. I would love to eventually earn a graduate degree that will help me further my career. I would love to earn a degree that will give me more mobility in my career. There will be more hard work and effort put forth in an advanced degree but after all the time is put in the rewards will be great.

Management Theory and Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management Theory and Practice - Essay Example The people of different countries do depict changes in tastes and perceptions which are required by the business concerns to effectively tap and thereby bring about changes in the production or operating system. Similarly, in order to tap the different markets in a much effective manner, the business organization must adjust its different policies regarding both price and distribution. The business concern through the changing of their price structure helps in pervading the minds of the consumers in a more prolific manner. Moreover, the business concern should fulfill the different guidelines as envisaged by the government of the country while endeavoring to promote the different goods and services to a large number of consumers. Further, the business corporations in order to internationalize their operations need to gain a large pool of people working across the globe for the company. Working across different cultures and diversities require the business organizations to act in a pr udent fashion to help satisfy the needs of both the internal and external stakeholder groups like the employees, the group of suppliers, the consumers and social groups and the government at large (Yip, Loewe and Yoshino, 1988, p.1-8).... In the light of the above discussion the paper endeavours to analyse McDonald’s sense of adaptability to its changing business environment. Factors of Changes in Business Organisations The increasing mode of globalisation has required the business corporations to synchronize its business processes to adapt itself to the changing business environments. It is observed that business organisations to successfully operate in the global climate need to customize the product or service offerings on an expanded scale. The people of different countries do depict changes in tastes and perceptions which are required by the business concerns to effectively tap and thereby bring about changes in the production or operating system. Similarly in order to tap the different markets in a much effective manner the business organisation must adjust its different policies regarding both price and distribution. The business concern through the changing of their price structure helps in pervading th e minds of the consumers in a more prolific manner. Moreover the business concern should fulfil the different guidelines as envisaged by the government of the country while endeavouring to promote the different goods and services to the large number of consumers. Further the business corporations in order to internationalise their operations need to gain a large pool of people working across the globe for the company. Working across different cultures and diversities require the business organisations to act in a prudent fashion to help satisfy the needs of both the internal and external stakeholder groups like the employees, the group of suppliers, the consumers and social groups and the government at large (Yip, Loewe and Yoshino, 1988, p.1-8). McDonald in