The Renaissance And Its Impact On The European Renaissance

With the dark ages coming to end and the economy of Europe slowly beginning to rise again, a giant scale cultural revolution like never before was slowly beginning to sweep over Europe. Becoming what we now know as the European Renaissance, every aspect of European life changed because of this revolution. The Renaissance began a renewed interest in the people to seek knowledge and question what the world around them meant. The Renaissance wasn’t just about learning however, it included exploring the world, art, and focusing on what the human being had to offer in society. This focus on the human being on an individual level became what is commonly known as Humanism. Humanism can be seen as the central essence of the Renaissance because it questioned everything society, be it religion or the government, had to offer. The Renaissance can actually be divided into two different sections in Europe, the Italian and latter Northern parts. The Northern Renaissance includes all the cou ntries in Western Europe directly not tied to Italy. Beginning in Italian city states, the central ideas of the Renaissance had a rippling effect throughout Europe. The European Renaissance was a giant shift in cultural and technological paradigms that paved the way for Europe to leave the middle ages and enter the Modern Age. To begin with, what exactly spurred this newfound interest in knowledge and the arts? The origins of the Renaissance can actually date back to the crusades of the medieval ages.Show MoreRelatedImpact Of The Renaissance751 Words   |  4 PagesWhenever I think about the renaissance, I think of the of the dark ages. The Renaissance was a period in European history, that took place during the 14th through the 17th century. Accordant Leonardo da Vinci he describes the culture of the Renaissance as â€Å"the cultural bridge between the Middle Ages†. Renaissance started in Italy during the period of medieval, then it slowly spread throughout Europe. The ter m Renaissance over the years, has become synonymous with ideas of expanding, rebirth and culturalRead MoreEssay about Italian and Northern European Renaissance758 Words   |  4 PagesItalian and Northern European Renaissance The Italian and Northern Europe Renaissances were both an important mark in history by changing the ideals of life, thought, culture, and art of the people’s of this time. In this paper I will explain the motive for change in these cultures, including the similarities and differences of the two cultures. The Italian and Northern European Renaissance was the marking point for leaving behind the old ways and moving into the more classicalRead MoreThe Role Of Gender During The Renaissance Period1466 Words   |  6 PagesA critical point in European history was the Renaissance period, which took place between 1300-1700. The term Renaissance stands for ‘rebirth’, and in this context refers to the increased interest that was taken in learning from Greek and Roman classical writing. Recent exploration by historians into the Renaissance period has seen a fixation on the discussion of the role of gender during the Renaissance. A variety of historians, such as Joan Kelly and Merry E. Weisner, believe that women didn’tRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance s Influence And Impact1262 Words   |  6 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance s Influence and Impact The Harlem Renaissance era is known for its rich culture and being the source for many African American breakthrough artists such as Alain Locke,W.E.B DuBois, and Ethel Waters. . Whether it be the diversity of music, drama, art, or literature, it’s surely present during that period of time and still is today. Many questions about this time period include â€Å"How was Harlem life like back then?† â€Å"What is the Harlem Renaissance?†, and â€Å"How did itRead MoreInterpreting Modern History: Revival of the Appreciation of Art894 Words   |  4 PagesModern history was the abandonment of European confinement. I understand modern history as being the revival of the appreciation of art, ideas, and moral values known as the Renaissance. During and before this time period, the majority of the European population was deeply embedded and blinded by the church. It is my understanding that Modern history is comprised of a sequence of events. It was not limited to specific dates, it was a continuous cycle of religious and political strives for power,Read MoreGunpowder Revolution In The Revolution1069 Words   |  5 Pagessuch a change in the world through giving Europeans power, accomplished by facilitating the renaissance and allowing them to conquer much of the world. Gunpowder was able to evolve and change along with these powerful European states. What began as an invention in China Lorge, 818-820 became a horrific weapon in the hands of the Europeans. This evolution was a by-product of the social structure, and less though, but significant, economic structure of European nations, which maximized its effectivenessRead MoreAnalysis Of Christopher Columbus Voyages1234 Words   |  5 Pagesgeographical entity, stereotypes are ingrained in our psyche, making a profound impact on our thoughts, actions, and understandings towards foreign lands and peoples during our travel experiences. At the time of Christopher Columbus’ voyages, Europeans were seeing themselves as superior beings as a result of the renaissance endorsing humanist ideals. In 1486, six years before the first voyage of Columbus, Italian renaissance humanist Pico della Mirandola published â€Å"Oration on the Dignity of Man.† TheRead MoreThe Enormous Growth During the Renaissance1420 Words   |  6 PagesThe term Renaissance in general refers to â€Å"Rebirth† or â€Å"Reconstruction†. To be exact, the meaning came from all the changes experienced and inventive ideas that influence during the European history. The Renaissance occurred between the 14th and 17th century when there was revival in both learning and culture in Europe. It began in Florence, Italy and traveled throughout other city-states in Italy. It mainly occurred in Italy due to the history of Rome and Roman Empire. The Renaissance was a culturalRead MoreRenaissance Humanism Essay816 Words   |  4 Pag esMany diverse ideas flourished during the European Renaissance which had a lasting impact on the world. Humanism is a worldview and a moral philosophy that considers humans to be of primary importance. The aspect of humanism first thrived in 14th century Italy, and later spread north in the 15th century. Initially humanistic ideas about education were quickly adopted by the Italian upper class. The Italian ideas and attitudes towards life and learning impacted nobility in other parts of Europe. TheyRead MoreRenaissance Architecture Vs Gothic Architecture1390 Words   |  6 PagesRenaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 14th and early 17th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance architecture followed Gothic architecture and was succeeded by Baroque architecture. Developed first in Florence, wit h Filippo Brunelleschi as one of its innovators, the Renaissance style quickly spread to other

Company Profile, Environmental And Swot Analysis And Key...

CHAPTER THREE COMPANY PROFILE, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SWOT ANALYSIS AND KEY MANAGERIAL ISSUES This study seeks to develop a five year human resource strategic plan for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE). Specific objectives of the research were (a) to identify the current gaps in human resource management at NCCE; (b) to note the effect of the human resource gaps on organizational performance; (c) to ascertain what steps NCCE has put in place to address the human resource gaps; (d) to propose alternative solutions to help effectively address the gaps in human resource management at NCCE; and (e) to turn the alternative solutions into an action plan by way of a human resource strategic plan to be implemented by the management of†¦show more content†¦To develop policies for the consideration of Government from time to time and organize programmes at the national, regional and district levels aimed at realizing the objectives of the Constitution; 4. To formulate, implement and oversee programmes intended to inculcate in the citizens of Ghana, the awareness of their civic responsibilities and an appreciation of their rights and obligations as free people; 5. To assess for the information of Government, the limitations to the achievement of true democracy arising from the existing inequalities between different strata of the population and make recommendations for re-dressing these inequalities. Environment Analysis To be able to effectively analyze and formulate effective policies as to the human resource of the NCCE, it is important to learn about the external factors that can affect the organization. Reasons for this include the fact that, formulated policies would only work if it takes into account external factors that affects an organization. These factors could either strengthen or weaken the established project or formulated policies. According to Zalengera et al. (2014), a macro environment analysis can be diagrammatically illustrated as below: Macro Environment Analysis (PESTLE) Political Factors: It refers to the stability of the political environment and the attitudes of political parties or movements. This may manifest in government influence on public sector organisational policies, or government

Andy Warhol †Paper Free Essays

A fill blade is moved across the screen stencil, forcing ink into the mesh openings for transfer by capillary action during the stroke. Because Andy was not actually drawing on the piece of work, it lost all personal ties with the artist and when he would press the ink filled paper onto what would become the finished piece of work, the lines took an irregular form. Warhol uses repetition in his paintings to guide the on looker away from any feelings f empathy and intimacy. We will write a custom essay sample on Andy Warhol – Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now His style ends the need for interpretation because the surface of the work is a recognizable reality that still moves the viewers (Ere 9. Whorl’s work can best be described using Plat’s allegory of the cave that man is trapped in a shadowed realm and subjected to the delusion that the shadows are hardly distinguishable from the real world. In Whorl’s paintings after-images of humanity are projected on a surface that has been altered through color and cosmetics so they become unlike real life. The reason he painted so withdrawn can be linked to his lack of social development when he was younger, he was unpleasant tit his classmates, showed little to no appreciation or interest in anything, but he had always seemed to have a goal in mind. It is said that Warhol aimed to become like Henry Matisse because he was so well known in his career that all he had to do was tear up pieces of paper and glue them together and they would become a masterpiece. Warhol aimed to have that world- wide recognition (Wren 12. ) He began to portray celebrities in his works of art. Although the works had very similar names, they were done in different fashions. This shows how Whorl’s work began to regress and become increasingly experimental in such a short amount of time. Both paintings Double Liz and Double Elvis were done in 1963 and both were done with only the medium as a connection. For Double Liz, Warhol set two enlarged illustrations of Liz Taylor on a canvas that was primed with silver; there is hardly a contrast in themes and the figure blends into the background. He creates a rectangular form that is placed in front of the silver’s background. Double Liz was printed on a single, continuous roll of canvas. When creating Double Elvis, he no longer wanted to show a surface tone and this painting shows Elvis slightly overlapping himself and his dealer Irving Blue was instructed to stretch and cut them to Whorl’s desired taste. The two stars were united in an exhibition at the Freer Gallery. Warhol printed almost entirely on silver backgrounds during his most extreme phase of the exhibition’s preparations which amortized his stars not on the â€Å"great silver screen† but in his silver silkscreen paintings (Can’t 114-117. ) Warhol said, â€Å"No matter how good you are, if you’re not promoted right, you won’t be remembered. â€Å"(Wren 23. ) His statement is completely true and this is one of the reasons he took a liking to portraying celebrities in his images. If the celebrities talked highly of him and created a buzz then he would be remembered Just as they would. Andy began his film career in the early ass’s. He wanted to depict simple would be of Just one actor, smoking or eating, because people go to the movies usually to see the star. They were very raw versions of film. Andy wasn’t doing experimental film; he was really experimenting with people and the way they behaved as a character. Warhol enjoyed making movies that had no script, especially no plot because if it had a plot and you have seen it once, then you wouldn’t want to attach it again because you already know the ending. But if it is Just a conversation between two people, then you can catch things you missed the first time. A major theme in all of Ands work is that he enjoys seeing the same image or scene over and over again. He has been called boring because he likes the same things but whether it’s in his prints or films, you can catch something new and different that you may have noticed the first time you saw them and it might evoke a different feeling upon seeing it again (Andy. The subjects of his movies were unlike those being made in the present day. They were really quite simple. What he created promoted the consumer’s interests, he created for himself but the public fell in love. How to cite Andy Warhol – Paper, Papers Andy Warhol – Paper Free Essays Consumerism can best be defined as the promotion of the consumers’ interests and the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable. Andy Warhol was amongst many other artists who were attacked for their open embrace of consumerism. He liked the idea that consumerism could unify Americans’ of all different backgrounds but he believed that there was a lack of creativity and originality in advertising. We will write a custom essay sample on Andy Warhol – Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Warhol began to use everyday objects as his subjects’ and built on the movement that was later to be recognized as one ignited by him, known as Pop Art. After Warhol moved to New York, work came quickly for him and within a year of arriving, he received huge assignments as an advertising artist for a variety of high standing clients such as Columbia Records, Tiffany ; Co. , Vogue, and many others (The Andy Warhol Foundation. ) Whatever Andy illustrated from shampoo to perfume, there was a sense of decorative originality and it made his work eye catching. He would place various objects in the advertisement and they always had a slight suggestiveness to them, one that businessmen would recognize and approve (Wren 7. Andy stated that he was paid well for his commercial art and whatever was asked of him to draw or paint he would do it, if they wanted corrections he would do it, and after all those corrections, the commercial art would have attitude and style. He believed that the process of creating commercial art was machine-like but it had feeling to it. Whatever he did was machine-like and it was that way because he wanted it to be, he believed that machines had less problems and he wanted mechanical depictions. Warhol was motivated by money and he wanted to be a businessman/artist. The goal of his art was to make a profit because â€Å"if business art doesn’t support its own space, it goes out of business. † (Wren 12. ) Whorl’s success as a commercial designer was due greatly to his ability to take the uneducated and unskilled collectors and throw them in to the most advanced and sophisticated social setting of professional alienation, this he called advertisement design (Sera 8. ) Then the idea of Pop Art came in to play. Andy Warhol became the symbol of Pop Art and almost single handedly modernized the aesthetic tradition in the art world (Fearer . Pop Art challenged the traditions of fine art by adding in the subjects seen throughout popular culture. Sometimes the subject of the Pop Art is removed from its context and combined with unrelated imagery and material. Pop artists created images that anyone walking down the street would be able to recognize in no time and because of this there was a sense of artistic piracy because these image s were not coming from the artist’s imagination but as something they see and select to make their subject. They were things that ranged from comics and shower curtains to liberties and bras. They were images of all the great things that abstract expressionists tried so hard to not notice at all (Wren 13. ) Andy believed that art should not be for the select few but for the mass of America to enjoy. When asked about one of his most famous paintings, The Campbell Soup Can, he said, â€Å"l wanted to paint nothing. I was looking for something that was the essence of nothing, and the soup can was it. â€Å"(Wren 21 . ) Although as Warhol said he prefers to leave his background as a mystery and whenever asked why he made a particular image he makes up a story. He seems to always forget the story he made up the day before and therefore has to come up with a completely new on the next day to satisfy another person’s question. Andy Warhol bridges the gap between two primary poles in modern art and they are the formal/constructivist branch and the avian-garden branch (Mayer 32-33. )When creating art he would use silk-screens, which is a technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink. A fill blade is moved across the screen stencil, forcing ink into the mesh openings for transfer by capillary action ruing the stroke. Because Andy was not actually drawing on the piece of work, it lost all personal ties with the artist and when he would press the ink filled paper onto what would become the finished piece of work, the lines took an irregular form. Warhol uses repetition in his paintings to guide the on looker away from any feelings of empathy and intimacy. His style ends the need for interpretation because the surface of the work is a recognizable reality that still moves the viewers (Ere 9. Whorl’s work can best be described using Plat’s allegory of the cave that man is rapped in a shadowed realm and subjected to the delusion that the shadows are hardly distinguishable from the real world. In Whorl’s paintings after-images of humanity are projected on a surface that has been altered through color and cosmetics so they become unlike real life. Th e reason he painted so withdrawn can be linked to his lack of social development when he was younger, he was unpleasant with his classmates, showed little to no appreciation or interest in anything, but he had always seemed to have a goal in mind. It is said that Warhol aimed to become eke Henry Matisse because he was so well known in his career that all he had to do was tear up pieces of paper and glue them together and they would become a masterpiece. Warhol aimed to have that world- wide recognition (Wren 12. ) He began to portray celebrities in his works of art. Although the works had very similar names, they were done in different fashions. This shows how Whorl’s work began to progress and become increasingly experimental in such a short amount of time. Both paintings Double Liz and Double Elvis were done in 1963 and both were done with only the medium as a connection. For Double Liz, Warhol set two enlarged illustrations of Liz Taylor on a canvas that was primed with silver; there is hardly a contrast in themes and the figure blends into the background. He creates a rectangular form that is placed in front of the silver’s background. Double Liz was printed on a single, continuous roll of canvas. When creating Double Elvis, he no longer wanted to show a surface tone and this painting shows Elvis slightly overlapping himself and his dealer Irving Blue was instructed to stretch and cut them to Whorl’s desired taste. The two stars were united in an exhibition at the Freer Gallery. Warhol printed almost entirely on silver backgrounds during his most extreme phase of the exhibition’s preparations which amortized his stars not on the â€Å"great silver screen† but in his silver silkscreen paintings (Can’t 114-117. ) Warhol said, â€Å"No matter how good you are, if you’re not promoted right, you won’t be remembered. â€Å"(Wren 23. ) His statement is completely true and this is one of the reasons he took a liking to portraying celebrities in his images. If the celebrities talked highly of him and created a buzz then he would be remembered Just as they would. Andy began his film career in the early ass’s. He wanted to depict simple scenes of how people could meet each other and what they cool d discuss. Some films would be of Just one actor, smoking or eating, because people go to the movies usually to see the star. They were very raw versions of film. Andy wasn’t doing experimental film; he was really experimenting with people and the way they behaved as a character. Warhol enjoyed making movies that had no script, especially no plot because if it had a plot and you have seen it once, then you wouldn’t want to watch it again because you already know the ending. But if it is Just a conversation between two people, then you can catch things you missed the first time. A major theme in all of Andy work is that he enjoys seeing the same image or scene over and over again. He has been called boring because he likes the same things but whether it’s in his prints or films, you can catch something new and different that you may have noticed the first time you saw them and it might evoke a different feeling upon seeing it again (Andy. The subjects of his movies were unlike those being made in the present day. They were really quite simple. What he created promoted the nonuser’s interests, he created for himself but the public fell in love. Warhol was a visionary who used such a vague aspect of pop culture and turned it into a phenomenon. No matter which medium of art he chose to engage in, Whorl’s themes centered on consumerism. His work was driven by the idea of being around celebrities and having money, Just a few years later he would become the celebrity and have the most expensive paintings sold in the United States. Works Cited Books: Can’t, Hate. Andy Warhol The Early Sixties: Paintings and Drawings 1961-1964. How to cite Andy Warhol – Paper, Papers

Consumer Buying Process

Question: Discuss about the case study for Consumer Buying Process. Answer: Introduction Value decisions play an important role in the consumer buying process. Additionally, in current business environment, it becomes essential to understand the customer perceived value due to increasing competition in the market (Drummond and Ensor, 2006). Concurrently, as nowadays, customers are more demanding and expect different shopping channels to be provided for the satisfaction of their needs, it also becomes difficult to identify customer-perceived value (Beamish, 2012).The main aim of this report is to identify the perceived value for the customers of Sainsbury with the use of suitable models. It also evaluates the existing value proposition for Sainsbury and also compare and contrast it with the leading competitor in its sector. In addition, it benchmarks the value propositions and also produces a new value proposition in order to match the customers' value criteria. In last, it also develops a plan for implementing the value proposition externally and internally. The company selected for this report is J. Sainsbury Plc. In the year 1869, Sainsbury was established and currently, it operates more than 1,200 supermarkets and convenience stores. It is found that the company employs approx 161,000 co-workers. It is also assessed that the company greatly invests in its stores, distribution channels, and employees to deliver best value and create positive shopping experience (J Sainsbury Plc, 2016). The main focal point of Sainsbury is customers and the company's culture and values play an important role in enhancing the customer satisfaction. Sainsbury's corporate website also reflects that the company owns 16.7% market share in the industry (J Sainsbury Plc, 2016). Identification of the Perceived Customer Value The term perceived value is associated with the product benefits and it shows the importance of understanding how the value is considered by the customers of a particular product or service. There are several models, which are beneficial to understand the customer perceived value for the Sainsbury's customers. One of the models is value hierarchy model of Woodruff (1997). Through this model, the author defined perceived value as desired product attributes or performance of the attributes, desired consequences, and the attainment of goals and purpose of customers (Aulia, Sukati, and Sulaima, 2016). The below figure summarizes this model: Figure 1: Customer value hierarchy model (Source: Aulia, Sukati, and Sulaima, 2016) With the use of this model, it is recognized that Sainsbury's customers perceived value is related to their satisfaction related to product attributes, consequences and goals achievement. For example, customers' perceived benefits for Sainsbury include availability of different clothing and grocery as per their preference, benefits after using the product, and attainment of goals such as fell special after wearing the clothing offered by Sainsbury. Another model is given by Valarie Zeithaml, which defines four diverse classes of customer-perceived value (Buttle and Maklan, 2015). These include low price value, product related value, quality value, and the values expected as a part of customer sacrifices. This model is also supported by the study of Chang and Hsu (2013). In this study, the authors suggested a customer-perceived value model (see the below figure). Figure 2: Model of Customer-perceived Value (Source: Chang and Hsu, 2013) It is clear from the above figure that customers' mainly perceived benefits such as price, quality, and value for their sacrifices including security, privacy of their information, assurance, and satisfaction. With the use of this model, it is identified that customer-perceived value for customers of Sainsbury includes: Price: Customers perceive both financial and non-financial price benefits when purchasing products from Sainsbury stores. For example, customers want big saving offers as a part of price benefit and concurrently, they also desire to get non-price benefits such as loyalty benefits, etc. to enhance their perceived value (Day and Moorman, 2010). Quality: Customers also expect that Sainsbury offers good quality, latest style and design and fresh products to create great customer value. Quality can be valued in different ways including product, service, system and website (Kumar and Steenkamp, 2007). For instance, as Sainsbury allows its customers to online shop, their perceived values include opening of the website with different browsers, availability and clarity of all information, and price information, etc. Sacrifices: Customers also value what they get as a result of their sacrifices. For example, customers want that Sainsbury ensure privacy and security of their personal information, assurance about the product use, and effective service (Chang and Hsu, 2013). In addition, customers perceived values also include fun, entertainment, pleasure, prestige benefits, convenience, etc. when purchasing products from Sainsbury stores. In contrast, from the study by Hassan (2012), it is evaluated that many customers select Sainsbury mainly due to its location, easy access to store and available car parks. Moreover, customers also perceived value from competitive prices, wide range of products and offer and promotions. Existing Value Propositions It is evaluated that Sainsbury gives importance to both price and quality in its current value proposition. In regard to this, it is assessed that the new pricing strategy of the company to continuous lower prices reassures customers that at Sainsbury's stores they can always get a good price (J Sainsbury Plc, 2016). The company invests in getting down the prices of daily products that are demanded by customers through value chain efficiencies (Hassan, 2012). In addition, the company also regularly invests in improving the quality to strengthen its existing value propositions and get success in the increasingly competitive marketplace. It is also evaluated that quality is the main value creating factor that helps in keeping Sainsbury apart from the competition (J Sainsbury Plc, 2016). The company innovated various own-label products, the quality of which strengthen its premier-class goodwill and image. Concurrently, it is also evaluated that the company is able to effectively differentiate itself from other rival grocers due to the main elements of value propositions including quality of the product, improved availability, and wide range of products (Cunningham and Harney, 2012). In addition, Sainsbury also operates different store formats that are effective to meet with the requirements of specific customers as well as create value for them. It is also assessed that labelling is also an effective part of Sainsbury's value proposition and account for about total sale's 60%. It helps the company to transfer the value that customers relate with the retailer of the product (Gbadamosi, Bathgate, and Nwankwo, 2013). At the same time, consideration of ethical value of consumers are also an essential part of its value proposition that significantly contributes in the company's success. It is because some ethical consumers may boycott purchasing of products from retailers, which do not comply with ethical standards (Buttle and Maklan, 2015). In contrary, it is evaluated that Nectar reward scheme that is provided by Sainsbury to its customers is a negative aspect of its value proposition. It is because the company does not invest in this program largely as a result the customers are not very loyal towards this brand. At the same time, it is found that Tesco club card scheme is an important part of value proposition of Tesco. In this, it is found that many customers of Tesco believe that Tesco club card is a main source of value for them that motivate them to keep shopping with that supermarket chain (Hassan, 2012). In addition, it is also assessed that better quality, local store, and availability of wide range of products are some important value elements for Tesco. Thus, it can be stated that there are some similarities in the value propositions that are offered by both Tesco and Sainsbury. For example, both companies focus on improving quality, maintaining price and offering wide product range to create value for custo mers. But, concurrently, it can also be discussed that availability of effective loyalty card scheme makes the value proposition of Tesco more effective in comparison of Sainsbury. For the reason, Tesco runs its own loyalty program, while Nectar is not Sainsbury's own program (West, Ford, and Ibrahim, 2010). Moreover, it is also measured that Tesco also believes that an effective way to add value for customers is through a major cost-cutting program. In this, the company's loyalty program supported greatly as many products' prices cut in half when customers use their points. Thus, it can be concluded that Sainsbury needs to improve its current value proposition to strengthen it as compared to other competitors as well as ensure long-term business survival. Benchmarking the Two Value Propositions In order to benchmark the two value propositions, first, it is essential to understand the main strengths of the competitors' value propositions. Secondly, it is important to know company's own differentiation towards consumers. In relation to the strength of Tesco's value propositions, it is evaluated that Tesco has developed a successful online business in the UK that now is extended to different product categories. Tesco is able to offer a profitable internet shopping experience by leveraging the strength of its traditional mortar and bricks grocery business (Murray, 2013). Tesco's online business caught more than 40% of the total online grocery shopping market. Additionally, its website is the world's most successful online grocery retail business and creates significant value for online customers. Additionally, it is also evaluated that the another strength of Tesco's value propositions is related to its loyalty card scheme, which is valued by customers. The biggest benefit of loyalty cards for Tesco is that these support the retailer to know about what customers prefer to buy (Seth and Randall , 1999). Additionally, on the basis of the customers' previous history, Tesco gives vouchers to customers and also designs offers to deliver the products to customer they receive. In contrary to Tesco analysis, it is assessed from the value proposition analysis of Sainsbury that the continuous focus on products' quality, prices, and supply of safe, fresh, and healthy products supports the company to get ahead from the competition. It is also evaluated that the consideration of ethics in the business as well as commitment towards delivering value to customers positively supported the company to differentiate itself in the eyes' of customers in today's dynamic and competitive business environment (Barnes, Blake, and Pinder, 2009). Moreover, it is also appraised that the focus on five organizational values also ensures the success of the company in current competitive business situation. These values include best food and health, environment respect, integrity, building a good place to work, and contribute a positive difference to the company. It is also evaluated that all these values positively supported the company to deliver value to both customers and employ ees as well as strength its brand image worldwide. In contrast, in relation to the two retailers it is also found that both give importance to socially responsible activities as well as promote environmental safety that also set both Tesco and Sainsbury apart from the competition (Hassan, 2012). It is also evaluated that these elements of value proposition are important for today's organizations, particularly supermarkets to attain competitive advantage. It is because attractive price and advertising are some factors that are adopted by most firms in this sector, but contribution to the community development is not followed by all firms. In this way, it can be one of the most valuable aspects of value proposition. Thus, it is clear that both Tesco and Sainsbury focus on delivering value to customers by offering good quality of various products at fair price to customers. It can also be concluded that Tesco has business strengths such as online retail business and loyalty card schemes that provide its competitive advantage over other retailers in the industry. In contrast, ethics, location, and fresh and good quality of various products are the main aspects of Sainsbury's value proposition that can be benchmarked to ensure its long-term success. It can also be summarized that Tesco has more than one factor in its value proposition that support it to maintain its leading position in the industry. These factors include effective access to stores, online shopping, loyalty cards, wide product ranges, and quality. Additionally, it can also be stated that Tesco's loyalty card scheme can be used as a benchmark in this industry to deliver continuous value to customers. For the reason, nowadays due to increased competition, it becomes essential to make customers loyal towards a particular brand so that their retention rate can be enhanced. Moreover, it can also be stated that as Sainsbury has lack of loyal customers, so it should also focus on making its own loyalty scheme to get long-term business success and growth. New Value Propositions for Sainsbury With the analysis of Sainsbury's value proposal, I have come to know that building and delivering of value to customers as per their expectations is not an easy task for marketing planners. There is need to develop understanding about this concept as well as to know what customers expect from a particular organization in terms of delivering value to them. Additionally, from the Tesco's value proposition analysis, I have also learned that building of loyal customers can be an important success factor for today's business organizations (Hassan, 2012). It is because such customers expend their money, make repeat purchase, and also recommend to others the same company as long as it delivers logical and uniform values to them. It is also important to communicate the value propositions to customers adequately and manage any change in it as per the change taken place in the market. As currently, Sainsbury does not focus on making customers loyal, a new value proposition will be proposed in order to match the customers' value criteria. For the reason, nowadays customers perceive value in terms of taking loyalty benefits offered by the company. In order to develop a new value proposition for Sainsbury, value life cycle will be used. Through the use of this cycle, value elements will be developed at the life cycle's different stages. The below section summarizes the new value propositions for Sainsbury: Introduction of Value: At the stage, with the use of historic data and observations of customers needs and expectations as well as current value proposition, the research and development department along with the marketing section will work to add value (Hassan, 2012). Additionally, customers will also be involved in this step to make the value proposition effective. For example, Sainsbury will develop a loyalty scheme and will also focus on maintaining price and quality to meet with the value standards of customers. Value Appropriation: At this stage, Sainsbury will create value by improving purchase experience of customers. For example, by improving the online presence and providing all information required to make a purchase decision, the value will be created for the customers (Hassan, 2012). Value Use: Customers feel and see the value at this phase through the products or the services actual use (Hassan, 2012). Therefore, at this level, Sainsbury will create value by linking different benefits to the product/service. Renewal of the Value: At this phase, the value is created when value finishes due to expiry of products at a supermarket like Sainsbury (Hassan, 2012). Therefore, in the renewal process, Sainsbury can create value by adding more features and benefits to different product and services. Transfer of Value: In the value life cycle's final stage, the customers can no more get value. Yet, by transferring value from obtained benefits, value can be created (Hassan, 2012). For example, Sainsbury can offer exchange of some used goods at significant discounts. In addition, some value dimensions such as innovators, price ministers, and socializers will also be used to make the value proposition effective that meets with the value criteria of different customers (Hassan, 2012). For example, Sainsbury will continuously invest in developing and improving the technology and the value proposition is related that customers are advanced in technology. Similarly, by considering the price minimizing dimension, Sainsbury will emphasize on selling products not more than competitors' prices (Hassan, 2012). As a result, value for money is the value proposition for customers. Moreover, by making effective loyalty schemes, Sainsbury will develop an interpersonal relationship with main customers. The value proposition here includes believe, trust, closeness, and social relationships. Additionally, it can also be discussed that as the new value proposition supports Sainsbury to develop close relationship with customers, it would be helpful for the company t o attain long-term business growth, success, and survival. Plan to Carry Out the Value Proposition Externally and Internally Both the internal and external environments of the organization are linked with the value proposition. In this, the value proposition internally, defines the firm's operations, as it is interpreted into value creation actions and processes (Saren, 2013). In contrary, externally, it represents the firm in the customers' eyes. It is the reason that to get long-term business success, it is necessary that the value proposition implemented both internally and externally. Therefore, a plan will be developed to enforce the proposed value proposal in both internal and external business environment. Firstly, marketing strategies and tactics will be developed and aligned with other organizational strategies so that best value can be delivered to customers. In addition, to implement the value proposition internally, a new strategic framework will be developed in order to deliver value to end-consumers (Hassan, 2012). This framework will be beneficial to make clear the value proposition that the company should deliver as well as the alignment of products, organizational resources and processes to deliver the value in a profitable manner. At the same time, to implement the proposed values, they will be defined sharply, clearly understood and will be communicated to different stakeholders including customers, shareholders, employees, etc. appropriately (Hassan, 2012). It would be beneficial to ensure the proper application of the value proposition at all leve ls in the organization. Moreover, internally, the firm will focus on attaining the operational excellence so that optimum value can be delivered to customers (Clark and Baker, 2007).Additionally, Sainsbury will identify the operational processes and activities to translate the value proposition and delivering values to customers. For example, market research department will focus on identifying customers' expectations so that benefits can be designed accordingly to create value. In contrast, to externally implement the value proposal, Sainsbury will focus on positioning itself in the eyes of customers (Viscusi, Batini, and Mecella, 2010). For this, effective marketing strategies and plan will be developed by the company. For example, a new marketing mix will be proposed by the company that will consider the new value proposition. The marketing mix is as follow: Product: Wide range of products will be offered with the use of advanced technology, current fashion and as per customers expectations. It would be helpful to meet with the customers' value needs in terms of advance technology and availability of wide product range (Beamish, 2012). Price: Competitive price will be offered to attract and retain customers in grocery retail markets. Concurrently, Sainsbury will also make differentiation on prices and offers in comparison of competitors to positioned itself among customers (Hassan, 2012). Place: It is evaluated that store location is the biggest delivered value along with the store distance and availability of other distribution channels such as parking facilities and online purchasing and delivering (Hassan, 2012).Therefore, to strengthen the current brand image, Sainsbury will improve its current store location as well as online presence. Promotion: Promotion is another element that adds value to customers in terms of discount offers, and other schemes (Drummond and Ensor, 2006). Moreover, loyalty cards are also viewed as the main source of value to customers. Therefore, Sainsbury will promote its loyalty card schemes to customers to strengthen its current image and differentiate itself in the market. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that customers of Sainsbury mainly perceived values as locations, availability of range of products, fresh food, and maintaining quality at lower prices that encourage them to visit this supermarket as compared to others. It can also be stated that Sainsbury needs to improve its current value proposition as compared to other competitors. For the reason, nowadays, customers acquire more value from the company that offers them loyalty benefits along with maintaining product prices and quality. The new value proposition for Sainsbury will focus on delivering value by offering different loyalty benefits along with asserting product range, price, and quality. In last, it can also be summarized that the implementation of value propositions both internally and externally would be helpful to ensure the company's long-term success. References Aulia, S. A., Sukati, I. and Sulaima, Z. (2016) A Review: Customer Perceived Value and its Dimension. Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Management Studies, 3(2), pp. 150-162. Barnes, C., Blake, H., and Pinder, D. (2009) Creating and Delivering Your Value Proposition: Managing Customer Experience for Profit. UK: Kogan Page Publishers. Beamish, K. (2012) CIM Coursebook 03/04 Marketing Planning. UK: Routledge. Buttle, F., and Maklan, S. (2015) Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and Technologies. UK: Routledge. Chang, C. and Hsu, Y. H. S. (2013) A Customer-Perceived Value Model for e-Service Context. Proceedings of 7th Global Business and Social Science Research Conference, pp. 1-15. Clark, M. and Baker, S. (2007) Business Success Through Service Excellence. UK: Routledge. Cunningham, J. and Harney, B. (2012) Strategy and Strategists. UK: OUP Oxford. Day, G. and Moorman, C. (2010) Strategy from the Outside In: Profiting from Customer Value. USA: McGraw Hill Professional. Drummond, G. and Ensor, J. (2006) Introduction to Marketing Concepts. UK: Routledge. Gbadamosi, A., Bathgate, I., and Nwankwo, S. (2013) Principles of Marketing: A Value-Based Approach. UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Hassan (2012) The Value Proposition Concept in Marketing: How Customers Perceive the Value Delivered by Firms A Study of Customer Perspectives on Supermarkets in Southampton in the United Kingdom. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 4(3), pp 68-87. J Sainsbury Plc. (2016) Business structure. Available at: https://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/about-us/business-structure/ [ Accessed: 7th July, 2016]. J Sainsbury Plc. (2016) Great products and services at fair prices. Available at: https://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/about-us/business-strategy-and-objectives/great-products/ [Accessed: 7th July, 2016]. J Sainsbury Plc. (2016) About Us. Available at: https://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/about-us/ [Accessed: 7th July, 2016]. Kumar, N. and Steenkamp, JB. E. M. (2007) Private Label Strategy: How to Meet the Store Brand Challenge. USA: Harvard Business Press. Murray, K. (2013) The Retail Value Proposition: Crafting Unique Experiences at Compelling Prices. UK: University of Toronto Press. Saren, M. (2013) Marketing Graffiti. UK: Routledge. Seth, A. and Randall, G. (1999) The Grocers: The Rise and Rise of the Supermarket Chains. UK: Kogan Page Publishers. Viscusi, G., Batini, C. and Mecella, M. (2010) Information Systems for eGovernment: A Quality-of-Service Perspective. Germany: Springer Science Business Media. West, D., Ford, j. and Ibrahim, E. (2010) Strategic Marketing: Creating Competitive Advantage. UK: OUP Oxford.

Euthanasia Persuasive Essay free essay sample

If a person is terminally ill, their illness will be the cause of their death no matter how much treatment is received. Certain illnesses and diseases cause a lot of pain such as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, pancreatic cancer, and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. Radiation treatments for cancer cause patients suffering from that disease to experience a great deal of pain also. Sometimes the pain from terminal illnesses or diseases is too unbearable for the patient to want to live, and they want to be released from the illness’ painful clutch. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are two ways to end the life of a person. Euthanasia is the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy (Merriam-Webster), also defined by the Oxford dictionary as the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. We will write a custom essay sample on Euthanasia Persuasive Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In places where euthanasia is allowed, it is only legal when it is voluntary active euthanasia, or the intentionally administering medication or other interventions to cause patient’s death at the explicit request and with fully informed consent. Physician-assisted suicide is suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or by information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient’s intent (Merriam-Webster). For terminally ill patients, this is an outlet for their suffering in life, which is very advantageous to the person. Euthanasia and physician- Hughes 2 assisted suicide should be legalized for all terminally ill patients who have these options available to them. The issue of legalizing euthanasia and/or physician-assisted suicide has created a large debate among many people throughout the world including residents and medical professionals. There are many pros to the legalization, but many people are also strongly against it and think it would cause more problems than it would solve. For many terminally ill, they are devoid of simple pleasures, and functional capability, while also suffering pain and long hours of consciousness of the hopelessness of their state (Asch). However, choosing life or death is a personal decision and those who are suffering should be able to choose to end their life. If placed in the terminal disease situation, opponents to euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide would not want to spend their last days on earth suffering or even eventually becoming a vegetable. â€Å"The ingestion of a controlled substance in order to accelerate death may spare the terminally ill patient much suffering, both physical pain and the anguish that, for some, accompanies helplessness and dependence,† (Dick and Lindsey). States should think of ways to make sure the terminally ill do not suffer but not make doctors have to assist in their death (Appel). However, as of the society of America right now, that is not possible. There are many arguments against euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. A loss of trust between the ill person at hand and the doctor treating them is a small one. A sense of security in the patients’ doctors is argued, but some people have killed themselves in an early stage of illness because of fear that they would not have assistance later if wanted or needed (Rogatz). However, physicians are supposed to cure patients and alleviate pain and suffering. If Hughes 3 the patient thinks attempts at curing outweigh benefits, they should still help them but also try to stop suffering and pain (Dick and Lindsey). One of the only places on Earth to legalize physician-assisted suicide is the state of Oregon with a Death with Dignity Act. However, Oregon residents have a peace of mind knowing that if it came down to needing physician-assisted death, they would have it available (Dick and Lindsey). For doctors, a main concern with euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is the Hippocratic Oath taken in medical school, which says to do no harm (Rogatz). However, disconnecting a ventilator is not seen as murder when the physician does it but prescribing medication that the patient chooses to request and then take is considered harm and murder. Also today, the Hippocratic Oath in its original form is only issued in one medical school in the country. It is argued that patients requesting help with hastening death come mostly from those who have not been treated or diagnosed properly (Asch). There is a growing awareness that loss of dignity and of those attributes that we associate particularly with being human are the factors that most commonly reduce patients to a state of unrelieved misery and desperation,† (Rogatz). It would be to the doctor’s discretion and expertise to diagnose and treat the patient to the best of their ability, and the patient could seek a ssistance from another doctor if looking for more treatment. Fourth, some people do not believe that there are not enough requests to change the law. However, requests are not recorded and a study has shown many physicians have received at least one (Winget). The slippery slope argument is also a strong belief for opponents to Hughes 4 euthanasia and PAS. Summarized, they are as follows. 1. The patient must have an incurable condition causing severe, unrelenting suffering. 2. The patient must understand his or her condition and prognosis, which must be verified by an independent second opinion. 3. All reasonable palliative measures must have been presented to and considered by the patient. 4. The patient must clearly and repeatedly request assistance in dying. 5. A psychiatric consultation must be held to establish if the patient is suffering from a treatable depression. 6. The prescribing physician, absent a close preexisting relationship (which would be ideal) must get to know the patient well enough to understand the reasons for her or his request. 7. No physician should be expected to violate his or her own basic values. A physician who is unwilling to assist the patient should facilitate transfer to another physician who would be prepared to do so. 8. All of the foregoing must be clearly documented. (Rogatz). By creating requirements to be met before PAS could be received, this would solve the slippery slope argument. Another major argument against euthanasia and PAS is the abuse of these rights. The use of lethal prescribed drugs by physicians has not been used much or gotten out of control (in Oregon, where PAS is legal) (Dick and Lindsay). In Oregon, there have been about seventy people who took advantage of the law, and â€Å"almost all of these seventy patients had health insurance, most were on hospice care, and most were people with at least some college education,† (Asch). Also, it is ultimately up to the patient who receives the prescription whether or not to take it so they are in full control and make the final decision, and only a small portion of those who received PAS raised concerns about the cost (Asch). Hughes 5 Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are personal decisions that should be made when life for the patient is unbearable. Overall, it is a positive choice for terminally ill patients and is sometimes a better option for them than living. The arguments against euthanasia and PAS are not very strong. Most of those opposed to it also have never been terminally ill and do not know how it feels to want to end your life because of a painful illness or disease. Euthanasia and PAS should be legalized to be provided by physicians to those terminally ill to help end the pain and suffering and low enjoyment of life for those patients.

Affirmative Action Essays (3618 words) - Social Inequality

Affirmative Action Essays (3618 words) - Social Inequality Affirmative Action Thesis: Although many people believe that affirmative Action is a form of racism, it is actually used to help minorities find employment in an otherwise racist world. ?In the United States, equality is a recurring theme. It has flared into a fervent moral issue at crucial stages of American history: The revolutionary and Jacksonian Period, and the New Deal. In each era, the legitimacy of American society is challenged by some set of people unhappy with the degree of equality? (Verba and Orren). Following the Civil War, Congress passed a number of laws designed to put former slaves on an equal level with white people. The Fourteenth Amendment made the freedmen citizen and prohibited states from enforcing any law which took away the privliges of any citizen, depriving men of life, liberty, or property without due process of the law, or denied men equal protection of the laws. In 1875, Republican majority in Congress, aware that reconstruction would soon end, passed a civil right act to secure by law semblance of equality for Black Americans (Urofsky 19). Many white Americans really did not like the idea of equality for the Black Freedmen. ?Gideon Welles, who had been prevailing sentiment when he wrote in 1871: ?Thank God slavery is abolished, but the Negro is not, and never can be the equal of the white man. He is of an inferior race and must always remain so(Urofsky 23). The supreme court agreed and in 1883 passed the Civil Rights act which diluted much of th! e protection of the Fourteenth Amendment. Justice Joseph Bradely interpreted the enforcement provision of the amendment as strictly remedial; ?congress has the power to remedy a discriminatory state law, but could not take affirmative steps to protect blacks from other forms of prejudice? (Urofsky 21). As a result of this decision, the federal government took no action to combat racism in the country until the second world war (Urofsky 22). Because resentment continued to increase within the black communities and because of the threat of a march on Washington, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order on June 25, 1941. This order directed African Americans to be accepted into job-training programs in defense plants. The order also stated that discrimination would not be excepted by employers holding defense contracts. It also set up a fair employment practice commissions to investigate charges of racial discrimination. Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower continued to enforce fair employment legislation after Roosevelt?s policies because Congress was unwilling to do so. In 1954, the supreme court decision Brown v. Board of Education pressured both houses of Congress and the executive office to take some positive steps on behalf of civil rights. In January 1961, John F. Kennedy took office. Almost immediately Roy Wilkins of the NAACP called for action to promote employment opportunities for African Americans. John F. Kennedy responded with executive order 10925, which created a presidential commission on equal employment opportunity; it also mandated federal contractors to take ?Affirmative Action? to ensure that there would be no discrimination by ?race, creed, color or nationality.? This was not the first time that the government ordered it own contractors not only to avoid discrimination, but to take positive steps to redress the effects of discrimination in society. In some cases contractors were asked to pay employees doing similar work, the same amount of pay. Without congressional action an executive order could only last so long, and in 1963 Kennedy secured passage of the Equal Pay Act. The Equal Pay Act prohibited employers from paying women less than men for the same work. ?A short time later due to the assassination of kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson called for the passage of the Civil Rights Bill as a memorial to the late president kennedy. Lyndon B. Johnson skillfully guided and expanded versions of kennedy?s proposal through the house and senate. The Civil Rights Act was signed into law July 2, 1964. Title VII of the act banned employment discrimination based on ?race, color, sex, and nationality,? it also created a permanent equal employment opportunity commission to enforce its provisions. The act also for the first time included obligations not to discriminate to private employees, labor unions, and governmental agencies.(Urofsky

Bussiness Plan- physiotherapy clinic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bussiness Plan- physiotherapy clinic - Essay Example A partnership serves both the short term and long-term interests of the organization (Eisner, 2010). Firstly, as a recent graduate I have few financial resources. Secondly, I have limited experience working in a real world healthcare setting. As a result, having a partner with an established record of accomplishment in the physiotherapy healthcare segment and the financial resources to support the business is strategic. The business would benefit from our partnership as we merge our skills and abilities to deliver high quality and effective healthcare for our clients. The location of a business plays a significant role in determining success (Spaeder, 2014). The location of the business at the outskirts of the city is informed by a desire to have a serene environment for clients to recover. Although it means that clients have a difficult time accessing it as opposed to the city, the cost of renting the compound is significantly cheaper. In addition, it is crucial to get a big office space at an affordable rate. An analysis of the market demonstrated a demand for physiotherapy services. According to the US Physical Therapy organization (2014), the market is estimated at $ 19 billion and is projected to experience an annual growth rate of over 5%. Firstly, the area has many sports teams whose players would need regular physiotherapy attention. In addition, a large segment of the population is aging. As a result, there will be demand for physiotherapy services to deal with backaches and other forms of pain that are associated with the aging process (NHS, 2014). Physiotherapy plays an integral role in successful aging (Cox, 2004). Furthermore, the demand for physiotherapy services exceeds supply in the state. Although the clinic will cater for everyone, it is necessary on the female gender and aging demographic. The competitors include Elite Clinic and Monsanto Clinic. The former caters

The study of the hip-hop culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The study of the hip-hop culture - Essay Example The study of the hip-hop culture Some of the professional fields concerned with the study of the hip-hop culture include musicology, literature, African-American studies, linguistics, and so forth (Leach, 9; Alridge and Stewart, 190). In academic and professional conferences, hip-hop culture topics are receiving a wider attention as people strive to understand this culture. Equally, hip-hop materials are currently being sought after by research institutions (including Harvard and Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture) to provide researchers with adequate materials in the analysis of the hip-hop culture (Leach, 9). This essay compares Eminem’s video for â€Å"The Real Slim Shady† with N.W.A.’s video for â€Å"Straight Outta Compton†. In the analysis of these different rap videos, the essay constructs an argument about how hip-hop has changed since its formation in the 1970s. Defining and Understanding Hip-hop and Rap Numerous people (including knowledgeable hip-hop writers and lis teners) do not understand the meanings of rap and hip-hop; particularly, many of these individuals think that the two are interchangeable. Nonetheless, hip-hop is a cultural movement originating from South Bronx, New York. It has four main/primary elements that include rap, graffiti, DJing (also known as turntablism), and break dancing. Other elements that are also part of the hip-hop culture include language, beat boxing, and fashion. Among these elements, rap is the most popular and the most celebrated element of the hip-hop culture. ... Rapping is also known as emceeing. In this hip-hop element, the rapper or the performer speaks rhythmically to a musical beat; his/her words rhyme from one sentence to the other. In the modern hip-hop perspective, an MC is different from a rapper. An MC is an individual with superior lyrical ability; on the other hand, a rapper focuses less on lyrical prowess. Particularly, this characteristic is evident in many of the mainstream rappers today (Aces and Eighths). Although it originated in New York, hip-hop has its roots in African-American and West African music. Griots are a group of West African singers and poets whose musical style is similar to that of the hip-hop culture. They have an oral tradition similar to the one in rap music; however, theirs dates back to hundreds of years. In the City of New York, griot-like musical performances from artists such as Mansur Nuriddin and The Last Poets influenced the post-civil rights era culture in the 1960s. In the 1970s, block parties be came common creating the humble beginnings of the hip-hop culture (Aces and Eighths). â€Å"The Real Slim Shady† by Eminem â€Å"The Real Slim Shady† is a hip-hop song done by Marshall Bruce Mathers III who is popular by the name Eminem. In the process of writing this song, Eminem sought assistance from Andre Romelle Young (popular by the name Dr. Dre) and Thomas Joseph Coster Junior (popular by the name Tommy Coster Jr). Eminem was writing this song for his third studio album â€Å"The Marshall Mathers LP† released on 23 May 2000. This song was the lead single in this album. The song was highly successful as it reached number one in UK (United Kingdom) and number four on the â€Å"Billboard Hot

Study Guide History Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Study Guide History Questions - Essay Example The paper "Study Guide History Questions" presents a set of study guide questions regarding different periods of world history such as World War I and World War II and the Chinese Qing dynasty. Total war is a conflict characterized by military targeting civilian resources and infrastructure, food blockades, as well as a military draft for men and production of materials. During the Great War, the central powers comprised of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. During the Great War, the defensive techniques included the use of barbed wire and trenches while the offensive power were machine guns, flamethrowers, mustard gas, submarines, tanks, and aircraft (zeppelins, planes). Therefore, the primary demands and messages conveyed by nations’ propaganda posters in the Great War were "Women of Britain say GO!", "The empire needs men!", "Canada’s new army needs men like you", "I want you for U.S. Army", "Who is absent? Is it you?". Also, the pro-war messages could be found in George M. Cohan’s song â€Å"Over There†. The song is calling upon the young and energetic members of the society (male) to take up arms and fight the enemy. It also emphasizes the cultural perception of masculinity as the protector of the community. During the Great War, the government control mechanisms were required such as buy war bonds (propaganda posters), the military draft, government control of private industries, munitions factory workers needed, rationing, anti-sedition legislation.

Analysing leadership and determinants of Leadership Effectiveness

Analysing leadership and determinants of Leadership Effectiveness Leadership is the behavior of an individual when he/she is giving directions and activities to a group moving towards a common purpose. A leader is seen as someone who sets the paths in an effort to influence people to adhere to those paths. Leadership is an action and not just a position. It can be shown via different people in various situations. A person may not born to be a leader but can be cultured through the upbringing and environment. But there are people who have innate capabilities to become leaders even though they are not exposed. These innate characteristics need to be polished in order for the person to let his or her leadership skills and capabilities shine through. Such leaders also need to be further equipped with certain competencies so that they can pick up qualities that they should demonstrate to become even greater leaders. A leaders personal characteristics are also vital for the developments and motivations of the organizations. True leaders such as the teachers who illustrated that leadership is an action (teaching and leading the students) and not a position. Personal characteristics can also determine what type of leadership approach a person will demonstrate and how effective his or her leadership capabilities are in different situations. Touching the lives and affecting the outcome of many different expectations, a teacher is the epitome of a leader. A leader has his or her own style of motivating the people in the organizations. A leader must find the best skills in order to provide directions, motivations and purposes. Effective leaders are flexible. Organizational Leadership Model The effective leadership influence is not the same for everyone. It depends on their ranks in the organization and abilities which are required in leaders. The three basic leadership roles identified: initiation, speech, and management. 1. Initiation Initiation refers to planned decision making on policy formulation or structural change. These vital decisions are the determinants of the organizations culture and mission. 2. Speech Strategic decisions and methods designed for implementation within the establishment. It includes adjusting or adding on to the present structure towards new policy demands. 3. Management Management is putting into practice the policies and measures that are available to maintain the operations of the organization efficiently. These three kinds of Leadership are naturally executed at diverse ranks in the company with different abilities and skills. The top level management would initiate new policies that involve a change in the businesss structure or understanding the companys mission. An understanding of the entire organization, culture, mission, vision and how it correlates with the external parties is mandatory for these top level individuals. They represent the organization and what the business stands for. Understanding the policy decisions and practicing them to the existing organization via utterance or speech is usually made by the intermediate-level managers. They must uphold a two-way point of reference by taking orders from the above management and adapting them for the lower groups of people in the organization. Type of Leadership Process Typical Organizational Level Cognitive (Knowledge) Affective (Emotion) Initiation: Change, creation and elimination of structure Top echelons System perspective Charisma Speech: supplementing and piecing out of structure Intermediate levels: pivotal roles Subsystem perspective: two-way orientation Integration of primary and secondary relations: human relation skills Management: use of existing structure Lower levels Technical knowledge and understanding of system of rules Concern with equity in use of rewards and sanctions EXHIBIT 16.1 The three Leadership Models. The Position in the Organization. The Skill Requirements A companys policies and procedures will be administered by the Lower-level supervisors. These personnel must possess both the technical knowledge and a clear perception of the organizations rules in order to be successful. They have to continually deal with issues such as equity, rewards and punishments in leading others. Therefore, leadership plays a crucial role in an organization because it has direct impact on the effectiveness of the organizations. Leadership is when a person manipulates others to perform a task at their own will which they would not normally do. Leadership is a vital process to an organization and it can be deliberated on three different stages; i.e. the individual, group and organization. Analysis at the individual stage: the leadership studies have paid attention on the successful leader personalities. Behaviors of both formal and informal leaders are focused at the group level. The effectiveness of an organization is decided by the relations between the leader, follower and circumstances. The studies have caused an emergence of different theories of leadership, namely situational and contingency. In Search for Leadership The requirements in selecting and training efficient leaders were emphasized during the World War I and the quarter century between World War l and World War II; numerous studies were made to examine the personal characteristics of good leaders. These studies are usually referred as characteristic studies since the primary goal was to classify the traits and personal characteristics of successful leaders. The diverse methods used to study these leadership traits could possibly be the reason in the irregularities of the results. The manner of studies was not consistent in identifying the leaders. A majority of the studies was in comparing efficient with inefficient leaders or leaders with non-leaders. Some were identified by external observers, others selected by the group by way of recommendation or voting, nominated by observers such as teachers while some were chosen because they are already in leadership positions. The studies conducted were in conflict as to the way they deliberated on the traits. Some traits were measured by mental tests; others relied on viewers to spot the traits they have seen while some depended on the persons to report their own personality traits. The trait studies were quite unsatisfactory as a whole especially since they had hoped to develop an accurate measure of leadership effectiveness. The spotlight on the leadership research moved because of the flimsy results, to contingency studies which investigated more than just traits of a leader. Numerous traits formed an important divergence in leadership effectiveness and they interrelated with other conditional variables to stimulate the effectiveness of the leader. Physical Behaviors Physical attributes including height, weight, health and appearance are also examined in the studies. It was concluded that there is a relationship between the above features and leadership. Apparently leaders have the tendency to be taller, heavier, better fitness, greater physique, higher energy output and more attractive in appearance. However, these types of results were not always reliable and consistent. The results neither are too weak in general and not consistent to be effective in selecting leaders nor are they helpful for training functions since not much can be made to alter most of these physical traits. Intellect It was generally agreed that leaders are more intellectual than non-leaders and the relationship was shown in the various studies. The relationship could probably begin from the reality that leadership functions depend mostly on success in problem solving. Leadership roles such as initiation, speech and management necessitate great mental ability. In general, it is safe to assume that leaders seem to be more intelligent than non-leaders but the relationships are small. Many other variables other than intellect inspire leadership effectiveness. It was also suggested that leaders should not be too intelligent than the group because associates who are notably brilliant than others are rarely chosen as leaders since the other members tend to snub them. Individuals with high IQs are inclined to have different sets of vocabulary, networks and aspirations that would create communication and inter-relations problems. Leaders do extremely well generally at school/college/university and score better grades. It is important for effective leadership to know how to do things. Thus general and practical knowledge are essential for leaders to make better decisions. Characteristic Traits Only a partial of the characteristic traits seem to be related to leadership and most are not especially convincing. It was suggested that the average leader is more social, has greater initiative, is more persistent, smart in getting things done, highly self-confident, cooperative, and adaptable to situations and possesses excellent communication skills. Leaders were found to be more emotionally mature than non-leaders in the personality integration or emotional adjustment. It can be concluded that personal characteristics are related to leadership. Effective leadership does not depend on a mixture of personality traits only because situational variables are also important since they always decide whether a character was associated with effective leadership either positively or negatively. Therefore, it can be deduced that effective leadership depends on the leaders characteristics, his subordinates and the nature of the task at hand. Many leadership styles were based on studies of leaders behaviors. The finest researches on the styles of leadership are made together at the same time; i.e. The State University in Ohio and the Michigan University. Researchers acknowledged two leader behaviors that were similar although the investigations were conducted separately. As a result, a two dimensional aspects of leadership have been to used to form the Managerial Grid. Authoritarian, Democratic, and Laissez-faire Leadership Due to the diverse political systems in the US and Germany before World War II, studies of leadership have been inspired which evaluated the three leadership styles: the authoritarian, the democratic and the laissez faire. In the democratic leadership style, decisions were made by vote of majority; equal participation encouraged; criticism and punishment minimal. In the autocratic leader, the leader made all the decisions and others must follow the set procedures strictly. In the laissez-faire leader, there was minimal actual leadership and others were permitted to work and play as usual without proper directives. Initiating Structure and Consideration The two leadership factors were initiating structure and consideration which include leadership behaviors in organizing and defining the tasks to be performed and goal achievements. A leader who assigns people to do specific jobs, expected workers to follow set routines and meet deadlines. The consideration factor is friendliness, showing trust, exhibiting warmth and concern for followers. Production-Centered and Employee-Centered Leader Behaviors Production centered behaviors were akin to initiating structure in which leaders would establish targets, gave directives, checked on operations and planned the group Employees work. Centered behaviors were similar to the considerations dimension in which the leader would develop a caring personal relationship with the subordinates and encouraged a two-way communication with them. The associations between the production-centered and employee-centered behaviors are found to be independent scopes of leadership. A leader with strong production orientation does not mean that he is disinterested in the employees. Managerial Grid Robert Blake and Jane Mouton had created a framework which relates task accomplishment to concern for people called the Managerial Grid. They both assumed that concern for production and concern for people would produce the most effective leadership style. There are leaders primarily more concerned with accomplishing the production and task not concerned about people. This person wants the job done and schedule followed at all costs. There is also individual who is not concerned whether the group produces anything but concerned more about the personal needs and interests of the team members. Ideally, leaders should be concerned about meeting schedules in order to get the work done and simultaneously are concerned about the team members interest and feelings too. The Managerial Grid is popular among managers. It is extensively used by organisations as part of their training program to assess leadership style. However, the effectiveness of the Managerial Grid is not consistently supported. The factors which are considered in determining leadership styles interact in complicated ways which resulted in various leadership styles. SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP In assessing leadership effectiveness, there are many factors that must be combined. A situational leadership model developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard considers three variables: (1) the guidance and the direction provided by the leaders (task behavior) (2) the emotional support given by the leader (relationship behavior) (3) the maturity level exhibited in performing the task As a result, four potential leadership styles have been created using a combination of the above factors: S1: Telling Give instructions and supervise performance closely. Suited for followers who are unwilling but of low maturity. S2: Selling Decide and provide opportunity for explanation. Appropriate for followers who are not able but willing. S3: Participating Sharing ideas in making decisions. Suited for followers who are able but not willing. S4: Delegating Responsibility handed over for decisions and performance. Appropriate for groups who are able and willing. Contingency Theory of Leadership Fiedler studied the interaction of leadership style and situation. He identified and developed ways to measure leadership orientation of the leader and situational factors which influence leadership. Leader Orientation Two types of leaders were identified, i.e. relationship-oriented or task-oriented. Leaders who are relationship-oriented tend to look at others as coworkers and look upon interpersonal relations as a requirement towards accomplishing the task. However, for task-oriented leaders, they react strongly against people whom they could not get along with in performing a task. Situational favorableness (1) relationships between leader and member can be good or bad; (2) the task is relatively well planned or not; and (3) the leaders authority is relatively strong or weak. The task structure becomes the second most important situational variable based on evaluation of four aspects of the task structure. Clarity: whether requirements of the tasks are stated clearly, Multiplicity: which the problems encounter can be solved. Verifiability: which the correctness of the decisions can be ascertained. Specificity: which there are generally more solutions involved in performing the task. Group effectiveness Relationship-oriented leaders perform excellently well in situations where concern for the team members is apparently necessary in order to motivate them to perform well. People naturally prefer leaders who care about them and their welfare. However, task-oriented leaders are clearly more effective in impossible situations. Path-Goal Model Directive leadership: subordinates are told what to be expected. Specific guide, standards and work schedules are provided to ensure that task are performed as expected. Supportive leadership: subordinates are treated equally and show concern for their needs and well-being; develop pleasant interpersonal relationships among the group members. Achievement-oriented leadership: challenging goals are set and subordinates are expected to perform at their highest level, improvement in performance always. Participative leadership: subordinates are consulted on suggestions and ideas in making decisions. Situational Aspects The distinctive personalities of those who follow and the environmental factors which affect the leadership style are called situational aspects or features of the situation. Significant characteristics of the followers which have been identified as determinants of leadership style are: (1). Followers with internal locus of control believe that they are rewarded for their own effort. Meanwhile, followers with external locus of control believe that external forces have a control on their rewards. (2). Authoritarianism: an individuals willingness to accept the influence of others. (3). Abilities: The followers ability and experience influence a leader whether they are able to work with an achievement oriented leader or a supportive leader who are patient enough to provide encouragement and instruction. The path-goal model recognizes three environmental factors which effect leadership styles: the nature of the task to be performed, the existing organizations authority system the organizational norms and dynamics The above factors may influence the effectiveness of various styles of leadership in a many ways. NORMATIVE DECISION-MAKING MODEL OF LEADERSHIP Based on the contingency theory of leadership, this leadership model does not assume any leadership style as appropriate for all situations. Leaders must develop a range of leadership styles and take on the most appropriate style depending on the situation. Leaders are required to know in which circumstances they need to consult others and vice versa. Even though the leader may be the chairman of the group, he/she is just one of the group members and does not have or even try to influence the other group members to adopt or follow a particular solution. The principle in selecting a leadership approach. The two measures/principles used for assessing the efficiency of a leadership style are excellence and approval. The quality of the decisions made refers to the accurateness of the actions taken and the extent which some objectives are achieved. The quality of decisions depends on accurate and relevant information Conferring with other group members often provides additional information. Diagnostic decision rules. In order to save time and minimize costs, some managers choose the lead autocratically. If the aim was to further the subordinates personal development, the participative style is selected. In some strategies, the manager decides alone. At times, the manager decides on his own after earlier consultations with his subordinates. Comparing the leadership models. All situational leadership models emphasize on the effect of external factors on a particular leadership style. Different leadership styles suggest styles that are determined by various situational factors. The models focus on different methods, which are situational factors and criteria for selecting the best style: task-oriented versus relationship-oriented. The normative decision-making model ascertains three leadership styles, namely autocratic, consultative, and participative. In each model, situational factors which influence the effectiveness of leadership are somewhat different. A significant reason which contributes to this is that normative decision- making model likens leadership to decision making and considers only this aspect of the leadership function. The model also uses different criteria for evaluating leadership effectiveness. DETERMINANTS OF LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS Although identifying what makes an effective leader seems like a simple task, however, individuals who are in leadership positions are often faced with a dilemma on deciding which leadership pattern to practice. Choosing a Leadership Style Choosing the most appropriate leadership style to adopt depends largely on the context of the organization. A successful leader must be capable of assessing the situational forces in the organization and respond accordingly to the needs. The forces include the organization culture, business goals as well as the organizations strategic plans. Effective leaders must understand themselves, the group, company and social environment. Strategies for Improving Leadership One of the main variables to improve leadership relates largely to the organizations reward system. Leaders should not overlook his capacity to reward his followers accordingly since followers will respond otherwise. For instance, the managers of high- performing groups generally are compensated according to their achievements. Considerate leaders manage to create satisfaction among their performing subordinates while at the same time; changes in the behavior of the leaders could be caused by the performance of the subordinates. Constraints on leader behavior. Leaders have limited opportunities to influence others. Leadership effectiveness is inhibited by a variety of factors. For example, the managerial decisions are planned ahead due to factors such as organizational structure, state and federal law, technological specifications and innovations as well as the absence of other alternatives. Many other organisational factors can impose limitations on the leaders capability to communicate with subordinates or reinforce their behavior towards achieving the organisational purpose. For example, organisational policies, nature of task, skills and abilities of available resources and other external factors may impede the capacities of organisational leaders. External factors. In terms of external factors, leaders are constrained by factors that they have no control on such as state and federal laws. Other external factors include the world economy and global issues. Irrespective of their leadership style, leaders with unskilled resources will face great challenges in leading. The availability of skilled followers is subjected to the external labor market. Organizational policies. The organization may limit a leaders effectiveness by hampering the amount of communication between leaders and followers. The existing company policies may also pose restrictions on the ability of leaders to reward or punish followers. Group factors. Leaders may find it hard to penetrate or influence group members who are highly unified. This will create difficulty for leaders to demonstrate his true capabilities in performing tasks for the organisation. Individual proficiencies and competencies. The leaders own talents and aptitudes may become their constraints because leaders can only possess limited expertise, energy, and power. Some situations may need greater amount of skills, experience and capabilities compared to what the leader may possibly have. Substitutes for leadership. Leadership is an extremely important function. It has an enormous influence on the value of organizations, especially in a business environment. However, in complex situations, we may not know exactly which leadership behaviour will be the most effective to adopt. In addition, certain situations warrant that leadership may be unnecessary subordinates. SUMMARY 1. Leadership is the increasing influence which occurs when an individual manipulates others to do task voluntarily which they would not do otherwise. The basic leadership roles include initiation of policy and structure, speech, and management. Leadership is required within organizations to provide direction to employees towards a common organisational objective. 2. The studies of leadership were mainly studies on traits that tried to identify the characteristics of effective leaders. The studies focused mainly on physical traits, intellect and characteristic. The results were usually weak and inconsistent although some personal characteristics were always related to leadership. Most studies concluded that apart from behaviour characteristics and traits of the leader, the nature of subordinates and the type of task to be performed were as equally important to determine success. 3. Another approach to studying leadership set on leader behaviors; i.e. how leaders actually behave. One of the studies compared the three leadership methods i.e. the authoritarian type, the democratic style and the laissez-faire mode. A democratic leadership produced the greatest satisfaction among subordinates while autocratic leadership style encouraged high level of productivity in the organisation. 4. A research conducted at the same time at two different universities identified two groups of similar behaviors of leadership. At The State University in Ohio, the researchers identified these two leader behaviors as initiating constitution and thought whereas at the Michigan University, the two parallel features were called the production-centered which focus more on the production and the employee-centered with the workers as the focal point. These two leader behaviors seem to relate leadership functions which are essential to the effectiveness of a group. A matrix named Managerial Grid had been formed based on these two factors. The Managerial Grid correlates the concern for production and the concern for people in identifying leadership effectives. 5. As a result of unsuccessful researches conducted to identify superior leadership behaviors, four situational theories of leadership were developed instead. Theories have suggested that the effective of leadership style depends largely upon situational factors, especially nature of the group and the task to be performed. 6. A situational leadership model that matches various amalgamations of chore and relationship manners with maturity of the subordinates. As the number of followers increases, the appropriate leadership style that should be employed would be telling, selling, participating and delegating. 7. Three situational variables are used to assess the most appropriate leadership style. The variables are the connection between the leader and the members (either good or bad), the task (structured or unstructured) and the strength of the leaders power. Based on findings, the most effective leadership style when these three variables formed an extremely favorable or unfavorable circumstance is task-oriented leadership. Nevertheless, a leader with high concerns for interpersonal associations is most effective when there were intermediate levels of favorableness. 8. The path goal model theory is derived from expectancy theory. It suggests that effective leaders must clarify the paths to attract followers. Based on this theory, the command, the sympathetic, the accomplishment-oriented and the contributive leadership styles emerged. The most appropriate leadership style is dependent on two types of situational factors: characteristics of followers as well as the internal/external environment. Three significant characteristics of follower are the locus of control (internal or external), authoritarianism and personal capabilities. The three environmental attributes are nature of the task to be performed, the existing organisational authority system and norms and dynamics of members. 9. The three leadership styles identified are autocratic, consultative and group decision making. Determining which style is most appropriate depends largely on several factors such as considerations whether adequate information is made available to the leader when making decision alone, whether the goals of the organisation are acceptable by the subordinates, or whether the followers accept decisions made without their involvement. 10. Members of the group also have a reciprocal influence on the leader. Group member can induce heir leaders behavior by reacting to the specific leaders behaviors selectively. The power and influence of a leader can also be limited due to certain external factors such as policies of the organisation, norms of the group members as well as the skills and abilities of followers. POSITIONING ON LEADERSHIP CRISIS Many leadership theories have been in existence as more people try to determine the most effective leadership style available. In addition, various leadership models and approaches have been used to produce identified types of leaders. Arthur G. Jago (1982) had projected a structure that organizes leadership theories that are based on each theorys focal point and approach. However, effective leadership also depends on specific situations, among other factors. The result of exposure to different experiences in life throughout the learning process also have the potential to produce mature leaders with high capabilities to lead organisations. Coupled with certain identified competencies which can be acquired, these leaders can demonstrate high skills and capabilities in their capacities as organisational leaders. There are various kinds of behavior that leaders can display to its followers. The two leadership behaviors that have been consistently identified are called the production-centered and the consideration-centered activities. A person can change his or her behaviour without being forced to based on the amount of influence exerted by another individual. Influence is also a contributing factor in shaping the behavior or personality of people. I concur with A. Ange on the presence of leadership crisis but I also foresee the resolutions taken and are still being taken to resolve the problem. Many organizations are spending money in sending their employees to be groomed and trained for future growth of the company whereby they are exposed to different methods of management and how to be great leaders. Leaders are born to leaders but in some circumstances, situations and environments also play a huge role in creating a leader. Leaders with innate capabilities also need to be exposed to certain conditions in order to build their characters and polish their leadership capabilities. Some can be shaped through exposure to various lifelong knowledge and skills training available today. With all kinds of methods and approaches easily accessible, average leaders can become even greater leaders with enough exposure and experience. Leaders come and go and new ones are always on the threshold to take over the empty space. The qualities of the leaders and their leadership styles vary but they are vital in the development and motivation processes of the organizations. There is a crisis in good leadership but it is not at a critical point. Big organizations would have everything in place for the future growth of the company and would have in line the replacements for all aspects of the management. Even small to medium sized organizations have planned their management line-ups for the future. The ongoing programs and trainings that are conducted by organizations to produce capable leaders and gr

Themewriters Anonymous :: Creative Writing Essays

Themewriters Anonymous Hi. My name is Ben and I am a themewriter. I should have a Ph.D. in "Black Rot" There I said it. Is there some clinic for themewriters where I can check myself in. The first step is admitting that you have a problem. Judging from some of the discussion that has gone on, I feel good because I realize that I am not alone. I think we have to realize that we are all themewriters to a certain extent. Once we realize this, we can try to move beyond that theme. I am trying to move beyond the theme one step at a time. Was I doing it again? Sorry, it's a difficult habit to break. What does it mean to move beyond the theme? I don't know. That is why I have come here tonight. When we first started talking about themewriting I looked at themewriters with disdain. There is no way that I could be one of those robots. I didn't want to accept the fact that I was a themewriter because I had always been successful in classes. I was super at sitting down the night before a paper was due, whipping out a theme and receiving an "A" on a "well-organized, coherent paper." I would give myself a pat on the back, get drunk and celebrate my genius. Looking back, I am not completely devastated to find out that I'm a themewriter. After all, that was the only way I knew how to write. Themes don\'92t contribute to the understanding of the reader. They only communicate on the surface. You can get your one main point across and beat it to death in the five paragraph format. For a longer paper, just add paragraphs to the body. My question is, once we get beyond the theme where do we go? I have used the theme as a crutch- an excuse not to do any real thinking or contemplation on a subject. I just puke back what the instructor has already told me in an attractive, organized manner. This method is easier for a teacher to grade but I don't think it contributes to the understanding of everyone involved. By communicating in themes, we learn facts- not understanding or deeper meaning. In the handout written by Laib, we can see that organization is one of the keys to enhancing the understanding of both the reader and the writer.