Meaning in Short Stories free essay sample

A discussion of several short stories to demonstrate how the authors developed meaning through the development of character, theme, plot and setting. Five short stories are discussed: The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, AP by John Updike, I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen, Barn Burning by William Faulkner, and The Rocking-Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence. Each story is used to demonstrate the use of either character, theme, plot or setting in the development of meaning. PLOT THE STORY OF AN HOUR The plot in this story revolves around the death of the husband, which of course makes the story possible, but at the heart of it is the woman and her feeling of freedom that she feels when she finds out her husband is dead. She feels free, and even in this very short story, Chopin makes us understand why with a few simple lines, And yet she had loved himsometimes. We will write a custom essay sample on Meaning in Short Stories or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Often she had not. That is really the plot briefly the woman wanted more. We learn the two characters names in the story, but they, and the other minor characters do not matter, this is truly a short story with one theme, freedom, and is totally plot driven.

Corporate Strategy The Body Shop Essay Example

Corporate Strategy The Body Shop Essay Example Corporate Strategy The Body Shop Paper Corporate Strategy The Body Shop Paper The Body Shop (TBS) is an interesting and innovative international organisation. Their focus on core beliefs, press/advertising, management, supplier networks, training and treatment of staff are perhaps best practice. In this paper we will review the external environment, the financials of the business, conduct SWOT analysis and analyse its competitive stance from the Porter Five Forces Model. Our recommendations focus on retaining their core competencies and values, minimising financial risks, and opening up new opportunities in the future. These include mail order as well as the growing male market, and developing a CEO succession plan. Introduction The question for many businesses is whether they can operate successfully internationally and maintain integrity in a world of seemingly empty advertising claims. TBS has taken this challenge head-on. By selling only environmentally friendly recyclable or biodegradable products in minimalist packaging, they are practicing what they preach in a clearly identifiable way. Furthermore the way they develop new products by developing operations in third world countries (profits with principles) shows a commitment beyond most others who buy abroad solely for cost reasons. The article implies that they operate a best practice. Analysis will indicate whether this is the case and where any further opportunities lie. The External Environment The Hair-care market is fragmented in 1988 the total size of the UK market was à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½139M with the top five companies sharing 44%, the others 56%. The Shampoo market was similar 10-11 brands competed for half the market and 80-90 competed for the other half, with conditioner use growing. These products are highly advertised major brands in magazines and TV, leading to blurring of product lines to create new products e.g. conditioning shampoo. The market is segmented by price, target market age, function (health and hygiene, beauty products). Growth is mainly in upmarket product ranges mainly from women, with men on the rise. Supermarkets also have their own skincare ranges (30% of market) hair-care is being seen as a grocery item and is sold in family pack sizes. There is also growth in anti-ageing products minimising affects of wind, sun and polluted air. In 1986 the soap market peaked and was thought to be declining with bath oil/foam overtaking soap in 1987. Fruity soaps introduced by the Body Shop were imitated and pure fragrance-free brands like Simple and Pears and liquid soap were introduced. The latter had about 5% of the market then. The Body Shop is one of the few in colour cosmetics. Yves Rocher is main competitor to TBS which has a mail order focus and 1200 Beauty Centres worldwide. Financial Analysis Our financial summary (refer Appendix 1) is that there is generally good growth, however there are operational issues associated with the US market that require analysis and resolution. SWOT Analysis Introduction SWOT identifies the risks/opportunities of the position TBS is currently in refer Appendix 2 for the tabular summary: Strengths TBS overall has made good rising profits year over year, despite market forces. Its profitability comes from its leadership, the franchise system (lower cost of expansion for the company), rapid growth for the market for green products and the ability for competitors to enter a fragmented market with little direct competition. TBSs main competitive edge is its people and the way they are selected, trained and empowered to promote their products enthusiastically. TBS does not advertise. Rather, they depend on quality of product. Weaknesses The Body Shop is a small player in a fragmented market. Their products are easily imitated (although the natural ingredients make it logistically difficult) in fact most of ideas were copied from existing products and processes elsewhere in the world. The Managing Director in her bid to promote the company made enemies of prominent organisations that will not assist developing cooperative networks. In its efforts to enter the mainstream colour cosmetics sector of the market, has the company compromised its ideological stance? How will its loyal consumers regard this act will only unfold in the future. In some ways the Body Shop is trapped in its philosophical ideologies. The other markets sectors are only available by modifying their philosophy. Market wise the client base may age over time and the younger generation may not feel the same affinity towards all that the Body Shop stands for. A good example of this is Laura Ashley who failed to attract younger buyers to her clothes range and hence moved into home wares. Staking an almost holy claim on their environmental issues is fraught with danger should they falter allegations in 1989 regarding claims of Not tested on animals proved difficult but ultimately successful to defend (HREF3) and they did suffer share price ramifications during this time. A succession plan is required for Anita Roddick who is the face of the company. That successor will require similar skills and ideology mindset. Opportunities There are several opportunities to consider (refer Recommendations for discussion): 1) The growing younger market is health conscious and therefore demands products with this attribute. TBSs strategy is sound and should be continued. 2) Further expansion into the colour products is another areas that need to be considered, eg nails. 3) Development of TBS owned raw material facilities both locally and internationally. 4) Analysis, development and enhancement of the US market. 5) Strategies to tap into the emerging male cosmetic markets. 6) The development of its own stand in supermarkets where 30% of products are sold. 7) Mail order sales (case study is not clear whether this exists currently). Threats The major immediate threat to the company is its rival Yves Rocher. They produce and market similar products and have over 1200 stores. The recession is an external threat to TBS although it has performed above average so far despite it. The companys momentum is centred on the current leadership and the loss of Anita would be devastating. In summary their business is in a fairly strong position. Porter Five Forces Model Appendix 3 includes a summary table of the Porter model, which shows the competing forces of the beauty/cosmetics industry structure. Overall the areas are all moderate to high, however TBS has managed to ameliorate the major contingencies in each area to their advantage. Threat of New Entrants Low-moderate: TBS has key alliances with its suppliers, which make it hard to duplicate cost effectively, easily or quickly. Intensity of Rivalry High: However TBSs high brand identity, strong knowledge transfer to customers and low fixed cost and switching costs structure assist their triple bottom line. Bargaining Power of Buyers Moderate-High: Yet TBS enjoys high customer loyalty driven by value for money, product information, strong brand, and identifiable product differences vs. competitors. Threat of Substitutes High: Although customers are prevalent to substitute alternatives, TBSs strategies of as listed above diminish this likelihood significantly. Bargaining Power of Suppliers High: TBSs has lowered the bargaining power of suppliers by developing alliances with natural goods suppliers, benefiting the community as well as obtaining the necessary inputs required for their products. In summary, their strategies have been well crafted to execute their business in a highly competitive field. Key Success Factors (KSF) Consideration of KSFs as appropriate to the Hair-care and Beauty markets are as follows: * Strong recognizable brand required * Products must work as advertised * Natural ingredients increasingly highly marketable * Items easily available to purchase * A Product line from fingertips to fingernails * Friendly and informative customer service * Good press * Reliable supply of necessary goods * Value for money products TBS has most of these attributes, except perhaps somewhat limited distribution compared to products in department stores. Also TBS does not stock nail polish. This may be a deliberate strategic choice as they claim they are not in the beauty market or an issue of availability of natural product alternatives. Recommendations Recommendations are as follows: 1) Continue their current philosophy of product identification, natural ingredients, staff education, customer service and recycling -The growing younger market is health conscious and environmentally aware and therefore demands products with this attribute. Therefore TBSs strategy is sound and should be continued. 2) Further expand into the colour products, eg nails However this is contingent only if it can be done in situ with their core philosophies marketing to diversity of style rather than beauty. 3) Development of TBS owned raw material facilities both locally and internationally The question is whether their current resources are sustainable. Investing to ensure supply and management of their own fundamental core goods would assist consistency of supply. However, there are significant fixed cost implications. Also being tied to certain raw materials might stifle creativity/adaptability as new formulations and ingredients are discovered. The long-term business case needs further investigation. In the short term they should continue with their profit with principles philosophy. 4) Review of the US market opportunity A complete review of the US market and the conditions that have led to the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2M loss is required. Potentially the cultural differences of the US market high TV watching, mass-market advertising, and svelte packaging are expected norms. Reliance of word-of-mouth is less likely given a more conservative market overall. Perhaps TBS could leverage their community projects to have a higher profile in the press. Additionally, snappier packaging (using an industrial designer) with biodegradable/recyclable materials may attract more interest on the shelf. Cost/benefit analysis of these actions need further review. 5) Strategies to tap into the emerging male cosmetic markets Key alliances with surfing/outdoor lifestyle shops may be a first step. These could offer after activity natural aftershaves/crà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½mes/shampoos to suit the growing male market with a masculine emphasis. Additionally a larger male product selection in TBS stores could follow if successful. 6) The development of its own stand in supermarkets where 30% of products are sold. However customer service wont model the TBS stores and there may be some resistance given supermarkets have their own product range. Further, customers buying groceries generally are focused on minimising time in this task. For all these reasons this opportunity is not recommended. 7) Development of a mail-order catalogue given Yves Rochers success, mail order would appear to be a viable business venture. However it does diminish the hands-on demonstration and some aspects of the customer liaison benefits tied to TBS. Progress with care may require on-line customer assistance via web cam to work optimally. 8) Develop a leadership succession plan BTS needs to develop and train suitable candidates to take over Anitas lead at some point in the future. They need to have her ideology, mindset and press savvy. Conclusions The Body Shop is a formidable business that has put itself up to be counted against related industries that are less ethical and environmentally responsible. Fundamentally its position has gathered a momentum and empathy from customers who are looking for high quality, value for money goods that are ecologically sustainable. Staying true to this course, with a review of loss making markets and new opportunities in the male cosmetic markets and other fields should ensure their continued profitable performance.

Banana

Banana. When I look at this word, neither an ice cream sundae nor monkeys come to mind. Instead, I see my former self: yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Not long ago, when one got to know me, my native color of yellow peeled off, revealing the color of white that consumed the heart of me. When I entered high school, I began to feel ashamed and inferior because of my ethnicity. This was odd because I live in Hawaii, the paragon of racial diversity. But suddenly, I became aware of shared characteristics Caucasian girls seemed to posses. To me, they were beautiful, intrepid, intelligent, gregarious, and especially confident- all the qualities I longed to have. I began to feel ugly and small, even envious of their defined facial features and the strong certainty, with which they presented themselves. This admiration soon devoured me that I even tried to create double-eyelids with strips of tape. Thus, I was dubbed the nickname â€Å"Banana† by my sister. Soon, my mother and friends identified me as this deceiving fruit. This insecurity consumed me even more when I attended a leadership program in New York City. There, I met the most bright and self-assured girls. As I acted as a spectator throughout the week, my admiration for Caucasians rapidly grew. The division between Asians and Caucasians that constantly lingered in my mind was clearly illustrated one night when SeRyeong, one of the few Asians at the program, and I joined three Caucasian girls to Times Square. As we walked through the Friday night crowd, the three girls were in their own clump, always in front of SeRyeong and me. Everytime we tried to catch up to them, this gap always found its way back. This unconscious form was a mockery that bolstered my assumption: Caucasians would always be better than what I could ever be. To justify my insecurity, I began to blame the Asian race, especially my Asian pare nts. I convinced myself of the stereotype that Asians are raised to be submissive, demure, and vulnerable. I was never encouraged to openly raise questions. My family neither converses effusively at the dinner table nor always says â€Å"I love you† at the end of phone calls like my Caucasian friends do with their parents. When my parents and I get into a fight, I can never defend myself. Because of their academic expectations and tough love, I can neither achieve their full satisfaction nor that of my own. I believed these characteristics were the reasons why I was a small, insecure banana. But by constantly scorning my parents and Asian upbringing, I literally like a banana, bruised often and easily. Slowly, I began to realize that my insecurity was not a result of my ethnicity, but of me; my assumptions of Caucasians and Asians did not matter. I only blamed Asians to justify my assumptions and to hide from the fact that I was setting myself up for my own misery and insecu rity. I was my own hindrance from becoming the confident person I longed to be and could be; I was bruising myself. All this despondency, jealousy, and deprecation were completely avoidable, thus I’m the only one to blame. Although my trip to New York City was just about a year and a half ago, as a young woman who is about to become an adult, I had to overcome my weaknesses. As I mentally grew and matured during this time, I knew I needed to let go of this hindering mindset. My years as a banana have been turbulent and belittling, and truthfully, I am still in the process of shedding away my â€Å"Banana† name. But, I cherish these years for I learned that I am my most powerful catalyst. I am no longer oblivious to myself as a possible weapon of obstruction from becoming the best of me. I am beginning to let go of my immature and narrow assumption that I need to be Caucasian to feel beautiful, smart, and confident for I can embrace these characteristics regardless of my ethnicity. I am learning to no longer see myself as solely â€Å"Asian†, â€Å"wannabe-Caucasian†, or â€Å"Banana† for these distinctions do not consume me; I alone define myself.

Case study Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case study Analysis - Essay Example Leadership usually follows a number of theories and practices due to which, the leaders are different from one another. Application of a theory is related to the personality of a leader as he or she adopts a theory after analyzing according to his or her persona. Leaders are highly important persons in an organization and they have a strong impact on the organization and its employees. No one can reject the influence of the leaders, as they are the one who have to lead a certain group in order to help the organization in terms of making income or gaining success (McGovern et al, 2008). The employees working under the leaders are more dedicated to their leaders as compared to the organization because of the convincing style of leadership of the leaders. There are eight leadership theories that can be considered as the most credible and convincing in terms of the concept of leadership in various organizations (Wagner, 2005). Firstly, according to great man theories the qualities of lea dership in some persons are inherent means they born by having leadership skills. Secondly, trait theories are based on that some persons are leaders because they inherit the leadership characteristics. After then, contingency theories are based on that type of leaders, which have an ability to change their style of leading according to the environment (Wagner, 2005). After that, situational theories are based on leaders should have the ability to select best leading style in different situations. After that, behavioural theory is based on that men learn leadership qualities through experience and learning (Wagner, 2005). Afterward, participative theories are based on the leader’s participation and contribution from group members that encourage them to give their 100%. Subsequently management theories (transactional theory) are based on management, organization and group performance (Wagner, 2005). According to management theory, leaders appreciate their subordinates by givin g praise or promotion for their good work and give punishment for their bad work (Wagner, 2005). Afterward, relationship theories (transformational theories) are based on relationship between leaders and followers. These types of leaders motivate their followers by helping them in task, but also have a requirement from the followers to give the all potential in the task (Wagner, 2005). 2.0. Case Study Analysis 2.1. Leadership Paradigms, Leadership Location and Leadership Substitutes at SAP In SAP (Systems, Applications and Products in data processing), the major and main head of the organization is its Chief executive officers (CEOs). The leadership at SAP is much committed and influence people to be a part of the organization. The main vision of sap is to provide software solution and business problems. SAP is a global organization but the head office of SAP is located in Walldrof Germany. SAP is driven by its two major boards, an executive board and an extended management board. S AP has seven layers of management and it is more profitable to have seven layers of management, it also makes it hierarchical. As SAP is managed by its self management teams, there is always a substitute for each of the management. But in case of leadership 2.2. Followers and Retention at SAP All the employees in SAP are very much important for the organization and the company does not discharge the people because of the less knowledge about the new developments and techniques. On the contrary, company tries

Don't change it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Don't change it - Essay Example While other philosophers like Rousseau opposed this crucial view of humans by viewing them as cooperative, selfishness and fear are the main reasons why humans harm each other (Rousseau, paragraph 12). Shifting from the evil human image that Hobbes explained, to the well-disposed human image of Rousseau, makes an obvious antagonism between both philosophers. Indeed, both Hobbes and Rousseau wrote about the same points, which are human nature, social contract, and the form of government, but each of them had different explanations to these ideas. In the idea of human nature, Hobbes started by explaining his idea through arguing that all men are created equal in their aptitude and wish (Hobbes 57). Indeed, Hobbes indicates that no man is above other men, but what make men different are sciences and the amount of knowledge that each person carries (Hobbes 59). Even though each man has a different amount of knowledge, a man in his nature always sees himself better than others and do not like to admit that other men are better than him (Hobbes 59). Rousseau illustrated that men are equal but they are different from each other based on two facts, which are their physical features such as their age, way of looking and the soul, which is mainly about human behavior and morals (Rousseau, paragraph 1). In addition, Rousseau views all men as free and this is evident when he argues that though man was born without any restrictions, everywhere he goes he is in chains. (Rousseau 81). The Chains Rousseau means in his writing are the restr ictions and the power the government puts on men’s freedom (Rousseau 81). Rousseau also believes that power is not created by nature but it is created by God’s wish. In other words, God is the one who choose specific people to give them power similar to the relationship between a parent and his or her child (Rousseau, paragraph 4, 10). Moving to the idea of conflict and competition, according to

Personality Disorders Essay Example for Free

Personality Disorders Essay In this paper I will be discussing how a particular Axis I disorder may relate to a coexisting Axis II disorder. I will explain how an Axis I disorder, can be easily confused with an Axis II disorders. I will compare and contrast, Personality Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Paranoid Type, and explain how I would differentiate the two conditions. I will also compare Obsessive Personality Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and explain the difference between both conditions. Personality Disorders Since the DSM III, the DSM classification has been used to describe the different parts of personality disorder. Every person is different in the way they think, feel and how they relate to others. Some people will have maladaptive personality traits, it becomes a personality disorder when the maladaptive behaviors become a problem and prevent them from leading a normal life. In the DSM –IV personality disorders and mental retardation are diagnosed on Axis II. A personality disorder can predispose a person to suffer with an Axis I disorder. (Widiger, 2003) According to the authors of the multiaxial system they wanted to draw attention to personality disorder because of the â€Å"accumulating evidence that the quality and quantity of preexisting personality disturbance may†¦influence the predisposition, manifestation, course, and response to treatment of various Axis I conditions†. Paranoid Personality Disorder and Schizophrenia Paranoid Personality Disorder is defined in the DSM-V –TR as a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent. (DSM-IV-TR 2005) Schizophrenia, Paranoid Type is defined as a type of schizophrenia in which the following criteria are met: A. Preoccupation with one or more delusion or frequent auditory hallucinations. The two disorders have many similarities but one thing that makes them different is that people that suffer with Paranoid Personality disorder do not have hallucinations. Obsessive -Compulsive Personality Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal  control. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is defined as a person having either obsessions or compulsions. (DSM-V-TR 2005) People that suffer from OCD suffer from disturbing thoughts, or images and they have obsessions that interfere with their daily life. Some of these behaviors are irrational, ritualistic and repetitive. People that suffer from OCPD are worried about being perfect, and being in control mentally and interpersonally. People who suffer with OCPD are very problematic, unhappy, and experience issues with family, friends, and at work. The main difference in these two disorders is that people with OCD have actual obsessions and compulsions. People with OCDP don’t have obsessions and compulsions. References (2005). DSM-IV-TR. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. Widiger, T. (2003, Oct). Personality disorder diagnosis. World Psychiatry, 2(2), 13

Commentary on My Writing :: Papers

Commentary on My Writing The text I have written is a letter to a writer in the tabloid newspaper "The Sun". This text is written in a style aimed at an older reader who is qiute educated with the age varying from 30-50 years of age, or a perosn who has similar opioions on some tabloid newspaper articles as the person I have presented myself as. Unlike my first piece, my second piece entitled "extracts from moments in time" is not opinionated, although the sublect is the same, both pieces are presented very differently with the content, audience and purpose in mind. I chose the topic of how the media intrudes on the lives of celebrities, and both texts explore this subject. The second text is in an autobiography style, which explores the feelings of a celebrity on a personal level. This piece is aimed at people from the age of 18-30, because it involves some issues that I feel some people of that age might be able to relate to. To begin with I will look at my first piece. My first piece is highly influenced by one of my inspirational pieces and in it I have included as one of the main topics of arguement quotes form that piece. The formality of this piece is very formal, this is shown by the layout of the letter and the inclusion of of a return address in the top right hand corner. I have used standard english in this peice, which is also another reason for why it is aimed at qiute an educated reader. I have also included some complex syntax which a younger or less educated redaree might find difficult to understand: " I believe that you Sir do not respect many people, or maybe you're acknowledgement of the pain you cause runs so thin that you do not have any idea why I am writing to you, and in such a tone as the one I carry." The use of the complex sentence used above also emphasis's the writers feelings and what is being said.

A Brief History of Turkish Cinema

The Turkish cinema traced its beginnings from a private show in Paris on December 22, 1895 at the Grand Cafà © by French brothers, Louis and Auguste Lumiere.   Similar such shows came to Turkey at the Sultan’s Court, Yildz Palace and other public ones like that of Sigmund Weinberg at the Sponeck’s Beerhouse in Galatasaray’s Square.In 1914, â€Å"The Destruction of the Russian Monument at Avastefonas† is acknowledged to be the first ever Turkish film.   This was a 150 meter long documentary by Fuat Uzkinav, an army officer.The film â€Å"The Marriage of Master Himmet† was began in 1914 but took long to finish because the actors served in the war of the Dardanelles.   It was finally completed in 1918, when Uzkinav took over from Weinberg, who first worked on the project.   Several other films, mostly on World War I were shot.   In 1922 the first film company was formed.   Muhsin Ertugrul, a theater artist switched to film direction.He mad e a total of 30 films in the entire stretch of his cinematic career.   His important works included the 1923 â€Å"Shirt of Fire† which was about the war for independence, starred by the first female artist, the 1931 â€Å"The Streets in Istanbul, the first film to use a soundtrack, and â€Å"A Nation Awakes† in 1932.The influence of theater can be seen in his films.   Muhsin became a very important figure of the cinema industry.   In the 1950s cinema took its own form.   Lutfu Akad led the pack of new directors.   The theme of   most films of the era was societal problems.   In the 1960s the advent of television had disadvantageous effects on cinema.   Cinematic films during the period dealt with the social and economic themes.  Ã‚   In the 1980s the state supported the cinema industry.   Turkish films earned international recognition.   These films were on social and psychological subjects as well as women’s rights.   The films in the 1990s were fewer but they were of superior quality than before due to advances in technology, training available, international awards and state support.   Theaters and big cinemas emerge, visual aspects were given focus, and outdoor theaters grew.For a while television and videos took the attention away from cinemas, but foreign films from Europe and the US substituted for the lack of local films.   The current status of Turkish cinema strikes a balance with the state’s support of the European Cinema Union and Turkish partnerships with foreign ventures. There is also a noted growth in the number of movie theaters as well as in the positive developments and changes in theater as well.BibliographyTurkish Cinema History.   (2005).   Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism [Internet] Available from http://www.kutur.gov.tr/EN/BelgeGostner.aspx [Accessed 17 November 2008]   

Cultural Experience Essay

1. The museum I visited was the Smithsonian mem  orial holocaust museum in DC. http://www.ushmm.org/ 2. The museum had very informational facts of the challenges faced for victims of the holocaust. There are many educational pieces all throughout the museum. 3. Upon entering the holocaust museum, you will notice the dim lights and eerie sounds coming from the speaker. Also, the walkway is actually a timeline beginning with WWI. There are many artifacts of victims on display. 4. Walking through the museum, I felt a lot of remorse and emotions for the victims of the Holocaust. The most influential moment of the tour is a pile of shoes worn by the victims. The shoe pile is stacked very high and ranges in many sizes. I was emotional of the encounter because it showed me a real example of men, women, and children innocently killed for a radical idea. 5. During week two of our class, we had read about the differences of religion and the culture it brings. We also discussed about the challenges people would face based on their religion. I think this tie in with my topic for this report. The challenge Jews had faced during the holocaust had left an imprint in history. They were out casted in most of central Europe during the Nazi rule. I also believe that the Holocaust ties in with the discussion of humanities because it is a life lesson that had a major impact in history. It has taught us the significance of what a radical idea can do and how it affects people. 6. Here is a link to the â€Å"ID cards† used in the museum but can also be found online. http://www.ushmm.org/remember/id-cards Collection of shoes found in the Smithsonian Holocaust Museum. 7. This experience had really affected my feelings toward genocide victims. I felt lots of remorse and sadness for the people who had to endure the pains of the holocaust. With this experience, I view the human culture of the past to be different of todays. I believe as time progresses, and the learning of past mistakes, we try to and become more positive of ethics. 8. Although this experience does not directly affect me, I understand more of what is going on around the world. My experience here as opened my eyes to genocide and the horrid effects of what it can do to a population. During WWI and WWII, there were many deaths because of a radical ideological man, Adolf Hitler. He was the supreme leader of the Nazi forces and had envisioned to rule the world. Aside from the deaths of combat, there was a mass genocide of innocent Jews which accounted for more than five million deaths. Many of the victims ranged from the youngest to the eldest with executions of the most horrid way imaginable. Many Holocaust memorials were built around the world to remind people of the cruel event to which the Jews had to endure. My experience in the Smithsonian Holocaust Museum was very interesting. I have only heard of the Holocaust in grade school and textbooks. However coming here, I was hit with a big impact of emotions from the display of antiques from the victim. In the museum there are authentic photograph and artifacts used and worn by Jews during the genocide. With tons of information and videos, I felt like I understood more and more the anguish the victims had to endure. I also learned of the torture devices used by soldiers to kill the victims. Cold blooded methods such as gas chambers, fire pits, and death squads are only a few of the many tactics used during the mass genocide. Walking through the museum, I found the most influential section to be a room filled with old shoes piled high. I was particularly focused on it because the shoes were worn and used by actual victims in concentration camps. The shoes were collected after the executions and were reissued to other prisoners who would cycle through. It was a hard sight to see because some of the shoes had dried blood which signified the torture they had gone through. I was literally speechless with  the sight. Genocides are still happening today all over the world. Although the ban of genocide is an international law created by the Geneva Convention, mass killings have since continued after the holocaust. The most notable places are in rural Africa. Many victims are living in constant fear because of their belief in their religion.

Starbucks Leadership Structure Essay Example

Starbucks Leadership Structure Essay Example Starbucks Leadership Structure Paper Starbucks Leadership Structure Paper Strong leadership strategy and efficient leadership culture are an integral part of any entrepreneurship. Predetermining the course of the company’s actions, the strategies that are going to be chosen in the relationships with the customers, and the specifics of the organizational behavior within the firm, these elements serve as the building blocks for the company’s organizational environment. Considering the example of Starbucks, its recent downfall and nonetheless impressive success that followed the misfortune as a result of adopting a unique leadership strategy will help prove the significance of a leadership strategy. An Introspective into the Mechanism of Starbucks’ Clockwork: Leadership Culture, Team Structure and Human Resource Strategy Analysis Adopting the right leadership approach is not easy. Choosing a leadership culture, one sets the standards for the organizational behavior and predetermines the rates of the employees’ engagement, which influences the quality of the product considerably. One of the most outstanding examples of a leadership culture is the one adopted by the head of the Starbucks. Because of the choice of a mixture of servant leadership and persuasive leadership cultures, Schultz has managed not only to survive the recent notorious expansion crisis (Seaford, Culp, Brooks, 2012), but also to reorganize the company a mere year later towards even more recognition and success. Starbucks and Its Leadership Culture Speaking of the leadership culture at Starbucks, one must mention that the company has deviated from the traditional concept of a perfect leadership style. It is a common knowledge that the transformational leadership is the optimum choice for any major company to arrange the work of its employees in the most efficient way possible. According to the existing sources, transformational leadership offers for much more opportunities in improving the production process through the change of organizational behavior of the employees and the change of corporate culture, since it allows for a transformation of the way in which the employees see their work and its significance. Helping the company leader both pay enough attention to the staff and control the production process, the given approach is considered the most efficient one at present. However, Starbucks went even further in their dedication to the needs of their staff, claiming that the company adopts a servant leadership strategy. The above-mentioned choice can be justified by the fact that Starbucks has always insisted on the significance of establishing perfect relationships between the company leader and the staff. According to the principles, which Starbucks is guided by, the company’s highest priority is the concern for the personal and professional growth of its employees. As it is stated in Behar and Goldstein’s article that studies the specifics of leadership structure in Starbucks, â€Å"At Starbucks, we value people most of all, more than we value money. From the very beginning, people have always come first. People come before profits. People come before worrying about lawsuits. People come before the coffee† (Behar Goldstein, 2010, 20). It must be admitted that the given leadership culture has its pros and cons. One of the doubtless benefits of the given strategy is that Starbucks will always have devoted staff, which works to provide only top quality products. After all, it is important to develop trustworthy relationships between the members of the staff and the managers. Thus, numerous conflicts can be avoided, and the process of knowledge management can be improved considerably. With the help of servant leadership approach, one can make sure that the contribution of each member of the staff is appreciated and that the needs and wants of every single employee are taken into consideration. Thus, better cooperation between the employees and the management can be provided. Unfortunately, the given leadership culture also has its problems, which the Starbucks has already experienced, according to the results of the recent research. One of the most obvious drawbacks regarding the servant leadership style is that it takes impressively long time for the given leadership style to have effect. While the given peculiarity of a servant leadership style may not be the issue with the employees who have been working in the company for quite long, with the newcomers, it will take much time for the servant leadership style to influence the perspective of the former. Team Structure of Starbucks Starbucks also has a very peculiar team structure. Before proceeding with the analysis of the Starbucks team, it should be mentioned that there are different ways of classifying the team structure, depending on the basic principle of classification. For example, depending on the role that a company leader performs in the specified company, teams can be described as ego-less, democratic hierarchical, chief programmer, and ideal teams. Choosing the focus of the teamwork, one will be able to split the teams in existing companies into divisional structure, matrix structure, organizational circle, etc. Starbucks, however, offers a very special case of team definition. Since Starbucks puts a major emphasis on the relationships with its staff, it can be assumed that Starbucks employs a matrix team structure. Indeed, when considering the specifics of the way in which the teamwork in Starbucks is organized, one must mention that the company’s strategy is to combine the functional division and the product-based one, with the necessity to report to two people at the helm. As a result, the company displays a very well developed hierarchy, with every employee being assigned with a specific function and a very strict control taken over the entire production and knowledge management processes. The principle of hierarchy employed at the Starbucks Company can be viewed as both a very reliable and at the same time a rather old-fashioned approach. Speaking of the negative aspects of the hierarchy structure employed in the Starbucks Company, one must mention that it allows very little wiggle room for the staff to make decisions concerning a specific task. On the one hand, it may be assumed that total control is a part of the company’s plan. By adopting the hierarchy team structure, Starbucks leader can delegate powers to specific people, control the company processes and be aware of the slightest changes within the enterprise, which is especially important for a company of the scale and size of Starbucks. However, it is also worth bringing up the aforementioned principle of an organizational strategy implies that the leader does not trust the employees enough to offer them enough power and, therefore, preferring to take full control over the entire production process, which can be viewed as a contradiction to the previously mentioned employee-targeted leadership style. Hence the key problem regarding the Starbucks strategy concerning the organizational structure and the policy towards the staff emerges. While the company clearly aims at breaking new grounds in the relationships among the staff and the company leader, it still does not consider its employees reliable enough to undertake the decisions that influence the company tangibly. At present, the given issue seems a major problem regarding the company’s organizational strategy. HRM Strategies at Starbucks In his attempt at making the Starbucks a landmark in the history of companies’ development, the leader of the enterprise also adopts a very curious human resource strategy. There is no need to stress the significance of the ability to choose the right people and assign them with the right tasks. Therefore, it is crucial that the right strategy for choosing employees from the available candidates and assigning these employees with the corresponding tasks should be adopted. As a rule, the in the given process, mistakes are unavoidable, since it is hard to decide from the very star whether the specified person is going to perform well in the chosen setting. The Starbucks Company, however, found a very efficient means to solve the above-mentioned problem. To start with, it is necessary to stress that, as the most recent data shows, Starbucks uses a combination of HRM strategies to obtain the maximum effect. The situational approach seems the most reasonable in Starbucks’s case, since the market in which the company operates has witnessed an impressive change lately, i. e. , the use of the so-called capsule coffee. Only attempting to produce capsule coffee at present, Starbucks is, therefore, in the environment of stiff competition, which means that the company should be especially careful about the choice of employees and the means to upgrade the skills of its current staff. As it has been stressed above, employees are the Starbucks Company’s key priority along with its customers. Consequently, the HRM strategy used by the company can be described as the approach that allows for creating the environment for its employees’ personal and professional growth, where each of the company’s staff is treated with due respect and dignity. It is also essential to stress that Starbucks encouraged diversity in the workplace. Thus, it can be assumed that the company does everything possible to prevent the instances of discrimination on any basis in the workplace, be it the discrimination based on race, gender or religious beliefs. As a result, the Starbucks Company is considered one of the most progressive companies of the XXI century for a very legitimate reason. To describe the approach that the company adopts in its HRM practice, the following elements must be mentioned: benefits, recruitment, training, and performance appraisal. It is hard to overrate the importance of each of the components. To depict the company’s approach towards employees’ recruitment and training, one must bring up the company’s guidelines known as the Six Principles: * Making sure that each of the employees has been provided with the decent work environment and is treated with dignity and respect; * Providing diversity in the workplace as the basis for equal opportunities for people in business; * Applying the highest standards concerning the production values and process, as well as other related services; * Meeting the customers’ demands and making certain that every single customer is satisfied with the service quality and thrilling them into becoming Starbucks’ clientele; * Creating the environment that works for establishing a strong and integrated community of employees; * Recognition of profitability as one of the elements that is essential for the company’s further success in the specified market. The above-mentioned list clearly focuses on the development of trustworthy relationships between the company leader and the employees. Even with a specific emphasis put on the company’s performance in the last postulate, it is clear that Starbucks’ key priority is to build strong and reliable link between its employees and managers, as well as support the professional growth of the staff. Thus, it can be assumed that Starbucks invests in each employee, training the latter and encouraging his/her progress, while the employee offers the company his/her services, which improve gradually. The given approach cannot be denied its effect on the company’s performance – the more an employee is trained, the better (s) he performs. The given strategy, however, also has a number of disadvantages, one of which concerns the time, effort and money that the company is likely to waste in case of an HRM mistake. Unless the human factor is completely eliminated from the company’s HRM department, mistakes in assigning the wrong people with the wrong positions will continue, which is quite natural. For Starbucks, with its devotion towards each employee, however, several HRM mistakes in a row might turn out fatal, since the resources spent on training, coaching and encouraging. Starbucks: Motivation and Effectiveness Regardless of the aforementioned drawbacks in the shield of the company’s HRM practices, it must be admitted that the general course of Starbucks concerning the leadership strategy, the team structure and the chosen HRM approach are rather efficient and refreshing in the light of the fact that most companies adopt a transformational leadership style at present. In contrast to the latter, Starbucks clearly states that it does not aim at reinventing the employees’ perspective of teamwork, which means that the employees are not going to be put into a stressful environment. Therefore, the chosen track works perfectly well as the means to create engaging environment for the employees. The corporate values clearly involve professional development of the employees, and the HRM strategies are evidently aimed at investing into the current employees as much as possible, making sure that the current staff, who is presumably already expert in their jobs, will evolve professionally so that the company could use the services of experts. The fact that Starbucks actually invests into its employees and allows for their professional growth instead of using their potential thoughtlessly, as most present-day companies do, is alone outstanding. Thus, it can be assumed that Starbucks’ approach towards its human resources is the company’s greatest asset. It is quite impressive that the company actually manages to translate the demands of the employees into the principles of the corporate HR strategy. The key advantage of the approach chosen by the company is that it motivates the employees not merely for a change, but for a conscious progress and encourages them to develop professionally, at the same time keeping them willing to contribute their newly acquired skills and knowledge to the company for the benefit of the latter. As Baker et al. (2008) explain, conscious motivation is the first step towards success: â€Å"A typical recipe for motivation calls for a mixture of persuasion, encouragement, and compulsion. Yet the best leaders, we suspect, need no recipe: They get people to produce great results by appealing to their deepest drives, needs, and desires† (Baker et al. , 2008, 51). Concerning the Negative Effects of the Leadership Strategy However, Starbucks also displays a number of negative tendencies that might possibly hinder the company’s progress. As it has been mentioned above, the fact that the company invests so much into the employees’ development makes it extremely vulnerable towards the employees who do not see themselves as members of a team and prefer shifting from one company to another in search for better terms of employment. In a nutshell, the company’s key problem is that it does not reinvent the employees’ perception of teamwork; instead, it adapts towards the employees’ requirements to a reasonable extent. Nevertheless, chances are that even such type of employees will learn the benefits of working for the Starbucks Company and change their motivations. Another considerable drawback of the leadership strategy chosen by the Starbucks Company is that when pushed too far, nit starts conflicting with the company’s interests, i. e. , efficient production and selling. According to the recent news, Starbucks has already faced a crisis when trying to conquer new markets and abandoning its initial strategy of putting the employees before the company. As the reports say, after the experiment mentioned above failed, the Starbucks Company resumed striving for its employees’ professional growth. Therefore, it must be admitted that the leadership strategy chosen by Starbucks presupposes that the company must take care of the expansion and the personal and professional needs of the employees, which is a rather complicated task. That being said, the key drawback of the chosen leadership approach is that it does not allow for radical changes, which the company is likely to benefit from, since these changes might affect the employees negatively, which the company’s policies are strictly against. It is worth mentioning that Starbucks has already faced the dilemma concerning the economic growth versus the needs of the employees, which resulted in choosing the latter. As the given example, shows, the Starbucks is far from providing an exemplary leadership strategy; however, to the company’s credit, Howard Schultz, the Starbucks leader, has created the only enterprise where the needs of the staff are pout before the needs of the company and yet managed to enjoy tremendous success.

Research Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Article Critique - Essay Example The paper is tailored in the lines of shared governance concept and directed towards the determination of the relationship between the perceptions of governance and empowerment among the nurses in an acute care hospital unit with the implementation of shared governance model for a period of 6 to 12 months (Barden et al, 2011, p. 212). Research Questions or Hypotheses This research question is the central part of any research paper and it signifies the researcher’s endeavor in establishing some particular topic. The research question should be also specific as well and in some cases multiple questions are necessary in addressing any complex issues. The health professionals rely on the process in improving the delivery as well as the outcomes of the health care for the individuals and families and communities. Thus with the American health care system as a backdrop the authors have directed towards knowing the impact as well as effectiveness of the share governance practice for the hospital based nurse which is the prime hypothesis of the paper. The research question is as follows: â€Å"what is the relationship between perception of shared governance and empowerment among nurses who work in a professional governance structure in a hospital setting?† (Barden et al, 2011, p.215). Literature Review The review of the literature of a research paper directs towards the identification of the theoretical as well as the conceptual framework of the study. The literature review portion provides the base for identification of key variables and examining the relationships which needs to be tested and also establishes a setting beyond those of the study. In this paper theoretical framework has been well spun with Kanter’s theory which could be utilized in establishing shared governance structure. The authors also discussed about the linkage between the variables like that of magnet characteristics, certification as well as patient satisfaction (Barden et al, 2011, p.214). Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework of research includes the clinical problem, reviewing of the literature as well as determination of the research purpose. This phase also reflects the gaps in the literature as well. The authors have reflected the importance of shared governance and its significance through valid literature. But the gaps in the literature have not been properly mentioned. The model of shared governance does not protect the groups ganging up on others pushing through a change which is not accepted by all or many of the invested members. In this system, the faculty may be taking a certain decision which act as an impediment of the teaching or research of another member. Sample Selection of the sample is also crucial and it generally declares a plan in which the sample will be selected and the size is also important. With this the inclusion and exclusion criteria are also required to be incorporated for stipulating the exact characteristics which must be met for the participants in the study. The sampling included 348 nurses working in the study site facility in 13 units that had a shared governance model in place for at least 6 months to 1 year. The inclusion criteria are defined with medicine, surgery, neurology, orthopedics, oncology, and cardiology (Barden et al, 20

Responsible Corporate Governance Ayuso and Argandona (2007) Assignment

Responsible Corporate Governance Ayuso and Argandona (2007) - Assignment Example Evaluation criteria marking are marked on a scale of 0-10 where 9-10 is excellent, 7-8.9 is notable, 5-6.9 is passed and 0-4.9 failed. Coca-cola Company has been awarded 9 in the scale of marking criteria due to its global market existence and recognition. Coca-cola has established its roots in many countries in almost all the continents. Coca-cola has most consumers and recognition compared to most of the existing soft drinks globally. The company has created great employment opportunities due to its establishment in many countries. 1. Evaluation criteria marking assist an organization to know its category and performance according to the provided scale. This will help a company to set objectives on how to improve or maintain their position. 1. Companies which find out that they are marked high on the scale may embrace laxity tending to maintain their daily practices while modern methods of management emerge on daily basis. This may have a negative impact in future. Coca-cola company is a global manufacturer and retailer of beverage based in Georgia, united states. The coca-cola company comprises many brands and products but the core product is the coca-cola drink. Various types of media are used in order to advertise the coca-cola brand in general and coca-cola drink in particular. These types of media include visual and published media. This has helped the brand to reach global markets which is considered as a huge success. The company aims at profit maximization and all efforts of the company are directed towards the achievement of this primary objective. The company has been able to expand its roots in various countries. The companies have their specific objective which one of them is to create awareness of the product to each and every person thus resulting to great sales of the product. This is the selection of different ways used for the evaluation process. Evaluation