Why is language a cultural resource and Should provisions be made for Essay

Why is language a cultural resource and Should provisions be made for the support of lesser used and indigenous languages in th - Essay Example For an ethnic group, it forms part of the way meanings are constructed and contexts are created, facilitating social relations. It is, hence, easy to understand why ethnic groups cling to their languages with such fervor even when living in a foreign society – language is part of their cultural identity. The dynamics of this fact is illustrated in the way bilingualism persists among Americans. Latinos, Asians and other ethnic minorities speak at least two languages. Collectively, they represent a sizable portion of the American population. In education, this issue is important because, until only recently, the erstwhile government policy on language is â€Å"English only.† The government reduced support for bilingual programs in education, effectively reducing bilingual teachers in the process. According to Katz (2004), if this policy will continue, it will seriously affect the chances of the children of the 47 million non-native English speakers today and in the future . Teachers who understand the language requirements of students would be scarce and students study in â€Å"sink-or-swim† mainstream English classes, effectively compromising the attainment of academic proficiency.

European Labour Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

European Labour Market - Essay Example (Theil, 2008, p. 76) Unemployment in Europe has been shown to be worrying phenomena based on the fact that more than 20 million people are unemployed in the continent. But the most worrying fact has been that this is only affect some segment of the society and especially based on ethic factors. Fore example it has been shown the Italy is one of the European countries where the level of unemployment is affecting some segment of the population and it has been closely liked to certain social components. It has been shown most o the region in Europe with has excess labour supply with exception of France and Spain enjoys full employment while others have very high rate unemployment. (OECD 1997, p. 3) But there is a close relationship between economic performance and the level of unemployment in these European counties. It is to be found the unemployment and economic growth are two non-integrated factors and which are derived by the same autogressive united roots that are present in majority of the growth models. Economic growth and unemployment of any nation are positively correlated and it will be found that in the short run economic growth and unemployment relates in away that the equilibrium rate unemployment rate relates to a decline in the economic growth rates of the country as postulate in the Okun's law. According to studies that have tried to relate the two factors in the European market, it has been found that Okun's coefficient is in line with the estimate of the all the countries in Europe except UK whose label market looks more flexible in the way it accommodates transitory shocks compare to the European labour markets. (Pia 2006, p. 3) The pattern of unemployed in Europe has been attributed to other factor including the social stature of the individuals who depend on the participant the economic system of production and exchange in the society. The high rate of unemployment has therefore led to loss of some social aspects that have acted as the social fabric and hence the more people lose their social values, the more the effect is spreading even to those who are not affected. It has grown from an economic problem to take a social dimension. This paper will look closely at levels of unemployment in France in order to understand the level of unemployment as contributed by economic polices and the labour laws of the countries. It will look at unemployment statistics and relate them to economic theories. Unemployment in France Franc has been one of the largest economies in the world and by 2005, it was estimated the France had a GDP of $1.862 trillion according to the World Bank report which was measure in terms of purchasing power parity. In 2008, CIA Word Factbook rated France economy to be more than $2.067 trillion which means that it was ranked at the eighth targets economy. But the economy of France is place at sixth position by both World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and much other survey have ranked France in the third position in Europe behind German and the UK but in 2006 it was ranked ahead of UK in the second position. The economy of Fran

The pervasive influences that drive change

The pervasive influences that drive change Change is defined as pervasive influence, where all aspects are subject to continual change of one form or another (Mullins, 2005 , p.909). Also, change is an inescapable part of both social and organizational life. The concept of organizational change is in regard to organization-wide change, as opposed to smaller changes such as adding a new person, modifying a program. Examples of organization-wide change might include a change in mission, restructuring operations, new technologies, mergers, major collaborations, and rightsizing. Change in organizational strategy is an attempt to alter the organization`s alignment with its environment. Organization change might also focus on any of the basic components of organization structure or on the organization whole design. The Nature and Causes of Resistance to change Employees resist change because they have to learn something new. In many cases there is not a disagreement with the benefits of the new process, but rather a fear of the unknown future and about their ability to adapt to it. Forces of Change The general environment is parted in to different dimensions: the international, the economic, te technological, the socio-cultural and the political-legal dimension. External Forces External forces for change originate outside the organization. Because these forces have global effects, they may cause an organization to question the essence of what business it is in and the process by which products and services are produced. There are four key external forces for change: demographic characteristics, technological advancements, social and political pressures. Each component is discussed below: Demographic Characteristics The workforce is more diverse and there is a business imperative to effectively manage diversity. So, organizations need to effectively manage diversity if they are to receive maximum contribution and commitment from employees. Technological Advancements Technological changes are becoming increasingly important to many organizations, because of the rapid rate of all technological innovation. One major area of change involves equipment, thus a change in work processes or work activities may be necessary. Social factor Nearly all of the issues in change efforts revolve around people. You can change technologies, but unless people support the new systems, problems are bound to crop up. No matter how good a change seems on paper, if nobody will support it, it`s probably not good idea. Political Pressures Political events can create substantial change. Although it is difficult for organizations to predict changes in political forces, many organizations hire lobbyists and consultants to help them detect and respond to social and political changes. Internal Forces These forces for change come from inside the organization and may be subtle, such as low morale, or can manifest in outward signs, such as low productivity and conflict. Internal forces for change come from human resource problems and managerial behaviour (decisions). Levels of Change Mullins, (2005) argues that, change can be studied in terms of its effects at individual, society, group, organization, national and international level. However, because of this, change at any one level is interrelated with changes at other level, and it is hard to study one area of change in isolation. For example, when HSBC decided to embark on using new modern banking technology, it also embarked on training its staff on how to use that technology and its importance in their day to day activities, otherwise that technology could not help if employees could not support it or if that technology could not be friendly trough the costumers. In addition, Hersey, (2006) discussed levels of change by identifying four levels: knowledge change, attitude change, individual behaviour change and organizational or group performance change. Hersey ,Robbins, (1990) commented on group and individual change, he argued that, at individual level, the change attempts is to affect an employee behaviour, through either training , socialization and counselling as strategies the management can use when they target at individual change. In that case of group change, he argued that, interventions such as sensitivity training, survey feedback and process consultation are some of strategies the management can use if it targets to group change. TYPES OF CHANGE There are two kinds of change according to Robbins, (1990), are unplanned change and planned change. Unplanned Change This change, is that change which can just happen, for instance, when managing director of certain company decides to resign immediately, is a type of unplanned change to the board of directors, as they are force to find another managing director as early as possible to run their company. Planned Change Planned change otherwise, is those changes which organization knows about: where are objective is to keep the organization viable and current. Mullins, (2005) argues that, most planned change is triggered by the need to respond to new challenges or opportunities presented by the in anticipation of the need to cope with potential future problems or external environment. It represents an intentional attempt to improve, in some way, the operational effectiveness of the organization. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Resistance is any conduct that serves to maintain the status quo in the face of pressure to alter the status quo. According to Goldberg (1999), individuals are not really resisting the change, but rather that may be resisting the loss of status, loss of pay, or comfort. They believe that it is time that we dispense with the phrase resistance to change and find a more useful and appropriate types for describing what the phrase has come to mean that employees are not wholeheartedly embracing a change that management wants to implement In present economy, change is all-pervasive in organizations. It happens continuously, and often at rapid speed. Because change has become an everyday part of organizational dynamics, employees who resist change can actually cripple an organization. (Mullins, 2005) Folgers Skarlicki (1999) claim that organizational change can generate scepticism and resistance in employees, making it sometimes difficult or impossible to implement organizational improvements. Resistance is an inevitable response to any major change. Individuals naturally rush to defend the status quo if they feel their security or status is threatened. Why People Resist change in the workplace In recent days, companies, government department and institutions, whether public or private, are no longer have a choice, they must change to survive. Unfortunately, people tend to resist change. It is hard to change an organization, let alone an individual. This puts increased pressure on management to learn the subtleties of change. Employees and managers view change differently; top level management sees change as an opportunity to strengthen the business and to advance in their career, but for many employees, including middle managers, change is never sought after or welcomed: it is intrusive and disruptive. The below 10 reasons are the best describe why some people resist change. Fear of failure Resistance to change can be rooted in fear. Some employees may feel the need to cling to the past because it was a more secure, predictable time, during periods of change. If what they did in the past worked well for them, they can resist changing their behaviour out of fear that they will not achieve as much in the future. Creatures of habit Doing things in the same routine, predictable manner is comfortable. Asking people to change the way they operate or think is asking them to move outside their comfort zone. We have always done it this way, so why do we need to change? becomes the rallying cry for people who have difficulty changing their routines. In some cases, employees may deny or ignore the change simply because it requires them to experience something beyond their normal method of operation. No obvious need Some employees may see a change only from the perspective of the impact it has on them and their particular jobs. They may fail to recognize the positive impact of the change on the organization as a whole, not seeing the big picture. Thus they may find the change disruptive and totally unnecessary. Their attitude may be, if it is not broke, why fix it? Loss of control Familiar routines help employees develop a sense of control over their work environment. Being asked to change the way they operate may make employees feel powerless and confused. Concern about support system Changing the organizational structures may shake their confidence in their support system. They may worry about working for a new supervisor, with new employees or on familiar projects because they fear that if they try and fail, there will be no one there to support them. Closed mind Some employees seem to have the attitude , please do not confuse me with any facts or supporting documentation about this change: I have already made up my mind! employees with this attitude approach the change process with their minds firmly made up, muttering , no way! during discussions and explanations of the future. Unwillingness to learn Some employees, hesitant to try new routines, express unwillingness to learn anything new. They may say, I already know all that I need to know. Like resistant employees who have already made up their minds that the change will not be productive, employees reluctant to learn something new impede the organization`s growth and adaptation to change. They also hinder their own personal growth and development. Fear that the new way may not be better If things have been going wall, some employees may resist change because they fear that the change will not result in improvement. Focusing only on their part of the operation, they fail to realize that change is needed in order for the organization to stay competitive. Their current status is quite sufficient, and they wish to maintain business as usual. Fear of the unknown Employees can resist change simply because it is something unfamiliar. Not knowing much about the specifics of the change, they may imagine a worst case scenario, which might be very scary. They let fear of the unknown become their rationale for not giving the change a change. These employees may acknowledge that a problem exists and agree that a change might improve it. However, they worry that the proposed change might actually make things worse. Their fear causes them to place roadblocks in the movement toward change. Fear of personal impact Uncertainty is the biggest of employee resistance to change. In the face of impending change, employees may become anxious and nervous. They may worry about their ability to meet new job demands, they may think that their job security is threatened, or they may simply dislike ambiguity. UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING REDUCE RESISTANCE TO CHANGE It is important for managers to learn to manage resistance because failed change efforts are costly. Costs include decreased employee loyalty, lowered probability of achieving corporate goals, a waste of money and resources, and difficulty in fixing the failed change effort. Involving people from the beginning, clearly explaining the reasons for the change, having a clear strategy, direction, and vision, and respecting the viewpoints of other people are all parts of the process. Using strategic measurement can also be way of building support. Starting out with a problem, and working other people to come up with a solution, can be far more effective than proposing a specific solution and trying to rationalize it. People often do not like change they cannot control. However, if they lead or have a substantial influence on change, they are more likely to embrace it. As the leader, you must take the time to understand resistance and you may have to come at it from several different angles before it is conquered. You must understand what your employees are feeling, as well as thinking. Ways to reduce resistance to change: Involve interested parties in the planning of change by asking them for suggestions and incorporating their ideas. Clearly define the need for the change by communicating the strategic decision personally and in written form. Address the people needs of those involved. Disrupt only what needs to be changed. Help people retain friendships, comfortable settings and group norms wherever possible. Design flexibility into change by phasing it in wherever possible. This will allow people to complete current efforts and assimilate new behaviours along the way. Allow employees to redefine their roles during the course of implementing change. Be open and honest. Do not leave openings for people to return to the status quo. If you and your organization are not ready to commit yourselves to the change, dont announce the strategy. Focus continually on the positive aspects of the change. Be specific where you can. Deliver training programs that develop basic skills as opposed to processes such as: conducting meetings, communication, teambuilding, self-esteem, and coaching. OVERCOMING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Employee resistance to change is a complex issue facing management in the complex and ever-evolving organization of today. The process of change is ubiquitous, and employee resistance has been identified as a critically important contributor to the failure of many well-intend and well-conceived efforts to initiate change within the organization. To close those gaps, managers should know how to face and overcome resistance to change. Although there are no certain solutions, several techniques at least have the potential to decrease or eliminate this resistance. There are three key conclusions that should be kept in mind before recommending specific approaches to overcome resistance. Firstly, an organization must be ready for change. Just as a table must be set before you can eat, so must an organization be ready for change before it can be effective. It is better to use survey to evaluate if a company is ready to undertake a change effort. Secondly, organizational change is less successful when top management fails to keep employees informed about the process of change. Thirdly, employees perceptions or interpretations of a change significantly affect resistance. Employees are less likely to resist when they perceive that the benefits as a change overshadow the personal costs. At a minimum then, managers are advised to provide as much information as possible to employees about the change, inform employees about the reasons rationale for the change, and provide employees the opportunity to discuss how the proposed change might affect them. CONCLUDING REMARKS In many cases, vast amounts of resources are expended by organizations to adjust employees to a new way of achieving desired goals. The natural propensity for individuals to defend the status quo presents a set of challenges that management must overcome in order to bring about desired change. Management must also seriously take into account and consider the myriad of problems that may result if they are not responsive to issues of resistance in workplace. Generally, whatever the changes inside an organization might be, and whatever the reasons that made these changes necessary, a good way of implementing the changes successfully is for a manager to treat the participation and communication with his employees as integral parts of the change process.

We Must Never Surrender the Right of Open Discussion :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

We Must Never Surrender the Right of Open Discussion    As a nation, we need thoughtful discussion concerning the September 11 attacks.   In a time when open discussion is more necessary than ever, it is discouraging to see simple questions about our nations interests, posed in these forums, branded as anti-American, inappropriate, or as enemies within. Now more than ever, careful and respectful debate can grant us the informational dexterity needed to maintain an open and neutral perspective as events unfold. I am an American. This country's social infrastructure, built with tremendous difficulty on the backs of many who sacrificed their lives for their country as well as those who sometimes unwittingly found themselves in the path of the nation's maturation, is unique and valuable. It grants its citizens the opportunity for growth, unparalleled freedoms, and the means to remedy injustice. We are truly a great nation. Times of duress call to our minds the patriotic respect and admiration we have for our country, and bring us to realize just how fortunate we are to live in such a nation.    As an American, I refuse to surrender the ability and willingness to think openly, critically, and analytically about issues in our society and in our world. I will not allow the privileges of freedom and opportunity crafted so carefully in the course of the last two hundred-plus years to blind me to mistakes we've made and mistakes we continue to make. I will not surrender to the demands for unity and compliance in the pursuit of vengeance. We owe it both to ourselves and to those who have come before us to maintain a reasoned, simple honesty in assessing the state of the world. Those who bring nothing more to the public forum than reactionary and manipulative accusations of anti-Americanism do disservice to themselves, their country, and to reasonable thought.    It is hard, though, to keep thoughts clear-headed and words well-conceived during a storm as confusing as we face now. A sharp exchange of writings between Noam Chomsky and Christopher Hitchens, a columnist for The Nation, was a visible sign of the heightened tensions that try tempers and better judgment. David Talbot and Andrew Sullivan, both respected political writers, engaged in a similar exchange. There is reason for anxiety. The initial highly-visible strikes against our country have yielded to an anonymous, growing swarm of threats and attacks, currently in the form of anthrax-laced mailings, that lack the visibility and impact of traditional acts of war but nonetheless foster a sense of fear and vulnerability.

Cybercrime Definition Essay

1: What is a cybercrime in your own words? Cybercrime, also called computer crime because the use of a computer is used as tool to help people meet their illegal ends. Some cybercrime examples are committing fraud, trafficking in child pornography and intellectual property, stealing other peoples identity, or violating privacy of others. 2: What is the extent of cybercrime in the United States? Cyber crimes here in the United States are becoming very dangerous and serious, this could include online scams, also here in the United States we are the highest target for cyber crimes. And sometimes, it is very hard to measure the extent of cyber-crime in the US, due to the fact that when authorities record cyber-crime, they don’t necessarily record it as a computer-related offense. It is most often recorded as fraud or some other conventional crime. The people who hack alone cost the US billions of dollars every year. 3: How do you think we should control / enforce cybercrime? Well, One of the first steps you can take is to add firewalls to your computer so that scams and viruses are less likely to â€Å"bug† your computer. Also, one of the major steps, always make sure not to give out your personal information and only shop on secure websites. I never give out any personal information of mine online unless it is 100 percent secure. If it is not secure somebody else could have your identity very quick. Costing you a lot of money. I definitely do not want my identity stolen. Most â€Å"secure† websites will have a logo saying â€Å"Website Secured.†These steps will help ensure that some negative activity does not occur. 4: Do you think enforcement can be effective? Why or why not? Yes, definitely because at least it can guarantee us safety in the worldwide web and it could also teaches us to be more well discipline and to strengthen the norms that is governing that society. Enforcement could maybe dig more deeper into this and help find who is commiting these cybercrimes. There should not be any mysteries or â€Å"excuses† as far as how to solve or lessen cybercrime. I know that the government can find these cyber criminals as we all know that our government has more advanced technology than we can possibly imagine.

Chuck Staley, A Case Study of Leadership Excellence

This case study will be based upon a comparison of principles found in John C. Maxwell’s book, â€Å"The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership†. This text is foundational in the development and demonstration of successful leadership. It is my opinion, that Charles E. Staley, commonly known as Chuck Staley, personifies many of the mandates of a great leader as suggested within the context of Maxwell’s book. It comes as no surprise that when asked by Madison County Chamber of Commerce President, Kyle Morey, â€Å"What book has inspired you the most? †, Chuck’s reply was, â€Å"Leadership† by John C. Maxwell. Although not every one of the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is Chuck’s strengths, many are. I will discuss the demonstration of those strengths in the following paragraphs. Who is Chuck Staley? Chuck Staley is a lifelong resident of Anderson, Indiana. Shortly upon graduation from high school, Chuck joined the United States Marines, s erving as a Corporeal in the First Marine Division in 1964-1967 during the Viet Nam conflict . He married Lynn Vicars on July 14, 1971 and has two children, Catherine (Staley) Daniels and the late David Staley. Chuck is the current President and Chief Executive Officer of the Flagship Enterprise Center (FEC), which was created in 2003 through a partnership between Anderson University and the city of Anderson. Through Staley’s vision and guidance, the FEC has assisted in the creation of 104 companies and over 2,000 jobs. The FEC has grown steadily as it has added new businesses over the past decade and is currently located in a Center consisting of nearly 300,000 square feet. Success was not merely recognized at the local level, but in the FEC was named a U. S. Department of Commerce Center of Excellence under Chuck’s leadership. Since its beginning, the Flagship under Staley’s leadership has forged alliances with Purdue University, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the US Department of Commerce. In 2011, the FEC began another partnership when Staley, Frank Levinson and Ann Wilson opened the Levinson Center for Social and Faith Based Entrepreneurship. The Levinson Center is located within the Flagship and specializes in businesses and organizations that innovate in the areas of environmental, humanitarian, educational and social issues within the framework of sustainability and sound business principles. The Levinson Center has launched nine organizations to date that range from energy independence for coastal Alaskan Indian villages, to Teachers of Promise in Kenya and a new educational paradigm, called the Impact Center, for nontraditional minority students in Anderson, Indiana. With Staley in leadership, national recognition has become common for companies such as COEUS and Echo Drive as they have captured markets in the technology field. Furthermore, The Flagship has begun to have impact globally with the addition of Greenville Technology Inc. (GTI), Altairnano, an energy storage company, as well as hosting the headquarters of Keihin North America. Staley has provided growth for many small business by developing an industry leading Microloan program including small business consulting. The Microloan program has had tremendous impact on business incubation and maintains the status of issuing the most microloans of any location in Indiana, with most loans being issues to women and/ or minority owned businesses. 3 Staley has chaired several boards, including the Anderson Plan Commission, White River Development Commission and the GM Blue Ribbon Commission. He was President Elect of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, co-chairman of the World Class City Forum, and co-founder and Director of Energize East Central Indiana. He is currently chairman of the board of directors for Community Hospital Anderson and serves on the board of the recently launched Impact Center. Staley also serves as the President and CEO of the RSI Facilities Group, a consulting, engineering and management group, which has been involved in several commercial, industrial and residential projects. Although Staley has found success in leadership, he continues to pursue lifelong learning experiences like that of the Leadership Academy of Madison County (LAMC). Not only is he an alumni of the organization, but continues to support LAMC in the development of other emerging leaders. The information compiled in this document contains data and narrative from research. It also contains information from personal interview and observation. As a citizen from Anderson and Madison County and an employee of Anderson University, I have witnessed Chuck Staley’s leadership over past decades. I have watched him develop neighborhoods, businesses, and people. This account of leadership is both objective and personal. I am not alone in my respect for his leadership. Most recently, Staley received the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash award. The Sagamore of the Wabash award, created by Gov. Ralph Gates in the 1940s, is considered one of the highest awards that can be bestowed by the governor of Indiana. It is a personal tribute usually given to those who have provided a distinguished service to the state. (Pendleton Gazette, 2013). 4 How does Chuck Staley exemplify leadership in reference to the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership? John Maxwell begins his book suggesting that there are 2 critical components leadership. Maxwell states, â€Å" Serving others and showing others the way† both essential in demonstrating successful leadership (Maxwell, 2007). Chuck Staley has done this in various ways. As mentioned earlier, he serves on many different boards and is involved in various community endeavors. Not only has Staley made it a habit of profession, but he is thoughtful and kind to many and all types of individuals he comes in contact with, young, old, educated, or challenged. A student of Robert Greenleaf’s writings and teachings from the Center for Servant Leadership as well as the teachings on servant hood from the Bible, Staley embraces opportunities to lead by â€Å"doing with and for† others. A servantleader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. â€Å"While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the â€Å"top of the pyramid,† servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. † states Greenleaf. (2013). In organizations like the IMPACT Center in Anderson, IN, Staley assisted in the beginning of the vision for the organization. He gave of his time, influence, and expertise to make a dream a reality for many minority leaders in his community. As the CEO of the Flagship Enterprise, Staley has partnered with Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programs like Anderson University’s Falls School of Business to develop young entrepreneurs and business students by hosting them as interns at the FEC. He has assisted in developing contracts with the businesses that the FEC helps incubate that also give opportunities for students and graduates to develop their skills under the guidance of those at the FEC. Many of these students (25-30%) have gone on to incubate business of their own. 5 Law #1-Law of the Lid. Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness. The law of the lid states that one’s â€Å"leadership ability-for better or for worse-always determines your effectiveness. ( pg. 1) Chuck has proven over the years that his lid is set at a high level because his leadership has demonstrated impact. While building the momentum at the FEC, Staley built strong relationships with those in his inner circle, those he had to engage with to position the business for success, and potential clients. He built a small team of individuals who maintaine d the same leadership, vision, and passion that he had developed. Staley worked with them to manage, lead, and incubate businesses under the guidance of and team management and servant leadership. Staley always built teams that focused on organizational effectiveness but were very aware that they must also be personally effective as leaders to reach capacity as an organization. The leadership teams at the FEC have been very successful as they have become the states leading small business microloan lender even surpassing that of Bloomington and Lafayette. But when asked, Staley readily suggests, that leadership is the issue. â€Å"Creating a vision that people can get behind and supporting them as they empower others is a key element that I promote,† commented Staley, when asked about the success of the FEC. It is apparent that he takes his responsibility seriously and works with great effort to build a team that leads with the same beliefs and priorities that he holds. Law #2-Law of Influence. The true measure of leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less. The law of influence would argue that if one doesn’t have influence, one will never be able to lead others. (pg. 11). Staley is skilled at seeing opportunities and going after them as an entrepreneur, however, his skill goes beyond entrepreneurship. In a business of taking risks, Staley is up for the task. He operates with an 80-20 philosophy, where he takes calculated risks when he hits the 80% risk reduction benchmark. Never wanting to miss opportunity that comes along, Staley will 6 allow for a standard of risk. He can only operate at that level by having influence with those around him. There is a trust factor that is afforded the decisions that Staley makes, knowing that even in the 20% risk zone where failure may occur, Chuck will take opportunity to learn and move forward, always seeing new possibilities in each failure. His influence allows him the privilege to operate a this capacity and have others support him in the effort. Economic Development Director, for the City of Anderson, Greg Winkler recognizes the influence that Staley has and invites him to be engaged with businesses and the public whenever change or challenges present themselves. Winkler recognizes Staley’s leadership and influence and keeps him in close counsel with most economic development decisions being made in the city. Law #3-Law of Process. Leadership develops daily, not in a day. â€Å"Persistence† is a word that is often used to describe Staley. As counsel for business incubation with businesses like Bright Automotive, Staley spent years visiting funding sources like the United States Department of Commerce (USDC), Economic Development Administration (EDA), and the State of Indiana to advocate for financial investment and support. Advocating is a process. Staley believes in the long haul and staying dedicated to the process. He believes that discipline in process keeps you focused and organized, professionally and personally. In a recent interview, Staley confirmed what others had observed. He has a daily routine that includes the discipline of person growth and spiritual development. Staley considers himself a lifelong learner and takes time daily to read and reflect on professional and personal issues. He recently stated, â€Å"I want to experience quality of life well into old age. That doesn’t happen by chance. † Staley realizes that change, planning, development, and growth don’t happen over night. Being committed to a process and disciplining one’s body , mind, and spirit are all an essential part of Staley’s day to day routine. 7 Law #4-Law of Navigation. Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course. When asked what experiences in life have best shaped his leadership philosophy, Staley is quick to respond about his military experience during his formative years of life. Staley began serving in the United States Marine Corps at the young age of 17. At the time he enlisted, his mother had to sign the papers because he was not yet of age. By the time that Chuck left the Marines four years later as a Corporeal Sergeant, Staley had developed leadership strategies that still play an important role in his success today. He adopted the method of working as a team. The Marines worked in teams of four men. Roles were well defined for the individual, but all effort and progress was made as a team. The team was large enough that it offered expertise, but small enough that it could move quickly. They were given responsibility and clearance in the field that enabled them to work and move in the directions they thought were best and necessary without micro-management from different levels in the chain of command. Staley learned that you never leave anyone behind, and that you look out for those on you team. You always had the good of the team in mind,† reflected Staley. â€Å"The team strategy and the need to see the big picture, was a big take away from the Marines. † he continued. This strategy and method continue to make Staley effective in charting the course for current business innovation. Maxwell states in his book, â€Å"First rate navigators always have in mind that other people are d epending on them and their ability to chart a good course. † (pg. 39) Staley learned that decades ago and applies it to his relationships today. When Staley enters into business development processes for the businesses he is assisting with, he is looking out for the team, with their agenda in mind, and not his own. He doesn’t suggest that there are not mistakes along the way, but he takes time daily to reflect on the decisions of the past in effort to inform current and future business and personal decisions. 8 Law #5-Law of Addition. Leaders add value by serving others. â€Å"I believe the bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others. That is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives. This statement from Maxwell is echoed by Staley in many of the messages he delivers to individuals and groups throughout the state and country. When addressing graduates of the Leadership Academy of Madison County in 2012, Staley re-enforced all that he had learned through the study of Robert Greenleaf many years prior. This philosophy of service to others regardless of title or position is implemented in every area of Staley’s influence. Not only has Staley received numerous recognitions and awards over the years for his commitment to community and service to others, he has nominated and recognized many others. Two of the Madison County Athena Award recipients in the last three years have been women nominated and supported by Staley and his belief in their ability to lead through service to others. Staley is quick to remind listeners, that his study of the Bible and the call to be like Christ, a servant to all, impacts his behavior. He is careful to reflect daily on the truth that God desire us not only to treat people with respect, but also to actively reach out to them and serve them. Law #15-Law of Victory. Leaders find a way for the team to win. Failure is not an option. It wasn’t in the Marines, and it isn’t at the FEC. In fact, when questioned about recent perceived failures in the venture with Bright Automotive, a green technology for a workforce fleet of trucks and vans, Staley defends the process by suggesting that many new relationships and business were began at the FEC as a result of the venture with Bright. To Staley, although the outcome was not what was first envisioned and hoped for, but the lessons learned and the outcomes post venture have led to new levels of success and progress. 9 Bright Automotive wasn’t left with a huge dept and forced to close it’s doors. Staley established strong relationships with other companies on their behalf, and Bright was able to join other green automotive technologies and continue to impact technology. Staley was noted as saying, â€Å"Obstacles are tests that serve to prove, or disprove a hypothesis. Nothing more, nothing less. † He has learned that obstacles and challenges provide opportunities. You reflect, learn, implement new strategy and move on. â€Å"Failure doesn’t stop you, as a leader you find a way for people to win. Law #11-Law of the Inner Circle. A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him. Chuck Staley has opportunity to bring many individuals into his closest circle. But Staley understands the value and responsibility of maintaining relationships with those who are closest to you. Staley has a list of those he considers peers by age, expertise, or influence that h e consults with on a regular basis. Any time he is contemplating change, innovation, or entirely new ventures, Staley consults with those in his inner circle. Those individuals include: Greg Winkler, Director, Economic Development for the City of Anderson; Rob Sparks, Executive Director of the Corporation of Economic Development in Madison County; Tom Snyder, President of IVY Tech Community College; Mike Pence, Governor of the State of Indiana; Lani Czarnieki, District Director Congressman Mike Pence; Keith Trent, Vice President/Chief Foundation Officer, Community Hospital Anderson; John Watters, former CEO Bright Automotive; Sena Landey, Vice President for Finance Administration Earlham College; and his wife of over 40 years, Dr. Lynn Staley, Professor Emeritus of Ball State and current Superintendent of Liberty Christian Schools. Staley contributes all of his successful decisions and planning to the wisdom gained from the friendships and expertise of those in his inner circle. 10 Law #18-Law of Sacrifice. Leaders must give up to go up. Chuck Staley is a private man. He relishes time alone to contemplate, reflect, and create. His greatest pleasure in life comes from spending time with his family, including his newly wedded daughter and son in law. Understanding that sacrifice comes with leadership, Staley submits to the tightly filled schedule of events, meetings, speaking engagements, ground breaking ceremonies, strategic planning sessions, and media releases. He does recognize the fact that in order to be an effective leader, one must give up many things including personal space. â€Å"Keeping a low profile as a leader is not an option. † commented Staley when asked what he has had to give up in his role of CEO of the FEC. â€Å"It is difficult to be so public. Like many leaders, Staley finds that it can be isolating at the top. He works hard to remain part of the team and work from ground level, but at times when the leaders is the one to cast the vision, draw the buy in, and make hard decisions, he realized he must step up. Although Staley values his investment in people, he realizes that at times it is at the expense of those in his family. His routine and discipline allow for balance, but he acknowledges that the re are only so many hours in a day, and you must give up something to get something, even in relationships. Law # 21– Law of Legacy. A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession. Recently, upon receiving the Sagamore of the Wabash Award from Governor Mike Pence and local state legislators Terri Austin, Jack Lutz and Tim Lanane, Austin said in a press release, : I am particularly pleased that this recognition gives us a chance to recognize that Chuck Staley has been committed toward linking economic development and social awareness. Although Staley isn’t planning on walking away from the FEC in the immediate future, he is aware that day will eventually come and he is working diligently to make the connections and grow the leadership to carry on the success of the Flagship and the collaborations that exist because of its existence. 11 Staley has a goal for his life. It is to leave his community and central Indiana economically stronger and healthier by creating more opportunities for individuals and families to experience quality of life and success as a result of his service to God and others. He hopes to create a brighter future for those who come behind him. Although there are many other attributes one could demonstrate in regard to Chuck Staley’s leadership abilities in comparison to the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, time and space has permitted me to only list a few. During my interviews and research with Chuck, I discovered several things that I thought were noteworthy about his life, passions, habits, and thoughts. All of these notations could be found in the application of Maxwell’s laws of leadership. I would like to share a few of those with you now. Staley spent 12 years on the Madison County Chamber of Commerce. When asked about his impact, Staley commented that he encouraged others to think about â€Å"the bigger picture†. He promoted collaboration as a way of behaving in business, even over competing. I asked his colleague to tear down walls due to the fact that in these economic times, â€Å"one can’t build walls high enough to keep others out†. He advocated that businesses think in terms of taking a piece of the pie instead of consuming a entire pie. During his tenure, the Chamber developed two new associations; Females in Business (FAB) and the Young Professionals Association (YPA). They also developed the Mad9 Mixer. Mad(ison)9 is a partnership of nine Madison County organizations with the common mission of realizing a positive vision for the future of our business community and region. Mad9 set the standard of relationship building beyond boundaries by helping businesses and civic leaders connect, communicate, and create commerce. The partnership’s first initiative is to connect business and ivic leaders once a month around the county (north, south, east and west). 12 When asked about his proudest achievements at the FEC, Staley responded with these facts: The FEC is the #1 Microloan processor in the state of Indiana. The FEC has been recognized by the Indiana Business Journal as the #1 creator of jobs in Indiana. The FEC has loaned over 74% of it’s microloans to women, minorities, and disabled service Veterans. Staley credits his philosophy of â€Å"taking care of each other† from the Marines. He also creates an environment that rewards and recognizes hard work because of the declaration learned in the military that you â€Å"Earn what you get. Nothing is given to you. † When asked what he considers to be his strengths in leadership, Staley commented, I am visionary. I am persistent. I do not keep personal agendas. I tap into collective wisdom. I seek counsel from those smarter than myself. I lead with confidence, which allows me to elevate others and seek advise and wisdom from others. Staley’s response risk taking: â€Å"I utilize the 80-20 rule. I am confident in a decision of data at 80% suggest it’s the right decision . I am willing to risk the 20% in order to capture opportunity. If you wait until you are 100% sure you are making the right decision, the opportunity will pass you by. Opportunities at the 80-20 level will offset any losses you might endure using the rule. If I allow others to use this rule and people do make mistakes, I allow them that privilege. We just learn, recover, and move on. In the world of innovation and entrepreneurship, there is always risk involved. You must seize opportunities and refuse to play it safe 100% of the time. Staley’s favorite quote: The seven most important words in the English language, â€Å"Never give up, never, never, give up. † Winston Churchill. 13 Leaders that have had impact on Staley: Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill, George Patton, Chesty Puller, Jesus Christ. The kind of individuals Staley tries to attract /recruit to his team: Compe tent Innovative Self motivated Positive Mission driven Team Players Staley’s method for change: Staley advocate that you follow the V Method. Any change, good or bad, results in a temporary negative response. Good changes eventually result in higher levels on the V, bad changes in lower levels. Poor leadership makes change more difficult. People panic and make further changes. What results is change continues down the V. It is wise to implement change slowly, carefully, and not all at once or in succession. About establishing priorities: â€Å"Life is full of nice things to do, successful people do the necessary things first. I do first things first. † In conclusion, the example that Chuck Staley has set for effective leadership has had great impact on the community and in business. He has developed his own philosophy of leadership based on his life experiences and the wisdom of other successful leaders. He lives his life in a way that creates value in others and opportunities for innovation, improvement, and success. In so many ways, Staley exemplifies the truth found in the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership of John Maxwell’s book. It has been a lesson in leadership just to have researched and communicated with Staley myself. He is truly a hometown hero in leadership for the City of Anderson and Madison County.

Haier case Essays

Haier case Essays Haier case Paper Haier case Paper What was their competitive strategy order winner? Product innovation is Harriers competitive advantage, which combined with supply chain Innovation. Based on different customers lifestyle, Haler focus on product differentiation, which produced hundreds of unique products across Healers strategic model with low-end, value, and high-end brands. Such competitive advantage Is created by supply chain Innovation. Haler cooperate with suppliers Into product design. It uses modularization to speed up the design process and to facilitate the manufacturing process. And Instead of partnership with number of suppliers, Haler lust works with two suppliers to concentrate on quality. The order winner for Haler Is that corporate strategy is focus from R to after-sales service and support. Product differentiation is designed to satisfy customer with variety expectations. After -sales customer service provides maintenance and repair service for customers support. 2. What changes in SCM strategy and macro design were taking place? SCM strategy is highly effective, macro design is make to order, no product is developed without taking account of what customers want, and no product is manufactured thou a real customer order. 3. How were their SCM execution processes planned to support this strategy? In order to achieve product innovation as competitive advantage, execution process has support such strategy in all dimension, such as supplier management, production management, logistics management, service management and order management. : In supplier management, Hair collaborate with suppliers to work with reduced number of suppliers to develop a cooling system that reduced refrigerator power consumption by 30 percent and time to market by 33 percent. Such example shows Hair suppliers management effectively achieves production innovation by collaboration. In production management, Haler uses modularization to facilitate the manufacturing process. The factories are facilitating mass production of deferent refrigerator models. In logistics management, Haler established Inbound and outbound logistics subsidiary, 1000 full trucks leave Haler factories everyday with finished products, such capacity make the promise end-customers speedy delivery possible. In Service management, Haler established after sale services to customers, for example, people can contact a toll-free hooting and bring their appliances to the repay Haler store for repair. In order management, make to order Is the strategy, which means company will not ship an order until the retail customer has paid In full. It looks Like Haler Is In stage 4, wanly Is cross-enterprise collaboration Ana optimization. Evidence shows in its global and domestic supply chains strategy. In global supply chain, Hair spans six large regional markets. Two strategies differ markedly, but the supporting supply chains have some thins in common. Firstly, Hairier hires local staff in each market, each market owns its local team to develop coal sales and distribution cha nnels. Second is the collaboration across global leadership for defining harmonize supply chain processes, including demand planning, procurement, and manufacturing, logistics, and order delivery. These are the common strategy as standardization. For data sharing process, S process enables Hairier to align sales and manufacturing plans on a weekly basis both in China and other regions. It looks like each market is responsible for its local knowledge part, but at the same time, entire global supply chain is aligned together for supply chain strategy.

Truman Capotes In Cold Blood Essays - Cinema Of The United States

Truman Capote's In Cold Blood Essays - Cinema Of The United States Truman Capote's In Cold Blood Marianoel Sulgatti November 1997 Life Goes On In the book In Cold Blood, Truman Capote engages in an analysis of both the murderers and the people who surrounded the Clutter family. Capote goes through an intensive breakdown of the characters, clearly showing how each was affected as an individual by the horrendous happenings of November 15, 1959. The Clutter murders jolted the peaceful lives and future outcomes of the residents of Holcomb County. Susan Kidwell, Nancy Clutters best friend, is affected in a very unique way. From the beginning chapters we see how Nancy confides everything with Susan. Susan has certain privilages that no one can come close to having. Capote allows us to feel their closeness as in page 21 we are carried into one of their many conversations where they exchange secrets and dreams. This relationship explains Susans reaction when she finds her best friend dead. When Nancy Ewalt shouts that Nancys dead, Susan turn[s] on her. No, she isnt. And dont you say it. Dont you dare (Capote 60). Her love for her friend does not allow her to realize that Nancy is really dead. She is so overwhelmed with the circumstances that she cannot attend school until a couple of days after the funeral (94). Mr. Ewalt clearly states, Susan never has got over it. Never will, ask me (60). This fact is clear to the reader when in the last section of the book, Al Dewey finds Susan by the graves and she says, Im really happy. . . Nancy and I planned to go to college together. We were going to be roommates. I think about it sometimes. Suddenly, when Im very happy, I think of all the plans we made (349). Although she experienced a tragic event, Susan is able to think back on Nancy and find happiness in the thoughts of the times they spent together. The truth is that she never gets over it because Dewey asks about her, but she cannot go on without including her dear friend in the picture. Bobby Rupp plays a major role in the life of Nancy Clutter. We can see how this is true because of all the pictures that Nancy has of Bobby caught in a dozen actions . . . (56). Bobby feels the same way toward Nancy. He too, like Susan, is unable to attend school for a while. It is very shocking to him to loose Nancy, not only because he has never lost anybody dear to his heart, but bacuse he claims to have loved her (94). A month and a couple of weeks later after the murders, near Christmas time, he still remembers her. . . . At mealtimes he [is] told again and again that he must plese eat. No one comprehend[s] that really he [is] ill, that grief [has] made him so, that grief [has] drawn a circle around him he [cannot] escape from and others [cannot] enter; except possibly Sue (203). For a short while, Susan becomes his only companion, for only she can understand who and what Nancy means to him. After a while though, they [are] forcing each other to mourn and remember what in fact t hey [want] to forget (204). So after that realization, both trying to get on with their lives, stop seeing each other. This helps Bobby grow and years later, leave town and get married (342). Alvin Dewey was affected in both his professional and family life. As soon as he is given the case, he makes it a personal preposition (80). The attitude taken upon the case possesses him. It gets to the point that his mind automatically reject[s] problems not concerned with the Clutter case (148). People ask him if he knows what he is making of himself and he replies by saying that [the Clutter case]s all he thinks about (148). He has become terribly absent-minded. His family life becomes totally controlled by the case. When the phone rings constantly, he promises his wife that he will disconnect it. The hope that he might get another clue though, leads him not to disconnect it. He finds himself lying to his wife, smoking, not getting enough sleep, lacking proper nutrition,

A Thousand Splendid Sunsâ€Discussion Questions

'A Thousand Splendid Suns'- Discussion Questions A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is superbly written, has a page-turning story, and will help your book club learn more about Afghanistan. Use these book club discussion questions to probe deeper into the story. Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions reveal important details from the novel. Finish the book before reading on! Discussion Questions What did A Thousand Splendid Suns teach you about the history of Afghanistan? Did anything surprise you?Mariam’s mother says: Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have. In what ways is this true? How do Mariam and Laila endure? How is their endurance different from the ways their mothers faced their trials?Several times Mariam passes herself off as Lailas mother. In what way is their relationship like mother-daughter? How did their own relationships with their mothers shape how they treated each other and their family?What is the significance of Lailas childhood trip to see the giant stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley? Why did her father take her on this trip? How did his influence shape the way Laila would cope with her future?Afghanistan changes rulers several times in the story. During the Soviet occupation, the people felt life would be better once the foreigners were defeated. Why do you think the quality of life deteriorated after the occupation rather than r eturning to the way it was in the pre-communist era? When the Taliban first enter the city, Laila does not believe women will tolerate being forced out of jobs and treated with such indignity. Why do the educated women of Kabul endure such treatment? Why are the Taliban accepted?The Taliban forbid writing books, watching films, and painting pictures; yet the film Titanic becomes a sensation on the black market. Why would people risk the Taliban’s violence to watch the film? Why do you think this particular film became so popular? How does Hosseini use films throughout the novel to symbolize relationships between people and the state of the country (i.e. Jalils theater, Tariq Lailas outings to the movies)?Were you surprised when Tariq returned? Had you suspected the depth of Rasheeds deceit?Why does Mariam refuse to call witnesses at her trial? Why didnt she try to escape with Laila and Tariq? Do you think Mariam made the right decision? Even though her life was hard, Mariam wishes for more of it in the end. Why do you think tha t is? Do you think Laila and Tariq can be happy?Afghanistan is still in the news a lot. Do you think the situation will truly improve there?Rate A Thousand Splendid Suns on a scale of 1 to 5.

Thomas Jefferson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Thomas Jefferson - Essay Example An understanding of his upbringing and lifestyle will help in gaining perspective regarding his stand on the subject of slavery. Thomas Jefferson was born in a wealthy family in Virginia2, which had a significant impact on his aristocratic upbringing. His father was a well-established surveyor by profession and his mother belonged to one of the most distinguished families in the state as well. He led an extravagant lifestyle due to his family fortunes and father’s professional establishment. Upon his father’s death he inherited a significant amount of estate and other fortune as theheir.at the age of 26he started building the Monticello, his residential home for life. The place is still seen as a true depiction of the lifestyle and values of one of the greatest revolutionary personalities in the United States which was initially a plantation house and later took on the looks and attributes of a villa. Spread over some 5000 acres, the house boats of exquisite Italian designs and architectural taste of Thomas Jefferson. The large plains of green land were once cultivations of tobacco and other cro p s that made use of the inherited manpower in the form of slaves. He married Martha Skelton and had 6 children out of whom only two could live into their adulthood. He went to the college of William and Mary and pursued law as his professional studies. He then served as a magistrate for the local government in his early professional life. This was followed by his assignment to the position of county lieutenant and a member of the House of Burgesses. In 1776, he was approached for the drafting and formulation of the declaration of independence, which regarded as an authentic charter of American liberties till this date. This document was the key to the foundation stone of democracy in America as it stated that all men are equal regardless of their color, race, status etc. and most importantly that the

World History and Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World History and Cultures - Essay Example Writing is one of the most important inventions mankind has devised throughout history as without it, history isn’t possible. Oral traditions have long been lauded as having certain significance in carrying forward the ideologies of a given group of people, but, as can be simply proven among even small groups, oral history is not intended to be nor can it be entirely accurate. The story changes with the teller and the facts become blurred with myth. In addition, it can only be preserved for as long as there are people around interested in learning the stories and lore enough to be able to pass it down to the next generation, and a next generation interested in sitting around to hear it. The concept of the written word offers a similar mixture of truth and lies, but offers a means of preserving the history and traditions of a people. The earliest writing, the Sumarian cuneiform, is believed to have developed as a necessary means of keeping business accounts. â€Å"Some time in the late fourth millennium BC, the complexity of trade and administration in the early cities of Mesopotamia reached a point at which it outstripped the power of memory of the governing elite. To record transactions in a dependable, permanent form became essential† (Robinson, 1995, p. 11). However, many scholars do not consider these early forms of pictographs true writing. â€Å"Writing only started when an organized system of signs or symbols was created that could be used to clearly record and fix all that the writer was thinking, feeling, and capable of expressing† (Ouaknin,1999, p. 18). This definition seems too broad, though, as many poets and writers will attest that there simply aren’t available words to express all that they are ‘thinking, feeling and capable of expressing’. This form of pictorial record-keeping did seem to have a relatively standard format among merchants and was capable of conveying at least some of the ideas of the writers. It can also be

Global warming Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global warming - Research Paper Example What makes their excess in the atmosphere particularly dangerous is their function. They serve as a blanket for the sun rays after they reach the Earth, so that they can not radiate back to the space (Kayne). The tremendous energy stored in the sun rays thus adds to the heat of the environment, and the temperature of the Earth rises in general. The rising temperature has many repercussions. As the temperature is going up, glaciers are melting away, thus adding to the sea water. There has been a considerable rise in the sea level over the past few centuries. The excess water floods out of the sea and causes damage to life and property on Earth. Every year, several tsunamis happen in different parts of the world. Much of the natural disasters can be attributed to the global warming. Moreover, global warming is depriving the polar bears of their habitat. As glaciers melt away, polar bears find it difficult to

The Concept of Failed State, New War and New Terrorism Essay

The Concept of Failed State, New War and New Terrorism - Essay Example "Nation-states exist to deliver political goods-security, education, health services, economic opportunity, environmental surveillance, a legal framework of order and a judicial system to administer it, and fundamental infrastructural requirements such as roads and communications facilities to their citizens. Failed states honor these obligations in the breach. They increasingly forfeit their function as providers of political goods to warlords and other non-state actors. In other words, a failed state is no longer able or willing to perform the job of a nation-state in the modern world".( ) This means that a failed state is characterized by certain indicators like non-existent safety and security for citizens, crumbling health care, education, infrastructure, and economy. This sort of situation can give rise to "emerging anarchy" where : "Failed states" can be viewed as a problem of "emerging anarchy" where organized groups that lack many of the attributes of statehood must pay attention to the primary problem of their own security. In a state of emerging anarchy, or whenever the internal balance of power shifts, questions of control become pre-eminent. This strategic environment can cause hostile groups to fear extinction and yield to mob violence. In a failed state where the lack of a central agency to provide law and order gives rise to warring factions struggling to fill the power vacuum, state failure is involved in a vicious circle with the outcomes of "new war". The term "new war" took on a new meaning after the events of September 11, but in fact, the term had already been coined in the 1990s by Mary Kaldor, who went on to explain her theory in magazines like The nation in November 2001: These new wars have to be understood in the context of globalization. They involve transnational networks, based on political claims in the name of religion or ethnicity, through which ideas, money, arms, and mercenaries are organized.....In the new wars, the goal is not military victory; it is political mobilization. Whereas in old-fashioned wars, people were mobilized to participate in the war effort, in the new wars, mobilizing people is the aim of the war effort, to expand the networks of extremism. In the new wars, battles are rare and violence is directed against civilians. The strategy is to gain political power through sowing fear and hatred, to create a climate of terror, to eliminate moderate voices and to defeat tolerance. And the goal is to obtain economic power as well.

A critical evaluation of one aspect of contemporary hospitality Essay

A critical evaluation of one aspect of contemporary hospitality management - Essay Example These trends have eventually emerged over the period of six decades where the hospitality industry not only expanded but has also seen immense diversification where it is now a booming economic sector (Jones & Pizam 1993 p. 34). Also, with time, the international hospitality industry is shifting away from the traditional vacationing space and vacuum, towards a more integrated approach to encompass various aspects of hospitality management. Also, with globalization and media exposure, people are more interested in exploring Asian cultural and values predicated by developing states which has further paved way for progress in the hospitality management techniques globally. In addition, where other sectors have also been impacted by global depression and economic shocks, global hospitality industry has only reflected growth pattern where around 25 million people showed interest in travelling in the 1950`s while recent trends show that around 1,035 million people undertook foreign trips i n the year 2012 alone. This explains how the trends have been changed drastically in favor of hospitality industry and thus, investors should definitely make a mark on this shift and funnel resources toward this trend (Bremmer 2013 p. 3). Furthermore, an estimate indicated that out of the foreign travelers, around half of the percentage comprised of those who were travelling for holidays, some kind of leisure activities or recreational activities. Also, around 14% of these tourists reported to have travelled for business transaction purposes, while around 27% of these tourists reportedly travelled for VFR purposes (for visiting their friends or relatives) (Tata 2009, p. 1437-1440). Therefore, the industry shifts should also tilt accordingly, where investors should focus on developing spots aimed at enhancing vacationing experiences of these

Assignment One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment One - Essay Example However, in order to improve the safety standard at the workplace, necessary legislation pertaining to health in the workplace had to be introduced to ensure that safety standards are maintained. This is what led to the enactment of Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The act established the Occupational Safety and Health administration (OSHA) under the command of the US department of Labor to publicize and enforce safety and health standards so as to protect employees at work. It is reported that more than two hundred local OSHA offices have so far been established in the US to enforce protective standards and implement outreach programs to employees and their employers. Rial-Gonzalez et al., (2005) notes that OSH mainly focuses on the maintenance and promotion of health and working capacity of workers; enhancing working environment and work to be conducive for workers, and to develop work organization and cultures in a manner that supports safety and heath at work. This hel ps in promoting positive social climate that allows for smooth operation, which enhances productivity of the undertaking. Nevertheless, the question that one may ask ism, â€Å"What are the factors that might have influenced the development of OSH at the international, Federal and state level?† This paper will discuss the factors argued to have contributed to the development of Occupational Safety and Health at the international, federal and state level. Data obtained from ILO, in 1919 estimates that the global fatality level from work-related diseases and injuries stand at approximately 2 million annually. The statistics also showed that annual rates of such diseases and injuries are on a decline in most industrialized nations while increasing in less-developed countries. In overall, the yearly rate of fatal and non-fatal accidents is projected at 270 million with close to 160 million workers having been found to suffer from work-related diseases. What is worrying to

A critical evaluation of one aspect of contemporary hospitality Essay

A critical evaluation of one aspect of contemporary hospitality management - Essay Example These trends have eventually emerged over the period of six decades where the hospitality industry not only expanded but has also seen immense diversification where it is now a booming economic sector (Jones & Pizam 1993 p. 34). Also, with time, the international hospitality industry is shifting away from the traditional vacationing space and vacuum, towards a more integrated approach to encompass various aspects of hospitality management. Also, with globalization and media exposure, people are more interested in exploring Asian cultural and values predicated by developing states which has further paved way for progress in the hospitality management techniques globally. In addition, where other sectors have also been impacted by global depression and economic shocks, global hospitality industry has only reflected growth pattern where around 25 million people showed interest in travelling in the 1950`s while recent trends show that around 1,035 million people undertook foreign trips i n the year 2012 alone. This explains how the trends have been changed drastically in favor of hospitality industry and thus, investors should definitely make a mark on this shift and funnel resources toward this trend (Bremmer 2013 p. 3). Furthermore, an estimate indicated that out of the foreign travelers, around half of the percentage comprised of those who were travelling for holidays, some kind of leisure activities or recreational activities. Also, around 14% of these tourists reported to have travelled for business transaction purposes, while around 27% of these tourists reportedly travelled for VFR purposes (for visiting their friends or relatives) (Tata 2009, p. 1437-1440). Therefore, the industry shifts should also tilt accordingly, where investors should focus on developing spots aimed at enhancing vacationing experiences of these

Individual Work Motivation Essay Example for Free

Individual Work Motivation Essay Be it a multi-national company or a small superstore right down the corner of your house, motivated and energetic employees are a pre-requisite everywhere in order to reach the zenith of excellence, success and prosperity. In accordance with a research paper rooting out from The Ohio State Universitys Piketon Research and Extension Center and Enterprise Center, enthusiastic employees are desired for the survival and efficiency of a particular organization. (Lindner J. R. 1984) An assortment of theories exist which suggests the reasons that why the employees in this organization were unable to be energized and elated to perform better and portray their true potential and ability in the training program which was chalked out by their respective organization. (Lindner J. R. , 1984) Theories and their implications To begin with, expectancy theory is a theory that has been drafted out by Victor Vroom who belongs to the Yale school of Management. This theory aptly states that employees in any company would be highly motivated if they firmly believe that more hard work and better performance would succumb to better results, improved outcomes and enhanced rewards such as a tremendous increase in one’s salary or fringe benefits. (Vroom, n. d) Vroom also throws lights on this exceptionally important fact that an employee’s motivation and hence his or her performance is based on numerous factors such as aptitude, skills, personality, experience and the amount of knowledge that he or she possesses. Following this, the attention is now turned to the reinforcement theory of motivation. This theory was chalked out by B. F. Skinner and his accomplices. The foundation of this theory is the â€Å"law effect†. This means that an individual behavior have a tendency to be repeated if the consequences and the rewards are positive and tends to declines if the consequence are negative. Some of the note-worthy elements of the reinforcement theory are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment and extinction. Re-inforcement theories Keeping these two considerably significant theories in mind, the employees at this particular organization are unable to execute well in the training program because they are provided with less rewards and less positive consequences. Their performance in the training program is not co-related with the rewards that they would receive. Each employee is paid the same amount for attending the program, whether that employee is motivated or not, had passed the exam or not. Hence, employees are not at all passionate and energetic for performing well in the program. Following this, the employees are allowed to retake the training till the time they pass the exam. This policy makes the employees motivated to give out their hundred percent at the training program. Recommendations Keeping all these factors into consideration, managers of this organization should tightly relate the rewards with the performance and should make use of the theory of positive reinforcement. Managers should also make sure that the rewards are those that are valued by their employees and are desired by them. Employees should be given the necessary support to boost up their motivation and enthusiasm, such as a mentor or a human resource manager. Last but not the least, negative reinforcement should be used as tool to motivate the employees by informing them that not performing up to a benchmark and hence not passing the training would result in negative rewards such a decrease in one’s pay or the cutting down on some of the fringe benefits.

Brand impact on Consumer Buying Behaviour

Brand impact on Consumer Buying Behaviour Consumer driven approaches is widely adopted by the companies in order to enhance countless emerging needs of modern customers. Branding becomes a crucial activities of consumer driven approach and its aim to build a loyal customer base and creation of an effective brand image. In this document, the author presents a research report complied after analyzing the effects of branding on the consumer purchase decision. The research had been carried at the shopping centre called Shoppers Stop in India. The research had attempted to find whether there is positive relation between the positive effect of the brand and the consumer purchase decision. There are so many parity products out there that the only way to differentiate yourself from the others is to create an aura, an image, around your brand. Consumers need a road map; they need to find a way to get from their need to a product purchase thats simple, easy, not full of a lot of noise, and most brands get lost somewhere between the shelf and the consumer mindset. -Karen Benezra, editor of Brandweek The paper also discusses the literature the importance of branding and the consumer purchase decision. It details the research rationale along with the research philosophy, the approach used, the context, sample and procedure. As well as It discussed the significance of the proposed research along with its limitation. A provisional work schedule is also provided. Aims The aim is to determine the extent of the correlation between the activities of branding and consumer purchasing as well as put into perspective the main functions and values branding can offer companies in term guiding valued customers through the often complex process of purchase decision-making. Thus the basic research question would be, how does branding affect the consumer purchase decision? Objectives This research will have the following objectives: To assess whether positive feelings towards a brand will translate into a consumer purchase decision. To establish the changes in the relationship between branding and consumers purchasing decision when other factors such as price are introduced. To examine the consumers tendency to recommend brands and its effect on purchasing decisions of their friends and family. Chapter 2: Literature Review Origin of Branding in Market. After the First World War, the whole world economy was under Great Depression during 1930s and also gives rise to socio-economy problems because of impact of war wages on the people and hence left a dent in peoples pockets and curbed the desire of society to spend and consume. Strangely, the Second World War and the period after the war had seen a different pattern in manufacturing industries that a increased capacity to produce goods whereas the society was left with an ingrained desire to be frugal. Bass Company, the British brewery, claims their red triangle brand was the worlds first trademark. Lyles Golden Syrup makes a similar claim, having been named as Britains oldest brand, with its green and gold packaging having remained almost unchanged since 1885. Source: http://www.quaffale.org.uk/php/brewery/578 What is Branding? The word Brand the Germanic root meaning is burn. In commercial market branding is all about the product attributes that make a lasting impression in a customers mind. As per Karl Marx, people make their own decisions about who to be, how to live, and what to buy, but under circumstances shaped by brands advertising, marketing and publicity. Thus a brand exploits the underlying attribute that is storytelling and emotions which are the buying behaviour. James Walter Thompson published a house ad explaining trademark advertising, in 1900. Thus Branding was coined for the first time with commercial explanation. Mr. Thompson appeared as the philosopher of Branding by drawing a straight line between the manufacturer and the consumer. Source: http://library.duke.edu/specialcollections/hartman/guides/jwt-history.html Human civilization is dependent upon signs and systems of signs, and the human mind is inseparable from the functioning of signs-if indeed mentality is not to be identified with such functioning. Apple Logo Design Apple was selected as main form of branding depending upon the company name. Initially, the logo depicted a small apple shape sitting under a tree with Apple Computer Co set into the frame of the picture. It is this apple that has continued to be used. The first logo design was perceived to be a bit too complex and hard to view, so Regis McKenna worked on the logo some years later and added a bite mark to symbolize the concept of seduction of the customers and the marketplace in general. Next, the monochrome version was replaced with the rainbow-colored logo as a reference to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve in which the apple represents the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. It brings to mind that people must pursue their dreams. While this was not initially a deliberate goal, it did encourage business and consumers to consider the Apple brand for the first time and was successful in generating increased profits.Source: Charles Morris, Foundations of the Theory of Signs. Source: http://www.logoorange.com/logodesign-A.php A brand is an end result. Branding is the process by which a brand comes to be. A brand is many, many things, but it is never an accident. Present Day Branding. A branding provides a platform for consumer choice process. Todays market offer different products among thousand for similar offerings, this complexity makes the users to follow their choice that have satisfied already in past. The pattern of this consumer behaviour was also supported by Assael in 1993 with a concept that in a situation of low-involvement of consumer, the consumers completely rely on past consuming experience; hence it provides a clue that consumers with minimum purchasing areas could be targeted by advertisement campaigns. Thus consumer plays a key important role product branding process in current market. Even nowadays a good number of consumer emotionally attach with the brand that helps to understand the impact of image among consumers. With this a natural differentiation concept was introduced by Adcock in 1998, with differentiation process , the company start developing a set of unique differences that help to provide a distinctive identity among other products in market. Hence, differentiation provides a cutting edge for the branding of product in present competitive market. As per Prof. Kevin Lane Keller, author of Strategic Brand Management: The trend in marketing of brand depends upon the changes in the environments around the consumers. A social, cultural, political, economic and technological environment changes the life of human and with this the branding need to adopt the trend for example Online Marketing Social Networking Online-Media such as Face book, MySpace, Google. A corporate social responsibility and sustainability impacting the product image. Philip Kotler in 1999, a brand captures consumers attention through a Six Dimensions of Brand: Attributes A brand will communicate specific attributes, such as prestige. Benefits A brand strengthens a products attributes by communicating a set of benefits that makes it more attractive. Values A brand represents a companys core value and belief system. Culture A brand is representative or targets a target audiences socio-cultural characteristic. Personality A Brand Project behavioural personality patterns of targeted consumers. User A brand can emulate the end user. Identification of Branding Differences step by step Difference 1: A Visual difference, Symbols and logotype. In the seventies, when the phrase generation was being coined and used in any number of contexts such as in movies, music, technology etc, Pepsi annex the beverage style of young adult segment of the inhabitants and dubbed them the Pepsi Generation, in an endeavour to make Coca-Cola seem old and staid. In the 1980s, Coca-Cola executed what was perhaps the most celebrated marketing mistake in history, discontinuing production on its core product, the most recognizable brand name in the world; in favour of a more Pepsi-like formula it dubbed New Coke. This Grand Canyon-size blunder eventually worked in the companys favour when consumers revolted with startling vehemence and Coca-Cola quickly announced it would bring back its revered product, now under the name Coca-Cola Classic. Sales rebounded, and more media attention was lavished on the Cola Wars. The campaign also managed to underline the loyalty and affection so many consumers had for original Coca-Cola-which might very well have been the goal of the company to begin with. Coca Cola eventually dropped the word Classic from its name, and remains the most widely recognized brand in the world to the present. Difference 2: Culture (Hofstedes onion) Difference 3: Personality (Aaker) Difference 4: Identity and positioning (Kapferer) Brand Equity and Brand Loyalty. Brand American marketing association defines the brand as A name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one sellers good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. The legal term for brand is trademark. A brand may identify one item, a family of items, or all items of that seller. If used for the firm as a whole, the preferred term is trade name Advantages and disadvantages of branding Advantages: 1. Helps in identifying the goods and services. 2. It stimulates the purchase decision of the consumer. 3. It helps in creating customer loyalty. 4. It helps the company to maintain the leadership position in the market (if they are already market leader) Disadvantages: 1. Requires huge investment. 2. An unsuccessful brand will bring negative image to the company. 3. Customer may not be willing to pay extra just because it is branded Brand equity Brand equity is set of assets linked to a brands name and symbol that adds to the value provided by the product or a service to a firm and/or that firms customer. Components of brand equity: 1. Brand loyalty 2. Brand awareness 3. Perceived quality 4. Brand associations Brand loyalty is consumers commitment to repurchase the brand and can be demonstrated by repeated buying of a product or service or other positive behaviours such as word of mouth advocacy. True brand loyalty implies that the consumer is willing, at least on occasion, to put aside their own desires in the interest of the brand. This will help organization to reduce the promotion cost. Brand awareness: The number of customers exposed to the brand name. Higher the brand awareness, higher will be the brand equity. Organizations put all the effort in the introduction stage of the product to create awareness among the customers. 3. Perceived quality: the customer perception about the actual quality level of the product. 4. Brand associations: The attribute of the brand that customer associates with his/ her belief. A person may associate the brand for power, strength or protectiveness. Brand Development Company can develop the brand on the basis of product category and brand name. Now we will discuss the different strategies adopted by companies to develop the brands. Existing New Existing Line Extension Brand Extension New Multi Brands New Brands Line extension: Company uses its well known brand name to introduce additional items in a given product category such as new forms, flavours, ingredients or package sizes. For example, Karnataka Milk federation, Uses its top brand name Nandini to introduce new Items like toned milk, full cream milk, curd and milk powder. It is less risky and requires fewer investments to introduce the product. In the above example Nandini used the extension to meet the excess capacity that it has. The milk procurement was more than the demand from the customer. Hence it started producing the milk powder. But all the products introduced need not to be successful in the market. In case of KMF Nandini Ice creams didnt click in the market. Another risk of line extension is brand cannibalization i.e. Companys brand/items compete each other. Brand extension: A strategy in which company uses one of its familiar brand names to new product categorys items. For example, United breweries (UB) limited group used its flagship brand kingfisher to different categories. Kingfisher was originally a beer brand extended to airlines. Brand extension gives instant recognition to the brand. In the above example people required very less time to know kingfisher airline brand because parent brand was very well Known. Brand extension if it fails then it may hurt the parent brand reputation in the market. Multi brands: The techniques of introducing the product or items in existing product category with a new brand name. For example, Hindustan Unilever uses different brand names for their home and personal care category. The above example shows us that HUL have breeze, Dove, Liril Lux, Lifebuoy and Pears in the bath soap segment itself. It helps company to come out with new features in the product or product category. Organizations adopt this strategy to avoid brand cannibalization in the given category. The major disadvantage of this strategy is none of the brands will enjoy major market share and result in lesser profitability. In case of Hindustan Unilever company had more than 100 brands and was forced to reduce it to 30 power brands. Other brands were not adding enough profit for the company. New brands: The strategy of coming out with new brand for new category products. In this strategy, company believes that existing brands can not be extended to the new category. The new brand strategy requires huge resources to build it. The new category if it already had some brands of other companies, investment requirement will go up. For example, Hindustan Unilever launched Pure it in the water purifier category. The category and brand is new to the company. Consumer Buying Behaviour : Branding a influencing factor What influences consumers to purchase products or services? The consumer buying process is a complex matter as many internal and external factors have an impact on the buying decisions of the consumer. When purchasing a product there several processes, which consumers go through? These will be discussed below. 3- COMPONENTS OF BRANDING Branding is a process of creating a product or company identity a personality creation and development by a number of differential professionals with same objective or goal. 1. Advertising. Its a wonderful thing to create a unique, user-friendly brand that the public is sure to embrace. However, if the public doesnt find out about the brand-and much of the public will find out through advertising-all that effort, time, and money will go to waste. The look and attitude of the advertising also help define the brand in the publics mind. Nike is well known for spending millions on celebrity endorsements for advertising. Its ads are legendary, and its swoosh logo is known the world over without a word being said. 2. Marketing. In devising the personality of the brand and determining how it will be presented to the public, marketing, which is usually done in-house and through consultants, helps to create the entity that the brand will become. Its a fine thing to own the recipe for Oreo cookies, but if you decided to sell the recipe and not the cookies, you would be making a very large marketing mistake. Marketing is not just selling; it knows what to sell and how to sell it as part of a larger plan. What marketing does is to determine the proper audience for a product, and then deliver to that audience what it wants. The target demographic can be as narrow as 15-year-old boys living in the suburbs, or it can be literally anybody. That will depend on the product. But once the demographic is identified, marketing professionals analyze it, make sure the characteristics of that demographic are compatible with the product, and then emphasize the strengths of the product. The strengths of the product here are very specific: They are the strengths that will best convey the personality the demographic wants to see in it. For example, if Philips had tried to market its flat-screen TV to an audience over 65, which traditionally is not warm to change, it might not have been successful, no matter how innovative the product may have been. Instead, the company aimed its ads at people in their twenties and thirties, emphasized the newness and difference of the product, and had a great success. 3. Public relations. If advertising is the juggernaut of public attention, public relations is the stealth bomber. PR generates publicity for the brand, helps solidify the publics opinion of the brand, and defines the brand-all without being perceived by the public A lot of clients dont understand the difference between Branding, PR, advertising and marketing, says Rob Frankel, author of Revenge of Brand X. Personally, I prefer PR to advertising. I like PR because a lot of my Branding program is based on third-party endorsement. Its way more credible and fast-acting than when you pay for ads. Problem/Need Recognition for Future Branding How do you decide you want to buy a particular product or service? It could be that your DVD player stops working and you now have to look for a new one, all those DVD films you purchased you can no longer play! So you have a problem or a new need. For high value items like a DVD player or a car or other low frequency purchased products this is the process we would take. However, for impulse low frequency purchases e.g. confectionery the process is different. Q. What are the new branding challenges and opportunities especially nowadays with the global economic crisis? The current economic crisis presents many challenges but also much opportunity for brand marketers at the same time. Research has show that in past recessions those firms that have been willing to invest in their marketing have emerged in a stronger position than those firms that have cut back spending and reduced their marketing investments. Obviously those marketing investments must be wise ones. Perhaps the most important branding consideration in tough economic times is to establish perceptions of good value. Being seen as low priced or less expensive is not necessarily the answer, the more important consideration is that consumers feel that they are getting appropriate value from a product or service. Value is basically all the benefits the consumer realizes versus all the costs that he or she incurs. It is important to view and these benefits and costs broadly. Benefits include the perceived monetary value of all the bundle of economic, functional, and psychological benefits th at customers expect from a product. Similarly, costs are not restricted to the actual monetary price but may reflect opportunity costs of time, energy, and any psychological involvement in the decision that consumers might have. Top marketers in a recession will be sure to develop marketing programs and activities that optimally balance that equation so that consumers feel the collective benefits outweigh the collective costs as much as possible. That my involve framing the brands costs and benefits so that they are seen in the most positive light possible. Q. What would you single out as the most important message out of your extensive experience in studying brands? The most important message for marketers these days is to make sure they have a deep, rich understanding of consumers and how they think and feel about brands and their products and services. It is so fundamental and may seem obvious, but unfortunately many marketers still fall way short on that score. Consumer Buying Behaviour Q. What is the future of branding? Brands will always be important given their fundamental purpose to identify and differentiate products and services. A good brand makes peoples lives a little easier and better. People are loyal to brands that satisfy their expectations and deliver on its brand promise. In an increasingly complex and busy world, the ability of a brand to simplify consumer decision-making is powerful. The predictably good performance of a strong brand is something that consumers will always value. What will change, however, is the means by which firms will build those brands. Marketers must always be adopting state-of-the-art branding practices to ensure that their marketing programs and activities reflect the always changing economic, cultural, technological, social, and legal environments. There are 4-Types of consumer buying behaviour: Assael 1987 Purchasing Experiences High Involvement Low Involvement Significant differences between brands Complex buying behavior Variety-seeking buying behavior Few differences between brands Dissonance-reducing buying behavior Habitual buying behavior Source: Assael 1987, Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Action, 6th edition, p. 67 There are four types of consumer depending upon the degrees of involvement and degree of differentiation amongst the brands as per Assael. A displaying Complex Buying Behaviour Pattern is a group of consumer who prefer to expand their beliefs regarding a particular product as a primary step and hence this process will lead them to develop positive attitudes regarding the product. Dissonance-Reducing Behaviour of consumer is classified as the trend in which consumers are highly involved in the purchasing experience but unable to compare among the brand of products offering similar services or features. Thus differentiation becomes the key point as consumers asks for the features or functionalities or price comparison among the brand but in a market which display low differentiation of brands, the consumer purchasing behaviour is influenced by convenience. Displaying Habitual Buying Behaviour is a behavioural pattern as a result of consumers condition where the consumer buying decision depends on the product information acquired passively or the information embedded in their mind via review electronic media or promotional efforts, also the user shows low-level of involvement products. Variety Seeker Buying Behaviour, the consumer buying reaction occurs because of low-involvement in a market that displays high levels of product differentiation , thus they prefer to follow Brand Switching , in order to satisfy their need for diversification. Chapter 4: Survey, Analysis and Findings Introduction The survey was performed in India at Shoppers Stop Mall (New Delhi Ansal Plaza Branch), which has many branches across the country at major cities and in United Kingdom, at St. Anns Shopping Centre (Harrow, London). The survey template was design to understand the relation between a product brand and consumer, in a sense that how much they trust or rely on the brand that they go for the product, in short the impact of branding on consumer purchasing decision. The research was to understand the influence of Brand in a developing and developed country. As the one could easily conclude that the consumer in developed country focus on more on brand image as the brand image define the quality of product whereas consumer in developing focus more on the need rather than quality for example a consumer in India purchasing a television will first look for the price and then maximum features within the price also the product should belong to reliable brand this is one of the key reason that even though India has certain level of free trade open market relation with china , still the Chinese cheap product unable to penetrate the Indian market. Questionnaires There are 150 and 180 interviews have performed in India and UK respectively, the pie chart display the same. The Number of interviews conducted with respect to different age group, the column chart below represent about the survey conduct in India at shoppers stop mall. The below graph display the number of interviews conducted, focusing the age group in UK at St. Anns Shopping Centre. In our survey we have put more focus on the young generation and middle-age group to understand their psychology while purchasing a product and how its being influences by the brand of the product. We also get to know the preference made by female and male group in India and UK. The female group in India and UK both spend their most of their shopping time in costumes and they prefer detail analysis or observation between different brands and they could easily compromise on the brand. Which brand do you use? Brand P Brand Q Brand R Brand S In case of others, please specifyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Age group? 16- 24 24 35 35- 50 50-70 What to you perceive to be the key attributes of a brand and what do you associate it with? Quality Price Status Personality Aesthetics To what extent brands are important to you? Very Important Important Neither Important nor Unimportant Not Very important Not at all Important 5. How does the Made in trademark influence your buying? Very Much Not much Doesnt Matters Matters Strongly Matters What is the key difference between International and Domestic brands? Quality Price Variety Services Does Culture difference play an important role in regards to your buying decision? Agree Strongly Agree Depends Disagree Strongly Disagree Do you agree shopping is different in abroad then in India? Yes No Do you feel changing market of fashion and technology plays an important role in your buying decision? Yes No What product of that particular brand do you use? Product 1 Product 2 Product 3 Product 4 In case of others, please specifyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. How long have you been using this product? 1 year 2 year 3 year 4 year 5 year In case of others please specifyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ How did you first chance upon the product? Advertising Word of mouth Display In case of others, please specifyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Please suggest, if you want to make any changes to the product and why? Are you satisfied with this brand? Extremely satisfied Satisfied Fairly Satisfied Not at all Satisfied Which Cosmetic product brand you prefer? Olay Dove Grainier A combination of mixed product brand. How long have you been using the product XYZ? First Time Regular user Never. What made you use the Product XYZ the very first time? Advertising Word of Mouth Display at shop If anything else, please specifyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Have you ever used competitors product? Yes No. If you have used competitors product, then please confirm which product is better in the following terms: Quality Quantity Brand Name Are you: Male Female How did you receive this product? Gift Purchase If other, please specify? How did hear about the sale of this product? Advertising-Newspaper, radio, TV Friend / family Article / magazine Store Others, specify__________________________________ From which store did you made the purchase of this product? Specify. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ How many different brands did you look out for this product? Specify. ___________________________________________________________ Findings In developing nations such as European countries, a different trend has been seen because of globalisation and free trade, the market is flooded with many products offering similar features and because of competition, the price of the product has fallen down, European industries has to reduce their cost of goods sales by compromising with the quality of materials or setting up manufacturing industries in developing or poor nation where the quality of production much more oriented towards manufacturing the product instead of manufacture quality product , for example Automobile industries , the number of automobile industries has gone down significantly in past 50 years. As per the research performed by KPMG for Automobile industries, the future of automobile industries will not only be characterized by origin of OEMs. Recommendations Convergence: A Business Concept The concept convergence has already entered into the market with innovation ideas of doing business, in automobile industries; e-Mobility and Car-sharing business are the best example the convergence of brand and business ideas, e-mobility provides convergence between Fiat OEMs and Power Suppliers and Car-Sharing e.g Deutsche Bahan is the convergence between OEMs and mobility providers. From this we could able to figure out that convergence and innovative business ideas not only helps the Brand Convergence A New Business Player Convergence example: E-Mobility and Car-Sharing Assembled Product: Combination of Branded Products In coming future, one could imagine of a product developed like an IT product, for example an IT product such as cloud computing systems , IT for green , Client computing , Advance Analytics (Business Intelligence software) is a combination of many software product provided by different brand leaders. This could be a future business concept across all products , one could think of his own car made up of worlds different brand leaders.