Narrative a Memorable Event. Essay - 795 Words

Narrative: A memorable event. I woke to my body jittering with anxiety. It was 7 o’clock on a Saturday morning, and it was the day that I had been awaiting for. I was almost ready when my Dad shouted ‘’ Ya betta get ya’self moving Kertesha, we’re gonna be late!’’. I paused, and took one last look at myself in the mirror. My hair was scraped back, my polo necked fleece was suffocating and itchy, my black ribbed jodhpurs were tight around my midriff, but there was one thing missing. It was one thing which all the girls on the internet, in the movies, and in all the equestrian magazines had - A gilet. Mine was a pink Abercrombie amp; Fitch one, with ribbed salmon trims around the waistband and collar; it was not a real equestrian gilet,†¦show more content†¦Although the smell of the manure was strong, over time I began to appreciate it, and so it became more of an aroma, than an odour. But this is something my Dad never seemed to get used, to let alone appreciate. The entire stable had a rather odd smell; it was a mixture of hay, cut grass, dust, manure, and oddly, a hint of leather. This was a smell which I soon became very fond of. There were six of us in the group, we were all new to Dulwhich Riding School and filled with enthusiasm. After being handed our riding hats, we were alphabetically permitted to choose a horse, and as always, I was last in the alphabet. I was left with a choice of two, one was a blue roan filly. She was a young slate coloured horse who reminded me of Eeyore (from Winnie the Pooh), and was also a lot smaller than the other horses. Then I saw the attractive sorrel coloured gelding, he stood glaring at me with his head poking out of the barn gate. His mane was dark and silky, and he had a striking white birthmark on the bridge of his nose. I had an instant connection with him, and proclaimed his name as Cashmere. As I lead Cashmere towards the indoor riding arena, my heart raced. 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Angel The Second Daughter Of Father, Ronald Baxley, And...

Angela â€Å"Angie† Robin Drury is the second daughter to father, Ronald Baxley, and mother, Mary Baxley. Born in Thomaston, Georgia, Angie grew up on a farm with her two sisters where she lived for 20 years. Growing up, her father being a former Navy officer, she experience a very strict household with little attention being given to her. Aside from home, Angie also experienced hardship in school being as her mother is Hispanic and father is White; growing up in the 60s and 70s was filled with no tolerance of different races, so her darker complexion made her a target a various racial terms as opposed to her older sister who inherited paler features and thrived in social settings. On top of her biracial background, Angie grew up in a household that held two different branches of Christianity, Catholic and Baptist. Though forced to practice both religions, as adult she decided to become a Baptist though she did not believe in any religion. Being that she did not like the feeli ng of having no control, Angie’s forced regular attendance caused her a lot of anger. As a child, Angie was content and well-mannered with the occasional angry outburst. She soon learned that the negative attention from her anger was better than no attention at all. Although known to have intense emotions, a stereotype associated with Hispanic women, she quickly developed an extroverted personality. While not a wildly as popular and social as her older sister Lynn, Angie strived to affiliate herself with a

Environmental Issues Affecting the Organizational Activities

Question: Describe about the key environmental issues affecting the organizational activities, challenges related to human resource planning, and that of staffing trends as well as challenges? Answer: Introduction: The blog aims at highlighting the practice of human resource planning at Earns Young Company with emphasis upon the two external environmental factors, namely globalization and technology and how these factors impact upon the activities of the company. The main purpose of the blog is to identify key environmental issues affecting the organizational activities, challenges related to human resource planning, and that of staffing trends as well as challenges. Impacts of Globalization: The rate at which various parts if the globe are successfully recovering from economic downturn, along with policy responses that they make, is surely stressing upon globalization; however the impacts of globalization has also been impacting organizational activities. The chief executive officer of Earns Young believes that increased opportunities within the emerging markets, ever rising technological power and also high rate of economic recovery internationally would ensure globalization impacts upon activities deepen gradually (Novy-Hildesley, 2006). With the increased globalization, the Company would face challenge to strike a perfect balance amidst opposing forces of globalization as well as national markets to achieve both local relevance as well as scale(Noe, , J., Gerhart, Hollenbeck Wright, 2015). Due to globalization, business opportunities have distributed quite more evenly across the globe than any other time. The market potential convergence amidst developed as well as emerging world refers to the number of markets considered by multinationals. Earns Young now needs to operate within a polycentric world where multiple divergent spheres exist in both types of markets (Thite, 2011). Thus, globalization impacted the firm in a way that it needs to formulate effective strategies to beat its rivals in the market. Impacts of Technology: Technology refers to an environmental aspect that affects enormously upon organizational activities. This is also true for Earns Young. Technological advancements due to enhanced globalization have led the Company to incorporate operational excellence with increasing capability of meeting customer demands(Balderston, 2011). The Companys worldwide team of tax, insurance, advisory professionals or transaction possesses wide knowledge as well as technical experience for interpreting market as well as competing powerfully. For Earns Young, digitalization refers to the conversion of important analogue information into digital information. With the increasing capability of digitalization, every phase of life gets captured as well as stored in digital manner(Lall, Bowles Baird, 2013). The firm has adopted various technological benefits and advancements and these have allowed the firm to achieve excellence in daily activities with increased productivity and profitability. Conclusion: Thus, it may be concluded from the blog that environmental aspects and factors like globalization and technology are inevitable for any business firm and these may have positive or negative impacts (TYSON, WORTHLEY DANLEY, 2004). Thus, it is essential for organizations like Earns Young to focus upon internal factors such as human resource planning as well to bring about a planned organizational excellence to realize its desired objectives. References Balderston, K. (2011). Investing with Impact: Unlocking Value for Business and Society.Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization,6(3), 35-39. doi:10.1162/inov_a_00080 Lall, S., Bowles, L., Baird, R. (2013). Bridging the Pioneer Gap: The Role of Accelerators in Launching High-Impact Enterprises.Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization,8(3-4), 105-137. doi:10.1162/inov_a_00191 Noe, , J., Gerhart,, B., Hollenbeck, R., Wright,, P. (2015).Human Resource Management: Gaining a competitive advantage(9th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Novy-Hildesley, J. (2006). From Idea to Impact: Funding Invention for Sustainability.Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization,1(1), 31-42. doi:10.1162/itgg.2006.1.1.31 Thite, M. (2011). Smart cities: implications of urban planning for human resource development.Human Resource Development International,14(5), 623-631. doi:10.1080/13678868.2011.618349 TYSON, B., WORTHLEY, T., DANLEY, K. (2004). Layering Natural Resource and Human Resource Data for Planning Watershed Conservation Strategies.Society Natural Resources,17(2), 163-170. doi:10.1080/08941920490261276

Peer pressure free essay sample

Pressure is the feeling that you are being pushed toward making a certain choice—good or bad. A peer is someone in your own age group. Peer pressure is—you guessed it—the feeling that someone your own age is pushing you toward making a certain choice, good or bad. Types of Peer Pressure there are only two indirect and direct. indirect is having a song encourging you to take drugs because you dont know the song writer diectly and they arent specificly telling you to take drugs its is indirect. direct would be if you friend presure you to take drugs. they are taking specificly to you and you know them it is direct. What are the 5 subtypes of peer pressure? The types of peer pressures include:1.Negative peer pressure 2.Positive peer pressure 3.Heavy peer pressure 4.Indirect peer pressure 5.Friendly peer pressure. Effects of Negative Peer Pressure When you do not like a particular idea or when you have no inclination towards a particular field, it is obvious that you wont like to go by it. We will write a custom essay sample on Peer pressure or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For sure, you wont like to go that way. But it is you peer group, which may compel you on doing something you hate. In such cases, there are chances that you wont do well in those things. Things you do not enjoy doing cannot fetch you success. You cannot emerge successful in something you have never liked doing. So, it is important that you do not lose happiness of your life by succumbing to peer pressure. Many a time, it so happens, that we are forced to lead a certain kind of lifestyle due to peer pressure. You may not like partying on every weekend, you may not like night outs with friends, you may hate drinking or smoking, but peer pressure may make you do all that you had never wished to. There are many teenagers who experience great pressure from their peer group that forces them to take to drinking. You may take to something as grave as drug use, and that too, only because of peer pressure. In such cases, being overly pressurized by you peers can be detrimental to your living. Some teenagers literally spoil their lives by giving in to peer pressure. Peer pressure can lead to a loss of individuality. Extreme peer pressure may lead you to follow what your peers feel right. Their pressure may compel you to go by everything they think right. You tend to blindly imitate the masses; you adopt their tastes of fashion, clothing, hair, music and general living. Peer pressure can actually lead you to lose you tastes of life and force yourself to begin liking what they like. Peer pressure is the human tendency to join the bandwagon, in which, the person loses his/her original way of looking at life. Here are some negative effects of peer pressure on your child. Alienation From the Family The direct effect of negative peer pressure is alienation from the family. The teen will just not like to be in the company of his parents as he feels that their values are standing in the way of his desires. A negative peer pressure is always antagonistic to the values that are promoted by the family. Thereby, the first thing that the teen does is to compromise the values and then indulge in activities that are contrary to them. Disinterest in Studies Negative peer pressure teaches and encourages the teen to ignore studies. He will thus bunk classes and be completely uninterested in academics. The grades would naturally fall the teen would find it difficult to cope up in high school or get admission in colleges. This will naturally affect his career. Negative Behaviour Negative peer pressure renders an impact in his behaviour and attitude. They feel that it is a mark of independence to disobey and disregard the opinion and values of their parents. They turn hostile and it affects their relationship with their parents, social circle and later in their personal lives also succumbs to this negativity. Amongst the other common effects of negative pressure is indulgence in smoking, alcohol, drugs and early sexual activities. If the negative peer pressure is not timely taken care of, it can damage the future life of the teen in a major way leading to behavioral and psychological disorders, not to forget the physical harm ensuing from  it. Negative Peer Pressure and Its Serious Consequences By: Alice Langholt Negative peer pressure touches almost every teen at some point. Adults also face it at times. Peer pressure lessons learned by giving in can be extremely damaging, or empowering, depending on the outcome. To avoid emotional upheaval, it is important for parents to give adolescents tools for coping with peer pressure. This helps kids make the right decisions when they are faced with negative peer pressure situations. The need for peer acceptance is extremely strong in the teen years. Standing up for oneself is of extreme importance, and can be very difficult. What Negative Peer Pressure Is Like Negative peer pressure occurs when a group coerces someone into doing something inappropriate. The group makes it clear that the person will be kicked out of the group or targeted for revenge if she does not participate. The group also makes it clear that participation leads to acceptance by the group, which is very desirable during the teen years. The activity may be as simple as drinking alcohol at a party or smoking marijuana. It could extend to committing a crime or engaging in unprotected sex. Whatever the activity, the person being pressured feels torn between his value system and his desire to be accepted or avoid the groups punishment. Why Giving in Is Bad If a teen gives in and participates, putting acceptance ahead of her values, the teen loses faith in herself. She stops believing in her ability to stand up for herself, and her ability to live consistently with the values she wants to have. Once she has compromised her values, it becomes easier to do it again the next time. She may let her values go after a while, and go further participate in situations that she otherwise would have resisted. The damage to the teens self esteem is lasting. It can lead to depression or other emotional illnesses over time. Participating in illegal or immoral activities can also lead to legal trouble or health problems. Avoiding Negative Peer Pressure A teen who has been taught to stand up for his values is more likely to avoid  situations in which he is asked to compromise them. If he stands up to the group, refusing to participate in their plans, he will save his self respect. The group may reject him or attempt to humiliate him; if he tells others or gravitates toward people who support him, he will avoid the difficulties of this situation. In some cases, the teen who stands up to peer pressure winds up being the leader of the group, because hes voicing concerns that others are too afraid to share. In the end, he can find a group of peers who are more in line with his value system. He can feel good about himself and his ability to take a stand. This is the desired outcome because it strengthens the teen as a person. What Parents Can Do Parents who openly communicate, who are involved with their kids lives and who teach their kids tools for coping with negative peer pressure will have the best chance of protecting teens from the negative effects of surrendering. Parents who have firm and clear expectations and have more influence over their children than teen peers. This gives kids the courage to stand up for themselves and protect their personal values. Negative and Positive Effects of Peer Pressure We tend to get influenced by the lifestyle of our peers. Their thinking, their choices and their behavior influences us. We feel compelled to follow them. Thats peer pressure. It is beneficial to a certain extent. But its negative effects are more apparent. Peer pressure can be of two types, negative and positive. The section of society which is most vulnerable to the effects of peer pressure is of teenagers. Lets try to understand the positive and negative effects of peer pressure on people. Joe, a boy like any other. Theres nothing extraordinary or different about him or his life. He has a family, he has friends. He is a part of the society all of us also are. His thinking, behavior, tastes of food, fashion and music and the decisions he takes in life are greatly influenced by those of people around him. What people think is the most influential factor in the choices he makes. What matters most to him is the people around, some directly related to him, others not. But for whatsoever reason, their opinions matter. He can never think of what only he wants. His decisions are  almost always influenced by what people think of him. These people may not have anything to do with him, but for some reason their opinions matter. He thinks they are important. They are his peers, they make the group he is a part of. He claims he can think independently, but somewhere he knows he cant. He thinks peer pressure does not affect him, but somewhere he knows its a delusion. Joe is neither happy nor sad, he is confused. Joes story applies to you, me and everyone around. In each of us, there is a Joe. We get influenced by our peers. Their opinions and choices affect us. We want to be independent but we cannot get rid of the group we are part of. We cannot free ourselves from our peers or their opinions and we cant do away with their pressure. It affects us all the time, directly or indirectly. Very few have the courage to resist peer pressure and be their own selves rather than being one among the lot. Very few have the courage to follow their heart and not the herd. Peer pressure does affect us, both positively and negatively. The difference between positive and negative peer pressure is that the former pushes us to do something good or restrains us from doing bad while the latter pulls us away from the good or pushes us to do the bad; and all this for the sake of peers, just because the crowd thinks its the coolest thing to do. Its not unnatural for peer behavior to affect us, but following your peers blindly is not a wise thing to do. Lets see how peer pressure affects us. Negative Effects Decisions Go Wrong: When you do not like a particular idea or when you have no inclination towards a particular field, it is obvious that you wont like to go by it. For sure, you wont like to go that way. But it is your peer group, which may compel you on doing something you dislike. Its obvious that you wont be happy doing what you do. And you wont succeed. Succumbing to peer pressure in taking important decisions of your life can only land you in sorrow. For example, taking up a field or choosing a career just because your friends did so; without much thought to where your interest lies, can only make you unhappy. Bad Habits are Cultivated: Peer pressure forces you to do things you are not comfortable doing. It can even lead you to adopt a certain kind of lifestyle, even if you dont really want to. You may not like partying every weekend, you may not be smoking. But peer pressure is powerful. It can turn you from an always-at-home boy/girl to a complete party animal. It can turn you from a total non-smoker to a chain-smoker. There are so many teenagers who take to drinking against their will, just because their peers force them to. In many cases, peer pressure has been the culprit in creating drug addicts. At that vulnerable age, teenagers do not understand that they are actually ruining their life by giving in to pressure from peers. Identity is Lost: Peer pressure can lead to loss of individuality. Extreme peer pressure may lead you to follow what your peers feel right. Their pressure may compel you to go by everything they think is right. You follow them blindly; you adopt their tastes of fashion, clothing, hair, music and living at large. Peer pressure can actually lead you to lose your own taste. You feel forced to like what they like and do what they do. Peer pressure is the tendency to join the bandwagon; you lose your originality of thought and conduct. You forget the way you wanted to live. You lose your identity. Positive Effects Adopting Good Habits: Peer pressure is not always bad. It can help you reflect on yourself. Peers may teach you good things and encourage you to follow them. You may be able to change yourself for better. Looking at what others do, can help you bring a positive change in your way of thinking. If you can pick selectively, peer pressure can push you towards something positive. For example, when a child knows that some of his friends regularly read storybooks or that they have subscribed to a library, even he feels tempted to do so. He may get into the habit of reading because of his peers. Seeing that some of your friends exercise daily, even you may take up the habit. Positive peer pressure can lead you to adopt good habits in life. Exposure to the World: Your peers, their choices and ways of life give you a glimpse of the world outside the four walls of your house. What they think  about things in life, how they perceive situations, how they react in different circumstances can actually expose you to the world around. Being part of a larger group of peers exposes you to the variety in human behavior. This makes you reflect on your behavior and know where you stand. Peer pressure can lead you to make right choices in life. Giving Up Bad Habits: If you are fortunate enough to get a good peer group, your peers can influence the shaping of your personality in a positive way. Their perspective of life can lead you to change yours. Its not pressure every time; sometimes its inspiration, which makes you change for good. For example, positive peer pressure can make you quit smoking or give up bad habits that you may have. Your peers can inspire you to become more optimistic or more confident. Your peers may influence you to change and make you a better human being. Teenage Peer Pressure When talking about the positive and negative effects of peer pressure, you cant escape discussing how peer pressure affects teenagers. Its because they are the most vulnerable and the most affected. During the teenage years, one is exposed to the world outside. There are many changes taking place at the physical and psychological level. One starts feeling he has grown up, he feels he needs to make choices, take important decisions and looking at the plethora of options available, one is confused. Its during these years that ones ideals are formed. These years shape an individual and his life. He feels independent, free and discovers a new himself. Teenage years are the educative years of ones life. Its the phase they do their high school, go for higher education, take up degree courses. They busy carving a career for themselves. They spend most of their time among those of their age their friends, peers. Teenage is the most youthful period of life. At that age, they are young, enthusiastic, ready to take life head on and eager to take in every little thing life brings their way. They enjoy the company of others their age, as full of energy as they are. But this age is also the most dangerous. They are susceptible, anything can  influence them and make them change, for better or worse the line between the two blurs for a brief period. Its not the kids to blame, its their age. Teenagers are the most likely to fall prey to peer pressure. So, their parents and teachers should save them from succumbing to it. Its natural for a teenaged kid to feel like imitating his friend. Its natural for him to feel like smoking just because his friends do or feel like drinking because his peers do. Its not abnormal for teenaged kids to adopt all that is considered hip and cool without a second thought. They dont do it deliberately. No. They just cant distinguish between the good and the bad. They need to be taught the difference. They need to be shielded from negative peer pressure. And the solution is not in isolating them from peers. Its in teaching them to make good choices in life. A strong support from family, an ability to differentiate between the right and the wrong and the skill to choose friends from peers is the key to greet the positive effects of peer pressure and keep the negative ones at bay. Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/negative-and-positive-effects-of-peer-pressure.html REFERENCES: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-peer-pressure.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_pressure http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/peer_pressure.html http://www.buzzle.com/articles/negative-and-positive-effects-of-peer-pressure.html http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Negative-Effects-Of-Peer-Pressure-39059467.html Peer Pressure free essay sample Introduction Peer pressure is a social influence exerted on an individual by others in order to get that person to act or believe in a similar way. It is used by a social group, often with the implication that everybodys doing it. This influence can be negative or positive, with a successful result being a change in a persons behavior. Nearly all children experience some form of peer pressure, whether at school, at church or at home among siblings. As a kind of social pressure, it dominates preteen life. Many teens become absorbed into different cliques and groups, spending less time with their families. Much of the personality of a teen can be shaped by a peer group. Negative peer pressure can be a dangerous tool against children, especially younger or insecure children. They may be persuaded to take actions they might otherwise not have considered, such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol or taking drugs. We will write a custom essay sample on Peer Pressure or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Peer pressure is a problem for adults, who may be coerced, for example, into buying a house or car they cant afford in an effort to keep up with the Joneses. Peer pressure is not always negative, however. A student whose friends excel in academics may be compelled to study hard and get good grades. Influence can also be exerted to get a friend off drugs or to help an adult take up a good habit or drop a bad one. Study groups, class projects and athletic groups are examples of positive peer groups. Why I chose the topic – I decided to chose this topic because in the Indian Education System children experience a sudden thrust of freedom and responsibility to shape their future at the same time. In such cases, they can either be well-guided or mis-guided. Peer pressure may also lead to stress and anxiety. Teens have a multitude of issues that can cause them anxiety. The two major settings for this peer pressure teen stress are in their home lives and in the college setting. The stressors are many and diverse. Their feelings can be affected by some of the issues listed below: * The feelings that others and also inside themselves tell them they should do and how they should perform. * Peer pressure teen stress is also caused by the way they feel they are viewed by adults in the college setting. * The peer pressure teen stress to perform in the grades and work they do. * Problems with socializing with other teens. Problems at home with family members. * Having a low self worth. * Always having verbal conflicts with their friends and family. * Low income living conditions for the family. * Peer pressure teen stress is sometimes caused by a major event causing grief or trauma within the family. This could be death, an illness, or parents splitting up. * A split in the relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend. * The neighborhood in which they live is not a good place. * Having to move to a new home is yet a cause of the peer pressure teen stress. Having to adapt to a new school/college environment. Objectives of the project: The main objective of the project is to discuss the issue of peer pressure under â€Å"no pressure†. The students must be made to understand how they can grasp the good and leave the bad. The project tries to distinguish between Good Peer Pressure and Bad Peer Pressure. It analyses various aspects that cause such a pressure and gives a solution to the same. The project also gives a remedy for overcoming bad peer pressure. The project also makes suggestions as to how can peer-pressure-struck children can be helped. The project also tries to examine the reasons that make children give-in to peer pressure. Here are some other reasons why people give in to peer pressure, that are less known but equally as responsible. †¢ The lack of self-confidence to go ones own way. It is easier to follow the footsteps of another than to make your own. There is also a certain level of safety that comes with following another. Taking the road less traveled by making your own choices takes self-confidence and self-assurance. †¢ The desire to avoid embarrassment. Many people fear embarrassment more than death. Knowing this, it is easy to see how important effective communication can be in responding to peer pressure. For example, if a bunch of peers surround a teenager and asked him if he wants to smoke a cigarette like the rest of them have, and all the teenager can think of is, but my mom said I should just say no. then he is in trouble. It is best to prepare yourself and your children with witty, yet clear and firm responses to known peer pressures. For example, in the above situation the teenager could say, Hmmm, spend my life wasting money, offending people, having bad breath, and killing myself. o thanks.    A good response cannot only save one from embarrassment, but give others the confidence to not give in to the peer pressure as well. Those who lead are often well respected by those who follow. †¢ The lack of using ones own mind. Again it is reacting, rather than responding that causes one to get in trouble. Think about the consequences of your actions, both present and f uture. Dont give in and sacrifice your long-term goals for short-term gratification. †¢ The lack of unbiased information. When someone feels pressure from peers, they are often presented with biased information. Again it is preparation that can help one to avoid peer pressure by knowing all the facts. Anticipate peer pressure in life and get the facts from a reliable source. Educate yourself and your children dont count on the school system to do it. Some of the more common peer pressures experienced in youth that can be prepared for today are smoking, alcohol, drugs, sex, cutting class and committing crimes. The biggest peer pressure in adulthood is being expected to behave, act, and perform like your peers rather than becoming the person you are capable of becoming. Know the reasons for and against these pressures. Resources referred: ? Bullying Prevention Program http://www. clemson. edu/olweus/ ? Take Action Against Bullying www. bullybeware. org ? Steps to Respect: A Bully Prevention Program www. cfchildren. org/str. html ? Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Intervention for Bullying and Victimization (1996) By Richard J. Hazler ? How to Say No and Keep your Friends: Peer Pressure Reversal for ? Teens and Pre-Teens (1997). By Sharon Scott ? CAFS Teacher Talk Volume 1(3) 1996 http://education. indiana. du/cas/tt/v3i3/peerpress. html Preventing Classroom Bullying: What Teachers Can Do (2003). By Jim Wright http://jimwrightsonline. com/pdfdocs/bully/bullyBooklet. pdf ? Resource for parents: http://sitemaker. umich. edu/356. darnell/advice_for_parents Conclusions: Growing up, everyone will experience some form of peer pressure. Peer pressure is the control and influence people of our age may have on us. Peer pressure can occur in many kinds of relat ionships. The way we respond to peer pressure can have a great impact on the decisions we make and, in turn, our total health. There are many different types of peer pressure. There is positive, negative, and manipulation. Positive peer pressure is not limited to following or setting good examples of what to do. It can also provide examples of what not to do. A teen whose friends do not use alcohol or other drugs may be positively influenced to follow their example. Being a good role model is also a great way to demonstrate positive peer pressure. Influencing peers to take part in a positive act or worthwhile cause is a healthful way of influencing others. It can be contagious. We are primarily social beings with a strong need to belong. Throughout our life, we search for the balance between independence and connectedness. How much of ourselves do we give up/compromise in order to belong? The teenage years (and pre-teen) are a time of shifting focus of belonging from family to peers as while also developing a personal identity. Because kids dont yet have the maturity to grasp or to understand the potential consequences of being influenced by their friends, it is difficult for them to see the pitfalls of poor relationships and negative peer pressure. This project is designed to walk us through the inquiry and clarification of the need to feel connected and belong, as well as to be true to ones self while assessing the harmful affects of peer pressure. In addition to the inquiry looking at the costs/benefits belonging, it will identify strategies to deal with negative peer pressure and ways to turn it around, creating positive peer pressure, building leadership and personal power.

Weltys Petrified Man response. essays

Weltys Petrified Man response. essays Weltys Petrified Man response. Eudora Welty's "Petrified Man" admits the reader into the "woman's world" of the beauty shop. This is a place where a woman can sit down, relax, maximize her self-esteem without any effort, and catch up on the gossip around town. Regardless of the location, this exists everywhere. What makes Eudora Weltys play, Petrified Man so intriguing is her ability to define her views of a Mississippians personality as unintelligent and over concerned with unimportant events. Welty defines this through two female characters, Leota and Mrs. Fletcher who take part in the gossiping atmosphere of a beauty salon. Throughout the duration of the play, Leota and Mrs. Fletcher share stories of their lives and the lives of others with a southern dialect. Welty portrays the women as having poor intellectual level through their poor use of word choice and sentence structure. Weltys choice of choosing a relaxing, comfortable location to define a Mississippian as unintelligent is how her audience is able to see the full illustration of what Welty is trying to portray. Within the gossiping atmosphere of a beauty salon, Leota and Mrs. Fletcher talk amongst each other and overreact over unimportant events. Mrs. Fletcher, for example, gets upset over hearing the news that the town was beginning to hear about her pregnancy. This over reaction is significant to Weltys definition because what Mrs. Fletcher failed to realize is that she would begin to show within the next months, and everyone in the town would find out nevertheless. A low intellectual level and over reacting is what Welty accomplished through her definition of a Mississippians personality as seen is Petrified Man. ...

Pander Code

Pander Code Pander Code Pander Code By Maeve Maddox A word that jumps incessantly out of newspapers, magazines, and the mouths of political pundits these days is some form of pander. Its especially popular as a headline word: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist pandering to get vice presidential nod Speech doesnt pander; does it explain? Pander and Run POLL-VERIZED ELIOT SHIFTS INTO PANDER GEAR How Can Hillary Out-Pander Obama? John McCain, Pander Bear So where did this word come from and what does it mean? To begin with, pander was another word for pimp. Pandare was a character in a poem about the Trojan War written by Italian Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375). English poet Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400) used the character in his long poem Troilus and Criseyde. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) used the character in his play Troilus and Cressida. Pandare was a pimp. In all the stories he is responsible for hooking Creseyde (Cressida) up with another lover after she has sworn to be faithful forever to Troilus. Pandare evolved into the eponym pander with the meaning of arranger of sexual liaisons, one who supplies another with the means of gratifying lust, procurer, pimp. The verb meaning to indulge, to minister to base passions is first recorded in 1602. Presumably this is the meaning with which the word is used in all these political references. Originally, the noun pander was sufficient as the word for one who did such things: Fie, sir! Will you be your own daughters pander?! Now, however, because the form of the verb is pander, American speakers have added the agent suffix -er to create the noun panderer. Here are some recent uses of this family of words: All politicians pander, and some are much better at it than others. Obama is particularly good at pandering, in part because hes skilled enough to not look obvious while doing it, but also because he does a very deft job of mixing in some uncomfortable truths (albeit with a very soft edge) to different groups while in the process of telling them things they want to hear. Real Clear Politics Many politicians pander, as Edwards does with gusto, to Americans current penchant for self-pity. Hence the incessant talk about the forgotten middle class. Because such talk is incessant, it of course refutes itself. George Will When politicians pander by creating artificial markets and then use financial incentives such as tax breaks to turn their exquisite wisdom into self-fulfilling prophecy risk is buried under a pile of manure. Pittsburgh-Tribune Review In his show of May 5, 2008, Jon Stewart mocks candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for shamelessly pandering to North Carolina and Indiana voters before the primaries. Playing on the story of Pandoras Box, the accompanying graphics label the segment Panderers Box. Obamas pandering takes the form of playing impromptu basketball in his shirtsleeves, while Clinton associates herself with NASCAR and falls into a southern regional accent. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" Loan, Lend, Loaned, LentTypes of Plots

Aspects of Communication & Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Aspects of Communication & Culture - Essay Example 63). Other people such as Stahl (2011, p. 1) and Goldkuhl (2003), among others, have different theories. This essay is an analysis of a telephone conversation between Michael and Prinze, based on communication analysis’ theoretical concepts and features of communication. Michael and Prinze’s Profile and their Background This is a telephone conversation between two close friends; Michael in his early fifties and Prinze in his late forties. One of the participants (Prinze) was observed throughout the recording for body language and gestures. These two interlocutors have known each other for more than ten years and share similar back grounds and interests. Also both interlocutors were born and have spent most of their lives in East London although their cultural and ethnic backgrounds are very different; Prinze is an English speaking cockney born and raised in London with a Pakistani parentage, whilst Michael is a native English speaking cockney. Each conversant is calling from the comfort of their home and from different towns; Mohammed lives in Luton and Michael in East London. Michael is recovering after a shoulder operation, whilst Prinze has just got home after a walk in the park. Both the interlocutors had not spoken or seen each other for more than a couple of months, but there had been regular communication between them by text messaging (SMS). The purpose of the call from Prinze to Michael was to get an update on how Michael was doing and also to discover if he had received the forwarded mail Prinze had sent him earlier. A transcription of the conversation between the two is given in the Appendix. Analysis Based On Theories and Main Communication Features Theories There are different theories of communication and theoretical concepts used in communication analysis. Just as noted Different authors have different views about these theories. Stahl has described nine categories of communication theories as listed by Little John (1999); cyberneti cs, semiotics, conversational analysis, message reception, socio-cultural approach, message production, symbolic interaction, phenomenological hermeneutics and critical theory (2011, p. 1). Littlejohn and Foss have eight theories; all described in the introduction (2007, p. 63). Goldkuhl (2003), on the other hand, considers the theories in the Language Action Perspective. The author notes that there are two theoretical concepts of communication representation approaches that are within the named perspective. These are; that there are predefined patterns in which communication is always organized as found in conversational analysis, and that language use can be considered as action as found in speech act theory (Goldkuhl, 2003, p. 51). In this case, two of the theoretical concepts will be explained with reference to Prinze and Michael’s conversation. These are; conversational analysis and speech act theory. Conversational Analysis It is the systemic analysis of human talk-in-i nteractions (Hutchby & Wooffitt, 2008). Conversational analysis’ theoretical concept is based on the view that conversations have predesigned structures. According to Psathas, telephone conversations open with a caller, who in this case, knows whoever he/she is calling. This is then followed by a response from the recipient who may know the caller or not. If the recipient does not know the caller, the next response will be

Ideas of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ideas of God - Essay Example Plato cautions about highlighting the stories about quarrels of gods and quarrels in heaven. They will have adverse impact on the thinking of humankind, and will have no useful influence. On the contrary, humanity may try to emulate such examples. Plato states that God is good. But he is not the author of all good things. There are many evils as compared to good things in human life, but God owns responsibility for the good. One should not see evil in God and should look out for it in some other source. Plato equates God with the concrete concept or the ultimate good. God is at the top of Plato’s hierarchy. But he also opines that goodness may emerge from different sources other than God. Plato is inconsistent or wavers when he discusses God and that exhibits the weakness of his ideas of God. He finds it difficult to agree that God is omnipotent. To Porete, that which is not practical cannot be spiritual either. Every spiritual concept must stand the test of practicability. To her God is an attainable reality, through constant efforts through the prescribed procedures and through 7 different stages. She describes the hurdles that a human being has to encounter in the spiritual path, in her book â€Å"The Mirror of Simple Souls† wherein she â€Å"employs the device of direct discourse with consummate power.†(Preface, 1) Love, Reason and the Soul engage themselves in a discussion of self-discovery about their real nature. Love is blind, and its poetic utterances cannot be real; they can at best be emotional. Perfect conclusions are never possible through reason. For every argument, there is bound to be a counter-argument. Is it possible to know the soul through verbal description? According to her, God is to be attained (realized) by a human being through a relation that â€Å"allows the spiritual ascent of the soul to God.†(Introduction, 27) The glow of transcendental love pours through Porete’s work.

Outsourcing Contract Flaws Essay Example for Free

Outsourcing Contract Flaws Essay In any legal undertaking, contracts play a vital role in ensuring that the interests of both parties are served. Contracts serve as a binding agreement that the signatories should adhere to. In most cases, any violation of the provisions encompassed in a contract holds the erring party liable for breach of contract. When a contract is drafted, the lawyer or whoever is in charge of crafting it has the job of ensuring that both parties understand its provisions and making sure that the contents of the agreement are acceptable to both parties prior to signing the outsourcing agreement.   Ã‚   Consultation with the signatories is a vital requisite in developing a good contract. Outsourcing is one of the newest methods that firms utilize in order to hire personnel. Nowadays, one can easily find firms that specialize in outsourcing services. In this kind of business, an organization employs a service provider to handle various functions such as data entry, programming jobs, and others. Usually located in a foreign country, the outsourcing firm performs jobs that could otherwise be done by the employees of the organization. In a recent survey conducted internationally by the IT Governance Institute (ITGI), it was revealed that clients of outsourcing firms showed a great deal of dissatisfaction with the service provided by these firms. Because of this, the contracting organization made the crucial decision of prematurely severing their ties with the outsourcing firm (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). In the study, it was further discovered that among the 76 percent of the survey participants providing at least one outsourcing service, only 25 percent have an established method in managing their contracts (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). The Importance of Contracts in the Outsourcing Business Contracts play an important role in providing outsourcing services. It lays down the duties, roles, goals, and controls needed in anticipating change as well as in handling the development, maintenance, execution, pricing, and regulation of outsourced services(Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). In addition, outsourcing contracts contains provisions that the service provider must follow in order to ensure a general, consistent, and efficient means of handling the outsourcing agreement. Contracts ensure the proper governance of outsourcing (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). Crafting a contract is by no means an easy job. In order to properly manage outsourcing services, the book entitled Governance of Outsourcing has laid down the following requisites of a good contract:   Outsourcing contracts should indicate what activities are exempted from outsourcing. It should clearly identify the type of service offered. Complicated and permanent outsourcing requirements may require a more integrated approach (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). Once the outsourcing strategy has been determined, service provider contracts must clearly point out the methods and structures of the outsourcing agreement. It should clearly establish the responsibilities, goals, and roles of the parties involved. This can be formalized through the creation of a governance schedule. Defective approaches should be taken out of the picture. If management is unable to handle such processes, it is unlikely for the outsourcing provider to handle these processes as well (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). Good outsourcing contracts must have provisions that will clearly evaluate the competence of the people who will be involved in providing outsourcing. Likewise, there should be provisions for checking the credibility and reliability of the chosen service provider (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). After a year of offering outsourcing, the service provider should work out a re-negotiation of the contract. If the terms of agreement has a global scope and the service is provided to several components of an organization, there should be supporting contracts for every country involved. Contract re-negotiation should be included in the standard operating procedure of the outsourcing firm (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). Proper channelling of information should be established as this will ensure improved control instead of drawing reactions. Every communication resource should be utilized in order to guarantee that any human resource personnel involved is properly informed (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). Any transfer of service connected to the agreement must be accompanied by a formal plan and should be acknowledged by the two parties involved in the process. Benchmarking and measurement should likewise be provided in order to properly manage project costing. This is an important aspect in the total conduct of negotiating for a contract (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). Aside from daily monitoring, the contract should likewise provide for regular benchmarking. Stable governance should be dynamic. Through periodic benchmarking, the service provider will remain valuable and will become the foundation of decisions whether to proceed with contract re-negotiations or abolish the contract (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). The ITGI survey further revealed that among the organizations included in the study, the main reason why clients outsource is because there are not many people within the organization who have the expertise to perform such service. Forty eight percent of the surveyed organizations support this reason while the remaining 42 percent resort to outsourcing as a cost-reduction measure. However, minimizing costs is not as crucial as improving the value of the organization (Simmonds Gilmour, 2005). There are various benefits that can be derived from outsourcing service. One of the major benefits of this kind of process is better quality of service. Since the organization paid the service provider who specializes in such kind of roles, the firm would have an assurance that the finished product would not be haphazardly done. Another advantage of outsourcing is improved handling of risks. Since the service provider is trained and experienced with the line of work they are paid to do, the risks involved will be much lesser. The outsourcing firm are more equipped to handle possible risks than an employee of the organization who might not have the time to troubleshoot risks. Likewise, there is no need for the organization to select and utilize its own personnel. Instead, the staff of the organization can focus their energy on performing more important and worthwhile activities. The last advantage of outsourcing is scalability. If the organization is satisfied with the performance of the outsourcing firm, it could require its services to perform other needs. For example, a service provider providing data entry functions for a certain organization may be expanded to perform database management duties as well. More and more organizations are realizing the importance of outsourcing as an effective means of strengthening the quality of their business. In order to completely maximize the many advantages of this process, there is a need to ensure the proper governance of these processes.   By drafting stable outsourcing contracts, service providers would be able to address and remedy any possible loopholes that may arise from the outsourcing agreement.  Ã‚   Thus, assuring that their customers are satisfied with the service they provide lies on how effective the outsourcing agreement is crafted by the service provider.   Otherwise, it could lead to a short-term and dissatisfied client.

Arctic Power Case Study Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Arctic Power Case Study CURRENT SITUATION It is the summer of 1987. Arctic Power laundry detergent has contracted with the consulting firm of Smith and Jones, LTD to assist Arctic Power in determining their strategic direction and their product positioning. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY Arctic Power, a laundry detergent specially formulated to clean in cold water, is part of Colgate-Palmolive Canada family of products. Colgate-Palmolive Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational corporation Colgate Palmolive. In 1986 Colgate-Palmolive had worldwide sales of $4.9 billion with profits of $178 million, with Colgate-Palmolive Canada having sales of $250 million. Colgate-Palmolive Canada (CPC) has a wide variety of household and personal care products. Among the most popular CPC brands are ABC, Arctic Power, and Fab laundry detergents, Palmolive dish soap, Ajax and Irish Spring body soaps, Ultra Brite and Colgate toothpaste, and Baggies storage bags. Colgate-Palmolive Canada uses a product management system in which product managers are assigned specific responsibility for a specific brand such as Arctic Power. Their overall goals are to increase sales and profitability of their brands. The project manager is responsible for all the marketing functions, including planning, advertising, selling, promotion, and market research. An assistant product manager is assigned to work with the product manager. Prior to the late 1970’s Colgate-Palmolive Canada supported their brands on a national basis, then changed strategy as CPC realized they were spreading their resources too thin. During the late 1970’s through the early 1980’s, CPC shifted to a regional strategy. While Arctic Power was still distributed nationally, by the end of 1981, its share of the Canadian national market was 4% (consisting of an 11% share in Quebec, 5% in the Maritimes, and 2% elsewhere in Canada). As a result, Arctic Power was heavily marketed in Quebec and the Maritimes, with promotion support being withdrawn from the rest of Canada. This regional approach was successful as Arctic Power’s share of the overall Canadian market increased to 6.4% in 1985, capturing 18% of Quebec, 6% of the Maritime markets while dropping to less than 2% elsewhere in Canada. 1986-87: THE WESTERN CAMPAIGN With the success Arctic Power had in their regional strategy, Arctic Power launched a campai... ...tegies. Budget Despite facing cutthroat competition that has seen the cost of goods sold rise 15% during the past three years and prices rise only 5%, Arctic Power should be able to continue to have an 18% contribution margin for its sales dollars. Our primary budget strategy would be to reduce costs and promotion expenses, while increasing the use of cheaper television and radio advertising. This would allow Arctic Power to increase brand awareness as well as promote the benefits of cold water washing. Arctic Power will also look to new cost saving technologies and other measures to assure profitability over the long run. 14 YEARS LATER: THE CONCLUSION The year is 2001. Through the efforts of Smith and Jones, LTD’s marketing strategy, Arctic Power is the leading cold water laundry detergent in Canada and has expanded internationally. The 1987 Arctic Power campaign will be widely studied by MBA students from Palm Desert, California to Palm Beach, Florida as one of the great marketing success stories. Spiel and Dimick, LTD, will later go on to help some nerdy Bill Gates kid market this unique idea of his called Windows while assisting Al Gore in his new invention, the Internet.

Learning English Essay

The English language has paced a long way on upgrading the holistic system – personal, professional and economic elevation of peoples’ lives. It has uplifted a country’s modern status through its elaborated way of touching human lives. In the context of complex and fast fluxed present situation, English language to the global market has taken vast undertakings on boasting a country’s development. Thus, English is a prerequisite to the learners who definitely need to be bilingual so as to be flexible to the dynamics of modern changes. To Brown (2000) becoming bilingual is a way of life, for it is difficult for a country to live on isolation, as no nation can afford to rely on its domestic store of knowledge alone, hence there is a need for students to learn English as a second language in the Philippines. English is the language of international communication, higher learning and better career options and choices. And due to its significance as a global language, Philippines’ basic education considers English as a major subject for the elementary and secondary levels of learning. In order to be effective with the current pedagogic system, teaching English as a subject should always be natural, agreeable and stimulating to expect optimum learning results because a motivated student who is eager to learn and acquire language skills, upturn good responses to their mentors. Educators, however, clearly admit that, most of the students commonly encounter difficulties in learning English language as a subject. Though, it provides an immense stream of knowledge to the academic clienteles still the learning of English has for its goal developing communicative competence which is essential in enabling learners to use language in multiple functions both correctly and appropriately. Considering the students as the most crucial key elements for a progressive nation, teachers must channel on numerous ways to prepare students to become proficient and skillful in communication to be more competitive. Moreover, they should profoundly analyze that honing student skills is more than feeding them the right grammar rules or assisting them to master their four macro skills. Tapping their skills and harnessing their full potentials is of great use in promoting interactive and dynamic learning in the classroom using approaches and methodologies from conventional to the non-traditional  if only to provide opportunities for students to learn the English language effectively. The ability of the students to use English is required in interactional learning activities where they create novel utterances and understand meaning in situational context. Sad to say, however, that there is a continuous decline of the quality of English learning in our education today. The language problem, particularly the deteriorating quality of English in many schools poses a threat to the efficiency and quality of the educational system as the English language is the medium of both instruction and the learning process in the secondary and tertiary levels of learning.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Ten

The pub where Elena and Damon ended up was lively and ful of people, but of course Damon made sure they didn't have to wait for a table. He lounged across one side of the booth, looking as arrogant and relaxed as a big gorgeous cat, and listened peaceably as Elena talked. Elena found herself gaily chatting away, fil ing him in on al the minutia of her campus life so far, from finding out that Professor Campbel knew her parents to the personalities of the other students she'd met in her classes. â€Å"The elevator was real y crowded, and slow, and my lab partner's back was against the buttons. Somehow she accidental y pushed the alarm button, and the alarm started going off.† Elena took a sip of her soda. â€Å"Suddenly, a voice came out of nowhere and asked, ‘Do you have an emergency?' And she said, ‘No, it was an accident,' and the voice said, ‘What? I can't hear you.' It went on like that, back and forth, until she started shouting ‘Accident! Accident!'† Damon stopped tracing patterns in the condensation on his glass with one finger and glanced up at her through his lashes, his lips twitching into a smile. â€Å"When the doors opened on the ground floor, there were four security men standing there with a medical kit,† Elena finished. â€Å"We didn't know what to do, so we just walked past them. When we got out of the building, we started to run. It was so embarrassing, but we couldn't stop laughing.† Damon let his slight smile expand into a grin – not his usual cool twist of the lips or his brief, bril iant, and enigmatic there-then-gone smile, but an honest-to-God cheek-puffing, eye-squinching grin. â€Å"I like you like this,† he said suddenly. â€Å"Like what?† Elena asked. â€Å"Relaxed, I suppose. Ever since we met, you've been in the middle of some crisis or another.† He raised his hand and brushed a curl away from her face, gently touching her cheek. Elena was vaguely aware of the waiter standing by the booth, waiting for them to look up, as she answered with just a touch of flirtation, â€Å"Oh, and I suppose you had nothing to do with that?† â€Å"I wouldn't say I am the one who's been most to blame, no,† Damon said cool y, his grin fading. He looked up, his eyes sharp and knowing. â€Å"Hel o, Stefan.† Elena froze in surprise. Not the waiter, then. Stefan. One look at him, and she winced, her stomach dropping. His face could have been carved from stone. He was looking at Damon's hand, stil stretched across the table toward Elena. â€Å"Hey,† she said tentatively. â€Å"How was your study group?† Stefan stared at her. â€Å"Elena, I've been looking everywhere for you. Why didn't you answer your phone?† Pul ing out her phone, Elena saw that there were several messages and texts from Stefan. â€Å"Oh, no, I'm so sorry,† she said. â€Å"I didn't hear it ring.† â€Å"We were supposed to meet,† Stefan said stiffly. â€Å"I came to your room and you were just gone. Elena, people have been disappearing al over campus.† He had been scared, afraid that something terrible had happened to her. His eyes were stil anxious. She started to reach out to comfort him. The fact that she'd lost the Power she'd had so briefly was hard for Stefan to accept, she knew. He thought her mortality made her fragile, and he was afraid he'd lose her. She should have thought it through, should have left him more of a message than a quick text saying she would return soon. Before she could touch him, Stefan's gaze turned to Damon. â€Å"What's going on?† he asked his brother, his voice ful of frustration. â€Å"Is this why you fol owed us to col ege? To zero in on Elena?† The look of hurt that crossed Damon's face was only a subtle shadow and was gone so quickly that Elena wasn't entirely sure she had actual y seen it. His features settled into an expression of lazy disdain, and Elena tensed. The peace between the brothers was so fragile – she knew that – and yet she had let Damon flirt with her. She'd been so stupid. â€Å"Someone should be keeping her safe, Stefan,† Damon drawled. â€Å"You're too busy playing human again, aren't you? Study groups.† He lifted an eyebrow scornful y. â€Å"I'm surprised you've even noticed that there's something going on around this campus. Would you rather have Elena alone and in danger than have her spending time with me?† Tense lines were forming around Stefan's mouth. â€Å"You're saying you don't have an ulterior motive here?† he asked. Damon waved a hand disparagingly. â€Å"You know what I feel for Elena. Elena knows what I feel for Elena. Even that sports-loving Mutt of yours knows how things are between us. But the problem isn't me, little brother – it's you and your jealousy. Your wanting to be an ‘ordinary human'† – Damon made quote marks with his fingers – â€Å"and stil carry on with Elena, who is hardly ordinary. You want to have your cake and eat it, too. I haven't done anything wrong. Elena wouldn't have come with me if she didn't want to.† Elena winced again. Was this the way it was always going to be? Was any minor misstep on her part going to set Damon and Stefan at each other's throats? â€Å"Stefan†¦ Damon,† she implored, but they ignored her. They were glaring at each other. Stefan stepped closer, flexing his fists, and Damon clenched his jaw, silently daring Stefan to make a move. For the first time, Elena saw a resemblance between them. â€Å"I can't do this,† she said. Her voice sounded smal and soft to her own ears, but both Salvatore brothers heard her and whipped their heads toward her with inhuman speed. â€Å"I can't do this,† she said again, louder and more firmly this time. â€Å"I can't be Katherine.† Damon scowled. â€Å"Katherine? Believe me, darling, nobody here wants you to be Katherine.† Stefan, his face softening, said, â€Å"Elena, sweetheart – † Elena interrupted him. â€Å"Listen to me.† She wiped her eyes. â€Å"I've been walking on eggshel s, trying to keep this – this thing between the three of us from tearing us apart. If anything good has come out of al the stuff that's happened, it's that you found each other, you started being brothers again. I can't – † She took a deep breath and tried to find a sensible matter-of-fact voice somewhere inside herself. â€Å"I think we should take a break,† she said flatly. â€Å"Stefan, I love you so much. You're my soul mate, you're it for me. You know that.† She looked up at him pleadingly, silently begging him to understand. Then her eyes moved past him to Damon, who was staring at her with a furrowed brow. â€Å"And Damon, you're part of me now. I †¦ feel for you.† She looked back and forth between them, her hands clutching each other. â€Å"I can't lose either of you. But I need to figure out who I am now, after everything that's happened, and I need to do it without worrying about destroying the relationship between you. And you need to figure out how you can be friends with each other, even if I'm in both of your lives.† Damon let out a skeptical noise, but Elena kept talking. â€Å"I'l understand† – she gulped – â€Å"if you can't wait for me. But I wil always, always love you. Both of you. In different ways. But for now, I just can't be with you. Either of you.† She was tearing up again, and her hands shook as she wiped her eyes. Damon leaned across the table, a smal twisted smile hovering on his lips. â€Å"Elena, did you just break up with both of us?† The tears dried up instantly. â€Å"Damon, I never dated you,† she said angrily. â€Å"I know,† he replied, and shrugged. â€Å"But I've definitely just been dumped.† He glanced at Stefan, then quickly away, his expression closed off. Stefan looked devastated. For a moment, his face was so bleak that it wasn't hard to believe he was more than five hundred years old. â€Å"Whatever you want, Elena,† he said. He started to reach for her, then pul ed his own hand back to his side. â€Å"No matter what, I wil always love you. My feelings aren't going to change. Take whatever time you need.† â€Å"Okay,† Elena said. She stood up shakily. She felt like she was going to be sick. Half of her wanted to pul Stefan to her, kiss him until that broken expression on his face went away. But Damon was watching her, his own face inscrutable, and touching either of them felt †¦ wrong. â€Å"I need to be by myself for a while,† she told them. At any other time, she knew, both of them would have objected to the idea of her walking the campus alone. They would have argued, fol owed her if she wouldn't walk with them – anything to keep her safely under their protection. Now, though, Stefan moved aside to let her out of the booth, his head bowed. Damon sat very stil and watched her go, his eyes hooded. Elena didn't look back at them as she crossed to the door of the pub. Her hands were shaking, and her eyes were brimming with tears once more. But she also felt as if she'd carried something very heavy for a while and had final y been able to put it down. This might be the best choice I've made in a long, long time, she thought. Dear Diary, Every time I remember the look on Stefan's face when I told him I needed space, my chest aches. It's like I can't breathe. I never wanted to hurt Stefan. Never. How could I? We're so close, so wrapped up in each other that he's like a piece of my soul – without him, I'm not complete. But†¦ I love Damon, too. He's my friend – my dark mirror image – the clever, plotting one who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants, but who has a kindness deep inside him that not everybody sees. I can't imagine living without Damon, either. Stefan wants to hold on to me so tightly. He cares for his brother – he does – and Damon cares for him, too, and having me between them is messing that up. All three of us have been held so closely together by the crises we've had to deal with recently – my death and rebirth, Klaus's attack, Damon's return from the edge of death, the phantom's attack – that every move we've made, every thought we've had, has been wrapped up with the other two. We can't go on like this. I know I've done the right thing. Without me between them, they can become brothers again. And then I can sort out the tangled threads of my relationships with both of them without having to worry that any move I make will snap the tenuous bond between us. It's the right decision. But still, I feel like I'm dying a slow death. How can I live for even a little while without Stefan? All I can do is try to be strong. If I just keep going, I'll get through this time. And in the end, everything will be wonderful. It has to be.

Dr. Alex Shigo Biography - Arboriculture

Dr. Alex Shigo Biography - Arboriculture Dr. Alex Shigo was widely considered the father of modern arboriculture and a university trained tree pathologist. Dr. Shigos study of tree biology led to a broadened understanding of compartmentalization of decay in trees. Shigos ideas eventually led to many changes and additions to commercial tree care practices and the now accepted way to prune a tree. Full Name:Â   Dr. Alex Shigo Date of Birth:Â   May 8, 1930 Place of Birth:Â   Duquesne, Pennsylvania Education: Shigo received a bachelors of science degree from Waynesburg College near Duquesne, Pennsylvania. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Shigo continued his study of botany, biology, and genetics under his former biology professor, Dr. Charles Bryner. Shigo moved from Duquesne and continued his education at the University of West Virginia, where he received a combination Masters / Ph.D. in pathology in 1959. U.S. Forest Service Career: Dr. Shigo started a career with the United States Forest Service in 1958. His earliest assignment was to learn more about tree decay. Shigo used a newly invented one-man chainsaw to open trees in a way no one else had, by making longitudinal cuts along the stem rather than transverse cuts across the stem.His tree autopsy technique led to many important discoveries, some of which were and are controversial. Shigo believed that trees are not made up of mostly dead wood but have the ability to contain disease by creating compartments. Shigo became Chief Scientist for the Forest Service and retired in 1985. Date of Death:Â   Dr. Alex Shigo, 86, died on October 6, 2006 Circumstance Surrounding Death: According to the Shigo and Trees, Associates website, Alex Shigo died on Friday, October 6. He was at his summer cottage at the lake {Barrington, New Hampshire}, going to his office after dinner when he fell going down the steps, landing on the patio, and died from a broken neck. CODIT: Shigo found that trees respond to injuries by sealing the wounded area through the process of compartmentalization. This theory of compartmentalization of decay in trees, or CODIT, was Shigos biological brainstorm, leading to many changes and adaptations in the tree care industry. Instead of healing like our skin, an injury to a tree trunk results in surrounding cells changing themselves chemically and physically to prevent the spread of decay. New cells are produced by cells lining the cut area to cover and seal the injured area. Instead of trees healing, trees actually seal. The Controversy: Dr. Shigos biological findings are not always popular with arborists. Shigo disputed the validity of many techniques that the arboricultural industry has used for over a century. His work proved that old techniques were shown to be unnecessary or, even worst, harmful. In Alex Shigos defense, his conclusions have been confirmed by other researchers and are now a part of current ANSI standards for tree pruning. Bad news is, many commercial arborists continue to perform flush cuts, toppings, and other practices that Dr. Shigos research shows to be harmful. In many cases, arborists perform these practices knowing they are harmful, but believing their business cannot survive by practicing their craft under Shigo guidelines.

The Architectural Pediment and How to Use It

The Architectural Pediment and How to Use It A pediment is a low-pitched triangular gable originally found on temples in ancient Greece and Rome. Pediments were reinvented during the Renaissance and later imitated in Greek Revival and Neoclassical house styles of the 19th and 20th centuries. Use of pediments has been freely adapted in many styles of architecture, yet remains most closely associated with Greek and Roman (i.e., Classical) derivatives. The word pediment is thought to have come from the word meaning pyramid, as the triangular pediment has a spatial dimension similar to the pyramid. Use of Pediments Originally the pediment had a structural function. As the  Jesuit priest Marc-Antoine Laugier explained in 1755, the pediment is one of only three essential elements of what Laugier called the basic primitive hut. For many Greek temples, first made of wood, the triangular geometry had a structural function. Fast forward 2,000 years from ancient Greece and Rome to the Baroque period of art and architecture, when the pediment became an ornamental detail to be extravagantly modified. Pediments are most often used today to create a solid, regal, stately look-and-feel to the architecture, such as is used for banks, museums, and government buildings. Often, the triangular space is filled with symbolic statuary when a message need be proclaimed. The space within a pediment is sometimes called the tympanum, although this word more commonly refers to the Medieval-era arch areas over a doorway decorated with Christian iconography. In residential architecture, pediments are commonly found above windows and doorways. Examples of Pediments The Pantheon in Rome proves just how far back in time pediments were used - at least 126 A.D. But pediments were around before that, as can be seen in ancient cities around the world, like the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra, Jordan, the Nabataean caravan city influenced by Greek and Roman rulers. Whenever architects and designers turn to ancient Greece and Rome for ideas, the result will likely include the column and the pediment. The Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries was such a time -- a rebirth of Classical designs by the architects Palladio (1508-1580) and Vignola (1507-1573) leading the way. In the United States, American statesman Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) influenced the architecture of a new nation. Jeffersons home, Monticello, incorporates Classical design by using not only a pediment but also a dome - very much like the Pantheon in Rome. Jefferson also designed the Virginia State Capitol Building in Richmond, Virginia, which influenced the federal government buildings being planned for Washington, D.C. Irish-born architect James Hoban (1758-1831) brought Neoclassical ideas from Dublin to the new capital when he modeled the White House after the Leinster House in Ireland. In the 20th century, pediments can be seen throughout America, from the New York Stock Exchange in Lower Manhattan to the 1935 U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. and then on to the 1939 mansion known as Graceland near Memphis, Tennessee. Definition pediment: the triangular gable defined by the crown molding at the edge of a gabled roof and the horizontal line between the eaves. -   John Milnes Baker, AIA Other Uses of the Word Pediment Antique dealers will often use the word pediment to describe an ornate flourish in Chippendale-era furniture. Because the word describes a shape, it is often used to describe man-made and natural shapes. In geology, a pediment is a sloping formation caused by erosion. Five Types of Pediments 1. Triangular Pediment: The most common pediment shape is the pointed pediment, a triangle framed by a cornice or ledge, with the apex at the top, two symmetrical straight lines  sloping to the ends of a horizontal cornice. The rake or angle of the slope can vary. 2. Broken Pediment: In a broken pediment, the triangular outline is non-continuous,  open at the top, and without a point or vertex. The broken space is usually at the top apex (eliminating the top angle), but sometimes at the bottom horizontal side. Broken pediments are often found on antique furniture. A swan-necked or rams head pediment is a type of broken pediment in a highly ornamented S-shape. Broken pediments are found in Baroque architecture, a period of experimentalism in detail, according to Professor Talbot Hamlin, FAIA. The pediment became an architectural detail with little or no structural function. Baroque detail thus became a matter of the increasingly free modification of forms originally classic, to made them sensitive to every possible nuance of emotional expression. Pediments were broken and their sides curved and scrolled, separated by cartouches, or urns; columns were twisted, moldings duplicated and reduplicated to give sharp emphasis, and broken suddenly out and in where a complexity of shadow was desired. - Hamlin, p. 427 3. Segmental Pediment: Also called round or curved pediments, segmental pediments contrast with triangular pediments in that they have a round cornice replacing two sides of the traditional triangular pediment. A segmental pediment might complement or even be called a curvilinear tympanum. 4. Open Pediment: In this type of pediment, the usual strong horizontal line of the pediment is absent or nearly absent. 5. Florentine Pediment:  Before Baroque, architects of the early Renaissance, when sculptors became architects, developed a decorative styling of pediments. Over the years, this architectural detail became known as Florentine pediments, after their use in Florence, Italy. It consists of a semicircular form placed above the entablature, and as wide as the enclosing columns or pilasters. Usually a simple ban of moldings runs around it, and the semicircular field below is often decorated with a shell, although sometimes molded panels and even figures are found. Little rosettes and leaf and flower forms are usually used to fill the corner between the ends of the semicircle and the cornice below, and also as a finial at the top. - Hamlin, p. 331 Pediments for the 21st Century Why do we use pediments? They give a sense of tradition to a home, in the Western Classical architecture sense. Also, the geometric design itself is innately pleasing to the human senses.  For todays homeowners, creating a pediment is a rather simple, inexpensive way to add decoration - usually over a door or window. Have pediments gone sideways? Todays modern skyscraper architects use triangles for structural strength as well as beauty. David Childs design for One World Trade Center (2014) is a good example of aesthetically pleasing grandeur. Norman Fosters Hearst Tower (2006) is filled with triangulation; its beauty is up for discussion. Sources American House Styles: A Concise Guide by John Milnes Baker, AIA, Norton, 1994, p. 175Architecture through the Ages by Talbot Hamlin, Putnam, Revised 1953, pp. 444, 427, 331Furniture with broken pediment Agostini/A. Dagli Orti/Getty Images (cropped)Broken Pediment on Residential Portico Richard Leo Johnson/Getty Images (cropped)Contrasting pediments Julian Castle/ArcaidImages/Getty ImagesPediments over windows Brian Bumby/Getty Images

Innovating assesment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Innovating assesment - Assignment Example Innovation is the use of new knowledge to offer new products and services that are required by the customer in the market. To say that innovation has a complex nature is to refer to the process of innovation not only as a creation or invention of a novel idea, but to refer to innovation as to comprise of the activities involved in its implementation and development. According to Van de Ven, (1986, p. 591), innovation has been defined as the ‘’development and implementation of new ideas by people who over time engage in transactions with others within changing institutional and organizational context.’’ This thus makes it accentuate its context dependency and also its social, political, collective and temporal nature. It has been observed therefore that, scholars who aspire to understand the emergence and development of innovation have always recognized that innovation is a complex, iterative and a dynamic process which cannot be separated from its broader c oncept, (Barrett & Walsham, 1999). Over the years, researchers have observed innovation to move from less complex models which do not capture its complexity to more complex and in-depth inductive studies that show the development of innovation over time, (Edwards, 2000). ... fluid models which portray the innovative process is distinguished by Wolfe (1994) in a review of the organization innovation literature, and importantly noting that linear models of innovations were not followed by the innovations which develop within the organizations, but instead, the innovations originated through an ‘’iterative process with many feedback together with feed forward cycles (p. 411). Following the results of a very recent research that was published between 1997 and 2002, it was confirmed unequivocally that non-linearity of innovation in an organization is likened to a form of social structuring having attendant intricate and interactive effects, (Anderson, De Dreu, & Nijstad, 2004). Within the social system, theories of innovation are fundamentally considered as theories of change. Innovation can take two models; the linear and the non-linear models of innovation. The linear model is always considered to be a simpler model of innovation. This model ha s received recognition since the 1940s and claims that, ‘’innovation originates from the nursery of basic research.’’ It tries to compare innovation with a growing child, who goes through school and to the university to full time employment (Chia, 1996). Innovation on the other hand begins from the basic research to development, and finally to the marketplace. This linear model of innovation contains some elements of truth, but misses the fact that innovation may come from the other way round. This is to say, the linear model takes it that innovation may only come from researchers and neglects the fact that it might also result from consumers, users and efforts to solve certain practical problems (Czarniawska, 2005). The model also overstates the contribution the basic research makes to the

Personal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

The Request For A Transfer To The University - Essay Example Transferring to your university will also give me the opportunity to access, interpret and use the wide variety of literature and information resources from your university’s library. All students who go through your university are known to possess top-notch communication and interpersonal skills which are crucial in any field of study or career. I wish to gain these skills from your university so that I can use them to improve my career ratings. The behaviors that I hope to acquire by this transfer include honesty, integrity, reliability, trustworthiness, and responsibility because I know that these are values which are taught to your students. The transfer will also enable me to understand the need to respect others and always strive to be credible and dependable in my career. The trustworthiness and responsibility expected of all your students can be inculcated in me if I am given the opportunity to transfer to your university. Advancing my education at your cherished insti tution will also give me the will to stay committed to professional excellence and continuous professional advancement. I am inspired to transfer so that I can gain new competence in a number of issues in my field from a reputable institution. I wish to transfer so that I can develop the ability to think independently and conclusively about my specific area of interest in my field of study and explore that are more comprehensively. The transfer will give me the opportunity to interact with new like-minded individuals and meet a professional mentor.

Deforestation as an Environmental Problem Assignment

Deforestation as an Environmental Problem - Assignment Example The aim of the discourse, therefore, is to provide a short report on the subject of deforestation by: (1) providing a brief summary the problem; (2) by outlining its causes; and finally, (3) analyzing some possible solutions to the problem. Brief Summary of the Problem Deforestation is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as referring â€Å"to change of land cover with depletion of tree crown cover to less than 10 percent. Changes within the forest class (e.g. from closed to open forest) which negatively affect the stand or site and, in particular, lower the production capacity, are termed forest degradation† (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2000, p. 1). Deforestation is regarded as an environmental problem for the reasons that cutting of trees or depletion of forests and woodlands leave insufficient numbers of trees which have been proven to store vast amounts of carbon needed to prevent continued global warming. Also, due to clearing activities in forest s and agricultural areas, the burning of trees emit substantial carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is deemed contributory to the green house effect (Oracle Think Quest n.d.). Likewise, trees also have natural abilities to aborb water, if vast amounts of trees are uprooted and cut, the deforested region is therefore prone to floods or extreme dryness, causing further destruction of lives (human, animals and plants). Concurrently, trees and forests have been revealed to function as ways for conserving biological diversity where various flora and fauna have survived in their natural habitat. Deforestation through natural (storms, blizzard, eathquakes) and human induced activities disrupt and contribute to the loss of biodiveristy which eventually leads to extinction of endanged species. Cause of Deforestation As revealed, the causes of deforestation are varied; ranging from finding other alternative uses for the land for planting, grazing animals, being used as residential areas d ue to population expansion, being allocated as roads, subdivisions, and even for logging (Oracle Think Quest, n.d.). As deduced, deforestation is caused by human activities to satisfy diverse human needs. According to the FAO Key Findings Report on Global Forest Assessment in 2010, â€Å"deforestation – mainly the conversion of tropical forests to agricultural land – shows signs of decreasing in several countries but continues at a high rate in others. Around 13 million hectares of forest were converted to other uses or lost through natural causes each year in the last decade compared to 16 million hectares per year in the 1990s† (FAO, 2010, p. 3). Possible Solutions At the onset, one could analyze that the solution to this dilemma is straightforward: to replant trees and to stop cutting those that are still currently surviving. However, to implement this, those identified to be authorized to maintain, monitor and restrict cutting and focus on preservation and c onservation must design strategies and plans for management and governance through policies and regulations. As disclosed by FAO (2010), â€Å"80% of the world’s forests are publicly owned, but ownership and management of forests by communities, individuals and private companies is on the rise†

Strategic Planning Goals For Sony Inc

Strategic Planning Goals For Sony Inc Sonys current financial difficulties are tied into its corporate culture which was stated over 30 years ago. With such a large multinational corporation, greater planning and more use of strategies should be pursued. Sony could start with the implementation of a new mission statement, with profit and benefits of the company tied more closely to everyday operations. Internally, the four forces, the management, the designers, the production and the marketing should achieve better communication and cooperation. Alliance and cooperation between competitors should also be actively sort after in order to create standards in new fields. Sony should aim at being the leader instead of being the maverick. As for cost cutting, Sony should seriously consider setting up operations in other Asian countries in order to take advantage of the cheap labor and the budding markets. Finally, diversification, instead of pursuing the fast changing and easily imitated consumer goods market, Sony should use its technological know-how for high end business and office equipment. With SWOT analysis and Porters competitive forces model, we can view that the market is much more competitive with less profit margins and lead-time for product innovation. The conclusion is that change is needed in Sony. However, even with strategical and structure change, the Sony spirit of innovation should remain intact because that is what made Sony grow and would make it stay strong. Task 1: Sony Corporation is the electronic business unit and the parent company of the Sony group; it is engaged in its business through eight operating segments which are consumer products and devices, networked product and services, disk manufacturing, pictures, music, financial services, Sony Ericsson and all other. It is the first thing that comes to people minds about Sony company and its products is its high technologies filled with gadgets and product innovation, it was this innovation that has made Sony a big brand. It has used innovation in building markets out of thin air that changed everyday household lives forever. History and culture The current Sony corp. has a unique culture pattern in her history which is firmly rooted in relationship to her two founders Masaru Iuka and Akoi Morita. As everybody knows they both were the most dedicated electric engineers and geniuses above their business talent. They made umbrella strategy where lower engineers actively learned, developed and improved on the vision. Also it has been observed that the RD section of Sony differ greatly from other companies with its greater flexibility. In Sony there is a life time employment with strong norms and values which in turn create strategy through their actions. Collective vision and stress can be clearly seen in the strategies. Effects of current business plan The strategic planning team is the visionaries behind our business. The key components to Sony electronics is that they support and drive the developments and execution of company wide initiatives. More importantly is that they touch the very aspect of business. Whether its from engineering to marketing they assist Sony business units in generating new and emerging business and cross organizational opportunities. They provide overall advisory and financial analysis support across our global portfolio of B2B and consumer electronics product groups. Sony has also announced significant moves to strengthen its competitiveness for which it is continuously focusing on electronics, games and entertainment. Also the company is revitalizing its electronics business through further structural reforms and promotion of a well defined growth strategy. Sony is also centralizing its decision making authority over key areas under electronics CEO. For product planning it is focusing on technology procurement and streamlined decision making across product lines. This in turn would permit uniform development between our products and thus assures decisive and rational RD planning and spending. For our growth strategy in electronics business they are leveraging all resources including motion, pictures, music, games and our brand recognition to deliver more appealing products and services as the worlds leading electronics and entertainment company. SWOT ANALYSIS Strength Sonys greatest strength is their ability to produce innovative, quality products. Its web page itself states Sony innovation has become part of mainstream culture which includes the magnetic tape and tape recorder in 1950 and so on. Its PC world also published the most innovative products for the year 2006. It has continuously managed to be competitive and stay powerful organization by learning from past failures. It has been continuously learning from their mistakes and has always taken corrective measures in effective and efficient manner. And strength is their ability to be successful in several different markets. They have made an impact in the video game market, the PC market, and especially the television market and there are still numerous others. Weakness Sonys biggest and most recent weakness is their lack of innovation with PS3. Sony focused on digital technology when building the PS3 and it has the ability to export video in high definition. But later on the result came out to be where it was clear that this technology can be viewed on a high definition TV, also lot of people will not be able to see the full potential it has to offer. Opportunities It seeks a lot of opportunities that utilize their strength in innovation. The best opportunities which the company is having are design also it is integrated into every step of process-intelligent feature, user friendly application, innovative materials of course visual appearance. Sony is also known not to copy any of its competitors so it has gained reputation. The marketing department of a company has also increased advertising techniques due to which it is having an opportunity to attract new customers. Also the company is trying to sell there products at a cheaper rate to attract customers. It is also having opportunity and can decide to extend more overseas. Threats A common threat which the company is facing is in sales. Sony Vaio is it newest innovation in notebook computer for which it needs to compete with the brands of other companies who are already there in the market from long time. Competition in not the only threat which the company is facing recently it had to make a public apology concerning the use of a back drop in a violent video game. Also the recent reports have showed that most of its products are forged and sold as fake product. It also lacks the direction of strategy. TOOLS Pest Analysis is another marketing tool to analyze the strategies and functioning of a company. PEST analysis examines the change in the market place caused by Political, Economical, and Social Technological. Political factor changes involve one party to another who are in control for e.g. Rise in private healthcare privatization which is under the conservative government. Whereas social factors will include changing lifestyle attitudes Technological factors involves changes as the public see it this creates opportunities for the new product such as internet, e-commerce. Last not the least economic factors changes include such as recession creating activity at the lower end of the product price ranges. Political factors within Sony These factors can have a direct impact on the way Sony operates as we know decision made by government effect everyday business and can come in the form of policy legislation. These factors have a huge influence upon the regulation of businesses if you talk about the company the factors which includes government laws such as the introduction to the minimum wage affects the employees of Sony as the hourly rate increases each year every time. Understanding of activity from organizations in the market Managing Strategic Uncertainty The main thing which Sony must do is to make strategic commitments to unique assets or particular capabilities that will make difficult for competitors to imitate. The downside of this commitment is that if you make the wrong commitments based upon incorrect beliefs about the future, it can take a long time to undo them and make new ones. The responsibility must be charged in some organization for delivering on the commitments the organization has already made, for which the company need to make reviews of what it has set to achieve and regular follow ups while other in the organization must take responsibility for mitigating risk that accomplish uncertainty and opening up promising new opportunities. Task 2: Need and Expectation of the Company Stakeholders Every organization or company will get success in market by their product and services which is served by their employee. Thus employees are the key source of Sony Ericsson group and its main objective is to maintain high performing team which can attain all organizational objectives. Also looking for those employees who are self motivated and which can satisfy customer needs with their services and make difference to for shareholder, customer and themselves. Although company operates some training program as well to train their employees and to learn them more and more skills. Even Sony giving equal opportunities to their employee and also giving opportunity to get more experience from other organizational firms. Till financial year 2010 Sony has more than 98000 full time workers in different sectors, including managing body across the globe. Also there are large amount of workers approx. more than 40000 who are doing work indirectly for Sony Ericsson through agencies, distributors, contractors, etc. Eventually their human resource policy is fair enough for all employees as well and also its regardless of gender, ethnic origin and disability. Sony has also providing extra facility to disable persons which motivates that person for their secure future. Sony Ericsson has very vast list of their distributors which can deliver companies goal easily and effectively. It has around more than 25000 suppliers across the globe and invests approximately  £30 billion in every financial year. Sony has majority to derive maximum value and also ensures actual suppliers who are engaged and operates in a strategic sourcing process. Sony Ericsson served their customers in telecommunication sector across the world and aims for value package to customers and also offers basic discount to all segment of customers as per their worth. Also taking specific action to deliver customer services which aims to make good mobile products and accessories. Sony has one of the largest investments in communication industry. For making this worthful company has to study all facts related with market and consumers demand also get feedback from their fixed consumers. Otherwise the result will comes out in negative sense and also new facilities which failed due to short earning and insufficient sales. However Sony has set of purchasing principles which ensure acts ethically and commercially, who will responsible in business dealings with global supply. Sony realized that very well about their workforce who improves their efficiency and service. By strategy implementation and several approaches Sony will get gain maximum contribution through senior management of the company. Task 3: Vision: Sony has long term vision for their successful enterprise which determines to create and capture the market; where company wants to run their business and achieve their organizational objectives. Also increase its durability and reliability. There has been categorized in different manners which can describe below: Environmental vision towards sustainability The core responsibility of the Sony Group to society is to pursue the enhancement of corporate Value through innovation and sound business practices. The Sony Group recognizes that its Businesses have direct and indirect impact on the societies in which it operates. Sound business Practices require that business decisions give due consideration to the interests of Sony stakeholders, including shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, business partners, local communities. Sony today announced its environmental vision towards sustainability which outlines the Sony group fundamentals environmental policy. It states both basic philosophy and specific numerical targets and announces the target of double eco efficiency. The growth of stakeholders concerned with environmental issues where consumers are expressing increasing concern, also the company has to rate themselves according to environmental measures. In many nation government is introducing environmental taxes and schemes for CO2 emission rights. Hence company knows and realizes the development of a sustainable economy it is necessary to combine ecology and economy together in management policy. The environmental vision towards sustainability works from the highest concept to the most specific targets to realize a sustainable society. Mission: To give customer satisfaction in terms of good services and qualitized products and also want to measure their progress through key essentials which can described below: Customer Service: It is an integral part of every business by which company get success and achieved all organizational targets or objectives. As fact shows that company is increasing their customer services on every year like in 2008 Sony provides service to their customer approx. 10% which increases in 2009 and reached upto 23% and in 2010 we will get very positive result which rise upto 35% ; by that companies trust and image is improving year on year. Free Cash Flows: Free cash flow is increasing every year and it also depends on financial health of company which sustainable depends on companys wealth. Free cash flow in 2010 was  £2143 million, compared with  £1134 million in 2009. Earning Per share: Every company has to maximize their shareholders similarly Sony has done with their objectives; by which company will move towards their indicators. 1) Building of strategy With the succession of the two founders it would be very difficult for the company to find someone as visionary and for them to lead the umbrella strategy company with Sony which is the international company having different major branches listed in 23 stock exchanges building a strategy is a tough job. Strategy should be made in such a way to generate more more profit for which the greater emphasis should be on market share especially in Japan where Sony market is shrinking. There should be better coordination between the engineers in the RD department. 2) Diversification. For the company to diversify it should concentrate more more on electronic know how in non consumer the competition are also able to copy in a much short time. This would make full use of the RD department which is the strongest advantage of Sony without waiting for the price cutting technology adaptation. It should also able to use its unique talent in videos semi conductor technology to create its version of the office of the future. 3) Alliance corporation Sony should try to become a leader instead of maverick. The new product which the company is launching it involved both hardware software so it should try to achieve industry wide standard. By pioneering in the field first the standards is just a way to ensure stability to allows Sony to concentrate and on product development improvement they also lack the know how to the creative software market. company should also focus on the product line to make it more compatible with one another which is crucial through the communication between groups managers .So that it may able to build brand loyalty for customers. It was same like when Japanese took over the US market through cheap yet quality consumer goods other Asian countries with their low labor cost pose as great competition at the lower end of consumer good. 4) Cost cutting It is important for the organization because RD place an integral part in the success of Sony cannot be cut drastically since it gobbles up 10% of sales. As we know company I is having factory in US Japan. But Sony is not fully making use of lower cost areas in the world especially Asian countries. Since it can take advantage of there cheap labor and can also get a head start in their budding consumer market. 5) Integration of production design Marketing In every organization designing developing of a product is a different process from the production marketing. As we know the design is backed by intuition experience rather than market research analysis. So to cure this phenomenon the RD department should listen more toward the consumer need and then innovate instead of creating new markets. They should also be made responsible to the profit loss of a particular product we also cannot deny the fact that it also brings these efficient groups together to achieve synergy. 6) Implementation When we talk about implementation it is important for the company to integrate together with the Japanese work ethic its western counterparts because Sony is a kind of MNC where there are people working from different country for which company needs to involve writing the importance of profits its responsibility to its shareholders. More More communication integration should be made between the department like designing, production marketing. Company should also decide the standard which the world is adapting and accordingly should take decision to cut off setbacks. However the end product ratio between consumer business product should be constantly reviewed through out the process to achieve optimum mix. Task 4: External factors and adaptation of Sony Corporation Sony adopts many methods of cost reduction which prevailed economic situation in country. In year 2010 cost reduction activities which delivered some are changing steps with a reduction of operating cost and capital expenditure. Even though all business and internal services has deliver these savings, which focused on eliminating failure cost, also analyzed overhead value program which reduced cost with structural approach on project basis. These all aforesaid actions will reduce cost more consequently. Also it has improved service delivery and supply terms which would be expected to achieve further benefits in current year. Like every company Sony also has many functional areas which can be categorized and described given below: Technology Development: Sony has brand image on which company have to stay on their parts and commitments which they given to their consumers, distributors and others. It is also known for its best services and good quality of technological products which doesnt occur problems or errors frequently. In Sony their products are full of advanced technologies which make human life better and easier. Sales and Marketing: It plays very vital role for every organization similarly this function is important for Sony Corporation. Without proper functioning and managing this sector; surely every business function will not get succeed in their task. Sales and marketing are those segments which generates cash flow and revenue. Since for improving their market and business; Sony has adapting some effective marketing strategies on different categories. In this competitive world nowadays company will focused to build strong relationships of customers. Even provide extra customer service with free of cost to all segments of customers; which makes to give security of product to all customers and also reduces supply and carbon emissions. Additionally company is always set their mind to use and investigate more and more renewable electricity or new technologies such as by developing own wind farms which give advantage over others. Human Resource Management: This sector is a backbone of every organization which managed human beings as per organization requirement and its role to satisfy organizational workforce needs. Further improper and ineffective function creates massive loss to the company. Till 2010 financial year Sony has more than 25000 workers who works in the company as a full time worker and more than 45000 peoples indirectly worked for company through agencies, distributors, contractors, etc. It also makes eco friendly environment without following any ethics and origin, regardless of religion, gender and disability. Eventually Sony has proud on his human resources department which plays important role in their successive path. Although Sony also deals with some specialist recruiting agencies which attract people to work in its organization and meanwhile they can judged special skills in employees by creating competitive advantage. With the help of that Process Company has list of number of talented peoples which makes worth for the company. Task 5: Competitive Strength and weakness of Current business Strategies of Sony As we all know that time is money in very general and it is actually money for all segments like business, individuals, professionals, etc. In strategy firstly considers important task and involves strategy to develop time table in terms of giving exact preference on all segments as per business demand. Thus strategy implementation is very important for business and also have to make keen observation about investigation under resources how much time every operation will take? Then after start new operations and keep control on going operations. Lastly if any deviation occurred at the time of operation then sometimes to get back is the right decision and sometimes to resolve that on timely, so that it depends on situation how much it make worth according to business vision. However the final element to control business effectively and to make strategic control, the strategic planning process is essential. In planned performance the review of actual performance is monitored by supporting organizational learning and enabling the improvement of performances. Also provide rewards to the employee who attain company objective very efficiently which based on strategic issues and also helps in identifying and communicating the drivers of success. Furthermore all strategies planned and organized to make benefits for company. As per number of criteria strategies might evaluated on suitability, feasibility and acceptability. The acceptability of strategy indicates view of stakeholders and feasibility indicates organizational adequate resources. Eventually suitability refers logic of strategy. The key for internal and external success is to manage time effectively and actively participate in every segment of requiring business by which we can make our successive pr oduct and remain keep our corporations brand image. Conclusion After analyzing the whole situation and surveying the business plan the conclusion which can be drawn for the company is that Sony Corporation fined it impossible to create any kind of sustainable competitive advantage based on product alone. It is also always being observed by everyone working in a successful company that they continuously work to know how to create a customer centered competitive advantage of this company the key internal strength are the appropriate effective marketing strategy but on the other hand if you talk about flaws of the marketing strategies declares the company on major internal setback. Sony also have the potential to innovate into a company with international operations as well as culture since it was one of the first Japanese company to set up a main branch in the US. With strategy luck Sony could become a great firm as it was will be.