Key Factors of Program Evaluation an Example of the Topic Science and Technology Essays by

Key Factors of Program Evaluation Evaluation is a process that is considered essential especially to groups or organizations that are administering a project or program. It determines the worth of the project, as well as assesses whether the goals of the program are being met (Trochim, 2006). Results of evaluation are used as basis for improvements for the people involved in the program in order to gain benefits and minimize loss (Love, 1991). As such, factors that may affect the program evaluation should be taken into consideration. Need essay sample on "Key Factors of Program Evaluation" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed There are several factors that may affect the evaluation of the program. One of them is the attitude towards evaluation. In the event of an external evaluation, indifference on the part of respondents may affect that results which may not be of any help to the organization. It may even lead to stagnation rather than improvement, as indifference could mean lack of sincerity and clouded truth (Kozak et al, 2006). Another factor is the funding source of a program evaluation. Hugely funded evaluations are commonly better than those done with lesser fund at the organizations' disposal. With more in monetary terms, everything necessary for a fruitful program evaluation may be easily obtained. As such, a funding source which is not financially reliable in all aspects or an organization under strict budget may not achieve results that a financially stable evaluation may achieve (Kozak et al, 2006). The third factor is methodological difficulties. Things like inability to interpret data, low response rate, and difficulty in acquiring contact information are under this heading. It must be emphasized that even with willing respondents for evaluation; results which are not properly interpreted are still considered as a waste of time. Conversely, even with very capable result interpreters, low turn-out of responses will render the evaluation as not entirely viable (Kozak et al, 2006). The final key factor in program evaluation is the incentive or reward. Through the prospect of a good return of investment, especially in an internal program evaluation setting, respondents may willingly undergo evaluation. With the knowledge of it being of great help to the improvement of the project or program and achievement of the proposed goals, response rates may increase. As such, the evaluation will be a success with positive collaboration between evaluation specialists and respondents (Kozak et. al., 2006). It may then be said that several factors may affect a program evaluation in many ways. These factors may lead either to a bitter ending or a fruitful success. With the former, improvement plans may be put to a constraint; while with the latter, it may be pursued and the end goals may be met. References Kozak, R., Morford, S., Suvedi, M. (2006). Factors Affecting Program Evaluation Behaviours of Natural Resource Extension Practitioners- Motivation and Capacity Building. Journal of Extension, 44. Love, A.J. (1991). Internal Evaluation: Building Organizations from Within. California: SAGE Trochim, M.K. (2006). Introduction to Evaluation. Web Centre for Research Methods.

How to Bring Clarity to Business Writing

How to Bring Clarity to Business Writing Clarity in business writing allows your ideas to be easily understood, free of add-on words that make a sentence murky and convoluted. There are several rhetorical strategies to achieve clarity, but here are three techniques that best sweep away the bloat to let your ideas shine. Business Writing Clarity Strategy #1: Unsmother Your Verbs Focus on verbs.They are the action of a sentence, and the best opportunity to enhance clarity. Imagine watching a Bruce Willis movie that shows Bruce napping or knitting or whittling on a park bench for 90 minutes... Bored yet? So too are readers if your writing has little action or wimpy verbs. Unsmother your verbs. Smothered verbs are so common in business writing that they feel correct when you use them. However, a smothered verb adds nothing but bloat and the tone feels both timid and boring to a reader. This article will explain smothered verbs in detail. You will cut at least 25% of unnecessary words by simply unsmothering verbs. Let the verb do its job in a sentence without smothering add-on words. The impact on business writing clarity is amazing. Business Writing Clarity Strategy #2: Avoid Adverbs Choose powerful verbs that connote meaning, which don't need a second modifying word to do their job! For instance: "The attendant shouted loudly." "The attendant shouted," is a perfect sentence. "Loudly" is inferred and extraneous. "The executive ran quickly into the boardroom." "Ran quickly" is wasteful. Pick a better verb. "The executive sprinted into the boardroom" is concise, visual, and lively. Business Writing Clarity Strategy #3: Recognize the Power of Short Words. Years back, some business writers felt they conveyed their intelligence more by dropping long words, when short words actually worked better. Rhetorically, this has never been good writing. Long words don’t make you sound intelligent unless used very skillfully and judiciously. In the wrong situation they’ll have the opposite effect, making you sound pretentious and arrogant. They’re also less likely to be understood and more awkward to read. I've always loved Hemingway's response when Faulkner criticized him for his limited word choice: Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don’t know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use. Example: Fine, but can be improved: It has never been a good writing practice to use big words indiscriminately. Better: It has never been a good writing practice to use big words needlessly. ("Needlessly" is shorter and simpler than "indiscriminately.") Best: It has never been a good writing practice to bloat with big words. (More powerful verb "bloat" instead of vague verb "use" eliminates the need for modifying adverb "needlessly.") Remember this maxim:Write to express, not to impress. Good business writers use short words well. Richard Lederer sings the praises of the short word to enhance clarity in his book, The Miracle of Language: Here is a sound rule: Use small, old words where you can. If a long word says just what you want to say, do not fear to use it. But know that our tongue is rich in crisp, brisk, swift, short words. Make them the spine and the heart of what you speak and write. Short words are like fast friends. They will not let you down. Read more about the power ofshort words. A clear business report allows an executive to easily understand a recommendation. A clearbusiness email allows all the readers to quickly understand. A proposal that clearly expresses your value wins the sale. Apply these clarity principles, and we're all able to understand each other better. Enjoy this article? Subscribe to this blog.

Social Contract on Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Contract on Healthcare - Essay Example It can be viewed as a service industry in which the consumers are patients who buy health services. In other words, the same criteria apply such as quality of service, reasonable costs and timely delivery of a needed health care service all determine whether a healthcare provider succeeds or not.   The United States health care system is largely a private enterprise and so is motivated mostly by the profit incentive (Porter & Teisberg, 2004, p. 1) unlike that of other countries like Japan or the United Kingdom, where the healthcare industry is almost socialist in its nature as it is a state-controlled sector of their economies. There is supposed to be healthy competition in this industry but experience shows otherwise; the quality has deteriorated and costs have risen greatly over the years due to distortions or externalities in the system. The famous â€Å"invisible hand† of the economist Adam Smith is not working in this industry, whereby individuals acting singly for thei r own benefit is supposed to improve society as a whole (Smith, 1776, p. 28). Some factors causing this market distortion is that the pricing system is not transparent. The right price is supposed to regulate the demand and supply in this industry, just like any other industry, where pricing is the mechanism by which free markets operate in a capitalist economic system. The healthcare industry is no longer what it once was, a perfectly competitive market, but replaced by an oligopolistic setup due to the mergers and acquisitions taking place where the industry continues to undergo further consolidation among the service providers.  Ã‚  

Brand Companies Sales and Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Brand Companies Sales and Business Law - Essay Example For companies to adapt and adjust their own brand messages, when consumers share the information produced, brand managers need to devise new strategies meant to rectify any dissatisfaction. Moreover, consumers expect brands to be honest and be transparent in their communications. When discovered, the misleading brands will be punished by consumers. As much as a product might meet the federal standards, some consumers may sue the company citing allergic reactions or other negative effects because of the misleading labeling. In case the particular consumer suing is able to prove the negative effect arising from the misleading labeling, the company will end up using a lot of money, if they decide to settle out of court to avoid further bad publicity.   The court decision is bad for the company as obviously, there is the bad publicity and it might lead to a decrease in sales for a certain product or even in all their products, as consumers will question their honesty in all their produ cts, regardless of meeting the federal standards (Herbst, Kenneth, Hannah & Allan 297). Brand equity is one of the most valuable assets a company possesses. One popular strategy that companies use to build and leverage equity is using brand extensions that launch new products with the original brand names, in this case Coca Cola. Successful extensions can provide benefits, such as reducing cost of introduction, gaining distribution and customer trial and minimizing the risk of new product failures.

How Will Immigration and an Aging Labour Force Affect You Assignment - 1

How Will Immigration and an Aging Labour Force Affect You - Assignment Example When the majority of the immigrants are of the aging population, they put a strain on the working population and the resources of the government. At best, the aging population will work for a short while after which they will retire and start enjoying their pension. Their contribution to the general economy will immensely reduce. The government will have to tax the working age group to meet the needs of the government and to sustain the dependents, the aging population. When the aging population is composed of people older than the age of sixty-five, then the situation becomes different. This population does not contribute in any way to the economy but only spend what the economic agents produce. They lower the GDP of the economy and heavily reduce the resources of the government. They are a burden to the government and the continuous increase means the government will spend more on healthcare and pension than on productive engagements and

Creating a Personal Development Plan

Creating a Personal Development Plan Personal development plan can be defined as the development of the skill of a person which is very much important for personal career and also professional career of that person. This plan also indicates to the advancement of the personality of individual person. It helps a person to make him capable and confident in his profession. The development of a persons characteristics and professional development is considered as important aspect of the career of a person. Therefore, having a personal professional development is very much required for a person. In accordance with the requirement of Task 1, it is needed to identify and analyze the SMART objectives of personal and as well as organizational and also along with for the purpose of achieve these objectives, the required skills are also analysed and explained on this task. After that the audit on the skill is conducted in relation to the purpose of organization and the objectives of personal and organizational. Personal objectives: In focusing towards the acronym of SMART, my personal and organizational objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and bounding within time. That means the objectives whether it is personal or organization should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and bounding within time. The specific objective means the feature objective is concretion, well definition, detailed and as well as focused. Not only this, the specific objective is mainly action oriented, the outcome and straight forward. The objective should also be measurable. In relation to the measurement of objective, it should be needed to ensure the identification of the source of measurement and action is tracking for the purpose of objective progress. Objective is measured for the purpose of making comparison to determine standard performance. The other feature of objective is that the objective should be achievable. If the objectives which are determined by the person are not achievable then the person doesnt feel interest and never motivated to achieve these objectives. And when the objectives are not achievable by the person then he feel frustration and lose motivation. If the objectives are not achievable, it also not is realistic. That means the source of achieve objective should be specific and available. For the purpose of achieving the objectives there are required some resources for example: skills, money, equipment etc. The objectives should also be achievable within a time limit that means a fixed deadline is needed for achieving the objective. Time management is very necessary in order to achieve the objective. In relation to the acronym of SMART, my personal objectives are: 1.To achieve PGD degree from the London School of Accountancy and Management. 2. To complete MBA degree. 3. To be a good manager in an organization. Organization objectives: In focusing towards the acronym of SMART, as an organizational manager, there are five objectives which should be achieved by the manager: Forecasting and planning: → clear vision setting in relation to the SMART objectives such as: achievable, measurable, specific, realistic, and time boundary. Organizing: → structure build up. → task is divided or apportioned → resources should be considered for example: human, monetary, technology and materials → sensitivity and security ensuring Command → activities are maintained in between the personnel. → hierarchy reporting → activities are controlled among the manager and work force Co-ordination → all activities and efforts are unifying and harmonising → co-ordinated management supervise and harmonise the activities and efforts → provide support → Motivation Controlling: Rule is established and command is expressed for the purpose of conducting the managerial activities in relation to check the work efficiency of the personnel. Time management strategies: For using time more effectively and efficiently, there are some ways of managing time such as: managing time for a week. For doing this, time can be divided into small unit. In case of a business organization, it is noticed that majority of the time that is spent on different activities of the organization is not productive and in many times time is wasted by the employees because of ineffective time management. There are some strategies of time management: 1. Establishing objectives: For achieving profit maximization, make a plan to use the time with the way which is realistic. Time management helps a manager or an entrepreneur to achieve organizational objectives more effectively and efficiently. 2. Evaluation of spending time: The way of spending time in working place is very much necessary to determine. The working hours or the availability of mine also has to be calculated. The amount of tasks and number of activities which a person can do in a week should also be calculated. Except these strategies, other strategies are: 1. Assess the difference between utilising of the actual and ideal time. 2. Give priority the task of work. 3. Give importance towards the urgent and important work. Requirement of skill for achieving personal and organization objective: For the purpose of meeting and achieving the each and every goal and objective of personal and organizational, some skills are needed such as: the skill of communicating with other peoples, skill of IT, problem solving skill, skill of working with team, self performance and learning skill. These skills are considered as basic skills which are very much important for achieving personal objectives. But for the purpose of achieving the organizational objectives, four skills are needed to contain by the manager such as: planning, organizing, leading, coordinating etc. Task 2: Personal Development Plan Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5 Column 6 Column 7 SKILL Existing PROFICIENCY Proficiency of target Scope of development Judging success criteria Time frame proof No 1. Priority Skills of presentation To be able to give presentation in classroom but feel nervous and cant give presentation as the standard of professional Classroom presenter as confidently Be able to give presentation in the group of tutor I want to achieve A grade in my project by giving successful presentation in the class. Till the academic year ending By giving successful presentation in the class No 2. Priority Skills Of writing The description as technical is good but critical thinking of mine seems to be difficult to present Descriptive writing is good and critical writing is satisfactory To college writing fellow, I can show my work and also in relation to business studies I can make better assignment 2.1 achieving by me in relation to the business studies and assess my skill in accordance with my teacher feedback. I can achieved confidence to make better assignment Till the year of 2nd By making successful assignment in relation course studies No 3. PRIORITY Awareness as commercial I have interest in the issue of business but lack of the awareness as practical Knowledge as practice To participate on the training program for achieving commercial awareness Complete the program of training program for achieving commercial awareness Till the year of 3rd By achieving commercial awareness No 4. PRIORITY Skills Of Team working Cant adjust to work with the team member and cant appreciate other works and also hate to appreciate other ideas Goals are understood by me greatly in order to achieve objectives I appreciate the other team member roles and activities Team progress can be monitored by me in order to meet the difficulties and overcome these difficulties Till the year of 3rd By lead a team successfully No 5. PRIORITY Skills of leadership Not confident and cant lead or motivate other people with my own word Achieve confidence to lead the team and also delegate with others Working as a team leader on a group project. Group is satisfied with me, project is considered as most successful and I can achieve confidence at the best level Till the year of 3rd Working as a team leader on a group project. Task 3: Professional skill: For answering this task, here I choose three organizations: Tesco, Sainsbury, Marks and Spencer. The definition of professional skill can be provided as the skills and knowledge which are achieved for the purpose of personal development and along with the advancement of career. The opportunities of learning as facilitated are encompassed by the personal development which is related with the range of formal work, conferences and the practice of the opportunities of learning as facilitated. The features of the learning opportunities are intensive and collaborative which are related with the evaluative stage. Personal development includes of several approaches for example: consultation, coaching and practice of communities, study of lesson, training, supervision as reflective, and the assistance of technology. Personal skill: Personal skill is also considered as the interpersonal skill of the person which is consisted of the algorithm of mental and communicative which is applied for the purpose of conducting social communication and interacting with other peoples in order to identify achieve specific effects or outcome. In order to being a successful manager, he or she should has to contain some professional and personal skills such as: leadership, time management skill, meeting running, presentation making, management of stress etc. The importances of these skills are now evaluated: Leadership skill: Leadership skill is considered as the managerial skill which is used for the purpose of motivating the peoples of the group in order to achieve the common goal. In this competitive market, it is very much needed to contain the skill of leadership by the manager through which he or she can lead the organization effectively and efficiently. Leadership is mainly related with the capacity where leader contains the capacity to listen others opinion and observe the activities of employees. Not only is this, in the decision making areas, the skills very much needed for the manager of an organization. One more thing is that if the employees are not motivated to do their works then the business cant be run and the manager with leadership skill can be greatly motivated to the employees of their works and try to give their best. Time management skill: The definition of time management skill can be given as the process and tools of developing the skills in order to enhancing the efficiency and productivity. Time management skill is considered as the personal skill which is directed towards the using the valuable resources within the time frame. For the purpose of managing time, the manager should be more organized, efficient and as well as happier. The skill of personal time management is consisted of the activities of setting of goals, planning, prioritizing, make the decision, delegating and scheduling. By using time management skill, wastage can be eliminated, make preparation for attending the meeting, excessive workload refusing, project progress can be monitored, plans can be made for each day and each week efficiently and effectively. Stress management skill: The definition of stress can be provided as the reaction of nervous system of the body towards the specific events. Stress management can be defined as the system with the aim of stress reducing and along with the person who contains this skill can be facilitated in order to adjust with the specific situation. Stress management skill is very much needed for manager for the purpose of attending the meeting and represents the meeting, on that time the manager should control the stress. The above skills such as: leadership skill, time management skill, stress management skills are very much needed for the manager to be successful in his professional life and as well as personal life through which he or she can meet the personal goal and as well as achieve the organizational goal. Recommendation: There are existed several methods of that are appropriate for the purpose of advancing the skill of professional and personal such as: leadership skill, time management skill, stress management skills are very much needed for the manager to be successful in his professional life and as well as personal life through which he or she can meet the personal goal and as well as achieve the organizational goal. For the purpose of developing these required skills, some ways can be adopted and these ways are described below: The approach as structured are used for the purpose of solving the problem Provide training program Create the link in between the problems and try to solve it Create relationship in between solving the problem and making decision as well Problem can be solves through get support from the people by taking their opinion and as well as use the required resources on developing the problem skill Here, training program and practice to develop the professional and personal skill as by own are considered as the most practical method which is used for the purpose of developing the personal and professional skill. The program of training is mainly related with the process of learning which consists of the knowledge acquisition, skill sharpening, attitudes and behaviours changes, in order to employee performance enhancing. Not only this, by practicing as by the person own, one person can achieve the required skill such as: by practising, the person can manage the time, can solve the problem. Task 4: Personal development plan: The definition of personal development plan can be provided as the persons skill development which is considered as significant thing in relation to the development or establishment of personal and as well as the professional career. For the purpose of developing the individual personal personality, making the plan for personal development is very much needed. In order to achieve capability and as well as being confident in the professional life, personal development plan provides support to the person. In relation with the building up a career, the two main aspects are personal characteristics development and as well as the characteristics are developed for making good professional life. So it can be said that a person should have to make a plan of personal development. Here, in relation to the personal and professional and as well as organizational objectives, the Kolbs learning style is used through which it is possible to find out the way of learning along with suitable method ca n also be identified to for the purpose of achieving the objectives of personal and professional and as well as organizational objectives. There are existed several methods of that are appropriate for the purpose of advancing the skill of professional and personal such as: leadership skill, time management skill, stress management skills are very much needed for the manager to be successful in his professional life and as well as personal life through which he or she can meet the personal goal and as well as achieve the organizational goal. For the purpose of developing these required skills, some ways can be adopted and these ways are described below: The approach as structured are used for the purpose of solving the problem Provide training program Create the link in between the problems and try to solve it Create relationship in between solving the problem and making decision as well Problem can be solves through get support from the people by taking their opinion and as well as use the required resources on developing the problem skill Here, training program and practice to develop the professional and personal skill as by own are considered as the most practical method which is used for the purpose of developing the personal and professional skill. The program of training is mainly related with the process of learning which consists of the knowledge acquisition, skill sharpening, attitudes and behaviours changes, in order to employee performance enhancing. Not only this, by practicing as by the person own, one person can achieve the required skill such as: by practising, the person can manage the time, can solve the problem. Task 5: Skill audit: There are the questions which consisted of the pointed value: Strongly disagree 1 disagree 2 agree 3 strongly agree 4 TEAMWORK 1 2 3 4 1. Can adjust to work with the team member à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 2 Goals are understood by me greatly in order to achieve objectives à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 3. Responsibilities of me is indicated towards the goal of the team work à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 4. I appreciate the other team member roles and activities à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 5. Team progress can be monitored by me in order to meet the difficulties and overcome these difficulties à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 6. It is very pleasure for me if I get the scope of leading the team à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ PROBLEM-SOLVING 1 2 3 4 7. I break the task which is the part of my job and distribute it in managerial section à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 8. For solving the problem, I may ask for the help from other à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 9. In order to solve the problem, challenges motivate me most to do this work à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 10. For the purpose of accomplishing the new task, I create the ideas by using brainstorming à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 11. I can anticipate the possible result in order to do a task à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 12 I can also anticipate the alternative solution in relation to the problem of question à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ Time management: 1 2 3 4 13. Tasks are organized by me as per the deadline of each task à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 14. I link in between the work progress and as well targets à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 15. In order to target meet and plan, I evaluate my strength and weakness à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ 16. For solving the problem, I may ask for the help from other à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯ à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯

The Perfect Perfect :: essays research papers

â€Å"Therefore let them be instructed by you, at least by your deeds.† What does this verse mean to me? Well, what does it mean to you? How many of you believe you live a life of example? Perhaps you feel unqualified? That’s exactly how I felt. When I sat down and started to think about the oratory I was going to be giving for the last year I would be in high school. I wanted it to be moving. Funny. And finally I decided that I wanted it to be about exemplary life. I felt like I had no right, no privilege of allowing others to follow me. A mere adolescent 17 years of age, hormones off the charts, grips on reality out of the question, and virtually inexperience in the ways of the world, some may go so far as to call me sheltered†¦ what can I say about leading a life of example? Well, if I stick to my state of mind as an adolescent, I;m obviously not going to have too much to say for at least another decade. But if I stand outside of myself, and reflect on the quot e as rational intelligent human being, you’re gonna have an earful. This past year, just before Christmas, I got a job at a pizza joint no more than a 15 minute drive from home. The area in which the restaurant was situated has some wealthy neighborhoods, but for the most part, the community is downtrodden. Before coming in to work, I had no knowledge of the people that worked there. I had a friend from school with whom I’d be working, but he was the only person I knew. He had told me that they needed workers. I needed a job, and I got hired right on the spot. I learned some very shocking things within just a couple weeks of my employment My manager age 46. His oldest child? A son at the ripe young age of 31. My manager impregnated his girlfriend, of the same age, at 14. He got married at age 15 and became a father shortly after that birthday. His so called â€Å"wife† ran away, and so, at 16, he got divorce and continued to raise the child alone. A girl who is one of the pizza makers is 16. She had an abortion at 15, and is now expecting a child in late January.

Adidas Growth Strategies

IV. Introduction This analysis is about the company adidas that belongs to the adidas Group. The adidas Group sells products under the brands adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Adidas is on the market over 80 years and sells products for every kind of sports. The adidas group was founded in the year 1949 by Adolf Dassler. A company that started with selling soccer shoes contains today a wide product assortment with footwear, apparel and accessories. The brand is further divided into three subbrands called adidas performance, original and sport style. TaylorMade-adidas also offers wide range of golf equipment and matching golf apparel and accessories. On their homepage the adidas Group claims to be â€Å"a global leader in the sporting goods industry† (adidas group, what we do). The company can be described as a global player because they have 170 subsidiaries in different countries that are directed from their headquarter in Germany which is the home of the adidas brand. Headquarters of Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf are in the US in Massachusetts and California. Besides the international subsidiaries of the company, products of the group are available in every country through their online store. Their strategy to success is â€Å"continuously strengthen our brands and products to improve our competitive position and financial performance†. The following paper is going to analyze external and internal situation of adidas. Further, their marketing and growth strategies will be analysed. Major focus of this paper will be on the customer analysis. Growth Strategies The evaluation of the performance of a company is often measured trough growth in sales. Growth strategies determine how companies want to increase their market share or sales. They are crucial for the success of a company and should be selected carefully. There are different strategic options that companies have. Many companies pursue different types of growth strategies. Main decisions of a company are if they want to stay in existing markets or enter into new markets and further if they have existing products or if they develop new products. A combination of those four elements leads to the different types of growth strategies: penetration strategies, product-market expansion strategies, vertical integration strategies, differentiation, and diversification. Penetration Strategies (existing products/existing markets) Penetration Strategies means that companies sell their existing products on already existing markets. Companies choosing this strategy have to gain competitive advantage through pricing, marketing, etc. They want to gain market share and convince the customers of their competitors to buy at their stores. Adidas is definitely using penetration strategies. For over 80 years adidas is selling sports apparel and accessories. Through a successful established brand image adidas still sells their sports apparel all over the world. Their marketing efforts as described in the part promotion strategies help them to remain competitive. Product expansion strategies/Product Development (new products / existing markets) You can speak of product expansion or product development strategies if a company develops new products and try to sell them to existing markets. Adidas made also use of product expansion strategies through introducing adidas performance, originals and style in October 2000. The company expanded their products through a new style line that focuses more on fashion than on sports clothes. You can speak of product expansion because although the style is different it is still in the apparel sector. Further, adidas modifies their products continuously. In February 2010 they just introduced their new developed womens’ Body Mapping Technology that â€Å"defin[es] female-specific heat and sweat zones in order to place fabrics directly where they are needed the most, delivering optimised function to provide maximum comfort during workout. (Adidas, Press Room) The new technology will be used in adidas’ new CLIMA365 collection that will be introduced in Spring/Summer 2010. Another expanding of their products is heart rate sensing apparel so that consumers don’t need a pacer while running. Through developing new technologies to improve their sports apparel consumers feel that adidas is always up to date with new sports innovations. On their web site adidas also created an own section called â€Å"mi†. Customers have the possibility to personalize products. For example you can personalize shoes. Besides color and design, it is possible for customers two order the left and right shoe in different sizes and width. Customers have the possibility to identify with the adidas products through creating their own personal adidas clothes. Market expansion strategies/Market Development (existing products/ new markets) In this strategy companies try to sell their products to new markets. Cooperation of adidas with Stella McCartney and Porsche Design Sports can be seen as a market expansion. The reason for evaluating it as market expansion is that the new target market of these products is fashion. They target consumers that are interested in high fashion, who do not have to be interested in the sports sector. Fashion and lifestyle is in the focus of these apparel lines. Vertical integration strategies (existing market/ different stage of production) A vertical integration strategy describes â€Å"The degree to which a firm owns its upstream suppliers and its downstream buyers† (Blackwell Reference Online, Vertical Integration Strategy). In a value chain we have the manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer. If a retailer also owns a factory and manufactures its products it would be a backward integration. The purpose of vertical integration is to increase the control of the stages of development. In the early beginnings adidas produced all their shoes and apparel on their own. Through the huge expansion in the last decades adidas don’t produce all their apparel on their own. Today they own 9 own factories where they produce some of their products. Further, they have around 615 main suppliers from all over the world. Production is in Europe (27%), Asia (51%) and America (22%). (EVB, Adidas) Differentiation (uniqueness) The differentiation is a strategy with the main focus of developing a product, service or image that is unique and with attributes that are highly appreciated and valued by customers. Customers will value them higher as products or services of competitors. Through creating a unique image companies that make successful use of this strategy can often sell their products for a higher price. So it is easier for companies to present their products as unique because they get more money to cover their costs. Factors that describe companies that make use of differentiation are †¢ Access to leading scientific research. Highly skilled and creative product development team. †¢ Strong sales team with the ability to successfully communicate the perceived strengths of the product. †¢ Corporate reputation for quality and innovation. (QuickMBA, Porter’s Generic Strategies) A risk that companies have to face when using this strategy is that competitors will try to imitate the co mpany or change consumers mind/ taste. The brand adidas as mentioned before exists over 80 years. They had a long time to create their unique brand image. Adidas stands for quality and expertise in everything that is related to sports. Through supporting and sponsoring different kind of sports events such as the UEFA Champion League in 2008 adidas consumers’ view of adidas is always connected with sports. Further, in their adidas performance collection they make use of innovation such as the mentioned Body Mapping Technology. Showing the consumers that they are using new technologies and constantly improving their products differentiates adidas from their competitors. Customers feel that adidas uses all their possibilities to offer products that will help them doing a good performance in their sports. Diversification (new products/ new markets) Diversification is also a growth strategy. â€Å"The purpose of diversification is to allow the company to enter lines of business that are different from current operations†. (Thomas, Joe, Diversification Strategy) This means that companies try to sell new products to new markets. This strategy is risky because the company is moving in unknown markets where they do not have experience. (Tutor2u, Ansoff’s product/ market matrix) Further, we can distinguish between concentric, horizontal and conglomerate diversification. The first form, concentric diversification, is when a company â€Å"adds related products or markets†. Horizontal diversification is when a company sells products that are unrelated to their existing but would appeal to their customers. The third option is conglomerate diversification. It occurs when a company goes into a totally different market with new products. There is no relation between the already existing products. This would be for example if a supermarket also sells travels. A successful company such as adidas also wants to enlarge their markets and is searching for new ways to expand their business. Recently, in January 2010 adidas introduced the miCoach interactive training system guide. The program miCoach is available over the adidas website. Customers can choose between different training plans such as de-stress or learn how to run. It can be described as horizontal diversification because they now offer a service â€Å"personal training†. The micoach pacers that they sell can be seen as concentric diversification because pacers that measure your heart rate are related to sports and sports apparel. Another form of concentric diversification can be seen in their deodorant and shower gel that they are selling at drugstores and supermarkets. It is related to their main market because people who do sports need a good deodorant and have to take a shower afterwards. After analyzing adidas growth strategies you can say that adidas knows what they are doing. They focus on different growth strategies to gain market share and increase sales. Most of the time they focus on product extension to improve their product assortment. I think that because of a well-established brand name adidas should try more to make use of diversification. They can also sell other products or services because people trust this brand. A lot of people all around the world are fascinated by sports. Like the company jumba juice they could for example sell healthy drinks and juice to support a healty sport-oriented life style. Global strategy A company that has a global strategy views the world as one market and tries to standardize their marketing activities. Nevertheless, product adaptations are made where they are necessary. As mentioned before adidas is a global company. Their products are available in nearly every country on earth and their target markets are sports oriented customers all over the world. They sell their products successfully under the name adidas in every country. A comparison of the different country websites shows their standardization for different countries. If you enter www. adidas. com or www. adidas. de or www. adidas. fr it will only change the language and some actual topics but the whole design and offer is the same. Adaptations are only made where they are necessary. On the US homepage for example you can find Lacrosse under adidas Performance whereas on the German homepage it cannot be found because the game is not played in Germany. Adidas knows their markets and takes care of cultural or country specific differences. The company also says hat they know that they have to adapt to certain cultural differences. Further, they recognise the consumer buying behaviour and the unique retail landscape when operating in different markets. In 2009 the company reorganised their brand structure. They moved from a vertically integrated brand structure to a functional multi-brand structure. Now adidas has a Global Sales and Global Brands function. The Global Sales Function is responsible for the commercial activities where as the Global Brands function takes care of the marketing activities of the brands adidas sport performance, adidas sport style and also Reebok. For their 2,200 retail stores they set global guidelines so that they can increase efficiency and to create consistent conditions to ensure longterm profitability. These two new created functions show that adidas is focused on a global strategy. Together with the new structure of the organisation the adidas Group also decided on new measures. First, they want to establish joint operating models for adidas in most of their global markets. Second, they want to eliminate regional headquarters so that they have a more direct interaction between the global functions and the foreign markets. And third, they decided that they separated the responsibility for the Global Brands and Global sales. Now the CEO of the adidas Group Herbert Hainer is responsible for Global Sales and Erich Stamminger, a member of the executive board takes care of Global Brands. Main objective of these new divisions is to ensure that all chances on their operating markets and categories are taken through a development of well-structured and coordinated â€Å"Go-to-Market† strategies. They have to develop innovative products and communication strategies that can persuade consumers in the different markets. All in all, you can say that Adidas is a global player. They are selling their products around the world. It is easier for them to develop a global strategy because they see the world as one huge â€Å"sports market†. They target the customers that like to do sports and like the sports style for clothing. Nevertheless, they know the different type of sports consumers’ prefer in different countries. The only aspect that could be improved by adidas is to focus more on country specific sports. In the US for example football is really popular. They could create a special football line to satisfy the needs of the customers. Sources: Adidas Group, What we do, http://www. adidas-group. om/en/ourgroup/our_business/default. aspx, accessed on 17 April 2010. Adidas, Press Room, http://www. press. adidas. com/desktopdefault. aspx/tabid-11/16_read-10905/, accessed on 24 April 2010. Adidas, The adidas story year by year, http://www. press. adidas. com/Desktopdefault. aspx/tabid-28/41_read-1209/, accessed on 24 April 2010. Ansoff Matrix, W hat is the Ansoff Matrix, http://www. ansoffmatrix. com/, accessed on 20 April 2010. Blackwell Reference Online, Vertical Integration Strategy, http://www. blackwellreference. com/public/tocnode? id=g9780631233176_chunk_g978140511828629_ss7-1, accessed on 20 April 2010. Cateora, P. R. and Graham, J. L. , International Marketing, 13th edition, 2007, New York. EVB, Adidas, http://www. evb. ch/p25010738. html, accessed on 25 April 2010. http://www. gaebler. com/Growth-Strategies. htm QuickMBA, Porter’s Generic Strategies, http://www. quickmba. com/strategy/generic. shtml, accessed on 20 April 2010. Thomas, Joe, Diversification Strategy, http://www. enotes. com/management-encyclopedia/diversification-strategy, accessed on 21April 2010. Tutor2u, Ansoff’s product/market matrix, http://tutor2u. net/business/strategy/ansoff_matrix. htm, accessed on 20 April 2010. www. adidas. com www. adidas. de

Analysis and Summary of If by Rudyard Kipling

English ISU Rudyard Kipling was born in 1865 and through the years of living in Bombay, he learned about the British Empire. Kipling gave much too English literature and wrote poetry, short stories, and novels1. When Kipling was five, his parents sent him to boarding school in England so he could learn more about his British background. While living in England, Kipling was inspired by the imperialistic views of the British demonstrated around the world. During his school years, Kipling had a very difficult at boarding school. He was physically abused throughout his time in college.After finishing college in 1882, he returned back to India to work as a journalist and editor. Also in 1882, Kipling married an American woman Caroline Balestier and immediately moved to America to live with her. He stayed in Vermont until 1899, and went back alone to England to write literature. The majority of his poems dealt with his opinion of inspiration and imperialism. An analysis of â€Å"If† and â€Å"The White Man’s Burden† makes it clear that Rudyard Kipling uses literary devices effectively to fortify his message of inspiration and imperialism. If† is one of Kipling’s best known poems and it contains one of his most powerful messages of inspiration. In the beginning of the second stanza in â€Å"If†, Kipling uses personification â€Å"If you can dream- and not make dreams your master. † The beginning of the stanza focuses on reality; dreaming is good, but do not let it take control of yourself. Meaning, there are other important goals in life that are needed to be achieved. The second personification used by Kipling is on line 10 and 11 â€Å"If you can meet with triumph and disaster/ and treat those two imposters the same. This explains that failure is a benefit; mistakes are guaranteed to happen. No one is perfect and people learn from their missteps. The final personification on line 21 and 22 Kipling uses is â€Å"If yo u can force your heart and nerve and sinew/ To serve your turn long after they are gone. † This means to put your heart and nerve into your actions in the future and learn from the past. Also, having to accept the past and move on from it with your heart and gut. Alliteration is expressed twice in â€Å"If† to fortify Kipling’s thoughts and expressions throughout his poem.In line 12, the alliteration â€Å"treat those two imposters just the same. † emphasizes Kipling’s point of treating people with equity and respect. This quote implies how Kipling sees society's disapproval towards other people and he interprets that everyone including (imposters) should be fairly treated without criticism or judging based on societal influences. Another example of Alliteration is â€Å"With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,† on line 30, expressing Kipling’s opinion of time. Meaning to try and put an effort in constantly; even when feeling exhaust ed.Repetition and diction is used in â€Å"If† to strengthen Kipling’s message of inspiration. First off, â€Å"you† is used repeatedly in the poem to enrich Kipling’s message directly to the reader â€Å"The white man’s burden†, is one of Kipling’s best views of imperialism throughout the poem. In lines 19 and 20, Kipling uses the personification â€Å"Fill full the mouth of famine/ and bid the sickness cease. † Thus Kipling proclaims that the imperialist nation is going to aid and feed the conquered land.Kipling uses another personification in the sixth stanza â€Å"Nor call too loud on freedom/ To clock your weariness†. Thus, Kipling explores the meaning of individual freedom and that the use of individual freedom should not be an excuse to cover up ones weariness. Also, not aiding others by refusing to â€Å"Take up the White Man`s burden†. Anaphora is used in â€Å"The White Man’s Burden† to giv e emphasis to Kipling’s points. The first example is found in the fourth stanza, â€Å"The ports ye shall not enter, /The roads ye shall not thread,† have the same â€Å"The _ ye shall not _†.This represents Kipling’s repetitive thoughts of the imperial nation being denied to enter and live in the captured nation. Another example of anaphora is used in the sixth stanza â€Å"By all ye cry or whisper, / By all ye leave or do†. Kipling is poetically conveying the ruling of the conquered nation founded by the bequest of the imperial territory. Kipling also expresses the poems theme of Imperialism with the significant use of repetition and allusion. The line â€Å"Take up the White Man’s Burden-† is used at the start of each stanza establishing the basis of the poem.

Major General J.E.B. Stuart in the Civil War

Major General J.E.B. Stuart in the Civil War Major General J.E.B. Stuart was a famed Confederate cavalry commander during the Civil War who served with General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia. A Virginia native, he graduated from West Point and aided in quelling the Bleeding Kansas crisis. With the start of the Civil War, Stuart quickly distinguished himself and proved an able and daring commander. Leading the Army of Northern Virginias cavalry, he took part in all of its major campaigns. Stuart was mortally wounded in May 1864 at the Battle of Yellow Tavern and later died in Richmond, VA. Early Life Born February 6, 1833 at Laurel Hill Farm in Patrick County, VA, James Ewell Brown Stuart was the son of War of 1812 veteran Archibald Stuart and his wife Elizabeth. His great-grandfather, Major Alexander Stuart, commanded a regiment at the Battle of Guilford Court House during the American Revolution. When Stuart was four, his father was elected to Congress representing Virginias 7th District. Educated at home until age twelve, Stuart was then sent to Wytheville, VA to be tutored before entering Emory Henry College in 1848. That same year, he attempted to enlist in the US Army but was turned away due to his young age. In 1850, Stuart succeeded in obtaining an appointment to West Point from Representative Thomas Hamlet Averett. West Point A competent student, Stuart proved popular with his classmates and excelled at cavalry tactics and horsemanship. Among those in his class were Oliver O. Howard, Stephen D. Lee, William D. Pender, and Stephen H. Weed. While at West Point, Stuart first came in contact with Colonel Robert E. Lee who was appointed superintendent of the academy in 1852. During Stuarts time at the academy, he achieved the cadet rank of second captain of the corps and received the special recognition of cavalry officer for his skills on horseback. Early Career Graduating in 1854, Stuart placed 13th in a class of 46. Commissioned a brevet second lieutenant, he was assigned to the 1st US Mounted Rifles at Fort Davis, TX. Arriving in early 1855, he led patrols on the roads between San Antonio and El Paso. A short time later, Stuart received a transfer to the 1st US Cavalry Regiment at Fort Leavenworth. Acting as the regimental quartermaster, he served under Colonel Edwin V. Sumner. During his time at Fort Leavenworth, Stuart met Flora Cooke, daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Philip St. George Cooke of the 2nd US Dragoon. An accomplished rider, Flora accepted his marriage proposal less than two months after they first met. The couple were married on November 14, 1855. For the next several years, Stuart served on the frontier taking part in operations against the Native Americans and working to control the violence of the Bleeding Kansas crisis. John Brown. Photograph Courtesy of the Library of Congress On July 27, 1857, he was wounded near the Solomon River in a battle with the Cheyenne. Though struck in the chest, the bullet did little meaningful damage. An enterprising officer, Stuart invented a new type of saber hook in 1859 which was accepted for use by the US Army. Issued a patent for the device, he also earned $5,000 from licensing the design the military. While in Washington finalizing the contracts, Stuart volunteered to serve as Lees aide in capturing radical abolitionist John Brown who had attacked the armory at Harpers Ferry, VA. Fast Facts: Major General J.E.B. Stuart Rank: Major GeneralService: US Army, Confederate ArmyBorn: February 6, 1833 in Patrick County, VADied: May 12, 1864 in Richmond, VANickname: Knight of the Golden SpursParents: Archibald and Elizabeth StuartSpouse: Flora CookeConflicts: Civil WarKnown For: First Battle of Bull Run, Peninsula Campaign, Second Battle of Manassas, Battle of Antietam, Battle of Fredericksburg, Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of Brandy Station, Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Battle of Yellow Tavern Road to War Finding Brown holed up at Harpers Ferry, Stuart played a key role in the attack by delivering Lees surrender request and signaling the assault to begin. Returning to his post, Stuart was promoted to captain on April 22, 1861. This proved short-lived as following Virginias secession from the Union at the beginning of the Civil War he resigned his commission to join the Confederate Army. During this period, he was disappointed to learn that his father-in-law, a Virginian by birth, had elected to remain with the Union. Returning home, he was commissioned a lieutenant colonel of Virginia Infantry on May 10. When Flora gave birth to a son in June, Stuart refused to allow the child to be named for his father-in-law. The Civil War Assigned to Colonel Thomas J. Jacksons Army of the Shenandoah, Stuart was given command of the organizations cavalry companies. These were quickly consolidated into the 1st Virginia Cavalry with Stuart in command as colonel. On July 21, he took part in the First Battle of Bull Run where his men aided in the pursuit of the fleeing Federals. After service on the upper Potomac, he was given command of a cavalry brigade in what would become the Army of Northern Virginia. With this came a promotion to brigadier general on September 21. Lieutenant General Thomas Stonewall Jackson. Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives Records Administration Rise to Fame Taking part in the Peninsula Campaign in the spring of 1862, Stuarts cavalry saw little action due to the nature of the terrain, though he did see action at the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5. With the elevation of Lee to command at the end of the month, Stuarts role increased. Dispatched by Lee to scout the Union right, Stuarts brigade successfully rode around the entire Union army between June 12 and 15. Already known for his plumed hat and flamboyant style, the exploit made him famous across the Confederacy and greatly embarrassed Cooke who was commanding the Union cavalry. Promoted to major general on July 25, Stuarts command was enlarged to the Cavalry Division. Taking part in the Northern Virginia Campaign, he was nearly captured in August, but later succeeded in attacking Major General John Popes headquarters. For the remainder of the campaign, his men provided screening forces and flank protection, while seeing action at Second Manassas and Chantilly. As Lee invaded Maryland that September, Stuart was tasked with screening the army. He failed somewhat in this task in that his men failed to gather key intelligence regarding the advancing Union army. The campaign culminated on September 17, at the Battle of Antietam. His horse artillery bombarded Union troops during the opening phases of the fight, but he was unable to conduct a flank attack requested by Jackson that afternoon due to heavy resistance. In the wake of the battle, Stuart again rode around the Union army, but to little military effect. After providing routine cavalry operations in the fall, Stuarts cavalry guarded the Confederate right during the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13. During the winter, Stuart raided as far north as Fairfax Court House. Chancellorsville Brandy Station With the resumption of campaigning in 1863, Stuart accompanied Jackson during the latters famed flanking march at the Battle of Chancellorsville. When Jackson and Major General A.P. Hill were severely wounded, Stuart was placed in command of their corps for the remainder of the battle. After performing well in this role, he was badly embarrassed when his cavalry was surprised by their Union counterparts at the Battle of Brandy Station on June 9. In a daylong fight, his troopers narrowly avoided defeat. Later that month, Lee began another march north with the goal of invading Pennsylvania. Gettysburg Campaign For the advance, Stuart was tasked with covering the mountain passes as well as screening Lieutenant General Richard Ewells Second Corps. Instead of taking a direct route along the Blue Ridge, Stuart, perhaps with the goal of erasing the stain of Brandy Station, took the bulk of his force between the Union army and Washington with an eye to capturing supplies and creating chaos. Advancing, he was driven further east by Union forces, delaying his march and forcing him away from Ewell. While he captured a large amount of supplies and fought several minor battles, his absence deprived Lee of his prime scouting force in the days prior to the Battle of Gettysburg. Arriving at Gettysburg on July 2, he was rebuked by Lee for his actions. The next day he was ordered to attack the Union rear in conjunction with Picketts Charge but was blocked by Union forces east of the town. Though he performed well in covering the armys retreat after the battle, he was later made one of the scapegoats for the Confederate defeat. That September, Lee reorganized his mounted forces into a Cavalry Corps with Stuart in command. Unlike his other corps commanders, Stuart was not promoted to lieutenant general. That fall saw him perform well during the Bristoe Campaign. Final Campaign With the beginning of the Union Overland Campaign in May 1864, Stuarts men saw heavy action during the Battle of the Wilderness. With the conclusion of fighting, they shifted south and fought a vital action at Laurel Hill, delaying Union forces from reaching Spotsylvania Court House. As fighting raged around Spotsylvania Court House, the commander of the Union cavalry, Major General Philip Sheridan, received permission to mount a large raid south. Driving across the North Anna River, he was soon pursued by Stuart. The two forces clashed at the Battle of Yellow Tavern on May 11. In the fighting, Stuart was mortally wounded when a bullet struck him in the left side. In great pain, he was taken to Richmond where he died the next day. Only 31-years old, Stuart was buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 7

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example According to Needham (p. 222), hierarchy refers to the structure of organization management where there is direct communication links between superior and subordinates. In this kind if structure each member has a clear understanding of the chain of command and to whom he or she is responsible to. It is from the top of the company, the managing director down to the workforce below. An organization ought to operate within a structure that is appropriate with its purposes for it to fulfill its mission effectively. Large organizations are normally divided into functional areas. In the case of syngenta, its functions includes: research and development, global supply which also include manufacturing, human resources, sales and marketing, finance and information systems. The company’s structure is identical to most companies, it has likelihood of having several layers of authority. The number of levels is determined by structure that the organization has. It can be a flat or hierarch ical structure. A hierarchical structure is composed of several levels of management, each having span of control which is narrow. In this kind of structure, instructions are directed from level of management on the top to the workforce below. Feedback comes vice versa from the workers below to the supervisors on the top. In the hierarchical structure there is chain of control, this is the reporting system from those on the top of the hierarchy to those below. In this kind of structure, there is strict supervision. In addition, this kind of structure has clear promotion opportunities. This clarity reduces the levels of stress among the managers and employees. In this kind structure, everyone knows their roles to play. However, hierarchical organisations face communication challenges, hence, lack of effective management delays the passing of information in the chain of command. Another setback here is that employees may lack full empowerment. This does not allow them to b e innovativ e.

Spanish Slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Spanish Slavery - Essay Example Despite being a slave, he wrote between the lines of domination while being concurrent with the prevailing circumstances. He did this with the objective of creating a 19th century alternative image of Spanish Caribbean societies that needed further critical perspectives and considerations. In this essay, I will compare Manzano with the figure of the Count in The Last Supper, in holding that despite the varying positions the two characters occupied in their respective settings, religion was a dominating factor in crystallizing their respective personalities in the context of what they delivered. The argument will be made very clear by analyzing their respective approaches towards religion and how they used religion in achieving their ends. Main Body The film, The Last Supper, directed by Tomas Gutierrez Alea (1976), depicts that in a rather imprudent attempt to add to the knowledge of his African slaves, the Count, who is pious as well as guilt ridden, asks twelve chosen slaves to hav e dinner with him on a Maundy Thursday during Easter, obviously with the intention of re-enacting the Last Supper with himself performing the role of Christ. As they are involved in eating and drinking, the Count feeds the slaves with a lot of religious oratory and tries to guide them about the tenets of Christianity. He proposes to give them an off the next day, which is Good Friday and pledges that he will free one amongst them. But he does not meet up with his commitment the next day and the slaves stage a revolt. Both, the Last Supper as well as Juan Francis Manzano’s autobiography relate to the lives of slaves in Cuban sugar plantations during the late eighteenth century and are real life stories. The film’s center piece is the bizarre circumstances under which the last supper is supervised by the Count. In keeping with a truly religious fervor, he starts by washing and kissing all the slaves’ feet as each one of them is intensely amused at the mad behavior . However, the film depicts that despite the occasional religious sentiments exhibited by the Count, who is the dominating character, he can be easily seen as an authority figure that is guilt ridden and immensely mysterious. It becomes evident from the film that the truth relative to human behaviors cannot be hidden and eventually surfaces with the actions of individuals. It appears the count is attempting to demonstrate to the slaves, his knowledge and adherence to Christian dogmas and beliefs. In this process, he clearly gives away his lack of clarity about Christianity when he tells the slaves that sorrow is the only thing that humans can happily give to God, adding that anyway, everything belongs to God. The slaves get confused and are absorbed at the thought of what he implies when he speaks about consuming Christ’s body and blood in the forms of bread and wine. Following the rebellion by the slaves, the film ironically depicts that the Count himself gets crucified as a n unlikely son of God for denying justice and property to the slaves. Autobiography of a Slave is a first hand account of Juan Francisco Manzano’s life, times and struggles. Monzano has narrated his story from a first person perception.