Personal Leadership Profile Essay

The following pages consist of information about Leadership; I will have to admit I knew nothing about leadership and the many perspectives and ideas about Leadership and how to be an effective leader. I selected a Leader to study who is known as an effective leader and has made a difference in the world. Our world would not be the same if he had not made those choices to change his world that he lived in. I knew very little about the man that is known for his â€Å"radiant smile† and desired to know more about what caused him to be known throughout the world. I had only heard that he spent years in prison and became the first Democratic President in his country. Throughout these pages you will read the analysis of my chosen Leader’s style of effective leadership through six perspectives: trait, behavioral, situational, and constitutive which includes two theories of transactional and transformational leadership, and global leadership. I have also included a comparison of my leadership style with this â€Å"Great Man† in each of the six perspectives. Before comparing myself, I thought, I could never stand in the same room with this man, and now I am comparing myself to him. To my amazement, there is a significant learning experience that one can gain in comparing yourself with someone great like this man. I found out who I am, who I want to become and what improvements need to be made to become an effective leader, no matter how big or small our leadership role is, in this world, in our sphere of influence, â€Å"We are all Leaders†. I have concluded this paper with a personal leadership profile and a plan of leadership development that I will continue until I have become an effective Leader and have made a difference in my world, in my sphere of influence, in a positive and significant way. Personal Leadership Profile The goal of my project is to examine the leadership qualities and practices of my selected leader and to also examine myself through a range of leadership perspectives. In the following pages I have examined six perspectives on leadership. I will conclude with a Personal Leadership Profile and a leadership development plan for myself. The name of my selected leader is Nelson Mandela. He was the first Democratic President in South Africa. Before going into my research, I knew very little about Nelson Mandela, I noticed when great leaders were talked about his name was always included. What I do know, is that he was a leader in Africa and he spent 27 years in prison. I have also read many of his quotes that give me the impression that he has changed Africa and the world. One of his quotes that I paraphrased into my own words and I can relate to is when he said: I always look at the positive side of things versus the negative; being positive is always looking up towards the sun, and to keep moving forward. There have been many trials when my faith in people was tested, but I did not despair or give up. When you give up you become defeated. (Mandela, N. 1995) I am also an optimistic person and look at the good in all things versus the bad. When you look at life through a positive lens you tend to live life in a positive way. In light of the definition of what effective leadership is, as I am learning what type of leader Nelson Mandela is, I see that he did help achieve the common goal. He influenced South Africa to continue to fight against injustice. Throughout his time in prison he was still leading, this was a process of leadership that he led inside prison walls for 27 years. I believe this was an immense part of what made him effective as a leader, because he never gave up the fight in what he believed in; freedom against segregation also known as apartheid, for his people. The influence that he exercised over his followers was a positive process of developing trusting relationships with not only his followers but also with his enemies. His relational process of leadership was transactional this type of social exchange uses followers in a more active role with the potential for influences going both ways. According to one of this week’s articles the transactional leadership model draws attention to the social exchange, or the â€Å"transaction† that happens between leader and follower. This type of leadership uses followers in a more active role with influences going both ways (Hollander, E. P. 1992). Nelson Mandela’s used his personal power which consisted of referent power and expert power. He was respected and admired and had much knowledge and skills in dealing with people. My thoughts on the ethical point of view of Nelson Mandela’s leadership style would be linked to my own ideas about what constitutes ethical behavior. This is complicated because there are a variety of accepted philosophies for making ethical decisions as (Ciulla, J. B. 2005) states: utilitarian, rights, justice, common good, and virtue. In the case of Nelson Mandela his ethical leadership would fall under justice and the rights of his people that were taken away through apartheid. The Traits Perspective As I studied this perspective, I learned that the term â€Å"natural born leader† is not just an expression but an absolute truth. As I researched Nelson Mandela and compared his traits to the Five Factor Model I believe some of these traits are placed in Leaders at birth or even at conception and others are learned. The Great Leaders that we study were born for the purpose of making a change to make the world a better place or just the opposite, to bring harm to humanity an example would be Adolf Hitler. As I researched Nelson Mandela and his upbringing in Africa I was amazed what I discovered about him and the culture he grew up in. Nelson Mandela was born into segregation, also known as apartheid. His culture helped shape him into the Great Leader he is today. He was born in a small village in South Africa in 1918, into the Xhosa-speaking Thembu people. To this day, he is often called by his clan name â€Å"Madiba. † In his clan he belonged to royalty and often listened in on the Leaders of his clan, this is where he learned by listening and watching (Mandela, N. 995). As I analyzed Mr. Mandela’s personal traits using the â€Å"Big Five† P. T. & L. , I see that he carries the qualities and strengths of the â€Å"Big Five†. I don’t understand why Neuroticism was in the Big Five because it shows that the score is Low for effectiveness. Nelson Mandela does not seem to carry any part of the definition of neuroticism which is a personality trait charac terized by instability, anxiety and aggression, he seemed as though he was fearless and was often looked upon at times of distress or fear. He was indeed fearful but he never showed his fear. He is Extraverted which helped him to become social, highly respected and loved by many throughout the world. He was a revolutionary full of wisdom, he was well educated in which he attained from his college education in law, this gave him the ability to open the first black law firm in South Africa. His educational background helped him to effectively lead people in the fight against apartheid through a legally formed African National Congress (ANC). He was also open to experiences; his 27 years in prison taught him patience, endurance and developed him into an effective leader. In the area of conscientiousness his choice to overthrow the government through violence was not a responsible choice, but was highly effective; his reasoning was to get the attention of the government as he was standing up for the rights of his people. He once said: When people are not given the right to live a life that is just, honest and fair, he has no choice but to break these laws that are unjust.

Race in Down These Mean Streets

Qing Xu HCOM 345 Prof. Nava 5/2/12 Race in Down These Mean Streets â€Å"Este es un mundo brillante, estas son mis calles, mi barrio de noche, con sus miles de luces, cientos de millones de colores mezclados con los ruidos, un sonido vibrante de carros, maldiciones, murmullos de alegria y de llantos, formando un gran concierto musical (Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, 1998, p. 3)†, is how Piri Thomas describes his birthplace, East Harlem. The diversity of cultures, the vibrant street life, the passion and conflicts of everyday life and media portrayal in movies such as West Side Story make East Harlem an exciting and mysterious place.But hidden under the dirty faces of the children is the struggle in the search for acceptance and belong, as painfully narrated by Thomas in Down These Mean Streets. In this essay I will analyze how racial identity is constructed through his story and the relationship between racism and social problems such as gangs and crime in a place like East Harlem. Piri Thomas’ parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico during the 1920s before he was born in 1928.Piri reflects upon a hard childhood of growing up in a lower class family at the time of the Great Depression, through the cold winters of New York City, a place whose people Piri’s mother described as having snow in their hearts. But the most difficult thing of all was the racial prejudice that he had to endure because of his black skin and the confusion of his own racial identity caused by his family’s denial of their Afro-Latino heritage. One day, Piri confronted his younger brother Jose, pointing out the hypocrisy of his family’s claim to Whiteness: Jose’s face got whiter and his voice angrier at my attempt to take away his white status.He screamed out strong: â€Å"I aint’t no nigger! You can be if you want to be†¦. But—I—am—white! And you can go to hell! † â€Å"And James is blanco, too? † I asked quietly. â€Å"You’re damn right. † â€Å"And Poppa? † †¦ â€Å"Poppa’s the same as you,† he said, avoiding my eyes, â€Å"Indian. † â€Å"What kind of Indian,† I said bitterly. â€Å"Caribe? Or maybe Borinquen? Say, Jose, didn’t you know the Negro made the scene in Puerto Rico way back? And when the Spanish spics ran outta Indian coolies, they brought them big blacks from you know where. Poppa’s got moyeto blood. I got it. Sis got it. James got it. And, mah deah brudder, you-all got it†¦.It’s a played-out lie about me-us-being white (Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, 1998, p. 145). Piri had always felt that he was being treated differently in the family because of his skin color. He wanted to find a racial identity with which he could feel a sense of belonging. Hoping to find out whether his skin color, his face, his hair made him a black in America even though he’s a Puerto Rican, he joi ned the merchant marines and traveled to the South. He came to accept that he was black after experiencing racism everywhere: on the ship, in restaurants, even in prostitution (Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, 1998, pp. 20-87). Piri’s world came crashing down when his mother died while his father was having an affair with a white woman, whose whiteness fed his father’s insecurity about his own blackness, according to Piri. Piri’s rejection toward whites came to a boiling point and he left home, joined gangs where his companions were black and took drugs. Eventually he went to prison for shooting a policeman. â€Å"Jesus, I thought, I finally shot me some Mr. Charlies. I shot ‘em in my mind often enough (Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, 1998, p. 259),† he wrote.It was the years in prison that gave him time to really reflect and think about who he was and his own worth. In the end of the book he came out of prison back into the neighborhood that he mi ssed so much. He fought hard to resist drugs and violence. Eventually he became a famed writer and a lecturer, and worked to steer troubled kids away from gangs and crimes. Puerto Ricans have historically been discriminated by U. S. institutions. As Angel Oquendo explains in â€Å"Re-imagining the Latino/a Race†, Puerto Ricans arrived in the U. S. as a result of U. S. mperial invasion and colonization of the island. They became one of the most impoverished groups and were â€Å"systematically perceived and treated as a conquered people (Oquendo, 1998, p. 70)† Puerto Ricans could sometimes pass as whites, like Piri’s family did. However, Piri was treated badly by the school, public transportation, workplace and the government. In an interview conducted by Ilan Stavans, he recalled that in the classroom the â€Å"teacher came roaring upon me and said ‘listen, stop talking in that language [Spanish],’ and I said ‘well, I am speaking my motherâ⠂¬â„¢s language.My mother’s from Puerto Rico, I was born in this country,’ and she says ‘well you stop talking that, you have to learn English, you are in America now. ’ (Thomas, Race and Mercy: A Conversation with Piri Thomas, 1996, p. 345)† He also recalled going to the South with his friend Billy on a bus. The driver ordered all colored people to go sit in the back. When Piri tried to tell the driver that he was Puerto Rican, the driver said, â€Å"I don’t care what kind of nigger you are† and reached his hand into his side pocket.To avoid the risk of being killed, he quietly went to the back of the bus (Thomas, Race and Mercy: A Conversation with Piri Thomas, 1996, p. 351). In a chapter of his book titled â€Å"How to Be a Negro without Really Trying,† Piri recalls another occasion where he and his fair skinned friend Louie went to a job interview for a sales position. The company hired Louie instead of him. â€Å"I didnâ₠¬â„¢t feel so much angry as I did sick, like throwing-up sick,† Piri’s hatred started growing and he started to think of himself as black. â€Å"Later, when I told this story to my buddy, a colored cat, he said, ‘Hell, Piri†¦ a Negro faces that all the time. ‘I know that,’ I said, ‘but I wasn’t a Negro then. I was still only a Puerto Rican. ’ (Thomas, Down These Mean Streets, 1998, p. 108)† When Piri and his mother applied for Home Relief, he hated the condescending and suspicious attitude of the government officials. The fact that Piri was perceived as black even though he was a Latino and that he was the only that received all the prejudice out of all his siblings, shows that U. S. society perceives all races in Black-White terms. According to Oquendo, this racial dualism is due to the prominent history of slavery and discrimination of people of African ancestry.He explains that the division of white Puerto Ricans and black Puerto Ricans is non-existent in Puerto Rico. Modern Puerto Rican society emphasizes its African heritage (Oquendo, 1998, p. 63). Berta E. Hernandez-Truyol explains that all Puerto Ricans share the same identity: â€Å"I grew up in Puerto Rico†¦ We were big and small, brown-eyed and blue-eyed, blondes and brunettes, but one significant factor we shared was that we were all de Borinquen. Sure, we were diverse peoples, but we were all united—we were all boricua (Hernandez-Truyol, 1998, p. 381). Because of the different social context in the U. S. , Piri were perceived differently from his siblings, which dramatically altered the course of his life. Perhaps the process of Piri becoming black can be best explained by Ian F. Haney Lopez’s theory on the social construction of race. He argues that an individual’s racial identity is constructed by interplay of chance, context, and choice. By chance he means the morphology and ancestry of a person which are not chosen by the person, i. e. skin color. Piri’s morphology is the foundation of his search of racial identity.When his family moved to Long Island, the white children at his school taunted him for trying to pass as Puerto Rican because he couldn’t pass as white. By context, Lopez means â€Å"the social setting in which races are recognized, constructed, and contested (Lopez, 1998, pp. 9-11). † Piri has ancestral ties to three continents: Europe, Africa, and America. Therefore to conclude that Piri is Black is unreasonable. However, in the social context of America, skin color is mostly directed associated with race. President Obama, Tiger Woods are both widely perceived to be Blacks, even though only a portion of their blood is Black.Same thing happened to Piri. Lopez further explains that morphology and ancestry are constant, but context is inconstant and unstable and shifts in time and space. Nevertheless, context gives interpretation to morphology and ance stry, such as a person’s dark skin makes him/her Black. In Puerto Rico, Piri’s family was neither Black nor White; they suffered no prejudice based on their skin colors. But the social structure of race in New York in the 1930s is based on the racial dualism, which forced Piri and his family to define them as either Black or White.As a result, Piri believed that he and his family were black biologically. However, he was not black because of his features but because of the interpretation of these features by the racial ideology of his society. Moreover, social ideology of race changes from place to place, as evident in his travel from â€Å"Spanish Harlem, where he was Puerto Rican, to Long Island, where he was accused of trying to pass, to the South, where he was Black (Lopez, 1998, p. 12). † Finally, the last component of racial construction is choice, which means whether a person accepts the meanings of his morphology and ancestry given by the context.Piriâ₠¬â„¢s father not only shared the same social context with Piri, he also shared the same skin color and features. However, he chose to be white, like his son Jose. Lopez explains that choices about racial identity are heavily influenced by racial prejudice and hatred, as revealed in Jose’s claim to be White: â€Å"I ain’t black, damn you! Look at my hair. It’s almost blond. My eyes are blue, my nose is straight. My motherfuckin’ lips are not like a baboon’s ass. My skin is white. White, goddamit! White (Lopez, 1998, p. 14)! † The social problems that Puerto Ricans face include poverty, gangs and crimes.The â€Å"presumed solutions† to these social problems would be welfare programs, education, more law enforcement patrolling the Barrio, etc. However, new problems will arise with each of these solutions. If we provide more welfare to the Puerto Ricans, it would further drain the national budget, which is already tight in the current eco nomic situation. It would also anger many nativists who are opposed to immigration, especially whites with lower economic status, because they might fear that the Puerto Ricans are taking their resources.There are already many voices accusing the Latino immigrants of coming to their country and sucking up all their welfare. Education definitely helps prepare a more skilled work force, which means more income for the Puerto Rican households. However, with the current budget cuts, increased financial aid to Puerto Rican students will likely be met with opposition from the rest of the population. The DREAM act which allows alien students to obtain financial aid in college has already been met with opposition arguing that the aliens would take away educational funds that could be awarded to native students.Granting more aid to Puerto Rican students will probably be met with the same opposition. However, education does serve as an important tool to pull a community out of poverty. Gangs not only create violence and crime in a community, but their culture is harmful to the vital institutions of society such as the family, the church, the school, and the government. In â€Å"Beating the Barrio: Piri Thomas and Down These Mean Streets†, James B. Lane states that â€Å"The social disorganization of the ghetto bred cynicism, hatred of authority, confused identity, inability to defer pleasure, and violent impulsiveness (Lane, 1972, p. 17). † Piri, tormented by racial prejudice and confused identity, leaved his family to be on the streets because he found a stronger sense of belonging there. So do countless number of kids in the present. To Piri religion seemed an obligation. He hated school and resented government. Although gangs like the ones Piri was in are harmful to the society, villanizing them will only make matters worse. MS-13, the biggest gang in the world, started with a couple persons but grew so much partly because police cracked down on them an d sent them back to El Salvador; many of them were born and raised in the U. S. which made them more organized and bigger. That policy only aimed to remedy the problem but failed to address the root of the problem: how the kids joined the gang. We need to recognize that criminals weren’t born criminals. Many gang members are victims of racism and oppression. Racism plants a seed of hatred in each of its victim, as in Piri’s case: â€Å"A big hate of everything white grew inside of me. I was scared of the whole fucking world (Robinson). † This hatred eventually led him to shoot a white cop. It is also no surprise that he had no interest in school and government, where he encountered racism.Gangs also provide protection for the oppressed, give them strength to fight back the authority that oppresses them, and give them a sense of belonging. In order for there to be no gangs, racism must be eliminated. In order for racism to be eliminated, everyone, kids and adults , need to be educated about racism in contemporary society, because racism starts in the mind. Schools need to make it mandatory for students to learn how racism starts, the social structures that breed racism in our society and all the ways that racism affect different ethnic groups today.Piri Thomas had a good idea of what needed to be taught to children: Children become what they are taught or not taught. For thousands of years we have heard propaganda about white supremacy and â€Å"might makes right. † Because if you conquer people by might, strip away their education, their beliefs, their culture, and their land, then in two or three generations their children will be in the dark ages again. We had very bright minds when we first went into their schools, because children are not born stupid.The world has no right to judge intelligence by the color of one’s skin†¦ this is the struggle that we have had to wage, to allow all the colors to express their humanity through literature and the other arts to learn from each other, as a people, for we are not only geographic locations, colors, sexes, or preferences. We are earthlings who share a common bond—our humanity (Thomas, Race and Mercy: A Conversation with Piri Thomas, 1996, p. 352). It’s because of the lack of awareness and ignorance that racism is still so prevalent today.There needs to be more representatives for under-represented groups such as Puerto Ricans in the political arena who could voice their needs. Puerto Ricans should be given voting rights in the general elections, since they are citizens of the United States. Puerto Ricans can also empower themselves through strengthening their identity as a whole. Oquendo suggests that â€Å"just as African Americans seek to base their self-understanding on their resurrection from slavery, Latino/as should trace their identity back to their resurrection from imperialist conquest (Oquendo, 1998, p. 70). Indeed, Puerto Rica ns and other Latino groups have proven to be resilient peoples with a great deal of stamina to live in their harsh environments while keeping their dignity. Oquendo also suggests that Latino/as should use Spanish as a source of support for Latino/a identity, since Spanish is their shared heritage. I agree with Oquendo. Language is the central part of a cultural heritage, if they all speak the language that their mother and grandmother speak, they can be closer to their roots and thus secure a sense of belonging. It is important for Puerto Ricans in the U. S. o know their homeland and its culture in order to have a stronger identity. Piri said in the interview that he was not recognized in Puerto Rico because he didn’t write in Spanish, and â€Å"the only reason why I knew of Puerto Rico is because I sat in the corner and listened to the grown-ups speaking about places like Fajardo, Bayamon†¦ I finally went to Puerto Rico when I got out of prison at the age of thirty-two . My God, as that wall of green humidity enveloped me, it was like I was entering into my mother’s arms (Thomas, Race and Mercy: A Conversation with Piri Thomas, 1996, p. 347). Through speaking Spanish, different Latino groups can relate to each other, which can be a source of support. He suggests that Spanish be brought to adult schools, unions, church organization, prisons and rehabilitation programs, so that the adult population can learn, too (Oquendo, 1998, pp. 70-71). It’s also vital that children living in the Barrio know their own value and realize their potential. In the video Every Child is born a Poet: Life and Work of Piri Thomas, it shows Piri working with teenagers in a juvenile hall inspiring them to express themselves and find their values through poetry.It also shows testimonials from local youths telling stories of how Down These Mean Streets had helped them find their identities and connect with their neighborhood (Robinson). There should be social w ork agencies and after-school programs geared towards teenagers helping kids find passion in learning and keep them away from the streets. Piri Thomas’ memoir is not only a testament to the harsh life of immigrants growing up in the United States and the dangers of racism; its wisdom teaches us all of the importance of identity and heritage.Its lessons will benefit generations to come. Works Cited Hernandez-Truyol, B. E. (1998). Bringing International Human Rights Home. In R. Delgado, & J. Stefancic, The Latino/a Condition (p. 381). New York and London: New York University Press. Lane, J. B. (1972). Beating the Barrio: Piri Thomas and â€Å"Down These Mean Streets†. The English Journal. Lopez, I. F. (1998). Chance, Context, and Choice in the Social Construction of Race. In R. Delgado, & J. Stefancic, The Latino/a Condition (pp. -11). New York and London: New York University Press. Oquendo. (1998). Re-imaginning the Latino/a Race. In R. Delgado, & J. Stefancic, The Lati no/a Condition (p. 70). New York and London: New York University Press. Robinson, J. (Director). (n. d. ). Every Child is Born a Poet: Life and Work of Piri Thomas [Motion Picture]. Thomas, P. (1996, Autumn). Race and Mercy: A Conversation with Piri Thomas. (I. Stavans, Interviewer) Thomas, P. (1998). Down These Mean Streets. New York: Vintage Books.

Descriptions and Examples of Four Research Methods Essay

Descriptions and Examples of Four Research Methods - Essay Example An example of content analysis as a research method is demonstrated in the work of Pfau, et al. (2005), in which they review the effect of the embedding of journalists in the military units involved in the invasion and occupation of Iraq on the tone and message displayed in television news reports. Content analysis was conducted of television news reports aired on four major networks (ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC), and the results were compared based on whether the coverage for each report depended upon embedded or non-embedded journalists. Pfau, et al. (2005), indicated that embedded news sources displayed an overall tone that was more favorable toward the military in general and depicted military personnel in a more favorable light. Embedded sources tended to use greater levels of episodic frames, eliciting more positive relational cues. By contrast, unilateral or non-embedded sources tended to minimize the use of episodic framing, and tended to depict the military as a whole, as well as individuals in the military, in a less positive tone. As an aside, the study also found uniform indications that the news stories of the initial invasion and early occupation were more positively reported and employed greater episodic framing than the stories about the Iraq occupation as it drew on. Shawver (2006) defines content analysis as a procedure that studies natural communications, usi... questioning, advising, informing, etc.) and in the tone and structure of the presentation. Multiple systems can be applied to the same data over time, as well, allowing additional analysis and investigation. A striking example of a longitudinal study can be found in the work of D'Angio et al. (2002), in the 15 year follow-up of children born severely premature and treated with surfactant therapy. An initial pool of 213 infants born at ages prior to 29 weeks of gestation across a three year time span (1985-87) had shrunk to a field of 132 of which 127 were evaluated cross a three year span (1992-95), and 126 were re-evaluated in 2000. At each point, the child's physical and mental conditions were evaluated as was the amount of neurodevelopmental compromise. D'Angio, et al., indicated that 21% of the 127 evaluated at primary school age showed symptoms of at least one severe disability, while 32% were placed in special needs classrooms and 19% showed general cognitive indices below 70. By the time of the secondary school-age follow-up evaluation 41% of the children had no physical or educational impairment, whereas 19% showed at least one severe disability. 15% of the children at both evaluation times were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. D'Angio, et al., concluded that even with surfactant therapy, children born prematurely remain at high risk for neurodevelopmental compromise and significant percentages of these children will require special educational services. Of added note is the fact that the strongest predictors of adverse outcomes related not to the gestational age at birth, but rather to socioeconomic status and presence of neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage. Keppel, Saufley and Tokunaga (1992) define a longitudinal study as a form of research

Identification of the Probable Causes of ER Conflict Term Paper

Identification of the Probable Causes of ER Conflict - Term Paper Example Since the company has been operating for 15 years, it means the company has grown wide in the 15 years span. Much growth comes from opportunities to discover creative solutions to conflicts in organizations (Hannaway, 2003). Conflicts in organizations could come up for different reasons. However, conflict provides additional ways of thinking about their sources and opens up the possibility of improving a relationship. Some of the main causes of conflict in the organization include organizational change. In most organizations, there is tension between opposing forces for stability or to maintain the status quo and change. If the management of the organization wants to shift, more health care costs onto workers tension may arise. If the organization has to attain much stability, it may lose its competitive position in the market (Farnhan, 2002). With too much change, the mission blurs and the employees develop anxiety, which in turn causes employee relations conflict. The conflict coul d also be caused by ineffective communication. It is a significant cause of conflict, especially personal conflict. It occurs if messages do not pass through the required message filters. It is often evident in a work setting where different people work closely together. It is always a challenge to achieve an effective two-way communication; thus, always triggering conflict. Values and culture clashes are also a vital source of conflict that is evident in many organizations. These conflicts arise from the presence of different value priorities amongst the employees (Hannaway, 2003). Today’s diverse workforce reflects a kaleidoscope of cultures each with its own unique qualities. The individual’s bearers of these different cultural traditions could easily come into conflict with one another. Generational influences are the most powerful forces that shape values in the modern workforce.  

Age discrimination in workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Age discrimination in workplace - Essay Example According to Gregory (2001), â€Å"Employers commonly make decisions affecting older workers that assume these workers are no longer capable of performing adequately† (Gregory, 2001, p.4) Age discrimination is one of the major problems in the organizational world nowadays. At the same time, avoidance of experienced workforce is suicidal for an organization. It is better to keep a balanced workforce in organizations which includes both younger and experienced employees. However, many organizations have the habit of avoiding the interests and needs of older employees while they give more importance to the needs and demands of the younger ones. In short, age based discrimination is not a myth but a reality in organizations. According to Torrington et al. (2011), â€Å"Human resource management (HRM) is the basis of all management activity†(Torrington et al., 2011, p.4). Human resource management or HRM is responsible for age discriminations in organizations. Recruitment, r etention, training and development, allocation of jobs, deciding promotions, dispersing remuneration and incentives etc are some of the major human resource functions. Putting the right person at the right place at the right time is a major HRM function. HRM adopts several strategies to identify the right person for a particular job. Age is often a criterion while HRM decides about the recruitment of a candidate to a particular position. The topic age discrimination at workplace attracted me a lot because of the ethical dimensions involved in it. It is unethical to avoid, neglect or discriminate a person because of his age even if he had served admirably in the past for the organization. My father is a victim of age discrimination in current organizations. Even though my father worked hard and brought so many advantages to his organization, a fresh candidate with less qualification was appointed as a manager on top of him. Because of this humiliation, he was forced to resign from hi s organization even though he had a lengthy service with that organization. He discussed some of his bitter experiences with that organization. He has point out that his organization treated him differently while he was young and old. In short, his bitter experience motivated me to research this topic or the age discrimination at workplace more deeply to get more insights about the topic. This paper analyses the various aspects of age discrimination at workplace. HRM & Age Discrimination at Workplace Recent research has highlighted a so-called "prime building block" of HRM – the principle of "AMO". There must be sufficient employees with the necessary ABILITY (skills, knowledge and experience) to do the job; there must be adequate MOTIVATION for them to apply their abilities; and there must be the OPPORTUNITY for them to engage in "discretionary behavior" – to make choices about how their job is done (Buchan, 2004, p.3). From the above findings, it is evident that expe rience plays a vital role in the success of organizations. No organization can develop properly with the help of fresh employees alone. Same way, it is difficult for the organizations to remain competitive if it keeps only experienced employees. A mixed bag of fresh and experienced employees may serve better for an organization. Careful blending of youth and experienced employees may help an organization to develop new ideas and introduce it successfully in the market. Younger generation is capable of bringing new ideas. But these new ideas require the fine tuning from the experienced employees before an organization introduce it succ

Blue Advertising Campaign Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Blue Advertising Campaign - Case Study Example For Blue commercials, the main aim is persuading pet owners to use their food to feed their pets. To consider an advert as successful, it must have achieved its purpose; in this case, persuading target market to purchase a product or a service. Methods settled by the company in selling their ideas mostly depend on the main intentions of the advert and the target audience. While some advertisements suit best in the print media, others suit best in the visual media. This is the main reason why different companies exhaustively use a particular form of advertising; but seemingly ignoring the rest. Blue advertisements specifically target the visual media, and to a large extent television commercials. In this essay, I will conduct a case study of the Blue advertising TV commercials, exploring their influence on the people and how well they succeed in persuading people to purchase the brand. Blue pet food is one of the recent brands on an ad campaign aimed at persuading customers to purchas e their products. Discussing the qualities and characteristics of the foods to the people, while using previous customers as witnesses to the quality of these foods, Blue definitely captures the attention of every pet owner, convincing them to try their brand (â€Å"Blue.com†, 2013). ... Thus, the more creative an ad is, the more the likelihood of that ad selling the information to the audience. Not only should creativity in an ad focus the target market only, it should focus on all people; any person can be a customer. The making of Blue ads as all-round ads increases the number of potential customers won. Many people define creativity as the art of simplifying something that is complicated for people to understand. In advertising, creativity serves the main purpose of fulfilling psychological, marketing and corporate needs of the customers (McStay, 2013). By creatively making their adverts, Blue adds new perceptions and enjoyments to the products. For an advert to qualify as a creative piece, it has to motivate the customers, prompting them to buy the particular product or service on offer. In essence, it should prompt them to make a purchase, whether they had planned to purchase or not. Creativity in adverting as demonstrated by Blue pets’ food brand in the ir ad campaign should be memorable to the people. The company seeks to prove that they provide the best content to the customers. In fact, every episode in their ad campaign aims at pulling the mind of the customers to purchase their products. Not only is this creative, it acts as a means of persuading the people that Blue food is the best that they can provide to their dogs. Through the nature of their ads, Blue creates an impression that pets, both cats and dogs are part of the family, something rather odd. How is this possible, yet they are animals? In their stream of ads, Blue points out that our pets spend a lot of time with us, making them part of us. They thus require special food, specially prepared for our other family members (â€Å"Blue.com†, 2013). Strategically, this acts

Critical Response Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Critical Response - Research Paper Example This fresh replica of 'mothering' might be assumed by everyone, not only by women; hence, Todo Sobre Mi Madre/All About My Mother demonstrates an 'ethics of care', to remind people that compassionate concern is generally a human need, advocating for a universal human response (Garlinger 100). This paper will give a three page response to the film with regard to some of the cinematic aspects discussed in class for instance the use of sound, color, performance and genre, but mainly discuss the cultural differences that may be found in an engagement with the content of the film. The film talks about complex issues that are affecting our society such as AIDS, transvestitism, homosexuality, existentialism and faith (Garlinger 100). Pedro Almodovar's work has been despised as misogynous, as well as celebrated as a feminist film. In essence, this schizophrenia might be because of critics' tendency to center selectively on specific works. Almodovar's movie also seems to connect directly with current debates in feminist and gender theory, sometimes in unsure fashion (Martin-Marquez 498). ... y, the legal representative, Maria Cardenal, takes on the case of a disturbed young man, Antonio Banderas, who acts as Angel, who has turned himself in to the police for serial murder and rape. As one of his likely rape victims watched the news, a female anchor reported that Angel is in police custody, and that Maria Cardenal, a woman, had taken on his case. One, as expected during that time, would wonder why a woman has chosen to defend a man who made their lives hard for them. As expected, numerous prominent feminists were annoyed that their fellow woman opted to defend such a monster (Martin-Marquez 502). Miss Cardenal provoked people by stating that, according to the law, every citizen (Spanish) has the right to Ð ° lawyer, reveling in a truthfully frightening sarcasm. However, Maria can be perceived as the most feminist person in Almodovar's oeuvre. Maddison (267) proposes that, as a serial murderer herself, who opted for male victims entirely, Maria inflicts on men what she co nsiders to be the greater law of a very radical type of feminist justice with regard to women's history of oppression. The tone of the film has the heart-on-the-sleeve emotions of soap operas; however, it is entirely truthful and, by no means, camp (See 60). Contained in this vital judgment of Almodovar’s turn emotion is the equation of insincerity with camp. If the film captures the attention of someone, it is apparently because they were overwhelmed with the happenings of the film. The vital consensus appears to be that the producer has matured profoundly as a filmmaker. This is because it seems as if he was surpassed in early days of camp frivolity, but matured enough to grant emotional gravities in his film (Garlinger 109). This movie shows that the producer went through some form of

Genetic Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Genetic - Lab Report Example The effects of other processes, such as genetic imprinting, are important in determining the traits for other characteristics of the organism. Sequencing the genetic material of a species, and determining all coding sequences and their corresponding proteins are vital projects in the field of molecular biology. The human genome project had been successful in sequencing the DNA of humans (Venter et al., 2001). The studies of (Kyrylkova et al., 2012; Yu et al., 2012) determine the characteristics corresponding to a particular genetic sequence by preventing the transcription of the latter and observing the changes afterward. A sequence identified to determine a particular characteristic can also be used as a molecular marker to determine the presence or absence of trait, even without actually seeing it in the organism. For example, markers for sex can help distinguish between males and females in monomorphic species or their young. The objective of this experiment was to demonstrate the use of DNA samples to determine the characteristics of the organism, particularly its sex. Specifically, the activity aimed to isolate DNA from different sources, blood, muscle and feather. After purification, the DNA isolates underwent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using sexing primers 2250F and 2718R to replicate the sequence for sex determination. Agarose gel electrophoresis of the PCR products were compared with that of known male and female samples to identify the sex of the chicken from which the samples were obtained. Qiagen DNeasy Blood and Tissue Extraction Kit was used for extraction. Briefly, the tissues sample was lysed by incubating it in a solution containing 20 Â µl proteinase K, 4 Â µl RNAse A and 166 Â µl phosphate buffer solution (PBS) (blood) or 180 Â µl Buffer ATL (muscle or feather) for 30 min. After mixing with 200 Â µl Buffer AL for 15 sec, the DNA was precipitated by addition of 200 Â µl 95%

Article on improving training and retention in small to medium sized Assignment

Article on improving training and retention in small to medium sized businesses - Assignment Example Concerns of improving training and retention in these businesses are increasingly becoming centres of attraction for successful businesses. This essay explores the issue of employee training and retention in small and medium businesses. Comparative advantage in performance and labour productivity is being realized in small to medium sized businesses through strategic development of their human resources. Effective training and retention forms the key component of such an achievement (Analoui & Karim 2003). The ultimate goal of training in any organization is to improve the skills and knowledge of its employees and also gain a competitive advantage in a particular business sector. Training needs be tailored to address the business strategic objectives and meet its calculated needs. It also facilitates creation of a unique workforce. Small and medium sized businesses have to embrace the following practices in order to improve training and retention, putting more emphasis in valuing of work place learning and training. Like larger organizations, small and medium sized businesses need to continuously and regularly improve their capacity to gather information, managerial skills and their commitment to investing in employee’s knowledge and skills. ... Strategic training and partnerships should be employed to foster the achievement of such goals. For instance, in organizations that employ the principle of lean manufacturing which is geared to reduce waste and improve productivity, employees learning initiatives are tailored to support the principle. In addition, partnership training should help small business entity in strengthening its training reserves and learning to explore new business opportunities and increase returns in the long run (Alberto & Hamel 2005) Moreover, Employees need to receive tailor made training that matches their job task and anticipated work results. The training offered should be flexible to enable the employees accommodate their job responsibilities as well as social life ones. The training should also be participatory in nature such that employees who are efficient in one area are involved in sharing that knowledge with their colleagues. Formal employee training programs especially the foundation learni ng programs need to be adopted by the employers with the emphasis of developing communication skills. In the globalized and technology oriented business environment, customer satisfaction is imperative to any business success. In small and medium sized businesses, the employees represent the image of the organization and forms daily contact with the customers especially in those the service industry. The foundation training program should work as a curtain raiser to advanced training programs that facilitate the acquisition of management and leadership skills, decision making and problem solving (Alberto & Hamel 2005). This will form the basis of promotion within the organization because such programs prepare the employees for higher

Achieving the Goal Essay Example for Free

Achieving the Goal Essay How will I achieve the goal? There are many things going through my head when I think about the question, but there are only a few important ones that stick out the most. Achieving the goal would be for me to do everything in my power to do the very best I can in college so when I do finish I can become a physical therapist. For me to achieve my goal, I’m going to have to work hard and study even harder so I can get the very best grades while going to Victoria College. I know that college isn’t easy and sometimes it is going to be difficult, but I will not let that stop me from getting my goal. I also know that college is very different from high school. So that means that I’m going to need to work ten times harder than I did back then. I believe that by studying and giving my very best at everything I do in college, I will achieve my goal. I just have to remember that I can’t give up even when it gets hard because that will get me nowhere. Besides doing my best in college, I’m going to need to balance my job as a mother of three and the duties of a house wife. Balancing kids and keeping up with everything that comes with the responsibilities of a wife, home, and family is just another step on the path to achieving my goals. Having a family while also going to school full time can be tough. Sometimes when I get home I’m tired and really don’t feel like doing any homework, but I know that I have to. This sometimes can lead to procrastinating. I’ve gone to school before while having one child and managed just fine with school and work, so I know that I can do it again this go around of college too. Time management is the key though. Having a social life is something else I have to balance with college I believe that I can do all the things I want to with my friends and family and still be able to succeed in college. All I have to do is manage my time and keep my priorities straight. I have to think which is more important, hanging out and watching the football game with friends and family or studying for an upcoming test. Studying of course. I can do all the things I want to do with my family and friends as long as I don’t let it affect my school work. So when I finish my time at Victoria College, I want to transfer to University Houston-Victoria. It has always been my dream to go to a University and make my kids proud. It’s just another step in  achieving my goal. While I am at UHV, I want to succeed at everything I do so I can graduate with a Bachelor’s degree and then even go on to getting a Master’s degree as well. So hopefully when my time is done at UHV, I will have become a physical therapist. Something I have wanted to be for a while now. When it is all said and done with college and I do become a physical therapist, then I know that I have finally reached my goal for myself, my kids, and my husband. All I have to remember is that I can’t lose focus of my goals and dreams, because if I do then I will never achieve true happiness†¦my goal!

Books vs Films: Comparison

Books vs Films: Comparison Nowadays, most of people in the United State of America either read a book or watch a movie at their free time, for entertainment purposes. Printed books and movies have some similarities and differences. Some people argue that books are better than movies and visa versa. However, this is a controversial issue that has been discussed a lot recently. In this article, I will compare and contrast movies and printed books. I will be discussing five main points: imagination, time consumption, entertainment value, ideas and media. I chose this topic because there has been a lot of controversy regarding movies and books. Imagination plays a very important role when we speak of books and movies. Reading allows us to imagine the situation, environment, characters and their personality. Basically, movies are made from our imagination. Studies show that reading does improve a persons creativity due to imagination: because you are using your brain while reading, your concentration and focus levels improve. On the other hand, movies leave viewers with little imagination, but they focus on visual effects. Researchers from Lancaster University propose that watching fantasy movies may help enrich the creativity in children. A point that is worth noting is time consumption. A lot of people argue about this topic. Reading a book from cover to cover takes a lot of time; of course it depends on the book, the writing style and the wording. Many people enjoy reading books for leisure purposes. Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), an American research company, made a survey, where it showed the estimated time spent on reading books (in a year) in the United States of America from 2002 to 2012 for those who are 18 years old and older. As you can see in the graph below, the average time spent is around 110 hours a year.    However, movies takes at most 4 hours of your time, such as the movie Lord of the Rings 3, but the average length of a movie is between 1.5 to 2 hours. A lot of people would rather watch a movie than read a book, claiming that it is not worth spending effort and time as you can watch the movie without requiring much effort from your side. Furthermore, Entertainment Value is a part of a programme whose goal is to entertain or attract the audiences attention. Books do that by enticing the reader by specific details that engage you. Some people find books more entertaining due to this reason.   Several people who both read books and watch movies claim that they were disappointed after seeing the movie as they had a higher expectations set up when they previously read the book . On the contrary, the movie experience is better shared with friends because movies are less imaginative, so it is easier to discuss the topic with your friends. A final point to share is that even though books and movies are different entities, they have some similarities. For instance: the ideas of both topics share the same main idea. Also, both books and movies are considered as sources of media, as they are both sources of knowledge and are used for entertainment purposes. However, they differ in some points. For example: Books, as we all know, tend toward focusing on details while movies cut out the over detailed parts so that the viewer doesnt feel bored while watching the movie. In addition, movies are considered as visual media while books is a typographic media. In conclusion, we cant conclude which media is better because this all depends on the individuals choice, personality and even age. Older people read books more than they watch movie, while the youth would rather watch a movie at their recreation time. Movies and Books have different ways presenting the story. However, they provide some similar prospects such as main ideas. Work Cited TIME SPENT READING BOOKS IN THE U.S. FROM 2002 TO 2012. Veronis Suhler Stevenson, n.d. Web. 6 Apr 2013. . 5 Top Tips For Why Reading Is Important! . N.p.. Web. 6 Apr 2013. . Study suggests watching fantasy movies may help enhance creativity in children. N.p., 21 Mar 2012. Web. 6 Apr 2013. . Special Economic Zones (SEZ): Features and Benefits Special Economic Zones (SEZ): Features and Benefits A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is a geographically bound zone where the economic laws in matters related to export and import are more broadminded and liberal as compared to rest parts of the country. SEZs are projected as duty free area for the purpose of trade, operations, duty and tariffs. SEZ units are self-contained and integrated having their own infrastructure and support services. Within SEZs, a units may be set-up for the manufacture of goods and other activities including processing, assembling, trading, repairing, reconditioning, making of gold/silver, platinum jewellery etc. The recent rush to set-up SEZs could fuel the economic growth and provide the cost advantage to industry in the rapidly changing global market. SEZs, being islands of opportunity, are offering business opportunity across the sectors. FDI in SEZs is set to rise rapidly once the development completes. Attractiveness of these SEZs would depend on products that have low import tariff and high volume products that have a domestic and international market. Like anywhere else in the world, the three pillars of the SEZ Act are fiscal incentives, regulatory freedom, and world-class infrastructure. History Yester years EPZs (Exporting Processing Zones) are todays SEZs. The world first known instance of SEZ have been found in an industrial park set up in Puerto Rico in 1947. In the 1960s, Ireland and Taiwan followed suit, but in the 1980s China made the SEZs gain global currency with its largest SEZ being the metropolis of Shenzhen. Special Economic Zone (SEZs) Scheme in India was conceived by the Commerce and Industries Minister Murasoli Maran during a visit to special Economic Zones in China in 1999. The scheme was announced at the time of annual review of EXIM Policy effective from 1.4.2000. The basic idea behind establishing these zones is to reserve areas where export production could take place free from all rules and regulations governing imports and exports and to give them operational flexibility. The policy provides for setting up of SEZs in the public, private, joint sector or by State Governments. It was also envisaged that some of the existing Export Processing Zones would be converted into Special Economic Zones. Accordingly, the government has converted Export Processing Zones located at Kandla and Surat, Cochin, Santa Cruz, Falta, Madras, Vishakapatnam and Noida into Special Economic Zones. Special Economic Zones in India were established in an attempt to accelerate foreign investment and endorse exports from India and recognizing the need of a global platform to expose the domestic firms and producers to the competitive world market. The announcement of formulating a Special Economic Zones policy in India was made by the government in April 2000 and was anticipated to be an overseas province for trade purposes, commercial operations, duties and taxes. SEZs when equipped are anticipated to provide premiere infrastructure services and sustenance services, besides permitting for the tariff free import of merchandize and raw materials. Furthermore, attractive financial subsidiaries and trouble-free custom tariffs, banking and other methods are provided in such business zones. Establishing SEZs is also recognized as communications development methods. Full law and rules effected Feb 2006 Special Economic zones Act may 2005 New Policy in April 2000 Export Processing Zone(EPZ policy 1965 1st EPZ was set up in Kandla (Gujrat)) In 1990s as a part reforms powers delegated to zone authoritiesChronology of SEZ framework Objectives Generation of additional economic activity Promotion of exports of goods and services Promotion of investment from domestic and foreign sources Creation of employment Development of Infrastructural facilities. Simplified procedure for development, operation and maintaining of the special Economic Zones and for setting up units and conducting business Single window clearance for setting up of a SEZ and an unit in SEZ Single window clearance on matters relating to Central as well as State Governments. Easy and Simplifeid compliance procedures and documentations with strss on self certification. Some of the salient features of Indian Special Economic Zones: Establishment of SEZ-Indian SEZs are developed by government, private and joint sector, unlike its international counterparts where zones are chiefly maintained by their respective governments. This provides equal prospects to both Indian and global players. Government has allocated a least favorable area of 1,000 hectares for greenfield SEZs. Although, there are no limitation in context of favorable area in constructing sector specific SEZs. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) 100% of Foreign Direct Investment is allowed for all endowments in Special Economic Zones, apart from activities cataloged under the unconstructive record like, Arms and ammunition and other items of defence Narcotic and Psychotropic substance Hazardous Chemicals Distillation and Brewing of alcoholic drinks Cigarettes and Tabacco. SEZ divisions are obligatory to be encouraging net foreign exchange yielders and are not entitle to any least amount of value addition guidelines or export responsibilities. Commodity surge from Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) into a SEZ is recognized as exports and commodity surge into DTA from SEZ are recognized as imports. Formats for SEZs in India Types of SEZ Sector Specific SEZ-units may be set up for  manufacture of one or more goods in a sector  rendering of one or more services in a sector Multi-product SEZ-units may be set up for manufacture of two or more goods in a sector or goods falling in two or more sectors trading and warehousing rendering of two or more services in a sector or services falling in two or more  sectors. Other SEZs SEZ in a port or airport SEZ for Free Trade and Warehousing Indian Special Economic Zones Organizational Set-up SEZs are controlled by a three tier Organizational Set-up described as under: Supreme controlling body in the Department is known as The Board of Approval At district level, The Unit Approval Committee tackles with SEZs development and other associated issues Every district is led by a Development Commissioner, who also controls the Unit Approval Committee. SEZ Institutional Framework Overview Indian Special Economic Zones Benefits Besides offering high end infrastructure and availability to a large skilled workforce, SEZ also offers attractive incentives and advantages to firms and developers. Benefits of Indian Special Economic Zones: Full Income tax exemption for a period of 5 years and an extra 50% tax relief for additional two years. Manufacturing industry is allowed an FDI influx of 100% via automatic channels excluding few industries. Services to establish off-shore banking divisions in SEZs Service Tax and Central Sales Tax exemption External commercial lending of upto US$500 million is allowed for SEZ divisions in a year sans any maturity limitations via certified banking networks. No import authorization obligations. Services to sustain foreign exchange proof of payments of upto 100% in Exchange Earners Foreign Currency Account. SEZ franchisees are allowed 100% FDI in offering customary telephone facilities in the areas. No limitation of foreign endowments for small scale industry reticent products. Tax relief from sectoral authorization obligations for goods reticent for SSI industry Tax relief from custom tariff on import of merchandize, raw products, spare parts etc Tax relief from Central Excise tariff on acquirement of merchandize, raw products, spare parts etc from the local market No regular assessments by Customs for export and import freight. Capacity to comprehend and repatriate export advances within a year. Revenues permitted to be repatriated sans any dividend assessment needs Authorization for Employment prospects on behalf of local exporters for direct export. Authorization for off-shoring of local and global players. This service is accessible to jewelry sector also. Major SEZ Benefits Benefits The SEZ Act also provides a number of incentives to units proposed to be set up in SEZs. SEZ units may be set up for carrying on manufacturing, trading or service activity. A unit set up in SEZ has the following facilities and incentives: 1) Land Grabbing at very low prices. 2) If SEZ built on agricultural land the farmers will loose their livelihood as they are not skilled laborers it would to tough to relocate them to other jobs. Already Farmers are having very bad days in India, one of the leading agriculture countries. 3) Since the companies that operate under SEZ enjoy a lot of tax holidays it would create a burden on the finance ministry as tax collected would be less. 4) Huge downward impact on Tax: GDP ratio the common man have to pay the price of it. 5) 15 year corporate tax holiday on export profit 100% for initial 5 years, 50% for the next 5 years and up to 50% for the balance 5 years equivalent to profits ploughed back for investment. 6) Allowed to carry forward losses. 7) No licence required for import. 8) Duty free import/domestic procurement of goods for setting up of the SEZ units. 9) Goods imported/procured locally are duty free and could be utilised over the approval period of 5 years. 10) Exemption from customs duty on import of capital goods, raw materials, consumables, spares, etc. 11) Exemption from Central Excise duty on the procurement of capital goods, raw materials, consumable spares, etc. from the domestic market. 12) Exemption from payment of Central Sales Tax on the sale or purchase of goods, provided that, the goods are meant for undertaking authorized operations. 11) Exemption from payment of Service Tax. 12) The sale of goods or merchandise that is manufactured outside the SEZ (i.e, in DTA) and which is purchased by the Unit (situated in the SEZ) is eligible for deduction and such sale would be deemed to be exports. 13) The SEZ unit is permitted to realise and repatriate to India the full export value of goods or software within a period of twelve months from the date of export. 14) Write-off of unrealized export bills is permitted up to an annual limit of 5% of their average annual realization. 15) No routine examination by Customs officials of export and import cargo. 16) Setting up Off-shore Banking Units (OBU) allowed in SEZs. 17) OBUs allowed 100% income tax exemption on profit earned for three years and 18) 50 % for next two years. 19) Exemption from requirement of domicile in India for 12 months prior to appointment as Director. 20) Since SEZ units are considered as public utility services, no strikes would be allowed in  such companies without giving the employer 6 weeks prior notice in addition to the other  conditions mentioned in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. 21) The Government has exempted SEZ Units from the payment of stamp duty and registration fees on the lease/license of plots. 22) External Commercial Borrowings up to $ 500 million a year allowed without any maturity restrictions. 23) Enhanced limit of Rs. 2.40 crores per annum allowed for managerial remuneration Conclusion The SEZs could drastically improve the economic activity in the country, make the countrys export competitive and globally noticeable, be net foreign exchange earner and provide immense employment opportunity. But this should not be done at the cost of bringing down the agricultural activities, Land grabbing and real estate mafia should be properly regulated so that the common man is not the net sufferer to get the net foreign exchange earner up and running. As compared to china where majority of the SEZs were setup by the government, similar should be adopted in India, if not fully it should be a public-private partnership and regulatory bodies should be properly managed to weed out fallacies. To be economically viable SEZs should be approved over a particular land area (greater than 1000 acres) for rapid economic growth in the area and for it to be profitable and self sustainable. Relaxed Tax norms, Labor laws and DTA regulations will surely attract foreign investment and major ind ustries to setup industries in the SEZs making it profitable and meeting its desired results!

Dreaming In The 1960s Essay examples -- essays research papers

In 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said his most famous words: "I have a dream." He was not the only one who felt this way. For many, the 1960s was a decade in which their dreams about America might be fulfilled. For Martin Luther King Jr., this was a dream of a truly equal America; for John F. Kennedy, it was a dream of a young vigorous nation that would put a man on the moon; and for the hippy movement, it was one of love, peace, and freedom. The 1960s was a tumultuous decade of social and political upheaval. We are still confronting many social issues that were addressed in the 1960s today. In spite of the turmoil, there were some positive results, such as the civil rights revolution. However, many outcomes were negative: student antiwar protest movements, political assassinations, and ghetto riots excited American people and resulted in a lack of respect for authority and the law. The first president during the 1960s was John F. Kennedy. He was young, appealing, and had a carefully crafted public image that barely won him the election. Because former President Eisenhower supported the Republican nominee, Richard Nixon, and because many had doubts about Kennedy's youth and Catholic religion, Kennedy only received three-tenths of one percent more of the popular vote than Nixon. The first thing Kennedy did during his brief presidency was to try to restore the nation's economy. Economic growth was slow in 1961 when Kennedy entered the White house. The President initiated a series of tariff negotiations to stimulate exports and proposed a federal tax cut to help the economy internally. John F. Kennedy was known as one of the few presidents in history who made his own personality a significant part of his presidency and a focus of national attention. Nothing illustrated this more clearly than the reaction to the tragedy of November 22, 1963. Kennedy was driving through the streets of Dallas. The streets were full of cheering people watching him drive by. The President was surrounded by loud motorcycles driven by the Secret Service. One onlooker, looking into a sixth floor window, noticed another man with a rifle. "Boy! ," he said. "You sure can't say the Secret Service isn't on the ball. Look at that guy up there in the window with a rifle" (Pett 12). That man with the rifle was not a member of the Secret Service. A fraction of... ...on. Another type of chemical, chemical pestisides, were also important in the 1960s. A book written by Rachel Carson described for the first time the dangers of using pesticides. Carson believed that the poisonous chemicals were taking a dreadful toll, and that the only way to fix the situation was to "let the balance of nature take care of the number of insects" (Carson 17). Another poisonous chemical was being used on humans. Mistakes made in the past caused a great deal of health problems to children around the world when it was discovered that using a tranquilizer called thalidomide caused severe birth defects. Babies were born with hands and feet like flippers, attached to the body with little or no arm or leg. Every compound drug containing the sedative was taken off the market. The 1960s began under the shadow of the Cold War and ended under the shado wo fthe Vietnam War. What happened inbetween was a series of dreams, failures, and realities that have made the sixties one of the most tumultuous decades in the history of the United States. From assassinations to Woodstock, the 1960s was an era of confusion in which every American tried to make his dream a reality.

My Dad and Old Cars Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

My Dad and Old Cars Some people bring home stray dogs. My father brings home stray cars. He gets emotionally attached and eventually puts them on life support. This keeps them viable long beyond the time other family members vote to pull the plug. He drives a 1968 VW van that chugs along on its third rebuilt engine. My big brother vows to bury dad in it. The 1971 VW Bug that he used for fifteen years is still operable, but since a teenager's foot went through the rusted floorboards to the street below, it's been relegated to the retirement home: his driveway. He continues paying on the life insurance policy but he has signed a "Do Not Resuscitate" waiver. My father went off to college in a 1931 Model A Ford. In the back seat of that car, on an old country road, I made love for the first time. Now it sits under a blue parachute in the driveway. Mice breed in the upholstery and the ceiling fabric hangs in shreds, but my father is convinced the car will awaken from its coma and live to cruise again. A 1960 Plymouth Valiant that drove like a tank and sounded like a B-52 suffered sudden paralysis one car-pooling morning when both front wheels turned at right angles to the frame of the car, bringing it to a sudden and permanent halt. Unwilling to assign the car to a nameless grave in Potter's Field, my father paid to have it hauled to a vocational school. Prince Valiant became a vehicular cadaver; the old thing may even have become an organ donor. We don't buy new cars. According to my dad, "You never know what might go wrong with a new car, and you could get a lemon." I say, "But we know even less about a used car. People don't sell their cars when everything's fine. They sell them when things start going wrong." ... ...car key. My dad, the guy with the soft spot for homeless old cars in need of a square meal and a soft bed, had made good on a long-standing promise of "a decent car." It took him six months of scouring the ads, but he'd bought me a car that's only five years old. It's an Acura Legend and appears to be in excellent health. The leather seats are as comfortable as the Peugeot's, no gremlins live in the CD player, and the AC and heating systems have no viruses. The sunroof is dry as a bone, and the car starts whenever I turn the key. Overall, I'd say the car has a superb attitude. That first morning of new ownership, I stood staring in awe at this white beauty. Then the rest of my life spread before me as my father said, "And we can give it to Bria when she starts driving. It should have all the bugs worked out of it by then." Bria is my five-year-old niece.

Does Increased Carbon Dioxide Emissions Cause Global Warming? Essay

The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere is one of the most important environmental issues in the world today. The volatile climate and changes of heat in the atmosphere are connected with an increase of large amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is often talked about that the primary reason why the global warming situation is increasing is due to the increase of the amount of greenhouse gases present in the Earth’s atmosphere, primarily the amount of carbon dioxide emissions. The increased carbon dioxide amount in the atmosphere that causes global warming is a cause of concern for many people because of its potential dangerous effects to the Earth and the environment. However, there are opposing arguments against this claim, and they refute that it is not accurate to mainly attribute the problem of global warming to the increasing carbon dioxide emission caused by the activities of humans. Audience My audience will be the one’s opposing the claim that carbon dioxide emissions cause global warming. The one’s opposing this claim believes that global warming is natural and the greenhouse gases do not cause global warming. That is true to some extent; however, if we did not build all of the industrial plants after the Industrial Revolution, which produces all of the carbon dioxide emissions global warming would not be as bad. To many scientists global warming refers to the observation that the Earth is warming, without any indication of what might be causing the warming of the atmosphere. This definition indicates that global warming can be due to various factors, and one of these reasons includes the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect, meanwhile, is a warming near the surface of the Earth that results whe... ...make our planet the only planet known to be habitable. I was able to use this book to better improve my reader’s knowledge of global warming and the effects of global warming. "What is Global Warming? - National Wildlife Federation." Home - National Wildlife Federation. National Wildlife Federation, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. . This article defines global warming and talks about how it is happening now. The article also goes in depth of how global warming is caused by humans and the effects that global warming are causing. Another thing the article talks about is what we can do to solve the problem of global warming. This article helped me by explaining the reasons of global warming and also by telling me ways that the global warming issue can be fixed. Another reason the article helped was by explaining the different causes of global warming.

Evaluate the Influence Different Stakeholders Exert in One Organisation

I am going to evaluate the influence that stakeholders exert on Zotefoams PLC. I will be evaluating the following stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, the government and owners. Customers Customers contribute to profit levels and turnover through buying products and services. People are stakeholders in a company for financial reasons; customers do not want to have to spend an excessive amount of money to purchase a product, so if one of Zotefoams competitors can produce the same product for a lower price the customer may be tempted to change suppliers.Without its customer Zotefoams would not exist, they survive through customer loyalty and their ability to attract new custom. To ensure that they get regular customers Zotefoams ensures that all of its products are the best on the market. Customer service is also held very highly. By offering these incentives Zotefoams are getting regular customers which bring in more profit which then can be used to help expand the business.In the resent economic down-turn Zotefoams business customers have been demanding cheaper products, and with the risk of losing contacts worth millions of pounds Zotefoams has had to expand its manufacturing base with factories in the UK, USA and now in China. This diversity allows them created not only cheaper products but also more specialised one too. This has opened up a larger market for them which have increased their share prices by 50% in two years. This has all been brought on by the need to satisfy their existing customer and increase their potential one.Employees Employee is any person hired by an employer to do a specific job. Employees are important as any other stakeholder because they have first contact with customers so if the customers want to ask a question about the organisation or about a product then the employees can help with that and that employees could also recommend products to customers which will bring in more profit. Employees must know ab out the customer service policy. If customers have a problem or an issue with a product or service then employees must know how to deal with it.Zotefoams have business and public customer that require different levels of customer service. The advantage to having a customer service for the customers is that their needs and complaints will be responded to. In reality, there are several factors that influence how committed employees are to a company or organization. It has been proven that the more autonomy and responsibility that a job has, the less repetitive and dull that job also is and the more likely the worker is to enjoy and feel satisfied by the work.Those individuals who feel stimulated, challenged and satisfied in their jobs are much more likely to be committed to a given work environment, company or organisation. Additionally, things like promotional opportunities, pay raises and chances for cross-training and advancement all encourage commitment. Those jobs or companies wh ere there are fewer opportunities for promotion, advancement, and education tend to have higher turnover and less satisfied employees. In essence it is a very symbiotic relationship.A business such as Zotefoams needs to employee a number of skilled employees to reach its business goals and likewise skilled employees would have the advantage of having a larger amount of employers to choose from. As a result the amount of influence employees have on a business is only (in my option) second to a business’s customer. Shareholders Shareholders are the owners of a company. They have the potential to profit if the company does well, but that comes with the potential to lose if the company does poorly. Shareholders can influence a business in many ways.They can exert their influence by voting for particular directors or they can exert their influence by approving dividend payments at the AGM (Annual General Meeting). Shareholders play an important role in raising funds for organisati ons. So these figures create a great opportunity for all those who are looking for a profitable option to invest money. The main powers of the Annual General Meeting of shareholders are to approve and receive dividend proposals. An AGM (Annual General Meeting) is a meeting that official bodies and ssociations involving the public including companies with shareholders are often required by law to hold.An AGM is held every year to elect the Board of Directors and inform their members of previous and future activities. It is an opportunity for the shareholders and partners to receive copies of the company's accounts as well as reviewing financial information for the past year and asking any questions regarding the directions the business will take in the future. In reality (a company such as Zotefoams) the shareholders have little or no impact on virtually anything to do with the company.Most companies have millions of shares outstanding and thousands of shareholders. The management ge nerally makes all strategic decisions unless the decision involves raising funds through bonds or secondary offerings, along with potential mergers or acquisitions. Issues of that significance are presented to the Board of Directors by the management and decided by the Board. In general, management considers shareholders simply as investors, and that the shareholders are only concerned about the share price or dividend payout.They know that it is virtually impossible for general shareholders to get 50% + 1 to change the board. That is not to say the company does not care about the shareholders. It simply assumes that the board and top management know the most about the company and therefore will automatically do what they believe is in the best interest for both the company and investor. External stakeholders-Suppliers Stock managers have trusted suppliers to supply them with the products they need to sell.The suppliers should provide the products on time, however if not then stock managers will find new suppliers that are better than the ones they had previously. If stock managers and suppliers have a good relationship with one another then they would be happy to work with each other which means stock managers will have a reliable source of supplies and suppliers will have a reliable source of income. If suppliers are happy then they will be more motivated to help the business to achieve success and help the business run effectively. Suppliers must supply the stock managers with good quality products.If however the products are bad quality then stock managers will find new suppliers and their previous suppliers will lose customers and they would get a bad reputation which means all their other customers will find new suppliers too. Zotefoams suppliers influence the business by making sure they have the right amount of stock delivered at the right time. If their suppliers do not supply high quality goods this would be a disadvantage. This could lead to a reduc tion of customers. The Government The government sets corporate tax rates for businesses so that they pay their taxes.This way, a business can make its contribution towards the society. As a result, the government uses this money for economic growth and development. Paying taxes help these businesses to streamline their processes, as a result of more efficient infrastructure and management. The taxes paid also assist in supporting backward countries, so that overall demand of their products is not only restrained to UK, but includes exports to these nations too. Government laws are there to handle disputes, errors or poor judgment of a given person.In any society, disagreement between employees can break down a healthy structure, so the laws are in place to attempt to guarantee equal rights to each member. Conclusion My conclusion is that there are a number of different stakeholders that hold different levels of influences on Zotefoams. But in my option out of all of Zotefoams (or a ny business) stakeholders its customer would hold the most influence, because after all a business cannot operate without its customers. By looking at a number of case studies (1) you can see a direct link between poor PR/ customer service and a company stock prices and sales.In November 2011 Shares of Abercrombie & Fitch plunged more than 15% in one day resulting from a PR disaster. This is evidences that if a company do not reflect the wishes of its customer or delivers poor service/goods there can be a massive negative effect on the business. Another example of how customers can effect business operations is the disastrous speech made by CEO Gerald Ratner of The Ratner Group. After making a speech in which he jokingly denigrated the company's products as â€Å"tacky† he nearly caused the company's near collapse. The company’s stakeholders are very important to keep the business up and running.A company’s stakeholders are all important but in handling its stak eholders, a business also has to accept that it will have to make choices. It is rare that â€Å"win-win† solutions can be found for key business decisions. Almost certainly the business cannot meet the needs of every stakeholder group and most decisions will end up being â€Å"win-lose†: i. e. supporting one stakeholder means another misses out. There are often areas where stakeholder interests are aligned, where a decision can benefit more than one stakeholder group. In other cases, there is a clear conflict of interest.

Mkt 421 Final Exam

1) According to the text, marketing means: A. Selling. B. Much more than selling and advertising. C. Producing and selling. D. Advertising. 2) For Tesla, a new firm that makes an electric sports car, estimating how many competitors will make electric vehicles and what kinds they will make, is: A. A production activity. B. One of the universal functions of innovation. C. An example of the micro-macro dilemma. D. A part of marketing. 3) Which of the following statements best describes the modern view of marketing? A. Marketing should take over production, accounting, and financial services within a firm.B. The job of marketing is to get rid of whatever the company is producing. C. Marketing is concerned with generating a single exchange between a firm and a customer. D. Marketing begins with anticipating potential customer needs. 4) Professional Dental Supply has been successfully selling dental instruments to dentists for the past 20 years, and has developed strong customer relations. When looking for new marketing opportunities, Professional Dental Supply will most likely look first at A. Market development. B. Diversification. C. Product development. D. Market penetration. ) To compete more successfully with its many competitors offering packaged cookies, Famous Amos added its own line of extra chunky premium cookies. This seems to be an effort at: A. Market development. B. Market penetration. C. Product development. D. Combination. 6) Which of the following statements regarding marketing strategies is FALSE? A. Developing successful marketing strategies does not need to be a hit-or-miss proposition. B. These strategies must meet the needs of target customers, and a firm is likely to get a competitive advantage if it just meets needs in the same way as some other firm. C.These strategies require decisions about the specific customers the firm will target and the marketing mix the firm will develop to appeal to that target market. D. It is useful to think of th e marketing strategy planning process as a narrowing-down process. 7) A firm's marketing mix decision areas would NOT include: A. Price B. People C. Product D. Promotion 8) Which of the following is true? A. The product P in the marketing mix stands for only tangible merchandise. B. The product P in the marketing mix stands for both physical goods and services. C. The product P in the marketing mix stands for both physical goods and tangible D.The product P in the marketing mix stands for only physical goods. 9) Product is NOT concerned with: A. Wholesale price. B. Branding. C. Packaging. D. Quality level. 10) Dell, Inc. wants to offer customers televisions in addition to computers. This is a change in their _____________________ A. personnel. B. promotional. C. product. D. pricing. 11) Hewlett-Packard sells personal computers through specialty computer stores, electronics superstores, and its own Internet site. The marketing mix variable that is being considered here is: A. Product . B. Placement. C. Promotional. D. Pricing. 2) The ______ area of the marketing mix is concerned with decisions about getting the right product to the target market when and where it is wanted. A. Promotion B. Place C. People D. Product 13) The main difference between a marketing strategy and a marketing plan is that: A. A marketing strategy provides more detail. B. A marketing strategy omits pricing plans. C. A marketing plan includes several marketing strategies. D. Time-related details are included in a marketing plan. 14) A marketing plan is: A. A marketing strategy—plus the time-related details for carrying it out. B. A target market and a related marketing mix.C. A marketing strategy. D. A marketing program. 15) Which of the following is part of a complete marketing plan? A. Competitors' marketing strategies. B. What company resources (costs) are required and at what rate. C. How different marketing mixes (for different target markets) relate to each other. D. All of th ese. 16) Marketing strategy planners should recognize that: A. Large firms like General Electric, Target, and Procter & Gamble are too large to aim at clearly defined markets. B. Target marketing is not limited to small market segments. C. Mass marketing is often very effective and desirable. D.Target markets should not be large and spread out. 17) Target marketing, in contrast to mass marketing, A. Ignores markets that are large and spread out. B. Focuses on fairly homogeneous market segments. C. Assumes that all customers are basically the same. D. Is limited to small market segments. 18) Good marketing strategy planners know that: A. Mass marketing is often very desirable and effective. B. The terms mass marketing and mass marketer mean basically the same thing. C. Target marketing does not limit one to small market segments. D. Firms like Nabisco and WalMart are too large to aim at clearly defined target markets. 9) ______________ is the process of naming broad product-markets a nd then segmenting these broad product-markets in order to select target markets and develop suitable marketing mixes. A. Mass marketing B. Market positioning C. Diversification D. Market segmentation 20) Clustering techniques applied to segmenting markets A. Usually require computers to group people based on data from market research. B. Remove the need for managerial judgment. C. Eliminate the need for marketing managers to specify in advance what dimensions might be relevant for grouping consumers. D. All of the above are true. 1) The process of naming broad product-markets and then segmenting them in order to select target markets and develop suitable marketing mixes is called: A. Market development. B. Market penetration. C. Market research. D. Market segmentation. 22) Procedures that develop and analyze new information to help marketing managers make decisions are called: A. Analytical research. B. Strategy planning. C. Marketing research. D. Operational planning. 23) ________ ________ ________________ utilizes qualitative and quantitative analysis procedures to help marketing managers make more informed decisions. A. Marketing structure.B. Marketing planning. C. Marketing research. D. Marketing processing. 24) A ______________ is an organized way of continually gathering and analyzing data to get information to help marketing managers make ongoing decisions. A. Marketing research project B. Marketing information system C. Marketing research department D. Marketing model 25) Marketing research which seeks structured responses that can be summarized is called: A. Qualitative research. B. Focus group research. C. Situation analysis research. D. Quantitative research. 26) One of the major disadvantages of the focus group interview approach is hat A. It is difficult to get in-depth information about the research topic. B. It is difficult to measure the results objectively. C. There is no interviewer, so the research questions may not be answered. D. Ideas gen erated by the group cannot be tested later with other research. 27) Focus groups: A. Always do a good job of representing the broader target market. B. Yield results that are largely dependent on the viewpoint of the researcher. C. Are expensive compared to other marketing research methods. D. Are usually composed of 10 to 15 people as participants. 28) The observing method in marketing research:A. Is used to gather data without consumers being influenced by the process. B. May require customers to change their normal shopping behavior. C. Is not suitable for obtaining primary data. D. Uses personal interviews. 29) The attitudes and behavior patterns of people are part of the A. Competitive environment. B. Social and cultural environment. C. Firm's resources and objectives. D. Political environment. 30) Which of the following statements about consumer products is true? A. Specialty products are those that customers usually are least willing to search for. B.Shopping products are tho se products for which customers usually want to use routinized buying behavior. C. Unsought products are not shopped for at all. D. Convenience products are those that customers want to buy at the lowest possible price. 31) ______________ is the process of naming broad product-markets and then segmenting these broad product-markets in order to select target markets and develop suitable marketing mixes. A. Mass marketing B. Strategic planning C. Market positioning D. Market segmentation 32) Which is the first step in market segmentation? A. Naming a broad product-market of interest to the firm.B. Evaluating market segments to determine if they are large enough. C. Finding one or two demographic characteristics to divide up the whole mass market. D. Clustering people with similar needs into a market segment. 33) The first step in market segmentation should be: A. Finding a demographic group likely to use your products. B. Defining some broad product-markets where you may be able to op erate profitably. C. Deciding what new product you could develop. D. Evaluating what segment(s) you currently serve. 34) Which of the following is NOT one of the text's product life cycle stages?A. Market introduction B. Market growth C. Market maturity D. Market penetration 35) The product life cycle: A. Applies more to individual brands than to categories or types of products. B. Shows that sales and profits tend to move together over time. C. Describes the stages a new product idea goes through from beginning to end. D. Has five major stages. 36) Tom and Sally Jones are preparing to purchase a new car. He currently has a Toyota Camry and she has a Honda Accord. They now have two children under age 5, so they plan to trade in Sally's car to purchase a minivan.Sally and Tom decided on a Honda Odyssey because Sally is familiar with Hondas and thinks they are very reliable. In this purchase situation, Tom and Sally's family life cycle stage is a _____________ segmentation dimension, and the benefit Sally seeks (reliability) is a _____________ segmentation dimension. A. Geographic; behavioral. B. Demographic; geographic. C. Geographic; demographic. D. Demographic; behavioral. 37) Regarding product life cycles, which of the following is NOT true? A. It is usually expensive for a new firm to enter in the market maturity stage. B.Industry profits are likely to level off or decline before sales level off. C. The level of promotion usually decreases in market maturity because there is less revenue to cover the cost. D. Many close substitutes are usually competing in the market maturity stage. 38) An industry's sales have leveled off and profits are declining in oligopolistic competition. Consumers see competing products as homogeneous. Several firms have dropped out of the industry, but a new one entered recently. Firms in the industry are trying to avoid price-cutting by spending on persuasive advertising.These firms are competing in which stage of the product life cycle? A. Market introduction B. Market growth C. Market maturity D. Market development 39) During the market introduction stage of the product life cycle: A. Funds are being invested in marketing with the expectation of future profits. B. Considerable money is spent on promotion while place development is left until later stages. C. Products usually show large profits if marketers have successfully carved out new markets. D. Most potential customers are quite anxious to try out the new-product concept. 40) Advertising allowances A.Set the allowance amount as a percent of the retailer's actual purchases. B. Are price reductions to firms further along in the channel to encourage them to advertise or otherwise promote the firm's products locally. C. Involve intermediaries and producers sharing in the cost of ads. D. Allow for coordination and integration of ad messages in the channel. 41) SGCA is having a sales contest to encourage retailers to quickly reduce the inventory of SuperGam er computers. Retailers with the highest sales during the next month win an expense paid trip to a special dealer meeting at a resort in Hawaii. This is A.An example of a producer using sales promotion in the channel. B. Probably illegal because it might encourage price competition among retailers. C. An example of cooperative advertising. D. The type of promotion that continues to impact sales even after the promotion is over. 42) While watching a television program, Liza gets a phone call just as a commercial is starting. She presses the mute button on the television's remote control and takes the call, so she pays no attention to the commercial. In terms of the communication process, the telephone call is an example of: A. Feedback. B. Noise. C. Encoding.D. Decoding. 43) A producer using very aggressive promotion to get final consumers to ask intermediaries for a new product has: A. A pushing policy. B. A target marketing policy. C. A pulling policy D. A selective distribution po licy. 44) American Tourister, Inc. —a producer of luggage—is planning to introduce a new product line. The marketing manager is having her sales force call on retailers to explain American Tourister's consumer advertising plans, the unique features of the new luggage, how the distributors can best promote it, and what sales volume and profit margins they can reasonably expect.This is an example of: A. A pushing policy. B. Intensive distribution. C. A pulling policy. D. Selective distribution. 45) Integrated direct-response promotion: A. Is not necessary or useful when the channel of distribution involves intermediaries. B. Is usually part of a pushing effort rather than part of a pulling approach. C. Focuses on achieving a measurable, direct response from specific target customers. D. None of these are true. 46) Which of the following statements about positioning is NOT TRUE? A. It helps marketing managers know how customers view the firm's offering. B.It refers to how customers think about proposed or present brands in a market. C. It often makes use of techniques such as perceptual mapping. D. Positioning issues are especially important when competitors in a market are very dissimilar. 47) When segmenting broad product-markets, cost considerations tend A. To lead to a large number of small, but very homogeneous, product-market segments. B. To lead to more aggregating. C. To encourage managers to disregard the criterion that a product-market segment should be substantial. D. To be unimportant as long as the segmenting dimensions are operational. 48) Positioning analysis A.Shows that managers and customers usually view present brands similarly. B. Is not a product-oriented approach. C. Helps managers understand the actual characteristics of their products. D. Is a visual aid to understanding a product-market. 49) A _____ is a market with very similar needs and sellers offering various close substitute ways of satisfying those needs. A. Product-ma rket B. Target market C. Generic market D. Standard market 50) Which of the following is NOT a trend affecting marketing strategy planning in the area of international marketing? A. Decreasing role of airfreight. B. Global communication over the Internet.C. Tensions between have and have-not cultures. D. More attention to exporting by small companies. 51) When a company grows globally, this is an example of: A. Market penetration. B. Diversification. C. Market development D. Product development. 52) Identify the incorrect statement about sales promotions. A. The availability of more ad agencies and specialists has spurred growth in sales promotions. B. Changes in technology have made sales promotions more efficient. C. Sales promotions have increased because of competition in emerging markets. D. Sales promotions can be used as tools to overcome consumer price resistance. 3) Which of the following is a key trend affecting marketing strategy planning? A. Growth of marketing informati on systems. B. Less use of technology in personal selling. C. Senior and ethnic submarkets are getting smaller. D. Slower new-product development. 54) It is usually the _________ job, perhaps with help from specialists in technology, to decide what types of sales technology tools are needed and how they will be used. A. Purchasing manager's B. Marketing executive's C. Sales manager's D. Procurement manager's 55) The future poses many challenges for marketing managers because: A.Social responsibility applies only to firms—not to consumers. B. New technologies are making it easier to abuse consumers' rights to privacy. C. It is marketing managers who have full responsibility to preserve our macro-marketing system. D. The marketing concept has become obsolete. 56) Many Internet sites, such as Autobytel. com and Edmunds. com, have extensive information about the prices of new and used vehicles that anyone can use for free. In light of the availability of this information, what is the responsibility of consumers to use it? A. Consumers should not trust any information they receive from any source except the government.B. Consumers should not use it because it gives them an unfair advantage over car dealers. C. Consumers can use it, but should not feel a responsibility to do so. D. Consumers have a responsibility to use the information and be smarter customers. 57) Which of the following statements about ethical behavior in business is true? A. The legal environment sets the normative standards of ethical behavior. B. The legal environment sets the highest standards of ethical behavior. C. The legal environment sets the minimum standards of ethical behavior D. The legal environment sets the maximum standards of ethical behavior.