Case Application Fast-Forwarding Blockbuster Answers Essay

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine the consumer preferences of international brands over local items. This research is design to find out the buying behavior of young consumers. This paper examines consumer preferences and attributes of decision making in segment of respondent in Vehari, Pakistan. A number of factors affect the consumer purchase decisions. The results suggests, that group of consumer prefer the attributes like, Quality, Price, Social Status, Design of products. It also suggests the preferences for foreign products over local products. The research was conducted in Vehari and the sample selected 65. The data collected for research was through a questionnaire and was conducted in CIIT Vehari Campus since the target audience was largely the youth. Key Words: Preferences of international brands, Quality of products, Price of products, Social status, Design of the products. INTRODUCTION: This research is proposed to the consumer preference of international brands over local production. The biggest factor that changes the consumer purchasing decision is quality when they prefer international brands over local brands. Consumers are more information about other culture, lifestyle and brand. On the other hand electronic sources are available to access international brand information in seconds. In last few years increasing of globalization had made intensely impact on market and also on consumer choice. Through globalization companies have advantage to participate in international market and approach to new consumer markets. The main purpose of this study is to find the factors that are influencing consumer’s living in Vehari and their choices of purchasing international brands over local brands. The main objective of this study is to learn about how country of origin effect and change the choices and willingness of the consumer. This research will investigate the purchasing behavior of Vehari consumers towards international brands over local products. Country of origin of any product tells the reputation of the specific country. It also shows the national characteristics, economics, political background, social system, tradition and history of any particular region. In short country of origin is overall perception of the consumer about particular country. It is necessary to establish parameters to measure the consumer attitude toward consumer preference on international brands rather local brands. However, for some products and services â€Å"the tastes and preferences of consumers in different nations are beginning to converge on some global norms† (Holt, 2002). Consumers seem to value and admire global brands and regard such brands as a status symbol, from a consumer perspective brands may vary (Ismail, Masood, & Tawab, 2012). The preference of brand depends on best alternatives among availability (Tversky & Shafir, 1992). One goal of consumer is accurate selection results in value satisfaction (Bettman, Luce, & Payne, 1998) it is not just depends on judgment of any single attribute of a product (Elliot & Cameron, 1994). In other context, scholars argue that local cultures are yet very powerful force shaping consumers preferences and but some identify a tendency in consumers â€Å"hybridize† (Holton, 2000), â€Å"glocalize† (Ritzer, 2003) or â€Å"creolized† as a way to combine global and local cultural forces have impact. International and global brands can be defined as the multi market approach in consumer markets (Johansson & Ronkainen, 2005) while local brands defined as the local manufacturing’s approach to consumer markets. Today is ages of globalization so business are become international and cross national that why customers mostly recommended and preferred the international brands due to their top quality, user friendly and customer oriented products (Netemeyer, 1991). Purpose of the Study The main purpose of our study is to find the factors that are influencing consumer’s choices of youth of purchasing international brands over local brands in Vehari, Pakistan. There are many factors which influence consumer decision. Such as quality of products, price of products, social status, design of products. The study is also designed to find out the buying behavior of young consumers, attitudes towards international brands and local items and preference for international brands. LITERATURE REVIEW: Hornsby (2010) was saying that the purchasing process of consumer mostly depends on the attributes and features of the product. In many situations consumers search alternatives of the products and these alternatives and substitutes are foreign made so consumer decide that he or she use foreign products and these products can fulfill their needs and wants. In foods items there are few attributes which affecting the purchasing decision of the consumer, like appearance and price of the food. If foods items are fresh and their appearance is nice so consumer easily influence and want to purchase these food items. On the other hand price is another factor which influences the perception of the consumers. Price of the product made either good or bad impact on consumer. If product is expensive but its attributes and features is quite different rather than other product and also fulfill the demand of the consumer than consumer will be satisfy by that product and purchase it again and again. He also described that some consumers are very conscious about the manufacturing of the product. Made in image deep and strong impact on consumer purchase decision. If any product which is foreign made that easily influence the consumer rather the domestic product, that’s why now a day’s labeling or made in Japan, made in U.S.A and made in U.K is liked by consumer and prefer over the local manufacturing because foreign products have high quality, new technology and very durable and reliable. Past studies and survey are mostly based on above three attributes (price, appearance and county of origin). These are key features of the any product which affect the consumer choice and willingness. In different survey participants highly ranked these three attributes about their purchasing decision and shopping habits. Al-Mamun & Mahmud (2011) were saying that consumer behavior can be easily influenced by the factor of country of origin because in domestic and international markets foreign products are dominated by their high quality and new technology. This is true facts that every consumer evaluates domestic and foreign products through quality and features of the product. Previous research shows that such characteristics as quality, durability, appearance, prestige, safety, price, availability and risk affect consumer evaluation of product quality and has a significant impact on consumer’s purchase preferences. Shah and Khattak (2011) said that consumer preference is directly relate to the economic growth of the country of origin. The concept of good quality is the sign of economic development that is the reason consumers of developing country prefer more foreign products rather the local brands because good quality is the sign of developed countries. Because consumer not compromise on quality the consumer may pay for local product which are of high quality rather foreign products ignoring prices. It is an empirically improved that if a foreign brand with its original producer become weaker with the passage of time as the brand started to be produced locally. In developing countries like Pakistan, India and Saudi Arabia foreign brands are not prefer only because of quality but are preferred for status quo, ego. It is also proved that education, life style also in favor of imported products. Merino & Gonzales (2008) said that many organizations have changed their strategy by knowing trends of globalization which focus on global brands rather multi marketing approach. Global brands have not one line definition, but previous studies define as multi market reach of products that are perceived as a same brand worldwide by customer. However brand is a communication of information, a consumer perceived to identify it. Communication stimulates active knowledge of the brand presence, relevance, performance, advantages and bonding (Consumer feel the brand is only one that offer key advantages). Previous research proved that understanding the differential advantage, which global brands may have on loyalty drivers in context of Latin American markets. The consumer recognizes advantage of global brand by differentiation and enhanced quality, in other hand local brands are perceived by customer in term of fair price and popularity. That is why Brazilian seem to be more open to global brands rather than Mexican and Argentinean customers prefer local brands. Ismail, Masood & Tawab (2012) said that the most important factors that influence a consumer’s final decision are the price and quality of the product. Because the consumers usually relate the price of the product with its quality, a brand priced too costly is generally perceived as a high quality product. Similarly, a product priced too low affordable by many but perceived quality is low. Globalization also contributes to enable worldwide organization in one single market. Other factors which influence on the consumer preference include; consumer ethnocentrism, country of origin, social status, price relativity with the competing brands and family and friends. Study exposed that the quality of the product has more impact on purchase decision of the customer to buy global brands. In practice, our people, especially the females were found to be extremely prone to the global brands to meet current fashion and trends. Status symbol is also a factor influencing on customers to buy imported products. Ho, Teik, Ing, Phing & Peng said that customers influence to buy global brands in search of status and perceived quality. While globalization is the success factor of many large organizations, local companies can also obtain competitive advantage through profound understanding globalization. Global brands are more likely to be preferred by consumers as they have the ability to associate status, wealth and prestige with the self-identity of a consumer and further enhance social standings in a social class. Perceived quality is the subjective judgment of consumers towards a product or brand superiority and distinction. The most influential factor among social motives for consumer shopping and purchasing decision is the enveloping desire for social status. Malaysian customers overall perceived quality of Toyota automobiles were found to have significantly higher perceived quality and status than Perodua automobiles. Theoretical Framework: The dependent variable â€Å"preferences of international brands† can be explained by four independent variables; (1) quality of the products (2) price of the products (3) social status (4) design of the products. Consumers of developing countries wants to purchase the products of developed countries because they thing the products of developed countries has high quality. Consumes relate the price of product with its quality, they thing that the product of low price has the low quality and a product which has a high price has a high quality. Products of developed countries are measured as indication of high social status. Consumers are also prefers the design of the products if the design of the product is good than consumer purchases it regularly. Schematic Diagram for the Theoretical Framework Variables Independent variables: âž ¢ Quality of the products âž ¢ Price of the products âž ¢ Social status âž ¢ Design of the products Dependent variable: âž ¢ Preference of international brands Hypotheses H1: There is a positive relationship between consumer purchasing attitude and quality of the products. If the quality of a product is high than the attitude of consumer toward a product is positive and if the quality of a product is low than the consumer response is negative to purchase the product. H2: There is a negative relationship between price of the product and consumer purchasing attitude. If the price of product is high than the consumer attitude towards a product is negative and if the price of the product is low than the consumer attitude towards a product is positive. H3: Consumers prefer the international brands because it adds to the social status of consumers. Consumers will prefer the products manufactured by a foreign owned company because it adds to the social status of consumers. H4: Design of products has also positive relationship with consumer behavior. The design of a product made impact on consumer purchasing design. If the design of a product is good then customer purchases it frequently. Research Methodology: Data Collection This research is conducted through regression analysis. In this research it is needed to understand the consumer perception of international brands over local items. The tool of our research is questionnaires; this is primary research because this is firsthand knowledge or information. The research is conducting on why consumers prefer the international brands over local items of Vehari, Pakistan. The data has been collected through questionnaires and each questionnaire contains nineteen (19) statements and the questionnaire have distributed in CIIT Vehari Campus. The sample for this research included 65 consumers. Simple random sampling is used for this research for data collection. Results and Analysis: Table # 01: |Model Summary | |Model |R |R Square |Adjusted R Square |Std. Error of the | | | | | |Estimate | |1 |.527a |.278 |.230 |.90372 | |a. Predictors: (Constant), design, social status, quality, price | From model summary of regression analysis it is evaluated that all independent variables (quality, price, social status & design) affect dependent variable (preferences of international brands) 52.7% as mentioned in table 1. Table # 02: |ANOVAs | |Model |Sum of Squares|Df | |b. Dependent Variable: preferences of international brands | | | The results of this research are more significant. Data used in this research providing accurate results as shown as .001 in ANOVA (table 2). Table # 03: | | |Coefficients | |Model |Unstandardized Coefficients |Standardized |t |Sig. | | | |Coefficients | | | | |B |Std. Error | Finally regression analyses describe the relationship between dependent variables and independent variables. It also describes their relation structure, whether they have positive relation or negative. Regression analyses show that quality, social status and design have positive relation with preferences of international brand, with the increase in one unit of all there become positive change of .662, .120 and .100 occur respectively in dependent variable. The quality have positive relation with consumer preferences because the consumer perceived that the international brand have more quality rather than local items. The social status has positive relation with consumer’s preferences of international brands because consumers perceived that they increase their social status in society through the use of international brands. The price of products has also positive relation with consumer’s preferences because consumers perceived that the design of international brands is better than local items. On the other hand price has negative relationship with dependent variable, with the increase in one unit of price there become -.275 changes occur in preferences of international brand. The price of products has negative relation with consumer’s preferences because consumers are not preferred the international brand if it has same price as local item. Recommendations and Suggestions Our local brands have not so good quality, their design is not well and there is no much variety in our domestic products that’s why our customer goes to purchase the international brand so frequently. Local companies charge more price because government of Pakistan charge value added tax and other type of taxes from domestic companies so companies increase their prices that’s why customer mostly purchase international brands due to their good quality, designs and lot of variety. Conclusion: This research is an important contribution consumer’s preferences literature. This research concluded that consumers of Vehari, Pakistan have a stronger and positive image about the international products. The feel a personal pride when have the international products. References: Bettman, J., Luce, M., & Payne, J. (1998). Constructive Consumer Choice Processes. Journal of Consumer Research , 187-217 Elliott, G. R., & Cameron, R. C. (1994). Customer Perception of Product Quality and the Country-of-Orign Effect. Journal of International Marketing , 49-62 Holton, Robert (2000), Globalization’s cultural consequences, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 570 (4), 140–152 Hornsby, D. G. (2010) â€Å"Attributes Affecting Consumer Choice† Ismail, Z., Masood, S. & Tawab, M. Z (2012). Factors affecting consumer preference of international brands over local products. International conference on science and humanity, 2(31), 54-59 Johansson, Johny K., Ilkka A. Ronkainen (2005), â€Å"The esteem of Global Brands†, Journal of Brand Management, 12 (5), 339-354 Khattak, N. M & Shah, A. T. (2011). Consumer’s attitudes towards non-local products. International conference on business and economic research, 321-332 Mahmud, P. & Al-Mamun, H. M (2011). The role of country of origin effect in the assessment of a market offering. The cost and management, 35-40 Merino, M. & Gonzalez, S. (2008). Global or local? Consumers perception of global brands in Latin America. Latin America advances in consumer research 16-21 Netemeyer, R.G., Durvasula, S. and Lichtenstein, D.R. (1991), â€Å"A cross-national assessment of the reliability and validity of the CETSCALE†, Journal of Marketing Research, Volume 28, pp. 320-7 Ritzer, George (2003), â€Å"Rethinking globalization: Glocalization/ grobalization and something/nothing†, Sociological Theory, 21 (3), 193–209 Tversky, A., & Shafir, E. (1992). Choice under Conflict: The Dynamics of Deferred Decision. Psychological Science , 358-361

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Research questions - Assignment Example That is when I thought social media could actually be an opposite of social and does not make people sociable. Information on this will be easily gathered from my peers and other internet resources. After watching the movie â€Å"John Doe Vigilante,† I was left with too many unanswered questions after I got some enlightening from the movie. The vigilante at some point, in police custody and awaiting court’s verdict, asks where we draw a line between a vigilante and soldiers. They all work for a noble course, but a vigilante will be prosecuted for fighting for the justice of those that the system cannot do justice. In war, many innocent people suffer, including women and children. When do we justify the work of our soldiers as a noble course, where do we draw the line? War journals and articles discussing aftermath of war will be a good place to start while looking for information on this topic. Whenever we do a module that deals with Gender equity and gender equality, I cannot help but think that these two terms are contradictory. In our definition, Gender equity implies to efforts of allocating resources, decision-making, and programs fairly to both females and males and addressing any imbalances on sex basis. Gender equality means all sexes are equal. There is, therefore, contradiction in that we give some sexes what seems to be a free pass to address the imbalances and at the same time, assert that all sexes are equal. Shouldn’t all sexes be treated by order of merit? Should there be posts such as Women Representative in some governments? The internet will be an ideal place to gather information on this

An Exploratory Study of Sanofis Strategy on Employee Retention Essay

An Exploratory Study of Sanofis Strategy on Employee Retention - Essay Example 12 a.2 Talent Management, Succession Planning, and the Integration of Learning and Development with Employee Relations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 a.3 Competitive Remuneration and Reward Strategies †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16 a.4 Maintaining the Goodwill of the Company †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 a.5 Effective Leadership and Management Style †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 19 a.6 Work Flexibility and Work-and-Life Balance †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... 21 III. Research Methodology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 24 a. Framework of the Research Survey Study Design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 24 b. Quantitative Research Survey Questionnaire Design †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 26 c. Research Hypothesis ................................................................................ 27 d. Site Settings, Population and Sample Size †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 28 d. Research Ethics †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 29 IV. Research Findings and Discussion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 30 a. Research Findings †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 30 a.1 Baby Boomers †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 30 a.2 Generation X Employees †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 34 a.3 Generation Y Employees †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 37 b. Discussion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 40 V. Conclusion and Recommendations †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 43 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 46 Appendixes... The firm that is analyzed in the paper is Sanofi, a global pharmaceutical company that is committed in discovering, developing and distributing a wide-range of therapeutic products such as vaccines that could protect the immunized individuals against 20 different infectious diseases and medicines that could effectively solve health problems related to atrial fibrillation, atherothrombosis, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, medical aesthetics, mental health disorders like schizophrenia, epilepsy and bipolar disorder, metabolic disorder, oncology, and deep vein thrombosis. Since 1999, Sanofi managed to establish offices in almost 110 countries around the world. To serve the constantly increasing demand for Sanofi products, this company is maintaining more than 100,000 highly committed professional staff that aims to provide healthcare solutions to healthcare professionals and patients worldwide. To attract and retain its employees, the c ompany take care of their valuable assets by providing their staff with a rewarding work environment, offer them with competitive remuneration packages, and provide them with equal opportunities for further training and career development. Failure to satisfy the specific needs and wants of Sanofi’s current employees could increase the risks wherein its employees could be easily pirated by another similar company. In the long-run, having a weak and ineffective employee retention stratey could cause Sanofi to lose some of its long-term customers and top-most secrets behind its past and future research and development projects to its close competitors.

Are you a Collaborative Leader Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Are you a Collaborative Leader - Article Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that there are diverse learning takeaways that include acknowledging that there are four skills areas that collaborative leaders manifest, to wit: â€Å"playing the role of connector, attracting diverse talent, modeling collaboration at the top, and showing a strong hand to keep teams from getting mired in debate†. Likewise, the authors presented the kinds of results that collaborative leaders generate. In sum, these results center on: (1) making global connections; (2) engaging and harnessing diverse talents; (3) pioneering collaborative efforts at an apex of the organizational hierarchy; and (4) taking control in decision-making. It was likewise differentiated in the article the distinguishing features of the three leadership styles: command and control, consensus, and collaborative through expounding on their disparities in organizational structure, access to information, final authority for decision-making, bas is for accountability and control, and applicability. Through the experiences shared by executive officers such as Marc Benioff, CEO of Saleforce.com; David Kenny, President of Akamai Technologies; Beth Comstock, Chief Marketing Officer of General Electric; Bart Bechtm, soon to retire CEO of Reckitt Benckiser; Vineet Nayar, CEO of India’s HCL; and Natura Cosmà ©ticos’s CEO Alessandro Carlucci; have all attested to the remarkable and significant positive transformation accorded with a collaborative leadership style. The authors’ aptly concluded that this particular leadership style is most applicable given the contemporary global setting and emphasized that â€Å"the world has become One firmly believes that there are immense strength and power to that a collaborative leadership style could accord people in organizations.

Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivation - Essay Example Mahatma Gandhi found himself working in South Africa after his unsuccessful attempt to serve his own country as a lawyer. There, he did not only witnessed but experienced himself the many injustices being done  to Indians. The savage punishments he and others received caught the attention of the Prime Minister for negotiation. This motivated him to choose to stage a strike through a unique method of employing non-violence, courage and truthfulness to seek justice. According to psychoanalytic concept, Gandhi’s reasoning and choice to fight for their right against the abusive rule of the British is a gateway to survive. The use of civil disobedience in a non violent method and religious protests is an avenue not be killed or annihilated to preserve life otherwise, their dream for justice would be a waste. This survival mode and prevention of destruction demonstrates the two basic drives of psychoanalytic theory. Gandhi returned in India and set up a new community referred to a s an Ashram in Ahmedabad where there should be peace and no violence and to live in truth. He encouraged farming and spinning as a source of food and other physiological needs.

Pampered pooches travel in style Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pampered pooches travel in style - Case Study Example The trend nowadays is to focus on the customization of pet products and services so that they resemble those of human beings. The bottom-line in the attempt to treat pets as people are treated is the fact that the 75 million dogs and 88 million cats are trainable. One pet enthusiast and the CEO of PetSmart.Inc Phillip L. Francis concedes that the care of pets is because unlike snakes and fish, the can be trained to accompany man. The company is one of the leading retailers in pet foods and has even gone a step further by attempting to teach people to become better pet parents. The line between the way that these four-legged mammals are treated and the way that the two-legged mammals are treated has thinned. This paper will attempt to answer a couple of questions mostly on how hotels and other retailers of pet products and services can take the rise in pet enthusiasm to their advantage. The fact that only the consumer electronic market is faster growing that the pet market shows that opportunities are many and the market can be easily tapped by customizing products so that they better satisfy these consumers. For an upscale hotel to be in a position to capitalize on the growing pet market, a number of things have to be done. First, the hotel should ensure that it has the best facilities than its competitors. This means that a market research is of utmost importance. Pet owners should be interviewed so that their input is used to better the facilities that may be available for the pets. Most hotels offer private suites for pets that are characterized by raised platform beds. This is a shift from the traditional low lying beds that were next to the pet owners beds. However, it is now almost a rule that pets have their own beds that resemble those of their owners. Additionally, there are television sets in those suites that are tuned into the animal channels.

Roman Empire Essay Example for Free

Roman Empire Essay Between 100 CE and 600 CE, the Roman empire underwent a change politically as the empire collapsed due to chaos inside it’s empire. Culturally, influence of Christianity grew. The Eastern Roman empire, Byzantines, proved to keep a continuity of the empire. The most dramatic change that the Roman Empire had was its collapse in the late classical period. Han China and Gupta India, also struggled with a collapse in their own empires at the same time. In the year 100 CE, the Mediterranean, and majority of Europe, was in the middle of the Pax Romana. In 180 CE, Rome’s decline was viewed as a decline because of a faulty leadership and outside invasions, this was due to, lack of strong leadership. This caused Rome’s collapse to speed up. Other factors blocked it’s ability to prosper, but without effective leadership, they could not grow as an empire. As the size of the Roman Empire and its trading grew, taxes on the peasants became more difficult to overcome for the lower class. Free peasants usually fled the intimidating taxes by selling their land and becoming workers for other things. From this it led to Germanic soldiers guarding the frontiers of the empire. This caused the final injury to the empire. Germanics spread plagues which lead to population decreasing. In 476, Rome was attacked, and the Roman Empire was ended. The downfall of this is due to, in 100CE Rome had started to fall and by 476CE fell because of plagues and political changes . Another important change to the Roman Empire during the late classical period was the growing of Christianity. The spreading of religion in the Roman Empire was similar to the spread of Buddhism in China while the Han dynasty was falling. In 100 CE,many Romans still stayed in their original religion , even though these years are after the death of Jesus. Christianity attracted poor Romans because of its teachings of class not determining your fate. This led to, Emperor Constantine converting to Christianity. From this one can infer that Christianity then spread more easily. Christianity grew to be very common. After Rome fell, the organization of the Christian church usually provided help for people in a time of political problems. This led to Christianity gaining more converters.

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) Research Validity

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) Research Validity Internal, External and Construct Validity Introduction Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) has been utilized with success in students with or without learning disabilities and it is mainly attributed due to increased time concentrated on reading materials or exercises on the computer. It offers productive practice and time management and is an effective tool to used as a supplement to providing drills (Williams, Wright, Callaghan, Coughlan, 2002). Some of the advantages that the CAI provides inside the classroom include one-on-one exercise with minimal supervisory time involving the teacher. In many cases, instant feedback to students allows mistakes to be rectified immediately. Certain programs offer features that monitor speed and accuracy of answers and the regularity of instruction for subject mastery (Wong, 2008). Internal Validity Threats In a research study done by Coleman-Martin, Heller, Cihak, Irvine (2005), a slower acquisition rate score was recorded when a different Windows version (i.e., XP versus Windows 98) was used during one of the test sessions. The variation of the platform caused the PowerPoint slide presentation to run slower than the prior sessions that resulted to disrupting its timing and consistency. Computer skills, familiarity with the software programs, and prior knowledge in the question format (i.e., multiple choice) are factors to consider that might have influence the rate at which the students learned words identification (Coleman-Martin, et al., 2005, p. 90). Similarly, according to research study conducted by Fuchs, L., Fuchs, D., Hamlet, C., Powell, S., Capizzi, A., Seethaler, P. (2006) on the effects of CAI on number combination skill in at-risk first graders, their procedures did not take into consideration the keyboarding skills of at-risk first graders and the possibility that errors related to the learners typing skills reduced the effectiveness of the CAI. External Threats to Validity According to Savage, R., Deault, L., Abrami, P., Hipps, G. (2009), one limitation found on their research regarding a randomized controlled trial study of the ABRACADABRA reading intervention was that students with inferior literacy and associated skills during pretest were more likely not to show up for testing at follow-up. The researchers believed that this is an issue of experimental mortality insinuating that the postponement of posttest outcomes are almost certainly less generalizable to typical reader samples than the more immediate posttest statistics ( Savage, et al., 2009, p. 602). Threats to Construct Validity Bannert (2000) and Van Gog (2005) research study suggested that giving the students control over portions of their instruction allow them to better negotiate the cognitive challenges placed on them as students. They further noted that learner-control participants performed better on a test of transfer than the participants who received no control. Van Gog (2005) hypothesized that over time, improved performance would be visible during training situations along with the capability of the learner to assess and rectify future problematic situations when learners are progressively awarded with more control over their instruction as their skill level intensified. In contrast, Eom and Reiser (2000) revealed that junior high students who were given the opportunity to control their instruction displayed considerably worse performance than those who were not allowed to control their instruction. The same results were reported by several researchers (Farrell and Moore, 2000 and Swaak and de Jong, 2001) who stated that providing students control over their instruction concludes in trivial or insignificant advancement. It may be a case of poor construct definition where a construct may have been mislabeled or defined at a wrong level either too general or too specific. In this case, it is possible that establishing the types of control given to the students will be a crucial factor. Impact of Validity Issues Several validity issues could affect the envisioned research regarding the effectiveness of the type of CAI programs that are currently used as a remediation tool for at-risk students. One limitation is the inclination for technology difficulties because technology can be unpredictable. In accomplishing particular learning objectives, the learning tool such as the software programs used in conjunction with the CAI should be developmentally appropriate. References Bannert, M. (2002). Managing cognitive load recent trends in cognitive load theory. Learning and Instruction, 12, 139-146. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from EBSCOHost database. Creswell, J. (2009). Research design (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Coleman-Martin, M., Heller, K., Cihak, D., Irvine, K. (2005). Using computer-assisted instruction and the nonverbal reading approach to teach word identification. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 20(2), 80-90. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from EBSCO Host database. Cozby, P. (2009). Methods in behavioral research (10th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Eom, W. Reiser, R. (2000). The effects of self-regulation and instructional control on performance and motivation in computer-based instruction. International Journal of Instructional Media, 27(3), 247-260. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from EBSCOHost database. Farrell, I. Moore, D. (2000). The effect of navigation tools on learners achievement and attitude in a hypermedia environment. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 29 (2), 169-181. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from EBSCOHost database. Fuchs, L., Fuchs, D., Hamlet, C., Powell, S., Capizzi, A, Seethaler, P. (2006). The effects of computer-assisted instruction on number combination skill in at-risk first graders, 39(5), 467-475. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from EBSCOHost database. Savage, R., Deault, L., Abrami, P., Hipps, G. (2009). A randomized controlled trial study of the ABRACADABRA reading intervention program in grade 1, Journal of Educational Psychology. 101(3), 590-604. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from EBSCOHost database. Swaak, J. de Jong, T. (2001). Learners vs. system control in using online support for simulation-based discovery learning. Learning Environment Research, 4, 217-241. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from EBSCOHost database. Trochim, W., Donnelly, J. (2008). The research methods knowledge base. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Van Gog, T. Ericsson, K. Rikers, R., Paas, F. (2005). Instructional design for advanced learners: Establishing connections between the theoretical framework of cognitive load and deliberate practice. Educational Technology Research and Design, 53(3), 73-81. Retrieved February 16, 2010, from EBSCOHost database. Williams, C., Wright, B. Callaghan, G., Coughlan, B. (2002). Do children with autism learn to read more readily by computer-assisted instruction or traditional book method? A pilot study. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 6, 71-91.Retrieved February 16, 2010, from EBSCOHost database. Wong, B. (1991). Learning about learning disabilities. New York: Academic Press.

Absorption Costing: Advantages and Disadvantages

Absorption Costing: Advantages and Disadvantages There are two main costing methods that this company can use, absorption costing and Activity based costing. Absorption costing and Activity based costing (ABC) are two similar systems that are used to assign indirect costs to cost objects. Absorption costing is also called traditional costing; it is more simplistic and uses arbitrary allocation. On the other hand, ABC is more sophisticated and uses cause-and-effect allocation. This report will deal with the different definitions, the history, the advantages and disadvantages of absorption and ABC systems. Then finial a recommendation on which system is better suited for this company. This company needs either of the two costing system because they are useful during planning and budgeting. Furthermore having the systems in place will allow overheads to be charged to services. ABSORPTION COSTING Absorption costing is a method of costing that, in addition to direct costs, assigns all, or a proportion of product overhead costs units by means of one or a number of overhead absorption rates. Cima (2005) Absorption costing systems is a costing system where manufacturing costs are allocated to products and non manufacturing costs are not allocated to the product but charged directly to the profit statement and excluded from the inventory. Drury (2008) Absorption costing is a system in which all the fixed manufacturing overheads are allocated to the products. Drury From all these definitions the Cima definition is the better definition because it mentions most of the key processes that are involved in absorption costing which straight away gives you an idea of what absorption costing is. The other definitions are also good as they state some processes involved in absorption but Cima puts the definition in a more understandable way. History This costing system was developed decades ago when companies were much smaller and had less overhead costs. During the time this system was developed there were mostly industrial companies which made this system suitable to assign costs to cost objects. How it works This company currently operates under absorption costing system for working out overheads for their services. Working out absorption costing involves a two stage process. Stage one considering the allocation and apportionment of indirect costs to service and production cost centres and then apportionment of the service department to production department. Allocation is the process of estimating the cost of resources consumed by a product that does not use direct measures. This process deals with overheads that can be directly assigned to cost centres without the need to be apportioned. Cost apportionment is a process of charging indirect costs to cost centres that cant be directly allocated. Service department overheads are transferred to the production department so they can be covered. Stage two works out the absorption rates that are then used to charge overheads to cost objects. The absorption rate worked out is used to calculate the total overheads of a product. From all these three stages only allocation is used in ABC. There are advantages and disadvantages of absorption costing: Advantages Inexpensive and simple to operate. Absorption costing is simple to operate which makes it less expensive to operate. This is good for the company as it allows them to reduce their costs and understand what they are doing. Disadvantages Less accurate. Its good that the system is simple, but this makes it less accurate when charging costs to cost objects because of the intensive use of arbitrary allocation. Arbitrary allocation is when an allocation base used is not a considerable determinant of its cost. Not knowing all the exact causes of certain costs will make it difficult during planning and budgeting. Absorption costing emphasises on variable and fixed costs. This makes it difficult for the company to use information from this system for decision making; its not detailed enough to help the business make predictions or budgets. ACTIVITY BASED COSTING Different sources define ABC in different ways: An approach to the costing and monitoring of activities which involves tracing resource consumption and costing final outputs. Resources are assigned to activities, and activities to cost objects based on consumption estimates. The latter utilise cost drivers to attach activity costs to outputs. Cima terminology Activity based costing is a refinement of absorption costing that aims to charge overhead costs in much more detail so that the overhead cost can be charged on the basis of a cost driver. Drury (2005) Between these two definitions Cima definition clearly states what ABC is all about and mentions cost drivers which are a key area of this system. While the other definition does not specifically state what is involved in ABC e.g. cost drivers though it does point out that its similar to absorption costing. Overall, the Cima definition is better as it is a more detail explanation. History ABC system was developed when the current system then (absorption costing) was becoming less useful for assigning costs to products in the changing business environment. In the 1980s companies begun to increase in size and producing wider product ranges and services. Information processing costs were high, which made it difficult for sophisticated overhead allocation methods to be justified. There was an increasing demand for more accurate product costs; this led to the introduction of the ABC system. Cooper and Kaplan conceptualised the ideas behind this system as a way of trying to improve the accuracy of the charge made to cost objects in complex business environments. How it works ABC system is worked out differently compared to absorption costing. They both use the two stage allocation process to assign overheads to cost objects. First stage overheads are assigned to cost centres and in the second stage the cost accumulated in the cost centres are allocated to cost objects. ABC differs from absorption costing by having more cost centres in the first stage and a greater variety of cost drivers in the second stage. Exhibit 1 shows an example of a companys annual overhead costs which i will use to how ABC works. Similarly to absorption costing, an overhead analysis sheet is produced where overheads are allocated to cost centres. This is shown in exhibit 2. Then activities are identified for each cost. From exhibit 3 column A, you can see that there are lots of activities that have been identified from major activities e.g. General factory support. The costs created over a specific period have to be assigned to the activities. When costs are accumulated by activities they are called activity cost drivers. Activity cost drivers have to be selected for each activity centre in order to assign the cost attached to products. In exhibit 3-column C and D you can see the activity cost drivers and the cost they each accumulate. Cost driver rates are worked out for each activity. Finally, the cost driver rates are applied to products. In exhibit 4 there is an example of Product G that is produced and uses various activity cost drivers and cost driver rates are applied. There are advantages and disadvantages of having ABC in place, these are: Advantages Helps identify unprofitable items from the product line. This will allow the company to make changes to their production, and improve their efficiency. Removing these unprofitable items reduces un-necessary costs the company maybe encountering. Also it enables the company to increase its profit without the need to increase prices. Provides quantifiable figures for planning and estimates. ABC identifies all the different cost drivers that contribute to the total overheads of producing a product or service. This will help when giving quotes to customers as well as for the business to see if taking up a certain project will be profitable to them. ABC uses a large number of cost centres in the first stage and a greater variety of allocation bases in the second stage. This makes the system accurate at charging overheads to products. Accurate cost charges to products or a service reduces the risk of making a loss if the right amount is not charged. Disadvantages Expensive to operate. The complexity of this costing system makes it expensive to operate compared to other alternatives. The business will have to invest time and resources in order for them to identify the cost drivers. E.g. one of the steps needed to identify cost drivers is to interview staff and have them fill in time sheets. This process will reduce the production time available to the company. Time consuming. Using ABC is a very long process and requires a lot of information to implement; this is time consuming for the company and its staff. There is too much attention to detail and control. Sometimes paying close attention to detail might make it difficult for the company to see the bigger picture or make the firm lose sight of strategic objectives just to seek for small savings. It may be difficult to implement. In service companies there are costs that are difficult to allocate to specific service units and service department, staff often get involved in many non informal activities which may be challenging to record cost data. Recommendations Given that the company supplies services to government bodies and operates under absorption costing, I recommend that we should change the costing system to ABC as it will be more suitable for the company. This costing system may be difficult to implement in service companies but it shows the company more detail of the various costs involved in each service they provide which is essential during decision making and planning. To implement ABC there certain things the business will have to do: Proper planning and commitment from staff, carrying out a pilot study first may be vital. This will provide information about whether having ABC will be a benefit to the company. A team will have to be set-up that will be responsible for determining which activities are necessary for the services. The team should be made up of experts from different departments of the company and a consultant from outside can be used. Having individuals from different allows accurate identification of overheads involved.5 When a team has been assembled, elements of each activity that cost money are determined. Attention to detail is vital as some costs are hidden. Once all the costs have been identified and recorded, they have to be put in a computer system. After the business has had enough time to analyze the data they can use the information in various ways e.g. working out total overheads for each service. Conclusion Absorption costing has been around for a long time, ABC was developed as an improvement of absorption costing. ABC is a more accurate costing system compared to absorption costing as it looks at individual activities that contribute to the total overheads, while absorption costing looks at departments. Having looked at both advantages and disadvantage of the two costing systems it is clear that even though they are similar they have significant differences. I have recommended that we introduce ABC, it will be a huge benefit for the company as it will decrease the number of errors made during costing.

The True Meaning Behind That Layer Of Blue Nail Polish :: essays research papers

The True Meaning Behind that Layer of Blue Nail Polish When the red-based shades such as pink and orange were the only type of nail polish females dared to wear, I remember wondering if in the near future they'd dare switch to completely new shades such as blue or green. Now that day and age has come when all different shades of blue can be seen painted on teens' nails. Yet, this new choice of blue isn't just another craze of the moment. Rather, it symbolizes something slightly deeper. This latest trend of â€Å" blues† not only broke the barrier of â€Å"reds only†, but broke the limits of society each girl felt she had when it came to choosing a simple shade of nail polish. Before, the â€Å"rebels† and the â€Å"freaks† were the only ones who had the guts to wear what it took to get attention and to shock the world. For them shades of nail polish whether they were blue, black, or glitter have never been an issue of inappropriateness. Those who were less eccentric when it came to expressing their exterior image stayed with the â€Å"acceptable† red tones. Now that blue nail polish is the latest manicurean craze, both the tamest and the wildest adolescents together are donning the shade. When asked why they choose to wear this latest cerulean shade of nail polish, many give back similar responses such as: â€Å"It looks cool†; â€Å"If I wore red I would just feel like another ordinary person, but if people see your blue nail polish, they do a double-take†; â€Å"It's a little new, something different†. Unfortunately, many youths have been raised in a society where they have been conditioned to fear doing anything that will have them come across as a freak to others. In today's society, nail polish is one of the few things that come between the limits of someone who may be considered a â€Å"dull dresser† or a â€Å"freak-show†. It is understandable why the more all-around fashion-conscious youths might be attracted to a new trend of accessory. A theory can evolve, however, from the other kind of youths who don't express their inner-selves fully through their apparel. It is possible that these girls may feel more at ease leaking out their wild streak through the most subtle way they know how - nail polish. You can dress normally and still wear wild nail polish, yet no one will consider you a freak because of your flashy nails. â€Å"My parents hate it.† This factor alone may be an invitation for youths to wear blue nail polish.

Illustrated in the poems The Lady of Shalott and Ulysses by Alfred Lord

Illustrated in the poems The Lady of Shalott and Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson, The Door by Mir slave Holub and The Girl in Times Square, a novel by Paulina Simmons. Change gives us roots; continuity gives us branches letting us stretch and grow to reach new heights. Living as we know it wouldn’t exist if change didn’t occur. This ability to continue changing is the only true security we have. This is illustrated in the poems ‘The Lady of Shalott† and ‘Ulysses’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson, ‘The Door’ by Mir slave Holub and ‘The Girl in Times Square’, a novel by Paulina Simmons. Tennyson’s ‘The Lady of Shalott’ is divided into four parts, following a strict and consistent meter and rhyme pattern throughout. The Lady of Shalott is a magical being who lives alone on the island of Shalott across the river from fast paced Camelot. The first 2 parts of the poem illustrate a place where everything stands still. There is a severe lack in movement and The lady of shallot’s surroundings appears to be idle. This is illustrated through the bleak and dull the poem provides.. â€Å"Four grey walls and four grey towers..† â€Å"And the silent isle embowers† â€Å"Slow horses†. The uneventful and bland introduction serves its purpose by setting the tone and mood as a boring one, to only make the end excitingly climatic. The first and most important change that occurs in this text is the arrival of Sir Lancelot in Shalott. He is represented through the imagery of flames, sun, sparkle, glitter, stars, gold, silver, shine, burning light and glow. It was His mere presence that further sickened The lady of Shalott of only seeing shadows and compelled her to leave her loom. The fact that the decision to leave was hers alone, even t... ...result of choices among alternate paths offered by the present, but a place that we create using our minds and will, then in activity. The future is a place we are creating not going to. The path is to be made not found and through change she can achieve the most unique and fulfilling destinations. It is from the didactive nature of all of these texts we can conclude that change is inevitable. Change can be positive or negative. With change comes responsibility, but the price is always worth what we got for it. The emotive, descriptive language and imagery used in Tennyson’s poems, symbolism and simplicity of ‘The Door’ and the mystery of ‘The Girl in Times Square’ all profoundly affect the way I have viewed change as a necessary element of living, making it so simple to say that Change by itself is the most powerful agent to growth and transformation.

Stereotypes: Race and People

Can everything said these days be believed? Today’s social media is highly affected by both language and how a message is sent whilst using the language. There are a handful of different aspects that affect social media as a whole; popular culture, stereotypes, textual bias and language presented in speeches and campaigns. Language can be used to explain a message but how the language is used in a context can define whether or not the message is portrayed clearly or if it is portrayed poorly. What you are about to hear may affect how you interpret language used by today’s media as well as today’s society.If you don’t know what it is let me explain for a bit: Stereotyping is the act of presenting a person or group in a certain way, through simplified and biased media, for example all asians like rice. This phrase states that the whole asian population, wherever in the world they may be, like rice. For an asian like myself I would think: â€Å" oh that isnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t exactly true since asian are also people who have different like and dislikes†. Now this is where stereotyping causes harm between different ethnic groups, for example the the phrase; â€Å"all black people steal things†.This phrase clearly states that all African and African American people like to steal things and this phrase was made up because of the fact that maybe once or twice in history a man dressed in black or an African American or African man was accused of stealing something therefore this stereotype is supposedly applicable towards the whole black population around the world. As one might see stereotyping can cause great disputes between different ethnicities as well as break ties between specific ones. Stereotyping is very popular social media ( tv shows, news, internet, etc. ).How the news dictates a certain story about an ethnic can in turn either make create trust between people or start wars between them. For example, not everyone who is Musl im wants to bomb gigantic pieces of architecture but due to certain events, such as the bombing of the twin towers of the world trade center on September 11, 2011, people have come to believe that all Muslims have bad intentions. How we interpret the news may affect social relations between the people we know. What have I learned from the constant language change and all these messages from different cultures, world leaders, and speeches?Well one thing is that: * What we say always has a hidden meaning. There is never a message without a hidden meaning to itself. * Secondly, people will never forget what you will say, meaning you must be very careful with the words you use and in what manner you say your message because it can be misunderstood. * Finally, always remember that the freedom of speech does not mean that one is free to say whatever they please but to convey their opinions by talking to one another. * Kiko Garcia Comments: XXkikomysterXX says:I totally I agree with what y ou’re saying, I mean people shouldn’t be judge from what has been stereotyped against them. I mean I’m asian, but I don’t like rice that much. I have had a stranger come up to me one time and asked me if I knew kung-fu or any kind of martial art, I told him that I didn’t and he just simply said: â€Å"well I thought all Asians were good at some kind of martial art†. This insulted me a bit in the sense that some stereotypes make other people believe that Asians are being expected of something great. Kikoman345 says:Tss you guys are a bunch of little girls! Why would you take something like â€Å"oh you should be good at maths† so seriously, I mean I’m asian I’m not good at math but I don’t complain about what other people think about me. I only think about myself and what would benefit me. Kikodaman says: Kikoman345, I kinda I agree with you in the sense of self importance but at the same time it’s also quit e good to understand why stereotyping starts in the first place, it’s because of other people from another ethnicities don’t know the culture other than their own.I see the importance in this and I believe that if people from other ethnicities would be more open to other cultures they would come to understand the values and morals of that certain ethnic group. Kiko Garcia: Thank you guys for sharing your thoughts, a bit odd how we all have almost the same name though, but anyway I agree with you all. I understand that everyone is a different person but some people can’t be forced into understanding another culture just because of one certain stereotype but for other people they don’t really mind finding out about a new culture to them, which I find very good.Yet, as kikodaman said it is also important that the individual that are being stereotype only think about the good stereotypes that they hear, but at the same time being an open person would never hu rt anyone at all. Rationale: I wanted to show my knowledge in stereotyping but be able to explain it in a more popular way for today’s culture, therefore I thought about writing a blog entry. In this entry I explain what stereotyping is and how it affects people, as seen in the â€Å"comments†. I thought about how news gets spread around us quite fast and then I thought why, the answer was the internet.The internet is used very frequently for communication, work, games, etc. but most importantly to spread news. My aim for this blog entry was to enlighten those who stereotype other people for their skin color, accent or even their ethnicity, and those who are less informed today are the young teenagers. These teenagers spend a handful of time on social media sites such as facebook, twitter, etc. so I thought writing a blog entry would make them understand more about stereotyping and its consequences.

Eco&Finance Essay

There were lots of environmental resources at hand that will economic maturity. Protected areas in a specific realm are essential and could be a great source of fundamental strategy in order to achieve proliferation in the system. In accordance to this, there were several contributions for the said matter, some of them would be beneficial to take into account and others may not – it practically depends on how an individual perceived it and how would be able to contribute in a certain territory. It has been said that there were tons of means in order to generate funds for protected areas. It is beneficial that there are consistent adherent for a certain project to be able to maintain the productivity and efficiency of the protected areas. Considering government funding to generate income, through this, those in authority has allotted budget for the nourishment of the areas. Private sector funding also contributes to the increasing support for the said areas, which in turn will brought additional incentives for the land. Lockwoods, Worboys and Kothari (2006) exemplifies that â€Å"a growing number of business sectors are seeing opportunities in partnmership with protected areas and with the communities who surround them† (p. 332). Another imperative provider of the protected areas are the foundations and individual donors who identify such as beneficial not only for the community but also to the people. It was ellicidated that there are lots of benefits on investing in protected areas. Lockwoods, Worboys and Kothari (2006) connotes that â€Å"demand for the benefits afforded by protected areas is likely to continue to rise particularly with respect to recreation demand such as resource demand, enhanced information availability about the attraction of protected areas, etc. † (p. 340). As we maintain the stability of this matter, in return the investment that we make will proliferate. It is important to note also on how an individual will benefit and what particular privileges a person could get in maintaining their protected areas. It has been said that somehow, there were discrimination that occurs. Lockwoods, Worboys and Kothari (2006) said that â€Å"there must be clear definition of revenue-raising objectives and charges must be presented as a fee for services provided not a fee for entry or access rights† (p. 348). To wrap it all, it has been epitomized that in one way or the other, it is beneficial to consider the capabilities of protected areas considering how it will contribute to the growth and stability of a certain place. Lockwoods, Worboys and Kothari (2006) explains that â€Å"economic valuation techniques are directed towards estimating the impacts that in particular protected area or policy proposal has on economic welfare as well as to assess the contribution that protected areas makes to an economy† (p. 354). Parallel to this, contributions from different sectors should always be on top priority since it has a huge impact for the development and maintenance of the matter and which will stabilize the economy.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 7

We stood rooted in the bedroom, frozen, both of us too terrified to blink. Downstairs, the door shut and footsteps could be clearly heard on the hardwood floor. A low murmur of voices drifted up, the words inaudible. â€Å"What are we going to do?† I whispered. Invisible we might be, but I still didn't want to slink through the house with others around. It would also make leaving inconspicuously a problem. Bastien frowned, apparently trying to discern the words below. â€Å"Those are all male voices. Not Dana. Come on.† He grabbed my arm, and we crept out into the hallway where we could hear more clearly. â€Å"You sure they aren't coming home?† asked an anxious voice. â€Å"Yup. They'll be out 'til, like, midnight.† â€Å"Cool.† Bastien grinned at me. â€Å"Reese,† he breathed. Reese. The son. The son who was supposed to be down the street at a friend's house. That was better than Dana, but still disconcerting. I shot Bastien a questioning look. What's he doing here? I mouthed. Bastien shrugged by way of answer and gestured for me to follow him the rest of the way downstairs. Reese and his friend obliviously made enough noise to cover any of our movements. I hadn't really seen Reese yet and was curious. I'd expected a clean-cut, dutiful altar-boy type, but he seemed perfectly average – in that sullen, T-shirt wearing sort of way. He had Dana's black hair and blue eyes, paired with some of Bill's unfortunate facial features. His friend had long hair and wore a beat-up army coat with jeans. â€Å"Where should we do it?† asked the friend. Reese glanced around. â€Å"Outside. Otherwise they'll smell it later.† â€Å"Okay. But roll it in here.† They huddled around the kitchen table. Reese produced a tin of rolling papers and a plastic Baggie with enough marijuana in it to keep a family of five stoned for a week. The friend skillfully rolled an enormous joint, and the boys took it outside, going out the same door we'd come in. Bastien and I exchanged glances, both of us barely holding back hysterical laughter. We walked into the still-dark living room and stood at the window, watching the boys outside. They left all the outdoor lights off, not wanting to attract neighborly attention. The joint made a pinpoint of orange light in the blackness as they passed it back and forth. â€Å"Oh my God,† I gasped. â€Å"This just justified the whole break-in.† Bastien's expression was speculative. â€Å"Maybe we can use this against her.† I turned on him. â€Å"What? Come on. He's just a kid. No need to drag him down with her. Besides, if I had his parents, I'd want to be high too. â€Å" Bastien looked momentarily uncertain, finally yielding with a small nod. â€Å"Okay. You're right. So. You want to finish the bedroom and then head out? I doubt they're going to notice much going on around them. â€Å" We went back upstairs, still hoping for some incriminating photo or piece of paper. No such luck. We left Reese and his friend alone, using the front door to make our getaway. Once we were safely back at Bastien's, we settled into the immaculate living room, defeated. â€Å"Well. That was pointless,† I said. â€Å"Not entirely.† Bastien reached into his pocket and tossed over Reese's plastic bag. I caught it and straightened up in my chair. â€Å"Jesus H. Christ! You swiped that poor kid's pot?† â€Å"He shouldn't have left it out like that.† I held it up. It was half-full. â€Å"There's a special hell for people like you.† â€Å"Yeah, I own a condo there. Besides, it's for his own good. Pot's a gateway drug, you know. â€Å" â€Å"I can't believe this. You don't think they're going to notice this is missing?† â€Å"Nah. By the time they come back in, they'll be so far gone they won't remember where they left it. They'll spend the next few days accusing each other of losing it.† I shook my head. â€Å"I know I've said it before, but this really is a new low. I†¦I'm so shocked now, I don't even know what to do.† â€Å"7 do.† An hour later, we were both on the floor, giggling endlessly, though I wasn't entirely sure what about. Bastien passed the joint to me, and I took a hit off it, sighing happily. I handed it back. â€Å"I'm not saying Monique wasn't a bitch,† he was explaining, â€Å"but you have to admit, she knew how to get things done.† I leaned against the back of the couch, letting my head roll around on the cushions. â€Å"Yeah, but†¦she was†¦you know, sloppy. Like, no creativity whatsoever. Being in the business isn't just about sex. It's about†¦pride†¦pride in your work.† He inhaled and passed the joint back. â€Å"Oh, she had pride in her work, believe me. Used to ride me like a horse.† He paused a moment, then started laughing. â€Å"She totally did me proud.† I sat back up. â€Å"What, you slept with her?† â€Å"Sure, why not?† I poked him with my foot. â€Å"You fucking slut.† â€Å"Look who's calling the cauldron black.† â€Å"Kettle. It's a kettle. Get your metaphors right. â€Å" â€Å"That wasn't a metaphor. It was a, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stared off into space, blinking. â€Å"One of those things that's symbolic of another thing. But isn't the same thing. Just like it.† â€Å"You mean a metaphor?† â€Å"No! It's like a story†¦like†¦a proverb! That's it.† â€Å"I'm pretty sure that wasn't a proverb. Maybe it was an analogy. â€Å" â€Å"I don't think so.† â€Å"Look, I know these things. I work in a – oh!† â€Å"Oh what?† â€Å"How am I going to get home?† â€Å"You're leaving? Or is that an analogy?† â€Å"I'm not leaving yet†¦but you drove me†¦you can't drive me back.† â€Å"Sure I can. I feel fine.† â€Å"You wish. I haven't smoked that much.† I rummaged through my purse, found my cell phone, and dialed the first number in it. Beside me, Bastien muttered about analogies while staring entranced at the smoke swirling off the joint. â€Å"Hello?† answered Seth. We hadn't really spoken since our awkward morning. â€Å"Hey, it's me.† â€Å"Hey.† â€Å"So†¦I, uh†¦need a favor.† â€Å"What is it?† When I didn't say anything right away, he asked, â€Å"You still there? You okay?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I started laughing uncontrollably. â€Å"I am 50 okay.† â€Å"Urn, all right. What do you need?† It took me a moment to remember. â€Å"A ride.† â€Å"A ride?† â€Å"Yeah. A ride.† Bastien made a rude gesture at the mention of â€Å"a ride,† and I kicked him again. I gave the address to a clearly confused Seth and then disconnected. â€Å"Idiot!† I yelled at Bastien, even though I thought the whole situation was hilarious, as did he. I went in for a tackle. â€Å"What were you – â€Å" The doorbell rang. Our eyes went wide as we froze mid-grapple, panic flooding us like two kids who had just been busted hardcore. â€Å"Shit,† I said. â€Å"Damn. That author drives fast.† â€Å"It's not him, you dork. Don't move. They'll go away.† He lumbered to his feet. â€Å"No†¦I gotta see who it is†¦maybe it's Jack Daniels†¦could use a drink†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don't do it!† I begged, suddenly terrified for no reason I could identify. He turned invisible and strolled over to the door. Half a second later, he came tearing back. â€Å"It's Dana! She's back early.† He ran his hand frantically over Mitch's neat, blonde hair. â€Å"What's she want? What's she doing here?† â€Å"Maybe she wants Reese's pot back.† â€Å"This is my chance! She's here alone. She wants me. Quick.† He yanked my arm and dragged me to the stairs. I cried out in surprise. â€Å"Get out of sight. Throw that away.† â€Å"I'm not throwing this away! Besides, you don't think she'll notice that your whole fucking house smells like this? Jesus. Your pupils are the size of her granny panties. Virtuous or not, she isn't stupid.† â€Å"Just go! Hurry! Don't come down.† Grumbling, I went upstairs while Bastien scurried to the door. Turning invisible, I sat cross-legged at the top of the stairs and kept smoking. Below, I heard him greet Dana. â€Å"Well, hello,† he bellowed. â€Å"Sorry if I kept you waiting†¦I was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off stupidly, and I shook my head. Sloppy, sloppy. He would have never been at a loss for words sober, but then, his sober self would have immediately noticed the foolishness afoot. â€Å"I was†¦um, busy. Upstairs.† â€Å"I see,† replied Dana. Her tone was once again set to cool and formal. I decided Bastien had imagined the warm and friendly rapport he kept claiming they had when alone. â€Å"Well, I apologize for disturbing you, but when I dropped off the cookies earlier, I think I may have lost an earring.† I straightened up. Cookies? He hadn't mentioned that. Maybe he was making progress after all. Cookies. I wondered what kind she'd brought. Peanut butter? Chocolate chip? Oh. Maybe even white chocolate macadamia. He and Dana commenced a search for the earring, coming up empty. The whole time, Bastien tried to act like he wasn't stoned, but Dana couldn't have been fooled. Not with those cyborg eyes of hers. Hell, I didn't even need to see it. The audio track alone was entertaining enough. Meanwhile, I couldn't stop thinking about those goddamned cookies. They sounded good. Really good. Suddenly, I wanted them more than I'd ever wanted anything in my life. â€Å"Well,† I heard Dana say, â€Å"I must have lost it somewhere else. Thanks for looking.† â€Å"Sorry I couldn't help you.† â€Å"It's all right.† She allowed an elegantly crafted pause. â€Å"Isn't that Tabitha's purse over there? Is she here?† Oh, shit. I had a feeling Bastien was thinking the same thing. â€Å"Uh, well, yeah†¦but†¦um, she's upstairs lying down,† he faltered. â€Å"Has a headache.† â€Å"Oh, that's too bad. Did she take anything for it?† â€Å"Um, yeah, she did.† I looked at the joint. Had I ever. Bastien and Dana started talking about something else, and I decided then that I had to get those cookies. I was starving. The lovebirds sounded like they had moved to the living room, so I could sneak invisibly down the stairs and raid the kitchen without them knowing. Standing up, I put the joint out in the upstairs bathroom and moved on to my covert descent. Pot doesn't usually mess with motor control the way alcohol can, but it can certainly distract you from ordinary things. Like watching where you're going. About three steps down, my foot slipped out from under me. I uttered a sailor-worthy expletive and slid painfully down the rest of the way, landing hard on my butt at the bottom, my legs twisting into unnatural positions underneath me. I had barely enough sense to snap back to a visible Tabitha, lest Bastien and Dana think a clumsy ghost had just fallen down. A moment later, they came running. â€Å"What happened?† exclaimed Bastien. He sounded more upset about the interruption than my immediate health. â€Å"I†¦I tripped†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Looking down, I tried moving my left ankle to a more comfortable position. I winced. It hurt like hell, but at least it moved. â€Å"Well,† he said crisply, â€Å"so long as you're okay. I'm sure you'll want to go and – â€Å" â€Å"Okay?† Dana gave him an incredulous look. â€Å"We need to get her to the couch so she can straighten that out.† â€Å"Oh no,† I protested, seeing Bastien's murderous expression. â€Å"I†¦I'm fine†¦really†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But there was no arguing with Dana. She supported me under one arm, and he took the other. I hobbled over to the couch, putting my weight only on the right foot. Once I was stretched out, she pushed my jeans up over my calf and felt the ankle with cautious, expert precision, carefully examining each inch. I appreciated her solicitous concern and apparent first-aid know-how, but the thought of this wretched woman touching my leg repulsed me. Besides, what I really wanted were those cookies. Fuck my ankle. â€Å"It doesn't feel broken,† she finally decided. â€Å"Probably just a sprain, lucky for you. We should ice it.† When Bastien neither did nor offered anything useful, she went into the kitchen. I could hear her opening drawers and the freezer. â€Å"Do you hate me or something?† he hissed once we were alone. â€Å"This wasn't my fault,† I countered. â€Å"I think you've got a defective stair.† â€Å"Defective my ass. The only thing that's defective is your sense of timing. Do you know how close I was to scoring?† â€Å"Close? Close? Not to use a cliche, but hell was closer to freezing over than you were to scoring. I don't think she really goes for the babbling, high kind of guy.† â€Å"I wasn't babbling. And there's no way she knows I'm high.† â€Å"Oh, come on. If you were any higher, you'd – â€Å" I shut my mouth as Dana returned with the ice pack. She knelt by my feet and carefully set the pack on the injured ankle. I grimaced at the sudden change of temperature, but the shocking cold did numb the throbbing. Still concerned, she surveyed the rest of my lower leg with those sharp eyes. Again, she felt around the ankle area, her hands gently touching here and there. She frowned. â€Å"I could be wrong about how serious it is. You should keep icing it and take ibuprofen. If it doesn't get better in a couple days, go see your doctor.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said, looking away. Honestly, what I found most disconcerting now was how sincerely concerned she seemed. Maybe we'd misjudged her all along. Nah. â€Å"Well,† breezed Bastien, â€Å"if Tabby Cat's okay, maybe we should go to the kitchen and have some coffee – â€Å" â€Å"Do you know how it happened?† Dana asked me, ignoring him. â€Å"Oh†¦just a misstep I think†¦or maybe the stair is defective.† â€Å"I doubt there's anything wrong with the stairs,† said Bastien. â€Å"Tabitha's always been clumsy, that's all. It's legendary in our family.† Dana, oblivious to me glaring at the incubus over the slam to my gracefulness, glanced over at my shoes sitting near the door. They were strappy and black, with three-inch heels. â€Å"Are those what you've been wearing?† She fixed me with a stern, motherly look. â€Å"I know how strong societal pressure can be in making you think you need to fit a certain mold. But walking around in shoes like that all day will do serious damage to your feet. Not only that, they send a message that you have no shame when it comes to – â€Å" The doorbell rang then. None of us moved at first, and then Bastien rose, looking amazed that this night could get any worse. Dana dropped her wardrobe lecture and switched to a medical one. â€Å"You really need to be careful with this. Too much stress will agitate it. â€Å" Bastien returned a moment later with an utterly puzzled Seth, whom I suspected had no idea who had just let him in. Indeed, his bewilderment grew as he scanned Dana and me, no doubt wondering if he had the right house. â€Å"Hi Seth,† I said pointedly, in too loud of a voice, â€Å"thanks for coming to pick me up.† He continued to stare, and then the faintest gleam of understanding showed in his eyes. He'd seen me shape-shift clothes often, but this was the first time he'd ever seen me in another body. Dana looked around expectantly. â€Å"Oh,† I said, my mind still running a little slow from the pot. â€Å"This is, um, Seth. Seth, Dana.† â€Å"Hello,† she said, rising smoothly and shaking his hand. â€Å"Nice to meet you.† â€Å"Um, yeah. You too.† I had a feeling he would bolt if given half a chance. â€Å"Seth is Tabitha's boyfriend,† explained Bastien. â€Å"I imagine they'll want to be on their way now.† â€Å"I'd heard you were single. How long have you two been dating?† she asked, steering us toward casual conversation. Neither of us answered. â€Å"A couple months,† I said at last, wondering if my virtue was once again being assessed. She smiled. â€Å"How nice.† I started feeling those creepy vibes again, and suddenly I did want to leave. I tried to sit up, and she rushed to my side. â€Å"Someone grab her other arm.† When Bastien didn't move, Seth was finally spurred into action. He supported my other side and helped me stand. It was clear, however, that touching me in this body unnerved him, and he tried to manage it while staying as far away from me as possible. Consequently, all of his movements seemed awkward and unnatural, and no doubt Dana thought we were even weirder than before. She and Seth helped me to the car, Bastien following with a pout. When I was situated in the passenger seat, Dana offered a few parting words of instruction to both Seth and me on how to care for the ankle. â€Å"Thanks for the help,† I told her. â€Å"Happy to. Just try to be more careful from now on.† She glanced at her watch. â€Å"Well. I should probably go home myself.† â€Å"Do you have to?† asked Bastien stupidly. â€Å"Er, I mean, no need to feel rushed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Thank you, but no. Bill will wonder what happened to me.† I saw her walk back to her house as Seth pulled out. I also saw the look on Bastien's face. The morning after was not going to be pretty. We were almost in the city when Seth finally spoke. â€Å"Can you†¦uh†¦you know†¦change? This is really weird.† â€Å"Huh?† I had been staring bleary-eyed out the window, intrigued by the blur of city lights. â€Å"Oh. Yeah.† A moment later, I was the Georgina Kincaid he knew. â€Å"Thanks. So, uh†¦I don't suppose I really want to know what was going on back there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Nope.† I craned my head to look in the backseat. â€Å"You really don't.† â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"You don't have any cookies back there do you?† â€Å"Uh†¦no. I'm all out.† I sighed and sank into my seat. â€Å"I am starving. I don't think I can hold on much longer. You sure you don't have any other food?† The ghost of a smile curled his lips. â€Å"Nope. Sorry. You want to stop somewhere?† â€Å"Yes!† He pulled into a Taco Bell drive-thru, looking surprised when I gave him my order. When it came up, he wordlessly handed me my bag of four tacos, two bean burritos, and a tostada. I dove into them before he'd even accelerated away. When we got back to my place, he didn't give me the chance to limp in. He scooped me up effortlessly, almost like O'Neill might have in one of his novels. If not for me being stoned and clinging to a taco, it would have been terribly romantic. â€Å"You think I'm a freak, don't you?† I asked, once I was situated in bed and he sat on its edge. Seth had tended me once before, after a night of heavy drinking. I felt so irresponsible compared to him. â€Å"Well, the tostada was kind of excessive, but I've seen freakier.† â€Å"No†¦you know. I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. â€Å"Well, you may not realize this, but I've sort of been smoking†¦some stuff.† â€Å"Yeah. I kind of picked up on that.† â€Å"Oh. Well. Sorry.† I bit into one of the burritos savagely. â€Å"Why are you apologizing?† â€Å"Because†¦well, you don't do this.† â€Å"Do what?† â€Å"Smoke pot. Or drink. Geez, you even avoid caffeine. Don't you think I'm like, I don't know†¦corrupt?† â€Å"Corrupt?† He laughed. â€Å"Hardly. Anyway, you don't think I've ever done any of that?† The idea was just shocking enough to give me pause. I put my gluttony on hold. â€Å"Well†¦I don't know. I just figured, well, no. Either that, or you had some tragic history†¦like you got drunk and hit a mailbox or took off all your clothes in public and now avoid all such vices.† â€Å"That would be tragic. But rest easy, I indulged in plenty of ‘vices' in college. That's why it took me six years to graduate. Well, that and changing my major a few times. In the end, I just decided to abstain altogether. Didn't like myself otherwise. Sobriety's better for writing, and I say too many stupid things when I'm drunk or high.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said uneasily, trying to remember what I'd said tonight. It was kind of a haze. â€Å"So you don't think I'm like†¦I don't know, a shameless lush?† â€Å"Nope. So long as you don't do yourself harm.† He eyed the ankle suspiciously. â€Å"It doesn't matter to me. Honestly, half the reason I like you is because you're so†¦I don't know. You like life.† He looked away from my eyes, amused as his thoughts spun, considering. â€Å"You're fearless. Bold. Not afraid to enjoy yourself. You just go out there and do what you want. I like the whirlwind you exist in. I envy it. It's funny, really.† He smiled. â€Å"I used to think I wanted someone exactly like me, but now I think I'd be bored to death with another version of myself. I'm surprised I don't bore you sometimes.† I gaped. â€Å"Are you kidding? You're the most interesting person I know. Aside from Hugh maybe. But then, he installs breast implants and buys souls. That's a hard combination to beat. But he's not nearly as cute.† Seth's smile increased, and he squeezed my hand. Silence fell between us again, but this time it was kind of cozy. â€Å"Thanks for rescuing me,† I said slowly, â€Å"and for†¦well†¦I mean, I'm sorry about last night. Sorry I shut down.† His face sobered. â€Å"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I said firmly. â€Å"Don't blame yourself. It was me too. My fault too. And really, I was the one who started it. I should have just talked to you about it then. Especially after you made me pancakes this morning. You know, those suddenly sound really good again.† I looked at him meaningfully. â€Å"We shouldn't have done what we did†¦in bed†¦but, at least we did manage to stop. That's worth something.† I nodded, crumpling up the Taco Bell bag and tossing it across the room into my wastebasket. Score. He studied me, eyes warm and affectionate. He sighed and turned pensive again. There apparently was more seriousness to come. â€Å"I'd like to try sleeping together again, but I suppose†¦we should take a break from that. â€Å" I mirrored his sigh. â€Å"Yeah. I suppose.† Remembering something, I cocked my head and gave him a sharp look. â€Å"Hey, hypothetically – and I'm not offering this, so don't get any ideas – would you, like, give up part of your life to sleep with me? Er, but I mean†¦not actually sleep†¦ â€Å" He laughed out loud, the laughter underscored with a wry edge. â€Å"Thetis, I'd give up part of my life to do any number of things with you.† My interest flared. â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"Well†¦isn't it obvious?† I leaned toward him. Maybe I was still high and suffering from weed-induced horniness – and hey, in another reality, shouldn't we have been entitled to make-up sex? – but I suddenly and desperately wanted to hear him articulate what he wanted to do to me. â€Å"Tell me.† He shook his head. â€Å"I can't. You know how I am.† His eyes narrowed intently. â€Å"I could maybe†¦I could maybe write it for you, though.† â€Å"Really? Not in published story form this time?† â€Å"Yes, not in published story form.† â€Å"I'd like that.† I must have looked expectant because he laughed. â€Å"Not tonight, Thetis. Not tonight. I think we both need some sleep.† I was disappointed but could see the wisdom here. Having more time would ensure some good writing, I guessed. Furthermore, it was hard to be too sad when the tension from last night's mishap appeared to be gone. Our rapport and affection had returned, and watching him, I felt my feelings for him practically increase by the second. We chatted a bit more, and then he kissed me lightly on the mouth and rose. I wistfully watched him go, wishing he were staying. Drifting off to sleep, I finally contented myself by thinking about all the things I wanted to do to him. It was a long list, and I was out before even getting through a fraction of it.

Hilary Kuykendall Ya Liang Essay

1. How did Turner get himself into this predicament? What is going on for Cardullo? Many reasons contribute to the situation Turner’s currently in, first of all being his abrupt decision of taking the job. The job offer by MLI is very appealing, though, Turner isn’t thinking thoroughly about whether or not he is capable of doing industrial marketing,which is different from what he really likes and is expert in. Making a pros/cons list like the chart below is a great way to evaluate if you will be successful in a new position [4]. The risk is even higher as MLI is struggling financially and still in the transition of a merger.The unstable environment has left him little time to adapt to the new job though time is promised by Cardullo. So this is not a wise career choice in the first place. Secondly, Turner is trusted with too many responsibilities too early in his job. Turner doesn’t really know how to cope with the situation because it’s quite different from what he had in Wolf River. He really needs time to absorb all the information and get an understanding of both internal and external circumstances. Now he has no choice but to make quick calls based on a superficial observation, as well as instincts and past experience which could prove to be very wrong and dangerous. The same is true with the full autonomy over pricing. Turner never has a safe chance to prove his worth before being handed so many responsibilities, so once he fails, he will lose it all. Thirdly, things going on with Cardullo is making it worse. From the case, Cardullo can be described as being extremely judgemental and strongly opinionated. He abruptly sees people as either competent or incompetent and has, from what Turner sees, undermined the value of Kelly, a dependable sales veteran. His attitude also intensifies problems. Cardullo believes in the very opposite of â€Å" praise in public, censure in private†. The public rebuttals are making business issues  personal, and Turner is not comfortable with it. The upper management should be at least seemingly united and resolve issues in private, especially during the unstable period, otherwise some employees would take advantage of it and act on their own interest, such as Julie Chin. She is now teaming up with Cardullo against Turner and worsening the relationship. Generally, the soured relationship between Turner and his boss truly results from the lack of communication. Cardullo is spending too much time at San Diego Office and lacks patience of affairs in MLI. Cardullo’s undermining Turner’s performance irrespective of external environment change and his accusing of Turner’s team leaking sensitive information are jeopardizing mutual trust. His meek response towards Turner’s generator plan and his questioning Turner’s decision making ability concerning the bulb sales are melting Turner’s loyalty and enthusiasm. 2. What did Pat Cardullo and Jamie Turner each initially bring to the situation at MLI that would seem to ensure success? Failure? Pat Cardullo and Jamie Turner come from different company cultural background and have different management style. Jamie Turner has a good educational background and rich experience in marketing. He’s intelligent, dynamic and willing to accept challenges, which is exactly what MLI needs during the special time. Compared with Cardullo, he is more appealing to subordinates from MLI, who are really having a hard time coping with their new boss. Moreover, Turner is afraid of being seen as a job flopper and really enjoys his living in Chicago, so he could be a stable and loyal employee for quite a long time. Cardullo, on the other side, is very analytical and determinant. During their first meeting, Cardullo has demonstrated qualities of empathetic, receptive and cooperative. He is open ­minded and pretty good at being the charming boss. If, during their later cooperation as colleagues, Cardullo can remain as supportive and open ­minded as he appears in the beginning, they’ll make it a wonderful working relationship. However, things become more complicated when Turner is really worki ng for Cardullo. Cardullo is showing more of his other side as being impulsive and obstinate, which Turner is not prepared for. Turner’s position of â€Å"being afraid of losing the job and be seen as job ­flopper† lead him to suppress his feelings and try to be compliant, but  it only makes things worse. He doesn’t actively seek solutions to better their communication in the very beginning. Moreover, he is so confident about his position and â€Å"promising future† in MLI, and pays less attention in dealing with co ­workers, such as Julie Chin. Julie Chin later plays a key role in worsening the relationship between Cardullo and Turner. Secondly, Turner’s past experience is not strong enough to make him a â€Å"competent person† as what Cardullo expect. He is new in industry marketing, and lacks experience in cross ­functional collaboration. Also, he has little successful experience operating during financial shocks (think of the example of Turner’s leaving Lambowland.com). In addition, Cardullo’s position in San Diego office is really taking too much of his time and energy. These all almost ensure a unsuccessful result. 3. What were key choice points where either of them could have done things differently? Many opportunities arose for Cardullo to turn around the deteriorating situation with Turner. When he first brought Turner into the office for the second interview, Cardullo could have  introduced him to other members of the team and encouraged individual conversations with them. Giving a candidate the chance to learn what it is actually like to work in a certain office is part of a Realistic Job Preview, defined by Organizational Behavior as â€Å"giving job applicants a balance of positive and negative infor mation about the job and work context† [1]. This RJP is essential for both candidate and employer because it ensures both parties know what to expect before an actual offer is made thus reducing turnover. The CPA Journal found that â€Å"a firm with an initial turnover rate of 50%, using RJPs should result in a turnover rate of 38%, a decrease of 12%† [2]. If Turner was given the chance to speak to someone like Tim Kelly before he accepted the position, he might have rethought what working for Cardullo would be like in the long ­run. Another key point when Cardullo could have avoided the issues with Turner is when Cardullo gave Turner control over both pricing and sales long before they had originally discussed. Not only did he give Turner control over pricing, but the fact that Cardullo wanted to retain control over large orders was never discussed again. If he had proceeded as originally planned and waited until Turner had a better grasp of the business and understood what was  expected, the break ­even sale of halogen bulbs might have been avoided. As for Turner, his problems with Controller Chin began when he recruited one of her star performers for a project management position, even when she strongly resisted. Snagging someone’s top worker is a quick way to earn their resentment and even distrust. On top of poaching Bill Cook from Chin, Turner also undermined her power as controller when he took his cash ­flow concerns to Cardullo. Turner failed to recognize these two instances as subtle insults to Chin, so he was not prepared for her resulting reaction. Chin’s resentment manifested itself when she went straight to Cardullo to tell on Turner for the halogen bulb incident. His over ­the ­top reaction to her email strained their relationship to the breaking point. If Turner had not alienated Chin from the beginning of his time at MLI, he could have used her as a powerful ally in his dealings with the president. From day one, Turner knew Cardullo believed â€Å"control and marketing are the most important f unctions,† and to get the controller on his team would have been quite the coup. A major key point when Turner could have saved his working relationship with Cardullo was when Cardullo stated that he spent half of each week in each location, despite the CEOs suggestion otherwise. Turner should have seen this confession either as a red flag that working under Cardullo would not be as it seemed and remove his suit for the position, or as an opportunity to inquire further into the situation of Cardullo as president of two divisions. The information that Cardullo was in fact going against the wishes of the CEO would be a warning flag to most candidates, yet Turner did nothing after hearing of the situation. Finally, Turner’s approval of the break ­even sale of the halogen bulbs ruined any hope of earning Cardullo’s trust. When first discussing Turner taking over pricing, Cardullo stated he wanted to retain control over large orders. This stipulation was forgotten when Turner took over much sooner than expected. Whether he forgot the caveat or chose to ignore it, the large order of halogen bulbs was not Turner’s to dispose of. Even if the original transaction did not upset  Cardullo, hearing about the order after the fact from Chin would make anyone feel out of the loop and lied to. Turner should have either approached Cardullo before the sale ever took place, or shortly after to update the  president of the goings ­on of the division. 4. How, if at all, should Turner approach Cardullo at the end of the case? At this point in the situation, Turner’s options for salvaging his relationship with Cardullo seem minimal. Anytime Tuner has approached Cardullo with a relevant concern, Turner usually leaves still as frustrated and angry as ever. On the plane to San Diego the two discussed concerns in a frank and honest manner, but Cardullo dropped the suggestions within a few days after returning and left Turner feeling like their progress was disingenuine. In one last effort before Alan Oliver arrives, we suggest Turner sit down with Cardullo and clarify both of their roles as specifically as possibl e. Many issues stem from Turner stepping on Cardullo’s toes because he does not understand the boundaries of his new role, a typical case of role ambiguity. Even if it means conceding some power back to Cardullo, it would be helpful to both parties. The lack of constraint has left Turner feeling overwhelmed and kept him from settling in at MLI. It has also affected Cardullo to the point where he feels his power as president at MLI has been usurped. He even was heard to exclaim, â€Å"Remember that I’m still the president of this division.† As seen in Exhibit 1 below, role ambiguity is caused when something, either internal or external, has kept the receiver from fully understanding the role expectations of the sender. Another strategy is to admit that efforts to work together with no outside intervention have not been successful, and to enlist the guidance of the CEO. Even without the added formal credibility Oliver brings as head of the company, in many situations a third party can help facilitate the reconciling of parties. The added perspective can keep the airing of issues from becoming too personal, and there is a witness for the agreed solution and plan to reach it. According to the U.S. Online Training on OSCE, they can even do something as simple as â€Å"provide a party with reactions as to the acceptability of its proposals†. In addition to airing all issues, this would present a good opportunity for all three men to address the problems that have arisen from Cardullo splitting his two presidential roles. Each position demands his full time and attention and the different locations  make this impossible. From the beginning, Turner noticed he knew more about the details of MLI’s operations than Cardullo. A successful president is one that knows his or her operations inside and out, something impossible to achieve if you are gone for half of the week. Overall, Turner and Cardullo are not incompatible. We believe they could successfully work together if the underlying issues are addressed and boundaries clarified. References McShane, S., & Vonn Glinow, M. A. (2012). Organizational Behavior. New York: McGraw ­Hill/Irwin. [2] CPA, P. R., & Roth, P. Reduce Turnover With Realistic Job Previews. The CPA Journal. [3] McMillan, A. (n.d.). Group Dynamics. Reference for Business. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Gr ­Int/Group ­Dynamics.html [4] Gallison, D. (n.d.). An Effective Tool for Making Decisions. Career Transition: The Inside Job. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://ccppblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/an ­effective ­tool ­for ­making ­decisions/ [5] Third party roles in conflict situations. (n.d.). U.S. Online Training on OSCE. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://react.usip.org/pub/m3/p23.html