Monday, September 30, 2019

Chinese Attitudes Toward Nature, Time, Good and Evil Essay

As for the attitude of Chinese people toward nature, it is undisputed that it is marked by a strong feeling of harmony, for example, oneness of nature and man. According to Dong Zhongshu, who was the most important philosopher of the Western Han, Heaven had its will and purpose. It was Heaven that made the sun, the moon, and the stars move, the four seasons change, and all animals and plants grow and die. Heaven was kindhearted, so it made things produce one another; Heaven was also severe, so it made things overcome one another. Moreover, Heaven created a ruler to rule over the people. This meant that Heaven wanted the people to be ruled. When a ruler did something wrong, Heaven would be angry and would give the ruler warnings by causing strange natural phenomena to happen, such as eclipses, earthquakes, floods and droughts. This theory——the interaction between Heaven and man——had a clear purpose. On the one hand, it was intended to show that the ruler’s position and power were given to him by Heaven, and should not be questioned; on the other hand, the ruler should be virtuous and benevolent, and govern well, so as not to incur Heaven’s anger. Dong had a well-known saying: â€Å"The Way is great because it originates in Heaven. Heaven does not change; nor does the Way. † I would like to explain the idea clearly by an example. That is Feng Shui. Feng Shui (also known as â€Å"geomancy†) is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to use the laws of both Heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. Maybe many people think it is superstition, but I consider it can reflect the pursuit of harmonious life of Chinese people. There are four purposes in Feng Shui, seeking the harmony of human body; the harmony between people and people; the harmony between people and society; the harmony between people and nature. Let me give a small example about placing a bed. The bed shall be slightly higher than the knee and not near the door. And it shall face to the south and back to the north in order to adjust duxhlt, the aorta and large veins direction of the blood circulatory system, so that people can fall a sleep easily, and have a high quality sleep. The bed can’t facet the west, because the rotation of the earth is from east to west, making the blood rush toward the head, and people can’t sleep soundly. Beam presses which mean air conditioners hang above the pillow, or the lights suspend above the bed, bring about oppression, and cause adverse effect of body and mind. Mirrors can’t face the bed, if not people may be startled easily in midnight, and can’t be peace. It really can express the attitude toward nature, uniting of heaven and humanity. As for the attitude of Chinese people toward time, three features will be mentioned about. The first is round- type time outlook. In the oriental world, farming is the major way of carrying out material and exchanging goods dominates all the economic life of the whole society. This pastoral civilization treats human and the nature as interrelated and interacted,the world as an integer organically linked. So in oriental society the round-type time outlook is that nature and human is integrate. This kind of time outlook holds the view that time is like a circle and all the things in the world return to its origina1 state after a cycle of time, for example, the alternation of day and night, the come and go of the four seasons,the turning of the twelve months, the increase of the age and the growing of plants. This kind of time view makes the Orientals handle the time at their disposal and do things at ease. For instance, when a teacher has not finished an important point in his class,he can prolong his class. At the Chinese wedding feast, few people will come at the time which is written on the invitation card. Moreover, Chinese use time very casually and intangibly. Chinese prefer to say some uncertain words 1ike â€Å"at once†, â€Å"sometimes†, â€Å"a short while†, which a1ways confuse the westerners. Chinese students who are studying English tend to misuse the tense when communicate with foreigners. In a word, Chinese don’t have clear differentiation concept of time. The second is polychromic time system. Polychromic time system means people are very casual in using time. In other words, being punctual is important, but not strict. Polychromic time system is the heritage of traditional agricultural society. People are used to do severa1 different things at the same time and do things emphasizing prime time. Chinese think that everything in the world develops with the cycling of time, so people catch the time that is ripe for acting, which means each step of our action is determined temporarily by our surroundings. So action is poorly planned by Chinese. In some occasions, people can do many things in the same time. A Chinese salesman can check out with the first customer on the one hand,and show the goods to a second one on the other hand, even greet a third One at the same time. However, westerners can hardly accomplish them and also can not accept them. The third is past time orientation. Time orientation is a relatively stable factor in cultural difference. It is connected to the historical background of the. Generally speaking, people who have too heavy tradition, look up to history and past, so their time orientation is past-oriented. Chinese belong to past-oriented. People show great respect to the past. The past experience and 1esson are important reference for today’s success and failure. Chinese show respect to ancestors and teachers. They like to say things by referencing to the old books and stories. That is why Chinese call teachers â€Å"lao shi†. â€Å"lao† means old. People attach importance to age and experience, because they are symbols of power and wisdom, so words like â€Å"lao† and â€Å"da† always mean respect in Chinese. As for the attitude of Chinese people toward good and evil, perhaps the most extreme view of goodness is found in the Buddhist tradition. Buddhism maintains that we are born pure and are closest to what is called â€Å"loving kindness† when we enter this world. Hence, people are good, and our culture is what makes us evil. The view of goodness is also found in Confucianism. Meng Zi made the original goodness of human nature the keynote to his system. To him, the virtue of humanity together with the accompanying virtues of righteousness, rites and wisdom arises from the inner springs of the human heart. These four cardinal virtues come in their seed form—the â€Å"four beginnings†, as the feeling of compassion, shame, modesty, and of the distinction between right and wrong. Such feelings are universal among mankind and they come as naturally ad taste for food, and sight for beauty. This, Meng Zi argued, can be seen in the fact that a child naturally loves his parents and that a man will instinctively experience a feeling into a well. Therefore, human nature is originally good, and will be good if it is guided by its innate feelings, just as water is inclined to flow downward. In contrast to the concept of the goodness of human nature advocated by Meng Zi, Xun Zi declared that human nature is originally evil because human desires inevitably lead to greed and strife if left untrained. Believing that goodness can only be acquired, Xun Zi stressed the value of education and environment. To him it is environment and authority that make the man, and it is obedience of the precepts of the sage-kings that produces the goodness that is in him. In the end, however, not only is the life of virtue a possibility but even sage-hood is within reach. Therefore, Xun Zi said, â€Å"Every man on the street can become like the sage-king Yu†, a perfect orthodox Confucian note. What mentioned about are viewpoints from the ancients. Nowadays Chinese attitudes toward good and evil are very wide and vague, not like Christianity which has a â€Å"ten commandments†, making the general public even those without much cultural literacy has some certain standards, ruling what can do and can not do, their attitudes toward good and evil are absolutely clear. But to Chinese, nothing must been done and nothing can not be done. The boundary between good and evil is obscure, in some condition something is good but in other condition it may be bad. To Chinese the boundary is always about degree, whether it is excessive or not. For example, talking between Chinese friends sometimes contains abusive language, but it doesn’t mean they hate each other, most of time, it is just joking. That behavior is not really evil, but if it is overdone, it will be. Chinese People’s attitude toward nature, time, good and evil have been formed gradually, and they are relatively stable in a long time, but they are not without changes. The better living conditions, the development of the economy, the improvement of the society and the increase of the interaction of people from different cu1tural backgrounds will undoubtedly have subtle effects on their views, although it is also a long process. What I talking about is some basic attitude of Chinese, it will help foreigner to understand Chinese better, but not always apply to every Chinese at every time.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Crocs Company Essay

I have chosen crocs company to make the report that required in my first assessment. I choose this company because I am interested to make analysis about this company. In my opinion this company is unique. Based on (Wikipedia crocs), Crocs, Inc. is a shoe manufacturer founded by 3 friends – Scott Seamans, Lyndon â€Å"Duke† Hanson, and George Boedecker, Jr. They produce and distribute a foam clog design acquired from a Quebec company called Foam Creations. The shoe had originally been developed as a spa shoe. The first model produced by Crocs â€Å"The Beach† was unveiled in 2002 at the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show in Florida, and sold out the 200 pairs produced at that time. After a great success selling the 200 pair of Crocs â€Å"the Beach† spa shoe, George realize the potential and try to go beyond the 200 pair. Every pair of Crocs Shoes is from a material called Crosliteâ„ ¢. Croslite is a made from the company’s PCCR (Proprietary Closed-Cell Resin). It is not plastic nor rubber and it is a closed-cell in nature and anti-microbial (eliminates that foot odor). The special Patented Closed Cell Resin (PCCR) warms and softens with your body heat and molds to your feet. The Crocs European styling of the orthotic heel, built-in arch support, and tarsal bar position your feet for ultimate foot comfort and health. Say No to Painful Shoes and Hallo crocs Crocs, Inc, a world leader in innovative casual footwear for men, women and children, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2012. Crocs offer several distinct shoe collections with more than 300 four-season footwear styles. All Crocsâ„ ¢ shoes feature Crosliteâ„ ¢ material, a proprietary, revolutionary technology that gives each pair of shoes the soft, comfortable, lightweight and odor-resistant qualities that Crocs fans know and love. Crocs fans â€Å"Get Crocs Inside† every pair of shoes, from the iconic clog to new sneakers, sandals, boots and heels. Since its inception in 2002, Crocs has sold more than 200 million pairs of shoes in more than 90 countries around the world. The brand celebrated reaching $1 billion in annual sales in 2011. Marketing Concept have 4 elements that briefly explain what the marketing concept is; Customers Orientation, Competitor Orientation, Inter-functional Coordination and Profit Orientation. In Crocs Inc. Marketing concept is implemented to help the organization identify and give the customer need and want while also trying to achieve their organizational goals. I will explain more about the marketing concept that have been applied by Crocs Company. Customer Orientation This Customer Orientation is mostly about how the organization understands their core customers, their target buyers and their consumers in the industries. This people play a great part to them in creating the ideal product to the optimum valued. Based on the Crocs mission statement â€Å"Bring profound comfort, fun and innovation to the world’s feet â€Å". Crocs do their research what customer need and want. They value their customer toward comfort, fun and innovation footwear. They treat their customer so much better that they make their shoes according to what customer want in their feet. Crocs have made research and collect various types of information that may help them to satisfy their customer needs. That why Crocs have made various types of shoes that cater to all their customer’s need. The Croslite material that make it possible. Crocs defined Croslite as Ergonomic, lightweight, comfortable and odor resistant. Who ever thought that having an ugly shoe can make our feet feel absolutely relax? Well, Crocs did and it was a success. Crocs shoes do not only give absolute comfort like other shoes or stylish appearance but it gave more. No more foot odor, no more aching feet, no more heavy shoes and say Hello to better Healthy Shoes. (crocs, 2013) Crocs have launched an advertisement called â€Å"Feel The Love by Crocs†. In the television commercial for Crocs footwear, the actress wearing black high-heel shoes enters an apartment building and with tired climbs a flight of stairs. When she opens the door, two small red animated characters based on the Crocs original clog model, with stubby arms and legs and blinking  ventilation holes representing eyes, scamper toward her like puppies. The characters cling to her ankles and then, as she sits on the couch to read her mail, they remove her shoes, massage her feet, and then slip a new style of Crocs flats onto her feet. â€Å"Meet Croslite,† says a voice over toward the end and lastly says â€Å"the loyal, loving, good-for-you technology, in every pair of Crocs.† It was a great TV commercial that shows how Crocs understand their core customer, buyers and consumer’s needs and wants. Crocs knows that most of us will have a tiring day and it is a hassle to walk back home with an uncomfortable shoes. The advertisement wanted to deliver that Crocs is the ideal footwear to wear anytime anywhere. Besides that, another example of Crocs is Customer orientation is developing a shoe called † Crocs Prepair Flip† that focus on Athletic like runners and cyclists, etc. The flip-flop enhance recovery after athletic activity thus help lower muscle exertions can provide an improved opportunity for blood flow and fatigue relief, creating greater recovery potential after a hard sporty activities. This doesn’t focus on the athletics but to the customers that like to do sports. This shows that rather than they focus on general customer need them also specific to certain group of customer needs. Like in this Crocs Prepair case, they focus on the active runners, cyclist or other types of sports that might causes some of feet damage like fatigue or muscle exertions. Crocs have proven that they are Customer Orientation organization. (crocs, 2013) Competitor orientation Competitor Orientation means an organization that look at how its competitors are able to satisfy their buyers, customer or consumers. The organization should collect information about their competitor strategy and in the same time making their competitors as their benchmark for either short term or long term marketing strategy. Crocs major competitor is Decker’s, NIKE and Timberland. This major footwear brands have been around for many decade compared to Crocs that is consider as a â€Å"baby† in this Industries. But, to compare the success of crocs to them is actually same. The thing that make  these other competitor different from Crocs is they have the experience and well-known to the world. Crocs have collected some information of their competitor. Based on an article found from the internet called The Strategic Move of Crocs, Inc, 2009, Crocs have identified their competitors and what their competitors are doing in the industries. Crocs also realize that the global casual footwear and apparel is a highly competitive industry. Every competitor is competition with each other’s. In relating Crocs with its Competitor, I will be using Nike to make comparisons with crocs. (HOOVERS) Well-known Brand Name Nike began in the 1971 sold its functional running shoes to the jogging set, but then quickly expanded its offerings to include all athletes in virtually every sport. The shoes were customized to handle the rigors of the individual sport. Nike also expanded its line to be fashionable and cool to wear even when its wearers weren’t sweating. Compare Crocs and NIKE, NIKE has been in the global casual footwear and apparel industry since 1964. It is not surprising if Crocs has a long way to go and face many problems before they are on par with the well-known large companies around the world like Nike. But the potential is very good as Crocs is appear as category-dominant shoes. Even both are different in age but both brands are equally well known to the customers. Who in the world does not know Nike or Crocs? Both have carved a name their brand name in the mind of the customers when they think about shoes. (NIKE,Inc) Inter-functional coordination Inter-Functional Coordination means the people in the organizational that help in developing a marketing plan to achieve the organizational goals and satisfy the customer need and wants. The cooperation within the individual in the organization plays a part in this Marketing concept. In 2007, Crocs acquisition a Designer/manufacturer of sandals for beach/action sports called Ocean Minded. In the acquisition, Ocean Minded is introduced by Crocs  and helping Ocean Mind to boost up their product. Ocean Minded mission statement is; To become the global leader in sustainable lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories whilst ensuring that the four pillars of the Ocean Minded brand – Quality, Authenticity, Responsibility and Community – resonate throughout our company, products, associates and actions. This brand helps Crocs to boost up their social responsibilities toward their employees, their organization, the customer, the environment and to the world. Crocs, Inc. and its founders continue to live the Ocean Minded lifestyle by actively leading beach clean-ups, and supporting and educating customers on the importance of leaving the ocean and all waterways in better condition than when they were found. Thus this shows that not only Crocs is Inter-functional coordination but also a responsible organization that wanted to help another brand that sole purpose to keep the world a better place. (crocs, 2013) Profit orientation Profit orientation Profit Orientation means a term used to describe a business that operates under the primary objective of making money. Although most commercial enterprises have some form of profit orientation to motivate employees to maximize revenues, the most successful producers also incorporate a customer orientation into their corporate philosophy to protect the company’s reputation and facilitate client satisfaction with its products. (BusinessDictionary) Profit Oriented organization means a business that main objective to generate profit. There are ways an organization may achieve the greatest profit for their organization while still giving the customer the satisfaction of their products.In Crocs Inc, the company wanted to make money by selling their clog shoes to the customers. Crocs Inc also have some ways to be Profit Orientation; Cheapest Marketing Strategy Crocs were able to build its brand and build momentum with word-of-mouth marketing without traditional high advertising costs. Crocs Inc started their name by using the cheapest way of Marketing. Word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM), also called word of mouth advertising, is an unpaid form of promotion; oral or written. In which satisfied customers tell other people how much they like a business, product, service, or event. Word-of-mouth is one of the most credible forms of advertising because people who don’t stand to gain personally by promoting something put their reputations on the line every time they make a recommendation. (Word-of-mouth marketing, 2013) This strategy is the cheapest way to spread the word about Crocs Brand to the world. Crocs use the social network to market and promotes their product toward their potential customer. Thus, they save up a lot by not having an expensive advertisement or building a billboard that might cost them a lot. Cutting cost Costs were lowered by the elimination of standard box packaging for individual pairs of shoes. They were also decreased by the reduction of stock-keeping units (fewer styles, sizes, etc) and by the use of inexpensive plastic resin material compared to leather and other fabrics. In addition, the plastic resin material allowed Crocs to lower manufacturing costs because the product could be made faster and cheaper using injection molding machines compared to traditional labor intensive methods. This speedy production, also made it possible for Crocs to revolutionize the traditional supply chain approach and make its shoes available to a wide range of retailers and consumers within weeks, not months. By lowering the cost, Crocs can obtain larger amount of profit. This is a great step toward not only to the organization profit margined but helping the other brand realize that Crocs have better ways of managing it cost. This show that Crocs uses the cheapest Marketing Strategy to promote it product, uses the Cheapest distribution Channel to sell their product and cut unnecessary cost to obtain larger amount of profit. Crocs are genius ways of profit orientation  organization. Marketing process consist of 4 step; Situation Analysis, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Mix Decision and Implementation and Control. Situation Analysis SWOT Analysis Strength In Croc Inc, they give not just comfort but by created a material called Croslite, that technologically design to gives each of Crocs Shoe comfort, softness, lightweight, non-marking and odor-resistant. If we think back, Crocs have eliminates most of the problem that we suffer about shoes. When we buy a shoe, we seek comfort, soft and stylish. Plus I always have a problem with new shoe that hurt my feet when I wear it the first time. Well with crocs, they no more painful shoes. The Croslite material ensures that Crocs will never hurt our feet when we wear it. Plus with Crocs, there is no more feet odor. They satisfied the most of customer’s needs, desires and expectation in one material. The product design also unique with many shapes that is very interesting. The price also reasonable based on the material that crocs use to create the product. The product very comfortable and stylish. Weakness Crocs does not have a diversified product offering beyond footwear, which causes revenues to be seasonal (since most of their footwear is worn in summer) and also very cyclical (dependent on consumer spending and performance of the retail sector). Demand for â€Å"Crocs Classic† shoes has been declining over time (from 30% of total sales in 2007 to 16% in 2009) as they transition to a mature product and therefore, revenues are contingent upon the success of new models and fads. Crocs has poor IT systems and depends on manual processes which are not efficient or scalable Opportunities Crocs has the ability to expand through growth in direct to consumer sales and internet sales. Given Crocs’ success internationally, they can continue expanding abroad by reaching untapped markets. In addition, it’s possible that the Crocs â€Å"fad† is in a different part of the fashion trend cycle  abroad and Crocs can even take advantage of further growth in countries where it already has a presence. Lastly, there is an industry movement towards more comfortable and casual shoes, so Crocs has the opportunity to attract new consumers by highlighting the benefits of Croslite. Threats The product of Crocs increase in counterfeit product and highly competitive market. Highly competitive market for example Crocs have to competitive with NIKE. Some retailer with more product differentiation. Decrease in consumer spending resulting from global economic condition poor publicity escalator incident Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy for Crocs is the different target of customer. They do not only focus to one type of customers. Crocs has defines their customers and what they need from Crocs. A) Kids. The Kids which comprised their 23% revenue of sales in 2009, is the number one customers for Crocs. Kids love their Crocs shoes because Crocs’ comfort, easy-on, easy-off style, bright colors and customizable Jibbitz accessories make them ideal for kids. And their low price point and broad size range make them ideal for parents on a budget with fast-growing children. Crocs Inc introduced a fall kids’ collection for school. Kids do love Crocs shoes and they wanted to wear them everywhere even to school. That why this falls collection comes with a â€Å"School Approve† symbol. This â€Å"School Approve symbol comes with meaning of features of closed toes, enclosed heels and non-marking soles that meet typical school dress code. Now kids can wear Crocs everywhere even in school. B) Women. 77% of Crocs sales in 2009 were from products geared towards adults, and suspect that the majority of those sales are to women. Continued focus on understanding the needs of this segment as well as effectively marketing to it. Crocs introduce the Feel the Love campaign seems to focus on female protagonists Marketing Mix Decision Product The Product that provided by Crocs is a brand new type of casual shoe, it is a clog that partly a shoe and a part sandal. This clog shoe is fun, whimsy, brightly-colored, comfortable and lightweight with perfect balance of functional appeal. Crocs Inc provides various types of shoes for women, men, girls and boys. The clog like shoe look ugly at first but with the appealing bright colors that the come with, it catches the buyers and customers. The bright color catches the attention of customers to try it on. Well, the materials that Crocs shoe made from actually make it far. The special Patented Closed Cell Resin (PCCR) warms and softens with your body heat and molds to your feet. The material eliminates all the shoes problem that we have in life. That what sold it worldwide. The wonder shoes. Pricing Croc wanted their product is accessible to many people so their base price point is RM90. They also eliminated a standard box packaging for individual pair of Crocs shoes. This step help them to lower their cost as well decrease their stock keeping unit. Place When we say The Place in Marketing Mix, there may explain how providing the product at a place which is convenient for consumers to know. Crocs evolves their distribution in retail by having each stores in every shopping complex, malls and even streets worldwide. But, recently they reduce on retail expansion and focus on others distribution strategies like having Crocs Kiosk and Online Crocs Shop. All the distribution strategies that implemented by Croc is focusing on the customer’s convenient to purchase a Crocs Shoes. There are now no boundaries in distribution. Promotion Last in Marketing Mix is The Promotion, it represents all of the methods of communication that a marketer may use to provide information to different parties about the product. Promotion comprises elements such as: advertising, public relations, personal selling and sales promotion. In Crocs Inc., they started their marketing strategies in having a Word-To-Mouth Marketing that is an unpaid form of promotion whereby it may be in oral or written form. It created a buzz that will make other people  satisfaction toward the clog shoe to another person. Crocs Inc spend less in promotion because of the word-to-mouth marketing that is the cheapest way of promotion. When the word get out, the influence people like celebrities like Al Pacino, Faith Hill and Paris Hilton were seen wearing the clogs shoes and with their social class influence the other people to wear one clog shoes. Even US President Bush wear one and he actually loves the clogs shoes. Other than using this word-to-mouth marketing, Crocs Inc also do some discounts, promotion online and public relations. Define marketing and related it with Crocs Inc understand us how Marketing works. It is more than Selling and Advertising a product. The major focus is the Customer Satisfaction towards a product. That why a study have been made and a strategies like The 4P’s Marketing Mix is developed. It is to understand more how marketing works. The company’s growth strategy includes: 1- distributing new and internally developed products through a wide range of channels e.g department stores, specialty footwear stores, sporting goods and outdoor retailers and Cocs website 2- acquisition of small footwear companies e.g Foam Creations in June 2004, Fury and EXO in October 2006, Jibbitz in December 2006, Ocean Minded in February 2007 and Bite in August 2007. 3- expansion into global markets with products distributed through more than 8000 international retail stores sold in about 90 countries. The company was able to realize high margins on its products due to high economies of scale and shift to third party operated facilities (83% of third-party manufacturers in China, Bosnia, Vietnam and Romania). The company faces a lot of challenges. 4- Crocs core competencies are supply chain management and small-retailer level marketing, just in time distribution. Croc has used its core competencies to build a brand familiarity and popularity and to distribute new models and accessories in mid-season. Their supply chain management has helped the company to create a stronger maturity map for their products, and to extend the maturity map through marketing How could Crocs exploit their core competencies in the future? Consider the following alternatives: a.Further vertical integration into materials a.Growth by acquisition b.Growth by product extension (Bogari, 2009) My recommendation Crocs have to focuses more on the shoes. Crocs should refocus its entire organization (design, manufacturing, and marketing) on the unique appeal of its shoes. Realign the distribution model in U.S. We believe that Crocs should reduce its focus on retail expansion and instead recommend migration to the model that has proven Reduce retail store presence. Crocs should carefully evaluate the returns on existing stores, and suspend plans to open new stores. For those stores that are not in key geographic areas and that are not strong performance.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Investigating a Social Marketing Issue (Road Safety) - Making calls Case Study

Investigating a Social Marketing Issue (Road Safety) - Making calls during driving - Case Study Example It has become increasingly common to see people talking of their cellphones while driving. This has become a source of distraction while driving and thus increases the likelihood of accident rates. In many states, using cell phones while driving has become illegal considering the increasing rate of road accidents caused by distracted driving. Despite this many people use cellphones while driving. The first video is a shocking reminder of what call happen when a person uses cellphone while driving. The main reason why cellphone are prohibited while driving is because they distract the driver. The driver, at times, tends to lose focus on the road and this often leads to road accidents that are often fatal like in this particular case. The video appeals to the emotions of the viewers. The crying mother moves the viewers and they can feel her helplessness at such a needless death. The driver, in this video, is kept anonymous but one can develop a mental image of a busy woman who felt that she could not live without her cellphone even for one moment. The second link in this case study provides a very interesting debate. There are many who are not against the concept of using cell phones while driving. They argue that cell phones are not a source of distraction if used smartly. One of the people who replied to the thread commented that he was replying to the post while driving. This debates calls us to question whether laws against cellphone usage while driving are enough to deal with the issue because drivers are still careless. Younger people seem to be more at risk. This is mainly because young people are more addicted to their cell phones than any other people. Another reason behind this fact is that young people are not aware of the depth of the issue. Peer pressure further aggravates the problem. According to a survey conducted by CDC, 69 percent drivers between the age of 18 and 64 used their cell phones while driving (CDC,

Friday, September 27, 2019

Across The Universe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Across The Universe - Essay Example The film is brilliant for its daringness and like the war in Vietnam; the film does not quite stop in the achievement of its goals. It reaches something more powerful in the quest for success. The music that is used in the first part of the film fits well with the story, from a fantastic dancing number, to Lucy when she is gently musing on the potential romance with Jude through singing. At the end of the film, the song morphs into a dance that can be said to be seductive between Jojo and Sadie. This is a brilliant balance of the inherent romance and the song’s darkness (Taymor 1). At the start, of the film, the music that has been used binds well to the situation and what is taking place in the film. Through this, the film highly captures the viewer’s attention. Some may argue that when watching the film, only the actors and the screenplay matter; however, this is not true as proved by this film. Films have to match the message with the background music played to maintain the viewer’s attention and show progress in the movie. A song can also be used to introduce a new theme or emphasize on a current them is a film (Taymor 1). Halfway through this film, the musical numbers get more visually splendid and weirder and the story seems to lose its way. This one effect is attributed to the wrong choice of song. The film writer has to ensure that the theme of the song coincides with the theme that the film is trying to advocate for, if the theme of the song does not correspond with the film’s theme, then the film will lose its way and will not achieve the required goal (Taymor 1). In the film, the actors use songs to emphasize the feelings that they are portraying especially the main casts. At some point when Sadie tells the rest of the band that Lucy is planning on going solo, Jojo intentionally spoils Lucy’s’ opening song.  Ã‚  

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Apple and Samsung Competitive Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple and Samsung Competitive Strategies - Essay Example In order to identify the difference in corporate culture at Apple and Samsung, both the organization’s corporate culture would be assessed to elaborate the difference. The corporate culture of Apple and Microsoft is as follows;According to Tim Cook, Acting CEO at Apple, the company believes in providing its customers with innovative and simple products to provide its customers with the best product available in the market. Furthermore, the company believes in controlling and owning its primary technologies and to focus on only those markets where the company can make contribution. At Apple, importance is given only to the accomplishment of personal goals not 100 percent but 110 percent. This indicates that Apple value what is important for the organization (Tobak, 2011). At Apple, collaboration and cross-pollination are the source of its success and by doing so; the company is able to provide the customers with innovative products that other in the technological industry canno t. The greatest and the most interesting thing about Apple is that it does not care about its competitors and at Apple things are done when the company feels right. At Samsung, employees are provided with opportunities to pursue their dreams and the company takes full advantage of the talent and knowledge of its employees. In order to provide the customers with great and innovative products, employees at Samsung are encouraged to develop creative ideas that would attract customers. At Samsung, speed and adaptability are the center of focus of corporate culture. The company has extra-ordinary marketing campaign due to which it has a competitive edge over Apple; its fiercest rival in the technological industry. Diversity is another major part of corporate cult

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Art of English Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

The Art of English - Assignment Example The current of the moths flying strongly this way. A lamp and a flower pot in the centre. The flower can always be changing. But there must be more unity between each scene than I can find at present. Autobiography it might be called. How am I going to make one lap or act, between the coming of the moths, more intense than another; if there are only scenes? One must get the sense that this is the beginning; this is the middle; that the climax – when she opens the window and the moth comes in. I shall have two different currents – the moths flying along; the flowers upright in the centre; a perpetual crumbling and renewing of the plant, In its leaves she might see things happen. But who is she? ... Virginia Woolf After reading passages such as this where the only human is simply described as ‘She’ and does nothing more than open a window, one can agree with Kronenburg ( as quoted by Liukkonen 2008) who claimed that Woolf was not concerned about her human cha racters but rather, ‘the poetic symbols, of life--the changing seasons, day and night, bread and wine, fire and cold, time and space, birth and death and change.’ This is a description of a purely internal process – no one watching would be able to guess what was going on unless they read over her shoulder. And even then they might ask ‘What’s she going on about?’ This lack of physical action has an effect upon the minds of readers – they are more used to stories with a beginning, a middle and an end – stories about people’s actions, achievements or disappointments, but Woolf seems much more concerned with the mind’s inner workings – thoughts, sensations, emotions, and often people find this harder to deal with. This would be especially so if they aren’t themselves as introspective, aren’t so concerned with why one acts in a certain way as in the action itself. She intends to write a novel yet s ays ‘ I am not writing a story’ – how can a novel not be a story? Virginia Woolf has had two books of her diaries published. This selection comes from ‘A Writer’s Diary’ and was edited by her husband Leonard. She was born Adeline Virginia Stephen in 1882, so was 47 at the time of this entry. The other work considered is by a soldier and prisoner of war. Both writers are Londoners, but John Mansel on the other hand was 32 when he wrote so they are almost, but not quite, of the same generation and background. John Mansel (1909- 1974) trained as an architect , but joined the Territorial Army in 1935. His diaries cover the period of his interment in Germany as a prisoner-of-war during the 2nd World War. There were huge differences between their lives – not least that Woolf was permanently scarred by childhood sexual interference. Both came from financially secure backgrounds.- Mansel senior was a stockbroker. He had attended both school and university and had professional qualifications - Virginia Woolf had never been to any kind of school. Mansel’s diary only covered the war years, whereas Woolf was a full time professional writer whose works, although not the easiest to read, were read widely. Mansel’s writing was presumably meant of only private consumption, at least in the first instance, although he is careful not to mention names, probably in case of causing offence. It was not published until a few years after his death. They each use the diary form in different ways. Woolf seems to be using it as preliminary

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Short Essay Response Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Short Response - Essay Example Sustainability, however, is hard to attain in urban areas, where cities with high population density equate to large production of wastes and rapid consumption of natural resources. One of the most pressing problems facing urban planners today is how to create sustainable urban communities and to bring existing non-sustainable communities to the path of sustainability. Some of the potential avenues toward solving the issue of sustainability are creating a new city that is similar to a town in walkability and closed-loop metabolism, but a global one, because of the use of technology and modern networks in attaining its sustainability goals; understanding the unique strengths and constraints of every urban community for urban planning/redesign; and incorporating ecological concepts and principles in how urban communities are perceived, which require collaboration across all main stakeholders, including the government, the business community, citizens, and other related professionals. The historical roots of these problems on sustainability are the vast industrialization across the world during the past centuries and the free-market philosophy of liberal economics and capitalism that disregard sustainability principles. Industrialization, since the eighteenth century up to now (as it goes in more in developing countries), has resulted to widespread exploitation of natural resources and workers alike (WCED 354). As the Brundtland report summarizes: â€Å"Thus today’s environmental challenges arise both from the lack of development and from the unintended consequences of some forms of economic growth† (WCED 354). In urban design, it means converting agricultural areas to manufacturing/commercial/residential/entertainment sites and creating high-rise cities where population is more compact and where resources are swiftly consumed.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Characteristics of Business Leadership Term Paper - 1

Characteristics of Business Leadership - Term Paper Example The Byte shop purchased their first fully assembled computer. It is here that the Apple Corporation became founded. The name was based on Jobs favorite fruit and the logo selected to play on the name of the company and the word byte (Lee, 2001). His highly innovative ideas of personal computers took him into changing the software industry and computer hardware. His invention changed the people idea of a Pc from a huge mass of vacuum tubes used by giant corporations to a small item used by the ordinary people. His development of the software for the Macintosh brought the use of windows interface and use of mouse that set a bar for all interface in software application (Halliday, 2003). One significant challenge Apple faces is Jobs himself. Majority of people believe he is Apple, and he has attracted a devotion of followers better known as the Mac faithful and recently the iphone and iPod fanatics. He is like a secular messiah to his followers and a cult leader to his competitors. The unmatched record of Apple’s products got found under his leadership and whose desire for sleek gadgets is unique in the business world (Halliday, 2003). The markets also are hyper about Jobs. To the world whenever he became faced with sickness the Apple share prices decline. The shares of the company significantly dropped by as much as 10 percent after the announcement of his medical leave. Rumors’ were also said that the company would be sued by its investors, who were unhappy with it’s about face on the health of its chief executive. Investors complained that the company was slow to tell about Steve Job’s honest medical status, and to incorporate a succession plan after his treatment of cancer. This is because of his influential role in vetting the organizations future designs (Lee, 2001). The other challenge was the lack of product blockbusters that will excite Apple lovers. Analysts believe that the company has no announcement to

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The civil War Essay Example for Free

The civil War Essay The beginnings of the American Civil War were born from a disagreement between the Northern and Southern part of the United States of America. The south still believed in slavery and wanted to use it as a normal routine since slave labor constituted a major part of their workforce (Greene 302). The sentiments in the north were much different as they believed that a ban on slavery was only proper and the northerners were willing to make sure that the entire United States took part in this. The southerners did not want such a change to occur and this is when the civil war began. â€Å"Lincoln did not propose federal laws against slavery where it already existed, but he had, in his 1858 House Divided Speech, expressed a desire to arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction. † (Greene 306) The result of the Civil war was the emancipation of the slaves and the abolition of all forms of slavery. The effect, however, is arguable as many cite that the abolition of slavery in itself is a major achievement but more authoritative sources state that it did not totally remove the racism that was to follow (Greene 306). The effects of the Civil War were more local as opposed to the American Revolution. Which One Had a Greater Impact? After reading a number of sources and understanding the situation of the war, I feel that the American Revolution was the biggest achievement for the country and it had a greater impact on the country as well as the world (Greene 309). Even though slavery was also to be eliminated, there was a need for the country to include all the individuals into the decision making of the government. There was a need to provide the individuals with the freedom of speech as well as thought so that they can think the best for themselves. Another effect is that the end of the British Rule over the Americans led a wave of self-determination across the world and showed the other colonized countries that they too could fight for their independence (Greene 310).The Civil War had no such effect on slavery as slavery continued to occur in other parts of the world such as the African Continent. References Blanco, Richard. The American Revolution: An Encyclopedia 2 vol (1993), 1850 pages Greene, Jack P. and J. R. Pole, eds. The Blackwell Encyclopedia of the American Revolution (1994), 845pp; emphasis on political ideas; revised edition (2004) titled A Companion to the American Revolution Online Sources Wikipedia. (2007). American Revolution. Retrieved on April 26, 2007 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/American_RevolutionWikipedia. (2007). American Civil War. Retrieved on April 26, 2007 from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/American_Civil_War In Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, McPherson claims that the Civil War brought about a much more radical change in government than the revolution of 1776. Find sources from this period that would support or challenge this statement. Look closely at the ways the decision to enter the Civil War tested the Constitution and the national sense of unity. Do you believe the country was strengthened or weakened by the Civil War?

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Management and Hr Essay Example for Free

Management and Hr Essay The CIPD introduced the HR Professional Map in 2009, which set out the new foundations for professional competency in HR and the criteria for new and revised CIPD qualifications. The map highlights 10 professional areas at four different levels and the eight key behaviours HR professionals need to operate. The HR Profession Map sets out the following eight behaviours: 1. Decisive thinker. Able to analyse information quickly and use it to make robust decisions. 2. Skilled influencer. Able to gain commitment from different quarters in order to benefit the organisation. 3. Personally credible. Expert in both HR and commercial issues, and takes a professional approach. 4. Collaborative. Able to work well with a range of people both within and outside of the organisation. 5. Driven to deliver. Focused on delivering best possible results for the organisation, and shows determination, resourcefulness and a sense of purpose in achieving this. 6. Courage and challenge. Has the courage and confidence to speak up and will challenge others even when met with resistance or unfamiliar circumstances. 7. Role model. Leads by example. 8. Curious. An inquisitive, open-minded type, who seeks out new ways to support the development of the organisation. The HR Profession Map identifies ten professional areas: 1) Insight Strategy Solutions (the ‘core’ of the Map) : understanding the company ethos activities, responsible for HR plans of action, is aware of the obstacles that block the path of being able to provide an effective HR function, provides solutions. Designs good rewards and benefits package, making the Company an attractive place to work, helping with retention of staff and attracting quality new staff members, central to the organisation. 2) Leading Human Resources : operational excellence understanding the requirements of the organisation. Will to be able to guide direct a fit for purpose HR function, responsible for staffing 3) Service delivery and  information. Managing HR information professionally. 4) Organisation design. Managing structural change and ensuring the organisation is appropriately designed. 5) Organisation development. Ensuring the organisation’s workforce, culture, values and environment will enable it to meet goals and perform well in the future. 6) Resourcing and talent planning. Making sure the organisation attracts people who will give it an edge. Managing a workforce with the balance of skills needed to meet short and long-term ambitions. 7) Learning and talent development. Making sure that people at all levels of the organisation have the skills needed to contribute to the organisation’s success, and that they are motivated to grow and learn. 8) Performance and reward. Making sure that reward systems – principally pay and benefits – are fair and cost-effective. Ensuring critical skills, experience and performances are rewarded. 9) Employee engagement. Supporting employees in maintaining a positive connection with their work, colleagues and the broader organisation, with a particular focus on good relationships between staff and their line managers. 10) Employee relations. Ensure that the relationship between the organisation and staff is managed within a clear and appropriate framework. â€Å"Orme added: The map will allow us to maintain rigour while improving flexibility: the flexibility to meet the needs of generalists and specialists and to support professionals at all levels, and the rigour to ensure HR professionals and employees alike can be confident that a CIPD qualification delivers not just the capabilities needed for today, but the capacity to adapt to the growing demands that will be placed on the profession in the future. (http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hro/news/1017104/hrd-2009-cipd-introduce-hr-professional-map-equip-practitioners-tougher-future-role#sthash.ks3fgXhT.dpuf- 10.03.2014) Bands of Professional Competence: Band 1 – Entry stage into the HR profession and supports colleagues, manages data and information, broadly considered as being customer orientated. Band 2 – Advises and in some instances manages HR issues. An individual at this level will understand evaluation processes and be able to assist with known solutions. Band 3 – Defined as a leader of a professional HR area. An individual at this level will be have the ability to address major HR issues, generally at an organisational level and will be involved with  medium to long term HR planning. Band 4 – Manages and leads a professional HR area / division. Working at senior organisational level and will have responsibility for the development and implementation of HR strategies. There are standard definitions within each of the four bands which advise of the following 3 areas: 1) What you need to do within each band (activities covering 9 specific points) 2) What you need to know within each band covering 12 specific points 3) How you need to do it i.e. the prevalent behaviours that are essential for each professional area. The behaviour definitions are defined as: Driven to deliver Collaborative Personally credible Decisive thinker Skilled influencer For example an HR professional working competently at band 4 will be expected to be a decisive thinker, will be driven to deliver and will also need to be a skilled influencer. The point of the HR profession Map is that individuals either considering a career in HR, or who are currently working at any given level within HR, will understand the skills, requirements, knowledge and personal attributes required at each level therefor creating a clear progressive guide for their career path. My own experiences as a admin assistant has made me realise I am a generalist at present within HR, my limited experience is gradually developing and I am becoming a more confident person within the HR world, now being able to advise senior management without also reaffirming my thought with our HR director, I aspire to gain further knowledge and become a confident HR professional with this in mind it is not always advisable just to look at my own career and development but to that of others and whils t I don’t have the experience I do have the knowledge and the enthusiasm to help develop individual personal aspirations that need to be closely managed in consideration of an individual’s personal aspirations of how far i can progress my career. For example, a person with strong ability currently working at band 2 may well aspire to eventually be capable of working to the prescribed band 4 level but in reality, and despite whatever development takes place, they may well be unlikely to be able to progress to band 4. This may well be a  personality issue or that some people are just not leaders but not everyone will be able to develop themselves as decisive thinker and a skilled influencer, two of the most difficult requirements of any senior management. Looking at the overall Map and considering my current role within our organisation, I am confident that I am currently working within the band 2/3 area of Human Resources. It is clear that I have extensive work to do within my career path and feel that following onto further studies, whilst gaining the experiential knowledge will give me a sound grounding to a positive and progressive career. After assesing the the map I would consider that I am currently working between band 2 3. In my role as Admin Assistant I have responsibiity for ensuring that all HR related activities are managed effectivly and correctly under the supervision of the HR director. My customer base is predoninantly our management team but also our employees, union representatives and our clients senior managment teams. The conflicting needs of each group can be difficult at time to prioritise, not only do I have to answer to three sites managers who all require assistance in there own ways, I have the directors and the employees, as well as the employees of Youngs who are our client and at the end of the day (pay the bills). Within my own organisation we have a service level agreement with Youngs our client,this enable us to provide and maintain the service required, it clearly defines what is expected, when and how, it also states what we expect from the client to enable us to provide an effective service. Providing an effective service,with good communication in a timely manner builds customer confidence, but from a buisness point of view we also need to come in on budget, sometimes the clients expectations can be unreasonable, so as a service provider we have to sometimes negotiate and balance between our customers wants and needs to the needs and demands of the buisness, also balancing the needs of our employees needs to be apart of our management. â€Å"If you not serving the customer, you’d better be serving someone who isâ€Å" – Karl Albrecht – Developing Yourself as an effective learning and development practioner Whilst carry out the assignement and after discussing it with our HR Director  he brought to my attention a perfect example. â€Å"As an example, in a redundancy situation the needs of the union will be to ensure that as few employees as possible are made redundant however quite often in my experience a number of employees will activly want to be made redundantâ€Å" Director of HR Partners In Hygiene Whatever the situation, in my role I have to ensure that the needs of the business come are met first, then to time manage and balance the requirement of In terms of my own developemnt I am comfortably working within Band 2 for area such as insight, strategy, and solutions, leading HR and organisational design as well as performance and reward and feel with only 2 years experience I have progressed positivly, though am very aware I still need assistance coaching/ mentoring to develope my career path to continue and sustain the progression at the same pace. In order to ensure that I deliver to all my customers (internal external) I must ensure that I have maintain effective communication. The four main communication tools that I employ are: 1) Verbal – Face to face conversations with individuals or groups 2) Written – letters of communication, formal and informal 3) E-mail 4) Telephone conversations Each of the above have both advantages and disadvantages e.g. verbal communication is an effective tool for maintaining close contact and relationships with people but can be time consuming and generall leaves no trail i.e. evidence that a particular conversation has ever occurred. E-mail is an efficient and fast method of written communication but as there is no face to face contact emotions within an e-mail can be misinterpreted leading to misunderstanding. The sheer volume of e-mail can be a problem and in my experience almost everyone is guilty of using e-mail as mean to cover themselves. Written letters are a good record of communication but can be perceived as being too formal and again can be time consuming to compose, print, mail etc. As with any business attempting to be efficient in terms of effective communication, we use all of the above comminication methods at various times. Personally I do prefer oral communication whenever possible wven if this is via telephone rather than face to face.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Effect of GA3 on Attributes and Yield of Summer Tomato

Effect of GA3 on Attributes and Yield of Summer Tomato Effect of GA3 on Some Biochemical Attributes and Yield of Summer Tomato M. S. Rahman, Md. Azadul Haque and Md. G. Mostofa Abstract An experiment was carried out in pots at Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Mymensingh, during March to July 2012 to evaluate the influence of different concentrations of GA3 on biochemical parameters at different growth stages in order to maximize the yield of summer tomato var. Binatomato-2. The concentrations of GA3 used were 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 ppm and they were applied at three stages, namely root soaking of seedlings before transplanting, vegetative and flowering stages. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Results indicated that the highest chlorophyll and soluble protein contents were recorded when GA3 was applied through root soaking followed by vegetative stage and the lowest was found at the flowering stage. In contrast, the highest nitrate reductase activity was observed when GA3 was applied at the vegetative stage and the lowest activity was recorded at the flowering stage. The applications of 50-75 ppm GA3 had significantly encouraged the bio-chemical parameters studied at 50 DAT. The amount of GA3 applied at different stages had significant influence on the yield and yield attributes of summer tomato. The highest plant height was recorded when 50 ppm of GA3 was applied at the vegetative stage. While, the longest time to first fruit setting was required when the roots of the seedlings were soaked in 100 ppm GA3 solution. The application of 50 ppm GA3 by root soaking had significantly increased the number of flowers, fruits and fruit yield per plant but similar performances were achieved when only 25 ppm GA3 was applied at the flowering stage. The fruit yield of tomato per plant increased linearly with the increased number of flowers and fruits per plant. Keywords: Concentration, Chlorophyll, GA3, Soluble protein, Nitrate reductase activity Introduction Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is one of the most popular and nutritious vegetables of Bangladesh. Tomato is cultivated all over the country due to its adaptability to a wide range of soil and climate. Normally tomato is grown in winter season due to its requirements for temperate climate. Hence, it is difficult to grow tomato in summer season due to adverse climatic conditions, such as high temperature, high rain fall, hailstorms, etc. Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) has developed some tomato varieties to cultivate in summer season. But the yield potential of these varieties can not be achieved due to the above mentioned climatic conditions. In summer season, tomato can however be successfully grown under glasshouse conditions. But it is not possible for the poor farmers to go for large scale production in glasshouses because it is highly expensive and need technical skills. The other option is the use of plant growth regulators to minimize the effect of harsh e nvironments in order to maximize the yield of summer tomato. Results of some studies indicated that the application of Gibberellic acid (GA3) had significantly increased the number of fruits per plant than the untreated controls (Tomar and Ramgiry, 1997). Adlakha and Verma (1964) reported that the application of GA3 on flower cluster resulted in an increase in fruit weight. To increase the yield as well as to avoid flower and fruit dropping, application of GA3 at optimum concentration and at right time is important. Gibberellic acid has great effects on plant physiological systems including fruit setting, leaf expansion, germination, breaking dormancy, increasing fruit size, improving fruit quality and in many other aspects of plant growth and thereby on crop production. Keeping the above circumstances in view, the present study was under taken to evaluate the performance of GA3 on biochemical properties, growth and yield attributes and to determine the optimum time and concentratio n of GA3 application in order to maximize the yield of Binatomato-2. Materials and Methods A pot experiment was conducted with tomato var. Binatomato-2 at the experimental site of Crop Botany Department, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, during March to July 2012. Five levels of GA3 (Gibberellic Acid) viz. 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 ppm were applied at (i) seedling stage by root soaking before transplanting (ii) vegetative stage [20 days after transplanting (DAT)] and (iii) flowering stage (40 DAT) by hand sprayer. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Twelve kilograms of sun-dried sandy loam soil and cow dung, urea, TSP and MP @ 583.33, 2.9, 2.54 and 1.81 g/pot corresponding to 10 tons, 400, 350 and 250 kg/ha were applied in each pot. Before pot filling, full doses of TSP, MP and cow dung were thoroughly mixed with the soil. Half of the urea was applied during transplanting and the remaining half at vegetative stage. Intercultural operations were done as and when necessary. Data on yield and yield contributing c haracters were recorded at final harvest. Biochemical analyses viz. chlorophyll, soluble protein contents and nitrate reductase activities in leaves were estimated at 50 DAT following the methods of Arnon (1949), Lowery et al. (1951) and Stewart and Orebamjo (1979). Data were analyzed statistically to find out the level of significance using MSTAT-C package programme (Russel, 1986) and significant differences among the treatments were adjudged by Duncan`s New Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at 5% level of significance (Gomez and Gomez, 1984). Results and Discussion There were significant differences among the treatments in respect of chlorophyll content, soluble protein content and nitrate reductase (NR) activities in tomato leaves at 50 DAT (Table 1). The highest chlorophyll content in leaves was obtained when the roots of seedlings were soaked in GA3 solutions before transplanting, which was identical to the application of GA3 at vegetative stage. The lowest chlorophyll content was found in plants when GA3 was applied at the flowering stage. Chlorophyll content in leaves was influenced significantly due to the application of different concentrations of GA3. The highest chlorophyll content was found from 100 ppm GA3 followed by 75 ppm and the lowest was found from the control, which was identical to those obtained from the application of 25 and 50 ppm of GA3. Chlorophyll content increased with increased concentrations of GA3. The application of GA3 through root soaking of seedlings and at vegetative stages resulted in the highest but similar soluble protein contents in tomato leaves and the lowest was found when it was applied at the flowering stage. The soluble protein content in leaves was also significantly influenced by the application of variable levels of GA3. The highest content was recorded with 50 ppm and the lowest content was recorded with 100 ppm GA3 which indicated that soluble protein content in leaves increased significantly until the application of 50 ppm and thereafter decreased with further increase in GA3 concentrations. Adlakha and Verma (1964) also reported that 50 ppm GA3 had appreciably increased the protein content in leaves. The maximum nitrate reductase activity was recorded at vegetative stage. The lowest was observed in flowering stage and this was similar to the activity performed when GA3 was applied through root soaking. Nitrate reductase activity was significantly influenced by the application of different concentrations of GA3. The maximum nitrate reductase activity was recorded with 75 ppm GA3 and the minimum was found from the control. Spraying of 50 and 75 ppm GA3 did not show any difference in NR activities at 40 days after planting. The applications of GA3 at different stages of plant growth resulted in significant influence on yield and yield attributes of summer tomato. The highest plant height was recorded when GA3 was applied at the vegetative stage and the lowest height was recorded at the flowering stage. GA3 had significant influence on plant height. It increased until the application of 50 ppm and declined remarkably with further increase in GA3 concentrations. The interactions between stage and concentrations of GA3 indicated that the application of 50 ppm of GA3 at the vegetative stage encouraged vigorous plant growth and thereby resulted in the highest plant height. There was no significant difference among the stages of hormone application in respect of time to first fruit setting. The maximum number of flowers, fruits and fruit weight per plant was produced when GA3 was applied through root soaking followed by the vegetative stage. All those parameters showed the lowest results when GA3 was applied at flowering stage. Similar result was also reported by Kaushik et al., 1974. They applied GA3 at vegetative stage and obtained increased fruit weight per plant. Sanyal et al. (1995) observed that foliar application was more effective than root soaking of seedlings. GA3 concentrations had statistically significant effect on plant height, time to first fruit setting, number of flowers, fruits and fruit weight per plant. The highest plant height was found with the application of 50 ppm GA3 which was identical to 25 ppm and the lowest was found from the control. The maximum time for first fruit setting was required when GA3 was applied at 100 ppm and t he lowest time was required with lower concentrations of GA3. The maximum number of flowers, fruits and fruit weight per plant was produced with 50 ppm GA3 application and the lowest was recorded with 100 ppm. Saleh and Abdul (1980) reported similar result from their experiment. They found that GA3 at 50 ppm decreased the total number of flowers per plant but increased the total yield. Hossain (1974), Adlakha and Verma (1995) found that the application of 50 ppm GA3 had increased the fruit setting, while Saleh and Abdul (1980) observed that GA3 at 25 or 50 ppm had increased the total yield of tomato compared to the control. Sanyal et al. (1995) also found that 50 ppm of GA3 had profound effect on the yield of tomato. The interaction between GA3 concentrations and stages of application indicated that the highest number of flowers, fruits and fruit weight per plant were produced when GA3 was applied through root soaking of seedlings at 50 ppm which was identical to the application of 50 ppm at vegetative stage or 25 ppm at flowering stage. A positive and linear relationship was found between the number of flowers per plant and fruit weight per plant (r = 0.96**) (Figure 1), number of fruits per plant and fruit weight per plant (r = 0.99**) (Figure 2) which indicated that the fruit yield of tomato is highly influenced by the production of flowers and the retention of fruits per plant irrespective of the stage and amount of GA3 applied in tomato plants. Conclusion It was revealed from the study that application of GA3 at the rate of 50-75 ppm by root soaking and at vegetative stage increased biochemical properties as well as increase the number of flowers, fruits and fruit yield per plant of Binatomato-2. It can be concluded that foliar application of 50 ppm Gibberelic acid on Binatomato-2 variety provide the best result in terms of biochemical attributes and yield. References Adlakha, P. A. Verma, S. K. (1964). Effect of gibberellic acid on the quality of tomato fruit. Punjab Horticulture Journal. 4 (3-4), 148-151. Adlakha, P. A. Verma, S. K. 1995. Effect of gibberellic acid on fruiting and yield of tomatoes. Science and Culture 31, 301-303. Arnon, D. I. (1949). Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts, polyphenol oxidase in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiology. 24, 1-5. Briant, R. E. (1974). An analysis of the effect of gibberellic acid on tomato leaf growth. Journal of . Experimental Botany. 25, 764-771. Gomez, K. A. Gomez, A. A. (1984). Statistical Procedures for Agricultural Research. (2nd ed.). International Rice Research Institute. John Wiley and Sons, New York, p. 139-240. Hossain, M. A. E. (1974). Studies on the effect of parachlorophenoxy acetic acid and gibberellic acid on the production of tomato. M. Sc. Ag. Thesis, Dep. of Horticulture, Banglaesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. Hunt, R. (1978). Plant growth analysis studies in biology. Edward Arnold Ltd. London, p. 67. Kaushik, M. P., Sharma, J. K. Singh, I. (1974). Effect of alpha naphthalene acetic acid , gibberellic acid , kinetin and morphactin on yield of tomato. Plant Science. 6, 51-53. Lowerry, O. H., Roserrough, N. J., Farr, A. L. Randall, R. J. (1951). Protein measurement with the folin phenol reagent. Journal of Biology and Chemistry 193, 265-275. Rusell, D. F.(1986). MSTAT-C Package Programme. Crop and Soil Science Department, Michigan State University, USA. Saleh, M. M. S. Abdul, K. S. (1980). Effect of gibberellic acid and cycocel on growth, flowering and fruiting of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants. Mesopotamia Journal of Agriculture 15(1), 137-166. Sanyal, D., Kar, P. L. Longkumar, M. (1995). Effect of growth regulators on the physico-chemical composition of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Advances in Hort. And Forestry, 4, 67-71. Stewart, G.R. Orebamjo, T.O. (1979). Some unusual characteristics of nitrate reduction in Erythrina senegalensis DC . New Phytology 83, 311-319. Tomar, I. S. Ramgiry, S. R. (1997). Effect of growth regulators on yield and yield attributes in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Advance Plant Science 10 (2), 29-31. Table 1. Effect of GA3 application at different stages of plant growth on bio- chemical parameters of summer tomato var. Binatomato-2 at 40 DAT In a column, figures having similar letter(s) do not differ significantly at 5% level of probability by DMRT. Table 2. Effect of GA3 application at different stages of plant growth on yield and yield components of summer tomato var. Binatomato-2 In a column, figures having similar letter(s) do not differ significantly at 5% level of probability by DMRT. Significant at 5% level, ** Significant at 1% level

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Race and Affirmative Action Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Race and Affirmative Action Race is an issue that is embedded in the nation’s history and continues to spur discussions on how the different minorities and ethnic groups must be treated fairly. Affirmative action is a recent attempt to solve the discriminations produced by racial inequality. However, affirmative action is also being scrutinized as scholars and the public debate the benefits and harms of affirmative action. A Historical View Throughout the past 30 years, affirmative action has been the answer to racial inequality. The policy began in 1965 under President Johnson. It was used to redress issues of discrimination, following the civil rights laws and constitutional guarantees on education and jobs. From the outset, affirmative action was envisioned as a temporary remedy that would create a "level playing field" for all Americans. Affirmative action policies required that active measures be taken to ensure that blacks and other minorities receive the same opportunities for career advancements, school admissions, scholarships, and financial aid that had been nearly exclusive provisions for whites. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the landmark legislation that prohibited employment discrimination by large employers (over 15 employees), whether or not they had government contracts. As a result, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established. Lyndon B. Johnson issued the E.O. 11246 regulation. It required government contractors and subcontractors to implement affirmative action policies to expand job opportunities for minorities. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCC) was designated to administer the regulation. In 1973 the Nixo... ...or group identity should not say that a person is naturally disadvantaged. There are many blacks in the US that are hindered by the economy, but there are also rich blacks and poor whites. Race should not determine who gets into college because black society as a whole is not entirely disadvantaged. Bibliography: Affirmative Action: The Perspectives in Detail and Overview: The Issue at a Glance. Public Agenda Online. 20 March 2003 http://www.publicagendaonline.org/ issues/overview.cf?issues_type=race. â€Å"Bush Enters Affirmative Action Fray.† CBS News. 16 Jan. 2003. 20 March 2003 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/11/politics/main536148.shtml. â€Å"Narrow Use of Affirmative Action Preserved in College Admissions.† Cnn.com. 25 June 2003. 13 July 2003 <http:cnn.law.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&expire=-1&ur1ID=6839596&fb..>.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

My Teaching Philosophy Essay -- Education Teaching Essays

My Teaching Philosophy I think my teaching philosophy is best defined as a combination of progressivism and social reconstructionism. David Sadker, author of "Teachers Schools and Society", defines the progressive educator as someone who, "(†¦) facilitates learning by helping students formulate meaningful questions and devise strategies to answer those questions", while social reconstructionism emphasizes cooperation, less conflict, and a better quality of life. These two teaching philosophies in combination seem to both fit my view on how learning should be facilitated and how it should be based. Progressive teachers tend to, like myself, look for inventive, new, and creative ways to see a problem. In putting students into groups they find there are many possible solutions to problems that they would not likely figure out on their own. I also advocate the progressive approach because I think it promotes children to think for themselves, in that if everyone is not researching the same idea or solution they are less likely to depend on someone else to supply the answer, and mo...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

How my brother leon brought home a wife

â€Å"How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife† Leon and Bald waited for the arrival of Maria at the barrio. Maria was afraid that she will not be accepted by Loon's father because she may not able to adapt their way of living in the province. Bald was ignoring to his older brother's question about why did d they have to go to WAIS instead of Camino Real. The reason is that their father wanted to t est. Maria if she is worthy to be Loon's wife. Bald discussed their travel to his father. Appreciate Maria. Because she accepted and respected Leon for what he areaIll is. She didn't care what Loon's life back in Encumbrance. She was a supportive and a love inning wife to Leon. She was so endearing and kindhearted lady. She was very keen to meet Loon's family. The fact that the rural is different from the city can be somewhat disco raging but the closer hey get to the house, Maria still manages to overcome any trials. SSH e admits for having some fear, but she also shows clearly it d id not stop her. Believe that social status is not a hindrance if you truly love each other. How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife Baldo and his older brother Leon were both waiting for their visitor riding a carratela. When Baldo sa his older brother's wife, who is Maria, he was amazed by her beauty as he narrates their journey to their home in Nagrebcan. Maria was felt a bit anxious because of meeting Leon and Baldo's parents for the first time, but along their way home, she discovered the differences of the life of the people lived there and the life in the city where she met and fell in love with Leon. Leon and Baldo waited for the arrival of Maria at the barrio.Maria was afraid that she won't be accepted by Leon's father because she may not able to adapt their way of living in the province. Baldo was ignoring to his older brother's question about why did they have to go to Waig instead of Camino Real. (The reason is that their father wanted to test Maria if she is worthy to be Leon's wife.) Baldo discussed their travel to his father.Leon's entire family talked to Maria. his Father's voice became livelier th an before when he talked to her (which means he accepted her wholeheartedly.) We should respect and accept one's life.Social status is not a hindrance if you truly love each other. Meeting your special someone to your family is the right thing to do. One may have to sacrifice small part of his/her life in order to have a happy life.Leon/Noel – Maria's husband, older brother of BaldoMaria – Leon's wifeBaldo – Leon's younger brother, also the narrator of this story Mother and Father of Leon and BaldoAurelia – Leon and Baldo's younger sisterLabang – the carabaoWe should respect and accept one's life. Social status is not a hindrance if you truly love each other. Meeting your special someone to your family is the right thing to do. One may have to sacrifice small part of his/her life in order to have a happy life.

Monday, September 16, 2019

A case study of clothes R Us Essay

Introduction Clothes R Us opened its doors and began operations more than a decade ago.   When the company first opened, the founders and CEOs were on the floor trying to sell to customers their various clothes and designs. The clothes came with economized prices, saved customers time that would have been spent looking for the right attire and in so doing make the customer’s lives less complicated. The store has grown so much in the past decade, to become a major supplier chain that is not only nationally recognized but also globally renowned. The phenomenal growth comes with even higher growth in terms of annual sales and income. The company has surprisingly continues to maintain some sort of loose human resource strategy. Managers have paid little attention towards restructuring the human resource and monitoring of performance especially when it comes to fixed employees. Lack of a centralized system to control and manage the departments’ means that there are no specific details on the performance of employees.   Clothes R us has operated with a decentralized, freewheeling culture in which each store manager has treated his or her own employees as some kind of personal kingdom in which the manager has the right to control their recruitment and performance as they see fit. Majority of the full time sales people have college degrees in addition to vast experience in their area of specialization. However, there is continued discontent with the reliance on casual employees.   The origin of the problem stemmed from the early days when the company required cheap labor. Unfortunately, the continued reliance on casual employees has caused demoralization among the permanent employees. A company that was seeing much growth in the past is not facing a crisis in human resource. Defining the problem Even with various strategies coming to play to ensure that the company does not run out of required manpower, these will only be effective if the permanent employees are motivated to perform at a much higher level.   Clothes R US is only starting to realize the importance of a motivated work force. The challenge comes in ensuring and maintain the motivation of employees.   Continued reliance on casual employees has restrained the flexibility of the permanent employees. Employees lack the opportunity to be independent. Casual employees take up roles that would require creative management and skills; as such the company is now suffering from the existence of a dull work force. Managers have been slow in understanding, how flexibility motivates the employees.   Flexibility is not just in items of duties but also in terms of the work hours and even the work place. A common quote is that change is as good as a rest. Professional human resource consultants often advice companies to ensure that employees have a variety of talents, shifts and even work desks. The change often serves to make the job seem new and therefore motivate the employee.   Poor motivation also means high turnover of the employees. Low confidence:   confidence is a character that lays down the foundation of employee motivation. It is important for employees to feel they not only have the skills but also the know how to deal with various challenges at the work place. Since, Clothes R US focuses more on employing temporarily employees to manage simple tasks; employees are fast losing confidence in their ability to perform. With the planned expansion, the company is now facing a crisis. Employees are unwilling to leave their comfort zones, unwilling to volunteer for the new project and even opting for increased turn over.   Because majority of the employees in the company exhibit low self esteem, they are unable to make use of their skills and talents. Further, they are completely unable to form positive work relationships. This means that they are less than loyal to the company and thus more likely to seek other employment even when they are earning less. It is not surprising therefore to find that employees of cloths R US are always finding excuses as to why they are not performing, why the company is not growing rather than enhancing their own skills to ensure better performance.   The company is currently having a permanent work force suffering from low self esteem. Lowered expectations: one of the main drawbacks of relying on current and contingent employees is that the performance levels and expectations of success have been lowered in the company. It is therefore not surprising to find that the permanent employees only do as much as is expected of them to meet their own duties. The permanent employees do not push themselves or even apply themselves wholeheartedly and diligently to their jobs. The company low expectations have served to kill employee morale to do better and better at each task. Instead, employees report to work, do the minimum and leave the rest to the casual employees. Contingency syndrome: contingency workers often provide an advantage to employers. Clothes R US began taking advantage of this group of worker during the early years of expansion. Contingency workers do not expect benefits and are often paid much less than permanent workers. They are given challenging tasks which would otherwise cost the company in terms of training permanent employees to ensure they have the skills to complete the job.   Unfortunately, the increase of contingency workers in the company has had a negative impact. Contingency workers tend to bring restlessness in permanent employees who are convinced that life could get better and more interesting outside the company. Further, contingency workers do not posses the security and stability of permanent employees; they therefore lack commitment to the job which tends to rub off on permanent employees. They prefer the freedom of their temporary status and often seem to be highly compensated for simple tasks. This situation is likely to de-motivate the permanent employees in addition to causing conflict and strain with the other employees. With time, the permanent employees begin to lose interest in particular tasks foe which they feel they should also be compensated and rewarded. Legal implications Change in organization structure: a move or expansion of Clothes R US not only affects the location of the business but also the organization and business structure. Managers will need to sit down and re-define jobs and responsibilities to accommodate the new store. This also means determining the methods through which the stores will receive their inventory and distribute the same. As a registered business, the company will need to report the change in structure. Gopal (2008) indicates that this is a step that is often over-looked during expansion and which could prove slightly more than costly to the new venture. Registered businesses need to record such changes and report them to the registrar of businesses for their own protection. Should a dispute arise, the company will turn to the changes recorded with the registrar and this is what will be used to determine the direction of the case. Business licenses: although the new store will be operating as a franchise of the main store, it is important to note that licenses will be required for this particular business. This includes licenses to operate in Sheffield, and also distribute items in Sheffield. Lack of a license is considered fraud and could land senior managers and the business itself in a lot of legal problems. In addition, the business will require a tax registration. Many business owners assume that the new venture will operate with the same tax registration. However, according to the law, both businesses are separate ventures and require individual tax registration licenses. Zoning requirements: although there are several clothing and fashion businesses operating in Sheffield, before opening the store it is important to research and find out some of the zoning requirements. To avoid congestion zoning laws are changed frequently. Should such law take effect before the opening of the business, it is likely that the same business could be closed before taking off. Non- disclosure: being in a volatile industry such as fashion and clothing; the company has expanded very fast. With a high turnover of employees, it is not surprising that many other businesses with almost similar structure including marketing and customer relationship are being set up.   This exposure is a result of ignoring the importance of a non-disclosure agreement with all employees. Confidential information is leaked, former employees set up competing shops all because the non- disclosure is ignored, (Dessler 2000). From here on henceforth all employees permanent and contingent should sign non-disclosure agreements prepared by the legal departments and carefully structured for the company needs. Non- disclosure agreements are not just for the employees but also other stakeholders who come into contact with the company. This includes suppliers who may be tempted to contact competitors with sensitive information that could earn them a good and better profit. This means that all contracts must include a tight and binding non- disclosure agreement. This reduces the exposure of the company and gives a chance to legally fight any exposure by stakeholders, suppliers and employees (former and present) successfully. Maintaining healthy relationships During a move such as is planned by Clothes R US, the company often ignores the needs of the human resource or does not adequately address such needs. A move and expansion such as this one is likely to bring feelings of anxiety or apprehension. If such feelings are not properly addressed, the employees will become less than motivated and conflict levels may arise. The following are some of the strategies which could be employed to ensure a healthy relationship during the move: Communication: the communication channels between employees and senior managers of Cloths are US have not always been open. Employees are often in the dark about exactly what is happening to the company. Of course, this is because managers have been plagued with the disease of contingent workers. During this move, it would be advisable for the managers to be open and develop an open door policy with regard to issues facing the company and assisting employees manage the challenges they are facing.   Through proper and good communication, senior managers of the company can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their own employees. It may also be surprising to learn that some employees possess talent, skills and information that would not only make the move much easier bust also more profitable to the company. Empowerment: employees of Clothes R Us have suffered from lack of empowerment. This has led to lowered performance and serious problems in motivation. The moving period is an ideal opportunity to empower the permanent employees by providing them with unique tasks cultured for their own training and set of skills. This will give employees an opportunity to become more involved and therefore foster commitment to the project. Mathis and Jackson (2003), state that In addition, empowerment will free managers to focus on the bigger tasks rather than sweating the details. This is a great opportunity for employees to test their own abilities and creativity in dealing with the challenges that come forth. The result is a much more motivated and high skilled set of workers who are committed to the project fully. It is time for the senior managers to trust their own employees. Groups and Teams: the company definitely requires some form of synergy in the work force. This could be easily achieved by relying on groups and teams. In teams, members are expected to communicate, bounce ideas around and correct each other’s mistakes. The result is that there is a diverse set of knowledge. Further, tasks are completed as a team fostering healthy and positive relationships which have been lacking within the company. According to Jeffs (2008), to enjoy the full fruits of groups and teams, the managers have the responsibility of ensuring that the teams are composed of members with complimentary knowledge, skills and characters. This reduces the amount of conflict that could be experienced and promotes more positive forms of challenging each other. The groups also need to enjoy some sort of autonomy with minimum supervision so that the members enjoy the freedom of decision making.   The teams in themselves are leaders, coaches and guides in the tasks that are. Recommendations The problems faced by Clothes R US can be resolved simply though the three components of the expectancy theory by Vroom Victor. His theory suggests that when employees believe that high efforts are often met with high rewards, they become more motivated. The components of such motivation are: Increasing expectancy: employees of the company have been suffering from low expectations, a situation that has been brought on by increased reliance of young, temporary workers. Senior managers have an opportunity to communicate that high efforts will lead to great rewards for permanent employees. Based on this, employees need to be challenged to take up challenging tasks, the success of which will be increased rewards. It is the success in such tasks whether in a team or individually that are likely to increase the level of expectancy.   For workers to have the confidence to take up such challenging tasks, they may require extra training and team building activities that will give them the confidence. Increasing instrumentality: managers at Clothes R US have ignored and barely understand the importance of instrumentality to increasing employee motivation. Instrumentality speaks to the employee’s perception about the extent to which performance within certain tasks will lead to desired goals and results. Such goals include, increased pay, job security and the chance to undertake more interesting and captivating projects.   Instrumentality can be achieved simply though the expansion of job duties and flexibility of job titles which allow employees to test their own abilities and talents. For example, should the company link pay rises to performance; there will be increased instrumentation and as such more motivation not just to work but to excel at work. This will also deal with the issue of increased turn over. Increasing valence: expectancy theory acknowledges that when it comes to goals and outcomes, people are different. Whereas some workers may respond to pay increase, others are more interested in challenging tasks and projects. Valence therefore addresses how each of the outcomes appears to employees. Senior managers will not just throw in what they think will be attractive to employees. Rather, they will take time to understand the work force and appeal to their own variety of desires, goals and needs. A key challenge for the managers of Clothes R US, is finding the right pattern of motivation while at the same time trying to expand the scope of the business. No matter how many desirable outcomes the managers present to the employees, if they continue to feel that temporary workers can do better than motivation will go down, (David 2005).   This means scaling down on the contingent workers and relying more and more on the permanent employees. The company has the challenge of brining back confidence to its workers. This means focusing on diversity in the job specifications and ensuring flexibility in the tasks assigned to the work force. References David, F. R. (2005).  Strategic management: Concepts and cases. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall. Dessler, G. (2000).  Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Gopal, C. C. R. (2008).  Business legislation (textbook with suggested answers). New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers. Jeffs, C. (2008).  Strategic management. Los Angeles: SAGE. Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2003).  Human resource management. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-western.    A case study of clothes R Us Essay Introduction Clothes R Us opened its doors and began operations more than a decade ago.   When the company first opened, the founders and CEOs were on the floor trying to sell to customers their various clothes and designs. The clothes came with economized prices, saved customers time that would have been spent looking for the right attire and in so doing make the customer’s lives less complicated. The store has grown so much in the past decade, to become a major supplier chain that is not only nationally recognized but also globally renowned. The phenomenal growth comes with even higher growth in terms of annual sales and income. The company has surprisingly continues to maintain some sort of loose human resource strategy. Managers have paid little attention towards restructuring the human resource and monitoring of performance especially when it comes to fixed employees. Lack of a centralized system to control and manage the departments’ means that there are no specific details on the performance of employees.   Clothes R us has operated with a decentralized, freewheeling culture in which each store manager has treated his or her own employees as some kind of personal kingdom in which the manager has the right to control their recruitment and performance as they see fit. Majority of the full time sales people have college degrees in addition to vast experience in their area of specialization. However, there is continued discontent with the reliance on casual employees.   The origin of the problem stemmed from the early days when the company required cheap labor. Unfortunately, the continued reliance on casual employees has caused demoralization among the permanent employees. A company that was seeing much growth in the past is not facing a crisis in human resource. Defining the problem Even with various strategies coming to play to ensure that the company does not run out of required manpower, these will only be effective if the permanent employees are motivated to perform at a much higher level.   Clothes R US is only starting to realize the importance of a motivated work force. The challenge comes in ensuring and maintain the motivation of employees.   Continued reliance on casual employees has restrained the flexibility of the permanent employees. Employees lack the opportunity to be independent. Casual employees take up roles that would require creative management and skills; as such the company is now suffering from the existence of a dull work force. Managers have been slow in understanding, how flexibility motivates the employees.   Flexibility is not just in items of duties but also in terms of the work hours and even the work place. A common quote is that change is as good as a rest. Professional human resource consultants often advice companies to ensure that employees have a variety of talents, shifts and even work desks. The change often serves to make the job seem new and therefore motivate the employee.   Poor motivation also means high turnover of the employees. Low confidence:   confidence is a character that lays down the foundation of employee motivation. It is important for employees to feel they not only have the skills but also the know how to deal with various challenges at the work place. Since, Clothes R US focuses more on employing temporarily employees to manage simple tasks; employees are fast losing confidence in their ability to perform. With the planned expansion, the company is now facing a crisis. Employees are unwilling to leave their comfort zones, unwilling to volunteer for the new project and even opting for increased turn over.   Because majority of the employees in the company exhibit low self esteem, they are unable to make use of their skills and talents. Further, they are completely unable to form positive work relationships. This means that they are less than loyal to the company and thus more likely to seek other employment even when they are earning less. It is not surprising therefore to find that employees of cloths R US are always finding excuses as to why they are not performing, why the company is not growing rather than enhancing their own skills to ensure better performance.   The company is currently having a permanent work force suffering from low self esteem. Lowered expectations: one of the main drawbacks of relying on current and contingent employees is that the performance levels and expectations of success have been lowered in the company. It is therefore not surprising to find that the permanent employees only do as much as is expected of them to meet their own duties. The permanent employees do not push themselves or even apply themselves wholeheartedly and diligently to their jobs. The company low expectations have served to kill employee morale to do better and better at each task. Instead, employees report to work, do the minimum and leave the rest to the casual employees. Contingency syndrome: contingency workers often provide an advantage to employers. Clothes R US began taking advantage of this group of worker during the early years of expansion. Contingency workers do not expect benefits and are often paid much less than permanent workers. They are given challenging tasks which would otherwise cost the company in terms of training permanent employees to ensure they have the skills to complete the job.   Unfortunately, the increase of contingency workers in the company has had a negative impact. Contingency workers tend to bring restlessness in permanent employees who are convinced that life could get better and more interesting outside the company. Further, contingency workers do not posses the security and stability of permanent employees; they therefore lack commitment to the job which tends to rub off on permanent employees. They prefer the freedom of their temporary status and often seem to be highly compensated for simple tasks. This situation is likely to de-motivate the permanent employees in addition to causing conflict and strain with the other employees. With time, the permanent employees begin to lose interest in particular tasks foe which they feel they should also be compensated and rewarded. Legal implications Change in organization structure: a move or expansion of Clothes R US not only affects the location of the business but also the organization and business structure. Managers will need to sit down and re-define jobs and responsibilities to accommodate the new store. This also means determining the methods through which the stores will receive their inventory and distribute the same. As a registered business, the company will need to report the change in structure. Gopal (2008) indicates that this is a step that is often over-looked during expansion and which could prove slightly more than costly to the new venture. Registered businesses need to record such changes and report them to the registrar of businesses for their own protection. Should a dispute arise, the company will turn to the changes recorded with the registrar and this is what will be used to determine the direction of the case. Business licenses: although the new store will be operating as a franchise of the main store, it is important to note that licenses will be required for this particular business. This includes licenses to operate in Sheffield, and also distribute items in Sheffield. Lack of a license is considered fraud and could land senior managers and the business itself in a lot of legal problems. In addition, the business will require a tax registration. Many business owners assume that the new venture will operate with the same tax registration. However, according to the law, both businesses are separate ventures and require individual tax registration licenses. Zoning requirements: although there are several clothing and fashion businesses operating in Sheffield, before opening the store it is important to research and find out some of the zoning requirements. To avoid congestion zoning laws are changed frequently. Should such law take effect before the opening of the business, it is likely that the same business could be closed before taking off. Non- disclosure: being in a volatile industry such as fashion and clothing; the company has expanded very fast. With a high turnover of employees, it is not surprising that many other businesses with almost similar structure including marketing and customer relationship are being set up.   This exposure is a result of ignoring the importance of a non-disclosure agreement with all employees. Confidential information is leaked, former employees set up competing shops all because the non- disclosure is ignored, (Dessler 2000). From here on henceforth all employees permanent and contingent should sign non-disclosure agreements prepared by the legal departments and carefully structured for the company needs. Non-disclosure agreements are not just for the employees but also other stakeholders who come into contact with the company. This includes suppliers who may be tempted to contact competitors with sensitive information that could earn them a good and better profit. This means that all contracts must include a tight and binding non- disclosure agreement. This reduces the exposure of the company and gives a chance to legally fight any exposure by stakeholders, suppliers and employees (former and present) successfully. Maintaining healthy relationships During a move such as is planned by Clothes R US, the company often ignores the needs of the human resource or does not adequately address such needs. A move and expansion such as this one is likely to bring feelings of anxiety or apprehension. If such feelings are not properly addressed, the employees will become less than motivated and conflict levels may arise. The following are some of the strategies which could be employed to ensure a healthy relationship during the move: Communication: the communication channels between employees and senior managers of Cloths are US have not always been open. Employees are often in the dark about exactly what is happening to the company. Of course, this is because managers have been plagued with the disease of contingent workers. During this move, it would be advisable for the managers to be open and develop an open door policy with regard to issues facing the company and assisting employees manage the challenges they are facing.   Through proper and good communication, senior managers of the company can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their own employees. It may also be surprising to learn that some employees possess talent, skills and information that would not only make the move much easier bust also more profitable to the company. Empowerment: employees of Clothes R Us have suffered from lack of empowerment. This has led to lowered performance and serious problems in motivation. The moving period is an ideal opportunity to empower the permanent employees by providing them with unique tasks cultured for their own training and set of skills. This will give employees an opportunity to become more involved and therefore foster commitment to the project. Mathis and Jackson (2003), state that In addition, empowerment will free managers to focus on the bigger tasks rather than sweating the details. This is a great opportunity for employees to test their own abilities and creativity in dealing with the challenges that come forth. The result is a much more motivated and high skilled set of workers who are committed to the project fully. It is time for the senior managers to trust their own employees. Groups and Teams: the company definitely requires some form of synergy in the work force. This could be easily achieved by relying on groups and teams. In teams, members are expected to communicate, bounce ideas around and correct each other’s mistakes. The result is that there is a diverse set of knowledge. Further, tasks are completed as a team fostering healthy and positive relationships which have been lacking within the company. According to Jeffs (2008), to enjoy the full fruits of groups and teams, the managers have the responsibility of ensuring that the teams are composed of members with complimentary knowledge, skills and characters. This reduces the amount of conflict that could be experienced and promotes more positive forms of challenging each other. The groups also need to enjoy some sort of autonomy with minimum supervision so that the members enjoy the freedom of decision making.   The teams in themselves are leaders, coaches and guides in the tasks that are. Recommendations The problems faced by Clothes R US can be resolved simply though the three components of the expectancy theory by Vroom Victor. His theory suggests that when employees believe that high efforts are often met with high rewards, they become more motivated. The components of such motivation are: Increasing expectancy: employees of the company have been suffering from low expectations, a situation that has been brought on by increased reliance of young, temporary workers. Senior managers have an opportunity to communicate that high efforts will lead to great rewards for permanent employees. Based on this, employees need to be challenged to take up challenging tasks, the success of which will be increased rewards. It is the success in such tasks whether in a team or individually that are likely to increase the level of expectancy.   For workers to have the confidence to take up such challenging tasks, they may require extra training and team building activities that will give them the confidence. Increasing instrumentality: managers at Clothes R US have ignored and barely understand the importance of instrumentality to increasing employee motivation. Instrumentality speaks to the employee’s perception about the extent to which performance within certain tasks will lead to desired goals and results. Such goals include, increased pay, job security and the chance to undertake more interesting and captivating projects.   Instrumentality can be achieved simply though the expansion of job duties and flexibility of job titles which allow employees to test their own abilities and talents. For example, should the company link pay rises to performance; there will be increased instrumentation and as such more motivation not just to work but to excel at work. This will also deal with the issue of increased turn over. Increasing valence: expectancy theory acknowledges that when it comes to goals and outcomes, people are different. Whereas some workers may respond to pay increase, others are more interested in challenging tasks and projects. Valence therefore addresses how each of the outcomes appears to employees. Senior managers will not just throw in what they think will be attractive to employees. Rather, they will take time to understand the work force and appeal to their own variety of desires, goals and needs. A key challenge for the managers of Clothes R US, is finding the right pattern of motivation while at the same time trying to expand the scope of the business. No matter how many desirable outcomes the managers present to the employees, if they continue to feel that temporary workers can do better than motivation will go down, (David 2005).   This means scaling down on the contingent workers and relying more and more on the permanent employees. The company has the challenge of brining back confidence to its workers. This means focusing on diversity in the job specifications and ensuring flexibility in the tasks assigned to the work force. References David, F. R. (2005).  Strategic management: Concepts and cases. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall. Dessler, G. (2000).  Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Gopal, C. C. R. (2008).  Business legislation (textbook with suggested answers). New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers. Jeffs, C. (2008).  Strategic management. Los Angeles: SAGE. Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2003).  Human resource management. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-western.    Â