Saturday, August 31, 2019
Group Motivation Essay
This chapter has talked about how to get people motivated and what it takes to meet the memberââ¬â¢s needs. ââ¬Å"Group motivation provides the inspiration, incentives, and reasons that move group members to work together to achieve a common goalâ⬠(Engleberg & Wynn, 2010, p. 138). Engleberg and Wynn (2010) stated, ââ¬Å"Without motivation, we may know what we need to do and even how to do it, but we lack the will and energy to do itâ⬠(p. 138). Some members may not have high achievement needs; instead, they focus on meeting the needs of others. Many people work in groups for several reasons. Maslowââ¬â¢s Hierarchy of Needs (Engleberg & Wynn, 2010) there are two categories of needs: satisfiers and motivators. The satisfiers are people whom like to give people material things; however, the motivators are a good essential to the group more so than the satisfiers. These categories are broken down into eight personality types. Some of these can be both positive and negative influences in group motivation. The extrovert personality encourages interaction and provides frequent feedbackâ⬠(Engleberg & Wynn, 2010, p. 142). Engleberg and Wynn (2010), ââ¬Å"intuitive personality encourages creativity, visioning and brainstorming within the group that will help the members to be better prepared and present a better productâ⬠. According to Engleberg and Wynn (2010), the feeler strategies include discussing impact of decisions and how they affect others, as well as, encouraging cooperation and harmony, also the judger provides agendas and set realistic deadlines while setting standards and expectations of the group. The thinker strategies for motivation are to encourage the decision making. The thinkerââ¬â¢s personality could be both positive and negative. All these personalities combined will make a group strong, keep the members grounded and focused, aid in group decision making and help settle conflict with discussion rather the arguments. Also, these personalities contribute to positive team cohesion forming a tight bond, sense of responsibility and group unity. The negative personality types are introvert, sensor and sometimes the thinker. The introvert personality believes the group does not use their time wisely. The sensor believes that groups can be easily distracted and lose focus on the task at hand. The perceiver personality type is similar to the sensor personality but is also different. Perceivers believe that people in groups procrastinate and rush the task at hand last minute resulting in failure. These personalities are more negative than positive and could cause conflict, disagreements, and division between group members causing the group cohesion to deter. Cohesion affects groups in both positive and negative ways. Some groups may share common views and agree on a specific topic, but most group members share different views and have to come up with a way to agree to disagree. As a result, groups could become divided into counterparts or smaller groups due to disagreements and conflict. This is where maintenance roles come into play are needed to settle the situation. The harmonizer of the group will help the resolve conflict while the observer tries to express everyoneââ¬â¢s point of view so that everyone understands. The compromiser would get everyone to agree to disagree to settle conflicts while the gatekeeper would try to get the silent person to speak out which may settle everything. Group maintenance roles are important and help keep team cohesion positive. The different roles will assist groups in settling conflict, motivating one another lend a helping hand when needed and keep the lines of communication open amongst group members. In conclusion, group motivation is a good asset for working in groups. The first reason would be because it helps the team member work better together. It is easier to get the assignments done. As a group people need to have a sense of the following thing so that they can feel that they belong in a group, a sense of meaningfulness of choice and be competence of the thing they are doing for the group and making progress knowing that as a group you are getting something accomplished. In addition, you should get feedback from your other group member good or bad as a member of this group. The group should always encourage its member to do better and perform at the very top of their ability to be number one because the rewards are great at the end for the group.
Friday, August 30, 2019
How to Brief a Case
HOW TO BRIEF A CASE Below I have sketched in the beginnings of a brief as a format. This time-honored method of analysis is the basic unit of law school instruction and so most judicial opinions are written to conform to this approach. Knowing the rules makes watching the game so much more interesting. Start with the name of the Case which is called the ââ¬Å"styleâ⬠of the case. PERLA GRAFF v. JAY L. GRAFF, 569 So. 2d 811, Fla. 1st Dist. Ct. App. (1990). First is the case name, followed by the citation which tells where you can find the hard copy of this case.This particular case is found in Volume 569 of the Southern Reporter, Second Series at page 811 in an opinion written by the First District Court of Appeals for Florida in 1990. FACTS: (In this section you want to state the circumstances and events that led to the plaintiff suing the defendant as well as any facts relevant to the issue(s). ) The parties were married for over 13 years, but, prior to the marriage the Husban d purchased a home solely in his name.Thirteen years into the marriage, and for survivorship purposes only, the Husband deeded the property to both he and his wife as tenants by the entireties. Additionally, the parties used their joint checking account to make the mortgage payments and the parties used marital monies to add a pool and replace the roof. The Husband testified that he purchased the home for $48,000. 00 prior to the marriage and that at the time of the divorce the homeââ¬â¢s value was between $100,000. 0 and $110,000. 00. ISSUE: (In this section you want to state the specific legal question(s) raised in the case. Look at the overall question(s) to be resolved by the court. Sometimes you will have more than one question, but, you want to state your issue as a question or begin your issue with the word ââ¬Ëwhetherââ¬â¢) Whether the increased value of the marital home was a marital asset and therefore whether the Wife was entitled to equitable distribution of tha t value.HOLDING: (In this section identify how the court answered the issue. You want to answer the issue(s) in the affirmative or negative, mirroring the issue as you answer it. ) The increased value of the home was a marital asset and the Wife was entitled to equitable distribution of that value. LAW: (In this section you state the law used by the court to reach its decision. Sometimes it will be common law, meaning a court decision or it will be based on statute. ) Section 61. 75, Florida Statutes, Equitable distribution of marital assets and liabilities. RATIONALE: (What legal reasoning formed the courtââ¬â¢s decision? What rules of law, for example, did it apply? How did it interpret legal principles or documents? How did it construe the facts? In other words, why did the court reached its decision? ) Here you outline the courtââ¬â¢s theory of why the increased value of the Husbandââ¬â¢s pre-marital home was a marital asset and therefore why the Wife was entitled to eq uitable distribution of it.This should always be the longest section of the brief since this is the only actual discussion of legal theory. The court held in favor of the form wife using Section 61. 075 concerning equitable distribution of marital assets and finding that the increased value of an asset solely owned by one spouse prior to the marriage may be a marital asset subject to equitable distribution if the increased value was the result of either the work efforts of one or both spouses or the expenditure of marital funds or earnings of the parties. Pursuant to Sect. 61. 75 the Court was required to begin with the understanding that a nonmarital asset is to be set apart to the spouse who held the asset prior to the marriage, however, in this case the Former Husband added the Former Wife to the marital home title thus making the marital home a joint asset for distribution purposes. Thus the court must then, pursuant to Sect. 61. 075 divide the equitable value of the property eq ually, unless there is reason to do otherwise. In this case, the Former Husband attempted to argue the asset should still be treated differently because he only placed the Former Wifeââ¬â¢s name on the title in the event of his demise.Even if the Court were to use that argument, the law still entitles the Former Wife to equitable distribution of the asset because the increased value of the asset was based on the joint efforts of both spouses as the Former Husband In making its findings the court looked at the facts the parties used their joint checking account to make the mortgage payments and the parties used marital monies to add a pool and replace the roof. Thus equity required that the increased value of the marital home be treated as a marital asset subject to equal distribution.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
The relationship between everyday and laboratory-based research works Essay - 1
The relationship between everyday and laboratory-based research works to ensure the latter is not sterile. Discuss with reference to at least one area of memory research - Essay Example y in real life settings (this is the argument)(Minear, n.d.).(In-text citation for the remarks ââ¬Å"how did you know that--i need some acknowledgement please...â⬠) Everyday memory approach is a type of research method that involves the study of real-life memories of the subjectââ¬â¢s past (McDermott,Szpunar, & Christ, 2009). It employs the use of cue words as a starting point to trigger the recall of a related memory (McDermott et al., 2009). The highlight of this method is that it involves the completion of a task that occurs naturally in the real world (Minear, n.d.). It is usually used by researchers when laboratory research ââ¬Å"...is unrealistic, cost-prohibitive or would unduly affect the subjectââ¬â¢s behaviour...â⬠(Kendra, n.d.). The advantage of this method is that it permits the study of variables that cannot be manipulated in the laboratory.It strengthens the external validity of the study, and the results obtained are usually generalizable (Kalat, 2008). This technique, however, has its own set of disadvantages among which are less control over study variables, requires longer contact with subjects, as it usually take s longer for people to form a vivid picture of the events they are recalling, and the research usually takes a longer time to finish (McDermott et al., 2009). The use of everyday memory method has been met with many criticisms. Banaji and Crowder (1989) labeled it a ââ¬Å"...superficial glitter...that should not be allowed to replace the quest for truly generalizable principles,â⬠while Alterman (1996) found incorporating ââ¬Å"...everyday memory to a correspondence metaphor...problematicâ⬠. Kvavilashvili and Ellis (2004) defended the said technique and asserted that everyday memory yields sound results and can be generalize as information acquired as representative of the study population. This method is also the method of choice in investigating memories influenced by emotional and reconstructive factors, such as flashbulb memories (Lanciano &
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Explain and discuss Nietzsche on truth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Explain and discuss Nietzsche on truth - Essay Example What is truth? This is a question that humans have asked since the beginning of thought or rather since we started communicating through language. Truth has always evaded this question, as far as philosophers are concerned. But, if you ask this question to a common man/woman, the answer would be simple and incontrovertible, which only reflects his/her immediate ââ¬Ërealityââ¬â¢. Nietzsche is a philosopher whose preoccupation with truth has driven him to such extremes where he had no option than to negate the existence of truth itself. The interpreters of Nietzsche, on the other hand, tried to substantiate their philosophical biases using parts of Nietzsches arguments which could be interpreted as it suited them. This has led to a situation where contradictory interpretations were being validated by the same philosophy of Nietzsche. A birds eye view of all these interpretations and theories throws light upon the paths which human intellect passionately treads unhindered by the limitations of human comprehension. Before entering the intricate space created by Nietzsche regarding truth, the word, truth itself needs to be relocated in philosophical space and time so that further enquiries can be based on them. There are several theories on truth of which the major ones are correspondence theory, coherence theory, constructivist theory and pragmatic theory on truth. While, some of these theories are in assonance with Nietzsches theory of truth, some are in direct contrast with it also. The correspondence theory of truth is the earliest theoretical model on truth. It tells us that ââ¬Å"a proposition or sentence is true when it corresponds to an appropriate fact which is something in the world that makes a proposition or a sentence trueâ⬠(Newman, 2002, p.1). Here the propositions or sentences are ââ¬Å"truth bearersâ⬠and facts are ââ¬Å"truth
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Map Supply Chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Map Supply Chain - Essay Example uiring an increasingly important role due to their ability to influence quality, identify inconsistencies that can be useful in process improvements, and ensure product safety. Many manufacturers receive raw materials from several suppliers and hence, suppliers are important nodes in the dense network of supply chain. Without even interacting with consumers directly, suppliers provide the resources ââ¬â or more appropriately, the inputs ââ¬â that manufacturers use to produce its outputs. A manufacturer is an entity that receives all the raw materials from the supplier and develops a finished product by using the inputs. Manufacturers are the producers of goods and services using inputs provided to them by suppliers. Manufacturers are involved in those activities and operates that process the inputs into finished outputs. Manufacturers are important to delivering value to consumers as they possess the resources required to produce a particular product. After production, manufacturers provide the stock for distributors to handle. Manufacturers serve the purpose of converting inputs and finished goods to be supplied to distributors to be sold to the resellers. Hence, manufacturers are concerned with producing finished products using raw materials that will then be supplied to the consumers through resellers. Distributors receive goods and products from manufacturers to be sold to the resellers. Distributors are vital intermediaries in the supply chain whose main task is to literally ââ¬Ëdistributeââ¬â¢ the goods to the resellers in a rather hub and spoke fashion. As it is, distributors are the hubs for distribution to retail stores. Distributors handle all the inventory and storage of products before they are supplied to the retail stores. A distributor therefore buys products from a manufacturer in order to sell it to the retail stores. Hence, distributors act as important intermediaries between the manufacturer and the retailer in terms of product logistics and
Monday, August 26, 2019
Estimate the five operating expenses for each of the past three fiscal Essay
Estimate the five operating expenses for each of the past three fiscal years, and evaluate what operating leverage, if any, was applied each year - Essay Example According to both financial statements the five costs are Cost of Revenue, Research and Development, Selling General and Administrative Expenses, Non-Recurring and Others. For the sake of simplicity, Cost of Revenue and Selling, General and Administration Expenses would be regarded as Variable Cost and the other expenditure as Fixed Cost. From the Income Statement Extract for 2003 (Fig 2), it is clear that PFIZER operated with a higher degree of operating leverage than GlaxoSmithKline. This is evident in the company's fixed cost percentage as PFIZER's fixed cost position is 2% higher that its competitor. The fact that PFIZER has a substantial amounts of capital tied up in its fixed assets and in particular in Research and Development Expenditure, would account for its higher operating leverage. It should be of no surprise therefore, that PFIZER's Research and Development accounts for over 50% of its total fixed cost. GlaxoSmithKline may have been a little more conservative since its Research and Development Expenditure spans only 5% of its total fixed cost. The strategy therefore would be for PFIZER to reduce its fixed cost percentage and thus enable itself to manage its risks. It has successfully done so in December 2004 (Fig 3) and as a result its operations have expanded by 13%. GlaxoSmithKline, on the other hand, operating income expanded by only 3% despite the reduction of its operating leverage. This is owing to the fact that its revenue of $39 Billion only increased by 3%. Fig 4 According to Fig 4, the Operating Income of GlaxoSmithKline has improved by an additional 4% where as PFIZER fell by 5%. PFIZER operating leverage has increased again and hence would account for the fall in Operating Income by $3 Billion. It was clear that GlaxoSmithKline managed its operating leverage better and hence reduces its risk. Conclusion The question, which may arise, is whether PFIZER is in a better situation than GlaxoSmithKline The truth is "leverage is neither good or bad"(Schmedt May 1998). Each company must assess the amount of risk it is willing to take while striving to achieve its corporate objectives. It is important to understand the company's cost structure to enable management to make effective decisions so that it can compete effectively and achieve the competitive advantage it so desires. References Fred Schmedts, The concept of Operating Leverage : The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation http://www.noble.org/Ag/Economics/OperatingLeverage/index.html Glaxosmithkline PLC Financial Statements December 2003 to December 2005 - Yahoo Finance http://finance.yahoo.com/q/iss=GSK&annual PFIZER Inc Financial Statements December 2003 to December 2005 - Yahoo Finance http://finance.yahoo.com/q/iss=PFE&annual Buccino, Gerald P. and Kraig S. McKinley, "The Importance of Operating Leverage in a Turnaround," Secure Lender (September / October 1997),
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Willingness to Listen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Willingness to Listen - Essay Example So I resort to varied listening strategies while communicating with others. In some cases I really listen to others with apt attention and concentration. In less serious communications I try to have a general grasp over what the other person is saying, while being engaged in some other task. In some communications which tend to be very general and repetitive, I just pretend that I am listening to the other person. So having a moderate willingness to listen is fairly normal and pragmatic. Practically speaking, one simply cannot assign the same energy and time to all types of interpersonal communications. Yes, there is no denying the fact that my willingness to listen measure as evinced by the Willingness to Listen website was indeed correct for me. I do extend varying degrees of attention and concentration to varied types of interpersonal communications, depending on the seriousness, utility and importance of a particular
Saturday, August 24, 2019
The origins of the US Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
The origins of the US Constitution - Essay Example When delegates in nine of the then thirteen states ratified the document, it marked the creation of a union of sovereign states, and a federal government to administer that union. It took effect on March 4, 1789, replacing the weaker, non-centralized union that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution of the United States is one of the oldest constitutions still in use (the oldest being that of the Republic of San Marino, which dates backs to 1600), and the oldest federal constitution currently in use. In September 1786, commissioners from five states met in the Annapolis Convention to discuss adjustments to the Articles of Confederation that would improve commerce. They invited state representatives to convene in Philadelphia to discuss improvements to the federal government. After debate, the Confederation Congress endorsed the plan to revise the Articles of Confederation on February 21, 1787. Twelve states, Rhode Island being the only exception, accepted this invitation and sent delegates to convene in May 1787. The resolution calling the Convention specified its purpose was to propose amendments to the Articles, but the Convention decided to propose a rewritten Constitution. The Philadelphia Convention voted to keep deliberations secret and decided to draft a new fundamental government design which eventually stipulated that only 9 of the 13 states would have to ratify for the new government to go into effect (for the participating states). Congress, noting dissatisfaction wit h the Articles of Confederation government, unanimously agreed to submit the proposal to the states despite what some perceived as the exceeded terms of reference. On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was completed in Philadelphia, followed by a speech given by Benjamin Franklin. In it he talked about how he wasn't completely satisfied with it but that perfection would never fully be achieved. He accepted the document as it was and he wanted all those against the ratification of it to do the same. After fierce fights over ratification in many of the states, New Hampshire became that ninth state on June 21, 1788. Once the Congress of the Confederation received word of New Hampshire's ratification, it set a timetable for the start of operations under the Constitution, and, on March 4, 1789, the government under the Constitution began operations. Changes since 1787 The Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Those amendments were adopted between 1789 and 1791, and all relate to limiting the power of the federal government. First Amendment: addresses the rights of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, and also freedom of religion, both in terms of prohibiting the Congressional establishment of religion and protecting the right to free exercise of religion. Second Amendment: declares the necessity for "a well regulated militia," and prohibits infringement of "the right of the people to keep and bear arms." Third Amendment: prohibits the government from using private homes as quarters for soldiers without the consent of the owners. The only existing case law regarding this amendment is a lower court decision in the case of Engblom v. Carey. Fourth Amendment: guards against searches, arrests, and seizures of property without a specific warrant or a "probable cause" to believe a crime has been committed. Some rights to privacy have been inferred from this amendment and others by the Supreme Court. Fifth Amendment: forbids trial for a major crime except after indictment by a grand jury; prohibits repeated trials for the same offense after an acquittal (except in certain very limited
A Transnational Corporation Influence on the World Economy Case Study
A Transnational Corporation Influence on the World Economy - Case Study Example Three major ways in which TNC's participate in the economic activities of the host country are through international trade, technology transfer and international (foreign direct) investment. These activities, both individually and collectively, have the potential impact host countries in different ways, and these ways depend on several variables. This paper will examine these internationalisation activities and discuss their impact on the economy of the countries involved, especially that of host countries. With the new advancements in transportation, information, communication and technology, international trade has become more prevalent over the past few decades, and especially this past one. Locally, international trade has changed the activities of the market. It has created the need for countries to produce more for export and encouraged a greater dependence on imports to fill gaps in local markets. In the past, international trade had been dictated by colonialism, but now things have been changing. New superpowers have arisen, and they have given birth to transnational corporations. ... However, the transnational corporations of developed countries have dominated the global economy. The trade agreements formulated among countries have usually rested heavily in favour of the developed countries. Several reasons have been proposed for this, but two stand out. Even in areas where developing countries have a comparative advantage, participation in the global markets has been limited because of market protection that still exists in both developed and other developing countries. The other reason is that the negotiating powers of developing countries are heavily restricted by tight budgets ("Market Access").
Friday, August 23, 2019
Religious Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Religious Summary - Essay Example The situation of famine in Canaan gave way for the men to move with their respective families towards Goshen in Egypt. The Jews within Egypt was not appropriate for the same. The Israelites became the slaves of the pharaohs and thus built the huge statues and monuments which exist even to this day. (Rousseau, 1983) The book of Exodus states that the new leader of the Jews - Moses led the people from their state of bondage within Egypt and thus the defining moment came within the Jewish tradition when God spoke to Moses and presented him the Ten Commandments which were engraved on different stone tablets. In a period of forty years, the Jews did come back to Canaan and thus drove out the present day inhabitants as well as named the city as Jerusalem, which was in essence the capital. The religion of Christianity is focused on the teachings of Jesus Christ while Islam derives its basis from Mohammad, the last messenger sent by God on earth. Christians believe Jesus Christ as the Son of God while the followers of Islam, called Muslims do not believe in God having anyone in His family, let alone anyone related to God. For the Christians, Jesus Christ has revealed the basis of God which is not different for the Muslims for whom Mohammad discovered that there was One God alone upon whom Muslims should base their thinking ideologies and beliefs. (Swidler, 2002) Christians are of the view that Jesus has ascended into heaven and he is the one who will eventually differentiate between the living and the dead whilst allowing the everlasting lives to those who follow the teachings preached by him. This is pretty true in the case of Islam where Mohammad will pave the way for the Muslims to enter heaven on the Judgment Day and will ask God to allow the followers of Islam to enter heaven and thus seek an everlasting life full of Godââ¬â¢s bounties and splendor. Christians base their beliefs on the Holy Book
Thursday, August 22, 2019
City Life Beats the Small Town Essay Example for Free
City Life Beats the Small Town Essay 1. This essay is an essay of both comparison and contrast because the author points out the similarities while examining the differences. For example, having a cinema in both small town and big city is a similarity, but one cinema in small town showing three different movies at any one time, and a big city having more than one cinema, showing hundred different movies at once is a difference. 2. The writer uses the point-by-point method in writing this essay. 3. The writer provides an equal number of details that relate to the small town and big city in order to give to the readers a proper understanding of differences between the two life-styles. 4. The numerous resources and options available in the city, for the people coming from different parts of the world, to find a group or community similar to their own origin makes life little easier and comfortable for them, as well as they get the opportunity to learn about various cultures and ethnicities, which is the superior nature of the big city. 5. The thesis of the essay is, ââ¬Å"Life is better in the big city, and it all comes down to one general reason: more choiceâ⬠. 6. The topic sentence of paragraph #2 is, ââ¬Å"One of the areas in which having choice can be extremely valuable is that of friendsâ⬠. 7. I agree with the author because of my own experience of coming to the city of Toronto as an Immigrant. The resources, opportunities and comfort that a big city can provide in terms of education, work, health, or entertainment are very difficult to find in a small town.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Different kinds of motivation
Different kinds of motivation The importance of different kinds of motivation in SL learning The presence of different types of motivation can be really helpful for the language learner to achieve the best possible results in the learning process. Indeed, it is difficult to think of any kind of learning without motivation. Although too high levels of enthusiasm may backfire (and cause anxiety), it is inevitable to possess a healthy level of motivation in order to achieve results. Although students motivation is obviously not entirely under the teachers control, the instructor should do whatever is possible to increase this factor. It is commonly acknowledged that motivation can positively influence language learning. People are heavily dominated by their emotions, even in such seemingly dispassionate issues as language learning is. No wonder that student feelings have as much power to affect their learning success as their styles and strategies (Ehrman, 1996, p.135.). According to the definition of Ehrman (1996), motivation is the perceived payoff for the students investment of time, energy, and effort.(p.137.). Apparently, if this payoff is low, the student will either stop learning the language for good or, if they do not have an option, they will be caught in a web of bad feelings and even worse grades. Then, the failures will only generate further disappointment. On the other hand, a student who finds at least one legitimate reason for continuing their language study is already on the right track. Anyone who has attempted language study is able to think of a number of such reasons. Yet, the scientific study of motivation is extremely challenging, since all the factors influencing motivation are interrelated and continually changing. They cannot very well be categorized according to the degree of their power. Therefore, motivation for learning a foreign language has usually been classified according to its possible sources. A common way of categorization is to distinguish extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. According to definition (and closely connected with its name) intrinsic motivation is thought of as being within the task itself: a sense of achievement, self-esteem, pride in solving the problem, enjoyment of the class, being able to use the language as desired. (Johnson Johnson, 1998, p.220.) Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is connected with other consequences of success on the task (Johnson Johnson, p.220.), such as promotion at ones workplace, good grades, and so on. Another model of classification is that of Robert Gardners (as cited in Ehrman, 1996). He divided motivation into instrumental and integrative types. The first may be equated to extrinsic motivation, while the other is more interesting; it has to do with the desire to become part of a target language community. (Ehrman, 1996) As the research of motivation in language learning progressed, many other theories have been drawn up, using similar and new motivating elements as well. An especially intricate model of motivation has been created by Zoltà ¡n Dà ¶rnyei. It is called the L2 Motivational Self System and it consists of three main components: ideal L2 self, ought-to L2 self and the L2 learning experience. (as cited in Csizà ©r Kormos, 2009, p.99.). The ideal L2 self is an image of how students would like to see themselves, in this case, as fluent speakers of a given language. This component includes Gardners integrative motivation as well. The ought-to L2 self includes the characteristics of an ideal person who is able to evade failure in language study. The notion of L2 learning experience is quite easy to grasp, it basically means the motivating force of the learning settings. An experiment that Csizà ©r and Kormos (2009) conducted with the participation of secondary school and university students in Budapest gave the results that the main factors influencing language learning were the ideal L2 self and the learning experiences, while the role of the ought-to L2 self seemed marginal (Csizà ©r Kormos, p.109.). Although this study is bound to be somewhat narrow to draw too general conclusions from, it clearly demonstrates an important idea: the learning environment has a great influence on student motivation. As is shown by the experiment of Csizà ©r and Kormos (2009), some motivation types have an implication for language instruction, because they may be influenced by teaching strategy. However, there are several problems with enhancing motivation. In the first place, as it has been mentioned before, it is not an easy task to study motivation: motivation types are notoriously difficult to isolate and motivation is problematical to measure. Moreover, the relationship of theory and research to classroom situation (Johnson Johnson, 1998, p.223.) is also questionable, that is, the theories are often difficult to prove and apply in real life situations. What is more, although motivation is generally considered to be necessary, teachers might not be able to devote enough attention to it, because of the large size of the learning group or other unfavourable circumstances. Finally, there are cases when motivation simply cannot be influenced from the outside, as in the case of integrative motiv ation of a person who pointedly dislikes a culture associated with a language or feels aversions to the language itself. In spite of all these complications, there has been a consistent move towards motivation-enhancing learning activities (Johnson Johnson, 1998, p.224.). The ways Ehrman (1996) suggests to deal with lack of motivation are the following: most importantly she advises listening to the anger, tension, and mixed motivations (p.142) of the unenthusiastic students and helping them cope with their destructive emotions using, for example, relaxation exercises(p.143). Another idea of Ehrman (1996) is to motivate students with activities that are in accordance with their interests and pastimes. These strategies sound very practical and sensible, however, they have considerable limitations taking into account the varied composition of the class and the fact that the teacher is not a psychologist. There are other, more theoretical means that are thought to boost motivation as well. According to Stevick (as cited in Johnson Johnson, 1998) relevance of material to the students language requirements , completeness of the syllabus, authenticity of the information provided, satisfaction of students beyond learning and immediacy of the knowledge gained are five types of reward that could be built into materials and would encourage students to persevere and succeed. (Johnson Johnson, 1996, p.224.). Some of Stevicks ideas, namely that of relevance, authenticity and immediacy have already been adopted (the first two by the Language for Specific Purposes movement and the last one in Notional Functional Syllabuses), while completeness and satisfaction are more debated (Johnson Johnson, p.224.) In summary, motivation is a slippery notion that can be neither measured properly, nor examined very precisely, as it changes from community to community, from person to person, and may even change in the learning history of a single student. Still, there are ways to study motivation and as it is admittedly an important factor of language learning, research and practice, hand in hand, should try to find ways to make it as high as possible. References Csizà ©r, K., Kormos, J. (2009). Learning Experiences, Selves and Motivated Learning Behaviour: A Comparative Analysis of Structural Models for Hungarian Secondary and University Learners of English. In Z. Dà ¶rnyei E. Ushioda (Eds.), Motivation, Language Identity and the L2 Self (pp. 98-119). Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters. Ehrman, M. E. (1996). Understanding Second Language Learning Difficulties. London: SAGE. Johnson, K., Johnson H. (Eds.). (1998). Motivation. In Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Linguistics. (pp. 219-225). Oxford, England: Blackwell.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
A Report on Progress on Building of Leisure Centre Proposal
A Report on Progress on Building of Leisure Centre Proposal REPORT ON PROGRESS ON BUILDING OF LEISURE CENTRE PROPOSAL SHERBURY CONFIDENTIAL To: M. Smith, Head of Analysis of Proposals From: N. Rafie, Proposal AnalystDate: 1st May 2015 BACKGROUND There is dissent in the town of Sherbury, Wealdshre County which has been linked to the apparent lack of leisure amenities and facilities in the town itself. Several social issues have been identified such as an increasing crime rate as well as cases of gangs and alcoholism mostly pertaining to teens of Sherbury which has been blamed on the previously kentioned lack of amenities and activities to do in town. As a countermeasure to the social issues and the lack of facilities, Sherbury has decided to start to look at the possibility of building a Leisure Centre. FINDINGS There is a severe lack of leisure amenities and facilities, in particular those that cater to young people and this has been deemed the root cause to the social issues that are becoming apparent in Shersbury. According to police reports there have been an increase in the amount of criminal cases in Sherbury specifically cases involving vandalism and drunk and disorderly behaviour involving the teenage demographic. They have seen an increase of 32% and 24% respectively. It has to be noted that the increase for teen drunk and disorderly behaviour was seen within the last 12 months. There is growing concern with social workers regarding a surge in teenage alcoholism and roaming teenage gangs present at the town centre and housing estates. The social workers attribute these growing social issues to ââ¬Å"boredom derived from little or nothing to do in the evenings. There are only two youth clubs in the town, both of which are oversubscribed. Denial of entry has been met with attempts to disrupt the youth clubsââ¬â¢ activities by older teenagers. The local weekly newspaper, The Sherbury Chronicle has been campaigning for improvements in leisure facilities over these last 6 weeks. The paper has utilised their medium to campaign with scathing editorials with headlines such as ââ¬Å"Council Fuddy-duddies forget their youth. Readers of the Sherbury Chronicle have changed their views regarding the issue have changed from sympathetic to condemnatory due to the correspondence the readers and the paper have which has been labelled as ââ¬Å"Livelyâ⬠. Town Councillors of Sherbury have been actively canvassing for the building of a leisure centre in order to provide for they consider the town to be sorely lacking amenities. Sherbury Town Councillor James Hillingdon referred to the current situation as a ââ¬Å"shocking state of affairsâ⬠pointing out that Sherbury has nothing to offer its young people in the evenings but violent films in its local cinema and alcoholic beverages from its ten central public houses at a recent council meeting. There have been cases of local sports clubs and associations making representation to councillors and to County Hall officials. Some Sherbury sports enthusiasts are travelling thirty miles or more in order to find the amenities that they seek. There are existing sports facilities in Sherbury however they predominantly provide for outdoor sports. There are also sports facilities that are provided for indoor sports in the community hall however this is reportedly over crowded. There have been several activities that have been suggested for inclusion in any future Leisure Centre include table tennis, badminton, basketball, tennis, swimming, judo, karate, volleyball, ten-pin bowling, snooker and billiards, gymnastics and for older members yoga, relaxation classes and keep fit together with a club room for darts dominoes and quieter activities. A rough projection for the building of the leisure centre has been estimated at à £1.8 million Two sites have been identified as suitable for the leisure centre the first at Charles Bowley Recreation Park in Northern Sherbury and the second in Central Sherbury. There are many options available for the funding of the project, increasing council tax in conjunction with securing government grants as well as funding from the Lottery Commission. There are local sports associations that have suggested possible fund raising activities. The Chief Executive of the Council has formed a working party that is made up of representatives from the Planning Department, Architectural Department, Community Liaison office and Spots Advisory Office due to mounting pressure. The working party is tasked with investigating the need for a leisure centre, make projections regarding building and maintenance costs, make suggestion with regard to location and make proposals concerning the types of activities it should house and the layout of various halls and rooms as well as provide a set of recommendations to be submitted to the Council for debate. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS It is safe to say that the root cause of the social issues that are affecting Sherbury is centred on its young people and the lack of amenities and lack of activities which they can expand their energies on. There are facilities and youth clubs in the town that do provide activities for young people however due to their size and lack of facilities it is not enough to provide for all of them. This often leads to conflict between those who are already involved with the clubs and those who are not. This in turn may exacerbate the increasing crime rate as the disruption of club activities may lead to even less people being involved with the clubs. The only activities to do in town such as watching movies and partaking in the consumption of alcohol are contributing even more to the advent of the social issues in Sherbury such as vandalism, gangs and teenage alcoholism. The lack of facilities is not only facilitating the increase of social issues in Sherbury, it is also making it highly inconvenient for many sports enthusiasts who have to travel a considerable distance in order to access facilities that allow them to partake in their sports. This inconvenience can also be considered a loss to the local economy for Sherbury as these potential consumers now bring their business to other towns as well as a loss of the potential to groom local talent in terms of competitive events. All in all I think that Sherbury should proceed with the building of the leisure centre as this would solve many of Sherburyââ¬â¢s current issues. It has to be noted that while it will help deter the effects of the social issues in Sherbury it has to be used in conjunction with other policies as well as understanding that the project will take time and its effects will take time to be seen. So patience will need to be exercised by the Sherbury council as well as its residents. Although the cost of building of the centre is quite high (à £1.8 million) it has to be understood that the social costs will be even higher with crime rates increasing as well as teens turning to alcoholism and gang behaviour, the social repercussions of not doing anything will be higher than the actual financial costs. The provision of activities will enable the youth to expand their energies on activities that are productive and will hopefully help the youth gain a sense of identity from something positive rather than having to end up in a gang or turning to alcohol. Sherbury needs to ensure that they are able to deal with their social issues directly rather than putting all their hopes on the leisure centre to make the issues go away. Sherbury needs to increase security as well as enforce new laws that make sure that the teens will not have access to alcohol too freely. Maybe something along the lines of increasing police patrols in areas that have been frequented by these gangs as well as restricting the public houses from selling alcoholic beverages past a certain time for those who are below the age of 20. The existing youth clubs need to be nurtured and aided further in order to help reduce the effects of social issues. Considering the fact that there are already established Youth Clubs in Sherbury, the council would not have to do any actual work other than maybe fund the clubs in order to increase their capacity to take in new members. By expanding the capacity of the clubs as well as providing them new operating quarters in the new Leisure Centre, the council would be killing two birds with one stone, providing activities for the youth as well as gaining occupants for the centre. Establishing the Leisure Centre will benefit the local sporting community greatly and they understand this with many local sports associations supporting the proposal as well as offering to help fund the project. The council would do well to remember this as the town will benefit greatly should the local sports associations flourish as this will allow the town to produce talent from youth who now have something productive to be involved with. It also has to be considered that the previous situation where Sherbury sports enthusiast were traveling far in order to access sports facilities, the building of the leisure centre may well attract enthusiast from other towns as well. This will help the not just strengthen the sporting community but aid the local economy as well. Out of the two locations, I would suggest the council build it in the Northern Suburbs as a central location, while good for businesses in the area may not have enough space to include all the possible activities that can be provided by the centre as well as not being able to provide enough parking space for users of the centre. (1587 words) 3. a) Opening The opening of an interview is what will set the tone for the rest of the interview, it is in the opening of an interview where the purpose of the interview is made clear therefore. Once the purpose of the interview is made clear the process is made much more easier as all parties will understand why they are there and what it is expected of them. The opening will establish the tone and atmosphere of the interview as well as indicate the level of formality or informality that the interview will take. By setting the tone of the interview, interviewees can be put at ease, or unease according to what the interviewer wants. It is in the opening where the flow of the interview is decided. Questions ââ¬â In an interview there are two simple rules of thumb, ask the right questions and listen to the answers. An interviewer should prepare the questions that should be asked in order to elicit information from the interviewee that is desirable and therefore making the interview productive. Pacing of the questions should be controlled carefully as important information may be glossed over or leading to the interviewee digressing. As previously mentioned It is paramount for the interviewer to be able to ask the right questions, however it equally as important for the interviewer to ask at the right time. Closure ââ¬â Closing the interview is as important as opening it, for it is in the closure where all information should be summarised, leading to an easy confirmation of information and determining whether the objectives of the interview have been met. It has to be noted that the position of both parties are clarified at the closure of the interview. Whether a compromise or agreement has been made or not and clear communication of this from both parties will further enable whether further action should be taken and if so, in what form. It is in the closure that decisions should be made only if one or both parties have the authority and information to make it. Follow Up ââ¬â Once the interview is finished it is important for the interviewer to proceed to assimilate the information gleaned from the interview. The information should be recorded properly in order to build up a record of the interview and the interviewee thus making any future attempts to locate information regarding the interview or interviewee much easier. A decision needs to be made following the interview, and this is easier done once all in formation is assimilated thus any determination of any decision can be made as a result of the interview will be more concise and easily made. Also any actions that were agreed upon during the interview should be followed up on. b) 4.a) Polite ââ¬â It is important for those working in customer service to be polite to the parties they are dealing with. Staff members need to be able to talk properly with good manners in order for the calling party to leave the conversation feeling as though they were dealt with in the proper manner. Even when a customer calls to complain it is important that the staff members maintain their composure and still be polite therefore diffusing a potentially explosive situation and having the complaining party leave the conversation without any resent and feeling better. Knowledgeable ââ¬â Staff members need to have information that pertains to the subjects that calling parties will be inquiring about, whether this be young people, fitness, the facilities or the centre itself and other information that can be considered relevant to these subjects. Therefore being able to provide the right information to the inquiring parties and having answered their questions satisfactorily is exactly what they need to be able to do. Because a lot of inquirers will not have the information or even incomplete information therefore rendering them unable to make an informed decision as to whether or not they should or can utilise the facilities that the centre provides. Informative ââ¬â As a lot of calling parties will be inquiring to many subjects as well as ask for advice, personnel need to be able to answer the calling parties to the best of their abilities. This would mean that the staff members have to know what they are talking about as well as be able to explain properly and clearly therefore understanding that having the calling parties leave with understanding how to utilise the information given by the staff member is just as important as having the inquiring party leave with the right information. Understanding ââ¬â As a lot of parties calling in will be complaining it is important that the staff be able to listen and understand exactly what the party is calling to complain about. And although the staff themselves may not agree with what the customer is complaining about, that is beside the point, hey need to be able to make the complaining party feel better about the situation, and being understanding will ensure that the staff member be able to choose the right words in order to do so. However, it is also important for the staff member to follow up with these complaints and not just offer empty apologies should the complaints be valid. Loquacious ââ¬â As the job involves a lot of answering questions and in general talking, the staff members need to be able to talk well. Therefore being able to keep a conversation going while at the same time ensuring that they are answering the inquiries or listening to complaints is a core requirement for the job, this is because while a good listener will have all the right information, someone who is able to talk to the calling parties will help the calling party feel as though as they are being treated well. (503 words) b) 1
Monday, August 19, 2019
Dr. Strangelove, by Stanley Kubrick :: Dr. Strangelove Essays
à à à à à In Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick took a serious issue and turned it into a political comedy. He was able to illustrate a satire of the hazardous notion of a nuclear war and the insane individuals who were coordinating it, and furthermore, addressed the issue of stereotyping. This movie was created in 1964; today in 2005, we still have nuclear weapons. Yes, the United States and other countries still have nuclear weapons, however, a question does arise, do we still have insane individuals coordinating war plans and security procedures? If you are expecting to find the answer in this essay, do not continue reading for that reason, the answer will not be found in this essay. The reason being is the answer needs to be realized and determined by every individual, not just me. However, if questioned that in Dr. Strangelove was there an individual who was insane and should he have not been placed in command of a military base, then I would have to answer yes there was such an individual. This individual was General Jack Ripper. à à à à à I think that it was not coincidental that Kubrick named this individual Jack Ripper, but purposely did so. The real Jack Ripper was a serial killer. Not only does the name fit with the character in Dr. Strangelove, but also the images and actions often associated with the serial killer. Silent and cruel attacks, nighttime, darkness and dense fog are a few images associated with the serial killer. In the movie General Ripper was in a dark office, he ordered Wing Attack Plan R to bombard the Soviet Union with a nuclear bomb before they could respond, and right before killing himself he was in a cloudy/smoky room. The Wing Attack Plan R is my analysis of the silent and cruel killings. The cloudy/smoky room is the dense fog. And finally the darkness of General Ripperââ¬â¢s office fits with the darkness image. What was the purpose of General Ripper when looking at the movie as a whole? à à à à à It is my analysis that Kurbrick was not just showing America the stupidity of nuclear war, but was also showing that the United States government often makes mistakes. One mistake, not just in the movie but in life, is the allocating of power to an individual who is not fit, whether mentally or physically, to have this power. When these individuals are allocated this power their actions can have a worldly consequence.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Development of the Montessori Method Essay -- Maria Montessori ISD Met
Maria Montessori and the ISD Model: Development of the Montessori Method Summary The paper I prepared begins with a description of the Montessori Method and a historical narration of the professional career of Dr. Maria Montessori. I also included some biographical information as to her origins and the identity of her parents. I then drew a comparison of her methods for developing the Montessori Method and her career to the ISD model. I compared significant events in her career to the analysis phase. Explaining that her experience with children lead her to develop her programs. Then I drew a comparison to her work with the design and development phases, citing her materials that she uses in her classrooms and the classrooms themselves. Finally I compared her implementation and subsequent discoveries to the implementation and evaluation phases in ISD. I concluded with my own personal opinion, that Maria Montessori was an innovator and mostly responsible for modern education. I used four directly quoted sources, one solely paraphrased, and one merely for research a nd background information. Since the late Nineteenth Century, educators and medical professionals have been concerned with the physical and mental development of children between the ages of two and seven years. During the first part of the Industrial Revolution and through the beginning of the Twentieth Century, conditions in the cities and industrial centers were deplorable. Adult workers were forced to work long hours and under extreme conditions, likewise children were made to endure arduous working environments with little or no concern for their well being, short of their ability to contribute to the work force. In Upton Sinclair's book, The Jungle, he des... ...ontessori, there is a distinct pattern to her development that is remarkably similar to those proposed by the ISD model. References Works Cited Gettman, D. (1987). Basic Montessori : learning activities for under-fives. New York: St. Martin's Press. Montessori, M. (1964). Dr. Montessori's own handbook. Boston: Robert Bentley, Inc. Pines, M. (1967). Revolution in learning: the years from birth to six. New York: Harper and Row Publishers. Sinclair, U. (1960). The Jungle. New York: The New American Library of World Literature. Standing, E.M. (1962). Maria Montessori: her life and work. New York: The New American Library of World Literature. Other Sources Braun, S. J. (1974). Nursery education for disadvantages children: an historical review. In Montessori in perspective. (pp. 7-24). National Association for the Education of Young Children: New York. Development of the Montessori Method Essay -- Maria Montessori ISD Met Maria Montessori and the ISD Model: Development of the Montessori Method Summary The paper I prepared begins with a description of the Montessori Method and a historical narration of the professional career of Dr. Maria Montessori. I also included some biographical information as to her origins and the identity of her parents. I then drew a comparison of her methods for developing the Montessori Method and her career to the ISD model. I compared significant events in her career to the analysis phase. Explaining that her experience with children lead her to develop her programs. Then I drew a comparison to her work with the design and development phases, citing her materials that she uses in her classrooms and the classrooms themselves. Finally I compared her implementation and subsequent discoveries to the implementation and evaluation phases in ISD. I concluded with my own personal opinion, that Maria Montessori was an innovator and mostly responsible for modern education. I used four directly quoted sources, one solely paraphrased, and one merely for research a nd background information. Since the late Nineteenth Century, educators and medical professionals have been concerned with the physical and mental development of children between the ages of two and seven years. During the first part of the Industrial Revolution and through the beginning of the Twentieth Century, conditions in the cities and industrial centers were deplorable. Adult workers were forced to work long hours and under extreme conditions, likewise children were made to endure arduous working environments with little or no concern for their well being, short of their ability to contribute to the work force. In Upton Sinclair's book, The Jungle, he des... ...ontessori, there is a distinct pattern to her development that is remarkably similar to those proposed by the ISD model. References Works Cited Gettman, D. (1987). Basic Montessori : learning activities for under-fives. New York: St. Martin's Press. Montessori, M. (1964). Dr. Montessori's own handbook. Boston: Robert Bentley, Inc. Pines, M. (1967). Revolution in learning: the years from birth to six. New York: Harper and Row Publishers. Sinclair, U. (1960). The Jungle. New York: The New American Library of World Literature. Standing, E.M. (1962). Maria Montessori: her life and work. New York: The New American Library of World Literature. Other Sources Braun, S. J. (1974). Nursery education for disadvantages children: an historical review. In Montessori in perspective. (pp. 7-24). National Association for the Education of Young Children: New York.
Intrapsychic Omnipresence in Bodily Symptoms :: Biology Essays Research Papers
Intrapsychic Omnipresence in Bodily Symptoms Sometimes disease and illness just show up. For these medical conditions, a doctor usually tells us what is "wrong" physically. These scientific observations determining diseases or symptoms leave people wondering if there is something behind the cell that created the malfunction. Perhaps one's psyche; which is the mind functioning as the center of thought, conscious or unconscious, and interconnected with the physical environment, can effect the body positively and negatively. An indirect way of dealing with psychological conflict is to intuitively or unconsciously convert it into symptomatic illness. However, this does not get rid of the emotions or the symptoms, for this is not the root of the problem. It is only through recognition of the their intuition or repressed emotions that people may come to heal themselves. It is difficult although possible for some to assign every illness or symptom to some underlying psychic cause; but that is usually whimsically referred to as "new ag e" and "mystical". It is a person's own personal belief whether she created her diabetes, or whether he created his cancer as a result of psychological and emotional conflict and trauma. Therefore, we can only look at the facts to postulate the argument that a lack of psychological well being manifests itself somatically. The best way to examine the notion that psychological factors affect medical conditions is with the neurosis Hysteria. Hysteria is also known now as Conversion Disorder or Dissociation, in which unconscious or emotional psychological conflict converts into a bodily disturbance (2). An example of this is anxiety. Hysteria is diagnosed as psychological stress accompanied with physical symptoms. Interestingly, despite the multiple physical symptoms there is no anatomical or organic basis for any of them. Although conversion disorder is a physical manifestation, there is no physical cause. In the case of hysteria, the mind or the psyche is neglected by the person who represses emotional trauma, and these then divert themselves into the body as a means of expression or escape. These patients often times do not know what is wrong with themselves because the repression was unconscious and out of their control. Accordingly, the physical symptoms in hysteria are a result of the person's lack of psychological control, which is unconscious not voluntary. During the 19th century, French Neurologist J.M. Charcot and Psychologist P. Janet emphasized that "morbid ideas could produce physical manifestations" and that hysteria was caused by the psyche not the body (1).
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Habitus vs Hegemony Essay
Although there are many similarities and connections among Bourdieuââ¬â¢s notion of habitus and Williamsââ¬â¢ notions of hegemony and structure of feeling, there are also many differences. Through a brief discussion of the three concepts, the reasons why hegemony and structure of feeling would seem to challenge habitus, rather than support it, will become apparent. Bourieuââ¬â¢s notion of habitus is one of a way of organizing everything around a set of assumptions about a place. The social practices, and assumptions about those practices, make up habitus. It is a social construction that is the reason for certain social norms or behaviors, though it feels more innate than that; people do not have to talk about the practices because everyone does them out of social habit. Habitus is the ââ¬Å"flowâ⬠of society that is taken for granted. There are many similarities between Bourdieuââ¬â¢s notion of habitus and Williamsââ¬â¢ notion of hegemony. Williamsââ¬â¢ notion of Hegemony is a critical concept broader than traditional ideology and takes a look at the problems with ideology. Under the idea of hegemony, is the idea that there is never complete or total domination; there is always a counter-hegemony, that which resists is. Hegemony includes social practices and what we deem ââ¬Å"common sense,â⬠which is similar to what habitus encompasses with societyââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"flow. â⬠Habitius also has a sense of control, just as hegemony does, but habitus has a more structural sense. It takes a closer look at the relationships between what people think, closer to the way ideology does, not just the social practices. Another of Williamsââ¬â¢ notions is structure of feeling, but whereas hegemony would seem to support Bourdieuââ¬â¢s idea of habitus, structure of feeling seems to challenge it. Structure of feeling is the emergent affective frame of social practices and, unlike hegemony and habitus, is not as taken-for-granted as common sense. Structure of feeling is a notion that takes a broader look at hegemony (and habitus) and brings the sociological analysis to the next level; it is more of a notion of the relationships that arise because of the common-sense social practices rather than a notion of the theory of practice. Structure of feeling takes a look at they way that there are general cultural ideas or moods, or ways of expressing oneself, that have become dominant in any given culture. Williamsââ¬â¢ says that everyone has different experiences that they presume to be individual until they realize, through their relationships with other people, that that is not the case. This is where structure of feeling would seem to challenge habitus. Although they are both concerned with social patterns, practices and norms, habitus (and hegemony) discusses the patterns as something that goes unnoticed by the general population. Structure of feeling says that people do in fact realize these patterns through their interactions with one another. Another main difference between the three concepts is Williamsââ¬â¢ idea of counter-hegemony. Counter-hegemony is essentially resistance to the idea of hegemonic power; there is a general opposition to the function of hegemonic power in political and social practice. Hegemony is always haunted by counter-hegemony, and actually counters structure of feeling, whereas there is no discussion a counter-habitus. Since habitus is a notion of innate social habit, there is no power of control that is associated with it. Hegemony, on the other hand, is about social practices that become a dominant way of doing things, but there is no sense of inherency. Since counter-hegemony is always a part of hegemony, this is why hegemony would only seem to support habitus, when in fact it is more of a challenge to Bourdieuââ¬â¢s concept. Counter-hegemony also opposes structures of feeling in this way because counter-hegemony is resistance to the common-sense, or emergent structure of social norms and practice, which is essentially what structure of feeling discusses. Although counter-hegemony challenges structure of feeling, which, in turn, challenges habitus, it does not actually support habitus.
Friday, August 16, 2019
On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense
1. IntroductionIn the following I will consider Nietzscheââ¬â¢s essay ââ¬ËOn truth and Lies in a nonmoral senseââ¬â¢.à First I will look at a small section of this to work out his views on language, then I will examine the whole of the essay in order to consider his use of metaphor, metonymy and anthropomorphisms in detail. This examination will lead, by way of a consideration of the ways in which he uses metaphor and other devices, into a consideration of his arguments regarding the nature of language. I will put forward the view that his interpretation of the nature of language undermines itself as it seeks to put itself forward as a truth while denying that truth exists as such.2. Truth and LanguageFirst, I consider the passage which starts ââ¬Å"What then is truthâ⬠.à In this passage, Nietzsche wants to convey the flexible and changing quality of language.à The statements which we take as truth, straightforward and easy to understand, were in fact original ly more akin to poetry in their relationship with how things really are. Language which was originally used in a metaphoric, metonymic or anthropomorphic way has lost the vital force of the original statements, the original power of the symbolic use of language has become lost and only a shell remains.Over time the non-literal original sense has become literal so we take the words as a straightforwardly true or false statement.à à In the original use of language, people could understand that the terms were not meant literally but a rich and evocative picture of how things are. This richness has become lost and we are left only with the empty structural force of the language, which we interpret as simple truth.This is my overall understanding of this paragraph. However it is difficult to paraphrase accurately, due to the richness of the language Nietzsche uses. We could in fact say that his contention that ââ¬Å"truths are illusions which we have forgotten are illusionsâ⬠is couched in terms which are in themselves heavily metaphorical, rather than the propositions which would be easy to paraphrase.Truth, in the paragraph in question, is ââ¬Ëa movable hostââ¬â¢, an ââ¬Ëillusionââ¬â¢, something which is ââ¬Ëdrained of sensuous forceââ¬â¢ and a ââ¬Ëcoinââ¬â¢.à The associations of these are rich, but not necessarily reconcilable. A coin, for instance, is not an illusion as it is an everyday part of economic exchange.à Therefore, the most important facet of Nietzscheââ¬â¢s argument would seem to be that it is not a conventional argument; rather he uses poetry and metaphor to demonstrate the nature or language, rather than explain it in a step by step way.I now turn to the larger essay of which this quotation is a part.à There are a host of metaphors, metonymies and anthropomorphisms in it[1], and as pointed out in the question it is easy to overlook these.à à I will pick out a few of these to discuss why it is eas y to overlook them.à Part of the reason would seem to be that the text is simply so dense with them. In some sentences,à several of these devices being crammed into it. Take, for example, the first few sentences (1).à ââ¬Å"World historyâ⬠is described as ââ¬Å"arrogant and mendaciousâ⬠; an anthropomorphic device ascribing human characteristics to an abstract notion.Nature, likewise, is said to ââ¬Å"draw a few breathsâ⬠which combines anthropomorphism with the metaphor of taking a while to pause.à Later in the same paragraph, nature is said to ââ¬Å"swell up like a balloonâ⬠which again combines metaphor and anthropomorphism.à As well as the denseness with which these devices are packed, it is also the case that a more obvious device masks one in the same sentence which is less flamboyant.à For example, in the sentence quoted immediately above, nature is also described as ââ¬Å"reprehensibleââ¬Å": a quality which properly speaking should really be ascribed to humans only. This less noticeable anthropomorphism somehow comes across as a literal statement. I suspect this is part of Nietzscheââ¬â¢s intention, as it shows the way in which language can slip from being thoroughly poetic to less obviously so.The structure of his essay works to underline this. Passages of a less metaphorical or metonymic nature occur in between passages where the use of these devices, together with anthropomorphism, is dense.à à For example, Nietzsche discusses (4) how metaphor is involved in every step of verbalization and conceptualization from sense perception to abstract terms. This discussion is couched in reasonably straightforward language without obvious use of metaphor and the like.Passages such as these are, however, set against ones in which the language is dense with poetic devices, where, as Nietzsche says there is ââ¬Å"a moveable host of metaphors, metonymies, and anthropomorphismsâ⬠(5).à à Such poetic pas sages require a different type of reading, one in which we are forced to recognize language as the dense and image-packed structure Nietzsche would have us believe it is in its entirety. In other words, I would contend that the mixing of metaphorical passages with more ââ¬â¢straightforwardââ¬â¢ ones is a device intended to remind us of the inherently metaphorical nature of all words.Another way in which Nietzsche uses the devices reinforces the above. The metaphorical, metonymical and anthropomorphic passages provide a vivid and strong illustration of his points in the more straightforward sections. For example, he talks about manââ¬â¢s need for deception (2) ââ¬Å"a continuous fluttering around the solitary flame of vanityâ⬠. The visual image thus constructed powerfully reiterates the later points he makes about the nature of truth and the value it plays for mankind.à à He appeals, as it were, to both our intellect and our senses.Section two of the essay is rich à in unusual use of metaphor and other devices.à Perhaps the most dense passage occurs at the end, where Nietzsche talks about intuitive (as opposed to rational) man.à He piles device upon device to reiterate the way he portays intuitive man. He is said to ââ¬Å"reapâ⬠ââ¬Å"a harvestâ⬠from his intuition, but Nietzsche takes the unusual step of elaborating this metaphor in another direction, for what man reaps is ââ¬Å"continually inflowing illuminationâ⬠, a metaphor one would associate with a river, not a harvest.I believe Nietzsche compounds metaphors in this way in order to demonstrate that the sense of what he is saying is not straightforward but has depths and resonates in different directions. It is also unusual that these two metaphors hide another, at the beginning of the sentence, where man is said to be ââ¬Å"standing in the midst of a cultureâ⬠.à Here one could almost overlook the metaphoric nature of the expression, as it is close to a common-sense expression. Iââ¬â¢d suggest that here Nietzsche is using the more unusual figures of speech as a way of alertingà us to the metaphorical nature of all expression, including cases like this where the metaphor has almost passed into ordinary use.Another remarkable passage starts section two. Here the scientist is described as building his ââ¬Å"hutâ⬠, which is equated with his understanding of the world. The imagery here is particularly rich and evocative, drawing up a visual image of a towering structure.à It would seem that Nietzsche uses such particularly visual imagery to introduce his discussion of dreams, for the words evoke images akin to dreaming consciousness.A final point I would make about the use of metaphorical devices centers on his use of different metaphors (in this case with an animal theme) to reinforce his points.à For example, when talking about the development of conceptualization, he compares it to both building upon a spiderâ⬠â¢s web and to a beeââ¬â¢s building with wax (7).à Earlier in the same passage he talks of this conceptualization in the context of the Roman gods.à à Because he repeats metaphors taken from levels ââ¬Ëaboveââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëbelowââ¬â¢ that of man, it is as if he is creating an over-metaphor which draws attention to manââ¬â¢s nature and its distinctness from the animal kingdom and that of the gods, which in turn serves to reinforce his notion of the subjectivity of language and perception.I now turn to the general points made about language in the essay as a whole. Firstly, I will give an overview of the essay itself before turning to a critique of Nietzscheââ¬â¢s points.à The essay divides into two parts, and the tone of each is slightly different. The first contains more argument of a philosophical nature, although in the context of rhetorical passages, whereas the second is more lyrical in tone throughout.à In part one, Nietzche discusses manââ¬â ¢s intellect. We think we are the centre of the universe, and that our knowledge is a special thing, but so do the most lowly members of the animal kingdom.Our nature is inherantly deceptive, not aimed towards truth, however due to social constraints we feel it necessary to embrace truth in order to become part of a social world.à He then turns to the nature of truth, which for Neitzsche is inherantly illusionary and based on metaphor. Looking at the way in which we come to understand the world, this is based not on an actual coherence to things in themselves but an illusion,à even at the most basic perceptual stage.à Likewise concepts and abstractions have no inherant connection to the ââ¬Ërealââ¬â¢ state of the world.The moral impulse towards truth is nothing more than a Darwinian survival of the fittest.à Man cannot escape the trap of his inherantly metaphorical viewpoint, which is also specific to the human species alone. However, to give ourselves a sense of security, we have to forget the metaphorical nature of understanding and take our experience as an experience of how things really are. Nietzsche concludes part one with a summary of the subjectivity of manââ¬â¢s experience.Part two has a different tone, being more poetical overall.à He starts by dismissing the claims of science to impart general truths which hold for all time. He reiterates that the drive to metaphor is the most important. Dreams are a way in which we can begin to understand the richness of the creative and metaphorical drive for what it is, a drive which is distinct from the scientific, rational one. In this section, Nietzsche seems to be hinting, against the first section, that through dreams and art man can perhaps come to an understanding of the role metaphor plays in language and truth.Nietzsche makes several general assertions about the nature of language in his essay. His foremost point is that language is inherently metaphorical.à As pointed out, h e reiterates this by use of the type of device he believes is a model of language.à à This, I think, is the central theme of his essay, and one which, by his use of language, he puts across most subtlety.à However, there seems to be a problem with his view point.à He seems to be taking the viewpoint of someone who can say what is true and what is not.He wants to say that truth as we perceive it is an illusion, but does not explain why we should believe his illusion rather than any other.à He does not merely want to suggest by poetic devices that truth is an illusion, but to argue that this is the case.à à He wants to do philosophy, not poetry, and philosophy is concerned with using rational argument to put forward ones own case, and dismiss opposing views.à The problem is that any argument he uses to support his own view also works against this view.I believe Nietzscheââ¬â¢s other points are flawed also.à Manââ¬â¢s nature, he contends, is to deceive hi mself, and this, he postulates, is for a Darwinian end, the survival of the individual (2).à à à The first instinct of the individual is self-preservation, and hence to deceive. However, social forces come into play; if man wants to exist happily with others he cannot be seen to tell lies, that is, to disagree with the herd.à Therefore the desire for truth comes into play.Truth is useful to society. Man does not desire truth for his own sake, as the philosophers say, rather he ââ¬Å"desires the pleasant, life-preserving consequences of truthâ⬠(3).à à Nietzsche thus postulates a socially driven theory of truth, where the quest for knowledge is an illusion, and social reality the only reality.à My argument with this would be it fails to explain cases where individuals act in a way which they know will make their position in their social group uncomfortable and unpleasant, and do so because they want to find the truth.Nietzsche talks about the way in which huma ns develop language to argue that metaphor is always present from original sense perceptions (3-4).à He says ââ¬Å"a nerve stimulus is transferred into an image: first metaphorââ¬Å" (4).à After this, he says, each subsequent stage is also built upon metaphor. However, I would argue that in order to distinguish a metaphor as such, we need to have a concept of how things really are, in order that we can know when descriptions are metaphorical (that is, not literal).à If, as Nietzsche argues, metaphor exists from the very first act of perception, then how can we make sense of a distinction between metaphor and non-metaphor?There is also, I believe, a confusion in the essay about the status of what Nietzsche proposes. He suggests that man had to erase the understanding of the metaphorical nature of language from his consciousness in order to live with any sense of security, and also that if man could escape from the confines of this prison-like viewpoint, ââ¬Å"his ââ¬Å"s elf-consciousnessâ⬠would be immediately destroyedâ⬠(8).à This suggests that man is permanently trapped in the view of language as a truth bearing vehicle, unable to see things as they really are.This is problematic in two ways. First, that Nietzsche obviously thinks he can stand outside this language trap in order to explain how others are bound by it. Secondly, he seems to suggest at the same time that man can come to the realization that the nature of language and indeed life is other than he believes it to be, which assumes that the prison of language is one that can, and should be overcome.à This confusion seems at least partly to derive from the two sections of the essay, which are different in tone. In the second section he seems to be saying that art is one way in which man can free himself from the confines of language and ââ¬Å"confuse the conceptual categories and cells by bringing forward new transferences, metaphors, and metonymiesâ⬠(10).3. Concl usionIn the above, I have attempted a brief analysis of Nietzscheââ¬â¢s essay. I have attempted to bring out his central point, that language is essentially metaphorical, and also to look his other discussions of the nature language and truth plays for man.à I have looked at the ways in which he uses metaphor, metonymy and anthropomorphism in different ways, each of which underline his central ideas about language.à I have tried to show that, for me, his arguments although subtle and dense are ultimately not coherent, as he tries to step outside the framework of metaphor to explain how things ââ¬Ëreally areââ¬â¢.I also suggest that although Nietzsche is attempting philosophy, to convince the reader that he has a valid thesis and to present the argument for this, it is difficult to answer his case fully as he uses the resources of a poet as well as a philosopher.à It is not within the brief to use poetry and metaphor to answer Nietzsche, so thereââ¬â¢s a sense in which I am unable to answer him on his own terms.[1] à briefly, a metaphor is when one thing is compared to another by saying ââ¬Å"a is bâ⬠or similar, for example ââ¬Å"my heart is a fountainâ⬠, where b is something which a is not normally literally said to be.à Metonymy is where a feature of something is used as a shorthand for the thing itself. For example, a school child might refer to a particular teacher as ââ¬â¢big noseââ¬â¢.à Finally anthropomorphism is when human characteristics are ascribed to animals: Nietzscheââ¬â¢s use seems also to include the ascription of specifically human traits to an impersonal non-human world.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
H&M in Accounting Essay
Content Page Questions Question 1. Using Michael Porterââ¬â¢s five forces model, evaluate the importance of Barriers to Entry to the fast-fashion industry. Support your arguments with evidence from the case study. (20%) Question 2. Conduct a value chain analysis to assess H&Mââ¬â¢s capabilities and derive its core competencies. (35%) Question 3. Based on these competencies identify the generic competitive strategy which H&M is pursuing. (10%) Question 4. It is suggested in the case study that the fashion industry is full of companies that have confidently expanded into international markets but later have been forced to retreat. Analyze the international strategy choice being pursued by H&M and assess the extent to which this is appropriate for its future development. (25%) Appendix Global FactorsLocal FactorsIntegration Responsiveness Grid References Question 1. Applying Michael Porterââ¬â¢s five forces model, it includes the threat of entrants and substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers and customers and competitive rivalry. Among all, barriers to entry could be an essential factor to the fast-fashion industry. Even so, the threat of entry is affected by several factors. Different sources of barriers to entry can act as a determinant on the height of barriers. As mentioned in the case study, fast-fashion industries doesnââ¬â¢t require a large capital outlay. Entry to the retail industry is so easy that can be set up with a group of suppliers being chosen from. Therefore, the level of impact of capital requirement to the barriers to entry is low. Secondly, economies of scale is a barrier to entry as its product unit cost will be lowered for the businesses which already attained a production volume so that it will be hard for the new entrants to compete. H&Mââ¬â¢s prices have been undercut by an even cheaper competitor. In this ca se, economies of scaleââ¬â¢s level of impact to the fast-fashion industry is high. For the absolute cost advantage, for incumbent companies who already have economies of scale can have a significant cost advantage over new entrants. Additional costs may includeà the learning or experience curve, proprietary technology and government subsidies. Therefore, the level of impact is high for new entrants. Considering product differentiation, the level of impact is regarded as low as fast-fashion industry has a variety of choices in its suppliers that could be different from many others. Also, it can be overcome by creating in its own brand to avoid this kind of barrier. There may not be a difficulty in access to channels of supply and distribution to the fast-fashion industry because these channels are held by numerous suppliers. New entrants can set up their own like Gap Corporation and Inditex by acting as both manufacturers and retailers which results in low level of impact. The level of impact of the legal and regulatory barriers will be treated as low either. Various controls may be limited by the governments such as the licensing requirement or limit to access to raw materials. These would not be applied to the fast-fashion industry as it generally has less control by the governments and usually bound by the legal system. Last but not least, the level of impact of the expected retaliation could be high since the size and duration of retaliation in fast-fashion industry are intense. These may threaten the new entrants including the price cuts. New entrants have less ability to make retaliation than those incumbents in view of experience and resources. To conclude, the overall height of barriers to entry is low which means a serious threat of entering fast-fashion industry. It implies an intense rivalry and an unattractive environment. Therefore, it is important to consider the barriers to entry in this industry. Question 2. The value chain analysis is mainly divided into two types- support and primary activities. This analysis is made to let companies determine where value is added to the customers and margin is increased to the organization. Under support activities, H&Mââ¬â¢s firm infrastructure is easy and simple. Following Erling Perssonââ¬â¢s basic values and beliefs, H&M intended to offer the fashion and quality at the best price. Also, the managers are given freedom and autonomy in decision-making processes which lead the success of H&M.For the Human Resources Management, H&M focused on one personââ¬â¢s qualities much more than qualifications which implies that opportunities are given to those people with lower academic levels. It was noticed that practical skills are more important to the company instead. Internal promotion and job rotation are the crucial ingredients to sustain H&Mââ¬â¢s continuous growth.Regarding technology development, H&M has been adopting the latest IT systems with continuous improvement. Intelligent use of ICT has been an effective tool in assisting H&Mââ¬â¢s business which can be applied to the logistics and warehouse system. Moreover, H&M is tightly connected to the customers through social network and various phone apps.The fourth support activity is the procurement. As H&M does not own any factories so the manufacturing is outsourced to low-cost countries. Procurement is centralized in Stockholm. A good connection network can be seen between the production offices and the suppliers in order to reduce the lead times. On the other hand, the primary activities include five elements-inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales and service. H&M provided little information on inbound logistics which should include raw materials con trol and inventory control of input material. This may become a weakness in the management of H&M.For the operation of H&M, it opts for renting store premises to increase flexibility and adaptability. In addition to this, H&M will do the product testing about the quality control. Furthermore, a new interiors program is created to catch up with the latest trend.Under outbound logistics, only transportation is handled by the external contractors. However, H&M deals well with the distribution by offering the best price to avoid middlemen. H&M is cost-conscious and thus can reduce the costs being incurred. Also, daily shipments are available to H&M which implies an effective and efficient shipment scheduling system.Considering the marketing and sales, H&M has been collaborating with 200 in-house designers and several famous ones. In addition to this, it has launched long-term advertising campaigns with high-profile celebrities which can indirectly boost the sales and build up its image. Online promotion is also available for customers for the latest updates.The last category is the service. Usually it refers to the after-sale service that how well a company can do on the quality contr ol. H&M just put little focus on after-sale service such as the customer support. This appears to be a weakness to H&M.Apart from inbound logistics and the service, other activities are considered as H&Mââ¬â¢s strengths which makes H&M being world leader. Concerning the two types of the activities, there are three key linkagesà between them. From support to support activity, Human Resources management (HRM) is linked to technology development as the intelligent staffs are employed to assist in IT development and continuously making updates through the IT systems. As the advanced technology requires employees to apply the IT skills they have learnt, so there is an important relationship between HRM and technology development. For example, HRM acts as an important role to reply customersââ¬â¢ queries efficiently and let them know the latest trend of the company through social networks. From primary to primary activity, the outbound logistics is linked to the marketing and sales. When the products and services are delivered to customers, the next process will be about the packaging and promotion on the products. Whether the customers choose the company depends on the quality of both products and services. It is said to be closely related because marketing and sales has usually become a must-do item for the large incumbents especially for the fast-fashion industry. For the last type of linkage from primary to support activity, it can be linked to five activities. Procurement, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, human resources management and technology development are all connected with each other in H&Mââ¬â¢s operation.Although H&M didnââ¬â¢t own any factories, its manufacturing is outsourced in order to find some fashionable items with the lowest costs in response to the changing market which results in economies of scale. After the procurement process is done, it will be delivered to the customers from the warehouse. Under outbound logistics, it specifies the importance of the order fulfillment and on time delivery. As a large incumbent in retail industry, a budget is spent on t he marketing and sales on the products being delivered to the consumers. When doing the marketing and sales, IT skills and applications will be used to assist. In line with the promotion of its products, its brand name is highly attentive as well. Regarding the firm size and experience in the textile industry, H&M has been paying much attention on CSR keeping the brand name away from the criticisms which is treated as a kind of value driver that manage in its brand and reputation.For example, inventory will be shifted to the more popular regions from those with poorer sales amount in order to boost the sales. From this example, it can be seen that the intranet network is well-developed. From procurement to the technology development, they are all connected between each activity. Based on the 3à main linkages, the linkage between primary and support activity is the most important among all which is likely to be a core competence of H&M. To affirm whether it is core, the VRIN test can act as an effective tool.Whether it is valuable depends on the effectiv eness of the value-creating activities and its future development. The most significant value-creating activity is Human Resources management. Responsible and skilled staffs are essential to H&M as they can apply their experience and techniques in meeting the latest trend and customer needs. Trainings and duration of experience can definitely create value and be further developed.To define how rare it is, this should be compare with other similar competitors. Apart from the collaboration with in-house designers, H&M uniquely co-operated with different famous designers over the years from various countries.The fundamental concept that has already been embedded in the employees. It was said to be unbreakable stubbornness devotion to a goal by the journalists. This in fact is a competitive advantage which H&M can stick to the fundamental principle by offering fashion and quality at the best price and this will be difficult for others to imitate. For the last aspect, the category of the human resources management and the procurement may be vulnerable to substitution. The staffââ¬â¢s mobility is relatively high in this industry as it varies with the times. This theory also applies to the sources of supplies. But the staff trainings can increase their loyalty to the company which becomes non-substitutable. All in all the competency mentioned is sufficient to meet the criteria of the VRIN test. Therefore, human resources management in the linkage between the primary and support activities can be treated as core competency that confer competitive advantage. Question 3. Based on the competencies stated in question 2, H&M is pursuing the Hybrid strategy which is the integration of both cost and differentiation strategies. H&M has been applying economies of scale that is achieving cost leadership. H&Mââ¬â¢s core principle is to offer the fashion and quality at the best price. One of its core value is to be cost conscious. H&M is alert to the costs which aim to provide the most worthy price for customers. Bargaining power is particularly important in this industry as fast-fashion changes in a speedy mode. At the same time, H&M has alsoà put a focus on differentiation. In building its reputation and image, H&M has spent a budget especially for advertising. Besides, working with different types of fashion designers creating innovative collections can lead product differentiation . To compete with others in this industry, cutting cost is not the only way to survive. To become a stable yet significant player, product differentiation is more effective. Based on the analysis in question 2, H&M has already built core competencies in cost drivers and value drivers which generate efficiency and differentiation. Also, H&M can respond quickly to the changing environment to fulfill customersââ¬â¢ needs and technology level. So Hybrid strategy is adopted in H&M. Question 4. Based on the Integration Responsiveness Grid, H&M is likely to pursue globalization strategy. Globalization is the transition of industries from a multinational to a global competitive structure. From the global factors, H&M scores higher than that in local factors. There are different arguments that support H&M pursuing globalization. For the most significant factors, H&M is obviously buying centrally in Stockholm. Stockholm becomes the central purchasing office of H&M. Gaining economies of scale is one of its goal of H&M either. To fast-fashion industry, speed of introducing new products to changing environment is very important to meet the latest trends. As mentioned before, advanced technology is applied in H&M which can improve the quality of products and service. Customers around the world behave in the same way as H&M has been opening over 2,000 stores in 2010 which implies customers in different countries accept the products and services H&M delivered. These factors globalize s H&M. On the other hand, pricing strategy being adopted by H&M has been coherent across borders as it focused on offering the best price to all customers in different countries sticking with the spirit of itself. There is no big difference in the distribution channels as it follows its own practice by distributing from distribution centers to warehouses to the stores. Business regulations and contexts also does not differ much from place to place. Customers contact and after-sale service are less focused by H&M which suggests low customization. Transportation is controlled by the external contractors which means localà operations are not that essential. Concluded from the local factors, H&M is not likely to pursue localization. Furthermore, decision-making like buying and logistics are centralized at the Head Office which confirms its position using a global strategy. Global strategy also has another characteristic which offers standardized products to different countries. In my point of view, global strategy is very suitable for H&M in future development. In fast-fashion industry. H&M belongs to a vibrant player which should aim to be a global leader. Also, it has already been achieving few tactics like economies of scale and increasing its bargaining power. However, there are several benefits and risks associated with the global strategy. By applying this strategy, H&M can achieve global economies of scale and brand consistency. Expanding the target customers as the whole world, independent management is also treated as its strength. For the risks that H&M might be facing, standardized products may not meet all customersââ¬â¢ needs as it might be lack of sufficient innovative ideas to suit everyone. Moreover, centralized decisions will be lack of innovation and creativity, though decentralization is now encouraged in H&M.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Comparative Schools
This school is characterized by the formation of strategy as an open process of influence, which puts the emphasis on the use of power and politics in the negotiation. The formation of strategy depends on the power and policy, internal and external. As a result, they tend to be emerging. There are two elements of this SOT: ââ¬Å"Microâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Macroâ⬠. The micro elements deal with internal political games and the macro elements relate to those who play the organization.The ââ¬Å"microâ⬠is power in action; it sees strategy as a game within the organization. The ââ¬Å"macroâ⬠reflects the interdependence between the Organization and its environment. It discusses the ways in which the organization promotes their own well-being, through control or cooperation. Learning: ââ¬Å"Of all the descriptive schools, the learning school grew Into a veritable wave and challenged the always dominant prescriptive schoolsâ⬠(Mintzberg et al, 1998). According to this s chool, strategies emerge as people come to learn about a situation as well as their organization's capability of dealing with It.This SOT began with the publication of ââ¬Å"The Science of Muddling Throughâ⬠(Llndblom, 1959). Llndblom uggested that the design of public policies was not a neat controlled process but a messy one, whereby officials try to manage a world they know Is too complex for them. However, James B. Quinn, with ââ¬Å"Strategies for Change: Logical Incrementallsmâ⬠gave the actual kick-off to this SOT. According to Llndblom only 10% of the conceived strategies are Implemented. The problem Is the split between formulation and Implementation.For a strategy to be effective there has to be a sum of small actions and Individual decisions. In other words, Individuals contribute to the strategic process from all positions In the organization. In dlsJolnted Incrementallsm by Lindblom, decisions are made to solve problems rather than to exploit opportunities, w ithout the slightest attention to the final objectives or the connection with the rest of the decisions. There Is no central authority that coordinates the mutual adjustments. Whereas logical Incrementallsm by Quinn suggests that organizations see the strategy as an Integrated approach. The real strategy evolves as the Internal decision-making and external facts converge to create a new consensus to act, widely shared by the members of the management teamâ⬠(Quinn, 1980). He defined It as a ontinuous and dynamic process. Strategic Tools: There are two main strategic tools, which fall under from Power SOT. One of these is Force Field Analysis proposed by Lewin (1947). According to this tool there are two forces that drive change in a business, the Driving Forces and the Restraining Forces.The Driving Forces push and promote change e. g. executive mandate, customer demand and increased efficiency whereas the Restraining forces try to prevent change from happening which can be in the form of fear, lack of training and incentives. The main criticism of this theory is that the method does not have nough sophistication or complexity to measure the dynamic forces that affect a business (Cronshaw, 2008). The second strategic tool is proposed by Kleiner (1996), called the Core Group Theory.The Core Group Theory looks at leader-member dynamic within a firm. In his theory, Kleiner argues that the customers along with employee's satisfaction are considered to be secondary to the ââ¬Ëcore group' (top executives) and how some core groups can be ââ¬Ëparasitic' to a firm based of the willingness of organizational members to comply. The main weakness observed is similar to that of the Force Field Analysis, that is this heory has not quite ââ¬Ëdeveloped thematically, the theory does not base itself on measurement (Bokeno, 2003).
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