Analyzing a Corporate Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Analyzing a Corporate Information System - Essay Example The processed information is called as Output. The output is then reviewed and processed by the appropriate members of the organisation to evaluate and refine the input. This is called feedback. In todays environment, information and technology have become a critical component of successful businesses and organisations (Avison, 2003). Most of the organisations are now relying upon the information systems in their day-to-day operations, management decisions and other business activities. Information technology can improve the quality of health care by providing the new ways for the patient to access the heath related information at any time and at any place. By this chapter, we are taking the first step in increasing our understanding about IT, and how IT affects the health care industry (Glickman, 2007). IT or Information technology is basically the use of computers and software to manage information in an organization (Schneider). In some companies it is referred to as Management Information system (MIS). The basic job of any IT department in an organization is to set up systems to process information, ensure data security, create information storage and retrieval mechanism and ensure error free flow of information to the relevant stakeholders. Early use of IT was as simple as computing the totals of the sales done by a merchant in a day. However, with growth of technology companies have been using IT more rigorously for better accuracy and speed of an activity. The growth of IT in organizations started first with the use of computers and later went on to the use of communication systems. With the growth of networking, organizations strived to implement these so as to achieve maximum efficiencies. IT today is a vehicle for making substantial changes in organizations, markets and the economy (Lucas, 2001). The basic purpose of any organization is to either manufacture a product or to provide a service to its

Research question and case study Annotated Bibliography

Research question and case study - Annotated Bibliography Example This loss of demand for the products traded in by the retail company happens to render large amounts of impact on the productivity and revenue patterns of the concern. Thus the retail companies to sustain their enhanced market share and profitability in the global market must strongly work to reduce the amount of lead times involved. Retail companies that mainly focus on the trading of fashionable garments and merchandises along with toys and technological products generally tend to suffer from the pitfalls of an ineffective supply chain system. Increasing lead times in the supply chain systems of such retail concerns leads to the unavailability of the right merchandise at the right season or time thereby contributing to loss of sales. It is therefore required for the retail organizations to arrange for the merchandises specifically during the peak seasons to meet customer satisfaction and thereby gain in sale revenues. Again the increase in the lead times for such retail companies a lso amounts to piling up of unused or unsold merchandises in retail warehouses that in turn locks a considerable amount of working capital for the concern (Bakal and Geunes, 2010, p.2395-2396). The paper relating to the above fact tends to focus on cases where the retail business organizations have taken resort to technological and process innovations to help in reducing the amount of lead time involved. Fashion retail companies like Zara belonging to the Inditex group are found to take resort to process innovations in its retail operations to contribute in the reduction of lead times. The retail company is observed to suffer from the loss of sales owing to the emergence of assorted sizes pertaining to garments in their different stores. In that the fashion retail company required the store managers of different operating stores to render individual

The Concept Of Electromechanical Delay Physical Education Essay

The Concept Of Electromechanical Delay Physical Education Essay Electromechanical delay (EMD) is defined as the time lag between the onset of electrical activity (electromyogram, EMG) and tension development in human muscle (Zhou et al. 1995). It has been suggested that there are several components which are all linked to the generation of force in skeletal muscle. These include the conduction of the action potential along the T-tubule system, the release of sarcoplasmic reticulum, cross-bridge formation between actin and myosin filaments, the subsequent tension development in the contractile component and the stretching of the series elastic component by the contractile component (Cavanagh Komi, 1979). Cavanagh and Komi (1979) suggest that one of the primary causes for the value of EMD is affected by the time necessary to stretch the series elastic component of the muscle to a point when muscle force can be detected. Chan et al (2001) therefore thought the initial length could affect the phase lag and the EMD would be expected to be shorter in a stretched position. Their results showed that the EMD of the Vastus lateralis was shortest at 90 ° of knee extension, compared to 150 ° and 175 °. A study conducted by Norman and Komi (1979) was to test the hypothesis that the rate and change of length of the series elastic component of a muscle was a major contributor to variations in EMD time. They used 10 subjects with an average age of 24.6. They performed a series of horizontal forearm flexion-extensions and extension-flexions at 7 different angular velocities, over two ranges of motion. Two ranges of motion was to determine whether there were muscle length effects on electromech anical delay. Their findings supported the hypothesis that the rate of the muscles series elastic component might be a primary cause for the value of EMD. It was supported primarily for the biceps brachii muscle, where the EMD was shorter in fast eccentric contraction that in any other condition of that muscle. An alternative explanation of a shortened EMD in biceps brachii during eccentric contraction is that in fast stretching, the slow type muscle may be capable of efficient storage of elastic energy and its utilization during the subsequent contraction phase of the stretch shortening cycle (Norman and Komi, 1979). EMD has been found to be influenced by the type of muscle contraction (Cavanagh Komi 1979; Norman Komi 1979) where the biceps EMD were relatively longer in concentric contractions but shorter in eccentric exercise. Norman and Komi (1979) observed different EMD times for the triceps muscles and bicep muscles. The differences in EMD times could be explained by the differences in their fibre structures, with the shorter EMD found in muscles that recruit more fast twitch fibres than those which recruit more slow twitch motor units. It has been discussed that reaction time and electromechanical delay can be enhanced with training (Linford et al. 2006). Linford et al. (2006) conducted a study to determine if neuromuscular training had an effect on reaction time and electromechanical delay of the peroneus longus muscle. A six week training programme was conducted on five males and eight females. The study concluded that the training significantly reduced reaction time, while slightly increasing the electromechanical delay of the muscle. Having a decreased reaction time and electromechanical delay is important for athletes for when the muscles need to activate force as rapidly as possible. Having optimal joint stability is vital during mechanical loading of a joint system, so there is not too much stress being placed on one part of the joint system, decreasing the risk of injury. The results drawn from this study are from the peroneus longus muscle so cannot be directly related to the knee joint. Fatigue It has been suggested that EMD measurement is crucial to have a accurate understanding of the type of central nervous system commands required for the execution of different movements, the role and coordination of muscles in a movement and the apparent anomalies between electromyographical activity (EMG) and body segment motion (Vos et al,1991; Norman Komi, 1979). There have been reports that EMD lengthens after a fatiguing dynamic exercise (Horita, T., Ishiko T. 1987) where as other studies have shown no significant change in EMD after repeated dynamic or isometric contractions (Vos et al. 1991). Zhou, S. (1996) conducted a study to investigate the effects of repeated maximal isometric contractions on electromechanical delay of the quadriceps femoris muscle. Eleven subjects took part, and carried out a one leg fatiguing exercise which was 25 isometric knee extension. Each lasted 8 seconds followed by a 2 second recovery period. His results showed a significant elongation in EMD. This is in contrast to Vos et al. (1991) who did not find any significant effect on EMD after a fatigue trial was carried out on the same muscle group. The different findings could be down to the different exercise protocols or methods used to determine EMD. However in the study by Vos (1991), participants carried out the fatigue trial with a force of 50% MVC, which may be the reason for no significant effect on EMD. Whereas Zhous (1996) participants carried out maximal voluntary contraction. This could mean that the participants in the study by Vos (1991) may not be fully fatigued. Minshull et al (2007) conducted a study which determined what effects an acute bout of maximal intensity static fatiguing exercise would have on voluntary and magnetically-evoked EMD in the knee flexors of males and females. Seven men and nine women participated in this study, taking part in two treatment conditions. One being an intervention condition, where the participants performed a fatigue trial of 30 second maximal static fatiguing exercise of the knee flexors. The second condition was a control, consisting of no exercise. The results showed that in both intervention and control group, males EMD performance was maintained. However the fatiguing trial elicited a 19.5% impairment in EMD performance compared to baseline levels in females. This comes as another finding of fatigue on EMD as Zhou (1996) find a overall elongated EMD, not just specifically in females. This could be down to the different fatiguing protocols, the study by Minshull (2007) may have fatigued the participants more with a longer constant fatiguing exercise. These results may differ because of participant variation. Chan et al (2001) examined the effects of knee joint angles and fatigue on neuromuscular performance. Fatiguing exercise caused a significant lengthening of the EMD of the vastus lateralis and medialis at 90 ° and 150 ° of knee extension. Interestingly the fatiguing protocol did not induce any significant lengthening of the EMD at 175 ° knee extension. This shows that knee joint position affects the neuromuscular fatigue of the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis. b) Temperature Cryotherapy has long been used to treat musculoskeletal soreness, with the expectation that decreased tissue temperature will result in constriction of local blood vessels thus diminishing inflammatory response and oedema associated with musculoskeletal trauma (Sellwood et al. 2009). But what effect will crotherapy and heating muscles have on neuromuscular performance. Many studies have been conducted to examine the effects of manipulating a muscles temperature on fatigue, neuromuscular performance, delayed onset of muscle soreness and metabolic responses (Zhou et al. 1998; Nosaka et al. 2004; Bailey et al. 2007; Dae et al. 1997.) Zhou et al (1998) said that a significant increase in body temperature usually accompanies strenuous exercise. With this exercise, the muscle contractile and elastic properties would be influence due to such a change, which could have an effect on EMD values. Zhou et al (1998) conducted a study which measured Peak force, EMD values and muscle temperature before and after an intermittent isometric maximal voluntary contraction exercise, and investigated the influence of passively changed muscle temperature on EMD and peak force. The muscle temperature was manipulated by placing a plastic bag filled with hot water or cold water over the front thigh area with a intramuscular needle thermistor measuring muscle temperature.. T he EMD was measured at 38, 36, 34, 32 and 30 °C. They found that when the muscle temperature was 2.5 °C higher than the resting level, the EMD increased by approximately 5ms. They also found that EMD was increased when muscle temperatures was either higher or lower than 36 °C. There was a trend found that showed the peak force decreased at a low temperature, however a repeated measures ANOVA did not reveal a significant difference of temperature on peak force. This supports a study conducted by Thornley, Maxwell Cheung (2003) who examined the effects of local tissue temperatures on peak torque and muscular endurance during isometric knee extension. They found temperature has no effect on peak torque, although there was a tendency to decrease when cooled, but was found non significant. However this study did not use a intramuscular needle thermistor, they only measured the skins temperature. Their results may have differed if they used a needle thermometer, as they used heat packs of 55 °C, 34 °C, 22 °C and -17 °C, it would be interesting to see what the muscle temperatures were, to add to the knowledge to show to what extent muscle temperature has on peak force. Nosaka et al (2004) found no change in peak eccentric force of the forearm flexors, within a microwave treatment (muscle temperature increase of 3 °C (37.5 °C)) and a icing treatment (muscle temperature decrease of 7 °C (26.4 °C)). This cannot be related to the knee flexor muscles. Skurvydas et al (2006) conducted a study which assessed the effect of leg immersion in cold water after stretch shortening exercise (SSE) on the indirect indicators of exercise induced muscle damage. The participants muscle contractile properties were recorded before the SSE, then at 4 h, 8h, 24h and 48hours post exercise. There was a control group and a cold group. In the cold group the leg was immersed in cold water (15  ± 1 °C) immediately after SSE and at 4h, 8h and 24h. The leg was immersed twice for each test for 15 minutes with an interval of 10 minutes. They found that cold water immersion reduced muscle stiffness and the amount of post exercise damage after strenuous eccentric exercise, but it had no effect on muscle force. Their results also showed that the leg muscles that had been subject to cold water immersion after SSE, significantly increased the recovery speed of maximal voluntary contraction force (MVCF). MVCF had recovered within 24 hours post SSE. However Esto n and Peters (1999) observed no quick recovery of the maximal voluntary contraction force after cold water immersion. It took 48h to 72 hours post cold water immersion for their subjects MVCF to return to baseline values. This could be because in the study by Skurvydas et al (2006) cooling of the musculature was concentrated up to 24 hours, where as Eston and Peters (1999) applied cooling treatment immediately post exercise and every twelve hours there after, for a duration of three days. Another reason for the differences could be that muscle damage was applied to the leg muscles in the study by Skurvydas et al (2006) and to the elbow flexor muscles in Eston and Peters (1999) study. In contrast, Skurvydas et al (2008) looked at leg immersion in warm water before SSE on the indirect markers of exercise induced muscle damage. The participants muscle contractile properties were recorded, then was sat in a 44 °C water bath for 45 minutes in waist high water. The contractile properties were then recorded again and SSE took place. Contractile properties of the participant were taken at 1h, 4h, 8h, 24h, 48h and 72 hours post SSE. They found that muscle pre warming did not cause any changes in MVCF, and it took over 72 hours for MVCF to recover to pre exercise level. The differences in the findings of these two studies may be purely be down to one study uses hot water, and one uses cold. But in the study using cold water, the participant is immersed in the water immediately after SSE and at 4h, 8h and 24 hours after SSE. But in the heat study the participants were only immersed in the water before the SSE. If the same protocol for immersion was used in the warm water study, a difference may be seen in the recovery of MVCF. A study should be conducted using the same immersion type in cold and warm water conditions, therefore showing more accurate comparisons of what effects different temperatures have on MVCF. Bailey et al (2007) examined the influence of cold water immersion after prolonged intermittent whole body exercise. Twenty men were subjects in this study who were randomly assigned to a cryotherapy or control group. Each participants maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors and flexors were recorded using an isokinetic dynamometer pre, immediately after, 1 h, 24 h, 48 h and 168 hours post exercise. Subjects completed an intermittent shuttle test and immediately after the cryotherapy group immersed their lower limbs in a cold water bath (10 °C) for 10 minutes. After the cold bath or rest, subjects completed two maximal isometric repetitions of the dominant limb for 5 seconds for extension and flexion. The results showed that exercise resulted in a reduction of knee flexion peak torque at 24 and 48hours in the cryotherapy group. The control group experienced an even bigger detrimental effect in PF at 24 and 48 hours post exercise. This shows that cold water imm ersion improved recovery of maximal voluntary contraction of the knee flexors 24 48 hours post exercise. This supports the findings from Skurvydas et al (2006) suggesting that cooling the leg muscles increases recovery time of MVCF. However it takes seven days for the MVCF to return to pre exercise values. This is vastly different result compared to Skurvydas et al (2006) and Eston and Peters (1999). This may be because the exercise Bailey et al (2007) uses, is a more dynamic whole body exercise (intermittent shuttle run) as appose to a stretch shortening exercise and a bout of eccentric exercise on the elbow flexors (Skurvydas et al 2006; Eston and Peters 1999). As well as artificially changing participants body temperature or muscle temperature with water immersion or ice / heat packs, studies have examined the effects of passively changing bodies temperature and the effect it has on neuromuscular performance. Morrison, S., Sleivert, G. G., and Cheung, S. (2004) determined if passive hyperthermia impairs maximal voluntary isometric contraction and voluntary activation. Participants quadriceps femoris muscle group was measured for neuromuscular performance, then a submaximal running pace, which was maintained for 20 30 minutes took place in an environmental chamber with an ambient air temperature of ~35 °C. At intervals of 0.5 °C, from 37.5 to 39.5 °C of core temperature, subjects performed a 10 second maximal isometric knee extension, and then during skin cooling back down from 39.5 to 37.5 °C of core temperature Results showed that MVC was significantly influenced by passive heating and decreased significantly to the end of passiv e heating. When the skin cooling was introduced there was no significant change in MVC until the end of the protocol when body core temperature had returned to normal. This shows the primary thermal input causing hyperthermia induced fatigue, when the skin was rapidly cooled by 8 °C and core temperature held stable at 39.5 °C, there was no recovery of MVC. Ranatunga et al (1987) claims isometric force properties are generally not strongly affected by lowering muscle temperature to ~25 °C. Drinkwater and Behm (2007) looked at the effects of 22 °C muscle temperature on voluntary and evoked muscle properties during and after high intensity exercise. Participants performed a series of isometric maximum voluntary contractions of the plantar flexors pre, 1, 5 and 10 minutes after fatigue in both hypothermic and normothermic conditions. In the hypothermic condition, a refrigerating pump circling cold (-3 °C) liquid through a plastic pump was wrapped around the participants leg. Results from the normothermic condition showed a moderate decline in maximal voluntary contraction, but did not show a significant difference between 1 and 5 minutes. Maximal voluntary contraction experienced a significant decrease 1 minute after fatigue in the hypothermic condition, -12%, compared to a -15% in the normothermic condition. There was no significant difference in the recovery of MVC. This supports the findings from Morrison et al (2004) who found no recovery in MVC in a hyperthermic condition. 3 METHOD a) Participants Eleven males {21.4 ( ±1.8) years; 183.5 ( ±6.8) cm; 81.8 ( ±10.2) kg} gave their informed consent to take part in the study, and completed a health screen questionnaire. They each knew that they could cease participation at any given time without providing a reason. Participants had been told not to take part in any strenuous physical exercise 24 hours prior to the experiment taking place. Nottingham Trent University Ethics Committee gave ethical approval. b) Experimental Design Following one habituation session, participants were secured in a supine position in a custom built dynamometer (Gleeson et al. 1995). The experimental design comprised of three treatment conditions: (1) An ice condition that required participants to sit in an ice bath for 10 minutes; (2) a heating condition which required participants to sit in a hot bath for 10 minutes; (3) a control condition were the participant sat on a bench for 10 minutes. The conditions were presented in a random order and separated by at least three days, to prevent any carry over effects. Participants neuromuscular performance (peak force, electromechanical delay) was measured prior to and immediately after each condition, and after a fatigue trial which was performed within each condition. Participants were verbally encouraged during the periods of maximal muscle activation. c) Participant and dynamometer orientation Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from the vastus lateralis of the participants dominant leg during maximal contractions. A standardised skin preparation technique was used (Minshull et al.2007) which included shaving of the area, light abrasion with sand paper and alcohol wiped. This yielded inter-electrode impedance of less than 5 kÃŽÂ ©. The mid belly of the vastus lateralis was palpated and two Bipolar surface electrodes (silver-silver, self adhesive, 10 mm diameter) were applied having a 3cm inter-electrode distance, with a reference electrode placed laterally and equidistant to the recording electrodes. The positions of the electrodes were marked on the leg by ink dots and also on a plastic sheet used to identify the exact positions for the electrodes in each test during the experimental period. Electrodes were re placed on the chosen leg once it had been fully immersed in the hot or cold conditions to prevent malfunctioning electrodes. The correct wires were the n attached from the computer onto the electrodes. Participants were strapped in a supine position on the dynamometer using shoulder belts and with their dominant knee flexed passively at 25 ° (0.44 rad) which was held for the duration of the testing. This knee flexion angle is associated with the greatest mechanical strain on key ligaments (Beynnon and Johnson 1996). The hip extension angle was 60 ° and both angles were checked using a goniometer. The lever arm of the dynamometer was moved into the correct position and was attached to the participants with padded ankle cuffs and adjustable strapping. All other body parts were securely fastened with the appropriate straps. Prior to testing, participants were asked to perform a series of warm up muscle activations, consisting of 1x 25, 50, 75 and 95% of subjectively judged maximal voluntary muscle activation (MVMA). Three 100% MVMA were then performed and recorded. Each contraction was held for 3 seconds, with a 10 second rest between each. d) Water bathing The cooling condition required the participants dominant leg to be fully immersed in a cold water bath at 5  ± 1 ° for 10 minutes. The heating condition required the participants leg to be fully immersed in 45  ± 1 ° water for 10 minutes. The temperature of each bath was continually measured using a thermometer, and adjusted accordingly with either added ice, or hot water to keep the water temperature consistent. The water in the bath came up to the participants iliac crest, making sure the whole of the vastus lateralis was immersed. In the control trial, the participant sat on a bench in the same position they would if they were in the bath. e) Fatigue Trial Once the participants exit the ice, heat bath or bench they are strapped in to the dynamometer and electrodes re placed. Three more 100% MVMA were carried out and recorded, lasting 3 seconds each with a 10 second rest between. A fatigue trial was performed, which consisted of a 30 second MVMA of the knee musculature. Finally three more 100% MVMA were carried out. f) Maximal volitional muscle activation Before each condition took place, the participant was required to have full musculature relaxation prior to the test. The experimenter gave a verbal indication of are you ready and within 3 seconds, the signal for the participant to extend their knee as forcefully as possible against the immovable restraint was GO. The muscle activation lasted for 3 seconds. Verbal encouragement was given when the participant was completing the activation so maximal contraction was achieved. A verbal signal being relax was the cue for the subject to withdraw from the force as rapidly as possible. g) Peak Force Peak force was defined as the highest value that the participants obtained during each of the three attempts. The mean of these maximal contractions was used as the value for peak force. h) Electromechanical Delay Electromyography activity was recorded from the vastus lateralis during maximal volitional contractions using bipolar surface electrodes. The onset of electrical activity was defined as the first point at which electrical signals consistently exceeded the 95% confidence limits of the isoelectric line and with the background electrical noise (Minshull et al. 2007). Electromechanical delay (EMD) was defined as the time delay between the onset of electrical activity and the onset of muscle force above 1N. The mean EMD of the three trials within each condition was recorded. i) Statistical data The results collected from the voluntary muscle activations showed the neuromuscular performance of the vastus lateralis. All data was presented as a group mean  ± standard deviation. A fully repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyse time (pre intervention, post intervention, post fatigue) each index of performance (peak force, EMD) under three separate conditions (ice, heat, control). Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) v.15.0. was used to analyse the data. Statistical significance was accepted at pà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤0.05. 4 RESULTS a) Peak Force

Essay --

Mission and Values RNOH mission is, Royal National Orthopedic Hospital works to provide its patients and families the best care possible through state of the art technology. Through emphasis on education, this facility will continue to attract and develop junior medical staff by providing a critical mass of high quality routine work as part of our academic strategy. RNOH will uphold and monitor all agreements with other providers for a range of clinical support services that support stand-alone services. Their vision is to continuously expand on their national benchmarking to international benchmarking to demonstrate world class services. Royal National Orthopedic Hospital will maintain strong contract management arrangements with the NHS Trusts while creating bonds with alternative providers through academics and services. Long-term Goals & Short-term Goals NHS Trust organization is a divisional level structure. National and local strategies are being implemented to continue the development of high performance in the measurement of clinical, academic, financial, and patient experiences. In this division level, quality and service improvements are implemented and executed and will constantly be updated to ensure continuous cycle of effectiveness and efficiency. ("Royal National Orthopaedic,") Corporate-level strategies within Royal National Orthopedic Hospital are internal. Besides financial, executives and managers must strategies within their sector; staff motivation at work, support from immediate managers, and always putting patients first. The organization is design to put clinical leadership at the heart of the hospital to keep values in all aspects of our business and ensuring they are adhered to and implement new ways o... ...s. RNOH, to stay ahead of other organizations will need to build on its social media exposure. Recommendations to building social exposure would be to build a network community whether it is on Facebook or Twitter. Using these sites, facilities can create hashtags for campaigns and help with awareness and presence. This community will allow updated posts linking these posts to other channels. Another option is forum outreach which would give relevant information about local or specific issues. Another way this organization keeps its competitive edge is that RNOH signed a â€Å"three-year contract with Spire Healthcare to run the PPU at its Stanmore site in London. Doing this helps to improve existing private patient services and drive up revenue. In late 2011 executive saw significant uplifts in private patient revenue being achieved.† ("Response to competition," 2013)

Various Forms of Love in the First Three Acts of ‘as You Like It’

Explore Shakespeare’s presentation of the various forms of love in the first three acts of ‘As You Like It’ Various forms of love are depicted in Shakespeare’s play ‘As You Like It’ which clearly show the relationships between the key characters in the play as well as illustrating the different aspects of their characteristics. The first three acts introduce the ideas of love and how they differ in the context of different subjects in the play; whether it is a romantic love or a friendship Shakespeare’s use of language expresses the emotions of each character in a way that makes the idea of love central to the play.Chronologically, the family love expressed by Celia and Rosalind is the first form of love that Shakespeare introduces to the play; the character of Charles explains how â€Å"never two ladies loved as they do† when illustrating their relationship and the use of the word â€Å"never† exaggerates the depth and int ensity of their love for one another. The girls are cousins in relation to each other and in Act 1 Scene 2; Celia’s sympathy for Rosalind concerning the banishment of her father portrays the care and concern that comes from the love shared between them.The scene opens with pleading for Rosalind to cheer up: â€Å"I pray thee, Rosalind, sweet my coz, be merry† the familiar and affectionate language used to address Rosalind such as â€Å"sweet my coz† demonstrates how Celia desires for happiness to come to her cousin suggesting that Celia is a compassionate character. It seems that the value of the cousins’ relationship is of great importance to Celia, she is bound to Rosalind and tremendously loyal for she abandons her father’s Court to flee with Rosalind to the Forest of Arden.This would be an unforgivable act during the Elizabethan era and so the audience would notice this as a dangerous and dramatic situation thus adding excitement to the play. I n contrast to this presentation of love which is open and expressive, the relationship between Duke Frederick and his daughter is rather different; due to his high level of authority one can assume that his persona must be strong and intimidating with the intention to maintain order in the Court even with his own daughter.The formality between them as they converse shows the normal conventions during the Elizabethan era of how one should act with a man of great power; this is depicted in Act 1 Scene 3 when Celia addresses her father as â€Å"Dear sovereign† as oppose to something less proper. Even though it is human instinct to love family, due to the reputation of the Duke and the fact that he is a man of high status, the love between them is not portrayed visibly.The central romantic relationship between Orlando and Rosalind illustrates the conventional courtly love that was appreciated in the Elizabethan era; love at first sight bewitched the two characters creating drama for the audience as they reveal their true outlooks on love. It is made apparent that from the moment they met they fell deeply in love, with Orlando unable to speak and Rosalind falsely hearing him call her name. â€Å"What passion hangs these weights upon my tongue? I cannot speak to her, yet she urg’d conference. Orlando is speechless when gazing into the eyes of his subject of adoration and this portrays him as innocent and somewhat naive when it comes to love. He is completely infatuated and love struck, and Shakespeare portrays him as a man with the ‘idealist’ view of love, depicted through his poetry; â€Å"He that sweetest rose shall find, /must find loves prick – and Rosalind. † The imagery of the rose used to describe Rosalind is tender yet cliche; it again contributes to the innocence of Orlando’s character and the idealist fantasy he is living in, insinuating that women are delicate just as flowers are.It is obvious that Rosalind (as Ganymede) enjoys the romantic ideas about herself that Orlando expresses, however she feels that courtly love should be seen as realistic and thus she teaches Orlando about the reality of women; â€Å"would now like him, now loathe him†, it would seem quite comical to the audience that Rosalind is portraying women in such a bad light and Orlando still has his heart set on her. Through this, the character of Rosalind is seen as witty and intelligent, for she is influencing Orlando to the way she hopes he would act.The bond between Adam and Orlando expresses the loyalty between them and the love that has been present since Adam has served the family since the boy was young. Adam is somewhat distraught and offended that Oliver whom he has served referred to him as an â€Å"old dog† and this shows where his true loyalties lie; with Orlando. â€Å"I will follow thee/ To the last gasp with truth and loyalty† the fact and situation that Adam is willing to desert t he home and family he has served for so long illustrates his faithfulness to Orlando and the love shared by them both.Adam thus, is depicted as a devoted and courageous character, for the consequences of fleeing from the family could have been severe for it would have disgraced Oliver. Again, this would have been a thrilling point in the play for the Elizabethan audience. Unrequited love is not an uncommon presentation of love that Shakespeare puts across through an assortment of couples in the play; the most obvious example being Phoebe and Silvius.Silvius is lovelorn and completely obsessed with his object of affection yet this is not reciprocated by Phoebe; she even confesses to Rosalind (as Ganymede) in Act 3 Scene 6 that â€Å"I had rather hear you chide than this man woo. † Given that Phoebe would prefer to be scolded by Rosalind than to listen to Silvius speak so fondly of her highlights the indifference she feels for Silvius. Moreover this portrays her as a spiteful a nd vicious character for she openly expresses her dislike for Silvius in his presence.Shakespeare uses the image of cupid to emphasise the adoration that Silvius feels for Phoebe; â€Å"Then shall you know the wounds invisible/that love’s keen arrow make. † Shakespeare uses the word â€Å"wounds† to highlight the intensity of pain Silvius feels in love. In the Elizabethan era, cupid was not highly regarded for most women married for fortune or other economic reasons; therefore, the idealist view of love is illustrated again in this scene. Nonetheless, the audience would naturally feel sympathy for the hopeless and fruitless character of Silvius.Another take on unrequited love is that of Touchstone and Audrey; Touchstone wants to marry Audrey hastily to fulfil his sexual desires, he does not long for a lifelong marriage with her; â€Å"it will be a good excuse for me hereafter to leave my wife† before entering matrimony with Audrey, Touchstone already plan s to divorce her, this contrasts with the romantic love between Rosalind and Orlando and shows Touchstones immoral characteristics for he favours lust over love.Audrey’s lack of intelligence and the appeal of Touchstone’s courtly manners make her unaware of his intentions. The religious conventions of the Elizabethan era are however expressed through their relationship. â€Å"We must be married or we must live in bawdry†; Touchstone fears being condemned by God if he were to sin through having sexual relations out of wedlock and uses the word â€Å"must† to show his loyalty to faith yet not his loyalty to Audrey.

Phase 2 Individual Project Essay

There are many businesses that have expanded their business internationally in order to benefit in some sort of way rather it revenue or a better market for their product. In this thesis, I will research a multination company and its international strategy over the last 10 years. I will elaborate on it international orientation and rather it etho-, poly-, or geocentric. I than explain why the company decided on expanding to the chosen locations. Then I will clarify if they had core capability to succeed in those markets, along with its opportunities and constraints. Last, I will define value chain dispersal and integration strategy and describe the strategy that’s organized around it. I chose to research McDonalds, because it is one of the most successful restaurant chains around the world. They use effective management to strategize global expansion. . They develop effective customer brand loyalty through their Human Resource Department and company personnel. McDonald’s international orientation has ethnocentric and polycentric approaches. Its ethnocentric approach begins with how they initially entered international markets by leveraging standardized product offerings, clean and bright environments, and American brand equity (McDonald’s Success Strategy and Global Expansion through Customer and Brand Loyalty). But with changing times McDonalds have adapted to local regions remodeling it retail space and while changing product line to appeal to local taste. By the golden arch being connected to American culture, it can be at risk in other countries by not staying true to what McDonald’s stand for. By brushing aside ethnocentric considerations , it could be an identity lost. The polycentric approach is how they provided growth and employment to a vast  number of minority groups in the United States and people around the globe. McDonalds is culturally connected around the world be providing business training for employees in Hong Kong and in the UK offering 1800 to employees to continue their education, just to name a few. The influence and most of McDonald’s success is the investment of significant in their employee’s growth and job satisfaction. McDonalds was founded in 1943, and 1967 British Colombia was its first international expansion, advertising to middle and upper class. McDonalds decided to expand internationally, due to the enormous success in America. There was heavy research involved in the expansion. Through globalization and internationalization, McDonalds were able to develop marketing strategies according to cultural needs, to serve specific target markets. McDonalds enter India’s foreign market and 1996 and is a to ugh foreign market to enter, but with McDonald’s success they were able to earn high revenue in India. The success strategy is researching and the development of food. McDonalds thoroughly analyzed the preferred taste, especially to not offend locals. Their key to success is to â€Å"think global, act local.† Furthermore, McDonald’s is a true franchise success; the success of McDonald’s goes back to its roots, the start. By being consistent and providing quality service, cleanliness, and values at all times, customers have nothing to complain about and customers always know what to expect locally and internationally. With making things new and fresh, innovation is a key component to the success internationally. By taking the necessary steps and observing differences in cultures, they were able to tweak their products without causing disruption. Also, McDonalds turns bad into success, by being in the forefront of environmental issues McDonalds took their issues and established their own Global Environmental committee and outlined the steps to reduce solid waste. Ov er the years there has been much global health concern, mainly in relation to children. In response to the concerns, McDonald’s formed the Global Advisory Council (GAC) in 2004. The GAC is an international team of independent experts assembled by McDonald’s to provide us with professional guidance in the areas of nutrition and children’s well-being (The Success of McDonald’s Franchise). Finally, what is value chain dispersal and integration strategy? Value chain dispersal is how a business receives information and takes the information to add value to their business in the selling of their product to customers.  Value chains can produce goods or services. The goal of the business to produces maximum value for the least total cost. Integration strategy is use in the training of management and employees, reduce in-effective communication, and reduce cost. The international strategy that is organized around value chain dispersal and integration strategy involving McDonald’s, is that they know their strengths and weaknesses. Adding values strengthens the corporations as a global economy, where the weaknesses are transformed into a positive factor. These projects take effective management. Effective in management in turn can produce great employees, in which they can effectively communicate and execute the mission and statement. In conclusion, it was very informing to research a franchise success, such as McDonald’s. What is even more intriguing is their success locally and internationally and how they cater to different cultures, by researching needs and wants. McDonald’s knows what takes to be a huge success is and success takes brain-storming, along with talent. Reference McDonald’s Success Strategy And Global Expansion Through Customer And Brand Loyalty. The Clute Institute Journal Of Business Case Studies, 3. Retrieved from http://journals.cluteonline.com/index.php/JBCS/article/view/4857/4949 McDonald’s International Strategy: Squander Brand Equity? (2009). Retrieved from http://www.sundarganapathy.com/blog/2009/04/20/mcdonalds-international-strategy-squander-brand-equity/ Roger, Arvind, Kashlak, Rabi, Bhagat, & Phatak (2009). International Management: Managing in a Diverse and Dynamic Global Environment (2nd ed.). [Course Smart Solutions]. Retrieved from http://wow.coursesmart.com/9780077674113/?CSTenantKey=coloradotech&spid= The Success of McDonald’s Franchise. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.franchisedirect.com/information/trendsfacts/thesuccessofmcdonalds/8/1111/#note4

Free Essays on The Slave Trade And Its Effects On Early America

Slavery played an important role in the development of the American colonies. It was introduced to the colonies in 1619, and spanned until the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The trading of slaves in America in the seventeenth century was a large industry. Slaves were captured from their homes in Africa, shipped to America under extremely poor conditions, and then sold to the highest bidder, put to work, and forced to live with the new conditions of America. There was no mercy for the slaves and their families as they were captured from their homes and forced onto slave ships. Most of the Africans who were captured lived in small villages in West Africa. A typical village takeover would occur early in the morning. An enemy tribe would raid the village, and then burn the huts to the ground. Most of the people who were taken by surprise were killed or captured; few escaped. The captured Africans were now on their way to the slave ships. â€Å"Bound together two by two with heavy wooden yokes fastened around their necks, a long line of black men and women plodded down a well-worn path through the dense forest. Most of the men were burdened with huge elephants' tusks. Others, and many of the women too, bore baskets or bales of food. Little boys and girls trudged along beside their parents, eyes wide in fear and wonder† (McCague, 14). After they were marched often hundreds of miles, it was time for them to be shipped off to sea, so that they could be sold as cheap labor to help harvest the new world. But before they were shipped off, they had to pass through a slave-trading station. The slave trade, which was first controlled by Portugal, was now controlled by other European nations. In the late 1600's, Spain, Holland, England, France and Denmark were all sending ships to West Africa. The slave trade was becoming big business (Goodman, 7). Selection of the slaves by the traders was a painstaking ... Free Essays on The Slave Trade And Its Effects On Early America Free Essays on The Slave Trade And Its Effects On Early America Slavery played an important role in the development of the American colonies. It was introduced to the colonies in 1619, and spanned until the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The trading of slaves in America in the seventeenth century was a large industry. Slaves were captured from their homes in Africa, shipped to America under extremely poor conditions, and then sold to the highest bidder, put to work, and forced to live with the new conditions of America. There was no mercy for the slaves and their families as they were captured from their homes and forced onto slave ships. Most of the Africans who were captured lived in small villages in West Africa. A typical village takeover would occur early in the morning. An enemy tribe would raid the village, and then burn the huts to the ground. Most of the people who were taken by surprise were killed or captured; few escaped. The captured Africans were now on their way to the slave ships. â€Å"Bound together two by two with heavy wooden yokes fastened around their necks, a long line of black men and women plodded down a well-worn path through the dense forest. Most of the men were burdened with huge elephants' tusks. Others, and many of the women too, bore baskets or bales of food. Little boys and girls trudged along beside their parents, eyes wide in fear and wonder† (McCague, 14). After they were marched often hundreds of miles, it was time for them to be shipped off to sea, so that they could be sold as cheap labor to help harvest the new world. But before they were shipped off, they had to pass through a slave-trading station. The slave trade, which was first controlled by Portugal, was now controlled by other European nations. In the late 1600's, Spain, Holland, England, France and Denmark were all sending ships to West Africa. The slave trade was becoming big business (Goodman, 7). Selection of the slaves by the traders was a painstaking ...

How to Encourage Your Child on Test Days

How to Encourage Your Child on Test Days As the About.com test prep expert, I often get emails from parents asking for help with things like studying with their children, test prep techniques, easing test anxiety and more. Recently, I received an email from a mom who wanted nothing more than to encourage her daughter on test days. She could perceive - although nothing was said - that something wasnt quite right with her child on days when she had a presentation or test to take. She wanted to support her daughter in the kindest way possible.   Read the email she sent to me and the response I offered her to help her child feel the best she possibly could on test days.   Hi Kelly, How can I be more encouraging to my daughter on test days? She hasnt said that shes worried or anything, but I can just tell that something is up with her when she has a quiz or exam. Is there an activity we could do in the morning on the way to school? Kind regards, ~~~~~~~ Dear ~~~~~~~, If your daughter needs encouragement on test days, perhaps shes experiencing some test-taking anxiety, which can stem from different emotional places. To find out whats bothering her, start a conversation on the way to school since you drive her there every morning. Its a great time to have a conversation since the pressure is low - you have to watch the road and she can look out the window if she doesnt want to make eye contact.    Use a statement like, I can tell youre feeling discouraged about something. Is it the test? Would you like to tell me your feelings about it? This kind of conversation starter gives her some wiggle room if shes not up to chatting, but more than likely, shell open up about her worries if theyre test-related because you may have a solution for her. So probe a bit. Does she have a fear of failure? Is she worried about disappointing you or her teacher? Does she feel like shes not prepared? Once you know the root of the discouragement, you can encourage her by sharing your own experiences and boosting her self-esteem. Start by discussing moments in your life when youve been similarly discouraged. (Fear of failure during a new job? That time you felt unprepared for your finals in grad school?) Talk about the ways you overcame it to go on to complete the task you needed to do. Or, tell her about your failure. Its good for a kid to see that her parent is always perfect. Tell her what you learned from failing.   Then, boost her confidence with heartfelt praise. Describe one of her strengths; maybe shes a great shot in basketball or a creative writer. Show her how she can use those skills on test day. Scoring two points in hoops requires concentration, and since shes already good at that, she can use her powerful focusing skills to zoom in on the right answers. Being a creative writer means she can think outside the box. Confidence in one area can cross into others, especially if you help build the bridge. Most importantly, let her know that her score will never impact your love for her. Youll love her just as much whether she bombs the test or aces it. Even if she knows it already, hearing you say that she has your devotion regardless of her actions may help calm her anxiety if shes been telling herself something different. All my best to you, Kelly

Balancing Family & Work Life Essay Example for Free

Balancing Family & Work Life Essay A. Thesis Statement Attending school as an adult, and maintaining a source of employment can be a daunting task, as many adults who had to delay their college education must know. One of the most challenging aspects of adult life consists of learning how to adjust accordingly to the rigors of life at home as well as the workplace. Failure to do so can lead to a life of complete disarray, stress, illness and exhaustion. II. Body Paragraph #1 – Topic Sentence #1 Traditionally the typical age group for freshmen in college was between 18 to 19 years of age. That reality has slowly changed as more young adults are finding their way back in the classroom, while holding down a job. The information I found in P.14 of the ebrary book: Families and Work: New Directions in the Twenty-First Century, by Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I. states: â€Å"Of the more than 69 million American parents with children under the age of 18 (Famighetti, 1998), almost 90 percent are employed (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1998).† At the same time, there are working professionals attempting to achieve a college education in order to refine their skills, or to gain new ones. Among those working adults, young couples typically tend to have a harder time with managing the broad aspects of life, especially those who are in the early stages of their relationship, which has the potential to result in a lot of growing pains. The information found in an article from the following website; http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2421/T-2233web.pdf states: â€Å"Family and work settings have a built-in potential for conflict. Adults may get overwhelmed with the excessive demands that are required of them from either end of the spectrum, leaving them with the feeling of having very little time to accomplish those tasks.† Finding a balance between work and home involves finding ways of accomplishing the tasks at home as well as duties at work. Those responsibilities are often shared among couples in a healthy relationship. The equality of the shared house  chores, however, is up or debate. It has long been stated that the task of maintaining the home primarily fell on the woman’s shoulders, while the man focuses mainly on duties in the workplace. For some married couples, trying to get their husband to help with the housework typically led to domestic disputes. In recent years however, men have been getting more involved with parenting than ever before. A passage from (Giraffe 2011) states: â€Å"The recession of 2008 contributed to this arrangement because increased unemployment left more fathers available to care for their children and the reduced family income made outside childcare services unaffordable.† The traditional view of the American household should change because of an increase in the number of two-parent families entering the labor force. One of the primary services built around that change in society is the daycare system. Many of those two-parent families, as well as single parents may not have direct support from their families to take care of the children while they’re away at work. While some of the household work, such as childcare and housekeeping, has transitioned to outside providers, many working mothers cannot afford to employ these services (Giraffe, 2011). Unfortunately a big portion of their income goes to high daycare fees. III. Body Paragraph #2 – Topic Sentence #2 When the constants demands of life are far too much to bear, employees tend to feel the need to escape, and seek an alternate reality. We must look at the adverse effects that those long work hours have on the human body. Overworked individuals can suffer from work related illnesses as a result of excessive stress. Work related stress can result from extended hours due to mandatory overtime in some case. An employer’s rigid work hours which can prevent employees from tending to occasional issues at home can also be blamed for stress on the job. Employees suffering the effects of stress in the workplace tend to have bouts of absenteeism. Absenteeism in the workplace is a major issue, with tangible and intangible costs. Although the absentee loses wages in the process, the major loss is at the expense of the employer. The ebrary book by Lynn  Tylczak, (Attacking absenteeism 1990), describes the intangible costs of absenteeism as follows: â€Å"Absentee costs are difficult to quantify. Experts estimate direct wage loses of more than $30 billion per year, and that’s just the beginning. Employers also need to consider the costs of supplementary or replacement workers. These costs include: Regular wages, overtime wages, and company benefits Supplementary benefits, such as Social Security, worker’s compensation, and unemployment compensation Administration of recruitment, selection orientation, and training Penalty costs resulting from delays.† The author (Lynn T. 1990) also gives the following explanation from the tangible cost of absenteeism: â€Å"It forces managers to deal with problems of morale, discipline, job dissatisfaction, job stress, team spirit, productivity, turnover, production quality, additional administration and overhead.† Many employers have become more cognizant of the disastrous effects of having stressful employees in the workplace. This is not only calculated in monetary losses based on productivity, but also in the valuable asset (the employee) which could potentially offset those losses. IV. Body Paragraph #3 Topic sentence # 3 Those who value their time with their families certainly appreciate the value of being away from work. This is particularly why a lot of us look forward to our vacation time. It us the opportunity to recharge our batteries and gives us the courage to return to our regular lives. Many employers have adapted to the changes in society by implementing new ways for employees to earn vacation time from work. While some of us are comfortable being â€Å"working stiffs†, most people would rather look forward to their time away from work. An ebrary book by ANDERSON, NELS titled Work and Leisure states: â€Å"Although leisure reflects and supplements work, it is also used as a release from work. Some are of the view that unless a man has worked he cannot really enjoy leisure. They hold that while a man is working to earn a wage or salary, he also ‘earns’ leisure.† It is absolutely true that in order to fully enjoy our vacation time, we must work hard for it. That time of leisure can then be considered our reward for achieving the demands required of us in the workplace. Those who properly plan their vacation can benefit from sights  rarely seen in everyday life. Most people find it more beneficial to take their vacation in some exotic location. The topic on how to enjoy a proper vacation will vary from one employee to the next. V. Body Paragraph #4 Topic sentence # 4 Employers have devised lots of ways to keep valuable talent within their workforce, while allowing them time to accomplish their house work. Those arrangements can be profitable to the employer as well as the employee in some cases. Some of the sensible ways employers provide to employees are flextime, teleworking, and employee incentive just to name a few. Flextime is highly valuable to employees because it allows them to have more control over the balancing act of work and home life. It also provides them the option of choosing when to complete their work. Flextime allows employees to handle personal business such as doctor appointments or school functions without having to take sick leave or vacation time. Employers’ personnel needs are met and they get employees at their best. In highly skilled positions where competition for employees is fierce and employee turnover costly, flexible schedules can also reduce attrition by making employees more content with their jobs (Giraffe, 2011). Teleworking provides some lucky employees the opportunity to work remotely. With this system employees can either work from home or in some shared work spaces. In most cases employees would prefer to work from home because it is the ideal place to work from. This reduces the work commute, and the amount stress to the employee. It takes an especially disciplined employee to work from home, because of the constant distractions from home can cause the employee’s work performance to suffer. Employers must be careful when considering the type of employees they provide that opportunity to. Through teleworking, some employees do get to achieve balance between family and work life. Balancing Family & Work Life. (2016, Oct 18). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Content Writing - Dissertation Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Content Writing - Dissertation Service - Essay Example So if you have just finished with your long dissertation paper and don’t have enough energy left to carry out the editing and the proofreading of the document, what you can do is take advantage of our professional proof reading services. To avail of our proofreading services all you have to do is click on this link [link] and send in your document, that you want to be proofread. It is as simple as that. We will take care of your of the proofreading of your document, while you can relax and make yourself a cup of coffee. You need not worry about the confidentiality of the business, the privacy policy of our company guarantees complete discretion and as well as the safety of your document. The document will be just used for what they were sent for and for no other beneficial purpose. Be rest assured; we do all the hard work and the glory is all yours. You also need not worry about your document being properly proofread or not, that once you get the document from us you will not have to double check on whether the document. Trust us you will not find any skirmishes after it has been through our hands. We being professionals in this field for a long time have all the required resources and expertise as in proofreading experts of English origin having complete British educational background to carry out the required proofreading. Your document will be manually proofread by these experts alphabet by alphabet, word by word till the end. We here at DissertationService.co.uk believe that machine can make mistakes but not professionals and experts, we cannot afford to. We believe academic editing and proofreading requires two basic attributes- excellent understanding of the language and a thorough knowledge of the subject matter. Our team members have the perfect balance of these two attributes, and what you get is a clean, error free, smooth flowing piece of academic writing. In addition to normal content, our editors can also edit mathematical and other scientific

Russias Foreign Policy towards Georgia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Russias Foreign Policy towards Georgia - Essay Example If we should choose just one word that would most accurately describe Russian foreign policy, it would definetely be the word "pragmatic". In April 2005 while visiting Israel, Putin was asked if Russia is attempting to regain its status of global superpower, as it was as Soviet union during the Cold war era. Putin answered in a quite evasive manner, that the expenses required by such ambition would most certainly exceed the possible benefits from acquiring such position on the world scene, and he added that Russia already is a "great country" with important influence on the countries of the North and South hemisphere. The aspiration of becoming superpower again is not even explicitly declared in the basic foreign policy document we have already mentioned. Not only does it recede from such foreign aspirations, it also lacks the term "superpower" in its provisions, as this is not being used at all. In particular, it states almost the opposite that Russia attempts to become part of the multipolar system of international relations that truly reflects the diversity of modern world and the multiplicity of interest within its policies and needs (Arbatov 311). Still, it is evident that what is Russia really trying the achieve is the status of world superpower, different from the type of superpower Soviet union once was and achieved by different means. Soviet union was the superpower based on ideological antagonism to its Cold war rival the USA, or the West in general. On the contrary, modern Russian federation is certainly not interested in polarizing the world ideologically. Putins answer he provided during his Israel visit referred to the fact, that the role of superpower in effect paradoxically contributed to the fall of Soviet empire, which had global political influence, but paid a great price for only a little political or military gains, with no allies worth and efficiently strong. Russia chose a different way of declaring such ambitions that have always been an integral and essential part of its foreign policy. The foreign policy objective currently manifested by Russia, especially after events in Georgia in summer of 2008, is to resist the hegemony of the West, especially USA and EU, and the way they use, or even abuse, their post-Cold war power in the international political system and relations. The key instrument for the erosion the the Western hegemony (as Russia understands the situation in international relations) is not the composition of a solid "pact" of the states uncompromisingly opposing the West, but rather some coalition of states based on the pragmatic and nonideological relations, primarily on economic and military ties (Bobo Lo 163). This is undoubtedly the main reason why Russia preserves a very good relations with "potential superpowers" such as China, India and Brasil. Simultaneously, Russia is building a close ties

Is social media really serving the purpose of making people more Essay

Is social media really serving the purpose of making people more sociable or is it creating an introverted generation - Essay Example Thus social media usage is creating an introverted generation that consists of people who often strive to shrink into themselves and stop taking part in constant social media interactions. The very first reason why people become introverts by constant using of social media is because it is always easier to communicate when nobody watches you. In fact this means that it is certain anonymity and opportunity to dissimulate feelings and personal features during communication, what makes people feel freely while communicating through social media services more than in real life situations. A famous psychologist Phillip Zimbardo defined anonymity as a crucial factor that triggers human feeling of freedom from social responsibility, which often leads to negative consequences (255). Furthermore, social media allows people to create some false personalities and identify themselves with persons different from who they really are. Thus it turns out that people start alienating from themselves and later this may cause certain communicational disability, social anxiety, and even asceticism. For most people exposure of the personalities that they use as masks in social media commun ication would become a social catastrophe; thus, for instance, Facebook privacy breaches have without a doubt become a nightmare for its users. The fear of losing social media privacy has led to appearance of cyber bullying, which is a huge problem nowadays. Social media bullies play on people’s dependency on social media images, so they often manipulate people by creating breaches in their social networking profiles’ security. Also, cyber bullying contributes to development of introspective tendencies of modern social media generation. Researches on the topic of cyber bullying revealed that cyber bullying not only makes people (more often adolescents)

Distribution Plan and Promotions Strategy Assignment

Distribution Plan and Promotions Strategy - Assignment Example External distributors will majorly carry out distribution of the smartphone. The phone is being sold globally and there will be a need to liaise with several distributors from several countries to get the product to the market. The distributors will supply the phones to retailers in their regions. This is an effective way of ensuring that the buyers all over the world can access the product. Other than using distributors, the company also intends to sell the phones on an online shop. This way the busy and young target group can purchase the smartphone and have it delivered to them saving them from the trouble of personally going to the shops. One recommended sales strategy is the use of sales people to sell the products directly to wholesale shops and door to door. This will enable the product to get to people who did not know about it and enable a significant number of wholesales to get hold of the product. Using wholesale outlets may also be a helpful strategy. Potential buyers can buy the product directly from them in bulk at a cheaper price or they can buy them from a retailer who is supplied by the wholesaler. Another applicable and effective channel of distribution is through the internet. Online shopping is the current trend in many households. Marketing products through the internet can be effective in reaching out to the targeted population. Selling the product online entails posting the specifications of the product, including the price and link or address through which a potential buyer can access the distributor. Finally, the use of telemarketing may be as well effective in marketing and distributing the product (Mullin & Cummings, 2008). It involves soliciting the target population to purchase a product through a phone call or through face-to-face video conferencing. It may is relevant in marketing my product and seeking a prospective buyer in that during the call, a promoter entices the targeted individual

Subsistence Modes and Their Impact on the Amish Culture Research Paper

Subsistence Modes and Their Impact on the Amish Culture - Research Paper Example It does not require settlement, but it is also not reliable and makes it difficult to prepare for difficult times. Horticulture refers to the science of cultivating plants for human use which requires a great deal of knowledge regarding which plants are the most useful for which activities and how to make them grow. Pastoral lifestyles are characterized by herding large numbers of livestock around open land areas according to the seasons and availability of water. This type of lifestyle requires the availability of open land and the ability to move around. An agricultural form of subsistence can be thought of as farming, raising both animals and crops to support human life. This is different from an agrarian lifestyle only in that the agrarian lifestyle focuses on an entire community working together, all of them relying on agriculture as the base means of support but not all being engaged in farming as their personal means of support. An industrial society is recognizable to most of us simply because it is closest to the type of society we live in today in the modern world dominated by businesses, technology, mass production, and masses of people everywhere. However, there are still some societies that have managed to hold onto older forms of subsistence even in the face of widespread industrialization. By studying societies such as the Amish, it is possible to understand how a cultural group's form of subsistence helps to shape other elements of their culture such as their attitudes to religion, family life, and marriage. The Amish are a relatively isolated group of horticulturalists living in scattered pockets throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to Powell (2012), "The first sizeable group of Amish arrived in America around 1730 and settled near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as a result of William Penn's 'holy experiment' in religious tolerance" (p. 1). This group of people disagreed with the Anabaptists in Switzerland regarding some foundational religious concepts associated with their selected lifestyle, causing them to move to the Americas and begin their own religious sect. As a group, the Amish are dedicated to the horticultural way of life, which works to grow fruits, vegetables, and other plant materials necessary for survival within a self-contained, self-sustaining community of close-knit individuals. They believe in living as close to the land as they can, doing things naturally and depending on nature to meet their various needs. "Two key concepts for understanding Amish practices are their rejection of 'huchmut' (pride, arrogance) and the high value they place on 'demut' or humility and 'gelassenheit' (German, meaning: calmness, composure, placidity)" (Scully, 2007, p. 30). This natural approach to life was easy back when they first moved to America and the land was mostly wilderness, but as the land became more populated and particularly once it began to industrialize, it was their dedication to th eir traditional means of subsistence that led them to isolate themselves further and further from the rest of the world, as they found it necessary to create rules that would govern and protect their way of life. "All aspects of Amish life are dictated by a list of written or oral rules, known as Ordnung, which outlines the basics of the Amish faith and helps to define what it means

The history and development of freehold property title in english Essay

The history and development of freehold property title in english system - Essay Example There were three aspects of feudalism such as personal, property, monarchial control. Under this system, the kings had rights but also had to perform responsibilities under feudalistic societal norms Over time, it was seen that the monarch was responsible for giving fiefs to knights for military services rendered to him. The king was also responsible for the upkeep of land since he had only parted with possession and not ownership which still vested with the Crown. Thus it could be seen that in the 10th century, the kings exercised tremendous control and patronage over land, and granted its use as payment for military services rendered by his knights and military personnel. For the first time in English history, William claimed eventual control of virtually all the land in England and asserted the right to dispose of it as he deemed necessary. Henceforth, all land was owned by the King. At the initial stages, King William appropriated the lands of all English lords who were killed during war and fiefed them to his Norman soldiers and supporters. These initial approbations led to revolts, which resulted in more seizures which moved along unabated for five years after Battle of Hastings. Even after he managed to quell rebellions, William the Conqueror continued to exercise their domain and supremacy of Normans over the country. His influences was so extensive that if the event an England landlord died without any children, the King or his barons, could choose a heir for the dead man’s properties and successor from Normandy. He exercised control over properties by encouraging marriages to Normans, which resulted in the ultimate takeover of English aristocracy by Normans. The system enunciated by William has impacted even modern day property holdings in England. The land belongs to the Crown and no individual or private holdings may be enforceable. Even

Subsistence Modes and Their Impact on the Amish Culture Research Paper

Subsistence Modes and Their Impact on the Amish Culture - Research Paper Example It does not require settlement, but it is also not reliable and makes it difficult to prepare for difficult times. Horticulture refers to the science of cultivating plants for human use which requires a great deal of knowledge regarding which plants are the most useful for which activities and how to make them grow. Pastoral lifestyles are characterized by herding large numbers of livestock around open land areas according to the seasons and availability of water. This type of lifestyle requires the availability of open land and the ability to move around. An agricultural form of subsistence can be thought of as farming, raising both animals and crops to support human life. This is different from an agrarian lifestyle only in that the agrarian lifestyle focuses on an entire community working together, all of them relying on agriculture as the base means of support but not all being engaged in farming as their personal means of support. An industrial society is recognizable to most of us simply because it is closest to the type of society we live in today in the modern world dominated by businesses, technology, mass production, and masses of people everywhere. However, there are still some societies that have managed to hold onto older forms of subsistence even in the face of widespread industrialization. By studying societies such as the Amish, it is possible to understand how a cultural group's form of subsistence helps to shape other elements of their culture such as their attitudes to religion, family life, and marriage. The Amish are a relatively isolated group of horticulturalists living in scattered pockets throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to Powell (2012), "The first sizeable group of Amish arrived in America around 1730 and settled near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as a result of William Penn's 'holy experiment' in religious tolerance" (p. 1). This group of people disagreed with the Anabaptists in Switzerland regarding some foundational religious concepts associated with their selected lifestyle, causing them to move to the Americas and begin their own religious sect. As a group, the Amish are dedicated to the horticultural way of life, which works to grow fruits, vegetables, and other plant materials necessary for survival within a self-contained, self-sustaining community of close-knit individuals. They believe in living as close to the land as they can, doing things naturally and depending on nature to meet their various needs. "Two key concepts for understanding Amish practices are their rejection of 'huchmut' (pride, arrogance) and the high value they place on 'demut' or humility and 'gelassenheit' (German, meaning: calmness, composure, placidity)" (Scully, 2007, p. 30). This natural approach to life was easy back when they first moved to America and the land was mostly wilderness, but as the land became more populated and particularly once it began to industrialize, it was their dedication to th eir traditional means of subsistence that led them to isolate themselves further and further from the rest of the world, as they found it necessary to create rules that would govern and protect their way of life. "All aspects of Amish life are dictated by a list of written or oral rules, known as Ordnung, which outlines the basics of the Amish faith and helps to define what it means

Zero Dark Thirty, Affecting America Essay Example for Free

Zero Dark Thirty, Affecting America Essay Describing the murder of Osama Bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty remains top in the box office, garnering over five Oscar nominations and deeply affecting its audiences. Disturbing and poignant, this â€Å"R† rated production accurately depicts the nature of war in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, while viewers vicariously experience the violence of terror attacks and observe the involvement of America’s Military and Intelligence Communities. Scenes exhibiting torture techniques spark controversy, leading to discussions about the ethics surrounding their use. Lastly, the dramatic story highlights the career of Maya, a female CIA operative determined to bring about the capture of Osama Bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty introduces viewers to the horrors of the war on terror and those who fight the battle, the controversial subject of torture, and the inspirational character Maya. While dinning at a premier Pakistani hotel, Maya and her fellow diners’ lives abruptly change when the room around them explodes, the result of a suicide bomb. Through the portrayal of events such as these, Zero Dark Thirty reveals the horrific conditions under which American military and intelligence personnel work. Far from the minds of most American’s, but constantly in the minds of those on the front lines, looms the thought that each day could bring death for themselves or their colleagues. Living under these conditions, the mind snaps leaving one in every eight soldiers returning from overseas suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, proving that the pain of working in these circumstances scars the soul. Zero Dark Thirty introduces not only the horrors of torture, but the necessity of obtaining information. Struggling with the idea of forcefully extracting information from detainees, America’s shifting political environment after a presidential election reveals itself in a scene where United States President, Barack Obama, orders the Central Intelligence Agency to end the use of torture techniques. Too easily, graphic scenes of torture override the weak memories of Americans and they forget the heinous deeds propagated on uninvolved bystanders. People should never lose the intensity of the shock experienced on September, 11, 2001 when realizing that the objects tumbling from the twin towers no longer resembled pieces of the falling buildings, but came into focus as innocent victims leaping to their death before the inferno claimed their body and soul. Vital information withheld by radical jihadists endangers the lives of millions of people as terror plots blow apart the world. Zero Dark Thirty reopens this conversation. Serving as a powerful female image to many young women in America, actress Jessica Chastain portrays a determined CIA operative who seeks to find and kill Osama Bin Laden. Throughout the movie, Maya expresses her morals by remaining persistent in her journey to find Osama Bin Laden. In one scene she expresses her plans for the future, after a bombing killed many of her colleagues, stating â€Å"Im going to smoke them (Bin Laden’s assistants) and then Im going to kill Bin Laden.† No matter how many disregarded her or underestimated her research, in the end her incredible persistence led to the defeat of the mastermind behind 9/11 who destroyed many lives of American families. She set an example to young women as she stood strong against a group of men disagreeing with her, always remaining certain in a sea of uncertainty, providing America with closure and reward for over a decade of work. Recounting history’s greatest manhunt, Zero Dark Thirty introduces the world to another level of terrorism, explaining everything from detailed missions to their Pakistani allies. Characters like Maya speak volumes about the type of people protecting our country and how their lives remain on the line to ensure the safety of American citizens. Disputing the recent controversy over a process referred to as enhanced interrogation techniques, the new information known about the treatment of detainees left a sense of necessity for the use of torture methods on jihadists, knowing that it can save lives. Without a doubt everyone will leave the theater with a sense of pride in our nation for accomplishing such a hard task, but also feeling somber as they relive large terror attacks such as 9/11, or think upon the unknown bombings that occur every day in foreign countries. Work Cited: â€Å"Zero Dark Thirty† http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790885/ â€Å"Study of 9/11 Emotional Response† http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2015528,00.html â€Å"1 in 8 returning soldiers suffers from PTSD† Associated Press. Date Last Revised: 6/30/2004.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5334479/ns/health-mental_health/t/returning-soldiers-suffers-ptsd/ â€Å"Election will decide future of interogation metods for terrorism suspects† Charlie Savage http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/28/us/politics/election-will-decide-future-of-interrogation-methods-for-terrorism-suspects.html?_r=0

Authors Reflection on their learning experiences

Authors Reflection on their learning experiences This text is a reflection of the learning experiences of the author, particularly with regard to the learning experience of the MBA full time programme. The primary objective is to reflect on the learning experiences and to identify how the Knowledge levels, skills, attitudes, perceptions and values were altered during the process. In an essence it is an attempt to capture the learning experience in to a formal structure, which at times has been informal, at sub-conscious levels and haphazard. The reflections of the learning experiences will lead to an evaluation of the individuals current status in all aspects relating managerial effectiveness, which will in-turn, facilitate the identification and prioritisation of personal development needs. The end result is a concise, specific, and measurable and time bound personal development plan. Initially the theory and importance of reflection in personal development is reviewed, which is followed by the reflections on several key learning experiences. The next phase of the report is a critical evaluation of the different leadership styles, which will include an exploration of the historical origins and evolution of different leadership styles. The third phase is an attempt to bridge the reflections on learning experiences and evaluation of leadership styles, deriving a personal development plan to enhance managerial effectiveness. 2.0 Importance of reflection A laymans definition of reflection would be to ponder about a past activity or series of activities, for an example a mother might think about how she does the weekly shopping for her family. As far as the academic context is concerned, the approach towards reflection is based on commonsense, Moon (2006 p37) provides a commonsense view on reflection as Reflection is a form of mental processing-like a form of thinking-that we use to fulfil a purpose or to achieve some anticipated outcome or we may be simply be reflective and then an outcome can be unexpected. However reflection has a deeper meaning in an educational context than the mundane activity that the commonsense based view suggests. In the education and academic context reflection has an overriding purpose and directed towards a specific outcome. Moon (2006 P37) extends the commonsense based view as Reflection/reflective learning or reflective writing in the academic context is also likely to involve a conscious and stated purpose for the reflection, with an outcome specified in terms of learning action or clarification. In this case the outcome is the personal development plan. The benefits of reflections are clear; it provides a structure for the haphazard process of learning facilitates the evaluation and provides directions for further development. Reflections aides the uncovering and dispelling of deep lying misconceptions and helps the transfer of skills, for example the reflecting on the activity of doing the weekly shopping may help in maintaining stocks in small grocery or restaurants. 3.0 MBA Learning Journey The MBA programme provides a wider spectrum of learning experiences, from class room sessions to enhance theoretical knowledge to real consultancy opportunities, aimed at enhancing the managerial effectiveness. The journey so far has taken me through many different learning experiences. However it seems that the ideal starting point for the reflection process is the self, or the exploration of self awareness. 3.1 Self Awareness-Know Thyself In laymans definition for self awareness is knowing ones self, however Williams points out that self-awareness includes many aspects Key areas of self-awareness include our personality traits, personal values, habits, emotions and psychological needs that drive our behaviours (Self-awareness and personal development: Online) . Self awareness is the foundation of personal development and managerial effectiveness. I considered myself to be very self-aware. I strongly believed that I had an accurate picture of myself, being very clear on my strengths, considered myself to be an analytical, logical, emotionally mature and prided on my communication and presentation skills. I never considered myself to be creative, a part from that I always struggled to identify my weaknesses. The only other weakness that propped out in my head time and time again was the poor time management. I believe in equality and fairness, strongly favour meritocracy and have non-negotiable key values. However it was at the applied learning experiences (ALEs) of the MBA programme that I first had the opportunity to test my level of self awareness through several models and practice. 3.2 The Applied Learning Experience (ALE) The first applied learning experience of the MBA programme was held in a location in Ware, Hertfordshire. The first activity of the programme was to fill a questionnaire designed to identify the each participants role in Belbins Theory. 3.2.1 Belbins Team Roles- the Monitor Evaluator Meredith Belbins team role provides a framework to analyses ones position within a team. The results of the questionnaire stated that I will be a Monitor Evaluator in a team. Belbin (1981 cited in Mullins, 2007, p332) states that the monitor evaluators are Sober strategic and discerning, sees all options, judges accurately, the allowable weaknesses are lacks drive and ability to inspire others (Belbin, 1981 cited in Mullins, 2007, p332). Initially this evaluation seemed to fit well with my sense of self-awareness and I was eager to play my role within the teams maximising my strength and being conscious about my weaknesses. The programme consisted of five main activities, out which in one my team was very successful, partly success full in one and failed miserably in three activities. Each activity was followed by a feedback session allowing the participants to reflect on the successes and failures of each activity. The initial reflections seemed to validate my understanding of my role as a monitor evaluator, I played my strengths well and failed to mitigate my weakness, or thats how it seemed. I tried to learn from the mistakes in one activity and play a better role in the next. However the next activity demanded an entirely different mindset and I couldnt help feeling frustrated, cheated and even stupid at times. In the final feedback session I was shocked to be perceived by the other team members as Creative, comes out with out of the box solutions, not clear in communication and at times unenthusiastic. This was somewhat a bitter pill to swallow, particularly because I prided in my communication skills. However I delivered the final presentation on behalf of our team. Using Obama style rapid question and answer techniques (fired up? ready to go?) managed to energize the audience and end with emphasising the importance of self awareness. Though the feedback seemed misconceived at that point, reflection helped me to deduce the pieces of the puzzle. Im good in articulating a point to a willing and listening audience, however fails and loose enthusiasm when challenged or when it seems the others are uninterested in my opinion. For an example one of the tasks demand a high sense of mathematical temperament usually found among physics students and software code writers, I had a plan which included the delegation of specific tasks to particular members whom I thought had the required skills, however I failed to persuade others and the task ended up in failure. The reflections on ALEs helped me to gain a more accurate understanding of myself, and propelled persuading skills and time management on to the top of my development need. 3.3 MBTI Model Myers -Briggs Type indicator (MBTI) is another model which I used during the learning journey of MBA. It is developed by Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers in 1920s, its used as a self -report instrument that guides individuals in knowing about themselves (Handout, Nov 2009). My MBTI position was ENFP which indicates that the person is extrovert, daring and development oriented, a position common among entrepreneurs. The corresponding role in Belbins nine team roles is the Plant. This was a shocking revelation for me since I thought I was the complete opposite of an entrepreneur. However in retrospect it made me think deeper on creativity, and altered my view on my own creativity. 3.4 Creativity- Myths Dispelled During the learning journey of the MBA, I had the opportunity to analyse my own creativity through several questionnaire designed to assess an individuals creativity and compare the logical and creative aspects of ones thinking. Though I always seemed to be more of a logical person I scored above my own expectations on creativity. This led me to reflect deeply on my own level of creativity, and helped me to uncover and dispel a misconception which was deeply rooted in me. I primarily considered creativity, as artistic creativity, this narrow view created a mental block and I perceived myself as less creative. However Mullins (2007 P192) states that creativity is the application of imaginative thought which results in innovative solutions to many problems. The video on IDEO Company, an American firm specialising in new product development altered my view on creativity; on reflection the company seems to have a fairly logical and structured approach towards creativity, though at first it may not be very apparent. These experiences broaden my horizons on creativity and thereby my development needs. 3.5 Learning Styles- Reflector As far as the learning styles are concerned Im a reflector, however reflecting on learning styles lead to a clearer understanding of experimental learning. I developed IT skills primarily through experimental learning. The reflection and understanding helped me to overcome many mental barriers like fear of failure, which prevents us from experimenting with things and learning from the experience. 3.6 MBA- Alumni Evenings I view these events as an opportunity for networking. After every such event I reflect on the event to gather the learning or other benefits gained. However the list rarely goes beyond inspiration with hardly any progress in the networking aspect, which has the potential to facilitate mentoring. Thus enhancing networking skills is a personal development priority. 3.7 Life and Career Planning Naylor (2004 cited in Mullins, 2007, P720) explains life and career planning as people are encouraged to develop and express personal goals with strategies for integrating goals with those of the organisation. The life and career planning is referred to as a technique, in the wider context of organizational development. I always wanted to be a knowledge worker or a specialist, my ideal career was to be a market researcher specialising in qualitative research. However the due to circumstances I embarked on a career in totally different sector. At first the prospects seemed promising, but my career and life priorities were in conflict with my role, thus what once seemed as a career gradually evolved to a job. Thus integrating personal goals with the career didnt seem to be an option. Hence the route to career life planning or career life congruence seems to be to enhance skills and knowledge through education and to re-align the career with life priorities. The MBA learning journey has broadened my horizons and the personal development activities are ultimately directed at the career-life priorities. 4.0 Leadership The list of definitions of leadership is very long, however Mullins (2007 P363) captures the essence of leadership is a relationship through which one person influence the behaviour of other people. The emphasis on relationship and influence is important. This means that the leadership is inseparably linked to the group or team concerned. The leadership may occur at different contexts for example in organizational, national or global contexts. It may occur at different levels not necessarily at the top of a hierarchy thus Belbin (1997, cited in Mullins, 2007, P363) states there is clear implication that leadership is not part of the job but a quality that can be brought to a job Useems(2001 ed, Pickford. J, Cited in Mullins, 2007, P363) view of leadership is Leadership is at its best when the vision is strategic, the voice persuasive and the results tangible Useem (2001 ed, Pickford. J, Cited in Mullins, 2007, P363) sees leadership as primarily a matter of making a difference. As Military strategy influenced the early thoughts on business strategy, historically leadership was influenced by the command and control structure of the military. However many leadership styles have evolved since, the following table captures the key characteristics of the three main styles of leadership. Leadership Style Characteristics Autocratic Style Power and the decision making authority lies with the manager, thus every aspect of the relationships with subordinates centres around the manger Democratic Style A shared leadership style, Manager is part of the group or team; subordinates can influence the decision making. Laissez-Faire(Genuine) Style Subordinates have complete freedom; The manager intervenes only on a necessary basis. This shouldnt be mistaken with poor leadership, where managers simply dont care The appropriateness of each leadership style depends on many factors. The leadership style adopted may depend on the situation. For instance in a crisis situation an experienced leader with autocratic style may be more suitable over a democratic style of leadership, in order to facilitate better and quicker decision making. On the other hand democratic style is more common among project teams and professionals, while autocratic leadership is more prevalent where there is a wide gap between the knowledge, skills and experience of superior and subordinates. The leadership style adopted is highly influenced by the nature of the business and the organizational culture, for instance militaries around the world adopts autocratic leadership style due to special nature of such institutions. 4.1 Leadership and Management Modern view on leadership is moved away from command and control and emphasis more on inspiring others. This has resulted in the blurring of lines of division between leadership and management. Mullins supports this view (2007,p 363). If leadership is more about inspiring others, it demands a specific set of skills, which enhances the ability to inspire and is an essential ingredient in a development plan aimed at increasing managerial effectiveness. My experiences in the MBA learning journey, particularly with relation to group work and previous work experiences make me believe that sound communication and listening skills are of paramount importance. Listening skills are important to link the disconnected pieces of information or opinions brought in by different members of a team. 5.0 Personal Development Plan The reflections on the MBA learning journey and exploration on different leadership styles was an attempt to identify my own development needs to enhance managerial effectiveness thereby influence the development of others. As part of the human enterprise module of the MBA, I had the opportunity to carry out a skills audit on myself. The skills audit itself a tool for identifying development needs, by grading ones perceived level in variety of skills. The skills audit, reflections on MBA Learning journey and the review of leadership styles have presented me with a wide array of development areas. However it is practically concentrate on a large number of skills, without compromising on the quality and depth. Thus I have used Brian Mclvors Priority Grid to prioritise my development needs. Brian Mclvors Priority Grid provides a framework to compare the importance of ten different skills (or development needs) against each other. The skills are compared on a grid against each other and the more important one is circled, finally the skills are ranked according to the score (or number of circles) (Please refer Appendix 1 for the part A and B of the format) When comparing the skills I have considered the relevance of each skill to my career targets and the opportunities for improvement during the MBA Programme. The following table depicts my immediate development needs and the way forward. Skill/ Development area Current State Desired State Way Forward Communication Good when unchallenged More persuasive, Good under all conditions Practise before presentations Paraphrasing, in verbal communication Learning from good communicators Analytical Takes time to understand the core issue To be in a position to understand key elements of an issue quickly Doing more case studies, Focused thinking Listening Lose interest, sometimes hears only what wants to be heard Effective listening, hearing what people really say, Try to prevent from being distracted Giving undivided attention Providing feedback, and refraining from interrupting Planning Unrealistic planning, poor implementation Realistic plans, better implementation Revisiting plans to drop unimportant elements, to make it more realistic Moving on to implementation at appropriate time Frequent evaluation Time management Just on Time, struggle with deadlines, source of stress Procrastinate things More effective time management Minimise procrastination Activity log to identify situations of ineffective time management Detailed to do lists Understanding reasons for postponing, Personal targets, and rewarding for achievement Networking Rarely goes beyond the initial superficial stage Networking as a effective personal learning tool Participating in more networking events Being more prepared, background study Learning to build rapport quicker, The learning journey of MBA taught me that personal development isnt an isolated process, its journey that relies on feedback from other. Feedbacks lead to reflections which help to continuously improve the journey. Though formal feedback from all angles (like in a 360 degree feedback process) isnt practical in this case, I would make efforts to receive informal feedbacks, at minimum on the progress. 6.0 Conclusion I have critically reflected on my MBA learning Journey, focusing more on weaknesses that needs improvements. Being ones own harshest critic is infinitely beneficial than being the biggest fan. The outcome of the process is the development plan aimed at enhancing management effectiveness. The success of the plan depends on the implementation and feedback from others.