Leadership and Use of Motivation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership and Use of Motivation - Term Paper Example Rewards, punishments, better work environment, opportunity for growth or further learning etc are some of the motivating factors of the employees. Leaders should identify these factors well and use it judiciously to motivate the employees positively. This paper analyses leadership and use of motivation by leaders. Leadership and use of motivation According to Dr. Northouse (2009), â€Å"Leadership is a process by which an individual influence a group of individuals to achieve a common goal† (Dr. Northouse, 2009, p.3). On the other hand, Gould & Voelker, (2010) defined leadership as a â€Å"complex process that involves the effort of an individual to help groups identify and achieve personal and group goals† (Gould & Voelker, 2010, p.2). It is easy for people to become leaders; but it is difficult to become effective leaders. Leadership is a complex task which requires specific skills such as decision making, problems solving, planning etc. However, the most important ch aracteristic of effective leadership is the ability to motivate the subordinates. Leaders use different strategies to motivate subordinates and to derive the maximum out of them. According to psychology today â€Å"Motivation is literally the desire to do things† (Psychology today, 2011). In fact motivation is a force which destroys the employee inertia to stay in their inactive stage. It helps employees to break their idleness and to work more enthusiastically. Motivation can be classified into two categories; intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is the motivation driven by inherent characteristics whereas extrinsic motivation is the motivation driven by external factors. Effective leaders will use strategies necessary to motivate subordinates both intrinsically and extrinsically. One of the popular motivation theory used by leaders is Theory of X and theory of Y. This theory emphasizes the different attitudes of people towards their duties and responsibilities. The ory X says that generally human being has an inherent dislike towards work. â€Å"Because of this inherent dislike of work, most people must be coerced, controlled, directed, or threatened so as to induce them to put forth enough effort so as to meet their goals and get their work done† (Furst, 2009). Rewards and punishments are some of the strategies used by leaders to motivate people in the X category. On the other hand people in Y category believe that work is natural just like play or rest. Leaders can motivate such people easily since their attitude towards work is positive. The needs of the people are different because of the different environment in which they live. Some people may have enough financial abilities and they may like recognition more than anything else in their professional life. On the other hand some others may not have enough financial abilities and such people may like financial rewards more than anything else. Work atmosphere is another aspect which motivates the employees. Nobody wants to work in a hostile atmosphere. Everybody wants to work under a peaceful atmosphere. Even if the organization provides, better salaries, such people may not like the organization if it provides a hostile or aggressive work environment. Leaders should be capable enough to realize all these things well and to use their motivation strategies judiciously. In short, it is the duty of the leaders to realize what motivate a particular subordinate. The drive to acquire is an inherent need for majority of the humans. It is difficult to see an

Douglas Coupland's Microserfs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Douglas Coupland's Microserfs - Essay Example The exploration of one’s identity is a theme that is discussed by the author and other characters in the novel. In this paper, we will analyze how the characters examine their identities and what is the influence of their profession on their identities? The influence of their professions on their identities is so far-reaching that they start to think about themselves in technical terms. The environment in their workplace has affected the characters in the novels to such an extent that they are not able to think about their lives beyond this setting. The character of Karla, a coder and colleague of the Daniel, is most expressive about her feelings regarding identity. Her thoughts about identity can be gauged from the following paragraph, â€Å"Its all about identity," [Karla] said. She said, "We look at flock†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦What makes any one person different from any other? Where does your individuality end and your species-hood begin? As always, its a big question on my mind.† (Coupland, pg.236). While working, the identity of all the characters is connected with their work. The individuality of person is lost in the settings that are dominated by the machinery. Karla also feels that her identity is being overwhelmed, by the environment of her workplace. While talking with Daniel, her conversation reflects her thoughts about identity. â€Å"She said that we, as humans, bear the burden of having to be every animal in the world rolled into one. She said that we really have no identity of our own.† (Coupland, pg.17). The thoughts of Karla represent the identity crisis that people are experiencing in the wake of a demanding professional life. People are so consumed with their aims and ambitions that they have lost the perception of their true identity. Karla also points towards this attitude of human beings. â€Å"She said, "What is human behavior, except trying to prove that were not animals? She said, "I think we have strayed so far away from our animal origins

The Republic Of The Philippines History Essay

The Republic Of The Philippines History Essay The Republic of the Philippines has a long and colorful history with influences from numerous countries. It is primarily comprised of Roman Catholics in the north and Muslims, which are the minority, in the south. The Muslims desire an independent Islamic state because they feel the government of the Philippines treats them as inferior. As their core grievances are ignored, the Muslims resort to terrorist activities. The U.S. has identified them as threats to the Republic of the Philippines as well as U.S. interests. This paper identifies the internal threats, analyzes the situation and discusses recommended solutions to counter these terrorist organizations. Breeding Ground in the Philippines The southern Philippines have long been a breeding ground for terrorist activity (Bhattacharji, 2009). This is due to poverty, a lack of education as well as a lack of support from their local government. The Philippine government gained their independence in 1946 and has experienced numerous armed confrontations since. The United States (U.S.) has identified two internal threats within the Philippines. They are the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) is the foundation from which both of the groups started. Both organizations are predominantly located in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) covering Sulu, Mindanao, and Palawan located in the southern Philippines. It is important to understand what the problem is and where it began in order to be able to defeat it. The original settlers in Mindanao were Muslim and tribal residents. In the 1950s, the Philippine government gave away land to migrants and poor farmers from other regions of the country. Christian settlers began populating Mindanao in large numbers which soon caused problems with the original inhabitants. The Muslim and tribal residents felt as though their way of life, land, and economic opportunities were being deprived. This grievance led to intense distrust between the Philippine government and the indigenous Muslim population. This eventually led to the birth of the MNLF within their region. The MNLF was founded in 1972 by Nur Misuari who was a professor at the University of the Philippines. This political organization was established in order to secede from the Philippines and establish an Islam state which would cover Sulu, Mindanao, and Palawan. The MNLF stated that represented the Philippine Muslim liberation movement which proceeded to start the Islam Insurgency in Mindanao. They intended to achieve independence, or at a minimum local autonomy for the southern Philippines. The movement would later cost both sides great amounts in personal sacrifice. There were many lives lost during this insurgency with estimates ranging from 80,000 to 200,000 in total. Eventually the Philippine government would hold peace talks in 1976 with the MNLF which led to the Tripoli Agreement being negotiated. The Tripoli Agreement basically set up a cease fire as well as autonomy with a broad understanding that Mindanao would remain part of the Philippines. This agreement would allow Muslims their own legislative assembly, economic and financial systems, schools, administrative system, executive council, courts, and special regional security forces (Muslim Mindanao for journalists and other communicators, 2008). The cease fire eventually hurt the MNLF more than it helped due to the internal factionalism which led to the group fragmenting into separate elements. There were disagreements within the organization on how to deal with the government. The more conservative members wanted to hold a violent insurgency while the liberal side favored non-violent opposition which led to a separation. The conservatives eventually left and organized into the MILF. The MILF is the largest Islamic liberation organization in the Philippines with an estimated 15,000 active members, out of which 2,900 are troops. Salamat Hashim formed the MILF in 1977 and was backed by the ethnic Maguindanaos. Hashim received support from Egypt after the split and officially established the MILF on March 1984. Hashim didnt want to accept treaties with the government and he wanted an Islamic education system in a more traditional manner. The MILF would experience the same issues later with the more extremist members leaving and forming the ASG (Economic expert.com 2010). The ASG is a more radical organization which splintered from the MILF because they too didnt agree with the way their mother organization dealt with the government. The ASG was founded by Abdurajak Janjalani in 1991 on the island of Basilan. Janjalani fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union with the mujahedeen. The Abu Sayyaf task force was created in 1986 by an Afghan professor named Abu Sayyaf who operated his own guerrilla training school in the mountains near Peshawar, Pakistan (Barreveld, 2001). After returning to the Philippines, Janjalani formed the ASG to fight for an independent Islamic state in the southern Philippines. Janjalani named his group after his professor in Peshawar: Abu Sayyaf-the Father of the Sword (Barreveld, 2001). In 1998 Abdurajak Janjalani was killed by the local police in Lamatan, Basilan during a shoot out. This caused a power struggle within the organization which led to his younger brother Khadafi Janjalani eventually taking over. The government refers to them as bandits primarily because of their thug like activities. This organization is famous for kidnap for ransom operations, piracy, operating with Al Qaeda (AQ), attacking the Catholic community by conducting abductions of teachers, nuns as well as priests. They have extorted from wealthy businessmen and companies and have terrorized their community through bombings and massacres. Militant organizations like the ASG and the MILF operate in the Sulu archipelago and easternmost island of Mindanao, where a rugged terrain, weak rule of law, sense of grievance among the countrys Muslim minority, and poverty make it difficult for the government to root them out (Bhattacharji, 2009). Both groups are considered threats against the Republic of the Philippines. The United States considers them a threat because of their ties with AQ and global terrorist organizations. The United States and the Philippine government signed a treaty of general relations between the two governments on July 4, 1946. This treaty identified the independence of the Philippines as of July 4, 1946 as well as recognizing the relinquishment of American sovereignty over the Philippines. In February 1987, the Philippines adopted a new constitution that instituted the presidential-style republican form of democracy, which resembles the U.S. model much more than the European parliamentary system (Library of Congress, 2006). The Philippines has a centralized form of government and federal rule of law which is supreme to the states or provinces. There are other organizations in the Philippines government that mirror the U.S. such as their military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is made up with four branches of service consisting of Army, Navy Air Force and Marines. In total the AFP has approximately 150,000 military personnel forces and about half of which are reserves (Global security.org 2010). The AFP Army has a Light Reaction Battalion (LRB) trained in counter terrorist operations and is used often in combat today. The LRB was developed, equipped, and trained by U.S. Army Special Forces. The Philippine governments gross domestic product exceeds $160 billion; however they spend less than 1% of their GDP on military expenditures. Aside from the LRB most of the AFP is under equipped and poorly funded. The United States and the Philippines have a mutual defense treaty that has been in effect since 1952. Total U.S. military assistance to the Philippines rose from $38 million in 2001 to $164 million in 2005, which would make the Philippines the fourth largest recipient of U.S. foreign military assistance (Library of Congress, 2006). The U.S. is supporting the Philippines government by providing for their military. This coincides with how we are conducting Irregular Warfare (IW) when considering the Trinity model. There are other areas that need to be addressed in the Philippines as well. Economic growth in the Philippines has averaged 4.5% per year since 2001. Despite this growth, poverty worsened during the term of Macapagal-Arroyo, because of a high population growth rate and inequitable distribution of income (Central Intelligence Agency, 2010). Thirty three percent of the Philippine population lives below the poverty line. This leads to corruption and crime which drains resources available to further develope the government. It will also undermines confidence in the government from the population. The Republic of the Philippines has an extreme problem with crime and corruption at all levels because of poverty and lack of education across the country. This effects the governments ability to take care of the relevent populations critical needs. The Muslims in the Philippines consist of thirteen ethno-linguistics groups. The Muslims who traditionally inhabited Mindanao, the islands of Basilan and Palawan, and the Sulu and Tawi-Tawi archipelago in the south of the Philippines identify themselves as Bangsamoro (Lingga, 2004). Christian Malays make up over ninety percent of the total population, Muslim only make up about four percent, Chinese 1.5 percent, and others 3 percent (Library of Congress, 2006). Muslims are often treated like second class citizens because of their minority status. This is part of the reason why they want independence in the ARMM. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and separation of church and state, but Christianity predominates, and Muslims historically have been marginalized (Library of Congress, 2006). The Philippine population communicates in many languages; however English and Filipino (based on Tagalog) are the official languages spoken with eight other major dialects. There are additional barriers or obstacles the country has to deal with because of this. This leads into how they communicate across the Philippines. Cell phones are the primary method of communications in their country. The Philippines is known to be the text messaging capital of the world. Digital phones currently outnumber the landlines based telephones. It is very common for the military to use their cell phones as a means of communication during operations. This has the potential for compromise during missions, which causes their commanders to collect phones from the soldiers before theyre briefed on the details of the operation. The lack of education in the southern Philippines reduces the necessity for newspapers or magazines to be sold. The Philippines government will use billboards, posters, and the radio to communicate their message to the local population in Mindanao. Additionally, they also use the mayors and village leaders by word of mouth system through the military. As an archipelago, the Philippines have more than 1,000 ports, of which 117 are regarded as international ports. About 12 of the 117 international ports have major cargo and passenger terminals (Library of Congress 2006). The ports in the southern Philippines need upgraded to support the fishing industry. Sixty percent of the roads are unpaved and the rest are in need of repair to some degree. The infrastructure needs upgraded in order to support and build on the local economy. It is critical to address the political, military, economic, social, information, and infrastructure (PMESII) issues listed above. The Muslims will support the government and work against the insurgency when their basic needs are being taking care of. This will in turn bolster the countries internal stability and will ensure that they have legitimacy and influence over the relevant population. The U.S. realized how serious and evolving the global terrorist threat was after 9/11. The Philippines is an ideal location for AQ to establish training camps, safe havens as well as recruitment base. Conditions for recruitment are perfect when there is a lack of education; bad economy, and there is a lack of support from the government. The U.S. goal is to eliminate or contain extremist Muslim terrorists organizations across the globe. The U.S. will do this in order to preserve our four enduring national interests which are security, values, prosperity, and international order. The following paragraphs will explain the recommended way to defeat the terrorist threats. In order to do this in Mindanao both the U.S. and Philippines government will need to look at the whole of government (WOG) concept and use the four elements of national power which are diplomatic, informational, military, and economic (D.I.M.E). Irregular Warfare (IW) is predominantly the U.S. way ahead when looking at combating the insurgency. To be successful, IW will need to be applied at all three levels of war. At the Strategic Level both countries will need to develop and fund plans to eventually gain control and influence over the relevant population. This is done at the national level and with ideally SOF elements used as the primary tool to get initial ground truth information to the decision makers. The U.S. deployed SOF forces into Mindanao in 2002 and are still conducting FID operations in the area today. The U.S. government will need to continue to monitor the status and make changes as necessary. The more indirect approach will be the focus when looking at the Operational Level. There is a Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) established in Zambowonga which takes the guidance and end state from the Strategic Level and applies it to tactical operations. The JSOTF is responsible for planning and conducting operations and campaigns. The enlisted staff positions needs to be filled with operators that have experience and ideally graduates of the Joint Special Operations Force Senior Enlisted Academy (JSOFSEA). The next level that IW would be applied is the Tactical Level. First Special Forces Group currently has a Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) on the island of Jolo. The SOTF is currently being run by a company rather than a battalion. This is due to the other requirements that need to be met in other countries. The Tactical Level is the most critical for numerous reasons. This is where the plans come to life in order to meet the National Strategic Strategy (NSS). Whatever the operator does on the ground will either support the NSS or possibly hurt it. The U.S. military are conducting Foreign Internal Defense (FID) operations in the southern Philippines as part of the Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines (OEF-P). They will need to continue to provide military assistance by training through, by, and with the AFP. As part of Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines, U.S. military forces are strengthening the Philippines military and using civic action to drive a wedge between rebels and the Muslim populace (Crisis Group, 2008). Philippine military and law enforcement agencies conducted intensive Civil-Military and internal security operations to eliminate terrorist safe havens in the Sulu Archipelago and central Mindanao (U.S. Department of State, 2009). Many of the programs that have been put in place are currently working. The economic development programs need more support from other countries. The Japanese government has been the largest provider of financial aid for Mindanao, having financed 166 different projects valued at a total of 363 million dollars since 2002 (Carames, et. al., 2008). The U.S. needs to work with other countries in order to get more participation in this area. The enticement or need to join the terrorists organizations will decrease if the jobs are available and the infrastructure is built up on the island of Mindanao and the ARMM. The State Departments USAID will need to continue to retrain combatants from the MNLF, MILF, and ASG as well as providing micro-grants in order to bolster the economy. USAID as well as civilian non-government organizations (NGOs) will need to continue to work on infrastructure development. This is critical to the success of the campaign. When schools, roads, wells, and mosques are repaired the quality of life is dramatically improved. In conclusion eradicating the insurgency means an end to the silent discrimination, respect for the Muslim religion in all its aspects. In order to minimize or stop the threat and terrorist activities we must attack ideological and financial angles as well. Developing the economy, infrastructure and improving education in Mindanao will win over the local populace faster than using military force. This must be done in order to protect the Philippines national interests. The U.S. will continue to have an invested interest in the Philippines so that we can prevent Mindanao from becoming a safe haven and training ground for Muslim extremists across the globe.

The Tragedy of Ambition in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- GCSE English

The Tragedy of Ambition in Macbeth      Ã‚   Shakespeare's tragic play, Macbeth, shares common themes with many other stories and actual events. Many scandals, both historic and current, can be linked to greed, ambition, and abuse of power.   Typically, the key figures are motivated by, and are inevitably destroyed by, ambition.   This is also the case in Macbeth, where ambition leads to the downfall of the once great character, Macbeth.    William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, is a play about a man's ambition to become king.   Since the first part of the witches' prophecy, "All hail Macbeth! Thane of Glamis"(I.i.52-53)! was already a fact, and the second part was fulfilled almost as soon as the witches pronounced it, "All hail Macbeth! Thane of Cawdor"(I.i.54-55), Macbeth begins to think the part, "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King, / hereafter"(I.i.56-57)! might also come true because, "supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good" (I.i.151-152).   Encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan while he is a guest in Macbeth's castle.   As a result, Macbeth becomes king of Scotland.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to his critical essay on Macbeth, "Shakespeare and the Hazards of Ambition," Robert N. Watson comments asserts that ambition becomes the enemy of all life, especially that of the ambitious man himself, in this play (Watson 31).   Shakespeare puts on displays a man's lifelong aspiration that seems to be fulfilled, but at the cost of his mental and emotional well-being.   Macbeth's desire to gain wealth and status completely overpowers him, reducing him to something less than human.   Macbeth becomes ever more ambitious as his wife goads him and the witches tease him with more prophecie... ...them to walk away with a win.   Sometimes this is found out and the athletes are stripped of their honors; other times, the drugs are found in the athlete's corpse.   In either case, as with Macbeth, blind ambition can lead to a downfall, or even to death.    Works Cited and Consulted: Dominic, C. Catherine. Shakespeare's Characters for Students. Detroit - New York - Toronto - London: Gale Research, 1997. Garber, Marjorie. "Macbeth: The Male Medusa." Shakespeare's Late Tragedies, ed. Susan L. Wofford. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1996, 74-103. Scott, W. Mark, ed. Shakespeare for Students. Detroit - Washington, D.C.: Gale research, 1992. Staunton, Howard, ed. The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare. New York: Gramercy Books, 1979. Watson, Robert N. Shakespeare and the Hazards of Ambition. Cambidge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1984

Jones Case Study

Jones Case Study Scenario 1: Since it seems like the Jones’ are set on having a family and that family is important to them this scenario will focus more on what could be best for them to do to make sure their family life is stable. In this scenario it seems to me that Jim needs to find a job closer to home that maybe works him a little less. He has stated that he would like to spend more time with his son and that could be achieved by working closer to home. The commute itself would save him about 7 hours weekly that he could spend with his child.Jim has also mentioned that his job isn’t particularly exciting so this might be his chance to go after something he likes more while giving him more time at home. Since his wife makes more money it might not be bad if he took a little pay cut as well in order to accomplish his goals. As far as Lisa goes if having a family is truly a main priority for them she may not want to take the job in Atlanta. She already has a job that makes quite a bit and a move to Atlanta would only mean more work and probably would mean that they wouldn’t be able to have another child for a couple of years.Also moving to a bigger city will also mean that they will have to find new child care which may cost more, another home which will cost more and Jim will have to definitely find another job which could put a strain on the marriage if he is unsuccessful or if he is making considerably less that she is. I see the best outcome with this scenario if Jim can find a job closer to home in order to spend more time with his son and also find a change of pace with his job. Lisa would need to stick with her current position in order to make having a bigger family more attainable for the moment.Scenario 2: If Jim and Lisa put a priority on being financially secure and more so value Lisa’s career then these are some options they might consider. First off Lisa would definitely need to take the promotion and they would move to Atlanta. This would be great because they would definitely have enough money for their home as well as childcare. They would also have more financial security and would be better able to save for things like their kids education and retirement since Lisa is now making more money than both of them were combined.If Jim also found another job they would be very secure financially and potentially with the move it might open up more job options for Jim and he may find something that he enjoys more. Moving to a bigger city also opens up the options for better childcare and better education for their children in the future should their family grow. However as mentioned in the last scenario this may put a strain on the marriage if Jim is unsuccessful in finding another job. Also this new job for Lisa will probably mean more hours at work and less time with the family.It will probably also mean not having another child for quite sometime and maybe never depending on what her new roles ar e at her job. The family might definitely have to be put on the backburner for a little while as the transition occurs. Scenario 3: This scenario would be kind of an extreme mix of the two previous scenarios. Since Jim has stated that he wants to spend more time with their son he could possibly become a stay at home dad. Lisa could take the job in Atlanta, which would definitely make more than enough money to support a family of three especially since they could cut childcare costs.Some cons to this situation however would be that they would have to overcome the social stigma of having the wife work and the dad stay at home. That would be the biggest challenge in my opinion. Especially if Jim started to feel like his worth had been diminished. This could definitely put a strain on the marriage. Also Lisa would have to deal with turning over her motherly duties somewhat and spend less time with the family. She would also probably not be able to have kids anytime soon as well but if t hey decided to at least this way she wouldn’t have to take as much time off since Jim would be home tending to the new child.Jim could also start up some type of business he could run at home. This would allow him to feel like he is contributing to the family income but also spend time with the kids. Reflection: This assignment is a good preparation for big decisions that we all make in our lives. One thing that it shows is that there are many possible solutions to any problem and that we must look at the risks and rewards with each and decides which is best for our own unique family situation. These decisions would be much easier for a family with no children vs. family that already has 3 or 4 kids. If my wife and I were presented with the same situation I would think that we would follow scenario 1 the closest since family is most important to us. Neither of us are really looking to make a lot of money and for myself I wouldn’t mind being a stay at home dad. My wife may object but I love kids and spending time with them and if my wife was offered a job that paid a lot of money, enough to support a family, and it was something that she wanted to do and was passionate about I would like to think that I would support her in doing that.Every family is different though and needs to meet different needs so there is no wrong or right way to go about this. I personally believe that family should always come first but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to spend a lot of time with them. I think it is important though that you are there for your spouse or your kids when they need you and that you are there to support them in the things that they do. If they feel your love and support I don’t think it matters how many hours you work or how much money you make.

Inderstanding Consumer Behaviour Towards Luxury Products Essay

Studying consumer behaviour enables marketing researchers to predict how consumers will react to promotional messages and to understand why they make the purchase decision they do. Marketers realized that if they know more about the consumer decision making criteria, they can design marketing strategies and promotional messages that will influence consumers more effectively. The importance of consumer behaviour made marketers to think of a separate branch in marketing research – Consumer research, to deal exclusively for consumer related issues. The current focus of this report is on study of underlying needs and motives in taking purchase decisions, consumer learning process and attitude formation process. The study has been initiated for Club Mahindra Holidays. The purpose of this study is to analyze consumer perceptions of luxury products and the factors that influence his purchase decisions. The objective is to understand consumer behaviour towards luxury products and the steps followed while purchasing it. To achieve the above objectives, we first look at how luxury goods are different from regular goods and then go on to explore some facets and trends of the luxury goods as well as their market and consumers. We will understand the definition of luxury products through secondary research. Post secondary research we will develop few hypotheses which will give us the direction for our next step ie Qualitative Research. We will use interview method in qualitative research which will give an insight into the mindset of the consumers and their purchase steps involved and then follow it up with quantitative research (survey method). Through this we will quantify our findings for the Indian luxury consumer and their buying behaviour. We will analyze the factors that influence the consumers in buying the luxury products. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 4 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Research Abstract Scope: This project is a part of a job assigned to the planning department. This project is an initiative taken to understand the behaviour of consumers towards luxury products. Purchase of a luxury product involves lot of planning and research before taking any decision. There are number of factors that affect an individual?s decision making process as well as his choice about the product. These factors are different for different types of luxury product. A research into these aspects will give us an insight into the mindset of the consumer and will help to study the consumer better. Method: Primary research was done in two steps. ? Qualitative Research – Depth Interview Method ? Quantitative Research – Survey Method 1) Qualitative Research: For qualitative research, few high income people were asked open ended questions which were formulated based on the secondary research and in line with the hypothesis. Depth interview of 10 people were taken which gave an insight into their purchase behavior and their decision making process for a luxury good. Based on this interviews and a further review of the secondary research reports, a final survey questionnaire was prepared. 2) Quantitative Research: For quantitative research, after making the initial questionnaire it was pretested with 5 participants and was improvised. The final sample was 30 with target group being A and A+ socio-economic class people. In June 2009, the survey was conducted to observe the behavior pattern of consumers in buying luxury products. This allowed us to find out about the behaviour of the consumer towards luxury products across various income groups. Also we asked them about what all factors Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 5 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products influence them to buy such products and which brand of products do they feel are luxurious. We also understood the price range that they feel makes the product luxurious. Thus in future while designing any interactive campaign the output of this survey would be of great use for positioning the product as a luxury product. Also some secondary data was mined regarding what exactly influences an individual? s decision. Conclusion: Luxury products are high involvement products which require high thinking and are defined by their exclusivity and brand. They are mostly bought as a symbol of status. People have high emotional attachment with luxury products and are mostly influenced by their family members in decision making as most of the products are bought for family use. These products are also used as a means to gift their closed ones. Endorsing a film star or sport personality does not affect the image of a luxury product to a great extent. Luxury products give a feeling of pride and most of the purchase decision making is influenced by family members especially spouse. This entire initiative was one of its kinds and will help the INTERFACE COMMUNICATION to design its campaigns for Club Mahindra Holidays in a way to advertise them as a luxury club. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 6. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Acknowledgement I would like to give my sincere thanks to my Industry Project Guide Mr. Nilesh Talreja, Senior Executive, Strategic Planning, Interface Communications and Ms. Nahid Elavia, Account Planner, Strategic Planning for their kind support and guidance during my project and also for providing me with a great opportunity to work with such a valuable organization. I would also like to thank Mrs. Shamla Sathe, Account Planning Head for giving me this great opportunity to work with Account Planning Department. It is her visionary thinking, which has been the guiding force for whole of the division and my report. I would also like to thank Mr. Amit Dhokai, my colleague, who has provided me with the necessary information and his valuable suggestion and comments on bringing out this project in the best possible way. I would also like to thank all the faculties at SIMSR who have helped me directly or indirectly in the completion of this project. I thank Interface Communications (A part of Draft FCB+Ulka) for such a valuable learning experience. Thank you Jitesh A Sanghvi MMS – 137 (2008-2010) K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 7 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Sr. No. 1 2 2. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Company Overview Secondary Research Luxury Products: Getting to know luxury 2. 2 2. 3 Difference between regular & luxury goods Consumer Behavior: What is Consumer Buying Behaviour 2. 4 2. 5 2. 6 Stages of Consumer Buying Behaviour Types of Consumer Buying Behaviour Consumer Involvement: Causes of Consumer Involvement 2. 7 3 4 4. 1 4. 2 5 6 Models of Consumer Involvement Research Method Primary Research Qualitative Analysis Quantitative Analysis Recommendations Appendix 23 26 28 30 35 59 60 17 19 21 15 16 Page No. 9 12 14 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 8 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products LIST OF FIGURES & CHARTS Sr. No 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 Particulars Difference between regular and Luxury goods Stages of Consumer Buying Behavior Consumer Involvement Page No. 15 18 20 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 9 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products COMPANY OVERVIEW. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 10 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products About Interface Communications History Interface Communications is the second agency of the Draft FCB Ulka group. The Draft FCB Ulka group has a 125 year heritage of pioneering concepts which define advertising and a 40 year heritage in India. Interface has grown from a single office to 5 offices in India and is one of the 1st few Indian agencies to boast of a pan Asia network. We are a team of 115 professionals across Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai. Interface is the first Indian agency brand that has gone beyond India. Interface has opened offices in Malaysia, Hong Kong, China. In 2003 we launched operations in Taiwan, Singapore. Work with some of the best known brands in each country. Business Interface is a second agency that is created to handle large scale clients. We work with some of the biggest brands across sectors from FMCG to automobiles, from real estate to finance companies, from consumer durables to holidays and many more. Majority of our clients are industry leaders and we are proud to be their strategic partners. Our clients have stuck by us as we are a process driven company. We have our share of global proprietary tools to provide a strategic edge to the clients we work with. Some of the more often used tools include: ? ? ? Mind and Mood and Moments The Wheel VIP and ICON Inspite of being process driven we are still a very people oriented organization. Our teams work together like a family and there is at all times a casual and jovial Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 11 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products. work environment maintained. We believe in an open door policy where any employee can express himself/ herself freely. As an organization we believe in constant learning and thus stress on training and development at all times. The Draft FCB Ulka group is one of the only advertising agencies in India to run a 2 month long training program for fresh recruits. This program called ‘The Star One training’ is a rigorous training ground for the future advertising biggies. This program is an annual feature and has been going strong for more than a decade. Draft FCB Ulka and Interface are some of the few agencies to have a very low attrition rate and most of the senior level management have been with the company on an average for more than 15 years which is a long time in advertising which sees constant churn. We at Interface live the values we believe in and for us our mantra is : We provide strategic communications partnership to our clients – to help sell their brands today, and build brand value over time Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 12 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Secondary Research on luxury products Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing. Page 13 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Secondary Research: Luxury Products Getting to know luxury Luxury brands have often been associated with the core competences of creativity, exclusivity, craftsmanship, precision, high quality, innovation and premium pricing. These product attributes give the consumers the satisfaction of not only owning expensive items but the extra-added psychological benefits like esteem, prestige and a sense of a high status that reminds them and others that they belong to an exclusive group of only a select few, who can afford these pricey items. The luxury sector targets its products and services at consumers on the top-end of the wealth spectrum. These self-selected elite are more or less price insensitive and choose to spend their time and money on objects that are plainly opulence rather than necessities. For these reasons, luxury and prestige brands have for centuries commanded an unwavering and often illogical customer loyalty. Luxury has never been something easy to define, yet this mystery concept is something highly desired by one and all alike. We look at delving deeper into this mystery and aura of luxury goods by way of comparing them against „regular goods? as well as highlighting the characteristics of the luxury industry. But before beginning with that, lets first attempt to understand some common terms associated in the world of high-end goods : ? Luxury and prestige brands such as Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Cartier represent the highest form of craftsmanship and command a staunch consumer loyalty that is not affected by trends. These brands create and set the seasonal trends and are also capable to pulling all of their consumers with them wherever they go. ? Premium brands are those brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger that aspire to be luxury and prestige brands but their marketing mix strategies are more attuned to a mass market, albeit a luxury mass market. They are also termed as mass-premium brands or mass-luxury brands. ? Fashion brands on the other hand are those that address the masses. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 14 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Difference between regular & luxury goods Fig 1. 1 Differences between Regular and Luxury Goods Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 15. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Consumer Behaviour What is Consumer Behaviour Buying Behaviour is the decision processes and acts of people involved in buying and using products. Consumer Buying Behaviour refers to the buying behaviour of the ultimate consumer. A firm needs to analyze buying behaviour for: ? Buyers reactions to a firms marketing strategy has a great impact on the firms success. ? The marketing concept stresses that a firm should create a Marketing Mix (MM) that satisfies (gives utility to) customers, therefore need to analyze the what, where, when and how consumers buy. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 16 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Stages of Consumer Buying Behaviour Fig 1. 2 Stages of Consumer Buying Behaviour The above figure shows Six Stages to the Consumer Buying Decision Process (For complex decisions). Actual purchasing is only one stage of the process. Not all decision processes lead to a purchase. All consumer decisions do not always include all 6 stages, determined by the degree of complexity†¦ discussed next. The 6 stages are: 1. Problem Recognition (awareness of need)–difference between the desired state and the actual condition. Deficit in assortment of products. Hunger-Food. Hunger stimulates your need to eat. Can be stimulated by the marketer through product information–did not know you were deficient? i. e. you see a commercial for a new pair of shoes, stimulates your recognition that you need a new pair of shoes. 2. Information search-o Internal search, memory. Page 17 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products o External search if you need more information. Friends and relatives (word of mouth). Marketer dominated sources; comparison shopping; public sources etc. A successful information search leaves a buyer with possible alternatives, the evoked set. Hungry, want to go out and eat, evoked set is o o o o Chinese food Indian food Burger king Klondike kates etc 3. Evaluation of Alternatives–need to establish criteria for evaluation, features the buyer wants or does not want. Rank/weight alternatives or resume search. May decide that you want to eat something spicy, Indian gets highest rank etc. If not satisfied with your choice then returns to the search phase. Can you think of another restaurant? Look in the yellow pages etc. Information from different sources may be treated differently. Marketers try to influence by â€Å"framing† alternatives. 4. Purchase decision–Choose buying alternative, includes product, package, store, method of purchase etc. 5. Purchase–May differ from decision, time lapse between 4 & 5, product availability. 6. Post-Purchase Evaluation–outcome: Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction. Cognitive Dissonance, have you made the right decision. This can be reduced by warranties, after sales communication etc. After eating an Indian meal, you may think that you really wanted a Chinese meal instead. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 18 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Types of Consumer Buying Behaviour There are four types of consumer buying behaviour which are as follows: ? Routine Response/Programmed Behaviour–buying low involvement frequently purchased low cost items; need very little search and decision effort; purchased almost automatically. Examples include soft drinks, snack foods, milk etc. ? Limited Decision Making–buying product occasionally. When you need to obtain information about unfamiliar brand in a familiar product category, perhaps. Requires a moderate amount of time for information gathering. Examples include Clothes–know product class but not the brand. ? Extensive Decision Making/Complex high involvement, unfamiliar, expensive and / or infrequently bought products (Luxury Products). High degree of economic / performance / psychological risk. Examples include cars, homes, computers, education. Spend a lot of time seeking information and deciding. Information from the companies MM; friends and relatives, store personnel etc. Go through all six stages of the buying process. ? Impulse buying, no conscious planning. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing. Page 19 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Consumer Involvement Some consumers are characterized as being more involved in products and shopping than others. A consumer who is highly involved with a product would be interested in knowing a lot about it before purchasing. Hence he reads brochures thoroughly, compares brands and models available at different outlets, asks questions, and looks for recommendations. Thus consumer involvement can be defined as heightened state of awareness that motivates consumers to seek out, attend to, and think about product information prior to purchase. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 20 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Causes of consumer involvement The factors that influences consumer involvement include personal, product and situational. ? Personal Factors Self-concept, needs and values are the three personal factors that influence the extent of consumer involvement in a product or service. The more product image, the value symbolism inherent in it and the needs it serves are fitting together with the consumer self- image, values and needs, the more likely the consumer is to feel involved in it. Celebrities for example share a certain self image, certain values, and certain needs. They tend to use products and services that reflect their life style. They get highly involved in purchasing prestigious products like designer wear, imported cars, health care products etc. ? Product Factors The consumer involvement grows as the level of perceived risk in the purchase of a good or service increases. It is likely that consumers will feel more involved in the purchase of their house than in the purchase of tooth paste, it is a much riskier purchase. Product differentiation affects involvement. The involvement increases as the number of alternatives that they have to choose from increases. This may be due to the fact that consumers feel variety which means greater risk. The pleasure one gets by using a product or service can also influence involvement. Some products are a greater source of pleasure to the consumer than others. Tea and coffee have a high level of hedonic (pleasure) value compared to, say household cleaners. Hence the involvement is high. Involvement increases when a product gains public attention. Any product, that is socially visible or that is consumed in public, demands high involvement. For example, involvement in the purchase of car is more than the purchase of household items. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 21 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products ? Situational Factors The situation in which the product is brought or used can generate emotional involvement. The reason for purchase or purchase occasion affects involvement. For example, buying a pair of socks for yourself is far less involved than buying a gift for a close friend. Social pressure can significantly increase involvement. One is likely to be more self conscious about the products and brands one looks at when shopping with friends than when shopping alone. The need to make a fast decision also influences involvement. A consumer who needs a new refrigerator and sees a „one- day- only sale? at an appliances retailer does not have the time to shop around and compare different brands and prices. The eminence of the decision heightens involvement. The involvement is high when the decision is irrevocable, for example when the retailer does not accept return or exchange on the sale items. Thus involvement may be from outside the individual, as with situational involvement or from within the individual as with enduring involvement. It can be induced by a host of personal-product-and situation related factors, many of which can be controlled by the marketer. It affects the ways in which consumers see, process, and send information to others. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 22 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Models of consumer involvement Learn-Feel-Do Hierarchy Model Buying decisions vary according to the way there are taken. Some decisions are taken with lot of thinking; others are taken with great feelings. Some are made through force of habit and others are made consciously. The learn-feel-do hierarchy is simple matrix that attributes consumer choice to information (learn), attitude (feel), and behaviour (do) issues. The matrix has four quadrants, each specifying a major marketing communication goal to be informative, to be effective, to be habit forming, or promote self-satisfaction. Thinking and feeling are shown as a continuum – some decisions involve one or the other and many involve elements of both. High and low importance is also represented as a continuum. Fig 1. 3 Consumer Involvement ? High Involvement / High Thinking Purchases in first quadrant require more information, both because of the importance of the product to the consumer and thinking issues related to the purchases. Major purchases such as cars, houses and other expensive and infrequently buying items come under this category. The strategy model is learn-feel-do. Marketers have to furnish full information to get consumer acceptance of the product. Luxury products fall in this category. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 23. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products ? High Involvement / High Feeling The purchase decisions in second quadrant involve less of information than feeling. Typical purchases tied to self-esteem- jewellery, apparel, cosmetics and accessories come under this category. The strategy model is feel-learndo. To encourage purchases marketers must approach customers with emotion and appeal. ? Low Involvement / Low Feeling The purchases in this quadrant are motivated primarily by the need to satisfy personal tastes, many of which are influenced by self-image. Products like news paper, soft drinks, Liquor etc., fall under this category. Group influences often lead to the purchase of these items. The strategy model is do-feel-learn. It helps marketers to promote products through reference groups and other social factors. ? Low Involvement / Low Thinking It involves less in thinking and more of habitual buying. Products like stationery, groceries, food etc. , fall under this category. Over a period of time any product can fall in this segment. The role of information is to differentiate any „point of difference? from competitors. Brand loyalty may result simply from the habit. The strategy model is do-learn-feel. It suggests that marketers induce trial through various sales promotion techniques. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 24 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Research Method: The study is classified based on the consumer buying preferences and factors that influence purchase decisions. The research method adopted is exploratory as the research is still in its initial stage and the preliminary information that will be gathered will help in defining the problems and suggest hypotheses. We are set to learn about consumer behaviour across various product categories of luxury. We intend to understand the influence of various factors including family members and friends on purchase decision, emotional attachment with the product, purchase of counterfeit products and endorsing a film or sports personality for luxury product. We also want to understand purchase behaviour for car, planning of holidays and perception of holiday clubs. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 25 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products PRIMARY RESEARCH Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 26 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Primary Research: Methods Primary research was done in two steps. ? Qualitative Research – Depth Interview Method ? Quantitative Research – Survey Method 1) Qualitative Research: For qualitative research, few high income people were asked open ended questions which were formulated based on the secondary research and in line with the hypothesis. Depth interview of 10 people were taken which gave an insight into their purchase behavior and their decision making process for a luxury good. Based on this interviews and a further review of the secondary research reports, a final survey questionnaire was prepared. 2) Quantitative Research: For quantitative research, after making the initial questionnaire it was pretested with 5 participants and was improvised. The final sample was 30 with target group being A and A+ socio-economic class people. In June 2009, the survey was conducted to observe the behavior pattern of consumers in buying luxury products. Purpose Based on the existing data and the findings of the survey, it can be understood what influences a consumer to buy a luxury product and how to reach a consumer. The different perspectives of luxury products from a consumer?s point of view can be understood giving a detailed insight as to how to position a product as luxury product. Consumer? s expectations from a luxury product will help us to understand the modifications needed in a product to be categorized as luxurious product. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 27 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Sampling Sampling procedure: The sample is selected in a random way, but those having a car with nearly worth more than 5lakhs. It was collected through mails and personal visits to the known persons, by formal and informal talks and through filling up the questionnaire prepared. The data has been analyzed by using the graphical method prepared in Microsoft Excel. Sample size: The sample size of my project is limited to 30 only. This is limited due to time constraints. Sample design: Data has been presented with the help of bar graph, pie charts, stacked graphs etc. Limitation: ? Time limitation ? Research has been done only at Mumbai ? Some of the persons were not so responsive ? Possibility of error in data collection ? Possibility of error in analysis of data due to small sample size Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 28. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Analysis: In qualitative research, a personal interview was conducted of 10 people to understand the perception of luxury products and their purchase decision making process. The layout of the interview was: Warm up General details about the person, his family background, his interests and his lifestyle Luxury Product To understand their perception of luxury products and steps involved in purchasing a luxury product. Car, Holiday & Club To understand his perception of a luxurious holiday and his planning process while going on a holiday. To understand his attitude towards clubs and decision making of a car Factors influencing To understand various factors that influence his decision for buying a particular luxury product. For qualitative questionnaire see appendix 1 For quantitative questionnaire see appendix 2 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 29 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Qualitative Analysis: The Depth Interviews conducted gave some valuable insights into the mindset of the consumer? s perception about luxury products and their decision making process during purchase. Some of the interesting responses based on which quantitative questionnaire was made are as follows: 1) What is your opinion about luxury products? â€Å"Depends, it may be different for different people. DVD, TV and other stuffs would be luxury for me. † â€Å"They are good for show off† â€Å"Luxury products are created by seller. They are not necessities for a buyer but a need has been created by the seller. The way the products are advertised, branded and presented, a need is created to buy it. † â€Å"First and foremost it gives you a satisfaction in life, satisfaction that you are making use of the dreams that are available in the market. It can also be used as a status symbol. † â€Å"If you can afford it one must consider luxury products. What is the point if you can earn so much money and still don’t spend on luxury products? † Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 30 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Observation: Luxury Products have different perceptions with different people. Some think it is a need created by buyer where as some feel these are products good for show-off. Some consider it as a status symbol. 2) Is luxury a necessity? â€Å"Today a four vehicle has become a necessity. Though a four wheeler is a luxury still it becomes a necessity. Second example is the latest technology mobile phones. We use mobile phones even while travelling, before sleeping, after getting up, checking emails. So whatever you say about these products they have become a necessity. † â€Å"It is all in the minds of the people. If they get attracted to the promotions of the product and offers, it becomes a necessity for them. As said earlier, the need is created by the seller. † 3) Name a few luxury products? Expensive Car/Bike Jewellery Club Membership Branded Perfumes Travel Holidays Expensive Car/Bike Big House Jewellery Trendy Mobile Club Membership Travel Holidays. Club Membership Travel Holidays Electronic Gadgets Branded Perfumes Branded Apparels Club Membership Electronic Gadgets Travel Holidays Branded Perfumes Branded Apparels Observation: Club Membership, Travel Holidays and Expensive Car/Bike are considered Luxury products whereas other products like Jewellery, Electronic Gadgets, Branded Perfumes and Branded Apparels are considered semi-luxury products. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 31 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products 4) Can you take us through the entire process of buying this product right from the wish to buy – actual purchase? â€Å"My process to buy a new house started 10-12 years back. I saw an advertisement in the newspaper and then went and saw the house. Once finalised, I took a loan, sold the old house and bought this new house. † â€Å"My old car was giving me lot of problem. So I decided to buy this new car. I wished to buy this a year back. I didn’t want to take loan, so saved money for a year and finally bought this. In this period, the prices went down, so it helped me. † â€Å"I had a car before I bought this new one. It took me 2 years to buy this. It was the European car of the year. I saw the ad in the newspaper and decided I wanted to buy this. Observation: Purchase of a luxury product requires lot of planning and it takes many months to buy such high value products. Proper research and information needs to be obtained about the product before finalising the product. 5) What is your opinion of holiday clubs? Would you consider them as a luxury holiday club? â€Å"If you travel around a lot, than it is worth. It is not a luxury holiday because they have different offers which are affordable by most of the people. † â€Å"I would consider it as a luxury. Most of these packages are designed in such a manner that you can get discount during weekdays. Weekends are expensive. So those are the times when you have time. † â€Å"They are good and give you the necessary relaxation. I don? t consider them entirely luxury because nowadays most of the people can afford it. † Observation: Opinions about holiday clubs are varied as there is not clear understanding of necessity. There are number of clubs providing cheap holidays and hence clubs seem to be losing on the title of luxury club. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 32 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products 6) Would you buy a counterfeit Rolex watch for a cheaper price? â€Å"I am not a watch person so I would definitely go for a counterfeit. But for.

The Age Of Innocence Essays

The Age Of Innocence Essays The Age Of Innocence Essay The Age Of Innocence Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: The Age Of Innocence The age of innocence is a book on choices. It is the story of how the character Newland Archer finds himself happily engaged to May Welland a beautiful young woman who happens to be sophisticated, polite and well mannered, and it certainly does not hurt that she is an aristocrat. He believes that he has finally found what he was looking for and is looking for a life of blissful happiness with her. He then meets Countess Ellen Olenska, May’s cousin from America, who is in the process of separation from her husband who he finds to be beautiful but lacking charm. At first, he is concerned that his innocent young fiancee is sitting next to a woman whose morals he considers questionable notwithstanding the fact that they are cousins. He has heard gossip among men and is surprised by rumors of her infidelity toward her husband, whom she is planning to divorce. The beginning of the book the author sets a scene of elegance, affluence where the author distinguishes between what is proper in that time and age, and what is distasteful conduct. She also shows the close bond between Archer and May, which is evident in the fact that even through non-verbal communication they understand each other perfectly and are in harmony. The author also shows that acceptance into this â€Å"club† is characterized by affluence, good etiquette and how well one can conceal their unpleasant side. Archer considers his own good fortune at his engagement to May who he deems perfect. On the subject of Ellen’s divorce, He opines that it should be granted as he advocates that she is deserving of the same rights, as any man should. He listens to Ellen’s critiques and opinions and though he feels they should not be brought up, he nonetheless finds them insightful. He also muses that his fiancee is a product of the society she was brought up in, and regards her as so bonded with her lifestyle that anything different would be unsuited to her persona. As Archer learns more of Ellen’s background, he becomes somewhat sympathetic toward her. Ellen narrates to him how it feels when the society in new York wishes her to be someone she is not. Moreover, she states that the reason society imposes this on her is that it causes them discomfort to view anything different than what they are used to. She believes that the society judges her more harshly than necessary. While ke en to fit into the New York scene, she is not willing to subject her personality to any changes. After a spell, bored of the monotony of his life, Archer tries to convince May to move up the wedding date even suggesting elopement, which May finds funny. Here, he begins to view her imperfections are such that she cannot even think for herself going as far as comparing her to a cavefish. He thinks her too set in her ways. Meanwhile, he comes across a letter that would be damaging to Ellen’s reputation and attempts to convince Ellen’s husband not to go through with his intended divorce. The letter makes Archer judgmental of Ellen, and he views her disdainfully due to the allegations of adultery against her. Archer watches a scene, which particularly moves him and makes him contemplate his relationship with Ellen. In the scene, he watches an actor turn back and not notice her lover kissing a ribbon that hangs from her neck. This reminds him of his and Ellen’s relationship, which he feels, is filled with chances that were missed and which he cannot reclaim. Archer meets his friend Ned, a failed author and during their conversation, he is reminded of how narrow and constricted his own life is. Archer joins May on vacation and is happy to see her, but his mind is dulled by the simplicity of her’s. He again tries to convince her to shorten their engagement. She mentions to him that he is trying to do so because he may still be in love with a past mistress. Archer meets Ellen after he comes back from his vacation and states his love for her, telling her that he would break off his engagement, and she would finalize her divorce, and they would be together. Ellen refuses this stating that she would not like to cause anyone pain. She asks him to be practical and after he states that, he would rather see her dead than return to her husband she states, â€Å"You say that because it’s the easiest thing to say at this moment- not because it’s true.† After the Archers’ wedding, while on honeymoon, archer is still surprised by May’s naivete and gives up on her stating, â€Å"There was no use in trying to educate a wife who had not the dimmest notion that she was not free.† Their honeymoon is three months long and Archer slowly forgets Ellen referring to her as a â€Å"ghost†. On return to New York, he is sent by Ellen’s grandmother to go see her. He finds her at a beach with her back to him and states that he will not go to her if she does not turn to face him. After she refuses, he leaves her alone, mentally ending his relationship with her. Archer is soon bored of the repetitiveness of his married life. He decides to visit the country hoping to bump into Ellen there, but does not find her. He decides to go to Boston on business where he runs into Ellen. He questions her about the day on the beach, and she states that she purposely did not turn back. She reveals to him that her husband is offering a vast amount for her return and that she is considering it. She also reveals to be heartbroken about their separation and claims that she cannot even return to Europe because she does not wish to be far from him. Ellen and May become friends to the delight of Archer. Ellen stays close to take care of her grandmother who has had a stroke and Archer is glad that she is close. Abruptly, Ellen leaves and May reveals to Archer that she is pregnant. She then tells him that she had told Ellen of her pregnancy tow weeks earlier. It becomes clear to Archer during Ellen’s farewell party that everyone thought they had been having an affair for years and this surprised. May dies of pneumonia abruptly after nursing their youngest son back to health. At the end of the book, we see that Archer had misjudged May too harshly. He saw her as a naive, foolish woman whose only assets were her beauty but it seems that she was much more perceptive that he gave her credit. May was on many occasions able to deduce Archer’s feelings, and this is most clearly seen at the end, when her son tells his father that she had once â€Å"made him give up what he wanted most† referring to his relationship wi th Ellen, which she had known about.

Bureaucracy in the United States Essays

Bureaucracy in the United States Essays Bureaucracy in the United States Essay Bureaucracy in the United States Essay Some examples of bureaucracy in the United States are:the International Revenue Service, which collects taxes from citizens.The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which looks into crimes for American citizens.The Postal Service, which delivers mail to citizens and the Health Care Financing Administration, which reimburses states fro money, spent on health care for the poor. An Iron Triangle is the relationship among an agency, a committee and an interest group.For example the Department of Veterans Affairs is a triangle made up of the house and Senate committees on Veteran Affairs and Veterans organizations.These three would make up a strong alliance with each other.The department would do what the committee wanted them to do and in return get political support and budget appropriations and the committee would do what the department wanted and in return get votes and campaign contributions. The Department of Housing and Urban Developing is also and Iron Triangle because it works clo sely with mayors and real-estate agents. Another example of this is the Department of Agriculture, which works closely with form agencies.The Small Business Administration works closely with congress and loan programs that make it so strong that even the most popular President cannot beat them.The Federal Communications Commission works with broadcasters and heads of cable-television companies.They however are feeling the pressure of separate demands coming from both the television guys as well as the broadcasters. The common government agency today is not an iron triangle but an issue network.An issue network consists of people in Washington based interest groups, on congressional staffs, in universities and think tanks, and in the mass media who regularly debate government policy on a certain subject.The networks are split along political, ideological, and economic lines.

Major Literary Publications of the Harlem Renaissance

Major Literary Publications of the Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance is a period in American History marked by an explosion of expression by African-American and Caribbean writers, visual artists and musicians. Established and supported by organizations such as the  National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Urban League (NUL), Harlem Renaissance artists explored themes such as legacy, racism, oppression, alienation, rage, hope and pride through the creation of novels, essays, plays, and poetry. In its 20-year spanfrom 1917 to 1937Harlem Renaissance writers created an authentic voice for African-Americans that showed their humanity and desire for equality in United States society. 1917 Asa Philip Randolph and Chandler Owen co-found the political and literary magazine, The Messenger. 1919 Writer and educator Jessie Redmon Fauset  becomes the literary editor of the NAACPs publication, The Crisis. 1922 Claude McKay publishes his first volume of poetry, Harlem Shadows. The collection is considered the first major text of the Harlem Renaissance.James Weldon Johnsons anthology, Book of American Negro Poetry, is published.​ 1923 Jean Toomers Cane is published.The NUL establishes the journal, Opportunity. Charles S. Johnson serves as the journals editor. 1924 As editor of Opportunity, Johnson hosts a dinner at the Civic Club in New York City. This dinner is considered the official launching of the Harlem Renaissance. 1925 The literary magazine, Survey Graphic, publishes a special issue, Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro. The issue is edited by Alain Locke.Color, Countee Cullens first collection of poetry is published. 1926 Locke edits the anthology, The New Negro. The collection is an expanded version of Survey Graphics, Harlem issue.Langston Hughes publishes his first book of poetry, The Weary Blues.The short-lived literary and artistic magazine, Fire!! is published. Hughes, Wallace Thurman, Zora Neale Hurston, Aaron Douglas and Richard Bruce Nugent are founding editors of the magazine.White writer Carl Van Vechten publishes Nigger Heaven. 1927 James Weldon Johnsons collection of poems, Gods Trombones, inspired by sermons of African-American preachers is published. 1928 McKay publishes his first novel, Home to Harlem. The text becomes the first bestselling novel by an African-American author. 1929 Thurman publishes his first novel, The Blacker the Berry. 1930 Hughes novel, Not Without Laughter, is published.Journalist George Schuyler publishes the satirical novel, Black No More. 1932   Sterling Browns  collection of poetry, Southern Road, is published. 1933 Public Works Administration (PWA) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) are established. Both agencies provide jobs to many African-American artists, such as Hurston. 1937 Hurstons second novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is published. The novel is considered the last novel of the Harlem Renaissance.

Assignment 4 women psy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment 4 women psy - Essay Example Feminists were serious in proving their arguments. Meta-analytical researches were done. Such researches yielded a variety of results and explanations. In some experiments where subjects were informed that the tests they will take were either gender-fair or not, subjects would usually perform in accordance to their pre-conceived notions about the test. One example is Spencer’s experiment on the differences in math abilities of males and females. College students of equivalent math backgrounds took math tests. Half were told that the math test showed gender differences in the past and half were told that the test has been shown to be gender fair. As expected, among those who believed that the test was gender fair, there were no gender differences in performance, however, with those who believed it showed gender differences, women under-performed compared to men. This may be explained that stereotypes about women faring less than men in mathematics may have affected their perfor mance. Such researches imply that stereotypes have the power to dictate how people may behave in certain situations. At the same time, it may be used as an excuse whenever people fail or succeed at one point or another, lessening accountability on the person himself. In the case of the experiment discussed, women may use the stereotype that they are weaker in math whenever they encounter difficult math problems. There are some theories that gender differences may spring from a biological reason, that males are differently wired from females, that they might have more hormones that may trigger aggressive tendencies and other stereotyped behaviors for males. Other theories attribute gender differences in social learning, that boys and girls behave the way they do because they have been trained as society expects them to- that girls are â€Å"sugar and spice and everything nice† and boys

The Changing World of Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Changing World of Work - Research Paper Example In the last ten years, jobs have been outsourced in large numbers and a dramatic change has occurred in the location and method of work. Another key driver of the modern and more importantly, the future age is diversity in the workplace. The transformation of the world into a global village has removed the cultural barriers. More and more people migrate to other countries every year for studies, work or both. This has made society multicultural in general and the workplace in particular. There is the diversity of age, gender, culture, language, ethnicity, religion and caste. All of these factors of diversity give rise to the variety of perspectives which are quite beneficial for organizations in the competitive environment, but at the same time, also expose the organization to a lot of risks. Some of the risks include racism and dysfunctional conflicts among the employees whereas benefits include larger market value because of a diverse population of customers. Managers have experien ced a significant increase in job responsibilities as they have to not only address the needs of the customers but also have to fulfill the increased demands of employees. According to (Heerden), research concludes that young employees fundamentally look for three things in the changing world of work. They are briefly discussed below: 1. Opportunities for learning and development: Young people seek jobs where work would be challenging, yet they want to be rewarded upon succeeding. Professional growth at work is the biggest attraction for young job seekers. People want to serve in different positions and perform different roles in order to gain maximum experience. 2. Selection in a renowned organization which would decide the career path: In order to keep employees satisfied and motivated for work, employers need to share their strategies with employees and explain to them how their strategies are consistent with the requirements of the business. Thus, employees need to be engaged in work for which the employee-employer rapport is extremely essential. 3. Flexibility in life: Having achieved a higher standard of living, one of the key priorities of all working people is to have increased control over their personal and social life. The conventional 40 hr week that has been so for long is now changing. People want the freedom of duty hours and employers often have no problem unless the work is affected. In today’s work environment, ways to communicate have altered a lot. The changing trends impact many industries and hence, the career plans. A look into the future: In light of the aforementioned preferences of employees in the work environment, the work environment in the future would be more complying with the employees’ desires as it has in the past. It is obvious that an electronic system would be increased in use in the future. Therefore, it makes sense to assess the future work conditions for employees keeping the electronic system into conside ration.  

Subway fast food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Subway fast food - Essay Example The business opens up more than 500 outlets to its business every year. The company is the most prominent example of a successful franchising business that has grown hugely over the last 50 years of its operation all across the world. The mission of the company is maximizing the profitability of the business while delivering sustainable growth and improving shareholders value through the years of its operation. The vision of the company is to be the leading integrated group of food chains on the basis of consistently providing high quality food and delivering excellent customer service. The food chain business environment is evolving continuously as a most dynamic segment of the world business market. In this situation, Subway has also grown through its various innovative management processes and is driven majorly by the increasing demand of the consumers for healthy and fresh food as well as for premium exotic ingredients in the food preparations. The market for restaurants and food chains have gained considerable momentum through a balanced combination of far sighted marketing strategies and innovative product ranges successfully integrated with an aggressive and strong franchisee business system. Subway appeals to the consumers of all demographic areas mainly due to the healthy, fresh and green factors associated with its food range. Discussion Management is the process of using available people and material resources in businesses and organizations to achieve the desired results and objectives in the organization. The whole process of management starts with planning and is followed by organizing, staffing, leading and controlling in the organization with the aim of achieving a set of pre-defined goals for the organization. An effective management process embedded in the organizational structure is very critical for making the business successful. The process involves the proper deployment of different types of assets and resources available to the organizat ion like people resources, technological resources, financial and natural resources. According to Henri Fayol, There are five main management functions at all levels of an organization which are planning, directing, staffing, controlling and organizing. (Fayol 251) Planning Planning is an important part of the management process in any business. The process of planning in an organization starts by the identification of appropriate goals and objectives by the managers and then formulating a course of action to achieve the set objectives. The planning aspect of a business is critical in determining the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. The process of planning also plays a critical role in the formulation of strategies in an organization. Subway, as a company follows an extensive procedure of planning management. The business uses different activities as a part of their planning process which includes setting up objectives, designing and introducing new schemes, launchi ng new product ranges and implementing an extensive process of market survey (Bloomberg BusinessWeek 2). The company conducts market survey on a regular basis to study the demand patterns of the consumers in the specific market and then designs and introduces new products and services to meet these demand variations. Organizing The process of organizing involves the managers designing effective work relationship structures between the different levels of the organization to facilitate an effective communication between them and thus increase the performance of the organization as a whole. The process of organizing is implemented to design the organization

Carpe Diem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Carpe Diem - Essay Example He uses rosebuds as a metaphor for youth and beauty, and unlike the other two poets, does not seem to be talking to one particular lady love, but seems to be directing the advice of 'seize the day' to all in possession of the short-lived splendors of youth and beauty. The stress is less on seduction, and more on the need to celebrate youth and make the most of it, while there is still time. On the other hand, both Andrew Marvell, in To His Coy Mistress, and Richard Wilbur, in A Late Aubade are clearly using their talents to persuade their lady loves to succumb to their baser desires. Marvell's poem starts off by leisurely, languidly enumerating all the romantic things he would do, "Had we but world enough, and time". Then he picks up speed and urgency, as he goes on to say that there is no time to waste since "Time's winged chariot (is) hurrying near". Reason enough not to dally, but to get on with life and love. As he puts it, "Now let us sport us while we may," before "your quaint honor turn to dust,/ And into ashes all my lust." The incredible beauty of his poem barely conceals his agenda, which is very clear and focused - seduction. Richard Wilbur, a contemporary poet, has a completely different approach. Having already spent time with his lady love, he is partially satiated, and seeks to seduce her into staying longer.

Court system in England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Court system in England - Essay Example The first right of the defendant starts when the court says that defendant's presence in the court for any indictable offence is necessary. There are cases where the defendants are intimidated, threatened, kidnapped or sometimes even eliminated so that they cannot attend the court. Under such circumstances, these courts order a decree of Habeus Corpus. Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, a defendant cannot be tried without being present. Magistrate courts deal with summary offences, which are less serious cases like minor assaults or driving offences and these offences are not eligible to be tried by the jury being rather legally insignificant. They also deal with Either-way offences and they are called so, because they could either be dealt by judge and jury or by a magistrate, which is usually the case. Offences here include theft, handling of stolen goods, etc. Here the right of the defendant is upheld by making the defendant to ask for either a Crown trial or a Magistrate trial and the choice belongs not to the court, but to the defendant. In case if the offence is of a more serious kind, magistrate himself might commit the defendant to a trial by the jury and under those circumstances, defendant's rights are not considered. Magistrate courts cannot try Indictable-only offences, and these are of a more serious kind like murder, manslaughter, rape and robbery. ... There is a distinction between summary and indictable offences. Jurisdiction and procedure usually are affected by this distinction because the distinction is fundamental. "Summary offences can be tried only in magistrate's courts, while indictable offences are triable on indictment before a jury. Summary offences are all creatures of statute, and the particular statute lays down the mode of trial and the appropriate penalty," Arguile (1969, p.41). The decision on bail and other connected legal issues like reporting restrictions are usually conducted by magistrate courts before the case goes to the Crown court. Again there is an option for the defendant. He could opt for a trial at the magistrate court and such a plea could be considered. If the defendant is found guilty, at that stage, or at any other stage, magistrates can impose a sentence up to six months imprisonment along with a fine up to 5000 and if the defendant is acquitted, and if there are no other connected or unconnected cases pending against him the magistrates can set him free as a legally innocent person. There are diverse kinds of legal presence in magistrate courts. There could be three lay magistrates or one District Judge and both the situations are perfectly acceptable to law. The lay magistrates are called Justices of the Peace and are usually the local people who volunteer their services. Despite not having any formal legal qualifications, the legal hist ory says that these magistrates have functioned very well over the years. They are given legal and procedural training and advice by the qualified clerks though. This prompts a question: Do such magistrates command the same respect from clerks, defendants and other legal fraternity Well, this is a different legal matter,

Issues of Transportation and Mobility Under Urbanization Process Research Paper

Issues of Transportation and Mobility Under Urbanization Process - Research Paper Example There is a big relationship between the urban transport structure and history. The residents of Toronto in particular have gained much access to personal cars due to developed infrastructure. This paper examines how urbanization has led to increased mobility and transportation. On the other hand, it reviews the problems associated with these developments. At the end of the day, the government has put up measures to counter problems associated to transport. This research paper comprehensively discusses the topic under question with reference to relevant sources that talks about case studies in similar situations. How transportation has developed in Toronto area Public transport system in Toronto has developed greatly after the year 1953 (Goodfellow et al., 2012, p.25). City is important in the North American state (Canada) since it is highly populated. This post war era saw urbanization across the world. In the same year, the Metropolitan Toronto made efforts of taking control of the public transit. The body did a good job of introducing two-tier system that improved the transportation system. The metropolitan’s government efforts extensively funded the project to become a success in the history of transportation (Kenworthy 2007, p.50). This funding reduced debts that the institution had. Despite digging deeper for the project, the institution realized great development that eased public transportation. This move would later form back born of transportation of the area. However, this development invited problems for the transportation and mobility. Car ownership increased which meant traffic snarl-ups. The number of households owing cars increased and the metropolitan government had to deal with problems like effects of automobiles on the environment, pedestrians. Since the Second World War, more vehicles have increased into the road (Renne & Fields 2013b, p.580). On the other hand, the public had to deal with long distances since the government had not p rovided incentives for constructing bypasses. Private car ownership increased. Traffic officials do have difficult time controlling private motorists. They always break the rules since and crackdown on them has proved hectic for the traffic police. In the post war era, mobility also proved difficult for the pedestrians. This mad the government to go back to the drawing table to salvage the situation. Pedestrians have equal rights to use the road. Motorists at this time were not considerate of this group of people and it resulted into numerous accidents (Kenworthy 2007, p.50). This resulted to traffic congestions, overcrowding at the public transport. In several occasions, the pedestrians were stranded in the city. Increase in car numbers also brought about parking problems in towns. There were many cars with limited parking space. The vehicles also affect environment. Comparable case studies Many case studies exist on transportation, which are comparable to the situations in Toronto (Renne & Fields 2013b, p.580). This book talks about case studies in major cities of the world that are metropolitan in nature. Cities like Tokyo, Moscow, Osaka Japan and New York have the same transportation features as Toronto. There is a case study on the transit system of Toronto. The system paves way for trolley buses and trams in the stations. It has really helped in improving mobility of city travelers. These modes of transportation and mobility are mostly popular in New York, a city that once faced mobility problems. Toronto Transit Commission

Court system in England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Court system in England - Essay Example The first right of the defendant starts when the court says that defendant's presence in the court for any indictable offence is necessary. There are cases where the defendants are intimidated, threatened, kidnapped or sometimes even eliminated so that they cannot attend the court. Under such circumstances, these courts order a decree of Habeus Corpus. Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, a defendant cannot be tried without being present. Magistrate courts deal with summary offences, which are less serious cases like minor assaults or driving offences and these offences are not eligible to be tried by the jury being rather legally insignificant. They also deal with Either-way offences and they are called so, because they could either be dealt by judge and jury or by a magistrate, which is usually the case. Offences here include theft, handling of stolen goods, etc. Here the right of the defendant is upheld by making the defendant to ask for either a Crown trial or a Magistrate trial and the choice belongs not to the court, but to the defendant. In case if the offence is of a more serious kind, magistrate himself might commit the defendant to a trial by the jury and under those circumstances, defendant's rights are not considered. Magistrate courts cannot try Indictable-only offences, and these are of a more serious kind like murder, manslaughter, rape and robbery. ... There is a distinction between summary and indictable offences. Jurisdiction and procedure usually are affected by this distinction because the distinction is fundamental. "Summary offences can be tried only in magistrate's courts, while indictable offences are triable on indictment before a jury. Summary offences are all creatures of statute, and the particular statute lays down the mode of trial and the appropriate penalty," Arguile (1969, p.41). The decision on bail and other connected legal issues like reporting restrictions are usually conducted by magistrate courts before the case goes to the Crown court. Again there is an option for the defendant. He could opt for a trial at the magistrate court and such a plea could be considered. If the defendant is found guilty, at that stage, or at any other stage, magistrates can impose a sentence up to six months imprisonment along with a fine up to 5000 and if the defendant is acquitted, and if there are no other connected or unconnected cases pending against him the magistrates can set him free as a legally innocent person. There are diverse kinds of legal presence in magistrate courts. There could be three lay magistrates or one District Judge and both the situations are perfectly acceptable to law. The lay magistrates are called Justices of the Peace and are usually the local people who volunteer their services. Despite not having any formal legal qualifications, the legal hist ory says that these magistrates have functioned very well over the years. They are given legal and procedural training and advice by the qualified clerks though. This prompts a question: Do such magistrates command the same respect from clerks, defendants and other legal fraternity Well, this is a different legal matter,

University of Phoenix and I Essay Example for Free

University of Phoenix and I Essay It is clear to me how University of Phoenix’ convenient and efficient educational program designed for working professionals, has helped me grow. I see tremendous change and development in myself. I have not only matured personally and professionally, but have also grown to believe in orderly goals and motives with respect to my existence. My life has been organized and I see greater potential for my progress. The outlook of the entire university, dedicated to the success of its students, may be viewed now in who I am as compared to who I was before joining the BS of Information Technology program. When I started the program at University of Phoenix, my professional attitude was unseasoned. I was an unsure person, someone who had not matured. My humble and uninformed self did not allow me to think much of my career. I had briefly dreamt of becoming a graphic designer. However, I had wrongly imagined that I would not go too far. My mind was set at thinking that I might have to do with unsuitable jobs. What else are high school graduates supposed to do? I did not aspire to be great or hold lofty goals for my career. My goals were in fact, not many. I only desired to keep myself employed. My knowledge base was limited. I was raw. To that end, I am absolutely honest to claim that I knew little or nothing about the things I have learned at the University of Phoenix. Knowledge has been added on to my life at a rapid pace with this great program. Before this, life could seem sluggish to me as an unaware person. At work, I did not consider myself a professional. I did not even present myself as such. I was simply working; holding a job because one has to do that in this uncertain world. I would describe my writing skills before the program as ranging from bad to good. This is one of the areas where I have experienced drastic change. Besides, I now have extremely different views about myself and my career. My verbal communication skills before the program may also be described as varying from bad to good. With less confidence, the way I presented myself was obviously poor. I did not grasp at the time that professionally, one must appear assertive and proficient to get the work done. At present, I like to view myself as a thorough professional. My critical thinking skills before the program were good. All the same, my â€Å"Critical Thinking† (PHL/251) general education course worked wonders to polish my skills. It was for this reason that I had chosen the course. I believe that my decision was absolutely correct. After all, critical thinking is crucial in both personal and professional life. My interpersonal skills were always excellent, according to my opinion. This is because I believe in people, trust them, and wish to know more about them in order to be of assistance to them. I chose the general education course called â€Å"U. S. History to 1865† (HIS/110) because I was deeply interested in understanding the mechanics of human relationships, as well as the causes and effects of human decisions. Learning about U. S. history was essential, seeing that the people I share my space with do also share the same history. Hence, I believed unconsciously that I would be able to improve myself in my relations with others if I studied human history. Once again, my decision to opt for this general education course was correct, seeing that I now deal even more effectively in my personal and professional relationships. The most important core courses with respect to my employment were â€Å"Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making† (MGT/350) and â€Å"Project Planning and Implementation† (CMGT/410). I opted for these courses because I believe that professionals who know the functions of management are always more successful than the rest. Furthermore, these courses helped me to assimilate my ideas about team projects as well as leadership. I further believe that all professionals must be armed with knowledge of management, even if this knowledge is specialized in terms of Information Technology. What is more, decision makers, project planners and implementers must always bear in mind the people connected with the decisions and projects. Indeed, this idea connected with my love for people and interest in human relations. Moreover, I now connect better with the people at my workplace, and truly understand more about the mechanics of decision making and project planning as well as implementation. One of the terminal objectives of my program was, of course, for me to mature into a successful individual in my professional life. Even at my current organization – General Mills, where I presently work as a Network Engineer – development and innovation are priorities as well as major targets. Hence, both the University of Phoenix and General Mills have contributed to my current upsurge or growth. But the job without the education at University of Phoenix would definitely not be as good as it is at present. At this time, however, my job is a huge part of who I am and who I want to be. The program at University of Phoenix has really been a great source of inspiration for me. Employment may have helped me go on living. But the education here has helped me to live life fully, to enjoy my work and to be proper in all respects. It has shown me the way to live life in a way that is better, not just to live as I may have heard others living. Life does not just drag on anymore. It is full of enthusiasm and anticipation for a bright present and future. I am applying the tools that I have learned through the University of Phoenix, and there is hope to use them in better ways to achieve higher goals. I am eager to learn even more of that which would help me along. Learning should be a life-long process so that one’s intellectual powers do not rust. Before the program, it was as though I, as a resource, was underutilized. Now I feel fully functional. Just as General Mills thrives on research and development, I see myself flourishing with an increase in my knowledge base and the utilization of my mental resources to their fullest capacity. The Information Technology skills learned by me through the program at University of Phoenix are incomparable to anything I have ever been taught. I feel more grown-up now because of what this program has done for me. I have been shown much of my potential. It seems that I have learned a lot and there is excitement in me now to know more. Life does not seem like dreary employment anymore. I enjoy my personal and professional life much more now that I have been a part of the University of Phoenix. As far as my ethical outlook is concerned, I see no change between the past and the present, and I do not see it changing either. My values have not changed. My self-esteem has increased because the way I see myself has changed. Whereas I may have been covered by darkness in my mind, I now see myself in the light, capable of doing much, maintaining goals, and wanting to do all that is good. I certainly have become advanced in my professional attitude. With regards to my personal attitude, I even walk more confidently now and that has a serious affect upon my professionalism too. At work, I have to be responsible, knowing and showing that I can make it right and to the top. It is as though I have been cultivated and I know what I am doing now. My career views have changed so much that whereas I had seen myself doing basic jobs and not going too far in my professional life before I joined University of Phoenix, now I feel confident and able to be the leader at work. I feel that the axiom ‘the sky is the limit’ is working in my life now. Earlier I may have thought that it is impossible to have such an attitude unless one’s performance was really marvelous. But this program has been about trying to do one’s best and fulfilling one’s potential. It has made me open my eyes and view the world out there full of possibilities for a bright human being wanting to do more and wanting to do what is excellent. I feel capable of reaching the top of my company now. Furthermore, now that I have had a glimpse of my highest potential, I also feel self-assured and competent enough to be at the top of another organization, if not my present company. A part of this newly found confidence in me is a result of observation. Even so, the knowledge that has been imparted to me with the wonderful Information Technology program takes most of the credit for my motivation today. Resonant with my new goals is the fact that my knowledge base has grown impressively. I now know not only that which is taught at undergraduate level in my field, but I am also seen by others as a better professional. My professional sense is increasing, signaling that I must continue trying to do better. I do not see the way down now. What is more, I am now able to hold professional presentations and meetings with high level professionals at General Mills. I am also more interested in my work at present. Over the next five years, my professional and personal attitudes may become more refined. I hope to become more mature and confident. I now understand how learning more can make one grow. I do not only want to continue learning, but I also want to continue growing until I can become a self-actualized individual. I wish to develop my ability to move to higher levels in my career through greater productivity. My goal is to be my best and also to be the very best in others’ opinion. I would like to attend a graduate program. I have so greatly and positively been influenced by the undergraduate program at University of Phoenix that I hunger for more of education. I understand to an extent how much it can do for me. Before the program, I did not think much of education besides the fact that it is necessary to a certain level. But because I have been working and noticing the changes that education brings into my professional life, I long to gather more knowledge. Education is directly related to success. I love the changes higher education has brought to my life and I welcome this fantastic transformation on an ongoing basis. Thinking is the basis of our actions, and if the undergraduate program at University of Phoenix could do so much for my life and attitudes, I cannot yet imagine where a graduate program might put me with regards to my professional position. I need more guidance for the future though, to be specific about what I would really do. I see the possibilities laid open before me, but which way do I really go? Many ways seem important. Perhaps I would settle for an MBA. In any case, I would have liked the University of Phoenix to better assist me in getting to the right place at the right time in future. To get a clearer sense of my educational goal at present, I may have to go for education counseling. I would like to recommend at this point that the University of Phoenix should incorporate an extensive education counseling program for its students. Over the next five years, I wish to grow to have more business sense. This may happen through higher education and additional years of experience at work. In point of fact, I would like to improve in all spheres of my life, and in the areas of my being that are good now, I would like to keep a balance whereby I do not drift to the low side of things. With my new outlook, I feel ready to take responsibility to add value to the world, even if it is solely by way of doing my job well and showing others that honesty, hard work and learning can go a long way. I feel worthwhile now and am prepared to continue struggling through life with zeal. When life gets slothful, I know what I must do to change that and to be promoted learn. I must continue learning.