Personal Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Plan - Essay Example Such a culture would provide room for innovation and creativity. The work schedule in such a culture would be convenient and suitable for individual employees. An ideal workplace culture would be the one in which goals, jobs, and expectations are clear. The management would be considerate and there would not be clashing demands. The culture would provide a supportive environment and encourage personal development and feedback. It would be a stable environment and one that provides for recognition of effort and celebration of success. Employees would enjoy working in such a workplace (Lawler & Thye, 2006). I think there is a relationship between effective study habits and techniques and being successful in such work cultures. Motivating oneself to study by setting goals would inculcate personal discipline that is crucial for success in the workplace. Timetabling or charting one’s time usage teaches how to manage, effectively, time even when in the workplace. Effective listening skills are useful to students and they go a long way to determining how the individual will get along with seniors and colleagues in the workplace. Participating in-group discussions equips individuals with skills necessary for teamwork that is an important factor influencing success at the workplace. Taking breaks is an effective study technique, is also needed for success in the workplace because it allows individuals to reenergize and refresh, and prevents burn out (Lawler & Thye, 2006). My blind spots help me identify how it would feel working in a particular workplace. Some workplaces elicit strong negative reactions while others elicit strong positive reactions. I consider working in the latter and avoid the former. One of my strengths is optimism and I consider working in a place that will help me live positively. Self-motivation is my strength and I look forward to working in a

The stories of Lawrence and Greene Essay Example for Free

The stories of Lawrence and Greene Essay The two stories written by David Herbert Richards Lawrence (1885 –1930) and Henry Graham Greene (1904 –1991) show that wisdom may not be always manifested by the older people. This was evident in the unexpected circumstances that came along with the stories. Sometimes it is possible that younger people can show values that reminds the older people and taught lesson as well. Then again, older people should be applying good values in normal and practical circumstances because they supposed to be the authorities that must bear the goodness. Discussions Overview The discussions are divided into four parts that are imparted by the stories of Lawrence and Greene, such as the following: (1) Compare and contrast the basic components of the two stories, relating the questions [who, what, when, where, and why] that includes the qualities of the main characters, the conflicts and climactic moments that have risen in the course of the story, and how the two stories were finally concluded. (2) Analyze the themes of the two stories that depicted the triumph of the younger ones over the older characters. (3) Answer the question on how exactly the younger ones operate their own pace and almost with autonomy. (4) Examine the styles and purposes of the two authors in writing their respective short stories as well how the two stories end up showing the concept that wisdom may not be always monopolized by the older generations. Comparison and contrast In ‘The Destructors’ which was written by Henry Graham Greene in 1954 and presently republished by Geocities. Com web site, the readers were introduced to the main characters of a hooligan group of Wormsley Common Gang which is based in London. Their core members were Trevor (known as T), Mike, Blackie, Joe, and Summer. Their motivation or mission is to basically wreak havoc in the areas within their reach so that they can control and get famous. This group do not do show any emotion yet very objective with the ways they carried out business or disasters which they feel nothing personal. On the other hand, ‘The Rocking White Horse Winner’ which was written by David Herbert Richards Lawrence and first published in 1926 by Harpers Bazaar Publishing has depicted that everything has to do with the personal and subjective side of the main characters, such as Paul, his mother, and his uncle. The least subjective or â€Å"personal† character that can be found was ‘Bassette’ as their handyman and garden caretaker. In the story, Paul had to carry out his betting operations out of a personal motivation of bringing in money for his family. He felt that all he was doing to win was to gain luck. This luck is for money which he believes to making his family happy. Analysis on the themes The two stories were set in London with different era. The Destructors could have been intently set to depict the decades of 1980s until 2000s. This may be gathered from the way the characters and the author told their stories and lines. However, The Rocking Horse Winner may have been set within the decades of early 1950s until 1960s because of the way the languages were spoken and how the lines were carried out. Most of the conflicts raised on both stories have something to do with the grown-ups who reasoned out to impose their own ways and being unreasonable authorities over the youngsters. Youngsters pace and autonomy There was a time in The Destructors when â€Å"Old Misery† was imposing his rules to the gang; that they could not just go around and play within his property’s premises without his permission. This was a reasonable rule given by Old Misery, and he was quite entertaining to the kids, particularly to â€Å"T† because he showed the kid around his house. Then again, the anger here was the objective mission of the group—they did not care whether they liked the old man or not, whether the rules were unreasonable or not, because they were doing this, unnecessarily out of fun, but for the mission that they wanted to get famous and become a notorious gang (Greene 3-5). Furthermore, with ‘The Rocking Horse Winner’, Paul’s mother insisted he must not be thinking anymore about the nonsensical nature of the races. This was their conflict. It seemed that the reasons of his mother’s authority imposition were reasonable as well. The child will get worse and sicker because of the madness he has been thinking of in his innocent but receptive mind (Lawrence 6-10). Still, this did not stop Paul from betting for the last horserace winner he identified because it was for the very reason that he cared for his mother’s contentment that they would no longer need ‘more money. ’ These two conflicts have led to the climax that although both all the young ones were winners and successful in fulfilling their objectives, one was meditated on, while the other won without him fully controlling and recognizing it. The Destructors won because they have deliberately destroyed Old Misery’s house despite interruptions, while Paul won because although he died and was not able to control his thoughts, he still was able to get the money he wanted out of the horserace bet that he did. The characters of the two stories have triumphed over the older characters who were supposed to be the ones teaching a lesson and imposing authority. This was because of the same mistake that the older characters committed, in which they failed to get through the minds of the younger ones, of what they were really thinking at the time. This could have explained why there was so much aggression and motivation carried out by the younger ones in doing what they have done. They were also able to operate their activities in their own pace and almost with autonomy. The adults simply told them â€Å"Don’t do this and not that either,† but did not manage to control their minds into thinking of why they must not be doing what they were doing because they lead to catastrophe. This was why they also did their operations in secret. They dared not tell their superiors of what they were aiming for, giving them further freedom. Without the adults getting through the younger ones, there will be lessons that they ought to re-learn and wisdom has been taught by the younger generations this time. Authors’ styles and purposes Lastly, with the way the authors have written their pieces, both had different styles. Greene wrote in s seemingly investigative, â€Å"operational† manner, while Lawrence preferred to lean on what the characters had to say in each situation, that each person’s emotions and facial expressions are imagined by the readers. While Lawrence wrote his piece in a way that readers will be more sensitive and reflective of life’s lessons, Greene wrote his piece in an almost satirical way, especially on the part when the driver could not help but find the unfortunate incident of Mr. Thomas, in which it was quite funny. Conclusion In conclusion, the main points showed that wisdom does not matter age because of times that it may not be usually and obviously manifested by older people. There are instances when the older generation must also learn from the younger ones. Works Cited Lawrence, D. F. â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner. 1926. Harpers Bazaar. 30 June 2009 http://www. dowse. com/fiction/Lawrence. html Greene, H. G. â€Å"The Destructors†. 1954. Geocities. Com. 30 June 2009 http://www. geocities. com/borderline_ps2/00000098c8132df01. html

MARS Splenda Campaign- Delite Integrated Marketing Communications Essay

MARS Splenda Campaign- Delite Integrated Marketing Communications Program Creative Strategy StatementThe marketing communication process begins with identifying those who. MARS Splenda Campaign- Delite Integrated Marketing Communications Program Creative Strategy Statement The marketing communication process begins with identifying those who will make up the target audience. In this case, the target audience for the MARS Splenda Campaign includes three market segments: diabetics, health conscious younger females and mothers of children between the ages of 4 and 12. The objectives that are taken in this case are as follows: - Create awareness among 90 percent of the target audience. To do this we will use repetitive advertising in magazines, on television, on the radio and billboards. Keep the message short and simple. Make people aware of the difference between sugar and Splenda. - Create interest in the brand among 70 percent of the target audience. Inform people that it contains no sugar but Splenda so it is healthier for your children but also tastes good and may also be eaten by diabetics. - Create a favorable attitude about the brand among 40 percent and preference among 25 percent of the target audience. Do this by conveying the information about the difference between sugar and Splenda in all ads and on the package. Each time you purchase you have a chance to win cool prizes from our online gift shop. Refer people to the website... MARS Splenda Campaign- Delite Integrated Marketing Communications Essay MARS Splenda Campaign- Delite Integrated Marketing Communications Program Creative Strategy StatementThe marketing communication process begins with identifying those who. MARS Splenda Campaign- Delite Integrated Marketing Communications Program Creative Strategy Statement The marketing communication process begins with identifying those who will make up the target audience. In this case, the target audience for the MARS Splenda Campaign includes three market segments: diabetics, health conscious younger females and mothers of children between the ages of 4 and 12. The objectives that are taken in this case are as follows: - Create awareness among 90 percent of the target audience. To do this we will use repetitive advertising in magazines, on television, on the radio and billboards. Keep the message short and simple. Make people aware of the difference between sugar and Splenda. - Create interest in the brand among 70 percent of the target audience. Inform people that it contains no sugar but Splenda so it is healthier for your children but also tastes good and may also be eaten by diabetics. - Create a favorable attitude about the brand among 40 percent and preference among 25 percent of the target audience. Do this by conveying the information about the difference between sugar and Splenda in all ads and on the package. Each time you purchase you have a chance to win cool prizes from our online gift shop. Refer people to the website...

Rationale Behind Crazy Transfer Fee of English Soccer Players

Rationale behind crazy Transfer fee of English Soccer Players England had a disastrous Football world cup in South Africa. English players are deemed as over-rated and perennial under achievers. But when it comes to the transfer fees, English players are able to command a premium. Liverpool paid ? 35 million for Andy Carroll, ? 16 million for Jordan Henderson and ? 20 million for Stewart Downing. Manchester City paid ? 26 million for James Milner and Manchester United paid ? 17 million for Ashley Young and ? 16. million for Phil Jones, who is just 19 and played only 28 times in English premier league. The important point to consider here is all the above mentioned players come from mediocre clubs and none have premier league winners medal under their belt. What is the mystery behind their astronomical transfer fees? The answer lies elsewhere. UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) has introduced a new ‘home-grown’ rule which states that each participating club in European competitions should have at least at least 8 homegrown players in their squad of 25. A player who is registered for at least three seasons at an English or Welsh club and is between the ages of 16 and 21 is termed as an home-grown player. The FIFA (International Federation of Association Football), the supreme body of the football is working on introducing a whole new system – nine players on every 18-man match day  squad must be home-grown. These developments have caught the English clubs off guard as most of the clubs don’t have the required number of English players in their squad sheet. The home-grown rule has forced the English clubs to go for head hunting of the English talent. The Demand –Supply curve of the transfer market for the English players is given below. D1 = Demand of English players before the implementation of ‘home-grown’ rule D2 = Demand of English players before the implementation of ‘home-grown’ S = Supply of English players p1 = Transfer Amount before FIFA implemented the ‘home-grown’ rule p2 = Transfer Amount after the implementation of ‘home-grown’ rule q1 = Number of English players in demand before the implementation of ‘home-grown’ rule q2 = Number of English players in demand before the implementation of ‘home-grown’ rule The home-grown rule has moved the demand curve to the right and with supply of the English players remaining almost the same; two changes have happened to the equilibrium 1. The equilibrium number of players has increased as there is more demand from English clubs 2. The equilibrium transfer amount has increased and this explains why even the mediocre English players are able to command a premium in the transfer market. Recently many problems have arisen due to the high price tags. Most of these players are either young or mediocre that they don’t find place in the starting lineup of the clubs. Players get frustrated by the lack of playing time and some of them put in transfer request. Also, the high price tags put immense pressure on these players to live up to the expectations. The danger with paying such a high price for a young player is that he might crumble under the pressure of expectations. James Milner is a perfect anecdote for this as he struggled to hold a place in Manchester City’s starting lineup during last season. ———————– Transfer fee A English Players A p2 p1 q1 q2 S D1 D2

Marketing Plan: Zara Essay

I. Executive Summary Zara is the largest retail company owned and run by Inditex, largest Spanish corporation and the world’s largest fashion group. The way Zara has runs its company is by following a vertical integrated operation that has the  advantage to shorten the time in making decisions. Inventories in the stores depend on the geographic area in which the store is located; and the way Zara does their marketing is by just displaying posters at stores and by their windows display. This approach to make business has work very well for Zara; they show an economic growth despite the strong crisis suffer in the United States. The problem that Zara faces is whether to update their existing software or to keep the current software but running in the misfortune that the only DOS supplier will cease to maintain the software. Several benefits and economical costs are described to observe either it would be a wise move or not. II. Situational Analysis III. Target Market Zara sells apparel, footwear and accessories for women, men and children. Product lines were segmented into these three categories, with further segmentation within the women’s line as it was considered the strongest out of the three, with an overwhelming majority of women in the target market (78%). Zara’s consumers are young, value conscious and highly sensitive to the latest fashion trends in the industry. An advantage that the brand has over conventional retailers is that they do not define and segment their target market by ages resulting in designs and styles that can reach a broader market. Zara offers cutting edge fashion at affordable prices by following the most up-to-date fashion trends and identifying consumers’ demand, and quickly getting the latest designs into stores. IV. Swot Analysis V. Marketing Objective and Goals â€Å"The original business idea was very simple. Link customer demand to manufacturing, and link manufacturing to distribution. That is the idea we still live by.† (Jose Maria Castellano Rios, Inditex CEO) Zara’s CEO and founder, Amancio Ortega, saw the great importance of having retailing and manufacturing closely together in the apparel industry and from his view; Zara was able to position itself as a company with vertical integration control system. It covers all phases of the fashion process: design, manufacture, logistics and distribution to its own managed stores. It is also characterized by their strong focus on their customers. Vision â€Å"ZARA is committed to satisfying the desires of our customers. As a result we pledge to continuously innovate our business to improve your experience. We promise to provide new designs made from quality materials that are affordable† Mission Statement​ â€Å"Through Zara’s business model, we aim to contribute to the sustainable development of society and that of the environment with which we interacts.† VI. Marketing Strategy and Tactics Competitive Advantage: Market-oriented Strategy Most of Zara’s designs are based on the latest trends and they are ever changing according to the immediate feedback from customers. Zara employs its service staff in listening to customers’ preferences and reacts very quickly to them. It is only a matter of weeks before the designs get altered, manufactured and restocked in the stores. If a design is largely unpopular, Zara will not hesitate to withdraw them from the shelves. Its global establishment also provides an extensive network of shopper-feedback which allows them to be ahead of competitors in spotting global fashion trends. Product: Fast Moving Fashion Zara prides itself on fast moving fashion with new designs restocked in limited quantity every two weeks. This encourages consumers to frequent the stores for new designs and to snap up interesting outfits on the spot in order to guarantee themselves a piece. This provides a sense of exclusivity to shoppers. Process: Industry Leader in Lead Time Creative teams consisting of designers, sourcing specialist and product development personnel, develop design collections. The teams work simultaneously on different clothing, building and improving on styles previously available. Zara’s designers are trained to limit the number of changes made by lowering the number of samples required, minimizing cost and turnover time. Its demand based production or Just-in-time (JIT) production reduces the amount of inventory available, lowering Zara’s storage cost. Zara’s outstanding lead time is unbeatable in the industry at the moment. Furthermore, Zara eliminated the traditional design process, where design and development overrides fabric procurement. In Zara, the design teams work with the available fabric, allowing for faster fashion. Price: Low Cost, High Fashion Zara believes in offering high fashion at a low cost. Prices range from $79.90 to $539.00 for both Womenswear and Menswear while the Kids segment has coats starting from $65.00 and these prices can start from $30 during a sale. Taking quality and cost into account, Zara prides itself in providing high fashion at an affordable cost, making its customers’ purchases value-worthy. Place: Prime Retail Locations Zara, like its competitor brands, is located in prime retail areas like Ion Orchard, Orchard Road, 313@Somerset where human traffic is high. As aforementioned, Zara invests in prime locations as they place great emphasis on the presentation of its storefronts. Zara also has an online store, which increases accessibility to its customers, allowing them to make purchases conveniently on the go. However, this function is currently not available to Singaporean customers. Promotion: Minimum Advertising Zara uses 0.3% of sales revenue on advertising, minimal when compared to its competitors (3-4% of sales revenue). Instead of relying on traditional mass-marketing mediums, Zara uses prime retail locations to attract its customers. It also ensures that storefronts and window displays are attractive and fresh to customers by making frequent changes to the items on display. The interior of the store is also clean and bright, with spacious  lanes in between racks. This provides a very comfortable shopping experience. Having a good image projection of the store is vital as this is Zara’s most effective marketing communications tool. When customers walk into a store, Zara wants to portray to customers that the latest fashion is always available. VII. Implementation and Control 1975-1995: Since its inception in 1975 till 1995 Zara has followed the method of inspection in order to keep a check on the quality of its products. Zara’s designing team has worked closely with customers and have spend their time in spotting the latest trends in demand. An instant sketch of the design has been analysed and the accordingly produced. The quality control teams at Zara inspected the designs before placing them in stores. M995 till date: After 1995 Zara has implemented the practice of Total Quality Management. In this practice Zara’s vertically integrated supply chain tries to achieve Continuous Improvement of their processes, which includes spotting of the fashion trends, designing, and procurement of their materials, the CAD technology they use for designing, their improved inventory management and finally their centralised logistics and distribution system. Each of the components of the supply chain process has been explained below. Implementation Effect iveness Zara choose to invest within its own software rather than buying new technology simply because the company’s operations were unique and commercial packages would not fit; also the fact that Zara is a global company, it deals with various currencies that standard accounting packaged would have to be extensively customized and comprehensive. Zara’s operating system, DOS, is obsolete from the market affecting the firm with no reliable system for future forecasting; â€Å"not keeping up any historical date means being unable to predict sells, plan or estimate loses/gains and margin on particular designs (Anonymous, n.d). Unreliable fax machines that were taking too long and costing too much to fax order forms back and forth to stores caused delays and frustration. The use of telephones is greatly affected by miscommunication and mishearing. From the above it can be deducted that Zara’s internally application is not a good match for the firm’s needs because: t heir internally developedapplications are not easy to  upgrade and are not compatible with other applications, POS terminals are outdated and stores need POS terminals that will insure no infrastructure problems and its IT department is relatively small for the size of the firm. Evaluation of IS Implementation In this case, Zara believes less is more and makes minimal use and investment in IT. The competitive advantage Zara has over its competitors is not so much due the use of IT, but because of its quick response to the changing market. Zara does not have a chief information officer or any formal process for setting an IT budget. Castellano estimated Inditex’s IT budget for 2002 was 0.5 % of the revenue, as compared to the 2% of the revenue of other North American retailers (McAfee et al., 2007). As there is no formal justification of IT efforts, there is also not any cost/benefit analysis. However, to maintain business competitiveness is the most important factor to consider when making any decision regarding the upgrade of IS. Zara needs to analyze and compare the Tangible (quantitative) costs and benefits as well as the Intangible (qualitative) costs and benefits of the old system and the new system.