Partnership Ecosystem in Software Development Microsoft Case Study

Question: As a situation Im working in a think-tank and Microsoft needs to explore association biological system from customers point of view. Microsoft is attempting to comprehend which choice criterias are significant for the customer. So I arranged underneath inquiries for asset questions (3. Exploration Question area underneath). Microsoft will approach these inquiries to customers for re-sort out their accomplice program. Is there a summed up approach to quantify specialized fitness and expertise of an accomplice? What is the weighted impact of accomplice has venture involvement with a similar industry of the customer a choice rules? What is the weighted impact of effectively and bombed venture encounters in the past of accomplice? Does the accomplice have or apply an area standard task the board strategy? Is to what extent has the accomplice been working in the division a choice standards? What is the favored parity of center for workers of the accomplice between finished accreditation projects and undertaking encounters in both the neighborhood and worldwide markets? Answer: Presentation The motivation behind this examination is to present an exploration proposition on the association biological system in programming advancement for the organization Microsoft. Accomplice environment can be comprehended as pool of associations an organization has made. Accomplice environment for each organization varies in its manifestation relying upon the prerequisite of the business and center competency of the association. Additionally, the in the tech scene, the job and significance of organization biological systems have expanded because of the specific administrations they give. Accomplice biological system incorporates survey destinations, application store, administration accomplices, and engineer network (Rickmann et al. 2014). Practically all the effective tech organizations have built up their own association environment that encourages the association to remain ahead in rivalry; thus, these accomplice substances are likewise profited as they approach the effectively evolv ed client base and specialized help that these associations give. The goal of this exploration proposition is to help Microsoft in recognizing association biological system from customers viewpoint. The report would consequently, help Microsoft to comprehend which determination measures are significant for the customer and how accomplice organizations and Microsoft can make a synergistic impact so as to increase upper hand (Wareham et al. 2014). Foundation Microsoft is one of the biggest tech organizations on the planet, both regarding worth and volume. The customers of Microsoft incorporates other huge organizations, for example, Adobe, Bing, Outlook, Skype, Pixar, EBay, Boeing, Samsung, GE Healthcare, Mazda, LG, Dell, and some more. Aside from the huge corporate customers, there are a huge number of independent clients of Microsoft. In this manner, it is for all intents and purposes outlandish for Microsoft to give redid administrations and client experience to their clients without anyone else. In this unique circumstance, the job of accomplice environment gets pivotal. Microsoft has fabricated an exceptionally solid and assorted accomplice environment (Costanza et al. 2014). The advantages of joining Microsoft accomplice organize are boundless. Microsoft gives a lot of center advantages that assists with setting aside time and cash, fortify accomplices abilities, assists with serving clients better, and fabricate association with arrive at full business potential. The center advantages are selling (deals motivation, advancements and unique proposals to drive development), access to new markets and clients, staying refreshed with Microsoft accomplice organize news, business openings, and instructional classes, and getting extraordinary help from the Microsoft (Clarysse et al. 2014). Also, this connection is commonly helpful and Microsoft benefits as much as its accomplices. Over 95% of the Microsofts income courses through channel, making accomplice biological system basic to the companys achievement and Microsofts achievement rely upon the general execution of its channel accomplices (van et al. 2013). Issue Statement Microsoft accomplice biological system, all the more prevalently known as Microsoft Partner Network (MNP), is intended to make assets accessible to a more prominent number of innovation organizations in such a way, that they can construct a business around Microsoft advances. Right now, Microsofts accomplice biological system comprises of in excess of 650,000 accomplices, merchants, and specialist co-ops that assemble or sell arrangements dependent on Microsofts items and administrations (van et al. 2014). Microsoft accomplice framework comprise of different assortment, for example, frameworks integrators, unique hardware makers, web facilitating administrations, media communications organizations, free programming sellers, advertising offices, esteem included affiliates and different affiliates. So as to turn out to be a piece of Microsofts association biological system planned organizations need to qualify a set if center prerequisites that is intended to line up with client needs. These necessity incorporates gaining admittance to Microsoft enrollment in lieu of certain yearly venture, total accomplice profile, client references, business centered competency investigation, and innovative accreditations of the experts (Crooymans et al. 2015). Further, as apparent from the above conversation, it is significant for the Microsoft to choose right sort of organizations for accomplice as its prosperity relies upon the exhibition and imaginative quality of the channel accomplices. In this way, it turns out to be critical to choose individuals in accomplice environment admirably. The issues identified with related expenses and hazard must be sufficiently recognized preceding accomplice determination. In addition, what the accomplice organization welcomes on the table is likewise significant as accomplice environment is shared connection and each accomplice organization plays significant in by and large authoritative achievement simply like machine gear-pieces in a wheel (Gawer and Cusumano 2014). Essentialness of the exploration An organization, when enrolled to the Microsoft Partner Program, it can sell the Microsoft items and offer help to the clients also. This program has a two-path advantage for Microsoft and the accomplice organization. Microsoft has been expanding its administration and selling system by partner with the Partner Company. The Partner Program would empower the Partner Company to get to the clients of Microsoft. Consequently, Microsoft would get support from the accomplice organization with the end goal that to offer better types of assistance to the clients. Therefore, this biological system is a success win arrange for both the sides. The exploration proposition would show on the determination rules, which are significant for the choice of a proper customer for Microsoft. Exploration questions Is there any summed up approach to gauge the specialized capability and skill of an accomplice? What is the weighted impact and determination model of an accomplice who has venture involvement with a similar industry? What is the weighted impact of a fruitful and bombed venture encounters in the accomplices history? Regardless of whether the accomplice needs to apply an area standard task the executives system? To what extent the accomplice does needs to work in the part for meeting with the determination standards? What is the favored equalization of center for workers of the accomplice between finished confirmation projects and task encounters in both the neighborhood and global markets? Examination goals and Framework The paper bargains in making an examination proposition for Microsoft in separate of the Partner Program. It additionally bargains in detailing poll for the examination dependent on the exploration subject. The exploration technique would show the information assortment process for gathering helpful and applicable data so as to meet with the examination targets. The principle SMART goals of the examination proposition are: Explicit To explore organization biological system from customers point of view To comprehend the choice models which are significant for the customer Quantifiable estimating specialized capability and ability of an accomplice deciding the weighted impact of the accomplice in the undertaking experience Reachable Truly, by instating the goals of the exploration concentrate as applicable to the examination theme Sensible Writing survey is be directed from a rundown of significant academic assets by different writers Information assortment identified with the examination theme is to be directed from a rundown of respondents applicable to the business Time Bound Information assortment devours enormous measure of time and consequently, ought to be appropriately arranged and overseen to such an extent that to finish the examination inside its particular cutoff time Reasonable structure Figure: Conceptual system for the Partnership Ecosystem Source: Created by creator Writing Review There has been a critical move in the current contending market where an innovation organization is thinking about joining or building a biological system comprising of a system of accomplices, evangelists, outsider merchants, and plug in suppliers. These accomplices of the organization spin round its item contributions and center advancements. Numerous bigger programming creating integrator organizations including Microsoft, Apple or IBM have been building up and growing an accomplice biological system (Gawer and Cusumano 2014). As indicated by Mehta et al. (2016), these innovation monsters are at the focal point of the biological system and are answerable for impacting their accomplices. They are additionally responsible for characterizing the character of the system too. Thomas, Sharapov and Autio (2015) accept that the ascent in conspicuousness of such ecosystemshas prompted having community oriented associations and a worth including system of accomplices. This foundation of the environment is significant for the associations to increase upper hand over the other innovation organizations in the market. The expanded unmistakable quality of the biological system advancement inside the integrator organizations has helped in the building up their startup techniques. As indicated by Clarysse et al. (2014), an unmistakable environment improvement system is a basic piece of the development plan of the organizations. This has been the ea

Dance Team :: Argumentative Persuasive Dance School Essays

Move Team The Twin Cedars Community School District Board of Directors ought to rule for financing a school move group. Twin Cedars, a little nation based school of around 500 understudies K-12, has never had the advantage of having a move group. Two years prior, three Twin Cedars understudies got along with their move teacher, Shannon Smith, an alumnist of Twin Cedars, and recommended that the school ought to have a move group. Smith chipped in her an opportunity to mentor and arrange for another move group. Smith took this plan to the head of Twin Cedars, Mike Helle. Helle consented to permit Smith to begin a move group that could rehearse at school, however would not support the program as an extracurricular action. This implied if there was to be a move group, all assets would need to be raised by the move colleagues alone and Smith would need to chip in every last bit of her time and exertion without being paid. In spite of these two focuses Smith consented to begin the move group. Tryouts were held, a group was shaped, and the colleagues started movement for their first daily schedule. The new TC move group had their own pledge drives and went requesting gifts from neighborhood organizations, to help bolster the new group and help pay for move group ensembles. The group figured out how to raise enough to purchase modest outfits for the entirety of the individuals. The new move group had practice two days per week at 7:00 a.m. all year. They performed at a couple of football and ball games consistently. The following school year came around and the entire procedure was rehashed. During this year the move group even figured out how to assemble a Saturday night appear at the school, that included other encompassing school’s drill and move groups. In the two years of the team’s presence the school chairmen took into consideration the utilization of the structure for training, they permitted the group to perform at games, and they permitted the group to have appears. What's more, they declared the move group as the Twin Cedars move group and even included another spot in the Twin Cedars Yearbook to take into account photos of the move group. The school took all the benefits of having a school move group, yet took none of the duties a school has for an extracurricular action.

2015 February Admits are Available - UGA Undergraduate Admissions

2015 February Admits are Available - UGA Undergraduate Admissions 2015 February Admits are Available The February freshman admission offers are now available on the myStatus page! This afternoon, UGA offered admission to a group of freshman applicants. In the past, this group has been approximately 1,800- 2,000 admits, and while I do not have an exact number, it is fairly close to this. This group of decisions is made up of only offers of admission, and if you were admitted, you will be able to see the decision on your myStatus page (so only admitted students will see a change on their myStatus page). Additionally, an admissions packet will be sent out in the mail early next week. Our office is too busy reviewing files for me to run any mid-range academic averages at this time, but the academic information should be very similar to the Early Action admitted students (it will not be exactly the same, as we had a large number of EA admits who were applying for our top scholarships, which slightly skews EA stats a little higher). The press release about our Early Action decisions gives more details on the academic averages for this group. These admitted freshman, made up of mostly Regular Decision applicants, met the stringent academic criteria of Early Action admission that we used with our much larger wave of November admission offers. Do not panic if you were not admitted with this February group. We are still very much in the midst of carefully reviewing documents and data on a great many more files, and there are still lots of decisions to make. Again, admitted students will see their decision on myStatus, while applicants who do not yet have a decision will see the same myStatus message as before. The final wave of freshman application decisions will be made by mid-late March after we have completed our holistic file reading process. Thank you for your patience as we finish our reviews over the next month. Go Dawgs!

Abraham Lincoln A Moral Unifier Essay - 1842 Words

Abraham Lincoln is a mythical figure in American culture and history because he is the President who saved the Union and abolished slavery. American admiration for him is so great that Americans have carved him into mountains and immortalized him in a Greek temple. In the Lincoln Memorial, one can find the inscriptions of the â€Å"Gettysburg Address† and â€Å"Second Inaugural Address†. To some, these speeches signify America’s rebirth as a unified political and moral country. Interestingly, these two speeches overshadow the fact that Lincoln’s words were once divisive. In â€Å"House Divided†, Lincoln expands the North-South divisions by taking issue with â€Å"Popular Sovereignty†, an 1854 policy allowing residents of territories to decide†¦show more content†¦Some might argue that Lincoln still causes disunity as president. Critics may point to his â€Å"Second Inaugural†, Lincoln says, â€Å"Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish...† (Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address 461). By juxtaposing Southern aggression and Northern defense, Lincoln can be seen as causing disunity. However, in the book Lincoln, David Herbert Donald believes Lincoln’s treatment of the North and South was actually unifying because Lincoln avoids specifically blaming the South by not â€Å"referring to the South or Confederacy† (Donald). For instance, in â€Å"Second Inaugural†, Lincoln never explicitly refers to the Confederacy. Instead, Lincoln uses various euphemisms such as â€Å"party† and â€Å"insurgents† (Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address 461). Lincoln’s euphemisms shift the emphasis away from blaming the Southern â€Å"slaveocracy† as a whole, and places it on the insurgents who happen to be Southern (Reid and Klumpp 460). Similarly, in â€Å"Gettysburg†, Lincoln continues unifying by mentioning neither the South nor the North. Instead, Lincoln uses euphemisms such as â€Å"brave men† and â€Å"honored dead† (Lincoln, Gettysburg Address 458). Furthermore, Lincoln uses collective phrases such as â€Å"nation† and â€Å"people† to refer to both the Union and the Confederacy (Lincoln, Gettysburg Address 458). Lincoln’s use of general phrases isShow MoreRelatedWalt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln3895 Words   |  16 PagesWalt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln Table of contents 1. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 2. Whitman’s position in American literature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 3. Whitman’s poetry before the civil war†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...............3 4. Lincoln’s death – a turning point for Whitman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 5. Walt Whitman’s four poems on the American nation’s grief†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 5.1 Hush d Be the Camps To-day†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 5.2. When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom d†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7

Heathcliff Monster or Victim - 2066 Words

Is Heathcliff a monster, or just misunderstood? Heathcliff. He is character that perplexes many with his enigmatic ways. With many film adaptations he is played in near enough the same as how he is in Bronte’s book – as a monster. But what is a monster? Is it that he is a vicious murderer? Is it someone with no sympathy for others? Or is it someone without a care in the world? Arguably Heathcliff is all of these and more.. Throughout Wuthering Heights, it can be seen that Heathcliff is a social outcast, not fitting in with anything the other inhabitants of Wuthering Heights do. Any reader of the book produces a completely different view of Heathcliff showing even more so that he is misunderstood by many people. There are different†¦show more content†¦This later Heathcliff is characterized by a coldness, by an incapacity to love and ultimately by consuming passion for revenge against those who have abused him. Just as he begins life, he ends life as an unloved, lonely outsider. In the first part of Nelly’s narration, she begins by telling how Heathcliff comes about the house. ‘We crowed round, and, over Miss Cathy’s head, I had a peep at a dirty, ragged, black-haired child.’ Such language explores that he is no ordinary child. The other children - Hindley and Cathy, couldn’t believe what their father had bought home. ‘Mrs Earnshaw was ready to chuck it out of the doors†¦asking how he could fashion to bring that gipsy brat into the house.’ Such a phrase would imply that if they were seen with the ‘gipsy’ they would be looked down on. They don’t understand Mr Earnshaw’s reason to bring him home. Cathy and Hindley rejected Heathcliff ‘they entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room..I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it might be gone on the morrow’ Nobody wanted it to be part of the household. This first introduction to Heathcliff alr eady explores the view he is socially beneath the other inhabitants of Wuthering Heights. He is typically described as outside of the family structure. This would make him self conscious about himself and could be a reason for his actions later on in his life. Heathcliff’s presence inShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1421 Words   |  6 Pagesstorms can create a sense of anger or confusion, whereas sunlight may generate a sense of happiness. Both novels are set in a cold, dreary time, adding to the theme of isolation throughout each. In Frankenstein, the reader is first introduced to the monster on a stormy night. â€Å"It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifelessRead MoreJohn Milton s Paradise Lost2313 Words   |  10 PagesShelley. Wuthering Heights written by Brontà « presents Heathcliff as a modernization of Satan. The characters share the experience of evolving from their lives as outcasts within their societies by means of revenge. The monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein romanticizes the Miltonic concept of revenge found in Paradise Lost. Although the creation and experiences of Satan and the monster differ, their premises for revenge become similar as the monster realizes his contempt toward his position withinRead MoreAnalysis Of Emily Bronte s Wuthering Heights 1562 Words   |  7 PagesEmily Bronte†™s Wuthering Heights presents, Heathcliff, one of literature’s most mysterious characters to be found in fiction. From his first appearance in the book, he comes off as a shadow of a man, brooding and dark; an angry misanthrope at best and an abusive tyrant at worst. There are moments in which the reader empathizes with Heathcliff and other times where he becomes quite irredeemable. Perhaps he is a victim of circumstance, or just a scheming interloper. Maybe a both or neither? In theRead MoreGothic Literature and Romantic Literature2607 Words   |  11 Pagesornate and interesting to look at. They are beautiful on the outside and were harmless in history. However, as his depression escalates and his sins deepen, his collection becomes a â€Å"mix of tyrants and Renaissance revenge figures that poison their victims†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Platizky). His collection has become a reflection of himself; it is full of violence and sin and is rife with the actions that the tyrants and re venge figures committed. Gray’s mental deterioration is augmented by his obsession with his portraitRead MoreThe Story Of My Life5035 Words   |  21 Pagesswear, youre so weird. As he said this, however, a twinkle reappeared in his eyes and his crooked grin returned full force; as did the little monsters in my stomach, attacking the lining of my internal makeup. Im getting you a tea, too. You have to like tea to be mortal. The fact that he anticipated my love of tea is so NOT helping the tummy monsters situation!!! Welcome to Bojangles! May I take your order?! This was uttered by a staticky, cheerful voice from inside the building, one that

Admission to Business Program Free Essays

My experience prior to enrolment in Seoul business school includes everything I need to succeed in the program and later on – technical expertise, leadership challenges, and work in multicultural environments. The course in Seoul business school will surely help me to take these skills to a new level and build on that course as yet another prerequisite for a successful career. Since my background is in IT, I started to build my professional career with gaining technical skills in the area I believe to be the most crucial in propelling global growth and spearheading development. We will write a custom essay sample on Admission to Business Program or any similar topic only for you Order Now Working for 7.5 years as a technical project manager at the Bank of America in Korea, I accumulated substantial knowledge in my specific area. Being a highly qualified professional, I was appointed to supervise a project that involved IT specialists from both European and Asian branches of the company. With the environment being multiethnic, multilingual and multicultural, I found myself at the crossing point of various perspectives, viewpoints and ways of doing business. At this point, I realized that the main focus of project management was not technical expertise that I had already begun to take for granted, but business communication skills specifically attuned to multicultural environments in global companies. Grasping intuitively for ways to bring the maximum efficiency to the project, I found gaps in my cross-cultural education and management skills. Relying on my traditionally strong problem-solving skills, I was able to resolve most situations, but each time I came across a management problem, I felt that I could do better than before with help from a knowledgeable instructor. Since trying to do my best is one of my inherent traits as a professional, I decided to leverage my experience with the help of an education, which is the reason why I decided to pursue a new course in international management to help me advance the business side of my work. This international focus is the reason why I chose Seoul business school, renowned for its international student body and diversity of program. I was impressed with the well-balanced curriculum of the school that provides intensive training in strategic management, building in students skills applicable in any part of the globe. During my studies, I hope to make a breakthrough in my understanding of international management and learn from students with diverse backgrounds, incorporating their perspectives and transforming them into my own unique management style. I do not expect ready-made answers from my business studies – instead, I am seeking a chance to rise above my current level with the help of new knowledge and take a bird’s-eye view of my future career path and goals. With the impact of a quality business education program, I am sure to attain new horizons in my career, becoming a successful international leader. With my previous experience in leading projects and motivating people, I feel that I will be able to incorporate the elements of the program to achieve success in any future endeavours. 2) Tell us about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a challenge or problem. Most would think that IT jobs are mechanical and boring, leaving room for creativity. In my experience, however, I found that the greatest challenge is not the technical problems that can be overcome after some careful thinking; people, on the contrary, are an ongoing challenge as they generate all kinds of surprises. Dealing with my IT staff, I had to bring up all my creative potential to help our employees open up THEIR potential for creativity, problem-solving and other skills. Empowering IT employees was my greatest challenge since we all spent an enormous time sifting through petty technical problems. Forcing subordinates to run and check with me every small detail was consuming a lot of my time that could have been used for better purposes. At one point, I became so exhausted with the process that I felt some sort of solution was necessary to relieve them of the fear to make the decision on their own. Teaching them to progress slowly seemed a good idea which led me to instruct them to solve at least one problem a day on their own, selecting from the range of problems they previously reported to me. At the end of the day, we all had a five-minute assembly in which the team members would share what kind of problems they ventured to solve on their own and what solutions they came up with. It proved that their solutions were for the most part sound, so that our project did not suffer any major disruptions in its functioning. The greatest asset of my invention was the psychological climate in the team that was suddenly transformed as employees began to sense a change in their role. No longer cogs in the machine, they were now independent thinkers, feeling the drive to expand the boundaries of their knowledge to meet their new function. To do this, they shared information with each other in more frequent exchanges and would come up to me, but not with the details of a specific problem as before, but with broader questions that gave me a chance to increase their expertise. Our cooperation assumed a more lively character, and I could sense that my employees were now getting more satisfaction from their work. Little by little, we went from one to two, then to three independently solved problems a day. This change significantly increased the capacity of my subordinates, expanding the productivity of our teams that could now process more tasks in the same limited timeframe. Most importantly, my invention helped to remove the fear of mistake in my subordinates, making them aware of their strengths at problem-solving. Needless to say, I was deeply satisfied with the results and since then, have continuously been thinking about other possible innovations aimed at employee empowerment. I believe that helping people to bring out their potential is the most rewarding function of the managerial job that is lead to a breakthrough in the project’s chances for success. 3) Tell us about one thing in your personal or professional life for which you have a great deal of passion. Throughout both my professional and community involvement, I have been trying to make my input valuable by trying assist those who are hampered by disadvantages that are no fault of their own. This can include helping the disabled, the poor, or those living in developing nations. Among the activities in which I engaged with a lot of passion, the memory of volunteer work in an NGO stands out from the rest. Perhaps the reason is that, in my feeling, with this work I could make a real difference in the lives of many people. I first started volunteering simply out of desire to help a friend working at the same NGO. As I began to see the bigger picture of what they do, I felt the need to make my personal contribution to the lives of people in developing countries. The work there really kept me in touch with what was going on in the rest of the world where people were less fortunate than myself and offered wonderful opportunities for striking up friendships and making contacts. Having a successful professional background to draw upon, I felt myself both able and obliged to use my professional expertise to assist the populations of developing countries like Cambodia in improving access to information communication technology in rural and remote areas. In my view, the capacity to utilise existing and evolving communication possibilities will be the key to these nations bridging the gap between their present condition and the industrialised world. It was exciting to think of how I can use my time and skills to help people around the globe make a transition to the information society which would be the necessary prerequisite for building sustainable economies. My work in the NGO began from writing an e-mail newsletter and continued with preparation for seminar aimed at raising a subscription. Finally, I saw myself planning new initiatives within the organization to utilise existing capacities in the realm of information technology in order to facilitate information exchange with developing nations. We launched a few projects aimed at giving all people equal opportunities in the realm of information access. I found working there that with my experience in the field I could often provide other people with advice that helped them to get a more coherent picture of what was going on in information technology and how the organization’s resources in this area could have been used with the maximum efficiency. I believe that by applying our individual knowledge to help people in the less developed world we can truly make a difference since more affluent societies provide their members with more opportunities to acquire expertise in the professional field. Once we absorb this professional knowledge, we can use our creativity of our minds to generate new ideas and connect them to the needs of other people. In my volunteer work, I did my best to leverage my previous experience to create a stimulating information-rich environment for other people where they, too, could have used their natural abilities to develop the economies of their nations. My deepest belief in the fundamental right of all people to have equal access to information fuelled my passion for this rewarding work. 4) Please detail the five-year plan for your career including the jobs you would like to have, how you would leverage your education, and how you would otherwise prepare yourself for this path. Tell us why your goals make sense given your plan and your background. In my post-school years, I am determined to integrate my previous experience with the knowledge obtained in the school to succeed in a career that will incorporate my technical and management skills. Within a five-year timeframe, I hope to become IT consultant in a global company, concentrating on providing top-notch services to customers all around the world. An education obtained in Seoul Business School will be an important factor in my success as IT consultant. Working in a dynamic, challenging business environment of IT consulting requires continuous improvement of one’s skills, ability to think on one’s heels, out-of-the-box solutions, and ability to meet the most unexpected customer needs. A broad base of business knowledge I hope to gain from Seoul Business School will enable me to get a deeper insight into the nature of my clients’ businesses and prompt more productive solutions that can advance their operations in innovative, effective ways. Having a quality educational background to draw upon, I would be able to utilise this knowledge to meet the diversified needs of customers with flexibility and speed, making a contribution to the success of many companies around the globe. How to cite Admission to Business Program, Essays

Alex Thapar Essay Example For Students

Alex Thapar Essay Hist 315, Professor OrijiAlbert EinsteinOf all the scientists to emerge from the twentieth centuries there is one whose name is known by almost all living people. While most of these do not understand this mans work, everyone knows that its impact on the world of science is astonishing. Yes, many have heard of Albert Einsteins General Theory of Relativity, but few know about the intriguing life that led this scientist to discover what some have called, The greatest single achievement of human thought.Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1879. Before his first birthday, his family had moved to Munich where Alberts father, Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a small electro-chemical business. He was fortunate to have an excellent family with which he held a strong relationship. Alberts mother, Pauline Einstein, had an intense passion for music and literature, and it was she that first introduced her son to the violin in which he found much joy and relaxation. Also, he was very close with his younger sister, Maja, and they could often be found in the lakes that were scattered about the countryside near Munich. As a child, Einsteins sense of curiosity had already begun to stir. A favorite toy if his was his fathers compass and he often marveled at his uncles explanations of algebra. Although young Albert was intrigued by certain mysteries of science, he was considered a slow learner. His failure to become fluent in German until the age of nine even led some teachers to believe he was disabled. Einsteins post-basic education began at the Luitpold Gymnasium when he was ten. It was here that he first encountered the German spirit through the schools strict disciplinary policy. His disapproval of this method of teaching led to his reputation as a rebel. It was probably these differences that caused Einstein to search for knowledge at home. He began not with science, but with religion. He avidly studied the Bible seeking truth, but this religious fervor soon died down when he discovered the intrigue of science and math. To him, these seemed much more realistic than ancient stories. With this new knowledge he disliked class even more, and was eventually expelled from Luitpold Gymnasium, being considered a disruptive influence. Feeling that he could no longer deal with the German mentality, Einstein moved to Switzerland where he continued his education. At sixteen he attempted to enroll at the Federal Institute of Technology, but failed the entrance exam. This forced him to study locally for one year until he finally passed the schools evaluation. The Institute allowed Einstein to meet many other students that shared his curiosity, and it was here that his studies turned mainly to Physics. He quickly learned that while physicists had generally agreed on major principles in the past, there were modern scientists who were attempting to disprove outdated theories. Since most of Einsteins teachers ignored these new ideas, he was again forced to explore on his own. In 1900 he graduated from the Institute and then achieved citizenship to Switzerland. Einstein became a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office in 1902. This job had little to do with physics, but he was able to satiate his curiosity by figuring out how new inventions worked. The most important part of Einsteins occupation was that it allowed him enough time to pursue his own line of research. As his ideas began to develop, he published them in specialist journals. Though he was still unknown to the scientific world, he began to attract a large circle of friends and admirers. A group of students that he tutored quickly transformed into a social club that shared a love of nature, music, and of course, science. In 1903, he married Mileva Maric, a mathematician friend. .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc , .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc .postImageUrl , .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc , .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc:hover , .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc:visited , .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc:active { border:0!important; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc:active , .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4fb8383f13c82decaf2557eeb35beadc:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Book Review of â€Å"Night† by Elie Wiesel Sample EssayIn 1905, Einstein published five separate papers in a journal, the Annals of Physics. The first was immediately acknowledged, and the University of Zurich awarded Einstein an additional degree. The other papers helped to develop modern physics and earned him the reputation of an artist. Many scientists have said that Einsteins work contained an imaginative spirit that was seen in most poetry. His work at this time dealt with molecules, and how their motion affected temperature, but he is most well known for his Special Theory of Relativity, which tackled motion and the speed of light. By far, the biggest year of Einsteins life was 1905. It is called his Miracle Year. Perhaps the most important part of his discoveries was the equation E=mc2 (Energy equals mass times the velocity of light squared). After publishing these theories, Einstein was promoted at his office. He remained at the Patents Office for another two years, but his name was becoming too big among the scientific community. In 1908, Einstein began teaching part time at the University of Berne, and the following year, at the age of thirty, he became employed full time by the University of Zurich. Einstein was now able to move to Prague with his wife and two sons, Hans Albert and Eduard. Finally, after being promoted to a professor, Einstein and his family were able to enjoy a good standard of living, but the jobs main advantage was that it allowed Einstein to have access to an enormous library. It was here that he extended his theory and discussed it with the leading scientists of Europe. In 1912, he chose to accept a job placin g him in high authority at the Federal Institute of Technology, where he had originally studied. It was not until 1914 that Einstein was tempted to return to Germany to become research director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics. World War I had a strong effect on Einstein. While the rest of Germany supported the army, he felt the war was unnecessary and disgusting. The new weapons of war that attempted to mass slaughter people caused him to devote much of his life toward creating peace. Toward the end of the war, Einstein joined a political party worked to end the war, and return peace to Europe. In 1916, the government outlawed this party, and Einstein was seen as a traitor. In that same year, Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity. This was the end result of ten years worth of work. It revolutionized physics. His theory basically stated that the universe had to be thought of as curved, and told how light was affected by this. The next year, Einstein published another paper that added that the universe had no boundary, but actually twisted back on its self. After the war, many aspects of Einsteins life changed. He divorced his wife who had been living in Zurich with the children throughout the war, and married his cousin Elsa Lowenthal. This led to a renewed interest in his Jewish roots, and he became an active supporter of Zionism. Since anti-Semitism was growing in Germany, he became the target of prejudice. There were many rumors about groups who were trying to kill Einstein, and he began to travel extensively. The biggest change, though, was in 1919 when scientists who studied an eclipse confirmed that his theories were correct. In 1921, he traveled through Britain and the United States raising funds for Zionism and lecturing about his theories. He also visited the battle sites of the war and urged that Europe renew scientific and cultural links. He promoted non-patriotic, non-competitive education believing that it would prevent war from happening in the future. He also believed that socialism would help the world achieve peace. .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 , .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 .postImageUrl , .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 , .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6:hover , .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6:visited , .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6:active { border:0!important; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6:active , .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6 .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua47f2ab94284f7512cfd3086b33e38b6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Harriet Tubman EssayEinstein received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922. He gave all the money to his ex-wife and children to help with their lives and education. After another lecture tour, he visited Palestine for the opening of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He talked about the possibilities that Palestine held for the Jewish people. Upon his return, he began to enjoy a calmer life in which he returned to his original curiosity, religion. While Einstein was visiting America in 1933, the Nazi party came to power in Germany. Again he was subject to anti-Semitic attacks, but this time his house was broken into, and he was publicly considered an enemy of the nation. It was obvious that he could not return to Germany, and for the second time, he renounced his German citizenship. During these early years in America he did some research at Princeton, but did not accomplish much of significance. In 1939, the Second World War started to take shape. There was heated argument at this time over whether the United States should explore the idea of an atomic bomb. Einstein wrote to President Roosevelt warning him of the disaster that could occur if the Nazis developed it first. Einstein did not participate in the development of the bomb, but the idea did stem from his very famous equation. He figured that the bomb was under development, but he did not know when it was going to be used. Right before the bomb was dropped on Japan, Ei nstein wrote a letter to the President begging him not to use this terrible weapon. The rest of Einsteins life was dedicated to promoting peace. As soon as the war was over, he declared, The war is won, but the peace is not. He wrote many articles and many speeches calling for a world government. His fame at this point was legendary. People from all over would write to him for advice, and he would often answer them. He continued his scientific research until the very day he died. This was on the sad day of April 18, 1955. There is no doubt in my mind that he was dissatisfied that he was never able to find the true meaning of existence that he strove for all his life!

Examine the leadership issues free essay sample

Leadership is very important to organizations, especially teams or in companies. Good leadership could ensure that the members are going in the right direction, and that the business is successful. In the past, research has focused on the difference between leadership and management, whereas nowadays the potential advantage of leadership is more important, especially to the organizational performance and improved employee behavior. A number of recent articles (Cappelli et al. 2010; Ladkin and Weber 2011; Useem 2010) have explored the characteristics of a successful leader. The three articles all examine the leadership issues and challenges regarding what characterises attribute to be a successful leader. While the study by Ladkin and Weber focuses on leadership issues specific to the tourism industry, the article by Cappelli et al. focuses on leadership lessons from India companies. However, the reflection by Useem apply military leadership to business. A major concern of all three articles is that leaders require a variety of leadership skills. We will write a custom essay sample on Examine the leadership issues or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This review will compare these articles in relation to three specific skills: decision-making, communication and adaptive leadership. All the authors concur that an essential characteristic for leadership is decision-making. Cappelli et al. point out that India leaders tend to own the strategy function, setting the agenda and taking a visible role in strategy development (p. 92). Similarly, according to Useem, leaders have to make ‘good and timely call’ (p. 3), which is a focus of responsibility in a leadership position. Useem recommends that a leader should make fast and effective decisions after consulting staff, and should not expect perfection (p. 3). Ladkin and Weber state that the leader has to be very resilient in decision-making and has to make the decision in a confident manner, which is similar to the finding of Useem. However, Ladkin and Weber focus on being determined, whereas Useem focuses on more input from staff. All three articles state that communication is a specific leadership requirement although there is a difference in their methods. Cappelli et al. point out that India leader helps employees to find their own solutions by motivation and by fostering a closer relationship with them, even though this challenges the traditional India deference to hierarchy (p. 95). Cappelli et al. also note that India leader creates a sense of social mission, which is central to the company culture, and provide transparency on developing and personal modeling systems to encourage openness. They also enable communication and push making decision through the ranks, and invest in training (p. 95). Similarly, Useem asserts that it is important to create a personal link with employee and leading them through challenging times, which means employees need a direct connection to reinforce the leader’s message. Moreover, Useem recommends that the leader needs to find common ground and to set the direction, but avoid micromanaging that gives employee the freedom to improvise (p. 76). According to Ladkin and Weber, communication is identified with trust, perseverance and vision as the main components of leadership, and are connected with ‘credibility, dependability, accountability, self-confidence, loyalty and decisiveness’ (p.273). In addition, Ladkin and Weber also note that the leader needs to be very clear about aims and objectives, and they have to communicate with their subordinates clearly, if the leader gives the employee an equivocal direction, then staff will start to wonder. Both Cappelli et al. and Useem refer to a reciprocal relationship, which means e mployees have more influence of their leader, and the leader usually offers employees increased financial incentives to increase revenue. In contrast, Ladkin and Weber focus on one-way communication, and refer to motivating employees in non-financial ways, such as inspiring them to identify with the company’s mission. All three articles analyse the adaptive leadership skills. Ladkin and Weber point out that the current industry trends required changing leadership skills (p. 21). Ladkin and Weber recommend that as a leader need to not only prepare for the effect of future changes, but also to adapt to new technologies, different type of employees and new customer expectations (p. 285). Cappelli et al.describe India leaders have been trained in uncertain environments, and they have much greater ability to deal with uncertainty. Similar to Ladkin and Weber, Cappelli et al. mention that India leaders tend to be more creative, because they have to face different sorts of difficult situations (p. 97). Both articles emphasize that as a leader, they need to adapt to different uncertainties. Useem point out that ‘a culture of adaptability is vital to survival’ (p. 2), and as business leaders deal with more uncertainties, they can learn from military’s book. Useem believes that adaptive skills are needed in a fast-changing world of unprecedented uncertainty (p. 2). In contrast to the other authors, Useem’s idea comes from military and as a result it does not take into account the commercial reality and practicality into consideration. These three studies make significant contributions to the understanding of the requirements of becoming successful leaders. They provide the key requirements for a leader to possess detailed business knowledge. It is recommended that future researches are based on the balance between profit perusing and relationship building.

Construction Safety essays

Construction Safety essays Over 100 Million Workers Count On OSHA The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to save lives, prevent injuries and protect the health of America's workers. To accomplish this, federal and state governments must work in partnership with the more than 100 million working men and women and their six and a half million employers who are covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. OSHA and its state partners have approximately 2100 inspectors, plus complaint discrimination investigators, engineers, physicians, educators, standards writers, and other technical and support personnel spread over more than 200 offices throughout the country. This staff establishes protective standards, enforces those standards, and reaches out to employers and employees through technical assistance and consultation programs. Nearly every working man and woman in the nation comes under OSHA's jurisdiction (with some exceptions such as miners, transportation workers, many public employees, and the self-employed). Other users and recipients of OSHA services include: occupational safety and health professionals, the academic community, lawyers, journalists, and personnel of other government entities. OSHA is determined to use its limited resources effectively to stimulate management commitment and employee participation in comprehensive workplace safety and health programs. At OSHA, we are dedicated to improving the quality of our efforts and know that to be successful we must become an agency that is driven by commitment to public service. The first step is for OSHA to listen and respond to its customers. Accordingly, we conducted a survey to learn more about what employers and employees think of OSHA's services. Because workplace inspections are one of OSHA's principal activities and because voluntary efforts to improve working conditions ultimately depend on strong enforcemen...

International mobility and global talent management Essay

International mobility and global talent management - Essay Example As per the company policy, it also ascribes to corporate social responsibility by pledging allegiance to sustainable communities, environment conservation and a broad based development of the societies in which it operates (Coca Cola 2011: Online). The thrust of the HR is to develop a trusted pool of global leaders. The objective of this essay is to analyze as to how Coca Cola manages its diversified operations in a globalized world, while being sensitive to local social, environmental, legal and regulatory expectations and norms. Corporate Vision As per Muhtar Kent, the Chairman and CEO of the Coca Cola Company, in a contemporary context, the primary objective of the company is to produce and sell brands that are trusted and respected around the world (Coca Cola 2011: Online). Thus, the goal of the company is to respond to the changes taking place in the region specific markets by creating a decentralized organizational structure and by respecting and exploiting local expertise and knowledge (Coca Cola 2011: Online). To accomplish this mission, it is imperative for Coca Cola, to make sure that its managers and personnel placed around the world share a common vision and concern, while customizing their approach as per the local requirements and preferences (Coca Cola 2011: Online). ... 113). So managing its human resources operating in more than 195 countries, with the accompanying individual aspirations and mobility requirements has always been considered a big challenge at Coca Cola (Anfuso 1994, p. 114). Thus, talent management is a core strategic issue for Coca Cola, going by the fact that more than eight percent of its income accrues from overseas sales (Anfuso 1994, p. 116). Coca Cola has 25 operating divisions spanning across six regional groups (Anfuso 1994, p. 115). Each division is expected to operate on its own while exploiting its global skills and adapting them to local knowledge and values (Anfuso 1994, p. 115). Coca Cola encourages its expatriate managers to practice local responsiveness, while assuring global integration (Anfuso 1994, p. 115). The managers based at each division are expected to act as if the division has to sustain on its own, while benefiting from the leverage associated with being tagged to a truly global group (Anfuso 1994, p. 11 5). The work culture at Coca Cola is one of diversity (Anfuso 1994, p. 117). The role of HR at Coca Cola is to extend broad philosophies oriented around essentially human issues, while helping local leaders to customize and implement these philosophies as they find suitable for the region in which they operate (Anfuso 1994, p. 117). The thrust of Coca Cola has always been to develop a sound global leadership base that is willing to and deft at adapting to the regional cultural, legal and regulatory variations. Thrust on Global Leadership The talent management approach at Coca Cola has a discernable predilection for developing global leaders (Bass 2007, p. 36). The point is not only to develop leaders who are good at managing global operations, but who are also good at

Education - professional setting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Education - professional setting - Essay Example occurs in an educational environment.3 It appears to be necessary for teachers to adopt unconventional methods of teaching within the conventional educational framework, aided by structural changes, in order to bring about real change. The two films â€Å"Dead poets Society† and â€Å"Stand and Deliver† both present unconventional teachers, who challenge their students to think out of the box and who impart an unusual element into their classrooms, thereby engaging the interest of their students and leading them on to active participation in learning.4 Therefore, they raise the following issues: â€Å"Make your lives extraordinary!† says the Robin Williams character, John Keating who encourages his students to follow their passions. He is an unconventional teacher who encourages his students not to follow by rote learning methods but to follow their passions and to learn to think for themselves. The character of Jaime Escalante, a Math high school teacher in east Los Angeles is equally unconventional and daring in his classes, forever challenging his students to perform. He has a simple philosophy about learning – students will rise and perform to the level of the expectations about them and he constantly challenges the invisible barriers that exist in the students’ minds, about their Hispanic race and their poor socio economic status being barriers to their performance in their lessons and challenges them all to study for an advanced AP calculus exam. The relationship between the teacher and his students in the â€Å"Dead Poets Society† that of mentor and co-conspirator, encouraging them to eschew traditional male socialization norms instilled in them by their own fathers, to follow a more unconventional path, although the non conformist views propagated by John Keating are unable to fly because the boys must face the reality of traditional socialization and gender roles. According to Spence, â€Å"in contemporary society, gender is a central organizing

Cyclone Nargis in Burma: Aid Analysis

Cyclone Nargis in Burma: Aid Analysis Introduction On May 2nd 2008 a category 3 cyclone hit the Irrawaddy delta in Southern Myanmar. Nargis, as it was named, was the worst natural disaster in Myanmars recorded history (TCG 2008). It ended up claiming the lives of almost 140,000 people in addition to displacing a further 800,000. The United Nations reported that overall the cyclone had disrupted the lives of nearly 2.4 million people (Crisis Group 2008). The Myanmar government, or the State Protection and Democracy Council (SPDC), had neither the resources nor the experience to deal with such an event and as a result, assistance from the international community was needed (Selth 2008). The purpose of this paper is to examine the aid delivered to Myanmar by various international government and civil society groups. In an attempt to do so the paper looks at the at delivery of the aid in light of the influence of international politics, the domestic policies adopted by the SPDC, international funding issues, the effectiveness of the human rights system, and issues related culture, environment and gender. Influence of International Politics One of the factors that had a significant impact on the delivery of aid to the cyclone victims was the influence international politics on the decision making process. This section of the paper takes a look at the manner in which politics determined the course of the humanitarian operation in Myanmar. First of all, it is of importance to highlight the fact that for twenty years before Nargis struck the Irrawaddy delta, Myanmar had been deprived of international aid. The international community hoped that by enforcing sanctions and trade embargos they would be able to force the military regime out of political power and bring in a more democratic government. The devastating consequence of cyclone Nargis, however, made the international governments and non government organizations realize that they had to suspend those polices temporarily in an attempt to provide the much needed humanitarian aid to the victims. (Crisis Group 2008) Unfortunately, for several weeks the SPDC continued to hinder the international humanitarian operation. They insisted upon delivering aid themselves with as little help from overseas as possible. They blocked access to the affected region and refused to grant visas to international aid workers (Selth 2008). They also prevented French, UK and US aid vessels from entering Myanmar territory. Despite the fact that these ships were carrying supplies to feed and shelter the survivors, the junta feared that the humanitarian operation could be used as a pretense to overthrow their government. Consequently the aid vessels, which the SPDC viewed as warships, were left anchored in international waters for weeks awaiting permission to unload the much need supplies, before they went back. (Stover and Vinck 2008) This pattern of events prompted several European countries to view the SPDCs response to the disaster as a crime against humanity. They accused the SPDC of having had inadequate aid measures in place and its continued rejection of aid from abroad was considered to be a deliberate disregard for the citizens of Myanmar (Crisis Group 2008). Therefore, the French government, with the support of the British and US governments, requested the UN Security Council to authorize the Responsibility to Protect  doctrine for the purpose of delivering aid to the victims by force if necessary (Belanger and Horsey 2008). However, Chinese and Russian governments rejected the proposal based on the fact that the doctrine did not apply to natural disasters and as a result was not sanctioned by the Security Council (Selth 2008). Eventually signs of cooperation between the SPDC and the international community began to emerge. First there was a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), where it was established that aid could be delivered to the region through ASEAN representatives. Next, at a meeting between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Senior General Than Shwe in Naypyitaw it was agreed that the SPDC would allow international aid workers full access to the disaster sites. As an outcome of these two meetings the SPDC along with representative from the UN and ASEAN set up the Tripartite Core Group (TCG), as a means to coordinate the cooperative relief effort. (ALTSEAN 2008) Domestic Policies Even after granting visas to the aid workers, the SPDC implemented certain domestic policies that hindered the international relief effort. An example of such a deterring policy is the confinement of international aid workers to the immediate Yangon area. As a result of this policy, foreign staff members distributing relief materials and food donated by the international community could only work from Yangon region. They had to rely on the junta to distribute it outside the city borders. In addition, the junta also set up road blocks preventing access to the affected areas in an attempt to further restrict the movements of international aid workers. (ALTSEAN 2008) Additionally the SPDC was cautious of the types of materials they allowed to be brought in as aid. They prevented aid agencies from delivering any materials that could be used by the survivors to gain access to outside world. As a result, the SPDC banned the import and use of communication equipments unless purchased from the government, at a price of $1,500 per phone. Each agency was allowed purchase a maximum of ten phones. Furthermore, the SPDC did not allow aid agencies to import vehicles or machinery from abroad either. An offer by the British government to provide the SPDC with equipment capable of unloading planes faster was turned down. As a result, because of these policies adopted by the SPDC, the delivery of aid was not only slow and delayed but huge quantities of relief supplies ended up in Yangon warehouses as confiscated items instead of being delivered to the victims. (ALTSEAN 2008) Another major criticism of SPDC domestic policies was the fact that they conducted the constitutional referendum despite the cyclone disaster. The purpose of the election was to legitimize the authority of the junta. As a result they went ahead with the elections amidst widespread disapproval. Even though, the junta postponed the referendum in the cyclone affected areas they went ahead with the elections the in other regions (Selth 2008). Consequently, the SPDC had to commit the limited resources it had to the referendum which diverted the much needed attention away from delivering aid to those affected by the cyclone. In addition the SPDC forcefully evicted many of the survivors from both government and unofficial shelters for the purpose of conducting the referendum. For example, the SPDC evicted around 90 people from a hall in Yangon so that the hall could be used as a polling station (Amnesty International 2008). Therefore, international politics combined with domestic policies ensured that the delivery of aid for the victims of Nargis was not an easy matter. To complicate things further the international community faced certain funding issues as well. The next section of the paper takes a closer look at those issues. International Funding Issues Aside from the onsite hindrances of delivering aid the international aid agencies had issues related to raising adequate funds. During the initial emergency response the World Food Program (WFP) estimated that the daily aid delivered to the victims was only one third of the required amount (ALTSEAN 2008). A year later half a million people are still without proper housing and 350,000 people require food donations from the World Food Program (Solomon 2009). The original Myanmar Cyclone Flash Appeal had requested for 187.3 million dollars for the rebuilding effort. However, after a more comprehensive assessment of the affected area and the victims a revised Flash Appeal requesting $481 million was launched (UN 2008). Unfortunately, during the emergency phase of the operation, international aid agencies were able to raise only 66 percent of that amount. Similarly, of the nearly $700 million required for the three years Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan (PONREPP), initiated by the SPDC in association with ASEAN and the UN, only $100 million had been pledged by donor countries (Mungpi 2009). The lack of adequate funding drastically reduced the rate at which aid was being delivered to those in need. Despite the obvious need for additional funding, international aid agencies were unable to accumulate funding the way in which they did during the 2004 Asian Tsunami. One of the major reasons for this was the reluctance of governments to provide additional funding to military junta. They feared that their donations were being diverted away from the victims and were being used to strengthen the military regime instead. Such fears were reaffirmed by evidence of aid being stolen and redirected by the SPDC. For example, the first two WFP planes carrying food into Myanmar were seized by the government upon arrival. The WFP responded by suspending their flights to Myanmar, however, in light of the extent of the humanitarian crisis the WFP realized that they had to resume the flights and send aid irrespective of fact that it might get sized again. In addition there were reports of incidents where the victims being made to pay for the relief items. In some cases the government agents forced the survivors to vote Yes  in the referendum before giving them their aid supplies. Survivors were also reportedly given rotten, low quality food instead of the nutrition-rich biscuits that the international donors had sent. Instead, these items ended up being sold in the markets along with the rice and oil donated by international organizations. To counter these accusations SPDC issued a warning to take legal action against anyone caught stealing relief supplies. However, the threat never materialized, and as a result reports of stolen and missing aid continued to appear, which further discouraged international donors and caused additional funding issues for the aid agencies. (ALTSEAN 2008) The implementation of the human rights system According to an international system of human rights, in the event of a natural disaster, every individual has the right to be given protection from natural hazards, evacuate if necessary and be given access to adequate quantities of food, shelter, and medicine. It is the national authoritys responsibility to provide these services; however, in cases where the authority is either unable or unwilling to provide these services the international community has a humanitarian obligation to deliver the aid instead (Caritas 2008). It was this system of human rights that was used by the international community to aid the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Facing numerous previously mentioned SPDC created obstacles the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on June 18 condemning the continued violation of the rights of the cyclone survivors. The resolution demanded that the SPDC allow aid workers immediate, full and unhindered access  to the Irrawaddy delta and stop forcing t he survivors to return to their cyclone affected village homes where access to emergency relief was inadequate. (Akimoto 2008) However, a year later international relief workers still find it difficult to get visas for Myanmar. Those that do get the in are only allowed a limited period of time to work in the Irrawaddy delta (Solomon 2009). Furthermore, since declaring the end of the rescue and relief phase of the cyclone Nargis response on 20 May 2008 the SPDC ordered increasing number of traumatized cyclone victims to return to their homes despite the fact that they no to access to food, shelter or other aid supplies in those villages (Amnesty International 2008). Therefore, even though it was through the human rights system that the international community was able to provide assistance to the survivors, the domestic policies adopted by the military junta greatly diminished the effectiveness of its application. Many of these domestic policies that hindered the delivery of aid to the victims of the cyclone resulted from certain cultural beliefs that the military junta has. The next section of the paper takes a look at some of these cultural issues that have made delivering aid difficult. Cultural Issues One of the major cultural issues that made the process of restoring the Irrawaddy delta immensely difficult is rooted in the isolationist principles of the military junta. Since the 1960s the government of Myanmar endorsed a self-reliance doctrine where they believed that their nation and citizens would do better if left on their own. Consequently they avoided accepting assistance from abroad even if caused more hardships (Belanger and Horsey 2008: 2). This belief was a major factor behind the initial denial of international assistance. This tradition of self reliance also resulted in the survivors being prematurely sent back to their cyclone devastated homes. Just after a month after the cyclone, the government declared that the survivors had to return to their villages and resume their way of living. According to the SPDC, cyclone victims would otherwise become too dependent on relief from international donors and not be productive enough to support themselves. In some cases, the government forcibly evicted people from their shelters and sent them back to their villages by the use of force. In Yangon, for example, the military reportedly threatened to shoot those that would not return to their villages. (Shwe 2008) Another major cultural issue within Myanmar stems from the fact it is a multi-ethnic country with several groups in conflict with one another. Even the delta region is home to a number of different ethnic groups with the Bamar being the dominant group in the region followed by the Karen and then the Rakhaing. As a result the international aid agencies had to ensure that no particular ethnic group was given preferential treatment or overlooked during the operation. Otherwise intergroup tensions worsened the already strained relations between the various ethnic groups. On the other hand aid through an equitable and non-sectarian delivery of aid the aid agencies were able to make different groups together. (TCG 2008) Environmental Issues Environmental issues also presented themselves as factors that needed to be considered by the aid agencies. Due to the damages caused by the cyclone the local environment in the Irrawaddy delta created severe health issues for the survivors. The contamination of the ponds and lakes, used by villagers as drinking water, with sea water and dead bodies spread dengue fever, diarrhea and dysentery across the region. Despite efforts by the government and international medical groups the damage done to the local environment, continued to create serious health concerns for the survivors. (Shwe 2008) Aside from causing physical harm, environmental damages placed a severe strain on the economic wellbeing of an already impoverished society. The fact that the majority of the victims of Nargis belonged to rural societies they relied on agriculture as their main source of income. In addition the delta region also produced a major portion of the countries of food supply. Therefore, the destruction of the agricultural sector meant that not only were the residents of the Irrawaddy to suffer severe economic hardships, but the entire country would have food shortages for several years unless the aid agencies addressed the issue. Therefore, the rehabilitation of the region, expected to cost $11 billion, remains a top priority for aid agencies (TCG 2008) A third environment related issue is associated with the loss of the mangrove forests in the region. The spread of shrimp farms and rice paddies for over a period of ten years resulted in the loss of significant portion of the mangrove covering. The presence of the mangrove forest would have reduced the extent of the damage caused by Nargis (TCG 2008). Consequently the IUCN suggested that once the emergency aid had been provided, the government and other organizations needed to restore the mangrove forest and other coastal ecosystem in order to avoid future devastations caused by cyclones. (IUCN 2008) Gender Issues According to a report published by the TCG, 61 percent of those that died in the cyclone were women, with the number being even higher in certain villages. Furthermore, the majority of the women that died were aged between the 18-60 years, the age group that is the most the productive and reproductive. Therefore, the cyclone created a gender imbalance in the delta region which in turn created several issues for the aid agencies (TCG 2008). This section of the paper takes a look at some of the gender issues created by Nargis, particularly the ones related to division of labor, migration of women into cities and the overall difference in needs of men and women in the aftermath of a natural disaster. First of all Nargis caused a shift in the division of labor among men and women. The death of the female members of the household meant that the men had to take on responsibilities that were traditionally reserved for women, such as cooking and childcare. Similarly, in families where the men died women had to take on the responsibility of earning money in addition to their previous roles. As a result it created additional burden for the widows and widowers and prevented them from performing other duties and as such had to be treated as among the most vulnerable groups in the community (TCG 2009) Another gender related issue created by the cyclone involves women migrating from the rural sectors to the urban regions. The devastation to the region that Nargis caused left unmarried women with very limited opportunities to earn a living. As a result many were prompted to leave their villages and look for work in the city. Once in the city, these women, with no experience of life outside their village, became easy targets for exploitation, forced labor, prostitution and trafficking. (TCG 2008) Finally aid agencies had to implement different aid mechanisms for the men and women of the delta region who experienced the natural disaster in different ways and as such needed to be looked upon as separate interest groups with specific needs, limitations and abilities. Due to cultural and social restrictions women, comparatively, have fewer opportunities to improve their conditions on their own. As a result the aid agencies, helping women recover, needed to provide services that allowed women to improve their ability to participate in activities and decision making processes. (TCG 2008) Conclusion Therefore, it can be seen from this paper that the delivery of aid to a country devastated by a natural disaster requires the consideration of a variety of factors. In the case of Nargis wrecking the Irrawaddy delta in Myanmar, the international community had to deal with a military government intent on hindering the aid effort. After having convinced the SPDC to let international aid workers enter Myanmar the aid agencies faced additional difficulties due to the domestic policies. Moreover, with the junta diverting and stealing aid the availability of international funds became an issue as well. Despite, having had used the international system of human rights to initiate the delivery of aid to the affected groups, the overall international response was not as effective in preventing the violation of the survivors human rights. Cultural, environmental and gender issues inside the Irrawaddy delta complicated matters further; illustrating the complexity of the delivering aid to an isolated developing country struggling to cope with a natural disaster. Reference Akimoto, Y. (2008) Post Nargis Analysis: The other side of the Story  [http://www.dhf.uu.se/pdffiler/burma_post_nargi_analysis.pdf] ALTSEAN (2008) SPDC turns disaster into catastrophe [http://www.altsean.org/Docs/PDF%20Format/Thematic%20Briefers/SPDC%20turns%20disaster%20into%20catastrophe.pdf] Amnesty International (2008) Myanmar Briefing: Human rights concerns a month after Cyclone Nargis [http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA16/013/2008/en/8592e938-32e5-11dd-863f-e9cd398f74da/asa160132008eng.html] Belanger, J. and R. Horsey (2008), Negotiating humanitarian access to cyclone-affected areas of Myanmar: a review  Humanitarian Exchange 41 Caritas Australia (2008) Burma Cyclone Nargis Humanitarian analysis [http://www.caritas.org.au/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Caritas_policy_documents_PDFsTemplate=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfmContentID=4006] Crisis Group (2008) Burma/Myanmar After Nargis: Time to Normalize relations  Asia Report 161 IUCN (2008) Restoring natural habitats in Myanmar a reconstruction priority  IUCN Press release May 23, 2008, Geneva [http://www.ddrn.dk/filer/forum/File/IUCN_Myanmar_press_statement.pdf] Mungpi (2009) Global support for cyclone victims not sufficient: UN  Mizzima [http://www.mizzima.com/nargis-impact/one-year-after-nargis/2063-global-support-for-cyclone-victims-not-sufficient-un.html] Selth, A. (2008) ËÅ"Burma and the Threat of Invasion: Regime Fantasy or Strategic Reality?, Griffith Asia Institutes Regional Outlook Paper 17 Shwe, K. (2008) An Alternative Assessment of the Humanitarian Assistance in the Irrawaddy Delta Situation after 60 days [http://www.cohre.org/store/attachments/Cyclone%20Nargis%20-%20Alternative%20assessment.pdf] Solomon (2009) A year on, Nargis victims still lack adequate support  Mizzima [http://www.mizzima.com/nargis-impact/one-year-after-nargis/2042-a-year-on-nargis-victims-still-lack-adequate-support.html] Stover, E. and P. Vinck (2008) Cyclone Nargis and the Politics of Relief and Reconstruction Aid in Burma (Myanmar)  JAMA 30(6): 729-731 TCG (2008) Post-Nargis Joint Assessment  [http://www.aseansec.org/21765.pdf] TCG (2009) Post-Nargis Social Impacts Monitoring  [http://www.aseansec.org/CN-SocialImpactMonitoring-November08.pdf] UN (2008) Myanmar Revised Appeal: Cyclone Nargis Response Plan Consolidated Appeal  [http://ochadms.unog.ch/quickplace/cap/main.nsf/h_Index/Revision_2008_Myanmar_FA/$FILE/Revision_2008_Myanmar_FA_VOL1_SCREEN.pdf?OpenElement]

Potential For Water Supply Essay

According to the International Water Management Institute environmental research organisation global water stress is increasing, and a third of all people face some sort of water scarcity. Where demand exceeds supply and no effective management operates, there will be conflicts between the various players involved. In addition, global climate change will exacerbate these challenges faced by countries and populations. Shifting precipitation patterns threaten to reduce water availability in some regions while inflicting stronger storms on others, increasing both potential droughts and floods. This may increase the frequency of more serious conflicts and result in ‘water wars’. Meeting the world’s growing water needs will require far more effective use of available resources. By combining appropriate technology, strategic management and involving all the players water conflicts can be avoided. The Nile river exemplifies an International dispute with the source of the conflict being the water supply. Egypt who have a historical right to The Nile are highly dependent on its waters, which are required for agricultural purposes with the waters being a necessity to irrigate the arable land. Many countries in the Nile basin depend heavily on the Nile, with Egypt depending on the Nile for 97% of its renewable water resource. Consequently, The Nile is essential to the food and water security in all of the countries that lie within the Nile river basin. With so many countries being reliant on one single water source it is no surprise that this water supply has increased tensions in the area and that there is a huge potential for it to cause conflict. Ethiopia’s tributaries supply roughly 86% of the Nile however as a result of the Entebbe Agreement Ethiopia and other upstream countries have begun to divert water for new dam projects that would provide hydro-electric power and irrigation networks. These developments upstream have led to threats from Egypt, who are extremely protective over their decreasing share of the Niles water supply. However in order to secure their  supply they must engage in peaceful negotiations as violence would only jeapordise their share of the supply. Thus the potential for water conflict is there as tensions continue to increase between upstream and downstream nations, and perhaps overtime as the downstream nations share of the supply is further squeezed, these tensions are likely to result in conflict. Conflict can also occur within a country, for example the states situated within the Colorado river basin have been constantly squabbling over who owns the water supply and who should be allocated the most water. In the 1920s the ‘Law of the River’ established the division of water amongst the upper basin states, it also defined their responsibility to supply water to the lower basin states. This division had been based on an estimated annual flow of 21 billion m3/yr in 1920, however this was a time of above normal flows, recent studies have indicated that long term average flows are around 18 billion m3/yr. The deficit between the flow and the allocation has become more apparent as the population in the clorado basin states continues to rise. As a result of this deficit tensions are rising between the states, California receives a large percentage of the water as a result of its large population and political power even though the river does not directly flow through it. This has heightened tensions with the states who are experiencing severe water shortages who actually have a grater claim to the river than California. Although the city dwellers may be losing out as they are having to share their water with other states, farmers are profiting as they claimed the land first and thus the majority of water, 80%, lies with them. The Colorado river has not only caused internal disputes but also international disputes, causing there to be the potential for conflict with Mexico. The reason being that the Colorado river is that the basin states are so dependent on the water that the river supplies that it no longer reaches the sea, 90% of the water has been extracted before it reaches Mexico. The delta has decreased in size as a result of the extraction and the large dams put in place along the river such as the Hoover Dam. This did increase political tensions between the two nations and there was a strong potential for the supply of the Colorado river to become a source of  Conflict between the two countries, however in 2012 an amendment was made to the ‘Law of the River’ entitled ‘Minute 319’ which gave Mexico a grater allocation of the water supply. This is an example of how there can be a potential for conflict yet an agreement can be reached to prevent it. Nonetheless there is still a potential for new disputes among the Colorado river, this is less likely to occur internationally on the US-Mexico border as a result of the recent amendment, however at the artificial border drawn at Lees Ferry, between the upper and lower basin states. Aside from the strain put on the supply by a growing population, the upper basin has a small surplus that it is using to develop its economy. However at the same time water shortages in the lower basin could limit the potential for economic growth in the lower basin and thus their remains a potential for the water supply to cause conflict in the future.

Elements of Marketing Mix Essay

Elements of Marketing Mix â€Å"A typical marketing mix includes a product, offered at a price, with some promotion to tell potential customers about the product, and a way to reach the customer’s place† (Perreault & McCarthy, 2004, pg. 36). A company will use the marketing mix in order to control variables in marketing to satisfy a target group. This paper will describe the four elements of the marketing mix; product, place, price, and promotion. In addition, the four elements of the marketing mix will be discussed on the impacts in the development of Starbuck’s marketing strategy and tactics. Product†The product area is concerned with developing the right â€Å"product† for the target market† (Perreault, 2004, pg. 38). This requires a company to determine what item or service is desired by the customer in order to fulfill needs. The product needs to provide a service, cover the expected needs for the customer, or deliver the expectations created by other elements of the marketing mix. Service, benefits, branding, and packaging are some things that are taken into consideration with an organization’s product (Perreault et al, 2004). The overall objective is to offer a product that will satisfy the wants and needs of people. Place†Place is concerned with all the decisions involved in getting the â€Å"right† product to the target market’s place† (Perreault et al, 2004, pg. 39). Place refers to the delivery of a product or service to a location that customers may obtain from. This step is needed to get the finished product from the company or origin to the consumer. Marketers need to consider the most efficient method to distribute an organizations product. Channel type, market exposure, locations of stores, service levels, means of transportation and distributing are factors that are taken into considers when marketers need to develop a strategy for place (Perreault et al, 2004). The overall objective is creating a place in order for customer’s to buy the product. Price†Price setting must consider the kind of competition in the target market and the cost of the whole marketing mix† (Perreault et al, 2004, pg. 40). The price is the amount that will be charged for the product. â€Å"Managers  must know current practices as to markups, discounts, and other terms of sale† (Perreault et al, 2004, pg. 40). The prices set by competitors will affect the price of the product. Organizations use pricing techniques in order to reach a competitive price of the product. Prices are set by a company in order to become profitable or to even reach the break even point. Flexibility, product life, cycles, geographic terms, discounts, and allowances are factors that must be considered before setting the price of a product (Perreault et al, 2004). In addition, pricing strategies also will vary according to region. For example, a product that sells for a price of 10 dollars in California may only sell for 7 dollars in the state of Georgia. The o verall objective is the set the right price for the product. Promotion†Promotion is concerned with telling the target market or others in the channel of distribution about the â€Å"right† product† (Perreault et al, 2004, pg. 40). Promotion is how the marketer will communicate, inform and persuade customers to purchase a product or service. There are many ways in which to market the product. The marketer must take in account multiple ways of promotion; personal selling, mass selling, and sales promotion. All can be mixed to create the right blend that will target the marketplace. Personal selling involves direct communication between a company and their customer, usually face-to-face. However, direct communication can also be through phone interviews or sales calls, conferences through video and the internet (Perreault et al, 2004). Promotion can also be used to target a large group of consumers at the same time such as radio or television advertising. This is known as mass selling. Finally, sales promotion refers to promoti on activities that do not involve advertising and personal selling. Contest, coupons, and special offers are some examples of sales promotions (Perreault et al, 2004). Starbucks’ Marketing MixStarbucks Coffee mission statement is to â€Å"establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow† (Starbucks, n.d.). Starbuck’s has utilized the four marketing elements to help create an excellent impact in the development of their marketing tactics and strategies. Starbucks originated in Seattle, Washington, over 30 years ago,  and owns more than 12,000 stores worldwide. Starbucks achieved this by creating a successful marketing strategy. Starbucks was recognized 7 times as one of the â€Å"100 Best Corporate Citizens† by Business Ethics Magazine (Shareholder, 2007). Starbucks customers include people of diverse ethnicity, income, and age groups with varying tastes and interest. With this diverse clientele, Starbucks has made marketing a challenge to target all these diverse groups of people. Product†Starbucks is dedicated to purchasing the highest quality coffee and paying premium prices to reflect ongoing commitment to coffee-farming communities† (Shareholder, 2007). The reason Starbucks offer so many different varieties of products is to satisfy the diverse clientele. This company has continuously been able to influence their clientele by offering products that appeal to all cultures. Starbucks has been able to meet a specific market demand. â€Å"Starbucks gives a wide range of food and beverage options, from indulgent treats to lower-fat and reduced-calorie choices for all consumers’ tastes† (Shareholder, 2007). Starbucks continues to innovate and extend the Starbucks Experience with imaginative new ready-to-drink beverages and expanding coffee offerings. PlaceStarbucks’ stores are strategically placed in locations that are visible and have a great deal of traffic. Starbucks is successful at placing their products strategically in order to impact sales volume. According to the Starbuck’s 2006 annual report, â€Å"we opened 2,199 new stores globally (ahead of 1,800), at an average pace of six new stores per day, bringing our total to 12,440 stores in 37 countries† (Shareholder, 2007). They have locations on busy street corners, in malls, theaters, office buildings, grocery stores and airports which have allowed them to be clearly visible. Almost anywhere a person turns there is a Starbucks around the corner. PriceStarbucks does not consider their price to strategy to be of significance compared to the other elements in the industry. â€Å"The company’s 12-ounce tall latte ranges from $2.25 in Minnesota to $3 in New York City† (Wong, 2004). Like any company, prices are based on the level of economy in each area. Starbucks prices largely are also based on manufacturing.  Starbucks’ prices reflect cost of coffee beans, sugar, geographical areas, and the overall experience. Distribution also plays a role in how the product is priced at each company. PromotionStarbucks employs a mix between personal selling and sales promotion. â€Å"Personal selling lets the salesperson adapt the firm’s marketing mix to each potential customer† (Perreault et al, 2004). Starbucks does not just have salespeople, but baristas. Starbucks’ baristas inform and sell the product face-to-face to the customers. Starbucks’s promotions do not include traditional advertising, but global sales promotions. Sales promotions spark purchases by customers through different channels. In August of 2006, Starbucks supported Jumpstart’s Read for the Record campaign. They sold 53,000 copies of The Little Engine That Could and hosted 330 reading events setting an official Guinness world record. Furthermore, incentive sales promotions included donating 5 cents for every bottle sold for the Ethos Water Fund. The Ethos Water Fund focuses on improving local water sources and providing sanitation and hygiene education to the communities in Ethiopia and Indonesia (Shareholder, 2007). People want to be apart of Starbucks’ global efforts and these are examples of effective sales promotions. ConclusionWhen developing a marketing, all decisions impacted the four Ps should be made at the same time. The four elements of the marketing mix are equally important. This is because the products, places, prices, and promotions of an organization surround the most important element; the customer (Perreault et al, 2004). According to Starbucks 2006 annual report, â€Å"There are numerous competitors in almost every market in which Starbucks operates and in which it expects to expand in both the specialty coffee beverage business and the specialty whole bean coffee business† (Shareholder, 2007). Starbucks has proven to stay on top of their market. However, Starbucks and any organization need to continuously examine their marketing mix in order to stay competitive and profitable. By successfully completing the circle of the four Ps, Starbucks has established a multi-million dollar organization that is a Fortune 100 Company. References Perreault, W. D. & McCarthy, E. J. (2004). Basic Marketing: A Global-Managerial Approach. The McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2007, from https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.aspStarbucks, (n.d.). Retrieved Nov. 11, 2007, from http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/environment.aspShareholder, (2007). In Starbucks Coffee 2006 Annual Report. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2007, from http://www.shareholder.com/visitors/dynamicdoc/document.cfm?CompanyID=SBUX&DocumentID=1382&PIN=&Page=13&Zoom=1xWong, B. (2004, Sept. 28). In Cup of Starbucks going up average of 11 cents Oct. 6. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2007, from http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/192721_coffeeprice28.html