Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Marketing Analysis Marketing Industry - 1616 Words
Introduction In the marketing industry itââ¬â¢s always smart to take advantage of opportunities to gain more customers while at the same time looking for weaknesses amongst their competitors. These are the building blocks on which corporations strive to survive and flourish. Once a company has produced a flagship product they gain name recognition along with customer loyalty and a strong following, which usually has a deep connection to the companyââ¬â¢s product. This connection is so immersed into a product they provide free advertisement via word of mouth, social media or the wearing of logos on their clothing. Companies are always looking for ways to extend their products longevity. As a consumer becomes more attached to a particular productâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦This is how a well established product is use to introduce a different style of the original product while maintaining the consistency of the base product line. Literature Review Definitions To ensure we are talking about the same concepts, letââ¬â¢s go over a few definitions that are common in marketing and must be understood for us to proceed with this discussion. A percentage of total sales volume in a market captured by a brand, product, or company is called Market Share (Market share). Multiproduct branding strategy whereby a firm markets one or more new products under an already established and well known brand name. The objective is to serve different customer needs or market segments while taking advantage of the widespread name recognition of the original brand. For example, maker of a popular perfume may introduce shampoos, bath soaps, body powders, etc., under the perfume s name. Line extension is encouraged by some marketing experts and frowned upon by others. Also called brand extension (Line extension, 2013). Brand extension is the practice of using a well-known brand name to promote new products or services in unrelated fields also called brand stretching (Brand extension, 2012). A company s core product or service which is most recognizable by the public and embodies the expertise, values and product line of the business. For example, athletic shoes are the flagship brand for Nike though the company makes other
Monday, December 16, 2019
Look into a Psychotic mind Free Essays
Not for the faint hearted. As a child Iââ¬â¢d always been curious. Starting when I was six, I would spend hours doing my ââ¬Å"experimentsâ⬠It began with frogs and worms but soon I went on to bigger animals, mammals. We will write a custom essay sample on Look into a Psychotic mind or any similar topic only for you Order Now The family cat, a little boys puppy, the school gerbils. The police never knew who took them although they did find the bodiesâ⬠¦ When I was done with them. Iââ¬â¢m twenty six now and quite the normal city girl if you donââ¬â¢t count my experiments. I work for Poise magazine as a photographer and part time interviewer but my passion still lies in the biology of a body. Did you know humans can continue to live after the removal of the stomach, spleen, 75% of the liver, 80% of the intestines, one kidney, one lung, and virtually every organ from the pelvic and groin area. You might not feel too great, but the missing organs wouldnââ¬â¢t kill you. I wonder who was lucky enough to do this experiment, Iââ¬â¢d love to be them. The surgeon or scientistâ⬠¦ Not the subject missing his organs. This is what inspired my latest question and led to the idea for my new ââ¬Å"experimentâ⬠I picked up my subject outside a local club. Itââ¬â¢s quiet skinny but still a healthy looking packmen, the shaggy brown hair is really what pulled me to it. Eve always loved light brown hair for some reason. Anyway, my specimen spent the morning in my car trunk while I was at work, I made sure he was knocked out properly. I donââ¬â¢t need my co-workers hearing noises from my car and investigatingâ⬠¦ Iââ¬â¢d probably lose my Job. Who am I kidding? My Job would be toast. I drove up to my old family house in the country, having taken the week off I had time to come out here. No one knows about the old house and it was so far away from anything you could scream your head off without anyone showing up. Perfect for hat I needed. I dragged the still unconscious specimen into the large garage, his chloroform nap would be the last peace he had so he may as well enjoy it. Iââ¬â¢m a relatively small woman so dragging him to the garage wasnââ¬â¢t the easiest thing to do. Why the heck didnââ¬â¢t I park closer? I sighed to myself. Break time is over and I need to get back to work. I walked across the dusty floor and stared at the tools lining my wall. I looked at each one and grinned at the damage they could each do. Hammers for smashing, saws for sawing, pliers for pulling, knives for slicing and blowtorches forâ⬠¦ Well you get the point. The collection was large and helped quell my curiosity. I grabbed a length of thick rope from one of the hooks and walked back to where my specimen lay. My shoes made clanking noises against the floor but there was no reason to be quietâ⬠¦ So I wasnââ¬â¢t. Spotting a sturdy beam above me, I tossed the rope over it and watched as thick braided cord fell far enough down so I could reach it if I Jumped. Youââ¬â¢d think Iââ¬â¢d done this before. After I made sure I could reach both ends of the rope I turned to my subject. He looked so peaceful, I donââ¬â¢t think he remembered his abduction or understood what was to come. My first human specimen was a cutie, I had to admit. Itââ¬â¢s almost a shame, almost. I pulled his unconscious body into place and wound the rope around his ankles after removing the manââ¬â¢s boots. I made sure my knots were tight and would not slip undone as that would ruin the experiment. Grabbing the other end of dangling rope I pulled it over my shoulder and began to walk towards the pillar near the edge of my garage where I could tie off the rope, leaving my specimen hanging from the rafters like meat in a butcher shop. While waiting for my subject to awake I decided to record my progress in the book I pet with me at all times. It was filled with notes on all my experiments, granted they were all animal experiments. Subject: ââ¬Å"Humansâ⬠Experiment: Skin Skin is a thin layer of tissue acting as a perimeter around the internal body keeping unwanted germs out. It is also the largest organ in the body and arguably the most important. How important? After skinning subject ââ¬Å"Humansâ⬠I hope to answer that question. Hypothesis: Without the outer layer the body should succumb to bacteria, viruses and disease. I am anticipating that dehydration will be my biggest obstacle. I heard a groan come from behind me and suppressed a grin. Heââ¬â¢s awake! I dropped the knives Iââ¬â¢d brought with me behind him noisily. The man was now flailing around uselessly. The grogginess from being knocked out prevented him from succeeding, it was actually quite humorous! When he finally gave up, I walked behind him and gave his hair a playful tug, pulling his head back slightly. ââ¬Å"What!? Wait-Who are you? Where am I!? â⬠He yelled in fury. The anger was to be expected. He flailed some more until he faced me and tried to grasp at the edge of my Jeans. I stood Just out of his reach, these are designer Jeans! ââ¬Å"Why? â⬠I finally repeated back at him. Sees you crazy bitchy! Why am I here!? â⬠He screamed. ââ¬Å"Because I have a question, no need for vulgar language. â⬠I added sweetly. ââ¬Å"Huh? Fine. Whatââ¬â¢s the question? â⬠He huffed. ââ¬Å"Do you remember how you got here? Not my actual question but still needs to be answered. ââ¬Å"l- lâ⬠¦ No. â⬠He looked thoughtful and I smiled, Just what I wanted to hear. I slipped my hand into my pocket and withdrew the needle filled with liquid chloroform, enjoying the look of horror on his face. Before he could yell or thrash around I slipped it into his ne ck, further than necessary and he yelped in pain. The Heimlich soon entered his blood and the struggling stopped. Carefully I made the first incision in his back with a fillet knife, being careful not to go too deep as I ran the blade down his back. I pulled up the skin and slid my knife between the skin and his back watching as the external organ was removed from his back. I did my task in silence working my way up his shoulders and arms. I wasnââ¬â¢t concerned with the small amounts of skin under the bindings as it would be rubbed raw by the friction of his movements and there was no time to work on such tediousness. Next I worked on my subjectââ¬â¢s chest and torso. By the time the crimson map of internal workings was shown on his top half, or bottom since he is upside down. A decent sized puddle of blood had collected on the stone floor. The thick red liquid ran down his still unharmed neck and landed with a trickling plop on the ground. The neck proved an easy part. The fingers and toes gave me some difficulty as the skin between the digits was at an awkward angle and hard to reach with in the small spaces, I succeeded in the end. Skinning his ââ¬Å"manhoodâ⬠was excruciatingly tedious. The skin covering the gender based organ was already so thin, it was nearly impossible to get rid of. Iââ¬â¢m thankful the member is so small or I may have lost my patience and chopped the damned thing off completely. I gave my subject a shot of kill, a chemical compound used to help blood clotting and thicken the blood. I want to see how long my subject will survive without skin and blood loss cannot be a factor! His neck and head was all that was left. As I passed over his features carefully, I ruined one of the eyes by accidental cutting an eyelid off. Careless but not a huge mistake, I hope. I finished off removing the rest of the skin from his head. He isnââ¬â¢t cute anymore, thatââ¬â¢s for sure. There, perfect. I thought as I stood back to admire the exposed muscles and tendons. The blue of his veins reminded me of a road map, twisting and turning throughout his rosy red form. Fresh blood oozed from his body but not to an extent that would cause the subjectââ¬â¢s demise, thanks to the kill . I placed a large mirror in front of him so when he awoke heââ¬â¢d see himself. I want him to appreciate the time I put into his death. When my subject awoke there was much swearing so I left him alone for a day to calm down and accept his fate. Its day 2 of the skinless man and time to feed him. I canââ¬â¢t let starvation or dehydration influence my answer. His death has to be due to loss of skin. He didnââ¬â¢t speak while I fed him, no swearing or begging. I found it unusual but I think he must be feeling some despair. Iââ¬â¢d noticed his drying form and the way most of his body had scabbed over, leaving it looking rough and deformed. I suppose that all I can do now is wait Day 5. Five and make sure he has enough water. Day 3. The subject is growing weaker, diseases starting to take over his skinless form. Some disconsolation can be seen in his tissue as well as a mixture of sores that seep a yellowish puss. The eyelid that I accidental cut off has now dried out, it now rerouted from his face slightly. His body is also admitting a sour smell. Like a mixture of dried urine and rotting flesh. The dour attracts all sorts of flies, gnats and mosquitoes. Both feeding on his decaying tissue and laying eggs in the warm gore. I watch in fascination as his flesh seems to crawl and wiggle with the bugs devouring him slowly. Itââ¬â¢s exciting, I did not for see this in my experiment. Day 4. The eye without its lid popped at some point last night, its insides became a comfortable bed for flies. Putrid, dark greenish purple glop dried in a strip down his face. Disgusting. ââ¬Å"Why donââ¬â¢t you Just kill me? The man asked weakly. L am killing you silly! Itââ¬â¢s Just taking a while longer than expected. â⬠I smiled at how naive he is. ââ¬Å"Why? â⬠He wept. ââ¬Å"l told you, Iââ¬â¢m curious. â⬠Then I thought of something, ââ¬Å"Whatââ¬â¢s your name? â⬠ââ¬Å"Connors, My name is Connors. You? â⬠Him should I tell him my name? ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m Regga e. â⬠After that I left him hanging. Literally. Heââ¬â¢s still strung up from the roof, Iââ¬â¢m surprised he hasnââ¬â¢t complained off head-AC. Days, I thought as I stood in front of his lifeless body. His muscles and tissues were one giant, inflamed red scab with large areas of purple, blue and even yellow due to extreme infection. How to cite Look into a Psychotic mind, Papers
Sunday, December 8, 2019
College Goals free essay sample
Attending college is the first step to a better future. Throughout life there will be many goals to accomplish but some of the most important goals to accomplish will be during the time you are in college. My first goal is to pass every class this semester. After completing this goal my next goal to complete will be to graduate from Hudson County Community College with an Associateââ¬â¢s Degree in Liberal Arts. Finally my last goal to complete is to further my education and get the job I want. Passing every class this semester will help me feel positive and confident about my future and future goals.In order to complete this goal I will have to attend every class and be on time. By missing one class I will miss out on a lot of work and may not be able to catch up. I will have to finish every assignment on time because if I write the best essay I could possibly write but hand it in late, my grade will drop dramatically. We will write a custom essay sample on College Goals or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Finally I will have to ask for help if I need it. Even though it is my first semester of college and I do not know what to expect, asking for help is easy and can help improve my college experience. To be able to obtain my Associateââ¬â¢s Degree in Liberal Arts by August 2015 I will have to work harder than I ever have. I will have to be sure to complete all my assignments and be sure to attend all my classes. I will have to put school first in life and avoid activities that will have a negative impact on my education. Prior to achieving this goal I also want to choose the career I want so I can know what direction my life is going. My final long-term college goal is to go on to obtain my Bachelorââ¬â¢s Degree and possibly my Masterââ¬â¢s Degree, depending on the career I choose.I have not chosen the career I want yet but I want to have the best education possible to qualify me for the job. To be able to obtain the best education possible I want to keep my grade point average high and be able to attend a good university. I have not really thought about all the details since I have not chosen a career yet but I am going to better my education as much as I possibly can. After completing all my education I will have the job I want and be happy and financially stable.In conclusion, my college goals are some of the most important in my life because they greatly help shape my future. By passing all my classes this semester I will have the confidence to continue my education and do well. By obtaining my Associateââ¬â¢s Degree I will be able to go on and obtain my Bachelorââ¬â¢s and possibly Masterââ¬â¢s Degrees. And finally when I finish completing all my education I will be able to get the career I want and be happy with my life. My entire future depends on the choices I make in college.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Sports in Victorian England Essay Example
Sports in Victorian England Paper Sports allow people to come together and spend time with one another. Women, children and men could all participate In one sport or another. As It Is now, It was back then, a great way to spend time with each other and Just kick back and relax. Some sports that were played back then were bicycling, croquet, lawn tennis, and soccer. Bicycling was a very popular sport to participate In. It was inexpensive to start and also a great way to get around without having a car. It started In England In about 1885 hen people needed to save money. By the sasss people started calling the era the Golden Age of Cycling. When cycling first started the bikes, as we call them today were a lot different than the bikes we ride today. The front wheel was about 40- 48 Inches In diameter and the rear wheel was about 16 Inches In diameter. This supposedly gave a smoother ride. Croquet was also a sport of the Victorian era. This sport was one of the few sports that women and men could play together. Since a lot of the sports had to do with speed and strength, many of the girls werent allowed to play. We will write a custom essay sample on Sports in Victorian England specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sports in Victorian England specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sports in Victorian England specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It was very popular around 1856 in England. Croquet started becoming very popular because women could play privately without men, and sometimes even Walt or against men. It malign nave even Eden ten TLS ever co-De game established. Women cheated often in this game by wearing long skirts and hiding their foot when they would kick the ball away from the target stick. Men had to read counseling books to learn how to deal with the girls behavior so they would not fight. Also Lawn Tennis was an awesome sport during that era. A lot of middle aged women played this game. After a while men also started playing tennis and a lot of organized competitions were started. At one point, there were so many people playing the game that it became chaotic because of the lack of organized rules, but people still had a lot of fun playing together. During the sass the game became patented, universal rules were established and money paying tournaments started. But still, there were still some inconsistent rules so it was still a mess. When All England Croquet Club was formed, a group of lawn tennis players took an entire summer to play and perfect the game. That was when the boundaries of the net and courts were set and became widely accepted. In 1877 the first serve was served and thats when the tennis we know today became the amazing sport it now is. Football is one of my favorite sports to watch and it was also a popular sport during the Victorian Era. If you compare it to todays games, it was like rugby and soccer put together. During ten Totally was more Like ten soccer AT today. It started In England In 1871 and was organized by churches to get more attendance at church. Thanks to those churches, football as become the number one most popular sport in the America today! The first rules were that the first team who scored 2 out of 3 times won the game. In university football, the players could tackle the other teams players to keep them from scoring a goal. Those rules eventually became widely accepted and developed into the game we know today. The first governing body ever was the Football Association (FAA). Women didnt get to play a lot of sports during the Victorian era. Back then werent thought of very highly. The two sports women mainly played were croquet and lawn tennis.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
The Misanthrope essays
The Misanthrope essays The Misanthrope was not similar to anything one might expect to see in a modern day theatrical production. The dialogue that was spoken between the actors was hard to understand as an audience member. Moliere's play is done in classic verse format, meaning that the play was done completely in rhyme. An addition obstacle for the actors was the language was not updated to the current mode of speaking. Often times plays that are kept in the original language get complaints form their audiences about the inability to enjoy the play because most of the audience's time was spent trying to figure out what the actors were saying. At the same time, actors must be aware of overdoing their movements and gestures so they don't go down the path of dreaded indication. This production of the Misanthrope was a little lacking in the overall quality of the performance because the majority of the actors were having trouble overcoming the language barrier. The play opens with a conversation between Alceste, played by Geoff Wilson, and Philinte, played by Stan Q. Wash. Alceste shows himself to be very cynical about the motives of people and Philinte shows himself to be very sincere believing that people should be kind to each other even if it meant putting on a false face. We learn this through Alceste and Philinte's comments on a poem written by their friend Oronte, played by Blake Bowen. Alceste thinks it is horrible while Philinte thinks it is wonderful. Philinte also says that Alceste was too blunt and could have softened his criticism. Later, Alceste decides to go see Celimene, played by Kelly Ann Ford, and talk about their relationship. He tells her that she should get rid of the rest of her suitors and she insists that he is her only true lover. The rest of the suitors at Celimene's apartment believe the same as Alceste. As they're talking, Oronte enters with the marshal who tells Alceste to apologize to Oronte about th e comments h...
Friday, November 22, 2019
Bronze Age Greece
Bronze Age Greece When Was the Greek Bronze Age?: Put Bronze Age Greece in Perspective: Major Intervals in Ancient History The Aegean Bronze Age, where Aegean refers to the Aegean Sea where Greece, the Cyclades, and Crete are situated, ran from about the beginning of the third millennium to the first, and was followed by the Dark Age. The Cyclades were prominent in the Early Bronze Age. On Crete, Minoan civilization named for the legendary king Minos of Crete, who ordered the building of the labyrinth is divided into Early, Middle, and Late Minoan (EM, MM, LM), which are further subdivided. Mycenaean civilization refers to late Bronze Age culture (c.1600 - c.1125 B.C.). Bronze Age - Glossary Entry The following paragraphs describe important terms to learn connected with the Greek Bronze Age. Cyclades: The Cyclades are islands in the south Aegean circling the island of Delos. During the Early Bronze Age (c. 3200-2100 B.C.) pottery, marble, and metal goods were produced that wound up in grave sites. Among these are the marble female figurines that inspired 20th century artists. Later in the Bronze Age the Cyclades showed influence from Minoan and Mycenaean cultures. Minoan Bronze Age: British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans began excavating the island of Crete in 1899. He named the culture Minoan and divided it into periods. In the early period newcomers arrived and pottery styles changed. This was followed by the great palace-building civilization and Linear A. Catastrophes destroyed this civilization. When it recovered, there was a new style of writing known as Linear B. Further catastrophes marked the end of the Minoan Bronze Age. Early Minoan (EM) I-III, c.3000-2000 B.C.Middle Minoan (MM) I-III, c.2000-1600 B.C.Late Minoan (LM) I-III, c.1600-1050 B.C. Minoan Bronze AgeDark Age Greece Knossos: Knossos is a Bronze Age city and archaeological site in Crete. In 1900, Sir Arthur Evans bought the site where ruins had been found, and then worked on restoring its Minoan palace. Legend says King Minos lived at Knossos where he had Daedalus build the famous labyrinth to house the minotaur, the monstrous offspring of King Minos wife Pasiphae. KnossosThe Palace of Minos - Kris Hirst - Archaeology at About.comLabrysMinotaurDaedalus Mycenaeans: The Myceaneans, from mainland Greece, conquered the Minoans. They lived in fortified citadels. By 1400 B.C. their influence extended to Asia Minor, but they disappeared between about 1200 and 1100, at which time the Hittites also disappeared. Heinrich Schliemanns excavations of Troy, Mycenae, Tiryns, and Orchomenos revealed Mycenaean artifacts. Michael Ventris probably deciphered its writing, Mycenaean Greek. The connection between Myceaneans and the people described in the epics attributed to Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey, is still debated. Who Were the Mycenaeans? Schliemann: Henirich Schliemann was a German maverick archaeologist who wanted to prove the historicity of the Trojan War, so he excavated an area of Turkey. Schliemann Linear A and B: Just as Schliemann is the name associated with Troy and Evans with the Minoans, so there is one name connected with the deciphering of Mycenaean script. This man is Michael Ventris who deciphered Linear B in 1952. The Mycenaean tablets he deciphered were found at Knossos, showing contact between Minoan and Mycenaean cultures. Linear A has not yet been deciphered. Linear A - Kris Hirst - Archaeology at About.comLinear B - Kris Hirst - Archaeology at About.com Graves: Archaeologists learn about the culture of ancient peoples by studying their remains. Graves are a particularly valuable source. At Mycenae, wealthy warrior chieftains and their families were buried in shaft graves. In the Late Bronze Age, warrior chieftains (and family) were buried in decorated Tholos tombs, round stone subterranean tombs with vaulted roofs. Shaft GravesTholos Tombs Bronze Age Resources: Crete The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Ed. M.C. Howatson and Ian Chilvers. Oxford University Press, 1996. Neil Asher Silberman, Cyprian Broodbank, Alan A. D. Peatfield, James C. Wright, Elizabeth B. French Aegean Cultures The Oxford Companion to Archaeology. Brian M. Fagan, ed., Oxford University Press 1996. Lesson 7: Western Anatolia and the Eastern Aegean in the Early Bronze Age
Thursday, November 21, 2019
The Columbia History of American Television Assignment
The Columbia History of American Television - Assignment Example The silent generation children grew in complex situations caused by wars and economic hard ups. America suffered the most during the economic crisis in 1929 to 1939 called the great depression. Many American nationals lost their property and possessions starving on the streets as the employment rates reduced by 24 percent being unemployed (Gary 208). Popular culture allows people with different opinions styles to relate and identify homogenously and collectively. It serves a critical role in the society as it unites groups on ideas of acceptable forms of behavior. Popular culture comes from the developments of range activities such as modern music, cyberculture, print, entertainment, advertising, and television. Video and television popular culture influence the advancement of the silent generation Era in different perspectives. The increase of the middle class and urbanization is the foundation of the famous culture leading to the industrial revolution. The baby boomers are the initiators of the generational evolution by their arrival leading to the demands for housing, cars, and roads mostly aged between 47 to 65years. The Generation X years range from 31 to 46 and is an in-between generation consisting of the first-generation dual income families. They experience the impacts of the end of the cold war, the fall of the Communism and the dismantling of the Berlin wall. The development of the MTV and rise of the internet, technology enlightened them to be tech savvy and entrepreneurs. The current generation is the millennial generation with ages from 18 to 30 who have grown in an environment of unrest and increased security after post-September 11 world. Social and political trends promote the age differences in political attitudes and voting choices in the election cycles.Ã
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Existentialism in European Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words
Existentialism in European Art - Essay Example This art is still relevant today for all practical purposes and will be demonstrated as such. Europe had been left ravaged by Hitler and the Nazis. There was a great deal of despair in the region over the fact that for six years (1939-1945), basically Europe had been Hitler's stomping grounds. In 1938, Austria fell; in 1939, Germany invaded Czechoslovakia; also in 1939, Poland fell; Belgium, France, and the Netherlands surrendered in 1940; and Luxembourg fell in 1940 and was annexed to Germany.1 Then, also in 1940, Denmark and Norway were invaded, and Romania surrendered to Germany; Germany entered the Soviet Union in 1941 and lost; and then Yugoslavia, Greece, and Estonia all surrendered to Germany in 1941.2 By the end of the war, the U.S.S.R. (the United Soviet Socialist Republic) controlled a majority of Europe. In most countries, the U.S.S.R. put communist factions in control. Also, a few Baltic nations were annexed to the U.S.S.R. Germany was required to make reparations to several countries, notwithstanding. Much of these accoutrements had to be made in order to pacify the Allies' thirst for power in a declining German economy. In many ways, this was payback for the Nazism that had ravaged Europe. Germany was reduced to being in a bad situation financially, about where it had been before the start of World War II economically. At the end of World War II, people were ... Also, a few Baltic nations were annexed to the U.S.S.R. Germany was perhaps affected in the worst way in some senses of the word. There was an economic depression of sorts, and the country had to be entirely rid of Nazi policy and symbolism. Several German and Polish people were banished from their countries of origin due to the way Europe was divided based on post-war treaties. Germany was required to make reparations to several countries, notwithstanding. Much of these accoutrements had to be made in order to pacify the Allies' thirst for power in a declining German economy. In many ways, this was payback for the Nazism that had ravaged Europe. Germany was reduced to being in a bad situation financially, about where it had been before the start of World War II economically. At the end of World War II, people were seeking answers about existence and selfhood. After having lived through the concentration camps and the occupations, Europe was ready for a paradigm shift in the way people connected to one another (themselves) as well as other people. People were seeking more out of life. They wanted to know answers to the questions "Who am I" and "Why am I here" Post-World War II, many people were left wondering what to do with themselves. Now that they were free, people had the time on their hands to finally navel-gaze and be disaffected observers. For now, they were not the ones being interrogated. It was their turn to interrogate others and ask of life all of the questions that filled their souls with longing. People were struggling not to be bored (when they weren't in dire need of worrying about surviving, of course). And, surviving was an entirely different topic altogether that needed to be addressed. Many survivors of World War II
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Miley Cyrus Essay Example for Free
Miley Cyrus Essay Miley Cyrus has always been an important figure to me and to my identity. I begun my teenage years watching Hannah Montana every night before going to bed, listening to her songs as both, Miley and Hannah and I even used to learn the lyrics to every song that eventually helped me a lot to improve my english speaking skills. I also had Hannah Montana room appliances, posters and even my bedding was from the famous show. As I see these pictures and also videos, followed by all the comments that are being posted about her everywhere from Youtube to Twitter and from Facebook to many gossip magazines everywhere I look. I feel hurt and I cannot imagine how much pressure she must be feeling at the moment. We live in a world that still doesnt know how to appreciate and is full of hate that doesnt go away easily. Personally, I don not have a problem with what she is doing, but I am really curious, I cannot understand how a person could change not only her appearance, her way of dressing but also her personality from night to morning. I do not dislike who she is now, though I find it disturbing how being a role model to so many young girls she really doesnt care about dancing in front of everyone in such an obscene way or posting pictures on her personal Instagram consuming drugs, for instance the picture where she is smoking a joint of weed. Girls that are still young and even older ones can totally follow these actions and do the same just because their idol is doing it, so in this way I dont think she is doing the right thing. As long as I know, Miley did not have many cheerful times, the last six months of her busy life. She struggled with many aspects of her personal life, just like we all do from time to time. Perhaps she did not know how to manage this in a different way so she decided to make a drastic change. Comparing the two pictures, the first one where her hair is long, she wears an acceptable dress and she smiles sweetly, the other picture below that one was at this years VMAs and she is looks so much more outrageous, her hairstyle completely change, she went from long, brunette to short very light blonde hair. She also changed her clothes and it seems that showing skin is something that makes her feel better, she does not smile but she pulls her tongue out of her mouth and makes signs with her hands. I understand her at this point because as a teenager, I feel how pressure starts to accumulate more in life everyday as I grow older, it is not easy to deal with everything, to find a balance in life. Sometimes things dont go very well or as planned, I get hurt, we all get hurt and we have to learn from mistakes but sometimes I want to be someone else, I want to change who I am and feel different, new and refreshed. From one side, I truly admire the way she reacts to the situation. She is being so critiqued on every move she does, everything she does will be known because she caused so much polemic that way too many people are just on her feet and will not stop wanting to see and know what she does. The media follows her, portrays her in a negative way and she does not care, because she feels happy doing whatever she wants and being different. Cyrus has already spoken many times to the public answering to the publics negative response and the way she answers its been so confident that it is very impressive. I think I have much to learn from her, not from the obscene dance moves and the lack of clothes in public. Instead, learn from the attitude she has taken and how strong she is by not letting comments and people bring her down.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
How does Dickens Present the Criminals in Oliver Twist Essay -- GCSE En
ââ¬Å"Oliver Twistâ⬠was written in 1838 by Charles Dickens and was originally published as a monthly magazine before being published as a novel that was subsequently read by many Victorians. It was written not only to entertain, but to raise awareness for the many issues in the society of the day related mainly to criminal activity. One of the main problems was based around the differentiation in the class of people in the Victorian era. People from the middle classes were widely known think very little of the lower classes and often considered them the evil of society. He also uses the novel to raise the issues related to the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 and the way that it involved sending poor or orphaned people like Oliver to ghastly overpopulated workhouses where they were poorly looked after. Dickens also fights against the negative stereotypes of criminals and prostitutes such as Nancy who eventually shows the good in herself to protect Oliver from the hands of the d eadly wrath of Bill Sikes. Although most would say Dickens is presenting the criminals as purely evil throughout the novel, characters such as Fagin and Sikes who are presented as dark creates of the criminal underworld, they do however on the very odd occasion redeem themselves with an act of good will, usually towards the boys. Fagin and Sikes, but more so Sikes are very dangerous and violent men, however Fagin is shown, along with Nancy, to have a good side within him and are given good images at parts of the novel, however Nancyââ¬â¢s good will proves to be her last move as her good will causes her to be brutally murdered by Sikes. This novel was written in the Victorian Era, a time when society faces many social difficulties such as industrialization, prostitu... ...edibly realistic and are well shown by the criminalââ¬â¢s actions and personalities in this novel. It makes me feel sympathetic for Nancy and feel strong hatred towards people like Bill and Fagin. Nancy gave up her life to protect and save the life of another human being. I find just doing that for somebody is a fantastic gesture and also takes a lot of courage. It definitely shows that individualism is bad for Britain, if Nancy followed individualism then it may have been the completely innocent Oliver that was killed or abused. He also shows that the people of Britain who are born into lower class families are not pure evil and that they definitely have much good within them. BIBLIOGRAPHY (1) http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/050929-NL-twist.html Accessed 24/2/09 (2) https://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=37427 Accessed 5/3/09
Monday, November 11, 2019
Movie Review Hoodwinked
Hoodwinked is a movie produced by Weinstein Company in 2005. The film puts a new spin on the childrenââ¬â¢s tale of Little Red Riding Hood as each of the characters is shown with a spin of their own. The story started with the familiar event, in which little red riding hood went to Grannyââ¬â¢s house with a basket of goodies. As she arrived at the house, she saw the wolf in the bed of her grandmother and disguised as Granny. As the wolf jumped to attack Red, her Granny who is tied up jumped out of the closet and the lumberjack came to save red and granny. However, when the police arrive at the place of the incident, the line of questioning moves to information which is related to a mysterious string of goodie and recipe thefts which have been happening all over the woods. As Redââ¬â¢s Granny still has her recipes, the police decided that Granny, the wolf, Red and the woodcutter must be guilty or the police are determined to find evidence to prove that one of them is the prime suspect.à à Police Chief Grizzly just wanted to book everybody and call the case as closed, however, Mr Flipper, the dapper detective sees more to the incident. The detective also arrived at the crime scene and decided to have an investigation by interrogating the four. In the movie, it can be seen that there are two overlapping crimes that happened in the woods. First crime is the attempted murder, if we can consider what the wolf wanted to do with Red that way, as well as trespassing in the house of granny and the abuse he made with the Granny and the recipe theft that is happening all over the woods. The police have been in the crime scene to investigate what had happened in the house of Granny and to know what the real truth behind the said is attacked of the wolf to Red and his Grandma. However, as the investigation proceeds, the four had learned that there is another crime that is happening in the woods which is the theft of the recipes of the goodies. And instead of solving the first issue, the detective have made focus on the recipe theft issue and interrogated the four, whom at first considered as victim, but now considered as the suspect for the other crime. In this story, one of the articles that can be linked or associated with it is the article entitled Deception and its Detection by Detective Wesley Clark under the testimonial evidence. The article is about obtaining statement that should be useful in investigating a crime. There are two different types of statement that can be established in crime investigation. This includes the specific statement and the alibi statement. Specific statement includes the information provided by the subject of the crime while the second one pertains to statement made to cover-up specific time-frame. In the story, detective flipper would want to know the truth about the thief of the recipes; hence, he interrogated that four. Since, the four (wolf, granny, red and woodcutter) are busy with what happened to them about the attempted crime of wolf to red, we can possibly say that they do not have any idea about the recipe theft. However, since granny has her own recipe, the four have become the suspect. To know the truth, the police have interrogated the four and asked them questions to determine whether they will be considered guilty or innocent of the crime.à With this, to cover up, each of the four had their own alibi statements to make sure that they will not be accused of being the recipe theft. According to the article of Detective Clark (1998), the police officer who is interrogating a suspect, should provide the subject with the limitations within which alleged suspects must be asked to tell everything that had happened during a specific time-frame. For example, since the recipe theft has happened in the woods, the police who is interrogating the suspects should let the suspect write everything which happened from the time they wake up until the time that they ended their day, in this case, the time after the crime of the wolf has been ended in grannyââ¬â¢s house. Another article that can be linked in this story is the article still under testimonial evidence which is entitled Conducting Successful Interrogations by David Vessel. As can be noted in the story, the police officers have interrogated the four, knowing that they will be able to know who among them is the real suspect of the recipe threat but did not give attention to the crime that happened in the house of granny. In the article, it is said that the main purpose of having an interrogation is to identify the suspect or involved criminal suspects which makes confession by admitting his participation in a crime. More often, interrogators are having difficulties in collecting statements that will prove how guilty the suspect is or not. If the interrogator have investigate the wrong suspects, there is a tendency of having more conflict since the investigation would only waste the time of the police officers as well as the time of the alleged suspect. There would be a tendency that the real suspect is still living freely without the investigator knowing it. In the case of the movie, it can be said that the interrogators have investigated the wrong person, since in the end, grannyââ¬â¢s recipe has also been stolen, making the officer believed that none of the four is guilty for the recipe theft. In the article, it also discussed about the acquisition of adequate background information about the subjects to be able to have a successful investigation. It is said that the feeling, personal values and attitudes of the subject have a direct impact on the success of the interrogations. In the part of the movie (Hoodwinked), though the police officers knew the background information about the suspects (red, granny, wolf and woodcutter), they still stick on they thought that one of the four is the prime suspect of the recipe theft.à The interrogation made by the police in a succession has revealed different experiences of the four which complexly intertwine themselves perfectly into a whole. In interrogating a suspect, the police officer should also consider the human rights of the individuals, even if he is accused of committing a crime. Hence, the officer should treat the alleged suspect in an ethical manner. However, in the movie, it can be said that the police officer who interrogated the four has not been ethical on the way they interrogate the wolf, granny, red and woodcutter. The police shouts on the alleged suspects and behaves in a threatening was towards the fours suspects. Such behaviour is said to violate one of the rules investigating and interrogating. Instead of treating the suspect badly, the interrogator should build a good relationship with these people to be able to gather essential details that would lead to the solution of the crime or that would lead to the real suspect. In the story, each of the characters has their own personality that is not usual for investigating a crime. The investigations made by the police bear and the detective frog, can be said to be incompetent unlike the investigations made by the wolf and his sidekick, though it still lack of enough evidence to conclude who really is the suspect of the recipe theft. References Clark, W. (1998). Deception and its Detection. Connecticut Trooper Magazine, Fall. Online Available http://www.crimeandclues.com/deception.htm. Accessed October 8, 2007. Vessel, D. (1998). Conducting Successful Interrogations, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Online available http://www.fbi.gov/library/leb/leb.htm. Accessed October 8, 2007. à à Ã
Saturday, November 9, 2019
90s vs. 2000s
1990ââ¬â¢s versus 2000ââ¬â¢s In the U. S. The 1990ââ¬â¢s was an era when people actually communicated, gas was cheap, and people didnââ¬â¢t have to worry as much about terrorism and could find things to keep them entertained. The 2000ââ¬â¢s is now an era where everything costs a lot of money, people have out of control kids, technology is very advanced and people rely on it to get them through the day. Both decades have their own positives and negatives, but they are different in a lot of ways; like technology, social, music, and their economy differences.Both decades are different in that the 1990ââ¬â¢s had less technology, kids were well behaved and it was a more peaceful time; the 2000ââ¬â¢s now have all kinds of technology, everyone has to have the newest phone or computer, a lot of kids are brats who want the newest video games and thereââ¬â¢s a lot of security at places like airports because of so many terrorist attacks. The technology difference from bo th decades is huge, because all there was back then was vhs, cassette, and standard cable with 50 channels or so, a couple different types of cellular phones, dial up computers and so on.With technology today, everyone has a cell phone, most people have some type of computer or lap top, there are blu ray and DVD players, either cable or satellite television with high definition, smart phones with touch screens, high speed broadband, and cars that can tell someone when there veering onto a side lane. Next is a big difference which is how different children act whether it is to adults, each other, or in public.In the 1990ââ¬â¢s most kids had parents who were physically able to play with them; kids were creative and found so many different games or activities to doââ¬â¢ they were respectful to whomever they came into contact with because they were raised well. Now when looking at most children they either are crying in public with their parents screaming at them, playing on their parentsââ¬â¢ phone or tablet, prefer to stay in the house to play video games online, and most parents donââ¬â¢t play with their kids anymore because they are either too hung up on their laptop or too tired from being fat.Finally going back to the 90ââ¬â¢s everyone felt safer or not worried about some kind of terrorist attack like people do now. Back then airports didnââ¬â¢t need so much security; people didnââ¬â¢t have to worry about a crazy person shoot up a movie theatre or mall. Now on weekends certain malls require teens under age 18 to be accompanied by an adult over the age of 21 because of gang violence over the years. These decades differences are very different, but are only a few contrasts between the two decades. The music and social era between these two decades is another difference.In the 90ââ¬â¢s was an era that was mainly dominated by rock and booming hip hop music industry. This music was brought on to people with baggy or tight fitted clothing. People would walk around with their cassette players jamming out to their new favorite artist. Now in the 2000ââ¬â¢s people mainly listen to their iPods or phones because itââ¬â¢s easiest to acquire music that way via wireless connection from the Internet. They also listen to rap or pop because everyone is about whatââ¬â¢s mainstream and popular. People like to wear tighter and shorter fitting clothing now because thatââ¬â¢s also what the popular fashion is.People in the 90ââ¬â¢s communicated through telephone or just drove or walked to each otherââ¬â¢s house to talk or do something. Now people rely on texting each other to find out where they are located and what they want to do rather than going to each otherââ¬â¢s house, or calling because itââ¬â¢s not the same type of communication; a lot has changed. Technology and music has definitely made a huge impact on how people socialize and act. Overall I think the 90ââ¬â¢s was a great era filled with a lot of memories and seeing a lot of changes happens.It was great being able to also grow up into the 2000ââ¬â¢s because that was when technology really started to grow and so much was happening with the world. The advantages and disadvantages of growing up in each era are very different mainly because of all the changes, but a lot of them were good and some were bad. References The 1990ââ¬â¢s. (2013). History of the 90ââ¬â¢s. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/1990s The 2000ââ¬â¢s. (2012). Americas best history ââ¬â U. S. Timeline 2000ââ¬â¢s. Retrieved from http://americasbesthistory. com/abhtimeline2000. html
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Airbags essays
Airbags essays Came around in 1973. They revolutionized the driving experience making it safer and therefore more enjoyable. Who invented it is a matter of opinion some say Allen Breed while others claim it was invented in the General Motors laboratories. Regardless of opinion the automotive airbag improved car safety and revolutionized the industry bringing car safety to the forefront of any car design. A new airbag control system called SeatSentry that automatically identifies whether a front seat passenger is an adult or child and allows or disables the passenger seat airbag accordingly. SeatSentry also detects mass, shape and weight to determine if the "passenger" is a sack of groceries or a person. It is sturdy enough to last the life of the seat. Some cars are equipped with these seat sensors today; others will follow as federal regulations kick in, mandating such sensors starting with 2006 model year vehicles. Similar to seatbelts, there are specific circumstances under which airbags provide optimal protection. They are most effective during purely frontal collisions (primary impact point of 12 oclock), offer mild protection during offset frontal collisions (primary impact point between 10 and 12 oclock), and offer no significant protection in other collision configurations (NHTSA, 1998). Overall, airbags account for a 13% reduction in fatality rate when used in isolation and a 50% reduction when used in conjunction with a seatbelt. Airbags: are they lifesavers or killers? Airbags have saved lives, but they take lives as well. The airbag related deaths and injuries have taken its toll on our society. Since 1990, airbags have claimed the lives of 111 people, with more on the rise. Most of deaths have been among small adults and young children, some of which werent wearing seatbelts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration points out that airbags and seatbelts work tog ...
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Learning About Seahorses
Learning About Seahorses A seahorse isnt a horse at all, but an extremely unique fish. It is named for itsà head, which resembles that of a very tiny horse. From its horse-like head, the seahorses body tapers down to a long prehensile tail. Prehensile is a fancy word that means used for grasping. Monkeys also have prehensile tails. Seahorses use their tails for grasping underwater plants to anchor themselves in place. They hold onto coral and seagrasses and camouflage themselves by changing color to hide from predators. Seahorses dont have many predators, but some crabs and fish will prey on them.à Seahorsesà also like to hold onto one anothers tails while they swim in pairs. There are many different types of seahorses and all are unique in many ways. For one, although they are fish, they dont have scales. Instead, they have skin. A seahorses skin covers a series of bony plates that run from its head to its tail- including its neck, a body part that other fish dont have. One thing seahorses do have in common with other fish is that they breathe through gills. They also have swim bladders like other fish.à Very slow swimmers, seahorses move about through the water with three small fins. They swim upright, using their fins to propel them forward through the water and their swim bladders to move them up and down. Another surprising fact about seahorses is that the male carries the babies. The female lays the eggs in a pouch, sort of like that of a kangaroo,à in the males stomach. He then carries the eggs until they hatch, usually two to four weeks later. Many people think that these tiny fish mate for life, but facts about seahorses dont seem to bear that out. Seahorses eat plankton, shrimp, and small fish. However, seahorses dont have stomachs! Food passes right through their bodies. That means they must eat almost constantly. Luckily for these tiny fish, they are good hunters. They hold on to coral and seagrass with their tailsà and suck food into their mouths with their long snouts. They can slurp up food from over an inch away. Reading About Seahorses Books are a fun way to learn about any topic, including seahorses. Mix fiction and non-fiction to engage young learners. Try these titles: Mister Seahorse by Eric Carleà is a fun and educational story about how male seahorses are the caretakers of their eggs. Find out which other fish fathers have the same responsibility. Seahorses by Jennifer Keats Curtis is a beautifully-illustrated, non-fiction book about the life of a seahorse from the moment hes born- along with 300 brothers and sisters! One Lonely Seahorse by Joost Elffers will draw in your preschool students with its counting story that begins with one lonely seahorse. Amazing Pictures and Facts about Seahorses by Mina Kelly will answer your students questions about seahorses. How do they breathe underwater? Why do seahorses curl their tails?à Seahorse Reef: A Story of the South Pacific by Sally Walker is a delightful, educational story whose facts about seahorses have been reviewed by the Smithsonian Institute for accuracy. This is a must-have for your seahorse study. Seahorses: A Life-Size Guide to Every Species by Sara Lourie will prove an invaluable resource to older students. It features photos and facts about 57 different species of seahorses. Other Resources for Learning About Seahorses Look for other engaging opportunities to learn about seahorses. Try some of these ideas: Use free seahorse printables to learn the vocabulary associated with and facts about these fascinating fish. The printable set includes activities such as word search and crossword puzzles, vocabulary sheets, and coloring pages.Visit an aquarium. If you live near an aquarium, call to see if they offer a seahorse exhibit. Its so much fun to observe seahorses in person!Visit a store that sells fish. You can keep seahorses as pets, so some fish and pet stores will have some that you can see in person.Watch videos and documentaries. Check sources such as your local library, YouTube, Netflix, or Amazon video for films about seahorses.Make a diorama depicting seahorses in their underwater habitat.Make seahorse crafts. Seahorses are fascinating fish! Have fun learning about them. Updated by Kris Bales
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Individual research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Individual research - Essay Example Safaricomââ¬â¢s competitors include Airtel Kenya (earlier known as Celtel), Telkom Orange, and Yu Mobile. This product was commercially launched in 2007 as a first in the world. M-PESA enables Safaricomââ¬â¢s subscribers to transfer money to both users and non-users, pay bills (such as electricity and water bills), deposit and withdraw money and purchase airtime. It offers traditional banking services without a need for a user to have a bank account or visit a bankââ¬â¢s branch. M-PESA deposits and withdraws are mainly made at a region-wide network of appointed agents who include airtime vendors and retail outlets (Punam, & Manka 56). M-PESA had several unique, rare and hard to imitate qualities which made it almost impossible to imitate. First, this product had never existed at any place in the world. There was therefore no model which Safaricom competitors could imitate. Safaricom therefore gained an advantage of offering a service that was not provided by other competing mobile phone company. Another distinctive quality of M-PESA was its technological platform. This service does not use the common internet banking platform. Competitors also lacked knowledge of this new technological invention initiated by Safaricom (Punam, & Manka 61). This technology was not available in the market. Safaricomââ¬â¢s M-PESA project was also capital intensive due to large organizational and operational costs associated with implementation of this service. On of the first mover advantages of Safaricom is establishment of a new leading regional brand. Safaricom is the most popular company in East and Central Africa. It records the highest profits in the region with M-PESA continuously accounting for an increasingly higher proportion of its profits every year. The companyââ¬â¢s brand is so strong that it received a regional record 532% oversubscription of its Initial Public Offer in 2008. A second first mover advantage of Safaricom was becoming a market leader in both money
Thursday, October 31, 2019
The Leaders Preparation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
The Leaders Preparation - Essay Example (Zechariah 4:6). A Spiritual leader must remember that he does not operate on his agenda, but God's agenda. The six steps to leadership by Robert Clinton are important for development of effective leaders. This essay will discuss on the main points of "The Leader's Vision" In chapter four. All leaders must have a clear vision. The leader must be able to inspire people and articulate their vision to the followers. However, the most important question one must ask is, where does the vision come from Secular leaders look first to the past history and try to duplicate success. However, God rarely works the same way trice, therefore for a Spiritual leader this model of duplication may prove ineffective. Spiritual leaders should always rely on the Words of God and be sure that their vision is within the will of God. Spiritual leaders should learn to discern to understand God's vision. Christian views of strong leaders are in sharp contrast to world views. In the Gospel Christ demonstrates strength through weakness of people. The world view is one of human strength and human will. Jesus Christ focused on small groups and individuals. The world continues to look at large numbers of people equ ating to success, which stands in contrast to the teaching of Jesus Christ. The primary objective for all Christian Spiritual leaders is it to bring glory to God. The leader must operate as a vessel for the Holy Spirit to operate in, without the leader getting in the way of the will of the Lord. 15. This essay will discuss the main points of Chapter four "Natural and Spiritual Leadership". Li Hung Chang a leader in China said, "There are three kinds of people- those who are immovable, those who are movable, and those who move them." We as Spiritual leaders must realize that there is no such thing as a self-made Spiritual leader." (p28). Christian leaders are made and led by the Holy Spirit. However, people do need to have natural leadership skills. An effective leader does not happen at the moment of conversion. The leader must remember to not major in the minors, and become distracted by minute details. The leader should always have the ability to make clear and decisive decisions. Furthermore, they must be able to focus on priorities and understand his or her weakness. Jesus Christ said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:7). Therefore, make decisions based on the strength and power of Jesus Christ. The final objective should be for his glory. 16. This essay will discuss the main points of chapter 5 "Can You Become a Leader" Many leaders in church today look for leaders based on prestige or education. However, Jesus ignored the world view of leaders. Jesus started with individuals who were untrained and without social prestige. For one to be an effective leader he or she must investigate their potential for leadership. A leader must remain calm in crisis and show restraint. A strong leader will be willing to listen to other views and handle criticism. Leaders should always think before speaking. People must have trust in their leaders; one misspoken word can decrease the credibility of the leader.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1
History - Essay Example 1). The term 'Black Death' can refer to either the pneumonic plague or the bubonic plague. ââ¬Å"The pneumonic plague is the deadlier of the two diseases killing its victims is two to three daysâ⬠(Spielvogel, 2003, p. 275). It was strongest in the larger cities because of the dense populations that lived there and the less sanitary conditions that could be maintained in these urban areas. ââ¬Å"The plague would visit an area, last for about a year, kill about one-third of the population, and move on. â⬠¦ Most historians believe that between 1347 and 1351, at least one-third of Europeââ¬â¢s total human population (20 to 30 million people) diedâ⬠(Piccolo, 2004). Deaths alone were not the only by-product of the Plague, though. The way the church handled the crisis and the large number of deaths that took place affected the economic, social and political landscape of this large region of the world. The first outbreak of the plague was strongest in the poorer sections of the city because these people were more likely to live in unsanitary conditions and had limited means by which to protect their health. Modern science is able to confirm the Plague was spread by the rat flea who took the disease from the rat and spread it to the human population, so areas that were infested with rats were among the first to show symptoms (Gottfried, 1983). ... Frightened churchmen shut up their churches and fled to the country as did many people in the secular world (Luftus et al, 1999). Because of their ineffectiveness in the crisis, the church lost a great deal of its authority and leadership and the people began to question whether it should ever have held that position. Many people assumed God was angry with them and much more penitent and harsh religious practices were developed to appease Godââ¬â¢s wrath through sacrifice. Economic conditions changed dramatically as competitors from other countries entered the market through the development of the guilds. The guilds changed economic conditions for individual citizens and introduced another means by which cities and towns might be run. ââ¬Å"The effects of regression on rural economy were far-reaching. Labour was scarce and wages rose rapidly. In England and in Castile and elsewhere legislation was attempted to fix wages, but without successâ⬠(Nohl, 1926, p. 20). Workers, es pecially peasants who were finally making a decent wage, rebelled violently to suggested pay reductions and though the intent was sound, its affects were disastrous. At the same time that the Plague was decimating the population, the faith in the One Religion and changing the economic base of entire nations, the Catholic Church was engaged in an all-out war on itself. Pope Clement V declined to move to Rome when he was appointed in 1305 and moved the papacy to Avignon supposedly because of civil unrest in Rome, but more likely so he would be closer to the French monarchy he served (Menache, 2002). By 1378, this had become a problem. After struggling against a highly suspicious and
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Soft Skills Importance in Organisations
Soft Skills Importance in Organisations 1 Introduction Background 1.1 Introduction Business concerns with people. Its about communication, coordination and relationship. Although business success is based upon logical acts and thoughts, the human element cannot be ignored (Armstrong, 2006). Thats why strong soft skills are vitally important. Organisations and businesses are established with one thing in mind that is to earn revenue for their stakeholders. Revenue is earned by selling products or providing services to its customers and clients. Businesses flourish because they have products or services to sell which their customers buy in return for profits. To compete or to survive in the competitive business environment, its critical for any organization to satisfy the customer needs. Service is often considered an important aspect of satisfaction of customer as well as a significant contribution. Customer satisfaction is an important aspect for business profitability (Armstrong, 2006). It is the satisfaction of the customers that keep them loyal and any good serv ice provided by the organisation help it to retain customers that in turn ends in high profitability. Increased competition and customer expectations have forced the companies to frequently provide good customer value and service. This has pressurised the businesses to focus more on customer satisfaction (Gerson, 1993). According to Phillips (1991), customer service is the base for a flourishing business and training is the services cornerstone. Quality product with just price attracts customers but it is not enough. Organisations came to realize that consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment that he/she has received. The importance of customer satisfaction is also a key element in service only industry. Thats why a strong emphasis has been put on soft skills and organisations lay a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills specially the ones who deal with customers. With the growing significance on quickly intensifying service sector; organisations recognized the soft skills importance and they are paying special attention to the softer side of their interaction with consumers. Training of employees especially in soft skills is vital for any organisation and it helps in overall employee improvement as well as development. The need and value for so ft skills development for employees has always been accepted by many organisations (Guirdham, 1999). Training also contributes towards development of employees and and plays an important role in their satisfaction. It helps to acquire new skills or polish the existing ones (Green, 2001). Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading the organisations to rely on soft skills training for employees. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Culture is what makes an organisation unique and that differentiate it fr om other organizations. The stronger the culture is, the more effective the organization. Training equips organization with flexibility and durability required for growth and survival. Environmental pressures forces an organisation towards change. Training provides adaptability to change and answer to the challenge on how to adjust to change (Ulrich, 1998). Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly. Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the nature of business changes. When organizational change occurs, major alteration and modifications in the policy of the management need to be reflected in the training theory. It is very essential for any organization to realize its environments dynamics and adjust to the changing requirements the internal or external environment (Bhattacharyya, 2007). Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. Leadership in todays environment is a tough business. Organi zational leaders face a number of significant challenges as their jobs and the world around them become increasingly complex (Murphy and Riggio, 2003). In business, a rapidly shifting economic environment, changing demands of customers and increasing market competition has become normal. To compete, business leaders must continuously increase their performance by any measure. Organisations should work to assure that people in the company work flexibly in the response to change. Trained employees will respond positively to the change and employees that are skilled with both hard and soft skills can work more effectively in achieving organisational overall objectives. Studies have found a relationship between organisations productivity and employee satisfaction and also between satisfaction of employees and customers (Allen and Wilburn,). Satisfied employees can generate satisfied customers. Valued and satisfied employees make more contributions to the organizations performance. They are more productive and work more effectively. If they are satisfied with their job and working conditions, they will serve the customer needs more carefully and efficiently. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience. Customer satisfaction measurement is about how customer perceives an organizations performance. Measuring customer satisfaction helps in finding out customer needs and determining customers problems. It also assists in improving product and quality of service that in turn leads to more satisfaction of customers. As with customer satisfaction measurement, training evaluation is equally important. Training evaluation is a way to gather information by which the organizations make decisions about training actions (Armstrong, 2008). Businesses apply evaluation of performance appraisal to calculate work performance and effectiveness of an employee, which can help in defining and developing training needs for the organisations. 1.2 Study Purpose The main idea of this dissertation is to investigate the soft skills importance for organisations working in the constantly changing customer oriented market. The significance of soft skills training for customer focused organisations was never felt before. Growing economical environment and customers high expectations forced the organizations to recognise the need of soft skills and soft skills training for employees (Muir, 2004). The other reasons for writing this research paper include examining companies relations with employees and consumers and its effect on satisfaction level of customers. The research focuses on employees soft skills development relating to changing nature of organisation culture. Effects of internal and external environmental factors on organisations functions and policies are also discussed. This paper also examined and argued on roles and responsibilities of HR professionals like HR managers for planning and developing HR strategies and policies. Aspects o f leadership are considered in details, like leading through change, motivating in employee relations and influencing during training and development. The writer has evaluated and related literature review with case-studies of Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd and concluded on the training and developing soft skills benefits and subsequent effects on employee and customer satisfaction. The research paper has analyzed critically on the training of soft skills and its impact on its staff and consumers. In the end the researcher has assessed customer satisfaction and evaluated training by use of research methodologies. The writer has tried to take several authors views on above mentioned subjects. Authors ideas and theories are not only mentioned but debated. The researcher provided point of view of different writers and counter arguments of some scholars on related. 1.3 Companys Overview The organisations selected for this dissertation are in the growing stages with different structures, cultures, and management and leadership styles. Their approaches towards customer satisfaction by training employees in soft skills differ from one another. Both companies are leading mobile phone sellers and service providers in Delhi region of India. The names of the companies are Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd. Both the companies are new to this field. They started their business and launched their operations with the growing demand for telecommunication sector in India. 1.3.1 Mobilezone Ltd Mobile Zone was established in 2002 with the vision of bringing top mobile brands, latest products, and to provide high quality services. It provides quality products of top mobile phone brands in India. Unlike its competitors, it planned its entry with a thorough and careful market research and its employees were well trained before the business actually started. In just 7 years of its existence, it gained a good market share and enjoys a commanding position in mobile phone market in Capital region. With main office in the heart of the city, it has presence in many other areas of Delhi through sales and service centres. Apart from providing services face to face it deals with customer problems and queries via call centre. It employees highly qualified and trained sales and service staff. There are total of 150 employees in the main office and service centres. 1.3.2 United Mobiles Ltd United Mobiles Ltd has also started their business in 2002 just a moth prior to its competitor. In contrast to its competitor, it was fairly new to this business and its staff had little experience in this business field. It also enjoys a market share in the area and earns good profits. Just like its competitors it has sales and service centres in different parts of the city. Its call centre is located in the main office. It employees around 100 staff at main office and service centres (excluding cleaning and maintenance jobs). 1.4 Selection of Topic Research was undertaken before deciding which topic area to select. After initial research on wide range of topics, discussions of ideas with colleagues and friends, browsing internet and libraries, exploring different dissertation of previous years and finally weighing opinions and careful thinking; the researcher narrowed down the topic and selected this specific research. The main motive for selecting the topic was that this covered a lot of subjects within, and extensive data material was available from different sources. The other reasons include the researchers own personal experience in the field and work experience in one of the companies; and the available ease for carrying out data collection research. 1.5 Project paper usefulness The research project can be useful for reference purposes for later projects and studies by the students. This research was conducted with the management help, so this study can also be useful for comparing companies results with its updated analysis. The companies can use it as a guideline to take improvement measures and modifications. The theory and research of this paper can also be of some assistance for companies and other researcher alike. 1.6 Aim and objectives Aim: To study and examine the importance of training soft skills in organisations in terms of customer satisfaction. Following are the research objectives: Examine and analyze the existing literature on employee training and development with specific focus on soft skills and customer satisfaction. Summarize the main subject matter of the findings and provide recommendations to the company on the conclusion. Determine the extent employees soft skills can be improved by training; and the degree of influence of skilled employees on the tendency of customers. Appreciate the contribution of internal and external factors towards skills training and development. Evaluate training and measure employee and customer satisfaction using available research methods. 1.7 Layout of research paper Chapter 1 is research paper introduction. The background and overview of the research undertaken, has been given by the writer. Research purpose, objectives, usefulness of the research paper, selection of topic and companys overview has been proposed. Chapter 2 encompasses the review of literature that includes the body of discussion. This section has further been divided into parts which are related and relevant. Research of soft skills, training and development, change, organisations structure and culture, HR professionals and leaders roles and responsibilities, employee relations and customer satisfaction; has been put forward and discussed and explained in details. This section has been critically analyzed, taking into account different perspectives. Different scholars and writers work has been taken into account, and comments and arguments were put forward by the researcher. Chapter 3 consists of review of methodology. Different research methods which could have been useful are discussed and weighed. Selection of appropriate methods and reasons for selection and rejection of research methods are presented in summary. Arguments and benefits for selected methods are also given. Sampling, tools of research, designs, models and other related techniques are also explained in this section. Chapter 4 comprises data analysis that the researcher collected and its significance in terms of reaching the explicit conclusions. Data gathered from interviews, questionnaires and other sources is analysed critically analysed. All the results are presented graphically. Comparison o results are also made in this section. Chapter 5 is summary, conclusions and recommendations. All the data in first 4 chapters has been summarised and concluded in this chapter, drawing together the threads of research project and the main things found out in data collection. Recommendations has been proposed after taking into consideration all the summarised research that gives detailed insight into the related research criteria. The researcher has also highlighted the areas the companies can focus in future to improve its business performance. 2 Literature Review: 2.1 Introduction: Organisations survive, grow and earn profits by meeting the needs and requirement of customers. To survive in the ever changing environment, it is critical for any organisation to satisfy the needs of the customers (Mullins, 2007). Consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment provided by the company. Thats why companies put a great emphasis on its employees training of skills as well as continuous development over the years; especially for the ones which provide service directly or interact with customers often. Organisations have started emphasising on soft skills importance for services and they are laying a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills. Training of employees in soft skills is vital for any organisation as it aid in employee development (Guirdham, 1999). Customer oriented market and changing environment has influence on the organization structure that leads to increased reliance on skills development. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees (Armstrong, 2008). It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading to more dependence on soft skills training for employees. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly (Armstrong, 2008). Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the business nat ure organization itself changes. The role of managers and leaders are very important in development of employees. Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Training is also evaluated to measure the employee work performance and effectiveness (Beardwell et al. 2007). 2.2. Training and Development Armsrtong (2008) defines employee development as a process to prepare organization employees for future responsibilities related to job. This may include training (formal or informal, mentoring, education, coaching etc. Training and development of employees is a HRM activity. HRM is concerned with personnel management and staff development in a company and is normally carried out by HR professionals e.g. HR managers (Armstrong, 2006). The nature of work HR carries out differs from one business to another and is effected by size and structure of the company. Talented pools of workers are always required by an organisation to compete successfully in todays highly competitive market (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Company can achieve and maintain this competitive advantage by regularly upgrading the workforce skills. Training and development is a never ending challenge that a company must address (Wilson, 2006). The development of employee skills is one of the most imperative tasks in which a n organisation can engage (Molander and Winterton, 2006). Effective training is paramount for survival and growth of a business. Training is not just about developing people but serving them to become more positive and capable in their jobs as well confident in their lives. The field of training is a fast growing sector of human life and has come of age as a profession. There are many motives for training and developing employees. It can be started for a variety of reasons for employees e.g. to facilitate an employee to be qualified for a planned change. It can be carried out as part of an employees professional development program or performance improvement (Rae, 1999). The training need has always been present in every walk of life and today the need is so much greater. There could be any reason but important are probably: the pace at which change is happening in every field of business life, and the employers attitude and the attitude of the individuals (Pont, 2003). Training is not only essential to create skilled force but also needed to maintain a high level of skills required by the constantly changing work environment and to equip employees to meet future demands (Stewart, 2996) (Pont, 2003). HR professionals do recognise training and development of an employee is a process that is ongoing but it speed up in case of organisational, cultural or environmental change. This training process involves continuous adjustment to adapt which is achieved from improved skills and increased knowledge (Beardwell et al 2007). The new working system demands completely new approach of thinking and extensive training in new skills (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007). The importance of training has long been recognized. The need for training is more prominent given todays business climate which affects the economy and society at large. The most simplistic definition of training is that it is an activity that changes peoples behaviour. Training is defined by Wilson (2006) as a planned process to modify employee knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour through learning to gain performance. Employee is trained to make sure that organizations current or future needs are met. Training can equip employees to do their jobs, perform their tasks and handle complex products and services. In Bramleys (2003) words, training involves learning and educating employee to do something so that the things are done differently. He and (Wilson, 1999) further explains that training process is planned to facilitate education to help employees develop into more effective and efficient in performing their duties and completing their work. According to the CIPD, training is expected to equip workers to help them become strategically unique, in addition to the provision of skills, attitudes and knowledge required to attain operational efficiency. The foundation for training remains the traditional training process system. This involves: 1. identifying the needs for training and development of the company; 2. Planning training or devising a learning plan; 3. Carrying out or delivering training and 4. Assessing and evaluating outcomes/results. A training-need-analysis is the first step in identifying the types of programs that will further organisations goals, which helps to decide whether training is appropriate at all. The organisations have to assess why they need training. Is the current organisational deficiency that the training seeks to address really due to lack of skills and knowledge or some deeper problems? Frequently, organisations implement training program because a HR professional identifies an individual or business need (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Then plans are made on how to deliver the program and by which method. Although the terms training and development are often linked, these address slightly different needs. Training focuses on learning the necessary skills and acquiring the knowledge required to perform the job. Training deals with design and delivery of knowledge to improve organization performance. Development focuses on the preparation needed for future jobs; it should be considered investment in the work force since its benefits are long term (Buhler, 2002). Training inclined towards focusing on short term results. Development may inadequately focus on working environment. It is very important for the business to review its training to a broader scenario (Bryans and Smith, 2000). According to Armstrong (2006), people are learning and will continue to do so throughout their career, whether taught formally or as an experience. Mullins (2007) observed that people learn within the organisation and in everyday life situations. Competition, technological advances and organizational devel opment, all necessitate the creation of knowledge that leads to constant advancement. That directs oganizations to take more interest in employee development within evolving organization. Training is the main area of the HRM function of particular importance and relevant to the management effectiveness. There are not many scholars who argue in opposition to the importance of training as a foremost influence on the organization success. Leading writers have recognised the importance of training as fundamental for management (Bratton and Gold, 2003). Many believed that training employee development is a key factor of HRM within organization. Training as described by Keep (1989 cited by Wilkinson, 2006), is a litmus test against which managements characteristics practices can be measured. Other advantages of staffs training and development includes: increased employee morale, motivation and job satisfaction, increased efficiency and effectiveness, increased ability to adopt latest meth ods and technologies, enhanced company image, reduced employee turnover, risk management. The precise staff training at the right timing presents big payoffs for the employer in increased knowledge, productivity, contribution and loyalty (Web 3). Training let the organization to develop and promote its own business culture. It also permits organizations to become accustomed to changes in the working environment and can be used as a change agent (Wilkinson, 2006). Training can improve effectiveness of the organisation in fiercely competitive markets. Training assists in optimizing the development of human resource for employee to achieve the individual as well as organisational objectives (Benson, 2006). It increases the job skills and knowledge of employees and expands the horizons of their intellect and their personality. Training and development also aids in signifying the team spirit sense, team work and inter team relationship. It also helps the company to be effective in decisi on making and solving problem. It also assists in developing leadership skills, loyalty among employees, staff motivation, enhanced attitudes and other features that successful employees normally display (Armstrong, 2008) (Bratton and Gold, 2003) (Jenkins,2002) (Pont, 2003) (Price, 2007). Of course, the basic and main goal of a business is to enhance its value and to increase its stakeholders wealth. It requires effective and efficient use of limited resources available to the organization to achieve theses aims. Resource aavailability (human, physical and financial) are considered important inputs (Bacon Haque, 2008). HR scholars agree that an organisation is only as good as persons working in it but opinions vary on how it translates into practice. Many organisations not only consider training as n chance for employees to learn something but also as an investment that would produce results for business. It also takes money and time to train staff (Bacon Haque, 2008). With a supportive environment and a little encouragement and reinforcement, a business can accomplish the required result on a substantial investment in people. An organized approach is needed in evaluation of needs of training; otherwise organization may not be able to utilize valuable resources eff iciently (Armstrong, 2006). Training matters for a company because of the established links between productivity and skills. Organisations allocate resources for training because of fear of skills shortage. Some scholars like Kallenberg Moody (1994) recognize that investment in employee development result in higher returns in future. Employees are the essential and crucial resource. Its important for an organisation to optimize the employees contribution to the organisations goals and objectives in order to maintain effective performance. Adequate supply of technically and socially competent and proficient staff is only ensured by training and development. Training helps the staff to become capable for career advancement into specialist departments and management positions. Staff training can be on-the-job that is conducted at the trainees workplace, and off-the-job which is carried out away from employees work place (Mullins, 2007). Some employees are naturally gifted in talents w hile others work hard to gain but all can still benefit from learning new techniques. People usually receive a well to do on the job training in one form or another. Some people are good at finding their own paths and procuring the necessary resources and information, many persons learn best by following, observing and asking questions (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Training is not always the answer to problems related to performance. Some training analysts (Rosner, 1999 cited by Smith and Mazin, 2004) believed that training could be a good investment or could be a waste of resources. It is in fact a waste of resources when the desired behaviour does not occur. Thats why training and development doesnt succeed all the time to achieve desired results and in obtaining aims and objectives of the organisation. There can be many causes for the failure but most common are (Web 6): Training is often put into practice for the wrong reasons and seldom aligns to a business measure. If training program does not support the business goals then no improvement can be recorded. Training is thought to be a solution for a range of performance problems when training may not be concern at all. It also fails because it does not succeed to give direction and focus. Sometimes the solution proves too expensive for the desired outcomes. Individuals behaviour towards t raining also plays an important part; e.g. when training is believed just as an event than as enhancement of skills and abilities of the employees, it fails to generate business results. Other important reason for failure is lack of management support (Mullins, 2007). Employees will hardly ever implement new skills and knowledge without it in the workplace. Failure to include and credit other influences and processes apart from training that may have influenced the business outcomes may also be a good reason of failure. Some businesses invest little in training because they dont have enough funds. Other reason is the fear that individuals will leave and move to other companies at some later stage. Few organisations consider recruitment process sufficient and rely on the natural skills of employees rather than training (Harrison, 2005). It is HR managers role and responsibility to develop and implement training strategies and policies. He/she is also involved in people management activities like developing organization, recruitment and selection, talent management, learning and development, human resource planning, knowledge management, reward management, etc (Hyde et al. 2009). Depending on the business nature and size of the company, the HR managers not just have responsibility of training and developing employees but for performance management as well.Training processes take place in the context of internal and the external environment of the organization. Human Resource Managers need to realize the training and developments nature and process to be able to facilitate learning and development within the organisation (Watson, 2006). While providing training, the managers need to recognize the importance and effects organization structure and design because these describe tasks and responsibilities, roles and rela tionships, work and channels of communication (Mullins, 2007). Structure is clearly important for any organization, whatever its size. The aspects that determine how the company functions in relation to its eternal and external environment are its structure and the processes that operate within it. Structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities (Hyde et al. 2009). Human Resource Development (HRD) is a name which signifies the newest evolutionary phase in the long custom of training, educating and developing employees. It focuses on the principle of contributing to the success of individual, organisational and societal objectives. According to McLagan (1989 cited in Wilson, 2005) it is the incorporated use of training, career development and development of a company to improve organisational and individual value. HRD gives the business benefits assisting the ability to increase revenue. Companies need to develop a learning culture that responds quickly to the ever changing environment. HRD policies can help the organisation to obtain this objective (Nixon, 2004). 2.3. Soft Skills There are two versions of HRM as explained by Storey (1992). He made the distinction between the soft and hard HRM approaches and describes that although both approaches to HRM emphasise on employees and consider them important for achieving competitive edge that has to be attained, developed and organized in ways that benefits the business. Soft version further focuses on communication, leadership and motivation and lays emphasis on peoples skills, commitment, adaptability and performance (Armstrong, 2006). Organisations that have a mixture of both approaches tend to endure and grow in the competitive business environment. Many schol Soft Skills Importance in Organisations Soft Skills Importance in Organisations 1 Introduction Background 1.1 Introduction Business concerns with people. Its about communication, coordination and relationship. Although business success is based upon logical acts and thoughts, the human element cannot be ignored (Armstrong, 2006). Thats why strong soft skills are vitally important. Organisations and businesses are established with one thing in mind that is to earn revenue for their stakeholders. Revenue is earned by selling products or providing services to its customers and clients. Businesses flourish because they have products or services to sell which their customers buy in return for profits. To compete or to survive in the competitive business environment, its critical for any organization to satisfy the customer needs. Service is often considered an important aspect of satisfaction of customer as well as a significant contribution. Customer satisfaction is an important aspect for business profitability (Armstrong, 2006). It is the satisfaction of the customers that keep them loyal and any good serv ice provided by the organisation help it to retain customers that in turn ends in high profitability. Increased competition and customer expectations have forced the companies to frequently provide good customer value and service. This has pressurised the businesses to focus more on customer satisfaction (Gerson, 1993). According to Phillips (1991), customer service is the base for a flourishing business and training is the services cornerstone. Quality product with just price attracts customers but it is not enough. Organisations came to realize that consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment that he/she has received. The importance of customer satisfaction is also a key element in service only industry. Thats why a strong emphasis has been put on soft skills and organisations lay a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills specially the ones who deal with customers. With the growing significance on quickly intensifying service sector; organisations recognized the soft skills importance and they are paying special attention to the softer side of their interaction with consumers. Training of employees especially in soft skills is vital for any organisation and it helps in overall employee improvement as well as development. The need and value for so ft skills development for employees has always been accepted by many organisations (Guirdham, 1999). Training also contributes towards development of employees and and plays an important role in their satisfaction. It helps to acquire new skills or polish the existing ones (Green, 2001). Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading the organisations to rely on soft skills training for employees. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Culture is what makes an organisation unique and that differentiate it fr om other organizations. The stronger the culture is, the more effective the organization. Training equips organization with flexibility and durability required for growth and survival. Environmental pressures forces an organisation towards change. Training provides adaptability to change and answer to the challenge on how to adjust to change (Ulrich, 1998). Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly. Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the nature of business changes. When organizational change occurs, major alteration and modifications in the policy of the management need to be reflected in the training theory. It is very essential for any organization to realize its environments dynamics and adjust to the changing requirements the internal or external environment (Bhattacharyya, 2007). Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. Leadership in todays environment is a tough business. Organi zational leaders face a number of significant challenges as their jobs and the world around them become increasingly complex (Murphy and Riggio, 2003). In business, a rapidly shifting economic environment, changing demands of customers and increasing market competition has become normal. To compete, business leaders must continuously increase their performance by any measure. Organisations should work to assure that people in the company work flexibly in the response to change. Trained employees will respond positively to the change and employees that are skilled with both hard and soft skills can work more effectively in achieving organisational overall objectives. Studies have found a relationship between organisations productivity and employee satisfaction and also between satisfaction of employees and customers (Allen and Wilburn,). Satisfied employees can generate satisfied customers. Valued and satisfied employees make more contributions to the organizations performance. They are more productive and work more effectively. If they are satisfied with their job and working conditions, they will serve the customer needs more carefully and efficiently. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience. Customer satisfaction measurement is about how customer perceives an organizations performance. Measuring customer satisfaction helps in finding out customer needs and determining customers problems. It also assists in improving product and quality of service that in turn leads to more satisfaction of customers. As with customer satisfaction measurement, training evaluation is equally important. Training evaluation is a way to gather information by which the organizations make decisions about training actions (Armstrong, 2008). Businesses apply evaluation of performance appraisal to calculate work performance and effectiveness of an employee, which can help in defining and developing training needs for the organisations. 1.2 Study Purpose The main idea of this dissertation is to investigate the soft skills importance for organisations working in the constantly changing customer oriented market. The significance of soft skills training for customer focused organisations was never felt before. Growing economical environment and customers high expectations forced the organizations to recognise the need of soft skills and soft skills training for employees (Muir, 2004). The other reasons for writing this research paper include examining companies relations with employees and consumers and its effect on satisfaction level of customers. The research focuses on employees soft skills development relating to changing nature of organisation culture. Effects of internal and external environmental factors on organisations functions and policies are also discussed. This paper also examined and argued on roles and responsibilities of HR professionals like HR managers for planning and developing HR strategies and policies. Aspects o f leadership are considered in details, like leading through change, motivating in employee relations and influencing during training and development. The writer has evaluated and related literature review with case-studies of Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd and concluded on the training and developing soft skills benefits and subsequent effects on employee and customer satisfaction. The research paper has analyzed critically on the training of soft skills and its impact on its staff and consumers. In the end the researcher has assessed customer satisfaction and evaluated training by use of research methodologies. The writer has tried to take several authors views on above mentioned subjects. Authors ideas and theories are not only mentioned but debated. The researcher provided point of view of different writers and counter arguments of some scholars on related. 1.3 Companys Overview The organisations selected for this dissertation are in the growing stages with different structures, cultures, and management and leadership styles. Their approaches towards customer satisfaction by training employees in soft skills differ from one another. Both companies are leading mobile phone sellers and service providers in Delhi region of India. The names of the companies are Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd. Both the companies are new to this field. They started their business and launched their operations with the growing demand for telecommunication sector in India. 1.3.1 Mobilezone Ltd Mobile Zone was established in 2002 with the vision of bringing top mobile brands, latest products, and to provide high quality services. It provides quality products of top mobile phone brands in India. Unlike its competitors, it planned its entry with a thorough and careful market research and its employees were well trained before the business actually started. In just 7 years of its existence, it gained a good market share and enjoys a commanding position in mobile phone market in Capital region. With main office in the heart of the city, it has presence in many other areas of Delhi through sales and service centres. Apart from providing services face to face it deals with customer problems and queries via call centre. It employees highly qualified and trained sales and service staff. There are total of 150 employees in the main office and service centres. 1.3.2 United Mobiles Ltd United Mobiles Ltd has also started their business in 2002 just a moth prior to its competitor. In contrast to its competitor, it was fairly new to this business and its staff had little experience in this business field. It also enjoys a market share in the area and earns good profits. Just like its competitors it has sales and service centres in different parts of the city. Its call centre is located in the main office. It employees around 100 staff at main office and service centres (excluding cleaning and maintenance jobs). 1.4 Selection of Topic Research was undertaken before deciding which topic area to select. After initial research on wide range of topics, discussions of ideas with colleagues and friends, browsing internet and libraries, exploring different dissertation of previous years and finally weighing opinions and careful thinking; the researcher narrowed down the topic and selected this specific research. The main motive for selecting the topic was that this covered a lot of subjects within, and extensive data material was available from different sources. The other reasons include the researchers own personal experience in the field and work experience in one of the companies; and the available ease for carrying out data collection research. 1.5 Project paper usefulness The research project can be useful for reference purposes for later projects and studies by the students. This research was conducted with the management help, so this study can also be useful for comparing companies results with its updated analysis. The companies can use it as a guideline to take improvement measures and modifications. The theory and research of this paper can also be of some assistance for companies and other researcher alike. 1.6 Aim and objectives Aim: To study and examine the importance of training soft skills in organisations in terms of customer satisfaction. Following are the research objectives: Examine and analyze the existing literature on employee training and development with specific focus on soft skills and customer satisfaction. Summarize the main subject matter of the findings and provide recommendations to the company on the conclusion. Determine the extent employees soft skills can be improved by training; and the degree of influence of skilled employees on the tendency of customers. Appreciate the contribution of internal and external factors towards skills training and development. Evaluate training and measure employee and customer satisfaction using available research methods. 1.7 Layout of research paper Chapter 1 is research paper introduction. The background and overview of the research undertaken, has been given by the writer. Research purpose, objectives, usefulness of the research paper, selection of topic and companys overview has been proposed. Chapter 2 encompasses the review of literature that includes the body of discussion. This section has further been divided into parts which are related and relevant. Research of soft skills, training and development, change, organisations structure and culture, HR professionals and leaders roles and responsibilities, employee relations and customer satisfaction; has been put forward and discussed and explained in details. This section has been critically analyzed, taking into account different perspectives. Different scholars and writers work has been taken into account, and comments and arguments were put forward by the researcher. Chapter 3 consists of review of methodology. Different research methods which could have been useful are discussed and weighed. Selection of appropriate methods and reasons for selection and rejection of research methods are presented in summary. Arguments and benefits for selected methods are also given. Sampling, tools of research, designs, models and other related techniques are also explained in this section. Chapter 4 comprises data analysis that the researcher collected and its significance in terms of reaching the explicit conclusions. Data gathered from interviews, questionnaires and other sources is analysed critically analysed. All the results are presented graphically. Comparison o results are also made in this section. Chapter 5 is summary, conclusions and recommendations. All the data in first 4 chapters has been summarised and concluded in this chapter, drawing together the threads of research project and the main things found out in data collection. Recommendations has been proposed after taking into consideration all the summarised research that gives detailed insight into the related research criteria. The researcher has also highlighted the areas the companies can focus in future to improve its business performance. 2 Literature Review: 2.1 Introduction: Organisations survive, grow and earn profits by meeting the needs and requirement of customers. To survive in the ever changing environment, it is critical for any organisation to satisfy the needs of the customers (Mullins, 2007). Consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment provided by the company. Thats why companies put a great emphasis on its employees training of skills as well as continuous development over the years; especially for the ones which provide service directly or interact with customers often. Organisations have started emphasising on soft skills importance for services and they are laying a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills. Training of employees in soft skills is vital for any organisation as it aid in employee development (Guirdham, 1999). Customer oriented market and changing environment has influence on the organization structure that leads to increased reliance on skills development. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees (Armstrong, 2008). It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading to more dependence on soft skills training for employees. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly (Armstrong, 2008). Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the business nat ure organization itself changes. The role of managers and leaders are very important in development of employees. Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Training is also evaluated to measure the employee work performance and effectiveness (Beardwell et al. 2007). 2.2. Training and Development Armsrtong (2008) defines employee development as a process to prepare organization employees for future responsibilities related to job. This may include training (formal or informal, mentoring, education, coaching etc. Training and development of employees is a HRM activity. HRM is concerned with personnel management and staff development in a company and is normally carried out by HR professionals e.g. HR managers (Armstrong, 2006). The nature of work HR carries out differs from one business to another and is effected by size and structure of the company. Talented pools of workers are always required by an organisation to compete successfully in todays highly competitive market (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Company can achieve and maintain this competitive advantage by regularly upgrading the workforce skills. Training and development is a never ending challenge that a company must address (Wilson, 2006). The development of employee skills is one of the most imperative tasks in which a n organisation can engage (Molander and Winterton, 2006). Effective training is paramount for survival and growth of a business. Training is not just about developing people but serving them to become more positive and capable in their jobs as well confident in their lives. The field of training is a fast growing sector of human life and has come of age as a profession. There are many motives for training and developing employees. It can be started for a variety of reasons for employees e.g. to facilitate an employee to be qualified for a planned change. It can be carried out as part of an employees professional development program or performance improvement (Rae, 1999). The training need has always been present in every walk of life and today the need is so much greater. There could be any reason but important are probably: the pace at which change is happening in every field of business life, and the employers attitude and the attitude of the individuals (Pont, 2003). Training is not only essential to create skilled force but also needed to maintain a high level of skills required by the constantly changing work environment and to equip employees to meet future demands (Stewart, 2996) (Pont, 2003). HR professionals do recognise training and development of an employee is a process that is ongoing but it speed up in case of organisational, cultural or environmental change. This training process involves continuous adjustment to adapt which is achieved from improved skills and increased knowledge (Beardwell et al 2007). The new working system demands completely new approach of thinking and extensive training in new skills (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007). The importance of training has long been recognized. The need for training is more prominent given todays business climate which affects the economy and society at large. The most simplistic definition of training is that it is an activity that changes peoples behaviour. Training is defined by Wilson (2006) as a planned process to modify employee knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour through learning to gain performance. Employee is trained to make sure that organizations current or future needs are met. Training can equip employees to do their jobs, perform their tasks and handle complex products and services. In Bramleys (2003) words, training involves learning and educating employee to do something so that the things are done differently. He and (Wilson, 1999) further explains that training process is planned to facilitate education to help employees develop into more effective and efficient in performing their duties and completing their work. According to the CIPD, training is expected to equip workers to help them become strategically unique, in addition to the provision of skills, attitudes and knowledge required to attain operational efficiency. The foundation for training remains the traditional training process system. This involves: 1. identifying the needs for training and development of the company; 2. Planning training or devising a learning plan; 3. Carrying out or delivering training and 4. Assessing and evaluating outcomes/results. A training-need-analysis is the first step in identifying the types of programs that will further organisations goals, which helps to decide whether training is appropriate at all. The organisations have to assess why they need training. Is the current organisational deficiency that the training seeks to address really due to lack of skills and knowledge or some deeper problems? Frequently, organisations implement training program because a HR professional identifies an individual or business need (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Then plans are made on how to deliver the program and by which method. Although the terms training and development are often linked, these address slightly different needs. Training focuses on learning the necessary skills and acquiring the knowledge required to perform the job. Training deals with design and delivery of knowledge to improve organization performance. Development focuses on the preparation needed for future jobs; it should be considered investment in the work force since its benefits are long term (Buhler, 2002). Training inclined towards focusing on short term results. Development may inadequately focus on working environment. It is very important for the business to review its training to a broader scenario (Bryans and Smith, 2000). According to Armstrong (2006), people are learning and will continue to do so throughout their career, whether taught formally or as an experience. Mullins (2007) observed that people learn within the organisation and in everyday life situations. Competition, technological advances and organizational devel opment, all necessitate the creation of knowledge that leads to constant advancement. That directs oganizations to take more interest in employee development within evolving organization. Training is the main area of the HRM function of particular importance and relevant to the management effectiveness. There are not many scholars who argue in opposition to the importance of training as a foremost influence on the organization success. Leading writers have recognised the importance of training as fundamental for management (Bratton and Gold, 2003). Many believed that training employee development is a key factor of HRM within organization. Training as described by Keep (1989 cited by Wilkinson, 2006), is a litmus test against which managements characteristics practices can be measured. Other advantages of staffs training and development includes: increased employee morale, motivation and job satisfaction, increased efficiency and effectiveness, increased ability to adopt latest meth ods and technologies, enhanced company image, reduced employee turnover, risk management. The precise staff training at the right timing presents big payoffs for the employer in increased knowledge, productivity, contribution and loyalty (Web 3). Training let the organization to develop and promote its own business culture. It also permits organizations to become accustomed to changes in the working environment and can be used as a change agent (Wilkinson, 2006). Training can improve effectiveness of the organisation in fiercely competitive markets. Training assists in optimizing the development of human resource for employee to achieve the individual as well as organisational objectives (Benson, 2006). It increases the job skills and knowledge of employees and expands the horizons of their intellect and their personality. Training and development also aids in signifying the team spirit sense, team work and inter team relationship. It also helps the company to be effective in decisi on making and solving problem. It also assists in developing leadership skills, loyalty among employees, staff motivation, enhanced attitudes and other features that successful employees normally display (Armstrong, 2008) (Bratton and Gold, 2003) (Jenkins,2002) (Pont, 2003) (Price, 2007). Of course, the basic and main goal of a business is to enhance its value and to increase its stakeholders wealth. It requires effective and efficient use of limited resources available to the organization to achieve theses aims. Resource aavailability (human, physical and financial) are considered important inputs (Bacon Haque, 2008). HR scholars agree that an organisation is only as good as persons working in it but opinions vary on how it translates into practice. Many organisations not only consider training as n chance for employees to learn something but also as an investment that would produce results for business. It also takes money and time to train staff (Bacon Haque, 2008). With a supportive environment and a little encouragement and reinforcement, a business can accomplish the required result on a substantial investment in people. An organized approach is needed in evaluation of needs of training; otherwise organization may not be able to utilize valuable resources eff iciently (Armstrong, 2006). Training matters for a company because of the established links between productivity and skills. Organisations allocate resources for training because of fear of skills shortage. Some scholars like Kallenberg Moody (1994) recognize that investment in employee development result in higher returns in future. Employees are the essential and crucial resource. Its important for an organisation to optimize the employees contribution to the organisations goals and objectives in order to maintain effective performance. Adequate supply of technically and socially competent and proficient staff is only ensured by training and development. Training helps the staff to become capable for career advancement into specialist departments and management positions. Staff training can be on-the-job that is conducted at the trainees workplace, and off-the-job which is carried out away from employees work place (Mullins, 2007). Some employees are naturally gifted in talents w hile others work hard to gain but all can still benefit from learning new techniques. People usually receive a well to do on the job training in one form or another. Some people are good at finding their own paths and procuring the necessary resources and information, many persons learn best by following, observing and asking questions (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Training is not always the answer to problems related to performance. Some training analysts (Rosner, 1999 cited by Smith and Mazin, 2004) believed that training could be a good investment or could be a waste of resources. It is in fact a waste of resources when the desired behaviour does not occur. Thats why training and development doesnt succeed all the time to achieve desired results and in obtaining aims and objectives of the organisation. There can be many causes for the failure but most common are (Web 6): Training is often put into practice for the wrong reasons and seldom aligns to a business measure. If training program does not support the business goals then no improvement can be recorded. Training is thought to be a solution for a range of performance problems when training may not be concern at all. It also fails because it does not succeed to give direction and focus. Sometimes the solution proves too expensive for the desired outcomes. Individuals behaviour towards t raining also plays an important part; e.g. when training is believed just as an event than as enhancement of skills and abilities of the employees, it fails to generate business results. Other important reason for failure is lack of management support (Mullins, 2007). Employees will hardly ever implement new skills and knowledge without it in the workplace. Failure to include and credit other influences and processes apart from training that may have influenced the business outcomes may also be a good reason of failure. Some businesses invest little in training because they dont have enough funds. Other reason is the fear that individuals will leave and move to other companies at some later stage. Few organisations consider recruitment process sufficient and rely on the natural skills of employees rather than training (Harrison, 2005). It is HR managers role and responsibility to develop and implement training strategies and policies. He/she is also involved in people management activities like developing organization, recruitment and selection, talent management, learning and development, human resource planning, knowledge management, reward management, etc (Hyde et al. 2009). Depending on the business nature and size of the company, the HR managers not just have responsibility of training and developing employees but for performance management as well.Training processes take place in the context of internal and the external environment of the organization. Human Resource Managers need to realize the training and developments nature and process to be able to facilitate learning and development within the organisation (Watson, 2006). While providing training, the managers need to recognize the importance and effects organization structure and design because these describe tasks and responsibilities, roles and rela tionships, work and channels of communication (Mullins, 2007). Structure is clearly important for any organization, whatever its size. The aspects that determine how the company functions in relation to its eternal and external environment are its structure and the processes that operate within it. Structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities (Hyde et al. 2009). Human Resource Development (HRD) is a name which signifies the newest evolutionary phase in the long custom of training, educating and developing employees. It focuses on the principle of contributing to the success of individual, organisational and societal objectives. According to McLagan (1989 cited in Wilson, 2005) it is the incorporated use of training, career development and development of a company to improve organisational and individual value. HRD gives the business benefits assisting the ability to increase revenue. Companies need to develop a learning culture that responds quickly to the ever changing environment. HRD policies can help the organisation to obtain this objective (Nixon, 2004). 2.3. Soft Skills There are two versions of HRM as explained by Storey (1992). He made the distinction between the soft and hard HRM approaches and describes that although both approaches to HRM emphasise on employees and consider them important for achieving competitive edge that has to be attained, developed and organized in ways that benefits the business. Soft version further focuses on communication, leadership and motivation and lays emphasis on peoples skills, commitment, adaptability and performance (Armstrong, 2006). Organisations that have a mixture of both approaches tend to endure and grow in the competitive business environment. Many schol
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