Top Persuasive Essay Examples Choices

Top Persuasive Essay Examples Choices Choosing Good Persuasive Essay Examples The first point to consider when deciding upon an AT device is surely a youngster's disability. Employing an illustration is able to make your audience understand what it is you're attempting to tell them better and make it even more interesting. A student ought to keep in contact with the hottest trends and know which persuasive essay topics are related to sound convincing in regards to defending personal opinions. Persuasive writing is just one of the most frequently used writing types on the planet. It can be difficult, especially when you're forced to face with a close-minded audience. Persuasive Essay Examples - What Is It? A man or woman who masters the art of persuading people are going to be able to construct a thriving career in any area and build effective relationships. You may use our tips to compose your paper. An argumentative paper is part of the persuasion. A History of Persuasive Essay Examples Refuted When being graded on the standard of work presented, the instructors will typically base the last grade around certain criterion. A student can use any principal sources which comprise a relevant, up-to-date info. Countless students choose online education as a way to avoid wasting time travelling a nd on many different activities as a way to attend physical education institutions. The Fight Against Persuasive Essay Examples First of all, you will need to comprehend the basic fundamentals of persuasive writing and know the five elements of persuasion. You can also check at emotional appeals. Many authors also have counterpoint arguments in their pieces which they may debunk, showing readers they have considered both sides of the argument accessible, and that any arguments that could be raised against the face of the written piece could be dismissed. It would be considerably more difficult to align your arguments to coordinate with the thesis, and it may diminish the worth of your assessment and the validity of your arguments. The absolute most important role of the introductory paragraph, nevertheless, is to present a very clear statement of the paper's argument. What's more, think about tackling a potential counterargument in the third paragraph, as a way to make your rationale more convincing. Employing key words and concepts may also bridge paragraphs. Topic sentences ought to be direct and clear. Persuasive Essay Examples - What Is It? It is crucial to understand how to compose a persuasive essay in order to understand how to defend your standpoint. Before writing down the facts and examples that you're likely to tackle, you ought to be well informed, first of all, about your topic. In order to generate the best of your presentation, learn why other men and women hold a different standpoint. Having found the side that you're standing for, you will need to guarantee you comprehend the standpoint of the opposite side. Without a thesis, it's impossible that you present a productive argument. The primary aim of an argumentative paper is to persuade your audience your view is one of the most compelling opinions on the subject. The point is that you would like to convince the reader your argument is the perfect one, and that means you'll absolutely want to select a topic that you're passionate about and something which you'll become excited about researching and writing. To put it differently, the structure of the paper depends a good deal on the topic and the form of question you must answer to. Persuasive Essay Examples Ideas SATs ought to be eliminated. Which is precisely why we here give you some persuasive essay samples that could aid you with your own. Don't forget that any argumentative essay sample you'll discover on the internet will require a full rewriting in order to prevent plagiarism. You have to know all parts of financial topics as soon as you choose them. You should incorporate a distinct phrase for every one of your topics of assessment. Most issues can have essays on all the aforementioned questions. To do so, you will need to demonstrate that you're very well-informed about your topic.

The Age of Revolutions - 1515 Words

The Age of Revolutions is often a term used for a period of time, usually between 1760 -1848. Although the term encompasses many revolutions across the globe, it isn’t very often that these events are examined as a whole; compared and contrasted to show the similarities, differences, and even some potential catalytic properties between them. The book The Age of Revolutions in Global Context, c. 1760-1840, put together and edited by David Armitage and Sanjay Subrahmanyam, is a book of essays collaborated on by many authors. Armitage and Subrahmanyam claim, â€Å"it is to the task of reinterpreting them that this volume contributes by viewing the Age of Revolutions as a complex, broad, interconnected, and even global phenomenon.† (Armitage,†¦show more content†¦There were many people like this throughout both countries, treated much the same way Loyalists (in America) and Émigrà © (in France) were social exiles, because as Jasanoff points out, these revoluti ons were also civil wars, and with these revolutions it was no different. The loyalists and à ©migrà © shared some commonalities, but it was the differences that help define the global effect of these outcasts. Jasanoff says, â€Å"Both of these republican revolutions were civil wars; both civil wars triggered international ones. But, where the French Revolution began as a radical domestic upheaval, the American Revolution was of course a colonial uprising – and the refugees’ fates underscored that distinction. French à ©migrà ©s rejected the republic and were denied membership in it in turn. As exiles, they had to make friends out of their enemy’s enemies, and vest their hopes in the counter-revolution, their ultimate source of rehabilitation. Loyalists, however, began and ended their lives as subject of the British Empire, an entity that endured and was able to embrace them despite the American rebellion.† (Armitage, 51) Loyalists had an option to continue their loyalty to Britain and in doing so were welcomed and assisted in setting up a new life in The British Empire. French à ©migrà ©s went out to other countries; Britain and America included, and start ed anew with no tie to the countryShow MoreRelatedThe Age Of Revolution And The European Revolution1152 Words   |  5 PagesThe age of revolution was a powerful dynamic age in the European politics and the European Society that started in 1789 and ended in 1848. 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It this outcome that societies were able to create influential pieces of works and change how societiesRead MoreAge of Revolutions Essay751 Words   |  4 PagesThe age of revoltion was a historical time frame that took place between 1775 to 1848 which encompassed numerous social, cultural and political shifts that harboured significant implications on the growth of the development of the novel as a genre. Through the social mechanics of increased living standards, the creation of the middle class, elevated literacy levels and wider book distribution and publication, the novel genre saw indespensible changes which have persisted throughout time. Prior toRead MoreThe Age of Reason and Revolution Essay810 Words   |  4 PagesThe Age of Reason and Revolution Many individuals that lived in the period of time known as the Age of Reason, discovered many new inventions and advancements to improve the quality of life. Some of these advantages brought fourth new ideas to extraordinary people who forever changed the way we look at life. Although many people found these discoveries to bring great revival to mankind, others rejected these new improvements and felt as if they were defying god. TheseRead MoreThe Neolithic Revolution And The Paleolithic Age Essay965 Words   |  4 Pages The Neolithic Revolution began in Southwest Asia and other areas during 10,000 B.C.E to 3, 000 B.C.E (Council for Economic Education, 2012). The Neolithic Revolution also known as the Agricultural Revolution was a new way of life. Our society is constantly changing and moving forward. As a part of human culture, humans strive to learn, discover, create and evolve (Barber, n.d.). As a society, we have made many technological and social advancements, but have we ever taken the time to appreciateRead MoreAge Of Reason And The Scientific Revolution1089 Words   |  5 PagesWorld History Honors 11 March 2015 Age of Reason The Age of Reason took place in Europe from the mid 1500s and ended in the late 1700s. This can be categorized into two different time periods. First, was the Scientific Revolution when many scholars created new ways of thinking about the natural world. The Scientific Revolution ended around the late 1600s. Although this time period was over, common ideas spread to the next period. The second time period in the Age of Reason was the EnlightenmentRead MoreAge of Enlightenment and Glorious Revolution622 Words   |  3 Pagesof democracy. (There are ten items that need information.) Answer: A Bird’s-Eye View 1 Renaissance and Reformation During the Renaissance, Europe was charged with a new spirit of inquiry. 2 English monarchy The Glorious Revolution 1 Charles II King Charles II, like his executed father, found Parliament troublesome and tried to rule without it. 2 James II and the idea of the divine right of kings – Kings would only receive power from God, and were answerableRead MoreThe French Revolution And The Age Of Enlightenment854 Words   |  4 PagesBorn of two fathers, the American Revolution and the age of enlightenment, the French revolution was primarily a social upheaval that conspired to overthrow religious and privileged classes. The French Revolution changed the degree to which the people were willing to suffer and sacrifice in order to achieve their war aims through democratizing the Army and creating the necessity of larger political alliances than ever before. 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By 1900, more than a third of America’s people lived in cities, and city p opulations were growing twice as fast as the population as a whole. Between 1870 and 1920, the number of Americans living in cities increased fivefold, from 10 million to 54 million. Most of the massive industries of the Industrial

Statistic and Business Research Methods

Question: Discuss the effects of bureaucracy on the employees. Answer: Introduction Bureaucracy has been defined to describe a wide range of attitudes and behaviours that creates an array of negative forces that is not only hampering the employees wellbeing but is also impacting the employees motivations. Bureaucracy in the formal organizations where hierarchy is defined weakens the morale and commitment towards the organization (Cuda 2013). It can prove to be one of the factors that misdirect the energy into competition or conflict amongst the employees rather than focusing on a basic principle of mission achievement (Wagner III and Hollenbeck 2014). However, this research proposal will highlight the effects of bureaucracy on the employees and the way it hampers their satisfaction as well as motivation in performing activities at the organization. Moreover, the study will be based on the analysis of the management and will be substantiated more if its based on primary as well as secondary data analysis initiated in the research. Nevertheless, the research will help in providing the decision making methodologies that will be used to examine the behavioural changes in employees as well as the ineffectiveness in the organization. Literature review Bureaucracy can be defined in various forms whether in the organizational form or in the informal usage. In all, bureaucracy basic characteristics lies in the attributes of red-tape as well as inflexibility in an organization that not only frustrate the employees who are working in the organization but also creates an environment of inconsistency and inequality (Child 2015). Characteristics of Bureaucratic Organization The bureaucratic organization is characterised on certain factors that cause an immobilizing symptoms to the organization. The characteristic of bureaucracy management lies in the senior management position where the management is pervasive yet its destructive nature is rarely questioned (Harper 2015). The bureaucratic nature of the organization formulates its agenda according to each department, people and budget even before the goals of the organization are defined. Moreover, there is personal fighting amongst the executives of the organization strives for more power and position. Ideas in bureaucratic organization are ideally not considered if they come from the wrong person but ideas would be considered from a right person even though the idea is not supportive of the assignment undertaken. Moreover, with the aim of the organization to grow, and with new technologies evolving, it will acquire new specialists that will endanger the employment of the existing employees (Diefenbach and Sillince 2011). Nevertheless, people are more concerned of protecting their own grounds rather than working on the responsibility given. The stress amounting for the employees is unhealthy as the organization does not provide promotion on the basis of achievement rather the element of politics plays a major role. The decision making in a bureaucratic environment are accountable at the senior management and is based on stereotypical thinking and responsibilities that are based on rigid practices, policies and procedures. Organizations with such attributes cripple the effectiveness as well as the nature of decision making. All these characteristics provide a negative impact on the satisfaction as well as the wellbeing of the employees. However, this leads to trust issues that hamper the commitment and collaboration towards the organization (Langer 2011). Formal Models of Bureaucracy On the other hand, the three models proposed by bureaucracy are Weberian Model, Acquisition Model and Monopolistic Model that are composed of appointed officials. Nevertheless, bureaucracies work differently in differ formal organizations (Gailmard and Patty 2012). Weberian Model These type of bureaucracies are structured and are based on chain of command" and characterised by broad and general responsibilities. It based on a pyramid structure where specific duties are mentioned on the bottom of the structure whereas detailed duties are stated at the top of the structure. However, there are pre fixed routines that follow standard procedures without bias (Ang 2016). Acquisition Model The acquisition model hold important in the notion of bureaucracies which are motivated by competition. The economic and political power are constantly competing over bigger portions. However, the fight power decides which bureaucracy will get higher share of budget. Moreover, this model enables the bureaucracy to expand and acquire more influence, control and power (Leach and Searle 2011). Monopolistic Model These models have no competition based on their own policy areas. Due to monopoly structure, they lack to be efficient as well as effective (Gailmard and Patty 2012). However, these bureaucracies are bloated, wasteful and inefficient. In all, to be precise, these bureaucracies can be summarised as Model Important Trait Problematic Behaviour Weberian Model Hierarchy Lethargy Acquisition Model Expansion Competition Monopolistic Model Lack of Competition Inefficiency Table: Formal Models of Bureaucracy Source: (Gailmard and Patty 2012) When distinguished on the nature of confronting bureaucracies that can be based on three theories that are territorial, capture as well as incrementalism theory. The territorial imperative is struggling over agencies or bureaus (low level bureaucracies) that when expands leads to many administrative difficulties and challenges. On the other hand, capture theory highlights the indirect control and is based on private social interest. It undermines fairness as well as efficiency in interpreting as well as implementing the policy (Etzioni-Halevy 2013). Thirdly, incrementalism is often practiced as it is on structured powers and is resistant to change and in real life, bureaucracies often move slowly when they had to implement change in the perspective management or the employees (Lipsky 2010). Research Questions The research questions that will help in evaluating the study are: What are the effects of bureaucracies on employees characterized by formal organizations? How bureaucratic models describes the negative effects on the employees? Research Methodologies The research methodologies are carried out to state the information needs of the research proposal and the scientific research and the methods that are conducting in carrying out the enquiry for a specific purpose or to achieve new insights. Moreover, the research is not sufficient if proper methodology rather framework is not advocated with the research methods or techniques (Thomas, Silverman and Nelson 2015). Research Paradigm The research paradigm selected is to analyse the nature of the problem that is bureaucracy and the psychological attributes that the employees face while experiencing it in a bureaucratic nature. However, out of the epistemological and ontological design, the research paradigm that is best suited is epistemological as it does manifests the beliefs that might be discovered in the knowledge through the employees working in a bureaucratic organization. Conversely, it is not ontological foundation as it deals with nature and structure of the world based on prior assumption (Cohen, Manion and Morrison 2013). Research Philosophy The research philosophy studies the differences between the postpositivism as well as positivism approach that highlights that the study needs to be elaborated on the qualitative and quantitative discussion based on the axiom methodologies. However, to make it easier, positivism paradigm of philosophy involves quantitative analysis whereas post-positivism studies the qualitative method (Killiam, 2013). However, this research is value free rather value laden in nature as it follows post-positivism approach on epistemological principle based on the interpretative, subjective and critical thinking. Research Design The research design is carried out to ensure the flexibility and reliability of the data collected. The research design can be of three types that is explanatory that defines the data, exploratory that adds new insights to the knowledge and descriptive where it is designed to view the situation. In this context, the research design is qualitative in nature and is mainly interpreting that is explanatory in nature (Maxwell 2012). This depicts that the information will be collected using focus group interview where it is important to understand the context of the study that will be provided by the participants. Research Approach The research approach provides the application of the study based on certain assumptions. However, there are two types of research approach that are deductive and inductive research. The deductive research approach will be help in achieving successful outcomes because this research will derive the results based on the relevant models and theories of the bureaucratic formation such that the evaluation carried out would be practical in nature (Brymen and Bell 2015). Research Strategy The research strategy helps to carry the research work in that could produce effective results that are convenient in carrying out the results in effective manner. In this case, interview strategy will be carried out to analyse the conception and the behaviour of the managers through open ended questions (Corbin and Strauss 2014). Gantt chart Task Mode Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Auto Scheduled Research Proposal 98 days Tue 2/2/16 Thu 6/16/16 Auto Scheduled Literature Review 30 days Tue 2/2/16 Mon 3/14/16 Auto Scheduled Data Collection and Analysis Report 38 days Tue 3/15/16 Thu 5/5/16 2 Auto Scheduled Final Business Research Proposal 30 days Fri 5/6/16 Thu 6/16/16 3 Figure: Critical Path (MS Project Software) Research Process The research process will be guided through different stages of the research proposal. Stage 1 The stage incorporates the selection the research topic with the appropriate literature review based on bureaucratic nature and formal organizations emphasizing of the effects on the employees. Stage 2 This stage is essentially applicable is carrying out the research methodology of the research and the suitable methods that will be applied to the study. Stage 3 This stage will integrate research methods that is qualitative study based on the interviews carried out in the hierarchical nature of the bureaucratic organization based on the specific focus group. The interview will be conducted on staff, junior, middle as well as senior management employees. Although, the interview would be open ended but will be based on set pattern of questions. Moreover, the study will be integrated on strict principles and controls that will predominated by the straightforwardness of the results. Figure: Hierarchical Organization Structure Source: (Harper 2015) Stage 4 The last stage will be based on the findings as well as the research outcomes that are used in the research. Data Collection and Analysis Methods Data Collection Methods The data are of two types that is primary data as well as secondary data. Primary data involves is based on numbers as well as facts based on the research strategy followed by the researcher. On the other hand, secondary data sources involves the nature and opinions of key informants gathered through various sources like books, journals, articles, cases studies, blogs, e-journals. However, the data collection method manifested in the research is secondary data as it will be based on qualitative nature on the basis of interviews (Saunders 2011). However, based on the research 10 people will be interviewed on the open ended questions such that the respondents will belong to a focus group. The research will possess 1 senior management person, 2 middle management people, 3 junior management people and 4 staff members. Data Analysis The interpretation of the data will establish the link between the formal bureaucratic organizations and the impact on the employees. The research will be evaluated on the different management roles and responsibilities and the way each management undertaking of decision making hampers the wellbeing, satisfaction as well as motivation of the employees in achieving the desired organizational goals (Reem 2011). However, the respondents nature and beliefs will also help in analysis of the different bureaucratic models that are formulated in the organization. Expected Research Outcomes The expected research outcomes evaluate the above results that are critical in nature as well as associates the events with the functions of the management. However, the administration of the management plays an important role in the bureaucratic nature of the organization. It would be depicted that administration happens to provide inflexible as well as influenced bureaucratic assent. The employees are affected predominantly in creativity as well as self-regard perspective. However, the bureaucratic model is adopted so that the business can flourish and could enhance the profitability nature of the organization. Conversely, bureaucracy effect on the employees changes the face of the organization and perceives to be effect the employees in every conceivable manner. References Ang, Y.Y., 2016. Beyond Weber: Conceptualizing an Alternative Ideal-Type of Bureaucracy in Developing Contexts.Regulation and Governance, Forthcoming. Bryman, A. and Bell, E., 2015.Business research methods. Oxford University Press, USA. Child, J., 2015.Organization: contemporary principles and practice. John Wiley Sons. Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K., 2013.Research methods in education. Routledge. Corbin, J. and Strauss, A., 2014.Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Sage publications. Cuda, D.L., 2013. Abba Lerner and the Political Economy of Bureaucracy and Organizations.History of Political Economy,45(4), pp.613-622. Diefenbach, T. and Sillince, J.A., 2011. Formal and informal hierarchy in different types of organization.Organization Studies,32(11), pp.1515-1537. Etzioni-Halevy, E., 2013.Bureaucracy and Democracy (Routledge Library Editions: Political Science Volume 7)(Vol. 7). Routledge. Gailmard, S. and Patty, J.W., 2012. Formal models of bureaucracy.Annual Review of Political Science,15, pp.353-377. Harper, C., 2015.Organizations: Structures, processes and outcomes. Routledge. Killam, L. 2013.Research terminology simplified: Paradigms, axiology, ontology, epistemology and methodology. Laura Killam. Langer, R.L., 2011.Defining Rights and Wrongs: Bureaucracy, Human Rights, and Public Accountability. UBC Press. Leach, D.A. and Searle, C.T., 2011.Department of Defense enterprise requirements and acquisition model(No. AFIT/ISE/ENV/11-J01). Air Force Inst. of Tech Wright-Patterson AFB Oh Dept. of Systems and Engineering Management. Lipsky, M., 2010.Street-Level Bureaucracy, 30th Ann. Ed.: Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Service: Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Service. Russell Sage Foundation. Maxwell, J.A., 2012.Qualitative research design: An interactive approach: An interactive approach. Sage. Re'em, Y., 2011. Motivating public sector employees.Heitie school of government-working papers,60, pp.1-59. Saunders, M.N., 2011.Research methods for business students, 5/e. Pearson Education India. Thomas, J. R., Silverman, S., and Nelson, J. 2015.Research Methods in Physical Activity, 7E. Human Kinetics. Wagner III, J.A. and Hollenbeck, J.R., 2014.Organizational behavior: Securing competitive advantage. Routledge.

Pepe Jeans Brand Management Essay Example

Pepe Jeans Brand Management Paper This report aims to evaluate the brand image, positioning and brand value of a popular denim brand Pepe Jeans. Pepe is a renowned brand in the apparel industry and is amongst the top international jeans and casual wear brand. This report will also discuss the philosophy and essence of the brand, what it stands for the USP (Unique Selling Point) of the brand and how Pepe Jeans is perceived in the consumer mind. The purpose of researching the brand extensively is to help us understand the strengths and weaknesses of the brand from the point of view to verify its effectiveness. Pepe offers a wide range of products to its consumers and tries to cover the intended target market through its advertising and promotions. The brand is present across the globe in almost 100 countries with numerous loyal customers. A Brief History Headquartered in Madrid, Spain Pepe Jeans London, was started in a small market stall running only on weekends in West London by three brothers from Kenya Nitin, Arjun and Milan Shah in the year 1973. The brothers wanted to set up a British brand of jeans that would be known globally. The jeans that they sold were of good quality and fitting and within no time, the business started to boom. The brand was inspired by London street-wear style and was called Pepe because it was a short two syllable word that was really fast to remember. Pepe was the first brand which enforced that jeans should not be sold hung like a trouser for which they even had to fight with the retailers. By 1980, the brand was competing against the big rival brands like Levis, Lee, etc. for the No. 1 place in U.S. Pepe became UKs most successful jeans brand and even had Jason Priestly and the popular band The Smiths featured in their advertising campaign. Some of the campaigns were censored as Pepe ads usually t eased the boundaries of socially acceptable imagery and norms. This helped them gain the attention of the consumers in the ever expanding world of advertising. Pepe is the fastest growing label in the world and has grown to be more than a $500 million denim and casual wear brand. We will write a custom essay sample on Pepe Jeans Brand Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pepe Jeans Brand Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pepe Jeans Brand Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Brand Image According to Kotler (1988) and Herzog (1963), brand image is the perception of the brand regarding the values it carries in the mind of the consumer. Denims are perceived as a casual wear and the wearer carries an attitude whilst wearing it. Pepe has managed to make denim a style statement. Pepe Jeans is perceived as a premium and international brand which houses casual wear with the heart of London in the brand. The products offered are contemporary and innovative and the impression it leaves, is never missed. The brand image is not a thought on its own, it is engraved in the consumer mind by the marketers through the use of various marketing tools. Some other researchers like Ditcher (1985) define that the impression that the product creates as a whole and not by its individual characteristics is what forms the image of the brand. Pepe offers a whole wardrobe solution from jeans to skirts, to jackets, t-shirts, shirts, cargos, capris and a wide selection of accessories like caps, bags, wallets, belts and even socks. In the case of Pepe Jeans, the marketing and pricing has made the brand appealing to primarily youngsters. The brand has been practicing aggressive pricing i.e. they are competitively priced to their competitors and other international brands. The campaigns reflect that the brand is young at heart and promotes a rebellious attitude through its advertising. The concept is to be bold and ambitious which has helped the brand create a connection with both the sexes globally. As per Abraham (2005), to save the brand legal issues, the brand name should always be unique and distinct. The brand is called Pepe because it was a short two syllable word that was easy to remember and fast to sign on a cheque. Brand Positioning Positioning of a brand can be observed by evaluating how the brand appears when seen in contrast with its competitors. Brand positioning is controlled by the company and its marketing team. They concentrate on delivering and positioning the product in the right way to the intended target audience. All the efforts put together create the brand image of the company. (Park et. Al., 1986) Since its inception, the positioning of the brand was that, Pepe Jeans is all about international premium jeans and casual wear. To be a successful brand, the brand must keep in mind the offering its makes to its consumers and makes the product exclusive to set itself apart from the competitors (Friedman, 1993; Muse Hartung, 1973). The brand continuously developed new fabrics and silhouettes which all had a perfect finish. Pepe used this as a P.O.D. (Point of Difference) to promote itself as The premium jeans, inspired by Londons street wear. For a consumer to feel associated with what the brand wants itself to be perceived as, it is important for the brand to first build a relationship with the consumer (Aaker, 1991). All the retailers in the category are characterised in terms of maturity, capacity, and difference in price which leads to the common factor in all stores (Standard Poor, 1995). Pepe has differentiated itself by keeping the promise of being committed to quality products. They have strived to be best in the commercial aspect and by being the most service oriented. Brand positioning comprises of three important elements namely identifying the possible competitive advantages, leverage the strongest advantages and communicate them in an effective manner and lastly make sure that the message has reached the target group, all these factors combined together influence the buying behaviour of the consumer (Kotler, 1988). In connection with the brand, Pepe whilst positioning itself clearly identified themselves as a premium denim brand which the consumer would crave for and branded themselves with the same proposition. They created their USP from the simple fact that they manufactured the best quality denims which were inspired from London street wear. The brand stands for the youth and talks about being young, cool, creating a style statement, independent and self confident which exudes an attitude of the person who is wearing it. The second element is to identify their own strength which was inspired from Londons energy and street wear styles, every garment exudes an attitude and promoted this through their advertising. The third element is to segment the market and identify the appropriate target audience, having in mind what are the elements of your brand that are able to satisfy their needs and how you are related to this group. Pepe managed to identify and connect with all the three elements ma king it one of the most successful international brands. A successful brand should create an image for its product that, in the consumers mind is associated with the quality, the Unique Selling Point of the product and the superiority towards the competitor. (Vranesvic and Stancec, 2003) Brand Equity and Value A brand is the representation of ownership and product segregation manifested through names, logos and trademarks (Chernatony and Riley, 1998; Hankinson and Cowking, 1993). In the American Marketing Association (1960), the definition of a brand is a name or term, a symbol or design, or maybe a combination of the two which is intended to identify the product or service of the seller and enable them to differentiate it from its competitors. Brand equity expresses the value of a product compared to as if the same product didnt have a brand name. Therefore brand equity is based on the added value of the product because of the brand name. Equity consists of brand awareness and brand image (Aaker, 1991; Ailawadi et.al, 2003). Pepe over the years has successfully established itself in the consumer minds by constantly delivering high quality products and numerous advertising campaigns. Pepes brand value has been focused and been a trademark in the category recognised for the commitment and s ervice provided to the consumers. The brands are seen as corporate assets which have to be taken care of, invested in and have to be nurtured to grow. The brands are conceptualised as value enhancers which has led to the development of the concept of brand equity (Wood, 2000). Pepe has been marketed keeping a target audience in mind and has managed to create a bond of trust and a relationship with the consumers. Pepe as a brand name through the consistent performance and every growing demand in the market by opening new stores and a modern youthful urban image has created a sense of comfort in the consumer mind. As per Biel (1993), the concept of brand equity is very consumer-centered and it said that the consequence is focused more on output rather than input. The brands differentiating factor is that Pepe is much more than just a denim company, it offers a complete casual wear line with knits, wovens, non-denims and accessories under its umbrella. Pepe Jeans takes pride on the fashion forecasting abilities and setting trends with every collection they offer to their consumers. The consumers perception of the quality of the brand is what helps create brand equity.

Free Essays on Mental Illness In Adolescents

In this essay, I will explore areas of adolescent depression including contributing factors and treatments. I feel that this is an important area of study because suicide rates are higher among adolescents. If more emphasis is placed upon the study of the factors and treatments of adolescent depression, many lives could be saved. Emotional Resilience: Risk and Protective Factors for Depression Among Alternative Education Students in New Zealand. This Empirical Study focuses on the contributing factors and influences on incidences of depression among alternative education students and seeks to explain why some students with high risk factors do not develop depressive disorders while others do. Until this article, research focusing on contributing factors of mood disorders have not pinpointed factors which specifically cause these disorders. This article seeks to further examine those rare instances where the student perseveres against the odds and does not develop a mood disorder by building on previous research which have identified protective factors which promote these favorable outcomes. By identifying both the risk factors and protective factors, strategies can be created to improve mental health outcomes. Methods and Results: For this study, a sample of students was gathered from alternative education high schools in the northern region of North Island in New Zealand which combines rural and urban populations. The students in alternative education programs may have behavioral problems, repeat expulsions, pregnancy or childcare issues which prevent them from attending mainstream high schools. Each student in the study was issued a survey which was pre-tested on a sample of diverse students and amended prior to its use in this study. Student surveys were excluded if the students had answered too few questions or had been inconsistent in their answers. Findings: Alternative education students reported high levels of po... Free Essays on Mental Illness In Adolescents Free Essays on Mental Illness In Adolescents In this essay, I will explore areas of adolescent depression including contributing factors and treatments. I feel that this is an important area of study because suicide rates are higher among adolescents. If more emphasis is placed upon the study of the factors and treatments of adolescent depression, many lives could be saved. Emotional Resilience: Risk and Protective Factors for Depression Among Alternative Education Students in New Zealand. This Empirical Study focuses on the contributing factors and influences on incidences of depression among alternative education students and seeks to explain why some students with high risk factors do not develop depressive disorders while others do. Until this article, research focusing on contributing factors of mood disorders have not pinpointed factors which specifically cause these disorders. This article seeks to further examine those rare instances where the student perseveres against the odds and does not develop a mood disorder by building on previous research which have identified protective factors which promote these favorable outcomes. By identifying both the risk factors and protective factors, strategies can be created to improve mental health outcomes. Methods and Results: For this study, a sample of students was gathered from alternative education high schools in the northern region of North Island in New Zealand which combines rural and urban populations. The students in alternative education programs may have behavioral problems, repeat expulsions, pregnancy or childcare issues which prevent them from attending mainstream high schools. Each student in the study was issued a survey which was pre-tested on a sample of diverse students and amended prior to its use in this study. Student surveys were excluded if the students had answered too few questions or had been inconsistent in their answers. Findings: Alternative education students reported high levels of po...

How to Flatten Adjective Stacks

How to Flatten Adjective Stacks How to Flatten Adjective Stacks How to Flatten Adjective Stacks By Mark Nichol Words are highly adaptable in terms of which part of speech they represent, but careful writers should be alert in order to minimize or prevent a linguistic affliction called adjective stacking, which is discussed in this post. Nouns are easily converted to adjectives, as when using the phrase â€Å"dinner table.† Dinner and table are both nouns, but when dinner immediately precedes table, it ceases to mean â€Å"evening meal† and represents an adjective describing a type of table: one used for evening meals. Similarly, â€Å"sport utility vehicle† consists of three words that serve as nouns, but when positioned in sequence, the first two words no longer stand on their own to represent concepts, but rather describe the third noun. Such sequences can extend indefinitely, but the longer the string of adjectives- or the higher the stack- the more difficult it is for readers to parse the components and their interrelationships. Reading from left to right, we recognize the first word as a noun but then correct ourselves when a noun follows it, reclassifying the first word as an adjective. Then we have to conduct the same mental process repeatedly, and when word relationships are not clarified by use of hyphens, the quest for comprehension is complicated. The following list from an actual document represents the problems with adjective stacking; it can be confusing and fatiguing: Penetration testing for key medical devices Biomedical security vulnerability assessments Medical device procurement process consulting Biomedical incident response readiness assessments Medical device security program remediation support Manufacturer vulnerability remediation liaison assistance Oddly, the syntax of the first item enables a quick, clear reading, while the others fail to follow suit. Using the first item as a model, however, one can easily revise the list to improve readability by reordering words and phrases and introducing prepositions (and, sometimes, words representing other functions): Penetration testing for key medical devices Assessments of vulnerability of biomedical security Consulting about the procurement process for medical devices Assessments of readiness regarding response to biomedical incidents Remediation support for medical-device security programs Liaison assistance for remediation of manufacturer vulnerability These revised phrases are less concise but easier to read. Note, too, that one can reorganize the word sequences to various extents; each of these phrases can be revised in more than one way. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and ToesUse a Dash for Number Ranges10 Types of Hyphenation Errors

IT case study Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

IT case study - Outline Example t business metrics, beneficial service assets to the cafà ©, service utility, outcomes obtained from practicing demand management, importance of early life support and whether the cafà © should have the service desk (Lytras, Ziderman & Manolova, 2010. pp.156). IT infrastructure library is the process of supplying paramount practices for the IT services. The application of this method is rising because various business premises depend on IT to satisfy and attain the company’s’ strategies. Therefore, Bill Melmac, the owner of Melmac cafà © should consider implementing the IT infrastructure Library in its business. This will be of benefit because the library has dissimilar theories and procedures that direct any business to decide on the best and efficient idea pertaining the operation and management of the business. ITIL will offer Bill Melmac with advices and different IT courses on the management of his business services (Lytras, Ziderman & Manolova, 2010. pp.157). ITIL will equip Bill Melmac with general knowledge regarding the cafà © service strategies, the designs that he should apply in delivering the ordered foods to the clients, the best service transition applicable in his business, advisable service operations and how he can continuously improve his cafà © services. Subsequently, after applying the ITIL in his cafà ©, Bill will convey the perfect ITIL package management solutions to his cafà ©. He will also identify the specific requirements for his business and implement them consequently. He will ascertain the suitable ITIL service management solutions that are important in solving his business problems and ensure that the service is very cost effective (Lytras, Ziderman & Manolova, 2010. pp.156). Business outcome refers to the target or the benefits that a given business premise works hard to achieve after it experiences interventions or makes changes. Business outcomes are the main reasons why many companies engage dissimilar activities, initiatives,

REFLECTION ON COURSE PAPER Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

REFLECTION ON COURSE PAPER - Assignment Example However, once the course started, the various readings that were considered, writings that were undertake, and discussions that were had proved that I was going to get more than I expected. Even though my academic ambitions for the course were satisfied, much more were going to be gained for my professional involvement and this is what this reflection paper seeks to bring to bear. As part of the reflection paper therefore, I am going to discuss and scrutinize some new ideas and perspectives that were learned as part of the readings, writings and discussions on the course that was undertaken. Generally, the ideas and perspectives are rooted in the principles of resonance and leadership that was learned. Later, way in which the ideas gained have helped in bringing about a professional transformation to me shall also be treated. The very first new idea that I have learned from the course is rooted in the principle that world-class performers work hard to create their dreams (Tabachnick and Fidell, 2001). Commonly, people tend to have a notion that success comes to people by accident or through luck. They hardly realize that success is a well calculated plan that is executed when key strategies and structures are put in place (Byrne, 2011).

Two contrasting religious Essay Example for Free

Two contrasting religious Essay Compare the similarities and differences in the practices and beliefs of individuals from two contrasting religious or secular groups. In M1 I will be discussing the similarities and differences of Islam and Christianity. I will be discussing about the religions origins, worship, festivals, clothing, beliefs and diet. Origins A similarity of Islam and Christianity is that they both believe in one God (Christianity Jesus) (Islam Allah). A difference is that both religions have different countries of origin. Islam originated from Makkah and Madina which is situated in Saudi Arabia and Christianity originated from Jerusalem in Israel. Islam began in the 7th century, God sent his message through the prophet Mohammed showing how to worship God, and how to perfect life. Islam spread through East Asia, Central Europe and North Africa. Today Islam is recorded to be the fastest growing religion in the world. Christianity developed in the 1st century; Christianity came from the religion Judaism Christianity began with the apostles of Jesus. Christianity mostly spread because Jesus and his disciples went from town to town preaching about the Jewish law. Christianity is practiced in USA, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, China, Germany, Philippines, United Kingdom, Italy, France and Nigeria. The first mosque was built in Madina. The first Christian church was founded in 33AD in Jerusalem. Worship A similarity of Islam and Christianity is that they both have holy places they worship at. Christians worship at a church usually on a Sunday; Muslims worship at a mosque, Muslims usually go to the mosque on Fridays or any day of the week. The difference is that they worship on different days. Muslims can pray together or by themselves and can pray at home or workplace as long as the place is clean and quiet. Christians and Muslims worship to get closer their Gods. Christians can worship at church or home they can also pray by themselves or in a group; Christians pray to get closer to God. A difference is that Islam requires Muslims to pray five times a day and with Christianity Christians are require praying once a day or more if they want to. Christians and Muslims both pray to get closer to God. A similarity is that both religions both religions have holy books that they read. A  difference is that Islam has the Quran and Christianity has the Holy Bible. Christians and Muslims read their holy books to learn more about their religions and for guidance through their lives. Christians and Muslims read their holy books to gain knowledge too. Festivals A similarity of Islam and Christianity is that they both have one main festival they celebrate Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25th Muslims celebrate Eid the date for Eid changes every year Muslims will celebrate Eid after Ramadan. A difference is that Christianity has a specific time of the year to celebrate Christmas and Eid moves from time to time every year. Both religions celebrate these festivals by having a big feast, spending time with family and buying new clothes. Christmas in the birth of Jesus during this period Christians usually exchange gifts, spend time with friends and family, wear new clothes and have a big dinner which is call Christmas dinner. Eid is the celebration of Ramadan; Ramadan is the periods when muslims fast for 30 days and they are allow to eat after sunset. The day after Ramadan is Eid, Eid is when muslims spend time with family and friends, eat, and buy new clothes to wear. Beliefs Some of the similarities are that both religions believe in one God, and both have a holy book they believe in. A difference is that Muslims believe in seven main things; Belief in God, belief in the prophets, belief in the angels, belief in the holy book which is the Quran, belief in the judgement day, belief in life after death and belief in the good and bad. Christians believe that God is the father of Jesus. Another similarity is that both religions believe in life after death. Christianise believes in the Bible, they believe in God, they believe that God sent Jesus they believe that God came through Jesus as a human form. Muslims believe in that Mohammed is the last messenger, they believe you go to heaven or hell on the day of judgement and Christians also believe you go heaven or hell once you on the day of judgement. Clothing A difference of clothing is that Muslims women cover their hair with a hijab (head scarf) this is by choice. Christianity doesn’t require women to cover  their hair. Some Muslims men can cover their hair with a topi if they want to. Christianity doesn’t require men to cover their hair. Some women can wear a long dress called jilbab. A similarity is that both religions require you to dress modesty. Muslims women wear theses because you are not allowed to show your figure (jilbab) and they wear the hijab to not show their beauty so no one is looking at them in the wrong way. Is it written in the Quran that you can cover your hair and it says that you should wear clothing that doesn’t show your figure. Diet A difference is that Islam requires Muslims to eat only certain foods like halal meat. Muslims aren’t allowed to eat lard, pork, any foods with gelatine and food or drinks that contain alcohol. Christians believe that God has given them the animals to eat as well to have and take off. Some Christians may eat only fish on Good Friday or just one or two meals. During lent Christians may give up something they really like, like chocolate until Easter Sunday. Christians may eat bread and drink wine every Sunday to remember Jesus and what he did. Bibliography About.com Islam (2013) Islamic Clothing Requirements Available at http://islam.about.com/od/dress/p/clothing_reqs.htm [accessed 24/09/13] Atschool (December 2007) Christmas the story, customs and traditions, Available at, http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/carolrb/christmas/christmas1.html [accessed: 24/09/13] Christianity.org (2013) Worship Available at, http://www.christianity.org.uk/index.php/worship.php [accessed: 24/09/13] Copyright global tolerance limited (2009) Faith and Food Available at http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/carolrb/christmas/christmas1.html [accessed: 24/09/13] Copyright Inter- Islam (1998-2001) Diet in Islam, Available at http://www.inter-islam.org/Lifestyle/diet.htm [accessed: 24/09/13] Wood Jenny (1988) Islam for children, Available at http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/carolrb/islam/glossary.html [accessed: 24/09/13] Greenstar (2013) ISLAM, Available at http://www.greenstar.org/Islam/ [accessed 25/09/13] Religion answers (2013) how did Christianity begin? Available at, http://religion.answers.wikia.com/wiki/How_did_christianity_begin [accessed 25/09/13] Darul-arqam (2012) why must Muslims go to the mosque for prayers on Fridays Available at, http://www.darul-arqam.org.sg/what-is-islam/brief-history-of-islam/ [accessed 25/09/13]

How I Would Teach The House On Mango Street Essay example -- Teaching

The House on Mango Street is a very interesting book about a young Latino girl and her daily life. It is a look through a child’s eyes of the world around her. The story is written in short chapters, explaining different aspects of life from a child’s point of view. The story confronts poverty, physical abuse, discrimination and other issues that we’d never want our children to deal with. The House on Mango Street is truly a worthwhile book for children to read. It helps the reader understand what it’s like growing up in a rundown and harsh neighborhood, such as Mango Street. The House on Mango Street is the story about the life of Esperanza Cordero. She tells, in her own words, what the neighborhood is like around her and talks about the people she is close to. The first people she talks about are her family. You meet her family by the description of their hair. You learn a little about each family member by her description. For example, her mother’s hair smells like bread and makes her feel safe. The main characters you learn about are the two sisters, Lucy and Rachel. Lucy and Rachel ask Esperanza to chip in to buy a bike. The girls become friends and after meeting them, most of Esperanza’s experiences in the neighborhood are with the two sisters. Then, you meet characters with a smaller influence, such as Marin, Louie, Darius, and many more. The story starts out with the narrator, Esperanza Cordero, talking about her house and how she got there. Esperanza explains that she hasn’t always lived on Mango Street. She lived in many apartments before getting her house, although she is not happy with her house. It wasn’t what she imagined at all. Her parents say the house is only temporary, but Esperanza knows the truth. She knows she will be there a long time and she doesn’t want to be there. Esperanza feels out of place in her neighborhood and this theme continues throughout the book. She is ashamed of where she lives, but she’ll ride it out until she is old enough to get out. It is very obvious in the end of the book when Alicia tells Esperanza that the house of Mango Street is always her house. "No this isn’t my house," Esperanza says and shake my head as if shaking could undo the year I’ve lived here. "I don’t belong. I don’t ever want to come from here." At the end o f the story, you hear about the house of her dreams and her promise to get out of ... ...ed to their culture. Then, I’d have the children read the story. After they were done with the story, I’d have the class paint a mural of Esperanza’s neighborhood. Each child would then pick a character, draw a picture of them, and write a short description of the person under the picture. Then, when the mural and character drawings were finished, I would place the pictures of the characters on the mural of Mango Street. I would put each picture near the spot on the mural where the character lived. I think this would be a fun project for the class that will show to me that they know the material in the book. In conclusion, The House on Mango Street is both an educational and fun book to read. It helps the reader see into a different culture and perspective, while adding humor to keep the reader entertained. The story confronts disturbing issues, but through the eyes of an innocent child. Overall, this book is about growing up. This book does a great job of making the reader see what it’s like to grow up in a place like Mango Street. The House on Mango Street really makes the reader aware of the world around them and that their experience growing up was not like everyone else’s.

The Significance of Sibling and Peer interaction on Children

Within the field of child psychology much emphasis has been placed on the relationship and interactions of mother and child (Harris, 1998; Pinker, 2002). This essay intends to highlight the significance of another kind of interaction, that of the child and his/her siblings and peers, with the view to show how this type of interaction can have an impact on subsequent development. In the process, the essay will evaluate the research carried out and the evidence gained within this area by way of critical analysis.As an added aid the essay will take examples from the died material: Media Kit Part 1, Video Band 2: Zero to Hero as supplied by Open university (2006). The type of interaction mainly focused upon here is play; as this is the catalysis by which young children, from toddler-hood onwards, engage with other children. Littleton and Mill (2005) recognize this type of interaction as ‘important sites for development' where new skills can be acquired and tested out in ways that c ould not with adults.To help better define this type of relationship between sibling and peers it is perhaps best to distinguish them from the other main type of relationship that children find homeless in. Schaffer, (1996) uses the term vertical relationship to describe a type of relationship that is characterized by an inequality of social power and knowledge level between adult and child. It is marked also by a complementarily of roles whereby the child may ask for help and a parent or caregiver may offer it.This is in contrast to the horizontal relationship that is marked more so for its reciprocity and equality of social power and knowledge. A good example being between two children of similar age. This peer relationship is similar in nature to hat of sibling relationships however as Schaffer (1996) notes, in this case the sibling relationship has the unique quality of being able to share both characteristics of, on the one hand reciprocity, whereby siblings can co-operate succ essfully in play situations and on the other, a marked age difference can see the older sibling as part time teacher and guide.This idea would have had its beginnings in the early social constructivism perspective. Bigotry (1986) purported the belief that interaction and collaboration with peers equal and more capable, promotes learning and creates what he called a Zone of Proximal Development, where children of different abilities learn from each other. One of the methods they do this is by what Schaffer (2003) describes as ‘scaffolding whereby support is offered for learning however the task is not simplified.The ability to play with others has also been described as a ‘skilled international accomplishment' because of the complex skills involved, such as sensitivity to the needs of others, negotiation and conflict management skills (Littleton and Mill, 2005). But to play with people on must have the ability to Join in with others. In the video Zero to Hero supplied by Open University (2006), Professor Robert Winston lists certain factors that affect a child's ability to Join in with others including premature birth, shyness and laughter.Smith et al. , (1999) sees laughter as an important social signal for children within play fighting both for the child to use and for the child to interpret others meaning of it. Smith et al. , (1999) also cite the ability to regulate emotion, turn-taking skills and the ability to understand another person's point of view as important social skills, not Just added for successful social interaction but are actively developed and practiced in play situations.Open University (2006) illustrates these points by showing the use of classic experiments such as a version of the ‘marshmallow experiment (Muscle, 1974) where a child is sat in front of a marshmallow and told that he/she can have twice the amount if they can wait a specified time. Its been suggested from results that children able to wait or ‘delay gratification' are better able to control emotions and is a better indication of academic and social success in their teens than IQ scores.Also being able to hold back like this does increase a child's popularity In another example children of about three years are shown how to play Which hand is the coin in game' where a person places a coin in one hand in full view of the child sitting opposite. The hand is then placed behind the back and both hands are re- presented closed for the child to guess which hand the coin is now in. Open University (2006) suggests that most children at this age cannot play this game from the alternative position as they believe that the other person already knows which hand the coin is in.This idea could be seen to come from the Paginating concept of ‘egocentrics' whereby the child's dominance of their own perceptions leaves them unable to see things from another's perspective. Pigged elucidated this aspect through his Three Mountains Task (Pigged and Inhaler, 1972) Counter to this however, Open University (2006) go on to show the child named ‘Rubin' as not only able to play the game, but also able to predict What other children will do'. They imply the reason for this as a result of his home life dynamic.Here, Rubin lives with his two brothers and all have different fathers suggesting a lot of interaction with different types of people but mainly that play with his siblings is significant. This emphasis on sibling interaction as a cause for Robin's advancement, when held up against Piglet's stage theory of intellectual development (in Dates, Cheesy and Wood, 2005), suggests that early and sustained interaction with siblings can contribute to a change in normal developmental cognitive structures.This assumption is arrived at through the underlying nature of any stage theory where, by definition imply distinct boundaries between stages where independent processes take place (Amounts, 2009). Piglet's theory places Robin' s changes as occurring by the end of his second, Pre-operational stage or at the beginning of his Concrete operational stage where the child is moving away from egocentric thinking. The age put on this stage of development is around six years, notably different from Robin's three.In another study by Dunn (1988), children from a very young age were shown to have the ability co-operate with each other and engage in complex types of play such as fantasy play whereby other identities were taken on requiring different forms of language (Corsair, 1986). Dunn (1988) even showed that children as young as eight months were able to share and recognize the mood of a sibling and by fourteen months had the ability to co-operate in another's goals. However, the idea that examples can be found that find children performing better then Pigged would have originally predicted is not something new.Donaldson Hiding the Policeman experiment is a case in point (Donaldson and Hughes, 1978), as are other e xamples (Miscarriage and Donaldson, 1974; Light et al. , 1979). The intent of this essay at this point however, is not to argue the individual merits of Paginating theory, for even Donaldson criticisms can be regarded as an enhancement of the theory rather than a dismissing out of hand. It can be suggested that her argument is based on children's reasoning being regarded as more sophisticated then first proposed, with the emphasis now to be placed within the social context for which a situation occurred, I. . That things make ‘human sense' to the child (Dates et al. , 2005). Instead the point here is to show that by using this influential developmental approach that the significance of peer and sibling interaction can be more clearly en. For it should also be noted that Pigged himself valued this cognitive development aspect of peer relationships, referring to it as socio-cognitive conflict where he argued that these interactions exposed the child to conflicting views from peo ple who were of equal status to themselves thus motivating a rethink of their own understandings.The power imbalance of adult's interactions lends to this (Dates et In light of what has been said so far it could be argued that peer and sibling relationships contribute to advancement in cognitive and social skills. However, as Cantor et al. (1999) warns that social competence should not be conceived as a static set of abilities and that other factors in the child's environment should also be considered to contribute too child's development.And so taking again our real life example ‘Rubin', one would expect that his advanced developmental and social skills would lead too socially more successful life. To the contrary Rubin was reported by almost half his class (and later by assessment) as displaying somewhat anti-social behaviors. One reason Open University (2006) gives for this is a lack of concentration, which, it is hoped, will be remedied with fish oil supplements. The secon d reason, it is suggested is partly due to instability within the home environment.Robin's mother is pregnant and this is causing tensions with her partner. The point to be drawn from this however, is that although play and interaction with siblings and peers is important for a child's development it should not be taken as a prescription for normal or ‘healthy patterns' of development (Schaffer, 1996) at least by western industrialized standards. Instead a more holistic approach should be adopted with regard to the multi-dimensional dynamic of a person's developmental thaw from birth to maturity.Perhaps a good model to consider would be Sombreros (1987) Transactional model of development. There are limitations however of psychologists accounts in this area. One such being the lack of research and evidence into the ever growing use of new technologies by young people when engaging in social activity. Maybe (2003) notes that the prevalence of mobile phone use has created an envi ronment that allows for young people to have twenty-four hour contact with each other without parental interference thus, providing a greater level of privacy and independence.However, it would also be noted that Dunn (2004) has valued this privacy aspect of friendship in early interactions as it aids young people in ciphering out the ‘intricate balance of power and status between people' as well as giving them experience in relationships different from that which they share with their parents. This could also be construed as the beginnings of independence. Another limitation is that the majority of the research noted here has been carried out in westernizes societies.

What is Womens Studies

Women s Studies explores a wide assortment of issues. Since the scope of topics that Women s Studies covers is so broad, it is difficult to come up with a solid definition that fully explains this subject. I believe that the central category of analysis in Women’s Studies is gender. This subject examines the historically constructed understanding of what it means to be a â€Å"woman† or a â€Å"man. † Women s Studies courses examine gender and women, drawing on a wide variety of experiences from women s perspectives. Not only does Women s Studies explore gender; it also takes a good look at the issues of race, class and sexual orientation and how they impact the development of women in a variety of cultural, social, and economic contexts. Because it is the norm that white, middle class, straight, able-bodied women of a certain age have considerably more access to power and resources than women of color, poor women, lesbians, the disabled, the very young or very old, incorporating the life stories and views of these minority women is a crucial part of Women s Studies. Women of color who are involved in Women s Studies have and still are making great strides in eliminating the stereotypes that not only involve their sex, but their race and culture as well. The text Women: Images and Realities written by Amy Kesselman et. al. includes Black feminist Alice Walker s definition of womanism: Black feminism, or womanism, draws on the historical strength of black women in their families and communities and the rich African-American tradition of resistance, persistence, and survival (12). Women s Studies also takes a in depth look at feminism. Kesselman s et. al. defines feminism as The belief that women have been historically subordinate to men, as well as to the commitment to working for freedom for women in all aspects of social life (9). Women s Studies classes often focus on the early feminists, the struggles they endured, and the impact they have had in getting women as far as they are in society today. I believe Women s Studies owes a big part of its existence to the movement for the liberation of women; the feminist movement exists because women are oppressed. Kesselman s et. al. text, describes Women s Studies as a course which Is an important and exciting experience that introduces new ways of seeing both the world and oneself (8). As our society becomes increasingly diverse, I believe students who study Women s Studies develop an awareness and understanding of diversity that makes an important contribution to any endeavor.

The literature about the determinants of dividend policy discussed in the previous section is collected from various empirical researches based on different conditions. The WritePass Journal

The literature about the determinants of dividend policy discussed in the previous section is collected from various empirical researches based on different conditions. Introduction The literature about the determinants of dividend policy discussed in the previous section is collected from various empirical researches based on different conditions. IntroductionConclusionRelated Introduction The literature about the determinants of dividend policy discussed in the previous section is collected from various empirical researches based on different conditions. Some of the results are gleaned from surveys by directly asking the managers‘ view towards dividend policy; some are gleaned from statistical analysis by observing the companies‘ financial data; others are just a theoretically deductive process conducted by academicians. Therefore, it is necessary to find out that whether those determinants gained from the empirical literature can work properly in Financial Service industry in UK market. Thus, 9 hypotheses with respect to each of the determinants have been raised. H1: All else equal, dividend policy relies upon firm’s earnings power. This paper expects that more profitable firms should pay more dividends in UK stock market. Firms with high profitability have the capacity to provide large cash flow. Therefore, there is no need to worry whether the fi rms have enough cash flow to payout dividends even if a lot of cash flow is used to finance new investments. Thus, it can be hypothesized that profitability has a positive relationship with dividend payouts. As a proxy, the level of firms‘ profitability can be measured by the return on assets (ROA). H2: All else equal, dividends signals future earnings growth. This paper expects that low dividend payments will predict a high earning growth in UK market. Dividends act as a signaling mechanism under the imperfect market situation, where information asymmetry exists between managers and investors. Managers often process and trade on information about firm‘s future earning fluctuation through dividend payments. Therefore, any change in dividend policy will be interpreted as a change in management‘s expectation of future earnings. Under the circumstance oflimited cash flow, more investment opportunities actually mean high future earnings growth, but in the same time, will reduce the free internal cash flow available for dividend payments. Therefore, it can be hypothesized a negative relationship between dividend payouts and future earnings growth. Annual rate of growth of earnings per share (GROWTH) is commonly used as a proxy for firms‘ earning growth. H3: All else equal, dividend and debt are direct substitutes. This paper expects that the level of risk will be negatively related to dividend payments in UK market. Fir ms with high debt ratios are more likely to pay a lower level of dividends, because they have already pre-committed their cash flows to make debt payments and to avoid borrowing more capital. Thus, high leveraged firms do not have sufficient cash flow to afford high dividend payment, and reflect a negative relationship. Firms‘ leverage ratio (LEV) is used to represent risk in statistical analysis. H4: All else equal, past dividend have influence on current dividend policy. This paper expects a positive relationship between past dividend and dividend payouts in UK market. The signaling function of dividend payments suggests that any change in dividend policy reflects changes in the managers‘ prediction of firms‘ prospects. In addition, both the market and the firms prefer certain degree of continuity in dividend payments. Therefore, past dividend payments is essential in the decision making of future dividends. Lintner‘s partial adjustment model and target pay out ratio present a positive relationship between the two variables. As a proxy for continuity of dividends, past dividend (PD) can be used and a positive relationship can be expected from the result. H5: All else equal, liquidity/ cash flow is the fundamental element in dividend paying. This paper expect dividend payments positively correlated with firms’ cash flow in UKmarket. Sometimes, the concepts of cash flow and profit is two different things. The former is the free cash flow in the companies available for companies operating and investing activities, the later means the current earnings of the firm. The empirical experience tell us that even companies with negative earnings pay dividend to shareholders to maintain a stable dividend payments, and transfer the information of temporary losses to the public. In that case, only the free cash flow of the companies matters when dividends are distributed to shareholders. A poor liquidity position means less generous dividends due to shortage of cash. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that firms with high cash flows have the tendency to allocate more to paying dividends. The variable used is the cash flow per share (CFPS) an d it should have a positive impact on dividend payout ratios. H6: All else equal, larger firms distribute larger dividends. This paper expects that dividend payments will be positively associated with size of the firm in UK market. In the imperfect capital market, where the investors and firms cannot borrow at the same cost, larger firms should have easier access to external funds and can borrow at a cheaper rate than small firms can. In addition, being more competitive than smaller firms are, larger firms should have more investment opportunities, and therefore high future earnings growth can be expected. In that case, managers of large firms are more likely to distribute high dividend payments, and convey their positive expectations of the firms‘ prospect. As a common surrogate for size is logarithm of the firms‘ total market value (MV) and it is expected to be positively correlated to dividend payouts. H7: All else equal, dividend payments operates as an information s ignal. This paper expects that firms with greater investment opportunities will pay lesser dividend in UK market. Asymmetry information provides a new insight into the explanation of dividend puzzle. The unequal information barrier of the insiders and outsiders inevitably highlight the importance of dividend payments acting as a medium to convey information for the two parties. Meanwhile, because of the general tendency for stable dividend payouts, any change in dividend policy is recognized as an information exposure of firms‘ prospects. Therefore, rather than distributing more to shareholders, managers are likely to retain more to satisfy the financial needs required by future investment opportunities. Thus, a common proxy for investment opportunities is the market-to-book ratio (MBV) and it is expected to be negatively associated with dividend payouts. H8: Financial crisis has jeopardized the economy on a worldwide basis. This paper expects that financial distress will infl uence dividend policy in service industry in UK market. Happened in the middle of 2007, financial crisis lasted for almost two years, and has brought great damage to global economy. The major victim of financial crisis is global banks and financial institutions. Other industries will be more or less affected by the influence of financial pressure. In the three years of financial crisis, almost all the industries are confronting the increasing requirements of free cash flow. However, during this period, both banks and financial institutions are extremely lack of funds, and therefore, cannot satisfy the financial requirements of the market. As a response to this serious situation, tougher capital constrains resulted in high costs for borrowing from external sources. Therefore, for companies, financial crisis raised the pre-determined cost of debt, and in turn reduce the amount of cash flow for dividend payments. H9: Different industries have different regulations and laws. This paper expects that different industrial classification will result in different dividend policies in UK market. It is generally accepted that firms adjust their dividend policies to suit the particular circumstances facing the industry in which they operate. Like for instance, firms in high growth industries will enjoy many financing discounts from the regulations, therefore, facing more advantages in investing and financing activities. Thus, it is necessary for them to modify their dividend-based strategies in an attempt to maintain more retained earnings for more new investment opportunities. Nevertheless, firms in mature and saturated industries ought to maintain stable dividend payouts rather than to reserve more retained earnings when investment opportunities are limited in their industrial sector. The expectations of this paper and the previous researchers’ attitudes towards the relationship between divid end policy and its determinants can be summarized in the table 1. Conclusion Proxies Variables Expected Literature indicated relationship PR dividend payout policy ROA profitability Positive Positive GROWTH earnings growth Negative Positive or Negative LEV level of risk Negative Negative PD past dividens Positive Positive CFPS liquidity Positive Positive MV firms size Positive Positive MTBV investment opportunities Negative Negative or no relationship.

How to Style Alphabetical Letters

How to Style Alphabetical Letters How to Style Alphabetical Letters How to Style Alphabetical Letters By Mark Nichol When are letters of the alphabet, appearing in isolation rather than as part of a word, capitalized, and when are they lowercased? When should they be italicized, and when is the normal type, called roman, employed? Here’s a general guide to styling letters. Letters as Letters When referring to a letter as an alphabetical character in print or online, style it in italics and use uppercase or lowercase forms as appropriate, as in the examples â€Å"Notice how the letter m is cut off so that it almost looks like an n† and â€Å"Engraved in the rock was a capital A.† A roman apostrophe and a roman s are added to indicate a plural form, as in â€Å"When you wrote ballot, you included three l’s.† For capital letters, the apostrophe isn’t necessary: â€Å"The two Vs look like a W.† However, if plural forms of both uppercase and lowercase letters appear in the same document, for consistency, reconcile the style either way. Letters employed in lieu of an entire word beginning with that letter to disguise profanity or otherwise avoid the word’s use are capitalized and styled in italics: â€Å"The F word† refers to an obscene four-letter word, for example, and â€Å"the D word† might appear in a perhaps jocular reference to relationships in which the writer declines to use the word divorce. In idioms such as â€Å"Dot [one’s] i’s and cross [one’s] t’s† or the humorous inversion â€Å"Cross [one’s] i’s and dot [one’s] t’s† and â€Å"Mind [one’s] p’s and q’s,† the letters are traditionally not italicized, despite this custom being an exception to the rules described above; instead, an apostrophe is inserted before the plural s. Other idiomatic usage (for example, â€Å"the three Rs† and â€Å"to a T†) generally does not call for italicization, either. Names of Letters In the unlikely event that a letter needs to be referred to by name, it can be spelled out as indicated in dictionaries. However, the system is difficult to use because not all names of alphabetical characters are spelled intuitively, so they’re difficult to locate for verification: B and letters that rhyme with it are spelled bee, cee, and so on, but others are spelled, for example, aitch, cue, and wye. Letter Grades When the letters A, B, C, D, and F are used in educational contexts and, by extension, in informal analogous usage, as evaluative marks, they are not italicized. That’s because they refer to the points on the grading scale, not to letters of the alphabet; I’ve italicized them here, though, because I’ve named them as letters: â€Å"the letter A,† and so on. (Why is there no E in the grading scale? Apparently, educators were concerned that this letter grade would be misconstrued as representing excellent, as F stands for failure, so although it was originally part of the grading scale, it was eventually omitted.) An alternative system, often used euphemistically in lower grades, is E, G, F, P, and U (excellent, good, fair, poor, and unsatisfactory). No apostrophe is inserted before the plural s; for example, write â€Å"I had hoped to receive more As† or â€Å"She earned three Es last semester.† Letters as Shapes When letters are used to describe shapes, they are capitalized and styled in roman, as in â€Å"C clamp† and â€Å"T square.† Letters employed in this way are sometimes treated in sans serif type (one of many typefaces in which letters are made solely of straight lines and curves and lack appendages), but this approach looks awkward. Music and Rhyme Schemes In general, letters referring to musical pitches are capitalized in roman type for example, â€Å"This song is in D.† (Technical usage such as references to octaves varies; consult specialized print publications or websites for more information.) Rhyme schemes, however, are indicated in lowercase italic letters with no letter spaces between characters indicating a set of lines constituting a verse, as in â€Å"The poem is written in abba rhyme.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should KnowAbstract Nouns from AdjectivesHow Do You Fare?

Enron Scandal Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Enron Scandal Case study - Essay Example Basically those businesses prosper that have implemented systems to enhance the faith of the shareholders via transparency, responsibility and fairness (Raghavan, 2010). Carrying out of ethical business conduct would mean accepting and practicing sound corporate governance. The role of auditors is also vital in bringing good corporate governance (Fan & Wong, 2001). The main objective of the study is to identify the facts that led Enron to financial scandal and brought up to the surface a culture of corruption as well as greed. The role of the auditors and the corporate governance in such context will also be studied in adequate detail. The study will try to focus upon the main actor involved in the Enron case, the role of the organisation, the legal context and the prevention strategies that could have been followed in order to stop such fraudulent activities from taking place. Enron Case Enron is one of the best examples of unethical business practices conducted in an organisational context. It had been the seventh biggest business house in the United States. It dealt with ‘natural gas pipeline’ and was based in Houston. It filed for bankruptcy in the year 2001. The company was charged with security related frauds. It was noted that the employees and retirement accounts lost hundreds of millions of Dollars, when the stock price of Enron dropped from its height of US$105 to few cents and subsequently the company was de-listed by NASDAQ (Healy & Papelu, 2003). The company made use of complex and dubious accounting schemes in order to minimise its tax payments, to increase its income and profits, to increase its stock price and credit rating, to conceal losses in ‘off-balance-sheet subsidiaries’ and to falsely manipulate Enron’s financial condition in public reports (Munzig, 2003). In addition to hurting the confidence of the investors and generating questions regarding the continuity of a deregulated energy market, the crumple of Enron has hurried a complete re-examination of both the accounting industry as well as many other components of the corporate governance in America (Dembinski & et. al., 2006). It was noted that the company violated accounting standards that necessitated at least three percent of the company’s assets to be possessed by independent equity investors. By violating this requirement, the company was capable to evade the merging of these ‘special purpose entities’. Due to these, the balance sheets of Enron devalued its liabilities and exaggerated its equity and earnings. The company focused on minimum disclosure in relation to special purpose entities (Munzig, 2003). Role of Auditors in Enron’s Case The most significant question surrounding the Enron’s case is that how the Enron’s problem could remain hidden for such a long time. Most of the accusations for failing to realise Enron’s problem has been consigned to the auditor of the company, Arthur Andersen and to the ‘sell-side’ forecasters whose main duty was to work for brokerage, research firms and investment banking (Munzig, 2003). Role of External Auditors The external auditor of Enron, Arthur Andersen was blamed for practicing lax standards in their audits due to conflict of interest over consulting fees that was created by

Analyse the impact and effectiveness of ILO (international labor Essay

Analyse the impact and effectiveness of ILO (international labor organization) convention in child labor in China - Essay Example expensive or less troublesome than that of adults, when other labour is scarce, and when they are considered irreplaceable by reason of their size or perceived dexterity.1† In many South Asian countries, juvenile child labour is easy to find and kept in places like workshops, factories and for household purposes. There data present showing the exact and calculated number of child labour in China. China has a history of thirty years with ILO and its role has been continuously changing since. In early 70’s China declared itself a non-active member because of the absence of inevitable tripartite employees, trade union and government structure which was the basic membership requirement of ILO. Peoples Daily, a famous newspaper in China, refers to an investigation started by the government organization which was accountable for examining labour conditions throughout the country. According to this report, child labour is most common in factories of fireworks, toys and textiles, construction, food production, and light mechanical work. Child labour is highly in demand, as children have smaller hands and pure eye vision by years of labour, which makes them more stipulating than adults for many types of work. Furthermore, child labour complexes the scenario, problems like no school, hazardous working conditions, unbelievably low wages, overloaded work pressures resulting in harmful negative effects on physical and mental growth. Abusive and sexual exploitation and armed conflict are the worse issues which also rise due to underage children working. Like any other country, there is a law in China which strictly prohibits child labour. In this paper, thus, the main focus was on the recommendations which suggest imposing severe punishment on violators and on reinforcing the government’s monitoring and judicial systems. This document is necessary to understand the efforts of China in regard to child labour and also its joint effort with the ILO2. The U.S. Department

Criminal Law Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Criminal Law Assignment - Essay Example (Woolmington v. DPP)1 It is important to mention that for any offence to be proved it must be proved beyond reasonable doubt and the burden of proof is on the prosecution. Another important point that needs to be raised is that the actus reus and mens rea of the offence must coincide, however a broad approach int his respect has been adopted by the courts. The main elements required to prove an offence are actus reus, mens rea and the absence of any defence. (Lord Diplock in R v Miller)2 The actus reus and mens rea need to coincide, however the requirement is interpreted broadly. (Fagan v. Commissioner of Police3) One of the situation is where the conduct of the defendant created a situation of danger. (R v. Miller)4 The first point of homicide is murder. The actus reus of murder was provided by Sir Edward Coke in the seventeenth century whereby he stated that the act is committed if the defendant ‘unlawfully killeth any reasonable creature in rerum natura under the Queenâ€⠄¢s peace’. The definition of unlawfully does not include the killing of for example the use of reasonable force for self defence (Re a (Children)5. Clearly, Alice died because of the Barry punched her really hard on her head and therefore this is unlawful. As far as killeth is concerned that refers to the requirement that the acts of the defendant can be attributed to be a legal cause of death. Clearly the act of Barry had led to the death of Alice. As far as killing of the reasonable creature in rerum natura is concerned it means that a human life is taken. Clearly this is satisfied as Alice had died. Finally Queen’s peace means that it must have been within England and not the killing of an enemy at war. It can be assumed that Alice’s death occurred in England. Therefore on the facts the actus reus of murder has been satisfied. The next element is that of mens rea of murder which has been termed as ‘malice aforethought’. However, to be precise th e mens rea is the intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm (Moloney)6 Intention discussed in Woollin and applied by Matthwes and Alleyne7 was described as defendants aim or purpose was to kill or cause grievous bodily harm or he know of such harm as being a virtually certain consequence of such an act, and any level below that of virtual certainty would not suffice. On the facts it is more than evident that Barry clearly did not possess the intention nor was he virtually certain of the consequences. Thus it is quite clear that the mens rea for murder is not satisfied. As far as voluntary manslaughter is concerned it is not relevant to the facts at hand as there was neither provocation or was there any diminished responsibility. Thus voluntary manslaughter in respect of the facts will not be argued. The next step is that of involuntary manslaughter. The first manslaughter that would be considered is that of reckless manslaughter. The change brought about by Moloney means that for manslaughter recklessness will suffice. However, on the facts it can be said that Barry was not subjectively reckless as he was not aware of the fact that Alice had an exceptionally thin skull. The next in line is gross negligence manslaughter which requires proof of a high degree of negligence. The approach can be seen from Lord Atkin’s judgment in Andrews v. DPP8 where he stated ‘[In the older cases] expressions will be found which indicate that to cause death by any lack of due care will amount to

Sonoco Products Company

Sonoco Products Company According to (Chidambaram VijayabanuS and Ramachandran, 2012) success of a company is based on the human assets. This case study report is on Sonoco Products Company and its HR activities under the leadership of Cindy Hartley. It provides an overview of Sonoco Products Company, change requirements in the package industry and their influence on Sonocos strategy in tune with the objectives of the vice president of the company, analysis of the changes and judging their effectiveness, identifying the problems in Sonocos strategy with respect to HR management besides identifying ways and means to improve the HRM operations in Sonoco. According to ( Gibb, Stephen, 2003), HRM is essential. Finally suitable recommendations are given to Sonoco for the betterment of its strategies as world class HR organization under the leadership of its vice president Cindy Hartley. With leadership qualities senior management can take higher responsibilities (Jean-Francois Coget, 2011). About Sonoco Products Company In consumer and industrial packaging Sonoco is a global company with around 100 years of experience. In its chosen business, right from the inception from 1980s till initial part of 1990s, Sonoco enjoyed success and tremendous growth financially (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). However, due to its fixed pricing of plants, economic crisis in US markets such as manufacturing exports severely impacted Sonoco. For instance, due to such reasons, sales of Sonoco fell 6% down between the years 1995-1999. Nevertheless, the company, with its strategies to reduce expenses, managed to gain increase in profits by 14% in the period. Afterwards, sales of the company declined and that caused its stock values coming down and pressure was built on the company to maintain credibility with shareholders. At this juncture, new CEO by name Harris DeLoach was appointed by Sonoco. The main challenges before DeLoach were to reduce operational costs; to ensure top-line business growth; restructuring the consu mer packaging division; bring about cooperation across the divisions; considering human resources as corporate resources rather than a talent managed under general manager; revamping and restructuring divisions including HR (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). Since the beginning of Cindy Hartley in the capacity of senior VP of HR division, she was working totally towards the throats of the companys CEO DeLoach. In her tenure she introduced many changes and new policies in order to improve the business performance of the company, succession planning, development, compensation etc. Earlier when the company was in full swing of profits, the managers did not take the inefficient employees seriously as business growth was evidenced. Now it is changed and Cindy Hartley as per the DeLoachs challenge responded quickly and pondered over the problem and improve efficiency in HRM wing. Towards all these things, and reduce the cost Cindy Hartley set forth three important objectives as outlined in other section of this report (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). Packaging Industry and Sonoco Sonoco has been into the packaging industry. In 19900 packaging industry was making good revenues. The revenue generated by around 100, 000 companies worldwide was worth $400 billion. Consumer packaging paper and board reported very good increase in its growth. Paper and board recorded 34% revenues while consumer packaging recorded 70% and industrial packaging at 30%. In the later part of 1990s, due to globalization, businesses encountered competitive challenges and also growth opportunities (Sonoco Products Case Study p2). Manufacturing became decentralized as many companies from USA moved to other countries such as India and China where human resources were not costly. Later years i.e. between 1998-2000 there was dramatic increase in the share of five big companies reported at 40% to 60% increase in revenues. Consumer preferences were changed and domestic consumer markets recorded the segmentation of products were changed as per the preferences. When it comes to food industry more evidence is observed. In the retail markets products are even altered as per the customer requirements. Due to customer preferences instead of one version of product seven or eight becomes a common place. Packaging also was playing an important role while branding and thus it attracts more people. In those days in retail business packaging was more influential than advertising for getting new customers and retaining the existing one (Sonoco Products Case Study p2). As there are many changes in global economy and market conditions in USA, the effect of globalization, it was the responsibility of packaging companies to be more innovative and implement changes in the business as required. As said by an observer to win in the race one has to use emerging technologies as that gives winning edge to organizations. Companies who were into packaging invested a huge amount for making timely changes to their product designs. Afterwards the concept that appeared was one-stop-shop which attracted manufacturing firms, and other related businesses. The issues in the packaging industry include globalization of businesses, fixed price concept of Sonoco, USA firms started investing overseas, adapting to technology innovations, abrupt changes in the product design, decline in sales and revenues etc. The changes in the business arena, especially in the packaging industry influenced Sonoco to change its strategies and focus on more customers and solutions oriented and understood the words of Proctor Gamble. It also started looking at markets with focused coordination (Sonoco Products Case Study p3). What were Cindy Hartleys objectives for changes at Sonoco? Cindy Hartley, after becoming VP or HR department of Sonoco, she set forth three objectives to be achieved which were in tune with the thoughts of the new CEO of the company who wanted to cut short expenses of the organization more than 20% (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). The objectives are as given below. Making GMs accountable for managing talent and ensure that inefficient employees are not entertained. Considering HR talent as corporate resource rather than GMs talent and utilizing the human resources evenly across divisions. Developing consistent practices towards HRM. Optimizing HR to support business objectives of GM. Before she took office, employees were given salaries even when they are not performing. It does mean that as the company was in good profits, it ignored the HR best practices towards people who do not perform well. Cindy Hartley in the capacity of VP under the guidance of CEO wanted to make this organizational change to see that human resources are optimally utilized. GMs were made responsible for optimal usage of human resources and considered HR talent as corporate resource instead of just looking at it GMs manpower (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). HR Changes at Sonoco When Cindy Hartley was hired as new VP of HR window of Sonoco, she identified many problems with HR function as it was ruined and not consistent. The organizational structure in 1995 has some inherent problems. The focus on HR was different in those days. They thought it as something like back-room operation (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The organizational structure was tactical in nature rather than strategic. In 1990s large divisions in the company have their own HR functions which are individual and not aligned to the overall corporate HR function properly. There were inconstancies in payroll related activities and also confidentiality was not maintained in such matters. The main problem was that corporate HR was seen in different perspective. It was seen as an entity that simply takes care of recruitments and relationships between employees and organization. Strategic planning was not possible due to staff structure which was complex. GMs of divisions exercised discretion and make mistakes in the process of providing compensation to staff members (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The reporting structure of the company has less useful things and HR people were taking things for granted. The process of compensations was considered entitlements rather than looking them at in practical cost related perspective. Sonocos employee appraisal strategy was also not perfect. The timing of it and the encouraging merit employees was not flawless. There were cases of manipulation of performance reports. The performance evaluation was not actually reflecting the efficiency of employees. At the same time experienced employees are an asset (Barbara A. Anderson, 2005). Worst case is that the best performed employees were fired due to reasons other than performance. There were not action plans, and there were complaints from the employees with respect to their career (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). When Hartley took office in 1995, she was determined to build HR group with much focus on business orientation and professionalism. Priority was given for making leaders in the organization. It does mean that leadership traits were taught to HR people. The companys growth strategy, cash flow, working capital management was given focus. Favourable work conditions also play a role (ISIK U. ZEYTINOGLU GORDON B. COOKE KARLENE HARRY JAMES CHOWHAN1, 2008). The priorities set by Hartley to set the things right are as shown below (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The compensation strategies and measuring performance of individualos is given top priority as this ensures that the best performers are given right compensation. Planning for making good number of leaders for the ensuing generation. A robust employee development process that ensured that employees skills are improved constantly. Organizational performance results in financial growth (Brain becker and barry garhat, 1966). From the perspective of changes in the organization she was regarded as a change maker. She was well known among her colleagues as a good manager. A counsel was built to help in HR management. When she stared change management, many in the organization did not allow it. For instance HR heads of the divisions resisted her actions towards making changes in HR strategies (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The first problem tackled was compensation and performance management as they are fundamental issues of HR. In 1996, HR management was revised again to make it more effective. Its main focus was on alignment and consistency. For change management all stake holders are convinced. For each plant manager specific set of metrics are given. For Instance the metrics are safety, customer returns, quality, machine downtime, plat profit etc. The metrics of individual units are aligned with overall busine ss objectives of the company. In 1997, the Sonoco Products Company adopted a shared vision with respect to performance management. In other words Sonoco discussed the performance management strategies with employees as well (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The compensation management and salary system are combined. The mangers were encouraged to follow guidelines and educate employees so as to make them to give best services and also measures value addition of individuals. With respect to succession planning and leadership development the strategies are to be agreed up on by divisional senior management. And advisory team was built by Hartley for improving the system (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The six leadership traits are recorded. They include coaching and monitoring, knowledge management, teamwork, strategic integration, communication and customer satisfaction through excellence. Sonoco followed three sources for assessing the capabilities of managers. They include successi on planning, performance management system and 360-degree feedback. HR function is improved every year. By 2000, almost all fundamental changes were made to the organizational HR function. Hartley revamped aspects like IT systems, performance management, compensation, diversity and succession planning. However, it has must to do to make strides in business growth. Intensive and basic compensation plans were subjected to major changes (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). HR Structure Recommendation for Sonoco HRM efficiency is possible through right personnel (Y. Paul Huo, Heh Jason Huang, and Nancy K. Napier, 2002). Hartley wanted to restructure HR function. There are two models for structural organization of HR division. They include centralization model and hybrid model. In the centralization model many HR activities are handled by four centers of expertise. These divisions are managed by field experts who have wealth of knowledge. It helps in the reduction of administrative and other costs pertaining to process improvement. However, it faces fewer opportunities when it has to be aligned with individual businesses (Sonoco Products Case Study p7). Centralization requires clever way of handling HRM (Asma Zaineb, 2011). The second option is named as hybrid structure. In this approach the divisions have provisions in the involvement of compensation, personnel programs, succession planning and staffing. It leaves the individual HR manager on which GMs rely. The both structures meant for imp lementing HR strategy that is common in both. The HR changes done by Hartley are sustainable as they are meant for reducing expenses and improve large scale business opportunities (Sonoco Products Case Study p7). For HR structure of Sonoco I recommend centralized model as it has many advantages over hybrid structure (Heidi Cardenas, 2012). The advantages include reduction in operational costs, concentration of HR skills, sharing of knowledge, optimization processes and organizational support. Centralized human resources model can save operational costs for various activities of HR such as recruiting, benefits and compensation management, and recruiting. Sharing of knowledge among the divisions is possible through centralized computing. Technology should be used in recruitments (Derek S.Chapman and Jane Webster, 2003) Centralized HR managers are easily accessible and one can get faster service (Heidi Cardenas, 2012). It promotes HR skills improvements. Business processes can be optimized effectively using centralized HR model. It facilitates easy and consistent development of processes for various activities like performance management, recognition, recruiting, and payroll. Its easy to develop companywide aspects such as resource processes, easy to develop communication with all places in the organization. Another advantage of centralized computing is better organizational support for company. Centralized approach well suites organizations where staff members are trained as to how to communicate effectively. The approach provides (Heidi Cardenas, 2012). SHRM also gained popularity (Patrick M. Wright, Benjamin B. Dunford, Scott A. Snell, 2001). Nevertheless, centralized model of HR has its limitations such as administration causing inequalities, strict conformity of official norms etc. and dictatorship which does not take employees into confidence while making policies (Asma Zaineb, 2011). Size of the organization also has consideration for HRM strategy (GEORGE CALLAGHAN AND PAUL THOMPSON, 2002). Fig. 1 Centralized Model for HR Structure As can be seen in fig. 1, the HR structure of Sonoco has VP at the top of the hierarchy. The single rooted hierarchy with administrative, experts and field staff services. The study of Sonocos business scenario and HR function closely from the views of Hartley and CEO of the company, there was lot of improvement in its functioning due to the efforts of Hartley. However, it can be said that it needs further improvement. The following are the recommendations for Sonoco. First and foremost importance has to be given to a centralized mode of HR structure as it has many advantages. It reduces costs of process improvement activiti4es and also administrative costs. As Sonoco VP of HR and CEO of the company want to reduce the operational costs, the centralized model is best suited. The existing practice of linking HR operations and processes with business objectives of Sonoco, culture and values has to be continued with further changes if required. HR influences many key systems (Coro Strandberg, 2009). The best practices are pertaining to it such as organizational core competencies, performance management, 360 degree reviews, building tomorrow leader through career development and training, organizational reviews, learning by doing, online performance and learning, training for sales and marketing people, team skill development, reward and recognition including broad banding, and centennial shares. There is relationship between training and organizational performance (Salem Shiryan, Dr. Himanshu Shee and Deborah Stewart, 2012). And training makes organization stronger (Rebecca Grossman and Eduardo Salas, 2011). Reflection The HRM module has given me adequate insights into the HRM activities that help me in putting in into use in my future endeavors. Understanding certain concepts of HRM has led me to know the fundamentals of HRM. From the study it is understood that human resource department is not meant for acting as back-room while it has tremendous utility when harnessed properly. The study also let me know the important structure for HRM such as centralized hybrid models. Moreover Sonoco case study has given me in depth understanding possibilities in realizing the case with respect to HR management. From this experience I came to know certain facts related to HR structures known as centralized and hybrid. No changes can be implemented without people involving in the process. This is the reason continuous education and training is required to staff members in order to improve quality in service and also produce leaders for future generation.