Ethical Concerns Within Public Research - 928 Words

Ethics There are few ethical concerns within this research question. Firstly, it may be the case that the subjects can become distressed due to the sensitive nature of the research question. If at any point this occurs during the interview, I will switch off the recorder until the participant is ready to continue; if at all. If a participant wishes to withdraw at any point during the research, they will be able to do so freely. Each participant will be provided with a consent form, which they must sign before the study commences. They will also be provided with a copy of this consent form. Furthermore, a debrief form will be provided at the end of the research, which will illustrate my contact details. I will express that they are entirely welcome to contact me at any stage during and after the research if they have any other questions or concerns. With this in mind, each participant will be afforded extreme confidentiality and anonymity throughout the research. I am weary that the definition of confidentiality and anonymity is a fairly subjective term (Davies et al 2011). Therefore I will make it implicitly clear, on the consent and the brief form, that all names of each participant given to myself will be changed for the purposes of the research; regardless whether the names given were correct names or not. Furthermore, the interview recordings will only be heard by myself and my supervisor, if required. At the end of the research project all voice recordings will beShow MoreRelatedEthics Theory1635 Words   |  7 PagesEthical Treatment of Prisoners Name SOC120: Introduction to Ethics Social Responsibility Instructor: November 20, 2012 The life of prisoners some may never know. There are those who care not to know what goes on behind that wired fence. We find that some people that are convicted of crimes that they did not commit. Some people would rather turn their heads to what actually happens in a prison institution, because they feel it is no concernRead MoreThe Ethics Of The Public Administration System Essay814 Words   |  4 Pagesgrounded in duty. The nature, meaning and scopes of ethics have overgrown in the course of time. Ethics is thickened to public administration. In public administration, ethics concentrates on how the public administrator should question and reflect in order to be able to act responsibly. We can simply bisect the two by saying that ethics deals with morals and values, while public administration is full of actions and decisions. The levels of ethics in governance are devoted to historical, Social,Read MoreThe Three Major Factors Fueling International Technological Growth1271 Words   |  6 Pageseconomic. There are not many effective or efficient regulations which protect these technology growths, with the exception of telecommunications. As such, businesses seize opportunities – even unethical ones, to advance their firms. Legal and ethical issues relating to the internet and e-commerce include â€Å"cyber pirating†, trademark infringement and copyright. Businesses will â€Å"steal† the trademark or trade name of a well reputable company to attract unknowing consumers. Moreover, dot-com companiesRead MoreCoe of Ethics1625 Words   |  7 Pagesorganizations that follow their own mission with ethical values and company goals. The American Association for the Advancement of Science follows the mission statement of â€Å"advance science engineering, and innovations throughout the world for the benefit of all people.† (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2015) By following company goals, this statement can be reinforced. What are the organization’s goals and how are they tied to its ethical principles? There are 9 main goals the AAASRead MoreBest Youth Services : An Organization With Values Based On Enhancing The Quality Of Life Of The Youth1608 Words   |  7 Pagesinvestigation is being done, but will not be completed before the 25th. A fair and ethical decision has to be made before the anniversary celebration. Better Youth Service has built a bond of trust within the community over the last 25 years, making an uninformed decision concerning the claims could hinder the enhance BYS’s reputation in the community. First and foremost, Better Youth Service is a business and the concern of the clients should be number one. There are two sides to every story and itRead MoreThe Ethical Values Of A Manager1153 Words   |  5 Pages  Often times the ethical values of a manager, business, or even nation are ignored when they place financial profits at risk.   Many nations have had to face these moral conflicts when dealing with substances, such as alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.   India is no different and like many developing and developed states, they were faced with the dilemma of the health risks related to tobacco use.   One of the ways to combat a product’s popularity is to limit the exposure of peoples to it by blocking theirRead MoreImmunizations And Vaccinations : A Hot To pic1426 Words   |  6 Pagesthe administration of vaccinations and immunizations in the United States. There are both legal and ethical issues surrounding the controversy, which include both deliberate and exogenous reasons not to vaccinate, and the mandatory nature that is required by many schooling districts and places of employment. Within this paper, I will discuss some legal implications surrounding vaccination, ethical debates that are current in the topic, as well as my point of view regarding immunizations and vaccinationsRead MoreMoral And Ethical Implications Of 3d Printing Technology1478 Words   |  6 Pages Moral and Ethical Implications of 3D Printing Technology In his work, â€Å"Introduction: Nanotechnology, Society, and Ethics†, CalPoly Associate Professor of Philosophy Patrick Lin writes, â€Å"Let’s take a step back and consider any given technology we have created: gunpowder, the printing press, the camera, the automobile, nuclear power, the computer, Prozac, Viagra, the mobile phone, the Internet. Undoubtedly, these have brought us much good, but each has also changed society in important, fundamentalRead MorePolicy Position For Electronic Cigarettes Essay1453 Words   |  6 PagesPolicy Position for Electronic Cigarettes in Public Area Electronic cigarettes, which are commonly known as e-cigarettes, can be described as battery-powered devices that are packed with liquid nicotine. The liquid nicotine is a highly addictive chemical which is dissolved in a combination of propylene glycol and water. These devices are usually designed in a way that they look like real cigarettes and are availed in different colors such as brown filter, cylindrical tube, and red-glowing tipRead MoreProfessional Ethics in Geography Essay1497 Words   |  6 PagesFor any professional establishment, ethics is considered an important aspect within the work place. Ethics are a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behavior helps or harms others. 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Kurdistan Kurdish Statelessness - 653 Words

Kurdish Statelessness The Kurds are a large group of people who are from Kurdistan. Kurdistan is a large area of land in the Middle East that makes up land throughout Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. Although the Kurdish people have lived in Kurdistan for centuries, their land has never been declared a state. Therefore, the Kurdish people are a stateless population. The Kurds mostly live throughout Iran, Turkey and Iraq. Also, some of them can be found living in Syria, Russia, Lebanon and Germany. Kurdish intellectuals live in exile in European countries such as France, Sweden etc. (1 pg.1). In 1975, the Kurds made up 19 percent of Turkey’s population with a total number of 7,500,000 people. They had a population of 2,500,000 people in Iraq which made 23 percent of the country’s population. In Iran, the Kurdish people made up 10 percent of Iran’s population consisting of 3,500,000. In addition, the Kurds were a part of 8.5 percent of Syria’s population with 500,000 people (1 pg. 4). Moreover, in 1991, the Kurds maintained 19 percent of Turkey’s population with an increased population of 10,800,000 people. Their numbers increased in Iraq with a population of 4,100,000 people upholding their 23 percentile. The Kurdish people increased in numbers and made up 23 percent of Iran’s population with a number of 5,500,000. Their population consisted of 1,000,000 in Syria making up 8 percent of their populace (1 pg. 4). Therefore, one can draw the conclusion that the Kurds are in large

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay Example For Students

Frankenstein and Blade Runner Essay Blade Runner’s Eldon Tyrell proclaims the company’s slogan as ‘more homo than human’ . How has the impression of humanity been explored in Frankenstein and Blade Runner? Thesis: The nature of humanity is patterned advance. when we progress excessively far we play God and lose basic traits of humanity. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein draws on concerns from the romantics epoch to exemplify the natural and avaricious appetency for patterned advance that is portion of the nature of humanity. Furthermore Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner touches on Shelley’s impressions of danger in human endeavor and the unmanageable thrust of scientific development. These texts critically inquire into the follies of greed. and moral corruptness. Despite there being over 150 old ages between their composings these texts likewise represent the effects of playing God. and in turn the loss of humanity that goes with it. The common thematic concerns of these texts are explored through the usage of camera angles. imagination. tone and metaphor. Both Frankenstein and Blade Runner portray how the aspiration to interrupt through human restrictions in an act to play God is bound to ensue in failure. The spiritual imagination used when Frankenstein grants the â€Å"spark of life† upon the Animal in his attempt to â€Å"pour a downpour of visible radiation into our dark world† helps us come to the decision that the Creature is the really incarnation of the freak that worlds are capable of making. The metaphor of visible radiation in. â€Å"until from the thick of this darkness a sudden visible radiation broke in upon me† conveys Victor’s natural waking up to the possibility of making a perfect being imperviable to diseases. Such an unmentionable act trespasses the kingdom of the godlike Providence. meaning the beginning of Frankenstein’s sightlessness. He is speedy to gain that he has created a monster. as shown by the sorry tone in. â€Å"I beheld the wretch – the suffering monster whom I had created. † This depicts that untamed human aspiration can take to the accidental creative activity of the ‘grotesque’ when playing a human God. Similarly in Blade Runner. the dystopian universe demonstrates the wake of humanity’s desire to make a better society when playing God. The gap bird’s-eye shooting portrays a disintegrating metropolis dominated by industrial edifices. This disintegrating metropolis plants in concurrence with the repeating motive of unreal Ne lighting and eerie sounds to make a cold dark atmosphere. Blade Runner’s shadowy ambiance is symbolic of the deficiency of heat. fondness and household which has been created by the human demand of patterned advance. Such technological licking indicates humanity has gone excessively far. ensuing in complete devastation of nature. Furthermore Tyrell’s malicious demand for God like power over the replicants he creates is shown when he states â€Å"If we gift them with a past. we create a shock absorber or a pillow for their emotions. and accordingly. we can command them better. † The ceaseless demand for domination displayed depicts an obvious purpose to play God and suitably. the human existences in this alternate hereafter seem unreal and deficient humanity. Both texts warn the audience about the dangers of human aspiration to come on in scientific discipline which holds the capacity for non merely lay waste toing the environment but besides humanity itself. The two texts remark on mankind’s loss of humanity. Shelley depicts this subject through the duality between the animal and Victor. his Godhead. The animal is able to demo basic human inherent aptitudes as it relates to â€Å"the pleasant showers and affable warmth† of nature on it’s pilgrim’s journey through the wilderness. In contrast. Victor shows â€Å"insensibility to ( natures ) charms† while making the animal by incorporating himself in a â€Å"deep dark deathlike solitude† . this initial rhyme is metaphoric of Victor’s inability to associate to nature and expose basic human qualities which the animal can. .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .postImageUrl , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:hover , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:visited , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:active { border:0!important; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:active , .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359 .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3071e1966048c29dfd9ef0c20c289359:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: alexander the great EssayThis straight relates to the romantic epoch. when Shelley wrote Frankenstein and that the grasp of nature was considered inseparable from the human experience. Therefore. this duality is metaphoric of mankind’s loss of humanity. Scott reinforces mankind’s loss of humanity through the executing of the Tyrell Corporations motto â€Å"more human than human. † The loss of humanity can be seen in the contrast between replicants and worlds. Pris is have oning a nuptial gown while concealing from Deckard ; this is metaphoric of the replicants ability to experience emotions of love and familial belonging. a basic homo inherent aptitude which the worlds of this universe are unable to experience. J. F Sebastian’s dry duologue â€Å"I make friends. they’re plaything. my friends are toys† shows that humans no longer hold existent households and have lost the ability to develop relationships of course. Contrasted once more by Batty’s ululation of hurting at the decease of Pris. this is symbolic of the familial bonds and relationships formed between replicants. Not merely does this comparing set up the slogan â€Å"more human than human† as a truism. it is symbolic of Scott edifice upon Shelley’s original word picture of mankind’s loss of humanity therefore reenforcing her warning against the amoral chase of scientific discipline and engineering. Shelley and Scott draw upon the concerns of their times ; the characters warn us that transgressing our boundaries and unrestrained scientific promotion comes with a effect. The texts critically ask into the human ability to perpetrate monstrous workss in the name of ‘progression’ . It is apparent that despite their contextual differences. both texts are linked through their common concerns about our built-in preparedness to abandon that which distinguishes worlds from all other species. Possibly the implicit in message of these texts is that despite the things we create being a contemplation of ourselves and our societies. it is finally our creative activities that mould us and who we are. This is illustrated by Winston Churchill’s words â€Å"we shape the things we build. thenceforth they shape us† .

School Work Essay Example

School Work Essay Become more marketable. More and more companies make having a Bachelors degree a requirement. Bachelors degree is the new high school diploma. With more and more companies using database searches for recruitment you may not get a chance to even show your portfolio if a college degree is not a part of your resume. 2. Learn new skills. When you work you often dont have time to devote to learning new skills that arent directly related to the task at hand. Yet, this can be personally and professionally rewarding. I learned video and even got a chance to show at a couple of festivals. . Get into teaching or management. Bachelors degree is a requirement for teaching and management positions, at least in big cities. Of course, there might be exceptions but those are few. A degree doesnt guarantee youll become an art director but at least youll be in the running. 4. Experience college life. Or not. Your experience can vary depending on whether you live on campus or not, how much free time yo u have, and other personal factors. Do whatever you feel comfortable with. 5. Change career focus. Maybe you worked in print for over ten years and youre getting bored with it. The grass looks so much greener over in the web design field. Although you can make the switch without a degree, the knowledge and experience from college certainly wont hurt. Youll have more credibility and confidence. Twentysomething: Be responsible, go back home after college By Ryan Healy According to Monster. com, 60 percent of college graduates move home with mom and dad after graduation and the trend is on the rise. The statistic holds true with my friends from the class of 2006. More than half moved back to the suburbs to start adult life, much the same way they ended high school life — with their parents. We will write a custom essay sample on School Work specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on School Work specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on School Work specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A lot of people say generation Y needs to grow up and take some personal responsibility and that we have been coddled by our helicopter parents (see the comments section). But when you look closely, it is glaringly apparent that moving back in with parents is one of the the most responsible things a new college grad can do. By sucking it up at home for a year or two, young people give themselves the opportunity to take control of their career, take control of their finances and transition from the care-free college fantasy world to the real-world of work, marriage, kids, mortgages and car payments. Take control of your career To live comfortably in a big city like New York, students are forced to take a high paying, but less than satisfying job. Often, top graduates end up working for the best paying investment bank or law firm. Im sure you could find a small minority of conservative students who had dreams of becoming an I-banker since middle school, but for the most part these jobs are going to the top tier students who are trying to make a quick buck before they retire at 30 (or so they say). By moving home after graduation, you have little or no rent which allows for more freedom when searching for a job. There is no need to sell out to an investment bank if your real goal is to work with underprivileged children. Depending on where your parents are located, you are probably missing out on the big city night life and social scene, but you have lots of opportunities to find the perfect job, regardless of pay. If ditching the social scene for career sake doesnt demonstrate responsibility and independence, I dont know what does. Take control of your finances Real wages today are lower than they were for the past two generations of workers. Couple that fact with todays insane housing costs and an increase in contract workers not receiving benefits, just getting by on forty or fifty thousand a year in a major city is nearly impossible. Attempting to save any reasonable amount of money the first few years is a joke. However, moving home with mom and dad will immediately save you about $700 a month in housing costs. At least there is some extra cash flow. In two years, you can save up enough to move out on your own without worrying about going into credit card debt for basic necessities like fixing your car or buying groceries. Take an appropriate adjustment period between college and the real world People really do struggle adjusting from college to the real world. A good friend of mine just fulfilled her life long dream of moving to New York. She still loves the city, but she is overwhelmed and doesnt exactly like her day job. Sure, many people go through this tough transition period, and chances are she will eventually enjoy it, but the transition from child to adult is different, and oftentimes, more difficult for todays youth. This period is not a transition, but an actual life stage, according to Jeffrey Arnett, associate professor at University of Missouri and author of Emerging Adulthood: A Theory of Development from the Late Teens through Early Twenties . Arnett describes the period between college and adulthood as, a self- focused stage where people have the freedom to focus on their own development. Notice he calls this period of stage in development and not just a transition between two stages. So why do we still try to go from adolescent to adult in a matter of weeks or months? Moving home for a while enables an appropriate and productive transition. Rather than focus on rent, bills and kids, emerging adults living at home with their parents have the ability to focus on the most important aspects of emerging adult life: figuring out who they are and what career is right for them. Ryan Healys blog is Employee Evolution. After taking a serious re-evaluation of my life over the last year, I finally realized what I should be doing with it. I want to be a nurse. I attended college several years ago, but I majored in English Lit and didn’t finish my degree. How can I plan for this financially? Going back to school is a pretty common goal that people have. In fact, my mother-in-law went back to nursing school when she was in her forties because, after many years working in a research lab, she realized she had a calling and a gift to interact with and help people. Along those same lines, I have actually considered going back to school to work on a degree in political science, as I’m moving more and more towards being involved in local and state politics. I’m mostly interested in such a degree to help me build upon the connections I’m already making in the local community and get a firm grounding in how politics work. If you’ve come around to the idea of going back to school in order to reboot your career (or extend it), here are the steps I’d take along the way. First, do the personal investigation to find out if this new career you want is really right for you. Talk to people that are already in the career that interests you and simply tell them your story. Ask what their actual workdays are like. Ask about the education that was required or them to get their job. If you’re heading towards a completely new career track (as I would be if I followed up on the political idea), it’s a good idea to contact multiple people at various points along the career track to get some input. For example, for a political person, you might want to talk to campaign staff, state legislators (and their staff), m embers of local boards, and so on. If you can, dabble in this track in your spare time. Do volunteer work, or get involved in organizations where you can meet people who are involved in this career track. You may find out from this alone that the career path isn’t for you. I know, for example, that I’ve mentored at least one writer who decided that the day-in day-out research and creative efforts were too much for him. Don’t do this lightly. The decision to leave your current career and find a new one is a serious leap and likely a very expensive one. Don’t simply jump from one career that doesn’t excite you into another one. Find out as much as you can from the outside first, until you’re highly confident that this new career is the right one for you. Next, critically evaluate the educational needs of that career track. What sort of schooling or degree do you actually need to get your foot in the door. For example, with nursing, a degree is essentially required in order to practice professionally, but with politics, a degree is far from required to get involved it’s merely a way of building a strong base of understanding. The way to do this is through research and also through asking your contacts what education is required. Look at job listings and find out the minimum requirements for the types of jobs you would apply to at the start of the career path. What do you need that you don’t already have? Once you’re sure you want to follow this new path and you know what you need to do, then start worrying about the costs of education. Start evaluating institutions that are available to you and get a realistic cost estimate. Depending on the amounts, you should start saving cash in a 529 plan set up to match the target date that you expect to start attending school. If the date is close, the cash will be invested largely in very safe investments (cash, bonds, etc. ), but if you know that school is a long time off, the money will go into more risky investments with a larger upside (stocks, real estate, etc. . There is one thing that’s more important than anything else along the way, though. You have to get started. Now. If you have a dream burning inside of you, don’t just let it sit there and idle. At the very least, take that first step. Find out more about what it actually entails. Find out what that career would actually be like. Then, take that information, d o some serious soul searching, and figure out for yourself if it’s right for you. If you let your dreams just sit idling on the runway of life, eventually those dreams will run out of gas and never take flight. Take that first step right now. Do some research about that dream career and find someone to talk to about it. Even if you realize it’s not for you, you’ll never regret having taken that first step. Top 5 Reasons You Should Go Back to School by Amelia GrayLooking for reasons to go back to school? Look no further. Upgrading your education with an advanced degree can mean honing your skills, learning new specializations, and coming back to work a stronger, more versatile employee. Even if youve been away from school for a long time, the benefits of advancing your education can be worth the commitment. Check out the top reasons to get back into the classroom. 1. Get a Degree, Earn a Higher Salary Do you ever wonder how much more salary you could be earning? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, associates degree holders have median weekly earnings of $715. Each year, individuals with bachelors degrees earn approximately $15,400 more than those with associates degrees, and those with master’s degrees earn $12,800 more than those who have bachelors degrees. | 2. Become More Marketable Beyond a salary boost, an advanced degree could be a bargaining chip in the promotion process. In general, hiring managers offer higher entry-level salaries and more promotion opportunities on average to those with higher education. Employers may even help fund your degree if you intend to stay with the company. 3. Advance Your Career You may already be aware of the career advancement possible within your industry. Management and supervisory positions often require a bachelors degree or higher, and many high-level managers hold an MBA. Specialized positions could require an additional associates degree or certification. 4. Keep Your Skills Sharp Whether youre in a skilled industry making the transition to high tech devices, or in a healthcare or teaching profession requiring constant re-certification, its traditionally important to stay current in your education. Degree programs typically evolve to include new technologies, meaning you can always learn something new. 5. Use a New Degree to Change Careers Even if you already have a degree and an established career, changing fields does not need to mean a fresh start. A new degree can add specializations and qualifications you can use to change directions. In true try it before you buy it form, many students use a degree program as a way to learn more about potential new fields before committing to a career. Think of your education as a savings account. With every educational investment you make, your long-term career plans can grow. Over time, your investment may pay out in the form of a challenging, interesting career that values your skills and knowledge. Recessions can be a persuasive case to reevaluate your current career path, your income, even your current employment status. If your career path hasn’t been as rewarding as you had thought, it might be time to change careers. If your income seems too low, a college degree or graduate degree will definitely improve your income. Finally, if you’ve been laid off as a result of the recession, going back to school can perhaps be the best investment you might make. Let’s go over the top 5 reasons people have reported for going back to school. #1 – A Recession is Temporary, an Education is Permanent Recessions never come at a good time as their unpredictable nature is not something we typically plan for. However what is predictable is that recessions are temporary – typically 2-3 years; just enough time to finish that degree you might have started on. If you haven’t started it, now is definitely the time. An education is permanent and will carry you throughout your life, both financially and intellectually. And it only takes 4 years to almost double your income. The average high school graduate will top out at $31,000 per year while a post graduate will earn more than $75,000. 2 There’s No Better Time to Build a Better Future for You and Your Family A recession, particularly a layoff, provides a ripe time for some reflection on your achievements and how they relate to your ultimate goals in life. If you find yourself without further opportunity, then it’s time to create that opportunity. To do so, you need to be competitive and increase your skills and knowledge with a degree. Employers value degrees that add value to their organization and reward them pr oportionately. #3 – Find Yourself with a Career Change During your elf-reflection, you might find yourself asking whether your career is emotionally and intellectually fulfilling or if you even enjoy your current industry. Too many people go through life in misery of their job and it’s completely unnecessary. All it takes is a little planning and commitment. First find your passion, and then find out what schools and degrees can train and validate your career change. #4 – College is More Flexible and Affordable than You Might Expect Universities are becoming more and more flexible with class times offering morning sessions, evening sessions, even weekend classes. These same institutions are also offering full programs online eliminating the need to actually attend class in person. Furthermore, although a 4 year degree is increasing in costs, with careful planning you can achieve your education without sinking into debt. Testing out of classes with CLEP is certainly one of the most effective. Finding and obtaining scholarships from Fastweb and the Financial Aid Resources page can help tremendously. Finally, Federally Subsidized Stafford loans are a huge benefit to consider as the Government will actually pay your interest while you’re in school. 5 Insulate Yourself from a Poor Job Market A recession might just be the time to commit yourself to school full time. By removing yourself from the job market altogether, you can ride out the recession without the stress of trying to make ends meet. This might require more planning and perhaps more school loans, however depending on your circumstances and with a proper cost/benefit analysis, yo u might find that the debt incurred by such a commitment will more than payoff in the long-term. Ultimately you need to consider an economic recession as opportunity for advancement, rather than a gamble to keep your job. If you choose to increase your skills and knowledge with that degree you’ve always wanted, you might just find that recession over before you know it while working in an emotionally, intellectually, and financially rewarding careerOnce upon a time I worked full time and went to college full time. And while I thought that was a busy time in my life, I couldn’t imagine doing it with kids! So I truly admire the folks that go back to college in addition to juggling a career and family. There are many reasons to go back to school. Some people do it for career enhancement while others may do it for a sense of accomplishment. Here’s another reason:   To keep yourself marketable. I just caught an interesting article that said when a younger person and an older one interview for the same job, the advantage will go to the younger one even if they are slightly less qualified. (Does that tick you off as much as it did me? )   The article doesn’t specify exact ages, but I can get a pretty good idea. I’ve been pushed aside for a newbie out of college enough times to figure it out. However, the same article said:â€Å"†¦Ã‚  older workers may gain selling points from additional education. Aside from fresh academic credentials, they also can show other qualities employers value from doing the juggling act of home, work and school: flexibility, time management, multitasking, self-discipline. †I know when I went back to college, it was because I was at a point where I worked a zillion hours, had no personal life, and hated my job. I felt trapped. Going back to school did something to my psyche. I was easily one of the oldest people in my class but I suddenly  felt as if I had more options. So it did give me the confidence that had worn away from years at a thankless job. I was able to change my mindset, and the rest of my life changed for the better, too. Still, it’s difficult to juggle it all. On one hand, you show your kids that education is important, and on the other, you spend less time with your family. Is it a decision you’ve been contemplating? If you have gone back to school, are you happy with your decision? And if you’re thinking of going, what’s holding you back? Some parents must come up with sensible reasons for going back to school. They feel that they are under-educated and might not be able to help their children with their home work. No parent wants to seem inferior when it comes to helping their child with work that will help them advance in life. Some children beg their parents to go back to school just so they can feel proud of them. The parents have difficulty managing the household budgets because they are incapable of adding bills up properly. Going back to school would prove very beneficial to the entire family because the money paid for past due account charges could be diverted to buying nice things for the family to use like new furniture, clothing and food. Some parents might choose to go back to school because they want to learn a new career. They feel stagnated and trapped because they do not enjoy the job that they do and feel no real future in what they are doing everyday. By going back to school and learning a trade that they have a passion for, it is very likely that things at home will not seem so tough. The family will have more things to enjoy because there will be more money to spend after the parent earns a degree. There are some parents that go back to school and know that they will never have to sit in a classroom with students that are not in their age group. They have found that they can spend time at home with their young children and complete online college courses at odd times throughout the day. When the baby takes a nap, the Mother could have time to finish off several chapters in a textbook and answer the questions because they have had time to learn the material. Some people have learning disabilities that hinder the possibilities of ever being able to go back to school. The accessibility of computers has been very beneficial in allowing them to use keyboards and attend classes through online college programs. Many people with hearing disabilities are afforded the opportunity to transmit answers using their home telephone. These people cherish the opportunity to go back to school and feel like they have accomplished a major feat when they receive their diplomas and degrees. Children will be very motivated when they go back to school if they see how hard their parents study. They come to realize that anything is possible if enough effort is put in to achieving a goal. The parents routine might not change at all and the children will be amazed to see that their parent has their homework finished on time. When the children go back to school, they will study harder and longer than they ever did before because they feel that if their parent can do it, there should be no reason that they couldnt do it too. Education is a must to get a good start on life Imagine the future: All those bright young teens right out of high school, gathered on a college campus for a year or more of advanced study to prepare themselves for their future careers. All of them want to end poverty, raise literacy rates, eradicate diseases, reverse global warming, develop ventures for world peace – there isn’t any cause too big for them. They have the energy and drive, they have a fountain of wisdom and connections and experience. Now, all they want is credentials and knowledge to take their leadership a step further. Don’t you want to be like those bright, young, shiny-eyed kids? Do you want to go out there and do something with your life but the pressure of searching for a good yet affordable college is just bogging you down? Well here are a couple of tips to take that load off you chest: How to go about choosing a good college? †¢ Examine yourself and the reason why you want to go college – Before you start your search ask yourself why you really want to go to college. What are your skills and abilities? What are your possible weaknesses? What do you want to become in life? – Do the answers sound real or abstract to you? Talk to friends and family and counselors. †¢ Your college doesn’t really have to be bigger than your high school – Who said bigger is better? Most colleges have a population that’s fewer than 5,000. College time is the time to explore, since it is a smaller community than high school, it is more favorable to internal exploring. It isn’t about the number of people going to a college, but about the kind of people and communities that actually matter. Most large universities have well established ‘honors colleges’ for these same reasons. †¢ A renowned college does not guarantee success – Graduates and employers are looking for experience and exceptional skills, not a college thoroughbred. When you’re searching for colleges, enquire about student outcomes, and you will find that there are many so called ‘unknown’ colleges that have outperformed those reputed Ivy League’s and other renowned colleges. Visit the National Survey of Student Engagement for more information. College can be affordable – If you think that colleges are exorbitantly expensive because of the tuition, then you will be missing out on a lot. Try looking for other options and ask for advice and help in matters that perplex you, and you will find some very affordable options. Online websites and other financial aid workshops that are sponsored by high schools are freely available. University and college fin ancial aid websites provide information and links too. | Good advice Trent! I did this last year†¦ quit my cushy well-paying job to go back to school. I want to be a doctor. Have for most of my life, but ended up an accountant, so now I’m doing the undergrad work necessary to get into med school. It’s expensive and rough but I LOVE it. The things I did to get ready included making sure I was completely debt free and having multiple avenues of financing available (working during full time school is not an option for me). I also made sure to â€Å"disaster proof† my world. What the heck do I mean? full insurance on my house vehicle so that I pay for normal, routine, MINOR maintenance only. And I do that maintenance religiously. my appliances were all within 5 years of the end of their useful life so I bought new/newer ones†¦ scratch dent sales are great places to find new energy efficent but cheaper appliances. the roof, the furnace and the hotwater tank were all at or beyond their normal useful lives so over 2 years I replaced them all. Now I’m at a point where if anything goes disastrously wrong , it’s an insurance claim and I have a minimum of my deductible in an emergency fund. Oh, I think it also bears mentioning that I thought about this change for 2 years before beginning to prepare for it†¦ and spent a further 3 years doing what I listed above. This isn’t something I jumped into lightly and no one should. That said†¦ Amanda, DO IT! You’ll be happier for it. Money isn’t everything happiness is. Christine @ 11:16 am September 6th, 2008 (comment #1) You can also consider going to school in Canada! 🙂 In Canada you can get a private college education at a community college price. Success Professor @ 11:18 am September 6th, 2008 (comment #2) Trent, I have a degree in Political Science, and if you’re interested in being involved in community affairs DO NOT STUDY POLITICAL SCIENCE. Michelle @ 12:21 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #3) I’m in politics, even with a degree in American Lit. Working campaigns opens up a lot of doors to working in politics, especially if your candidate ends up winning. I don’t really think you need a poli sci degree, it’s more having good instincts. Angie @ 12:29 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #4) Trent, as someone who has a degree in Political Science, don’t do if you’re interested in local and state politics. It’s much more about how the structure of government affects people. It’s very academic. You’ll spend a lot of time learning how to make computer models of rational choice theory. If you’re interested in really doing something in government, try a Master’s of Public Administration. That’s where you’ll get into how government policy (different from the structure) affects people. And as an elected official, it will help you work with bureaucracy much more effectively. Seriously, if you want to talk about what a Poli Sci degree is all about, e-mail me. Don’t get me wrong, my Poli Sci stuff was fascinating, and I really enjoyed it, but as a background for public service, it’s not going to help you much. FYI. Michelle @ 12:29 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #5) Unless you need a professional credential, like a nursing degree, medical degree, or law degree, I’d be wary of going back to school. A lot of people do this because they feel the need for a structure to their learning, and because they feel insecure and want to get more credentials before trying for a job in their new desired field. Because of the economy, even more people are going back to school to try to get a credential and get a better job. But except for the professional degrees, this just expensively delays the inevitable — that you’ll need to start at a lower-level job in the field and learn the practicalities on the job. It’s a very expensive way of getting a not very useful degree. I teach at a university, and I see people returning to school and racking up debt every day doing this. I think it’s more sensible to start at a lower-level job in the field and have THEM pay YOU while you learn. Faculties @ 12:34 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #6) Another couple of things to consider if you decide to go back to school: First, don’t rule any school out until you have filed the FAFSA for federal financial aid. The FAFSA determines how much the government thinks your family contribution should be, and quite often, an expensive private school will come up with aid to make it no more (or hardly more) expensive than a public school. So find out what your aid package will be, then decide which school to attend. I see a lot of folks who rule out certain schools out of hand, and don’t apply, assuming it’s unaffordable. Second, if you know you want out of your current field, and you don’t know what you do want, your local community college probably has free interest surveys and job information, along with friendly advisors to explain them to you. Check it out. Life is too short to do something you hate. P. S. To Faculties: That’s great if you can do it, but you would not believe how many employers today require specific training in the field before they will consider you for any job. Then, of course, they tell you to forget everything you learned in school and do it their way, but it’s hard to get people to look at you with an unrelated degree and experience today. SBT @ 1:44 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #7) Trent, you might want to look into a degree or classes in public administration. I was amazed at how often this degree came up when I was looking at job requirements for public sector positions. I was actually weighing the pros and cons of dropping out of grad school before I got into any debt in a degree I realized would have no professional benefit (as I had learned that teaching at the university level did not interest me). Anne @ 2:09 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #8) I went back to school at age 30. I had a masters’ degree in fine art but I wanted to go to grad school and study physics. The first thing I realized was that I did not have to get another bachelors’ degree; I went to school part-time and took all the physics and math courses a physics major would take. That was enough to get into a pretty good grad school. Secondly, I was fortunate enough to get a job as a typist at the school I wanted to attend, so my classes were free. My bosses were flexible and let me work my hours around my classes (which technically wasn’t allowed, but I was a good worker and a good student). Because I already had a degree, it would have been impossible for me to get financial aid, so the free tuition was a godsend. Finally, you might look into attending a school with a co-op program. Ideally, you would have a semester of classes followed by a semester of paid work in your intended field. This helps you pay for your schooling and also gives a taste of what the real world will be like once you graduate. Brigid @ 2:39 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #9) Folowing up on Faculties (#6): Trent, you are your own best example of how you can get into a desired field without going for an appropriate degree (unless it’s required, as for medicine or law or nursing). An amazing number of people want to be writers and think the only way to go is to enroll in an MFA writing program, which takes two or three years and usually costs thousands. Then — ta-da — they will be certified writers. But you have become a real writer without first jumping the expensive hurdle of the MFA. You just went ahead and did it. And here you are. It didn’t take an advanced degree to get you here. Anna @ 2:42 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #10) I, too, have a degree in Political Science. While it was interesting, I would not advise going back to school to get a degree in it. If you are interested in political theory, get some of the major thinkers (Locke, Rousseau, etc. ) from the library. I learned more about how politics works in actual practice by volunteering. Karen M @ 3:03 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #11) I agree with the â€Å"Do it now! † after two years out of university, working in marketing and PR, I realised that the job was slowly sucking the life out of me and making me into a person I didn’t want to be. I decided to leap ship and become an English and Drama teacher (high school level). It can be difficult, I lost a less than supportive boyfriend along the way, but as a wise friend told me â€Å"There’s always going to be a million reasons not to do it and always one great reason to do it†¦ this is your life, you don’t get to live it twice†. I spent some time at my old high school and knew it was the right career for me. I’ve done well in my english lit papers this year and have just received my acceptance into the teacher’s college! I feel so much more happier and alive following my dreams as opposed to running the corporate rat race 🙂 Scribbles @ 3:40 pm September 6th, 2008 (comment #12) Amanda, as a working RN I would adv

3 Basic Cover Letter Tips for Summer Internship

3 Basic Cover Letter Tips for Summer Internship In your life, you have probably written more motivation letters than you want to admit. Unfortunately, unless you win $10 million at the lottery, you’ll probably have to write more. Considering that applications for summer internship are still open, you should probably be writing one of your cover letters now. However, you want to make your letter sound special and get you this place you apply for, right? Take several minutes to read this post and learn the best tricks and tips to make your application stand out from the competition or get help from experienced writers. Put Your Life on the Line Don’t actually do something risky like dropping your letter into the application office via helicopter. But, you do want to make the reader feel like you would if you had to. People reviewing your letter want to know that this opportunity is something that means a lot to you. In short, that you are passionate about what you’re studying and the potential career boost this internship or scholarship could have for you. Wrong: I really want to have this internship because I think it would be fun. Because it’s only for the summer, it lets me find out if practising law is something I want to do long-term. Also, I need the money to help pay for college next year. Right: Since I was 12, I have been prosecuting legal cases. Granted, they were with my stuffed animals and my mom acted as the judge, but I still managed to win every case. Now, after 2 years of pre-law, I’m ready to see first-hand how the best lawyers really work. Do the Leg Work In order to really be considered for the most competitive study abroad opportunities or internships, you need to have a good idea of who you are talking to. That means more than just following the directions on the application. It means doing a little research to see what truly motivates the company or agency who will accept you. Here are a few quick tips to ensure that you’ve done the leg work to get this job: Go to the company website and read their statement of purpose. Can you restate this in your own words? What is the overall tone of the company? Professional? Fun? Innovative? Try to reflect that tone in your letter. For high-profile companies, find out who the last intern was who was hired. Reach out to them through email or social media for insight. Talk to a receptionist in the company. Ask her some questions about what upper management looks for when they choose an intern or study abroad student. Follow the Rules of a Good Essay Many students will be immediately dismissed because they fail to create a compelling argument for why they are the perfect candidates for the position in question. In order to rise to the top, remember the three rules of crafting a great essay response. Make it memorable. Engage the reader through laughter, emotion, or empathy. You want to give them a story or image that they can’t get out of their head. Make it specific. Remember: the readers are viewing thousands of these letters. Use active verbs and great sentence variety. Also, include specifics to catch their interest. Wrong: I have a lot of experience with working on marketing committees. I have been the manager of several small newspapers. I was also the head editor for my school’s newspaper in high school. Right: Over the past five years, I have had many experiences with managing both small and large editorial staffs. I was the Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper, which led to my employment as the Staff Chief of the Boston Jewish Tribune. Make it honest: Don’t be tempted to lie to make yourself sound more eligible. Consider all the traits you have that make you perfect for this job. Then, find a creative way to highlight how those truthful qualities and experiences can benefit both you and the reader’s organization. Now, go and nail that internship cover letter and dont give up until you get the desired position. Good luck! Questions? Suggestions? Comments? Your feedback is always welcome!

Free Essays on European Influence

There were many circumstances that lead to European discovery. One of the most significant was the search of new trading routes to different countries for certain goods. These goods were coming to Europe by Islamic traders. The most lucrative market was the spice trade. Most of the exotic spices used in Europe came from the Middle East, such as cardamom, India, cinnamon, or China cloves. They were brought to Europe by Islamic traders, who themselves had spread around the world in order to facilitate trade. The eastern coast of Africa, for instance, was one long line of Muslim cities that primarily served as conduits for trading goods from the interior of Africa. Muslims had also set up settlements in India and China; they did not, however, make it to the Americas. Because it was expensive, the European merchants and mercantile countries wanted to eliminate the middlemen and trade directly with the regions supplying these goods. In particular, Portugal and Spain, the states that carried out the bulk of trade in spices, wanted to find a route to the spice-producing countries so that they could trade directly with those countries. Portugal headed south and east along the western coast of Africa hoping to find the southern terminus of Africa so that ships could sail around Africa to India and China. Spain would take the opposite route, foolishly sailing west to find a shorter and more direct route to China and India. This western route was not short and certainly wasn't direct si... Free Essays on European Influence Free Essays on European Influence There were many circumstances that lead to European discovery. One of the most significant was the search of new trading routes to different countries for certain goods. These goods were coming to Europe by Islamic traders. The most lucrative market was the spice trade. Most of the exotic spices used in Europe came from the Middle East, such as cardamom, India, cinnamon, or China cloves. They were brought to Europe by Islamic traders, who themselves had spread around the world in order to facilitate trade. The eastern coast of Africa, for instance, was one long line of Muslim cities that primarily served as conduits for trading goods from the interior of Africa. Muslims had also set up settlements in India and China; they did not, however, make it to the Americas. Because it was expensive, the European merchants and mercantile countries wanted to eliminate the middlemen and trade directly with the regions supplying these goods. In particular, Portugal and Spain, the states that carried out the bulk of trade in spices, wanted to find a route to the spice-producing countries so that they could trade directly with those countries. Portugal headed south and east along the western coast of Africa hoping to find the southern terminus of Africa so that ships could sail around Africa to India and China. Spain would take the opposite route, foolishly sailing west to find a shorter and more direct route to China and India. This western route was not short and certainly wasn't direct si...

Should Media Respect Privacy of Political Figures Essay

Should Media Respect Privacy of Political Figures - Essay Example The media, therefore, should respect the privacy of politicians’ children and relatives and restrain from exposing things they did or said when they had no control over themselves, as in times of sickness. In other situations, the media should have the right to investigate and expose what politicians say or do, because it has serious political, economic, social and moral implications for the whole country. Politicians decide the political fate of a country. They make war and peace; they make laws and preside over implementation; they set the rules to reward and punish people for their behavior; they can take away freedom as in preventive detention, take life as in death penalty, or spare life as in presidential pardons. While doing so, politicians might often have public well being on their mind, but the possibility of private profit and interest cannot be ruled out. For instance, the Republican President Richard Nixon staged the Watergate Scandal using public resources to wea ken and defeat the Democrat opponent. President George Bush took America to war against Iraq on the pretext that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, though he wanted to punish Hussein for allegedly trying to murder his father after the first Gulf War. If politicians could do such horrendous things even when the media could investigate and bring out the truth, and expose them, what could they do without the fear of exposure? The media must help the citizens know if politicians have taken vital political decisions purely to advance public well being, to promote their own personal interest, or settle personal scores. Similarly, politicians also play critical role in shaping the economic policy of the country. They enjoy the power to tax and spend, regulate internal and external trade and commerce, even control the monetary policy indirectly. Increasingly, political offices are being won with the help of contributions from supporter. Politics, power and corruption have alway s moved together. Several Members of Congress have gone to jail or been removed from office due to financial crimes, despite the constant fear of exposure by the media. If their privacy were respected by the media, politicians would go after the fast buck and still hold the office. Politicians are also social leaders and many of them are role models. We study their biographies and autobiographies to find inspiration and understand how they become successful. In addition, politicians frequently convince many people to vote for them, to attack their political opponents, and to become bigots or open-minded. They also quite frequently use their power and position to break social norms, win sexual favors from men and women under them, and tweak the law to stay out of prison when they commit crimes. In every presidential elections, candidates collect money from nefarious individuals and groups of people and return their contribution if the media exposes it. Members of Congress have lost t heir office due to their involvement in crime, sodomy, corruption, and sexual affairs. They have done all this despite the fact that the media could expose their misdeeds. If the media were to respect their privacy, many politicians would run amok committing crimes left and right because they can hide such crimes under the pall of privacy. Last but not least, acts and words of politicians have serious moral impact on

RAS AL KHAIMAH MEDICAL DISTRECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

RAS AL KHAIMAH MEDICAL DISTRECT - Essay Example The employee’s salaries are very low and hence they have incentive to make any organizational commitment. In addition to this, the MOH Has not made any efforts to improve their policies and procedures when their employees are concerned neither do they monitor their performance. Hence the MOH faces so many problems that result in poor job satisfaction and poor turnover and in this research we intend to make use of theories to understand these problems in a better light and find some solutions to them. 1. Problems faced in the ministry This project focuses on the Ministry of Health in Ras Al Khemiah. Presently, the ministry is facing many problems of which organizational problems are a major part. Some of the problems faced by the Human resources department are that of Organizational behaviour and the implementation of procedures to improve motivation and satisfaction among its employees. Poor organization culture, leadership behaviour between staff and the employers and decreas e in the company turnover due to employee problems. This research is about to understand and analyze the different variables, individual motivation and its causes, the deficiency of the application of human resources, job satisfaction among the employees, organization culture and poor choice of good leadership, poor motivation due to poor job satisfaction. In such a scenario it becomes very important to understand the causes leading to such issues so that we can rectify them for better outcomes. Some of the primary causes responsible for poor organizational culture and behaviour are a lack of trust between the employers, managers and the employees, lack of focus and good motivation, poor leadership skills, focus is more on the individual goal than the company goal, intolerance and poor communication between employers, staff and employees. 2. Description of the Company and its choice The Ministry of Health (MOH) is the organization chosen for this research for the following reasons . The Ministry of Health is facing a lot of organizational problems which is the main focus of this study. This research will help students to better understand the behaviour problems that various companies face in the real business world. The Ministry of Health clearly portrays the importance and relationship of each variable such as good leadership qualities and the impact it has on the success or failure of an organization. Group Level, Leadership In the group level analysis, our focus would be on Leadership and how it impacts upon the workplace. According to (Robbins & Judge 2009, p410) Leadership is defined as the ability to impact upon a group working towards the achievement of a specific goal or vision. In (Robins & Judge, 2009) opinion, neither are all leaders managers, nor all managers leaders. Leadership also has the capacity to bring about motivation by influencing the individual towards the success of the organization. This definition of leadership implies that leadership is â€Å"â€Å"the ability of an individual to inspire, motivate, and enable others to contribute to the effectiveness and success of the organization† (House et al 1999, p184) Good leadership is therefore crucial to the success of an organization through increased productivity. Yuki (2010) defines leadership from various perspectives such as Trait Theories, Behavioural Theories, Contingency

Effects Of Climate Change Essay Example for Free

Effects Of Climate Change Essay Climate change may result in regional changes in the weather, which will be more obvious if the weather were compared from one decade to another, and not on a daily basis. However, scientists have hypothesized that when the temperature of the surface of the earth has reached a highly critical level, such high temperature will cause severe and drastic changes to the atmosphere, affecting the oceans and will severely alter the weather patterns in a matter of years. Changes in the weather may include increasingly hot days and less cool days. The water levels will go down, exposing more land surface during the summer. Even higher latitude regions will be warmer by 40%. In addition, the amount the precipitation, be it rain or snow, will also increase, in the form of stronger storms and very intense typhoons and hurricanes. The El Nino events may also be more increase due to global warming. Global warming not only affects the weather, but it will also affect natural habitats. Higher levels of CO2 may facilitate the growth of forests, facilitating them to flourish and bloom. The warmer ocean waters will be helpful to fish and algae in the high seas. However, those organisms in higher elevations will find difficulty in surviving in warmer environments. Higher temperatures in oceans may kill corals, which are the nurseries for fishes and other aquatic organisms. For the human population, global warming may cause more incidents of infectious diseases such malaria, as well as systemic health problems such as heat stroke and respiratory diseases. Currently, the world is confused as society is ignorant of the detailed effects of global warming. Society is aware the summers are now longer and more intense and winters are envious of summer’s wrath, unleashing a fury that rivals the intensity of the heat. This is actually what global warming does. It confuses the world and now currently has also succeeded in confounding scientists. From a scientific point of view, global warming can be understood as a global environmental phenomenon which is characterized by an increase in the average temperature of the Earths near-surface air and oceans (Smith and Reynolds, 2005). There is certainly no doubt that global warming has a very detrimental effect on the environment as it causes rising sea levels and alters the amount and pattern of precipitation that a areas all over the world get (Gregory et al. , 2002). These environmental changes are also the projected causes of other ecological changes such as increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events which in turn creates changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, reduced summer stream flows, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors (Choi and Fisher, 2003). Based on the current scientific projections, the temperature of the world is expected to increase by 1. 1 to 6. 4 Â °C (2. 0 to 11. 5 Â °F) between the years 1990 and 2100. While most of the studies and projection models that have been utilized for these estimates cover the period up to the year 2100, global temperature warming and sea level rise are expected to continue for more than a millennium even if no further greenhouse gases are released after this date (Haigh, 2003). This is due to the melting of the polar ice caps which is estimated to continue due to the changes that have already occurred in the world’s temperature.

Vincent van Gogh :: Essays Papers

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Van Goeh drew the painting, which is portrait of him. He drew himself as a red haired guy with gray shirt. In the picture, there is only himself and gray background. Gray background is making circle motions composed with thin lines. You can see a lot of circles in the background. His hair, bears, and eyelashes are colored with red. His hair and bears are not trimmed. His eyes are small and dark looking right at me. His shirt is gray and very old one. I touched his lips and all I felt was cold, firm paper. By the oily smell, I guessed he used oil colors. I couldn't hear or feel any sound as if he want to show me what silence is. I wanted to try to kiss him to feel the taste, but didn't want to get caught. He looked at mirror and found a subject he was looking for to draw. He carefully observed the man in the mirror. The man looked angry and tried. His lips are sealed as if he does not have anything to say. Silence was the man's only company. He had pens, pencils, canvas and everything to draw. He started with pencil. He drew the man, his hair, his eyes, his ear, and his shirts. He colored the man. He looked at the mirror again. He saw the man, and there was something missing. He gave colors on the air of the background. He carefully chose gray color, and filled the background. He finally touched his eyes to express the man's anger, or any feelings he had. I was walking without any concentration about the paintings on the wall. I stopped not because I found an interesting piece, but because he caught my eyes. His eyes were dark, and angry. They were looking right at me.

Role of Managers in Company Management

STUDY GUIDE FOR THE Management Role of Managers in Company Management for BMCF TM study – course M_RMCM Role of Managers in Company Management Karel Havlicek Ing. Karel Havlicek, PhD. , MBA Management – Role of Managers in Company Management  © Karel Havlicek, 2011 Management – Role of Managers in Company Management Contents : 1. Role of management in hypercompetitive environment 1. 1 Owners and managerial strategy 1. 2 Managerial strategies and managerial planning 1. 3 Involved persons – Stakeholders 1. 4 Key terms 1. 5 Test questions 1. 6 Recommended literature 2.Role of management within marketing management 2. 1 Marketing management 2. 2 Marketing policy 2. 3 Marketing researches 2. 4 Marketing planning 2. 5 Key terms 2. 6 Test questions 2. 7 Recommended literature 3. Role of management within sales management 3. 1 Sales management 3. 2 Sales planning 3. 3 Management of forecasts 3. 4 Trade receivables management 3. 5. Customers communication managem ent 3. 6 Key terms 3. 7 Test questions 3. 8 Recommended literature 4. Role of management within financial management 1. Financial management 2. Financial planning 3. Controlling 4.Management of relations with banks 5. Costing 4. 6 Key terms 4. 7 Test questions 4. 8 Recommended literature 5. Role of management within quality and innovation management 5. 1 Quality management 5. 2 QMS models 5. 3 TQM models 5. 4. Balanced Score Card 5. 5 Innovation management 5. 6 Key terms 5. 7 Test questions 5. 8 Recommended literature 6. Role of management within team building 6. 1 Managerial team building 6. 2 Recruitment of managers 6. 3 Implementation of managers in teams 6. 4 Motivation and education 6. 5 Establishment of organizational designs 6. 6 Key terms 6. 7 Test questions . 8 Recommended literature 1. Role of management in hypercompetitive environment 1. 1 Owners and managerial strategy 1. 2 Managerial strategy and planning 1. 3 Stakeholders 1. 4 Key terms 1. 5 Test questions 1. 6 Recomme nded literature 1. 1 Owners and managerial strategy The term strategy has been frequently used in various contexts, which often leads to many misunderstandings and confusions. It originates from Greek – we can translate it as the art of a leader, general. Within business terminology it used to mean the ability to make decisions on the basis of high expertise and professionalism.However, there is another term with the same root used in English – â€Å"stratagem†. The term is generally translated as an act performed by company management within its top managerial activities. By the term strategy we mean certain scheme (process) that outlines how to achieve the set objectives under given conditions. It is a summary of steps and activities to be adopted â€Å"being aware† of partial lack of knowledge of all the future circumstance, conditions and connections, where not every possible alternative is identified, and individual advantages and disadvantages can't be determined for the purpose of future decision making.The objective is to establish adequate coordination of all the company's activities, and create unified complex of its perspectives. The strategy in small or medium enterprise should be defined in a short or mid-term horizon, not for more than 5 years ahead. Such horizon should be sufficient for medium sized enterprises. An enterprise of this size should anticipate a flexible change required by general trends. Flexibility is one of the major competitive advantages of small and medium enterprises compared to multinationals and large corporations. Thus it is not necessary to set up long term strategies, as their continuous changes are likely.The maturity of mid- and long term investment loans can be used for orientation with regards to the period of compiled strategy. In normal practice we discern owners' and managerial strategic aspects. Owners strategy is basically outlined by owners (shareholders, partners), and has a global character. The owners determine what is their mid- and long term objective. These can be for example: – financial requirements (ROE, EVA, profit, dividend, available CF etc. ), – marketing and sales aspects (market position and share, turnover etc. ), – strategic objectives (market value of the company, synergic effects etc. . Managerial strategy is based on the owners strategy, developing concrete strategic plans in order to achieve the owners' objectives. This strategy is prepared by the company management at the level of sales, marketing, financial, production, human resources or other directors. strategic objectives and strategies are identified on the basis of analyses, frequently in cooperation between the top management and owners. As mentioned before, the company management is responsible for achievement of strategic objectives, represented by the executive or general director.Controlling body can be an advisory or supervisory board of the company, or bo ard of directors, provided the board is not the management at the same time. This always depends on particular model and organizational design (structure) of the company. 1. 2 Managerial strategies and managerial planning The following steps are usually understood under the term â€Å"company strategy†: a) Description of current status by SWOT analysis. b) Determination of target status in a mid-term horizon. c) Outline of strategic objectives. d) Strategy of achievement of these objectives. ) Establishment of control mechanisms of the achievement. Strategies and strategic objectives are above all the activities and departments of the company. They are the starting point of plans and concepts of individual departments, divisions etc. The objectives of financial, sales, marketing, human resources and production have to be based on global strategy, when formulating partial plans and goals, and the short term objectives of these departments have to be modified in accordance with overall strategic objectives, which is an essential precondition of their achievement.This process is illustrated in the Figure 1-1. Figure 1-1 Illustration of the company strategy and its links to the plans of individual departments Individual strategic issues are not definitive, heir implementation in the company depends on its orientation, size, organizational design etc. It is obvious there will be no production strategy implemented in a trading company etc. Another strategies and consequent plans we may come across are innovation, quality, logistic and others. It is possible to combine certain strategies as well.Typical example for the small and medium enterprises is the amalgamation of marketing and sales strategy into one sales and marketing plan. Human resources plan in SMEs is sometimes substituted with a simpler motivation plan. Marketing strategy Marketing strategy is the basis for articulation of all the company's objectives. We may claim a successfully implemented sale s and marketing strategy is decisive for the enterprise's efficiency. Basis is the marketing mix, from which we derive the following marketing strategies: -product (product mix, life cycles, brand strategies†¦) -price (costing, pricing strategies) distribution (distribution channels mix, approach to the management of distribution conflicts) -communication (strategy of setting up internal and external communication mixes) The strategy consists of analytical and implementation parts. The analytical part describes current status, or history in all the strategic issues defined above, and together with the marketing research they are the basis for identification of strength and weaknesses, opportunities and threats – so-called SWOT analysis. The principles of marketing management of the company are defined in the marketing strategy and its implementation part.Fundamental is the marketing plan, as it includes marketing objectives, strategy of achievement and control mechanisms . Sales strategy The sales strategy is built on the marketing plan, and SWOT analysis. History of sales is described in the analytical part in the following breakdown: – product groups or individual products – customer segments, or individual customers – foreign or local territories The implementation part describes principles of sales management, and with regards to the above mentioned breakdown it includes the sales objectives to be developed further into detailed sales plans.Financial strategy It is created in the context of sales plan, with regards to the marketing research, SWOT analysis, and marketing and sales objectives. The analytical part includes history and updated summary f financial results and indicators in the structure relevant to the size and orientation of the company, and financial requirements of the owners. The implementation part consists of an overview of the required financial objectives in the horizon of several years. The achievement o f objectives is defined in the financial management policy, which is the basis for development of financial plans and budgets.The financial plan consists of balance sheet, profit and loss account, and cashflow statement. Annual budget is the basis of company's operating management. The financial strategy is a result of marketing and sales strategy. The marketing and sales plan has to come before the financial plan. This means the marketing and sales information – to who, for what price, where, in what form and with what marketing cost – has to precede the budget. Sometimes wrongly used reverse process tends to unrealistic forecasts, and may cause existential problems to the enterprise. Financial director is responsible for the financial strategy.In order to be able to prepare it credibly, the director needs timely and correct information from the marketing and sales department, at minimum in the form of sales plan. Production strategy Similarly to the previous cases th e production strategy includes analytical and implementation parts. The analytical part describes history of production, namely with regards to capacities, technologies, processes and individual sections, productivity and relation to the fulfillment of sales results. The implementation part describes how many products, in what quality ad structure, time and efficiency will be produced in the strategy's horizon.The production strategy defines overall management of the production, sometimes also the management of procurement and technologies. Its results are local production plans – basis for dispatch plans (can be included logistic or warehousing plans). The production strategy in smaller companies is usually complemented with procurement policy and investment strategy related to new technologies. The marketing and sales, and financial plans have to come before the production plan. The director of production is responsible for the production plan and strategy.This procedure ha s to be emphasized once again! In many enterprises so-called manufacturing approach survives: â€Å"The production has produced and now it's up to you – the salesman – to sell it! † Production directors and managers as the driving forces in companies are a mistake. It is not possible for the production departments to decide on the product range, price and quality. It is the customer who decides, and his decision is mediated in the company through marketing and sales department. As an example we can take the transformation of so-called Eastern bloc.High demand in former East-European countries in early nineties that often exceeded the supply of both traders and manufacturers, was a unique phenomenon, result of the transition towards market environment. Such situation is really unlikely in future. Logical consequence of company management was tremendous pressure of production and financial departments on sales – priority was HOW to produce and HOW to secure funds, WHERE to place the product or service was a secondary concern. The sales (actual sales, not the trading) were often simpler than the very manufacturing concept.Incoming multinationals and consequent growth of competition in general, stricter legislation, more cautious banks, higher pressure on quality and saturation of the market – these are the basic attributes that change the view of still frequent process: manufacture – finance – sales – marketing. The supply today exceeds the demand in most cases. Overproduction and surplus products come as a result. The enterprise capable of assessing market development and placing its products in variants, products that are sold, is more competitive and successful.The priority now is WHERE to place the product, WHAT price is the customer and the consumer willing to accept, WHAT quality is expected by the customer and the consumer, WHAT distribution channel is optimal for customers, WHAT means of communicatio n will be used to offer the product, and only then: HOW and FOR HOW MUCH to produce the required product (to ensure profit at the end of the day). The Figure 1-2 illustrates trends of supply – demand relations in eastern Europe. It means in most cases it is the customer who decides on quality, design, parameters, price and placing of the product, not the manufacturer.The manufacturing approach is thus replaced with customer-oriented, sales/marketing approach. There is gradual transfer from production-oriented marketing towards the modern marketing philosophy of customer relationship management. This process was typical for the whole period of nineteen nineties, and due to the dynamic development of market environment, relations and competition it was very intensive. Figure 1-2 The trends of supply – demand relations in Eastern Europe in 90s Human resources strategy Human resources strategy has an analytical-historic part, and implementation part, too.It consists of hum an resources policy, followed by the plan of human resources management, so-called human resources plan. The plan describes in detail recruitment system, inclusion of employees in teams, creation of organizational designs, training and motivation of the staff. Personnel (in larger companies human resources) director is responsible for its preparation. In smaller companies, where there is no post of personnel director created, the human resources strategy falls within the executive director's responsibility.In some medium marketing-oriented companies the bearer of personnel policy can be the marketing and sales director, who includes in his marketing plan the area of so-called internal marketing. Internal marketing in this case is a philosophy that treats the employees as customers – the main point being communication with the staff. They are informed of what is going on, why it is going on and what is required from them in order to ensure efficiency. In smaller companies the human resources plan is often substituted with motivation plan. The importance and sequence of managerial strategiesThere is a change of priorities and sequences of managerial going on presently. The effects of overproduction and surplus products lead to the necessity of considering the market information first – where to sell the product, under what conditions and quality. This means the marketing and sales plan is a cornerstone of further strategic planning, i. e. human resources, financial, production, quality, logistics, innovations, procurement etc. It is important to understand the planning in relation with the annual budget, as illustrated in the Figure 1-3 Figure 1-3 Strategic planning in small and medium enterprises related to annual budget . 3 Stakeholders One of the definitions of modern relations marketing talks about the tool of marketing philosophy of creation and distribution of values for targeted and identified markets – customers. Therefore correct id entification of the customer, understanding the desires, values expected from us (the enterprise), for which he is willing to pay, are the basis of any marketing approach, and the starting point for the treatment of any marketing case. Basically we recognize two types of users of our products: – customers who buy or pay for the products and services we provide, but they do not necessarily use them (e. . purchase of gift for somebody, pet food, toys for children), – consumers who use the products ad services, but they do not necessarily buy them (husband uses aftershave from his wife, children play with toys from their parents). Another possible interpretation of the term customer is provided by P. Kotler and G. Armstrong (Marketing. Grada Publishing, Praha 2004), working with the following division: – organization whose purchasing behavior includes goods and services for the manufacture of another products to be sold, rented or provided further. These are also w holesale and retail companies.They operate in so-called industrial markets, – consumers (individuals and households) that buy goods and services for their own needs, the transactions take place in so-called consumer markets. Thus every enterprise has several different groups of customers and consumers, each of which expects different values from the relationship. We may even develop this idea further, and include another parties that neither buy nor directly use the services, still influencing the enterprise's behavior. Those interested in particular company, because they can influence or be influenced by its activities (production, sponsoring, communication etc. are called involved persons, or stakeholders. In the relation marketing theory you may come across one statement – survival of an organization depends on its effective management, and wide range of involved persons. The satisfaction of the may and often conflicting interests of involved persons is a task for e very manager within an organization. Involved persons – stakeholders, and their expectations are identified in the model shown in the Table 1-1 As seen in the table, the involved persons include several groups not to be called customers in our sense; however, on the other hand we would call the customers stakeholders.The term â€Å"stakeholders† is thus considerably wider than the term â€Å"customers†. The success and managerial skill does not mean maximum satisfaction of just a part of the stakeholders, but adequate satisfaction of everybody, if possible. The word â€Å"adequate† is used on purpose, as it is almost impossible for the reason of often conflicting interests to satisfy everybody to maximum extent. Involved persons |Expectations | |Employees |Financial remuneration, satisfaction from work, sureness | |Shareholders |Growing capital, dividends | |Suppliers |Regular and paid deliveries |Customers, consumers |Quality, value | |Government |Employ ment, legislative environment, payment of taxes | |Managers |Prestige, acknowledgment, career opportunities | |Minorities |Employment without discrimination, equal approach to values | |Creditors |Payments in time, safety of investments | |Municipality |Employment, taxes | Table 1-1 Involved persons and their expectations 1. 4 Key terms Owners strategy Managerial strategy Marketing strategy Sales strategy Human resources strategy Production strategy Sales plan Marketing plan Financial plan Production plan Human resources plan Industrial market Consumer market Stakeholders Shareholders Customers Consumers SME / Small and medium enterprise 1. 5 Test questions 1. What objectives definitely belong to the owners strategy? ) achievement of the defined turnover b) achievement of higher market share c) achievement of the objectives defined in quality policy d) achievement of the defined ROE 2. What has to precede the financial plan unconditionally? a) quality management plan b) marketing r esearch c) human resources management plan d) logistic management plan 3. Who pursues the market requirements within an organization? a) production director b) sales and marketing director c) financial director d) technical director 4. B2B means to trade in: a) industrial markets b) commercial – consumer markets c) the area of employees' purchases d) the field of state contracts 1. 6 Recommended literatureHavlicek, K: Management, Role of Managers in Company Management, chapter 1 Hellriegel, D. – Jackson, E. S. – Slocum,J. W. (2005) : Management , A Comepetency-Based Approach. Thomson South-Western, Mason, chapters 1, 5, 6, 7. 2. Role of management within marketing management 2. 1 Marketing management 2. 2 Marketing policy 2. 3 Marketing researches 2. 4 Marketing planning 2. 5 Key terms 2. 6 Test questions 2. 7 Recommended literature 2. 1 Marketing management Marketing management is an essential business activity, without which no company can do, even more so if it has an ambition to export its own products, and to conquer new territories.Marketing management in CRM mode is defined as continuous process of analysis, planning, implementation and control of all the company's activities. (Source: Kotler, P. , Armstrong, G. : Marketing. Grada Publishing, Praha 2004). The goal of marketing management in a company is to satisfy business objectives of the entity or entrepreneur by satisfying the customers' requirements. K. Havlicek and M. Kasik in their publication Marketing management in small and medium enterprises (Management Press, Praha, 2005 ) created practical model of marketing management (Figure 2-1) when applying the philosophy of managed relations with customers: 2. 2. Marketing policy Each enterprise should have its marketing policy defined by the marketing director.This is a simple document that describes basic philosophy of the department, including product portfolio, customer segments, proposal of corresponding distribution, communi cation, and human resources. It should be linked to the overall strategy. The purpose of marketing policy is to provide simplified map of the main line of work of the department, what are the current customer segments, what marketing and sales activities are being prepared in the horizon of one year, who implements the current activities, how is the evaluation organized. The policy is prepared once a year, it should be in the form of a document given to every employee of the marketing and sales department, and to the company director. Marketing policy document usually includes: Organizational design of the marketing and sales department.Simple graphic chart of the organizational design is enough, where marketing director is on the top (in smaller companies marketing and sales director), followed by other team members, managers, sales representatives for domestic or foreign markets (so-called front office), sales assistants, background personnel (so-called back office), etc. Everythi ng depends on the orientation, size, and organizational design of the enterprise. It is important to highlight the relations between possible subdivisions and hierarchy, i. e. who report to whom, who is responsible for whom. It is quite easy in smaller enterprise, but tens of staff members in the marketing and sales department are not an exception, of which some are field sales people, others work in branch offices or abroad. In such a case the organizational design is very important – from both control and transparency point of view.Main product groups and territorial division of the customers This means the overall product and territorial division, and major customer segments. The product division does not have to be detailed (individual products), but it should correspond to the group structure according to sales plan, maximum ten basic product groups (depending on the scope and orientation of the products). Territorial design means the division to individual countries, or regions. Customer segments should also be divided to maximum ten categories. It should be clear who is the customer, and what product mix will we offer. It is important to include concrete personal responsibility for all the above mentioned categories in the marketing and trade policy document.Human resources status and activities Complete list of all the department's employees, their job assignments, classification within the organizational design of the team or projects of marketing and sales character, or projects of another departments and sections. It is useful to include e-mail addresses, mobile and fixed phones in the list. The fact that such document can be a major communication tool for some staff of the marketing and sales department should be taken into account. Motivation system The motivation system represents team motivation, system of evaluation aimed at departments, groups, or projects, concrete motivation instruments leading to the best performance of the staff, an d consequently to prosperity. In other words – the system of remuneration should be clear from this document, i. e. nder what conditions, when and for what, in what way and by whom the remuneration will be approved and provided. Summary of individual evaluations, or even individual incomes should definitely not make part of this public document. Communication within the department When and where regular meetings take place, in what intervals, who takes part, what source materials are required, where the minutes are archived etc. The dates of â€Å"brainstorming† meetings, workshops, project sessions, innovation committees etc. can be provided as well. Marketing department directives In case there are directives of any kind used in the department, they should be included to the marketing policy as well.These can be for example directives related to quality policy, or internal directives of the department, such as a directive on the management and administration of trade receivables. 2. 3 Marketing researches For both large companies and small and medium enterprises the continuous market research is a cornerstone of their activities. It should not relate only to a particular goal or immediate plan; its ongoing implementation and monitoring are advisable. Product life cycle gets naturally shorter in the era of growing competition. Endless flow of information on new trends, competition, groups of customers and suppliers are key of further company development.The objective of marketing research is systematic planning, collection, analysis and evaluation of the information needed for an effective solution of marketing problems. This applies to all types of organizations in general. In small and medium enterprises the research is adequate to their possibilities, but even here it is necessary to understand that sound research is a basis for other activities. This implies the necessity of system approach, i. e. to apply the research of external environmen t aimed at the following aspects (so-called STEEP analysis): – sociological, – technological, – economic, – environmental, – political. This research is crucial, namely in the case of more remote territories, market environment of which is not well known.When researching the internal competitive environment it is convenient to use factor environment analysis (so-called Porter's model of competitive environment): – number and strength of competitors, – customers, – suppliers, – substitute products, – potential competition. It depends on the purpose, type of business, size of the competitive environment, market share, power of the organization etc. The research includes collection, processing and analysis of the information, and a report has to be prepared, and maybe its results presented. To cover the information needs plan of the research can require collection of secondary data, primary data or both. The secondar y data includes information that has been already collected for a different purpose. On the contrary the primary data is collected for a specific purpose.In the first case the enterprise makes use of its databases, and open external sources (public electronic databases, associations, chambers, media etc. ). In the second case ordinary accounting and economic data from the database of deals and customers will be the source, including minutes from meetings. However, it is good to realize that the market research does not mean just some spreadsheet and statistic methods, tens of pages of various papers, and expensive agencies providing professional surveys. The very research can be simplified in the small and medium enterprises under the slogan: â€Å"Collect and use the information from the market and its surroundings†, and it is up to the managers' abilities to get the information on continuous basis.It means to keep communicating with the customer, to listen, to ask for feedb ack. It should be a precondition for the managers conducting marketing research to improve their education in this field further, to travel and learn new methods, to extend their general overview. To clinch a good deal is often not a matter of high expertise, but of general overview of politics, culture, sports, history, religion etc. Marketing department personnel should be able to absorb various kinds of information, and use and implement it further. General overview and fast work with information, as well as the ability to recognize their importance, are key criteria of recruitment of people for marketing and sales posts.Apart from the marketing research being performed on continuous basis, and the important data being archived, we obviously organize targeted research, depending on the upcoming events, which can be in the small and medium enterprises for example: – business or investment goal, – opening foreign market, – launching new product groups in the ma rket, – establishing communication with a new customer segment, – expansion of resent production – increase of production capacity. It is also recommendable to update the marketing research on regular basis, when preparing annual sales and marketing plan. As a comprehensive document it should include an opening page and provide reasons why it has been conducted, information on the date and person, or contact to cooperating agency. Sales and marketing directors should be in charge of all the researches, not just relying on heir subordinates to do the work.The activities relate to significant, often sensitive data, which may be possibly carried away to a new employment. Successors usually start working on these data, which often represents the only document that provides characteristics of the product, customer segment and particular customers. At the level of small and medium enterprises it is useful when such research is performed by individual experts supervise d by their manager, or directly by the marketing and sales director. This means the sales people who will be directly responsible for the researched segment or territory. Sales and marketing departments in SMEs usually do not dispose of a team of market research specialists, which is rather advantage.The research can be very well evaluated by the commercial success or failure of the responsible sales person, in comparably short time. However, this required good skills of the sales people. Apart from usual business skills and sales psychology training these people (often sales representatives) should be regularly trained in the basis of marketing in order to understand mutual connections of marketing, trade and communication. Marketing research is a necessary source document for the marketing and sales plan. 2. 4 Marketing planning Marketing plan belongs to basic pillars and documents needed for a successful management of the whole enterprise.Within SMEs, where we discern sales and m arketing management, the sales plan is often part of the marketing plan, called marketing and sales plan. The sales and marketing parts of the plan are still independent, mutually connected documents, use of which can be: – (A) Annual, as a fundamental document for the management of marketing and sales department. – (B) Individual, as one of the basic documents for various activities and fields, for example: – business or investment goals, – opening of new foreign markets, – launching activities in new regional territories, – launching of new products in the market, – restructuring of enterprises.Marketing plan comes before financial plan, production plan, and human resources plan. Marketing plan is developed by the whole sales and marketing team, finalized by the marketing and sales director, who submits it to the enterprise's director and bears responsibility. Marketing plan has to comply with the selected sales and marketing policy , and to be based on the whole company's strategy. Within the time sequence of individual plans it is always on the first place, i. e. being developed in September – October of previous year. It is linked to marketing research, good quality of which is fundamental for the success or failure of the marketing and sales plan. The marketing plan (Figure 2-2) includes: SWOT analysis of the enterprise, – department (whole company) objectives, – strategy of achievement, – control mechanism of (assessment) achievement. Figure 2-2 Process of creation of marketing plan SWOT analysis To evaluate the result of enterprise's or its department's activities the frequently used and well-known analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – SWOT is used. The strengths are compared with opportunities (creative thinking), and the weaknesses with threats and potential risk (basis for risk analysis). SWOT analysis in general is considered to be a very imp ortant strategic tool, which exceeds the framework of marketing.It provides information from the viewpoint of customer relationship management on what works (and what doesn't work), and on the changes in the interface between us and our customers. It is obvious we usually prepare SWOT analysis on the basis of previous research of external and competitive environment. The basis for SWOT analysis has to be thorough prior marketing research, otherwise we will not be able to compare our strengths and weaknesses, neither to define the opportunities and threats. Another danger of SWOT analysis is frequently a long list of wishes and limitations that remain the same for years. That is why it is important to focus on areas we can manage and influence.We use SWOT analysis not only as a necessary part of marketing plans, but also when evaluating personnel, annual reports and the like. Every salesperson and marketing staff member shall know the SWOT analysis and be able to make use of it withi n trading negotiations. The point s not to make too detailed analyses, 3 – 6 apt facts are enough for each area, expressed in the form of easily remembered slogans. The purpose of marketing plan should be considered. In case it is a regular document (see A) annually prepared for the company management, it is a description of status, opportunities and threats of the marketing and sales department, or the whole enterprise (in smaller companies).In case of plans prepared for certain event (see B) the SWOT analysis relates to one activity only, it is a partial or professional SWOT analysis, which is used for the decision on how and whether to perform the activity. SWOT analysis should be brief (three to five points to every issue), communicated to the whole sales team, which should possibly participate in its preparation. It is not just a basis for next decisions in the sense of feasibility of the set objectives and consequent method of their achievement, but also a good basis fo r negotiations of sales people with partners. Knowledge of the weaknesses and strengths, opportunities and threats of the enterprise due to its environment should be a matter of course for the whole company management.Strengths generate opportunities, some of which may even become objectives, on the contrary the weaknesses can lead to threats come true, and represent a basis for risk analysis. As well as the whole marketing plan the SWOT analysis should be created by team, while the final version and expressions are task for marketing and sales director. The very form of SWOT analysis within marketing plan can be one page, graphically clear matrix. Following the SWOT analysis we define the export department's or company's objectives. To systemize these factors a simple form is used (Table 2-1). SWOT analysis of a food processing company is provided as an example. | | |COMPANY STRENGTHS: |OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MARKET: | |– team of specialists in the company's |– new cus tomers recruited among chain | |management |stores | |excellent safe input material |– new product range – finished | |– well established network of supplied |food for the existing customers | |entities |– CR in EU – new customers | |– modern technological background | | |– wide assortment of products | | | | | | | | |COMPANY WEAKNESSES: |THREATS FROM THE MARKET: | |– language barriers |– strong competition in the market of | |– communication within the company, and |foodstuff suppliers | |towards external customers |– foreign competition | |– no product certified as â€Å"TOP product† |due to Czech Republic in EU | |– efficient approach to sales promotion |– orientation of multinational chains to | |missing |the products of their home countries | Table 2-1 Example of SWOT analysis of a food processing company Marketing objectives When defining the objectives we again di fferentiate between the plan as a managerial document (see A), or a plan of implementation of particular project (see B). In both cases the objectives should comply with several parameters, initials of which gave the method of their setting its name – SMART. They should be: – Specific (repeatability), – Measurable (turnover, margin, customers numbers), Achievable (in accordance with the enterprise's objectives), – Realistic (possibilities of the enterprise, market capacity), – Time (realistic delivery terms, possible to control). The objectives are based on SWOT analysis, i. e. on actual possibilities and opportunities of the enterprise. It should not be difficult to set objectives using SMART method, provided the marketing research was performed well, or carefully updated. It is definitely not correct to go deliberately for high targets with the idea they do not have to be really achieved, but still we will have some good results. The proverb â₠¬Å"if you want to go high, you have to aim even higher† does not apply here.It is recommendable to â€Å"stand on the ground† and create safe buffer, while keeping necessary and expected efficiency. It is because motivation plan is linked to the objectives, which would otherwise not make sense – unreal objectives would be rather de-motivating. It is not exceptional that the motivation plan is not related to the achievement, but exceeding the target, which once again confirms the need to set the objectives in a realistic manner. In the first case (A) we set the objectives for one year ahead, maximum of ten easy to remember and measurable objectives are recommended. Considering joint sales / marketing plan, its first objective should be to fulfill the sales (commercial) plan.Other objectives can come from a wide range of marketing activities, depending on the company's focus, financial possibilities and realistic ambitions in the upcoming year. In the second case ( B) fewer objectives are recommended (maximum five). Here the objectives logically relate to a project to be implemented. As one of the first objectives it is advised to set the fulfillment of sales plan for specific project or territory, to which the whole plan refers. Other objectives can be for example aimed at winning certain number of customers, penetrating specific territories, organization of foreign trade fairs, implementation of particular reference deal, launch of a new product etc.It is not the most convenient in small and medium enterprises to set objectives related to achieved percentage of market share, for example to increase the share by x%, because the market share of small entities is hard to measure, and there is not necessarily a possibility of credible verification of its achievement, and the motivation for these objectives is not easy either, as it is not an exception to obtain quite different data on our market share. Specific marketing objectives in individual markets can be expressed as: – given desirable volume of sales, – financial indicators – achieved profit, return on investment, – customers relationship – increase of spontaneous awareness of the brand within the target group, increase of customers' loyalty.The objectives should fulfill the above mentioned SMART criteria, they have to comply with main company goals, and geographically outlined. Organization of active marketing is quite costly even in domestic markets, and definitely more in foreign markets. Therefore it is necessary to set the amount of anticipated income and revenue for the planned period. The work on formulation of department's or company's objectives should be a task for the whole sales and marketing team. Every participant should be able to complete and substantiate own sales plan, depending on the knowledge, market research, last years' results, skills and experience, and factual data, and provide adequate reasons.This is ano ther reason why a specialist shall perform the marketing research, which consequently addresses the specified segment, or implements the selected product in the territory. The form of objectives: – it is sufficient to describe the chosen objectives in pregnant terms (one page document), – it is necessary to mention who is responsible for the achievement (name, position), – deadline has to be provided with each objective (specific date). Strategy of achievement of objectives The strategy of achievement of the set objectives describes how we shall implement them. In a sense it is a small business plan, â€Å"timetable† of HOW we want to achieve the set objectives.It is the most important part of marketing activity in the company, where creative, analytical and theoretical skills have to be combined, as the method of execution of the set task has its own system and order. When planning the strategy of achievement of objectives it is necessary to select the p rocedure that not only complies with the character of our business, but also covers the whole marketing area. It is convenient to use 4P or 4C marketing mix. Every step we are going to implement has to be compared back to the company's possibilities in financial, marketing, personnel, and production sense; sometimes the compliance with quality policy is verified.That is why the team work with financial manager (or quality manager)is good for development of the strategy, it is proper to involve production managers who should create feedback to production and capacity conditions, and give the sales and marketing strategy adequate direction. This process is not in conflict with the previous principle of pressure on production and preferential position of marketing in the sense of product decision making. In case of a dispute the production shall not have veto right, as this should be the power of company's director to decide on further procedure, based on the views from marketing and s ales, finance and production.However, this does not mean that the salespeople will not consult the strategy with financial and production managers. It is considered ideal situation, when there are variants emerging during discussions, acceptable for all parties. One should always be aware of the human resources opportunities of the department, which does not relate strictly to financial matters. Even if we have sufficient resources in budget to pay new salespeople, we do not necessarily find them in the market, and we may thus sacrifice the objectives. Following the above-mentioned, the qualification of sales and marketing staff should not be limited to expertise and general knowledge, they should be able to provide sound arguments and negotiate within internal discussions as well.For this purpose they have to know the company's environment, capacities and possibilities. Major advantage is their basic knowledge of financial terms, which means at least the ability to read the budget, and defend their sales and marketing procedures properly. Figure 2-3 illustrates possible process of defining the strategies of achievement of objectives. This can obviously vary depending on the focus, size and goals of the enterprise. Figure 2-3 Possible process of defining the strategies of achievement of objectives 2. 5 Key terms Marketing management Marketing policy Marketing director Qualitative marketing research Quantitative marketing research Marketing planning Far environment Near environmentInternal environment Product group Product range Pricing policy Pricing strategy Distribution strategy Marketing targets Communication mix Customer segment 2. 6 Test questions 1. SWOT analysis is a basis for: a) marketing research b) managerial plans (sales, marketing, financial) c) establishment of company information system d) company's annual report 2. Enterprise can't control in any significant way the factors defined in: a) STEEP analysis b) SWOT analysis c) Porter's analysis d) customers analysis 3. Questionnaire survey is a part of: a) quantitative marketing research b) qualitative marketing research c) risk analysis d) analysis of strengths 4. CRM is: ) the highest level of marketing management b) database file c) information system d) credit customer system 2. 7 Recommended literature : Havlicek, K : Management, Role of Managers in Company Management, chapter 2. Hellriegel, D. – Jackson, E. S. – Slocum,J. W. (2005) : Management , A Comepetency-Based Approach. Thomson South-Western, Mason, chapters 3, 5, 16 3. Role of management within sales management 3. 1 Sales management 3. 2 Management and development of sales plans 3. 3 Management of forecasts 3. 4 Trade receivables management 3. 5. Customers communication management 3. 6 Key terms 3. 7 Test questions 3. 8 Recommended literature 3. 1 Sales managementSales management is linked to the marketing strategy, in many respects complementing the marketing management. It is often quite difficult in SMEs to tell the boundary between marketing and sales management. In any case, it is not possible to simplify the very sales activities only to the purchase – sales level. For example the management of forecasts and receivables belongs to major managerial activities that exceed the borders of sales significantly, being of crucial importance for the company. Karel Havlicek in his publication Marketing management of foreign trade (Eupress, 2006) summed up the basic aspects of sales management to the following four areas ( Figure 3-1 ) : 3. Management and development of sales plans The sales plan is an essential document for the sales department; in smaller companies, where there are mostly joint sales / marketing departments, it is also a part of marketing plan. That is why it is convenient to incorporate the objectives of sales plan in the objectives of marketing department. This fact of rather technical character does not change a word said about the sales plan being cruc ial for the budget, strategic document that has to comply with certain requirements. Some enterprises, mainly the smaller ones, often ignore the marketing plan, and use only sales plan for commercial management.From short-term viewpoint this is possible, but it can't be effective in a long run, as the enterprise is going to lose contact with market reality sooner or later. Such plan is then more or less routinely re-written every year, some per cent added or subtracted here and there according to the current view of sales people. Innovation impulses are missing, as well as new trends and feedback, the control over competition is lost, communication with customers chaotic, distribution without concept, and prices frequently at random, i. e. according to what the customer asks, regardless of the overall market and company situation, not to speak about the prolongation of development trends.In these circumstances the staff can be hardly motivated, and the discussions concerning sales p lan figures are difficult. Sales people are not continuously forced to collect new information (which they may like at times), and they lose so important arguments for business negotiations, they have problems describing major competitive advantage of the company, and they face difficulties when defending it against competing offers. It is up to the personality of marketing and sales director and general director to be consistent when requiring the preparation of marketing and sales plans, be it very simple documents of few pages. Absence of such policy is mostly due to the fact that company directors don't know how to apply it.This â€Å"lack of knowledge† is being argued: â€Å"we have never needed that, we have read the market for a long time, everything has worked fine so far, you are making up useless things†¦Ã¢â‚¬  etc. It is one of serious mistakes and managerial faults to be rigorously eliminated. In case the sales plan makes part of annual budget it should be developed for one year ahead (submitted in October the previous year), divided in months and quarters. In case of export activities it is correct for every conquered territory to have its own sales plan, even very simple one. This brings the possibility of easy monitoring of every market by assigning overhead and personnel cost to each territory, and working actively with the price map. Complete sales plan is then total of all the territories, or other monitored groups.Overall sales plan for foreign markets is usually divided by: – product groups (sometimes we talk about commodities, or product lines), – customer segments or specific major customers (in mix by the product groups and territories), – territories (every foreign territory separately, individual regions can be sub-groups), Detailed sales plan can include other sub-categories, as well as some plans can ignore certain above mentioned points of interest. It is definitely useful to divide the plan at lea st in two categories, and cross-compare the results and forecasts (see below). This is good for the management of forecasts, and this way we compel the sales people to think about the plan and the prognoses. Sometimes the plan is complemented with â€Å"by sales people† or other category. is logical that the end and total monthly figures have to be equal in the individual categories. From these data we can tell immediately where a major difference occurs, and what should be our focus. For example – if we plan smoothly by product groups, but there are problems with planning and formulation of expectations by customer groups, it means we have a good overall picture of the market, but the work with individual groups of customers and relevant prognosis is difficult. In other words the communication between us and the customer is not exactly perfect one, which can lead to losing them over time. This means we need to respond and look for a remedial measure.Another important aspect of the division is the immediate overview of individual market segments, as we can measure their trends and performance in these segments, and following the data we can develop further marketing activities. These obviously vary depending on the groups and segments, often in all the marketing mix aspects. Sales plan indicators Major indicators of sales plan are turnover, sales, or own output. This indicator is always provided in one measurable currency – CZK, EUR or other. The data regarding measuring units can be also included in the sales plan; they are significant, but not crucial. It can be a major mistake, when some companies use as their main sales plan indicator such measuring units as number of pieces sold, square meters, tons etc.The control gets more complicated, as measuring unit can change its price in a short time, but most importantly – we can't measure immediate efficiency. The fact that more tons are sold does not mean increasing turnover or outpu t. Sometimes other indicators are measured, such as margin, but once again – it should be measured as a sub-category, and evaluated on continuous basis. This indicator is important namely for trading companies, where the turnover may grow and plan be achieved, but at the expense of lower margin, which can influence the whole company's economy at certain stage. It is necessary to adopt strategic measures in time. How to develop a sales plan? When compiling a sales plan, we most often utilize mixture of the following primary and secondary methods:Data from previous periods This is the most simple and available method, by which we track our sales results in given product groups, territories and customer segments in previous periods. In case we have been in the market for a longer time, we follow trends in specific categories, overall turnover figures, the margin and seasonal trends. Such information is definitely important for the development of plans, but not crucial. The preco ndition here is we've already made business in the territory. Market research from the viewpoint of competitive and external environment The basis is continuous or specific research of a foreign market, which is described in previous chapters.Apart from other data we are interested in the sales of our competition, trends and purchasing behavior of our customers, price policy of our suppliers, the threat of substitute products, capacity of foreign markets etc. In more remote territories we would track sociological, technological, economic, environmental, or political factors. The market information collected during marketing research of external and competitive environment is usually the most important basis for correct estimation of revenues. Professional intuition, experience and market estimates This is rather complementary method of estimation of revenues, which is nevertheless very valuable. Only the experienced sales staff can afford this, capable to foresee the behavior of con sumers in selected markets.Foreign traders who operate in foreign territories on our behalf, and know the purchasing behavior of local population very well, can serve as an example. These experienced managers are priceless, but even here we need to think of their estimates and intuition, prognoses and forecasts as a complementary factor for plan development. Form, reporting and approval of the sales plan The sales plan has to be well arranged with regards to given period – usually prepared for individual months. The best would be to fit it within one page for the sake of good orientation. Budget, forecast (see below) and reality columns should be included. Differences have to be regularly monitored and evaluated. The sales plans of individual sales persons should be regularly (usually once a week) reported (e. g. lectronically via the company's information system) to the marketing and sales director, and made part of regular meetings of the marketing and sales department, or export department. Total annual sales plan is a work f the whole export team, marketing and sales director is responsible for its completion on the basis of individual plans. Individual sales persons are responsible for their partial sales plans. It is the task for marketing and sales director to evaluate each individual plan objectively, to provide a healthy opponency and cooperate on the final figure, which can be either the revenue, turnover, or margin. The sales persons bear absolute responsibility, and their motivation aspects are derived from the plan.It is recommended to set motivation bonuses for exceeding the plan, as the financial budget should be built on basic salary and fulfillment of the sales plan, or achievement of economic result. This means bonus shall be paid on the basis of exceeding the plan in certain ratio determined by the company's management, with a reserve for marketing and sales directors (following the logic: exceeding the sales plan = exceeding the tota l economic result). 3. 3. Management of forecasts The importance of management of forecasts is bigger than generally perceived, and it goes far beyond the framework of marketing and sales department. The term â€Å"forecast† is used in foreign companies in the meaning of â€Å"estimate†. Other used terms are â€Å"sales prognosis†, or â€Å"expectancy†.Foreign companies have learned to use the forecasts as an essential managerial act – basis for the whole company's strategy . There is some lack of willingness of sales persons and managers regarding forecasts in our country. It is a strategic mistake, which should be avoided by marketing and sales directors. This insufficient willingness is more or less due to the fact that the sales people don't know how to prepare the forecasts, or how to estimate the purchasing behavior of their customers, and sales of their products in the horizon of few upcoming months. But first let's have a look at the sequen ce and importance of the management of forecasts.Sales person submits and substantiates the following data within the sales plan development: a) sales plan – usually one year ahead, by months (territories, segments or product groups), b) continuous forecasts – always several months ahead, prepared every month (tracking the differences between the plan and forecasts), c) reality – i. e. actual result by months (tracking how the reality differs from budget and continuous forecasts). Importance of the management of forecasts We prepare the forecasts usually every month, always for 3-6 months ahead, i. e. in January for Jan-Jun period (six-month prognosis), in April for Apr-Sep period, in November for Nov-Apr period (in this case we overlap in two sales plans – of the current and following year), etc.We see the importance of management of forecasts in the following aspects: 1. We monitor the differences from budget sales plan By continuous monitoring of the t rends and preparing prognoses (e. g. sic months ahead) we track the differences between actual and budget figures, i. e. the effects on budget economic result. There are basically three options: – Continuous forecasts do not vary from the budget – it means we have prepared the budget very precisely, there will be likely no effects on the economic result. – Forecasts are higher than the budget – it means our revenues will be probably higher than the budget expects, which may leads to many positive effects, but possible negatives should be considered.These can include higher receivables due to larger volume of sales, and consequently possible need to supply external resources to cover operating capital, which is not necessarily a matter of short time (guarantees). Moreover, the overdue receivables may grow, which is another complication when supplying external bank resources. However, there can be a reverse effect, i. e. cash surplus, which is obviously a p ositive. Even in such a case it s good to know in advance, as we can cancel loans, change funding or develop another investment project, where the resources can be used. This is a matter of several months, therefore continuous information on higher forecasts in the horizon of months is very important for us. Continuous forecasts are lower than the budget – undoubtedly negative message, in such situation the economic result is at stake, sometimes even general company's existence. Here the timely indication in the form of six-month advance is twice as important, as it is necessary to adopt immediate measures. These may include an application for external resources, which is a matter of several weeks, or even months in banks. These may also be considerable cost cuts, such as layoffs, which is once again a matter of months (considering the compensations and notice periods). 2. We force the sales people to collect market information and communicate with customersThis is another ve ry significant aspect of both marketing and psychological importance. It requires prognoses in six-month advance (there are companies, namely multinationals, which require even annual forecasts with monthly breakdown). This means the sales people have to collect new, updated information on regular basis, i. e. to work with the market. On