Succubus Blues CHAPTER 22

â€Å"You faked it†¦ faked being affected by me,† I realized, shock making my words come out thick and faltering. Still chuckling, he took a step toward me, and I cringed, frantically trying to find a way to run, to get out of my own apartment. What had moments ago seemed safe and inviting now became close and stifling. My apartment was too small, the door too far away. I couldn't breathe. The amusement on Roman's face shifted to astonishment. â€Å"What's the matter? What are you afraid of?† â€Å"What do you think I'm afraid of?† He blinked. â€Å"Me?† â€Å"Yes, you. You kill immortals.† â€Å"Well, yeah,† he admitted, â€Å"but I'd never hurt you. Never. You know that, don't you?† I didn't answer. â€Å"Don't you?† I backed up farther, not that I had anywhere to go. I was faced in such a way as to only keep moving toward my bedroom, not toward the front door. That wasn't likely to do any good. Roman still seemed floored at my reaction. â€Å"Come on, I can't believe this. I would never do anything to you. I'm half in love with you. Hell, do you know what a wrench you've already thrown into this operation?† â€Å"Me? What have I done?† â€Å"What have you done? You've wrapped my heart around your little finger, that's what you've done. That day†¦ when you solicited me at the bookstore? I couldn't believe my luck. I'd been watching you all week, you know, trying to learn your habits. Christ, I'll never forget the first day I saw you. How feisty you where. How beautiful. I would have gone to the ends of the earth for you right then and there. And later†¦ when you wouldn't go out with me after the signing? I couldn't believe it. You were originally going to be my first target, you know. But I couldn't do it. Not after I'd talked to you. Not after I'd realized what you are.† I swallowed, curious in spite of myself. â€Å"What – what am I?† He took a step toward me, a rueful half-smile on his handsome face. â€Å"A succubus who doesn't want to be a succubus. A succubus who wants to be human.† â€Å"No, that's not true†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Of course it is. You're like me. You don't play by the rules. You're tired of the system. You don't let them push you into the role they've dictated for you. God, I couldn't believe it, watching you. The more you seemed interested in me, the more you tried to back off. You think that's normal for a succubus? It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen – not to mention the most frustrating. That's why I finally decided to call you out today. I couldn't decide if you'd really cut me off for my own good or were just interested in someone else now – like Mortensen.† â€Å"Wait – that's why you arranged that stupid little game today? For your own fucking ego gratification?† Roman shrugged haplessly, still looking self-satisfied. â€Å"It sounds so shallow when you put it like that. I mean, okay, it was pretty stupid. And maybe a little childish. But I had to know where your affection stood. You can't imagine how touching it was to see you so worried about me – not to mention the fact that you checked on me first. That was the real kicker: I got priority over the others.† I almost protested that I'd actually worried about Seth first, having only called Roman beforehand because I thought Seth was already accounted for. Fortunately, I had enough sense to keep my mouth shut on that issue. Better to let Roman think he'd proven his point. â€Å"You have issues,† I said instead, perhaps unwisely. â€Å"Making me jump through hoops like that. Me and the other immortals.† â€Å"Perhaps. And I am sorry for any discomfort I caused you, but as for the others?† He shook his head. â€Å"It's good for them. They need it, Georgina. I mean, doesn't it piss you off? What they've done to you? You're obviously not happy with your lot, but do you think the folks in charge are going to let you change things? No. No more than they're going to give me or my kind a break. The system is flawed. They're locked in their fucking ‘this is good' and ‘this is evil' mentality. No gray area. No mutability. That's why I go around and do what I do. They need the wake-up call. They need to know they aren't the be all and end all of sin and salvation. Some of us are still fighting.† â€Å"Go around†¦ How often do you do this? This killing thing?† â€Å"Oh, not that often. Every twenty to fifty years or so. Sometimes a century. Doing it sort of cleanses me for a while, and then, over the years, I'll start getting pissed off at the whole system again and stake out a new place, a new set of immortals.† â€Å"Is it always the same pattern?† I remembered Jerome's symbols. â€Å"The warning phase†¦ then the main attack phase?† Roman brightened. â€Å"Well, well, haven't you done your homework. Yes, it usually works that way. Take out a few lesser immortals first. They're easy targets, even if I always feel a little guilty about it. Really, they're as much victims of the system as you and I are. Still, messing with them freaks out the higher immortals, and then the stage is set to move on to the main attraction.† â€Å"Jerome,† I stated grimly. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Jerome†¦ the local archdemon.† I hesitated. â€Å"Your father.† â€Å"Oh. Him.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean? You don't sound like he's a big deal.† â€Å"In the grand scheme of things, he's not.† â€Å"Yeah†¦ but he's your father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So? Our relationship – or lack thereof – doesn't really change anything.† Jerome had said almost the exact same thing about Roman. Baffled, I sat down on the arm of a nearby chair since it appeared my imminent destruction wasn't quite so imminent after all. â€Å"But isn't he†¦ isn't he the ‘real target' – the higher immortal you're here to kill?† Roman shook his head, face turning serious. â€Å"No. That's not how the pattern works. After I move on from the lesser immortals, I focus in on the local bigwig. The real powerhouse in the area. That tends to unsettle people more. Better psychological effect, you know? If I can take out the big man on campus, then they worry no one is safe.† â€Å"So, that would be Jerome.† â€Å"No, it's not,† he countered patiently. † Archdemonor no, my illustrious father is not the ultimate power source around here. Don't get me wrong; I'm getting a nice bit of satisfaction from pissing in his territory, so to speak, but there's someone else who dwarfs him. You probably don't know him. It's not like you'd have reason to hang out with him or anything.† Stronger than Jerome? That only left – â€Å"Carter. You're going after Carter.† â€Å"Is that his name? The local angel?† â€Å"He's stronger than Jerome?† â€Å"Considerably.† Roman gave me a curious look. â€Å"Do you know him?† â€Å"I†¦ know of him,† I lied. â€Å"Like you said, I don't hang out with him or anything.† In reality, my mind raced. Carter was the target? Mild, sardonic Carter? I could hardly believe he was more powerful than Jerome, but then, I knew almost nothing about him. I didn't even know what he did, what his job or mission in Seattle was. Yet, one thing that was obvious to me – and only me, apparently – was that if the angel really did outclass Jerome, then Roman couldn't do anything to him, not if the rule about nephilim power not exceeding parental power held true. Roman shouldn't technically be able to harm either angel or demon. I chose not to mention this to him, however – or the fact that I knew Carter better than Roman believed. The more delusional he was, the more of a chance we had to do something about him. â€Å"Good. I didn't really figure a succubus would be too friendly with an angel, but with you, it's hard to tell. You may have a sharp tongue, but you still manage to gather a lot of admirers.† Relaxing slightly, Roman leaned against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest. â€Å"God knows I've already gone out of my way to avoid your friends.† Anger helped me overcome my fear. â€Å"Oh really? What about Hugh?† â€Å"Which one's he?† â€Å"The imp.† â€Å"Ah, yes. Well, I had to keep setting an example, didn't I? So, yeah, I messed with him a little. He'd been impertinent to you. But I didn't kill him.† He looked at me in what I supposed was meant to be an encouraging type of way. â€Å"That was for your benefit.† I stayed silent. I recalled how Hugh had looked in the hospital. Impertinent? â€Å"And what about the others?† he pushed. â€Å"That annoying angel? The vampire that threatened you? I wanted to break his neck on the spot. I got rid of them for you. I didn't have to do that.† I felt ill. I wanted no deaths on my hands. â€Å"Most considerate of you.† â€Å"Come on, give me a break here. I had to do something, and really, once I'd met your vampire friend at the dance lesson, I couldn't bring myself to do anything to him at all. You put me in a really tight spot. I was running out of victims.† â€Å"Sorry for the inconvenience,† I snapped, ire rising at his pathetic show of compassion. â€Å"Is that why you took it easy on me that night?† He frowned. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"You know what I mean!† Thinking back to my attack, it all made perfect sense. It had occurred after I'd been to Krystal Starz, the day after I'd run out on Roman at the concert. A perfect excuse for him to be angry and seek retaliation. â€Å"Remember? The day after Doug's concert? After I'd been with Seth?† Understanding washed over Roman's features. â€Å"Oh. That.† â€Å"That's all you have to say?† â€Å"It was a bit juvenile, I admit, but you can hardly blame me. It wasn't easy watching you cozy up to Mortensen after freaking out on me like that. I'd watched you go home with him the night before. I had to do something.† I sprang up from my seat, old apprehension returning. â€Å"You had to do something? Like beat the crap out of me in an alley?† Roman raised an eyebrow. â€Å"What are you talking about? I told you I would never hurt you.† â€Å"Then what are you talking about?† â€Å"I'm talking about that ice cream place. I'd followed you two around earlier in the day, and when I saw how cute you were getting over dessert, I got jealous and blew the door open. Juvenile, as I said.† â€Å"I remember that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off stupidly, recalling how the door had blown open at the parlor, letting the outside wind wreak havoc in the small store. Wind like that was certainly uncharacteristic here, yet I had never suspected supernatural influence. He was right; it had been juvenile. â€Å"So what's the alley thing you're talking about?† he prompted. I snapped out of my memory. â€Å"Later†¦ that night. I'd been running errands, and you†¦ or someone†¦ attacked me on the way home.† Roman's face turned cold, his eyes sharpening to aqua steel. â€Å"Tell me. Tell me everything. Exactly what happened.† I did, explaining my lead to the Harrington book, subsequent trip to Krystal Starz, and walk home in the dark. I edited the part about my rescuer, however. I didn't want Roman to know I had more than a casual acquaintance with Carter, lest the nephilim think I might be a deterrent to his plans. The more he thought I had no interest in the angel, the more likely I would be able to get out some kind of warning. Closing his eyes, Roman leaned his head against the wall when I finished, sighing. Suddenly, he looked less like a dangerous killer and more like a tired version of the man I'd come to know and nearly love. â€Å"I knew it. I knew noninterference was too much to ask.† â€Å"What†¦ what do you mean?† A strange feeling crawled down my spine. â€Å"Nothing. Forget it. Look, I'm sorry about that. I should have taken precautions beforehand to protect you. I knew too†¦ the next day? When I came by and you cut things off between us? I could tell you had been hurt, even through your shape-shifting. I could tell it was supernaturally inflicted too, but I never suspected†¦ I thought it was some other immortal – one of your own circle – you'd tangled with. You had sort of a residual effect on you†¦ the faint traces of someone else's power†¦ like a demon's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But that's not – oh. You mean Jerome.† â€Å"Daddy dearest again? Don't tell me†¦ don't tell me he did something to you too.† Roman's brief lapse into mildness faded, replaced by something more sinister. â€Å"No, no,† I said hastily, recalling Jerome's psychic slap, pinning me to the couch. â€Å"It wasn't like that. It was more of a show of power that I caught the edge of. He wasn't the one who hurt me. He'd never hurt me.† â€Å"Good. I'm still not happy about what happened in the alley, mind you, but I'll have a little chat with the guilty party and make sure it never happens again. When I saw you that day, I had half a mind to take out all the immortals in the area. The thought of someone hurting you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Closer and closer he came to me. Hesitantly, he squeezed my arm. I didn't know whether to recoil or reach out to him. I didn't know how to reconcile my old attraction with this new terror. â€Å"You have no idea how much I care about you, Georgina.† â€Å"Then how†¦ in the alley – â€Å" Before I could follow that thought to completion, another suddenly poked its head up at Roman's words. When I saw you that day. He had visited me the day after the attack, coming over while Carter investigated a nephilim signature. But that was impossible. I couldn't remember where that particular signature had occurred, but it had not been close by. Roman could not have flashed Carter and then made it over to my apartment so quickly. Iknew noninterference was too much to ask for. I'll have a little chat with the guilty party. I understood then why Roman felt he could take on Carter, why having less power than the angel would pose no concern. The realization sank into me like lead, heavy and cold. I'm not sure what look crossed my face, but Roman's suddenly softened with compassion. â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"How many?† I whispered to him. â€Å"How many what?† â€Å"How many nephilim are in the city?†

Interpersonal Relationship and Friendship

Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies. We're born alone, we live alone and we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone. It is a very mysterious relationship that God create for human and it is one of the most important components in human life. It is as easy as ABC when it comes to find and make friends. Yet, it is not easy to manage a high-quality friendship.According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, friendship is a relationship between friends; the feeling or relationship that friends have; the state of being friends. However, an insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind. Here, I totally disagree with the statement that friendship is the most valuable thing in life as there are certainly more significant and priceless thing than friendship.In this essay, I will summarize how life itself is more valuable than friendship and expound why health, family and individual’s principle in life are at the upper rank. First and foremost, healthy is considered first before one enjoys the beauty of friendship as health is the most basic yet major asset that will make our life complete. Try to imagine that you are a disabled person, who is blind, deaf, or even dumb and obviously lack of a healthy body, the quality of your life is totally reduced.Even the power and strength of the friendship cannot bring back and make us healthy anymore. This may lead to the failure in create a colourful and splendid life. Without good health is exactly a stumbling block in life, without it you cannot do anything. Though friends show their love in times of trouble not in happiness, health is still the most important asset in our lives. Secondly, we are no one without our family as indeed blood is thicker than water. Family is one of the nature’s masterpieces.Andre Maurois quoted  "without family, man, alone in the world, tremble with the cold† shown that family is not the important thing in the world but it’s everything. To us, family mean putting your arms around each other and being there. Furthermore, it is the source of strength and also the reason of weaknesses. Thereby, family is always before than friendship. Friends will not be there for you forever but family is forever. In addition, some cases of betrayed among friendship made this society lack of confidence to operate a sincere friendship.Last but not least, an individual’s principle of life is far more valuable than friendship in life. The principle of life may due to the individual’s religion, ethics, and believe as this may guide them to live their life in a proper and right way. For instance, a person persist to do good since the principle guide them to do so then nobody could taint and breakthrough it. Thereupon, this may avoid the individual to commit with undesira ble deeds like smoking, abusing, murdering, raping, stealing, and others. Hence, life principle is a needs to an individual before create a friendship.In a nutshell, friendship is something you cannot learn in class and carry you to where money would not go. It is the sunshine and rainbow to make our life colourful but without good healthy, a loving family and strong principle, life is meaningless hollow. In short, I am still opposing that friendship is the most valuable things in life. Government can organise awareness campaign and parent should encourage and guide their children to learn about prioritise in life as they are the future pillars of the society.

Project Motorcycles- The Comprehensive Project Plan Assignment

Project Motorcycles- The Comprehensive Project Plan - Assignment Example The target market is very prospective given the fact that a majority of the population are income holders. Another scope of this project lies in the fact that this1500 cc motorcycle is an upgrade to the 500 and 1000 cc motorcycle previously sold by the company. The previous motorcycles enjoyed huge success thereby increasing the company’s market share tremendously. This is a favorable result and therefore it is being strongly expected that the 1500 cc motorcycle will surpass the expectation of the already satisfied customers, who may be willing to have the upgraded model stocked up in their garage, as well as the potential customers. The project management plan involves appointing analysts who would be majorly responsible for conducting a thorough analysis of the market. In that way they will be able to make a precise estimation of the demand for this product in the market. Thereafter, the project manager will be working with the architects who would be entirely responsible for designing the product. The product specifications have to be clearly explained to them in order to make sure that the design is appropriate to the target customers. Following that, the required raw materials have to be procured. The project manager will then be responsible for working with the engineers and developers who would carry out the part of assembling the motorcycle. Later, in the project closure phase, the researcher will be working along with the testers who would be testing the bicycles for any manufacturing defects and other areas of performance improvement. Formulation of an effective team building strategies is extremely important in order to ensure successful completion of the project. The first and foremost strategy is conveying the objectives and goals clearly to the project team members. The project manager has to make sure that the objectives are realistic, achievable and measurable. In such a context, formulation of SMART objective is extremely

Payroll System and Internal Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Payroll System and Internal Control - Essay Example aintain a list of the names, addresses and necessary information among others especially of the employees working within the organisation (Lambert, 2005). The importance of maintaining a payroll system lies in keeping a track upon certain specific data especially of the employees’ which include their salary and incentive structure, pension plans, union membership status and taxes along with the method of calculation regarding the pays of the employees by taking into consideration the available employee data. Payroll systems are mainly implemented by using different software in order to calculate the employees’ net pay from various deductions according to the norms and policies of a particular organisation (Mohammed & et. al., 2007) In relation to payroll system, payroll records are usually used or implemented in order to keep a proper record regarding the hours worked by the employees in an organisation on a monthly basis. Apart from the payroll records, a payroll ledger is also used in relation to payroll system. A payroll ledger is a kind of a table that shows the calculated pays of the employees along with the month in which they earned the pay (Mohammed & et. al., 2007) In relation to payroll system, an internal control can be regarded as â€Å"a procedure of control and checking various levels of management in terms of financial and non-financial actions or operations of a particular business within an organisation in order to make sure that the business actions or operations are conducted successfully† (Trenerry, 1999). The internal control of a business within an organisation also focuses towards the procedure of management decision making along with meeting all appropriate legal procedures that eventually leads towards the improvement of any business organisations (Hightower, 2008). The importance of internal control within an organisation lies in a few of the factors that include attaining successful business operations, controlling the business

Data search and Referencing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Data search and Referencing - Essay Example Using the key words stated above, the quick search option was used to find a list of articles on the topic of exercise and physical activity, from various relevant journals. Then, the best articles were selected and retrieved for this project. Similarly, through Google, the home page of ScienceDirect was accessed. Being already registered with the research database, the same procedure as detailed above for Ebscohost was used. An example of a secondary reference is a book review (Aguilar-Stone, 2004), which was also retrieved from the ScienceDirect database. For searching the database of SAGE Publications (Sagepub), once again, using Google, the home page of the database was accessed. Using the Quick Search option and the key words mentioned above, a list of articles on the topic were obtained. A few of the articles had free access, without the use of membership. Those articles that needed subscription, were accessed with the help of Username and Password. The data search has highlighted the importance of exercise and physical fitness. Caspersen et al (1985) state that the terms â€Å"Physical activity†, â€Å"exercise† and â€Å"physical fitness† describe different concepts. â€Å"Ideally, standardized terminology will promote greater understanding of the relation between physical activity, exercise, physical fitness and health† (p.126). http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WPB-4CNGP1P-1&_user=10&_coverDate=08%2F31%2F2004&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=f76057681867d950a057df07c5bd4025 Anderson, D.F., Cychosz, C.M. and Franke, W.D. 2001. Preliminary exercise identity scale (EIS) norms for three adult samples. Journal of Sport Behaviour, [online]. 24 (1). [cited 4th September, 2007]. http://www.questia.com/read/5002388251 Caspersen, C.J., Powell, K.E. and Christenson, G.M. 1985. Physical activity, exercise and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for

Business Culture Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Culture Environment - Essay Example His mission does not include trying to transform the Chinese business culture or their society. So taking a very hard and principled stance is never a great business strategy. A sound business strategy is one that is pragmatic, realistic and with a clear profit motive and wealth maximization for the company's stakeholders. [Ref. 2: "Profit Motive" by Murphy Warren.] This is even more so, because by winning one moral victory at a very high cost, there is no guarantee that it will bring greater benefits to the joint venture in the future. There is no guarantee that it will lead to a change of heart and a change of culture of your Chinese partners. There is no guarantee that even the same people with whom you negotiated this protracted conflict, will even be there by the time the joint venture moves forward into its next stage of progress, considering that most of the key employees belong to the state and the communist party, and can be re-shuffled or transferred to other positions at any time. The problem with a joint venture is that the more time you lose in the beginning over smaller issues, the lesser time you are left with by the time you confront larger issues. [Ref. 3: "Effective International Joint Venture Management" by R.C. Wolf] Since the joint venture was already off to a bad start with an eighteen-month delay, the pressure was bound to increase as the negotiations progressed to other areas of the venture. During negotiations, the TNT manager must take it into account the experiences of his competitors, and how they are dealing with such problems. In business, you cannot afford to ignore your competitors' behavior and their strategies, while you remain trapped in your own personal beliefs or biases. Excessive loss of time gives opportunities to the competitors to occupy the space that has been left vacant by you. The fact that the negotiations of TNT with the Chinese lasted five years before the joint venture could see the light of the day, speaks eloquently about its dismal performance. There is no way to justify such an inordinate delay merely by explaining the extremities of the Chinese culture. The TNT manager learned about the Chinese culture the harsh way, which proved too expensive for the joint venture. He ought to have done his homework well in advance, and been fully aware of what to expect from the Chinese. Without a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Chinese culture, it would waste a lot of time in gathering one's learning and experience, which is what happened with the TNT manager. The biggest strategic error of TNT was to put such a man in-charge of the negotiations with the Chinese, who had apparently no past experience in dealing with them. Such a valuable joint venture definitely needed such people on the team of TNT who had either worked for many years in China, or alternatively, who were men of Chinese origin working in the west for many years. In other words, the joint venture needed negotiators who understood both sides intimately. ANS. 2: The TNT case is an outstanding example of cultural misunderstandings and miscommunications. Its

Marketing of Services Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marketing of Services - Term Paper Example Research has shown that the design of a services cape influences a customer’s expectation, choice, satisfaction and other behaviour. The four strategic roles service scopes are as follows: Package The service scape and other physical evidence wrap the service so that it conveys a clear message to the consumers of what is inside. It is just like packaging a tangible product. The physical setting of a service essentially does the same thing through the interaction of the complex stimuli. The service scape is essentially the outward appearance of an organisation and hence it is critical in forming the first impression of customer expectation. Facilitator The service scape can aid in the performances of the persons in the environment. The design of the services cape can enhance or inhibit the efficient flow of the activities in the service setting. Thus it makes it easier or harder for the employees and the customers to accomplish their respective goals. A well designed functional facility can make a customer experience pleasure while an inefficient and poor design can frustrate both the employees and the customers. Socializer The design of a service scape can help in the socialization of both the employees and the customers. ... Any changes in the physical environment can be used to signal reposition a firm or to target new market segment. Question 2 Global business environment has become highly competitive as several organizations within the global business environment are implementing unique business operation strategies in order to gain potential competitive advantages. Several service providing organizations always try to ensure high quality customer service in order to develop potential customer base. It is true that high engagement service providing organizations need not have to concern about the issues of customer loyalty. Now-a-days, consumers always demand effective customer service from the organizations against their money. Satisfied customers always intend to stick with the brand or the organization. The do not try to take the risk of switch over another brand. Several service engagement organizations used to focus on strong and effective customer relationship management practices in order to re tain its existing potential customer base. However, these organizations have to focus on developing new client base as the business environment in this world is becoming competitive and saturated. People are becoming loyal to particular brands due to high satisfaction from the offered services. Therefore, it is highly important for the organizations to attract the new customers who have never experienced about the services of other service providers. It is quite easy for an organization to gain customer loyalty of a new and inexperienced customer about different service. If the customer chose another brand then it will be difficult for that organization to attract the particular customers. High service engagement firms should not

Reflection Paper College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection Paper College - Essay Example This is important because it shifts the focus in the day-to-day activities from the base employee-level to supervisor and middle management and as such, one's skills should be geared to dealing with supervisors. Recognizing the strategic business role that HR plays and "seeing the big picture" of HR within an organization is an important lesson going forward and I believe that such an appreciation will be welcomed and respected by my future employers. Another important learning outcome was the function that the High-Powered Work System of (HPWS) had in guiding HR practices, specifically Staffing and Compensation. Leveraging technology in combination with organizational structure is an essential aspect to the HPWS and as a consequence Human Resources. How to utilize those technologies and developing a structure that seeks to integrate those technologies in a human resources capacity will be an important part of my Human Resources philosophy. Workplace Diversity is more about thriving in a globalized market than achieving Equal Opportunity employment practices.

International Accounting Standard 19, Employee Benefits Research Paper

International Accounting Standard 19, Employee Benefits - Research Paper Example This paper will also focus on how to improve the financial reporting regarding the pension benefits and identify the main problems in the current financial reporting system for pension. IAS has issued several directives on employee benefits. Employee benefits can be subdivided into short term, long term, post-employment and termination benefits. The new IAS 19 is a great achievement because it offers many advantages to the employees. On the other hand, it also suffers from certain disadvantages, which can be mitigated in due course of time with suitable amendments. Roadmap: The paper first deals with the IAS 19 frameworks and explains the standards of IAS 19 relating to employee benefits. IAS 19 is the framework for evaluating the employee benefits. Then the paper takes up the controversies in IAS 19 standards relating to various schemes especially pension related issues. The next discussion segment in the paper is the old IAS 19 standards and the latest IAS 19 standards. The last di scussion segment is the latest amendments made in the IAS 19 standards. The papers dwell not only on the latest amendments but also such amendments which have been proposed to be implemented. All specific points relating to the IAS 19 have been stated considered in the paper. Evidences taken to support the ideas projected in the paper have been provided as references. Lastly, appropriate conclusions have been drawn and stated in the paper. Subheadings with specific points supported by evidence The IAS 19 framework: Under the wide term of IAS 19 come all employee benefits which include short term, long term, post employment, retirement, termination and compensation benefits. The short term employee benefits can be categorized as salary and bonus payments, paid and unpaid leaves and other short term non monetary benefits like medical and housing facility etc. The long term benefits include the employee’s long term leave and service benefits. The main aspect in IAS 19 is the pos t employment benefit section or to be more specific, the subject of pension. IAS 19 is the direction provider to post employment and post retirement benefits and pension benefit is one of the most important post employment benefits. Controversies in IAS 19: IAS 19 became a controversial standard and one of the main reasons for this was that the accounting standard for pension was not correctly adhered to. IAS 19 is an accounting standard which covers the reporting of all employee benefits and the most debated topic is the discussion on pensions, especially the employer sponsored, defined benefit pension plans. Pension plans can basically be divided into two categories. It can either be a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. In the defined contribution plan the employer has to bear a lot of expenses because the unfunded benefits are usually recorded as a liability in the balance sheet. â€Å"Under IAS 19 recommendations, unfunded benefits are to be recorded, as a general rule, as liabilities in the balance sheet of the sponsoring employer. In defined contribution plans, the employer’s annual contribution under the terms of the occupational plan should be recognized as an expense.† (Yermo& Stewart, 2007, P.48). IAS 19 has been subjected to several amendments but still organizations have been incurring high losses due to several reasons. IAS 19 has

French Revolution Essay Example for Free

French Revolution Essay The French Revolution marked a period that was characterized by fundamental social and political disturbances in France. The French society was initially under an absolute monarchy prior to the Revolution which occurred in the late 18th century. The French society went through ambitious transformations whereby feudalism, aristocracy and religious privileges sublimed due to spirited attacks from the political activists and the masses. There was a call to shift from the old hierarchical system and adopt the enlightenment tenets of nationality and absolute rights. The Revolution in France is said to have begun in 1789 and it was marked by various stages with the various revolutionary groups executing the much needed transformations. This paper shall explore how the various groups executed their revolutionary activities that eventually contributed towards the political changes witnessed during the time. The French Revolution The revolution was initiated by the Third Estates-General who demanded that the king undertake practical reforms in the government. The ‘constituent’ forcefully ensured that France had undergone reformations that brought in the constitutional monarch while abolishing feudal advantages and also creating a representative electorate though not a democracy. The constituent had a well elaborated law that was referred to as the ‘Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens’ which can be compared to the bill of Rights in the American constitution . Between the years 1791 and 1792, the Legislative Assembly was introduced and the King was supposed to govern hand in hand with this entity. In August of 1792, the king was forced to flee and take cover in the Legislative Assembly during the Parisian march that happened near the royal residence. The king became de facto as the Assembly took control. From 1792 to 1795, France witnessed the First Republic and grand terror in its history . This is a time when the revolution reached its peak. Terror was established as a means of dealing with the opponents of the regime and France was pronounced to be a republic in the year 1792. The somehow liberal constitution that observed some democratic tenets was introduced in 1793 but was to be shelved by the revolutionary government. France was under the rule of the Committee of Public Safety which comprised of a dozen members whose first leader was Danton . Following the execution of Danton, Robespierre took over. In the year 1794, the Revolutionary activities were intensified and it begun executing those who were in opposition to its activities. This led to the execution of its own leader, Robespierre in July of 1794 . After the execution of Robespierre, there arose what was referred to as the ‘Thermidorian Reaction’ which led to the creation of a new constitution. The reaction was in opposition to the terror and paved way for the final stage of the Revolution . In the years 1795 to 1799, the Directory regime was established in which case the executive authority was shared among five directors. The regime was unpopular but it used any means possible to cling to power. There were numerous attempts to overthrow the Directory which culminated in the final disposal of the regime in 1799 by Bonaparte. Napoleon Bonaparte’s coup led to the installation of the Consulate before Bonaparte established his dictatorial regime.  He later proclaimed himself as emperor which ended the republican chapter of the revolution. Conclusion The French Revolution was a period characterized by upheavals in the political arena in France towards the late 18th century. However the Revolution played a crucial part in European politics. The revolution ensured that sovereignty was observed as absolutism was discarded which led to the replacement of monarchy with nationhood. The French Revolution therefore marked a major turning point in human history especially in regard to the political orientation of the western society of the 18th century and the world in general.

Competitive strategies: UK supermarkets

Competitive strategies: UK supermarkets Research background UK retail supermarkets employ some competitive approaches in their business, this study emphases mostly on these marketing techniques. This study describes future of business strategies used by chief retail supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Retail strategy can be explained as the general proposal which is taken in action by retailers for gaining achievements in the competition of supermarkets. (Barmen, B. Evans, J. 2006). Recently extraordinary competition originated in the environment of retail supermarkets. Huge investment in infrastructure done by major supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco, Morrison and Sainsbury increased their product quality. Advancement in technology, increase in the range of products, quality and pace resulted vast advancement in supermarket industry of the United Kingdom. (Harvey, 2000). According to the market shares owned by major supermarkets in the United Kingdom according to the statistics of 2006 March 9th, first four supermarkets in the United Kingdom own 74.4% of the overall market. Among the four Tesco is at the first position with a marketing share of 30.4% in the United Kingdom. Main competitors of Tesco in the United Kingdom market are Morrison, Sainsbury and Asda. Asda has a marketing share of 16.6% while Sainsbury Morrison hold marketing shares of 16.2 % and 11.2% correspondingly. In UK competition among retail supermarkets are tougher but Tesco is most successful among all supermarket chains in United Kingdom. (Source: BBC news, 9 March 2006). The above mentioned four supermarket giants dominate UKs retailing markets. Currently Tesco, Sinsburrys, Asda are the top retail supermarkets rules grocery retailing in the UK. The industry construction is characterized by many attributes such as greater store size, lowering prices of goods and adopting different formats to satisfy the consumers expectation. (Andrew Holingworth, 2004). Research question The first and foremost question focused on this research is: How effective is the competitive strategy employed by giant supermarket in UK? With these competitive strategy how these giant supermarket each other withstand in this current competitive market? How the competitive strategy helps in maintaining customer relationship management and the sales of the supermarket? Also,To identify the overall performance of these supermarkets. Literature review Review of literature is a body of content that aims to reconsider the vital points of existing knowledge on a specific topic. This literature review is done to recognize the existing knowledge in the section of competitive strategy employed by giant supermarkets.. According to Porter ME, 1980 competitive strategy can be defined as the â€Å"plan for how a firm will compete, formulated after evaluating how its strengths and weaknesses compare to those of its competitors. For example, a small meatpacking firm may decide to concentrate on a special niche product offered in limited areas after determining it cannot compete on price with major competitors.† Competitive strategy consists of the actions which are taken to attract customers, to withstand the competitive pressures of the market and also to help and strengthen the firms market position. The main objective of the competitive strategy is to earn a competitive benefit or advantage and to cultivate a clientele of loyal customers and knock the sock off the rivals ethically and honorably.(Philip Kotler, 2001) Tesco holds the largest market share which is of 31.6% for which the Tesco is controlling the large sector of the current retail market and also they have 50% of grocery market where as Sainsburys has about 22% of the current market share. Tesco sells a very huge variety of product range and also they do buy the products in a massive volume and sell those goods cheap, as considered to Sainsburys they only purchase goods of popular brand name and sell their own brand products in the super market. The Tesco has the super power to have their super market which is at the main location, it has the largest acquisition which enable Tesco to acquire nearly about 1/3rd of the retail market but concerned as Sainsbury they do not have the power to acquire land.(Julian finch, the Guardian) To sell every product, every where and everyone target which includes in the national and overseas, success level has been achieved by Tesco. With introduction of this strategy Sainsburys should have to work hard, and will have a hard time keeping up the Sainsburys giant retail market. The giant supermarket Tesco put effort to attract the people from all level of peoples or customers where as Sainsburys tries to attract customers with the middle , average class people by their middle class value or price. Tesco put more efforts to reduce the price and attract the customers where as Sainsbury keeps concentration in particularly in food, i.e. the quality of food they provide to the customers. After several years of decline in market, Sainsburys have emerged with independent ideas in stabilizing the current competitive environment. In the year of 2004 chief executive of Sainsburys Mr. Justin King introduced new recovery programs to attract the customers and to retain them using competitive strategy method and this had increased their market shares from 15.8%.customer relationship management is introduced as a new discipline which can create and nourish the sales and profitability(Julia Finch, The Guardian). During the period 1999 asda was owned by the US corporation company Wal-mart, it is the only one supermarket in United Kingdom which has the potential to be a thorn for the Tesco   as currently Asda in the world is eight times biggest company in the world , compared to annual sales against Tescos. Despite of the very tough trading competition environment Asda has grew up its total sales in a ‘high single digits which is excluding the petrol for a period upto September 30th. A figure which was published by the TNS shows that Asda is growing in UK market twice in speed. Even at the time when customer are price conscious supermarket Asda still continues with quality goods in cheap price agenda At a time when customers are increasingly price conscious, ASDA continues to drive its low cost agenda enabling it to fund lower prices for customers. As a result it has further strengthened its price advantage over its competitors. ASDAs profit grew ahead of target with good cost control despite rising energy costs. The delivery of ASDAs sustainability programme has contributed to lowering operating costs as well as reducing its carbon footprint. Methodology The technique for examination taken for this research proposal is qualitative research to obtain descriptive and qualitative understanding about the competitive strategy followed in giant supermarket. Errors occurred can be found in eloquent way with quantitative examination of information. Qualitative analysis/examination is defined as â€Å"the data collected in relates to the demographic or the behavioral of the respondent under the study† by Kothari (1990). This study is conducted to acquire qualitative as well as expressive understanding of causes and means which are connected to the completive approach with Tesco, Sainsburys and Tesco. Competitive strategy includes many processes like technology, innovation, process and combining people. Supermarket giants use this technique; in this method consultation has been conducted to disclose outlooks, philosophies, primary inspiration and emotional state on competitive approach engaged in major hypermarkets on client correlation. Data collection The data collected for analysis is from both primary and secondary data. Primary data is the data directly collected by the researcher himself. Primary data is original in nature and is directly from the first hand experience. Secondary data is collected from some other sources which were collected for some other purpose. Secondary data collection is cost effective and time effective. In-depth interview and direct observation would be done. They are cost effective and take less time. Face to face interview will be conducted with the staffs and employees of Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys and also a keen direct observation will be made to know the satisfaction of the customers and sales effectiveness, also the strategy method used in customer relationship management strategy and the other strategy followed is observed to know what attract the customers and retain customers. Datas are also collected from secondary sources like books, journals, newspaper archives, internet etc. The data collected for the research is through non probability convenience sampling method. Convenience sampling as word suggests is the sample selected by the investigator by his personal and convenient interest. It helps in focusing into new insights and ideas into the research problem. Convenience sampling method takes less time and is cost effective Data analysis Data analysis is the most important section of the research. Data analysis enables to understand and obtain the exact result of the research. Here data is analyzed through SWOT and PESTEL analysis. The data that is collected from direct observation, interviews ,questionnaires and other sources is evaluated and examined to understand the strength, weakness, opportunity and external threats and also evaluates macro factors like political, economical, social, technological, ecologicaland legal. Enhancement in research techniques Research impact Time scale Activities Nov 09 Dec 09 Jan 10 Feb 10 W1 W2 W3 W 4 W 1 W 2 W 3 W 4 W 1 W2 W3 W4 W1 Topic selection x Read journals and magazines x x Analysis on the topic x x Data collection x x X Preparation of proposal x x Proposal submission x Feedback x Preparation for data collection x x x Data Analysis X x Further literature review x Submission of draft x Draft revising x Print x Submission X

industrial revolution Essay -- essays research papers

In the last part of the 18th century, a new revolution gripped the world that we were not ready for (Perry, 510). This revolution was not a political one, but it would lead to many implications later in its existence (Perry, 510). Neither was this a social or Cultural Revolution, but an economic one (Perry, 510). The Industrial revolution, as historians call it, began the modern world. It began the world we live in today and our way of life in that world. It is called a revolution because the changes it made were so great. They were also sudden, although the preparation for these changes took many years. It is called industrial because it had to do with manufacture. â€Å"Manufacture† means the making of every kind of useful article, from cotton cloth to brass pins. The Industrial Revolution changed how the world produced its goods and altered our societies from a mainly agricultural society to one in which industry and manufacturing was in control. The Industrial revolution began in England in the middle of the 18th century (Perry, 511). It was in full swing at the time of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776 and England at the time was the most powerful empire on the planet (Perry, 511). So, it was inevitable that the country with the most wealth would be a leader in this revolution. This revolution transformed the entire life of the people and it the habits of workers-the men and women who produced the goods. It brought down prices, so that people were able to ...

All About Apples :: Essays Papers

All About Apples History The history of apples stretches back to the days of Adam and Eve, when it is believed to have been the â€Å"forbidden fruit† described in the Bible. Despite this long standing history, apples did not always grow naturally in New England. While the first apples are thought to have grown on the lower slopes of Tian Shan, a mountain range separating Kazakhstan and Krygystan, they also grew wild in Central and Southwest Asia, China, Italy, Switzerland, Spain and Greece. Through conquest and exploration, apples were spread when Romans conquered England and when Spaniards brought them to Mexico and South America. It wasn’t until the mid 1600’s that the Pilgrims cultivated them in Massachusetts. It is believed that John Endecott, an early governor, was the first to bring an apple tree to North America, and the first orchard was planted on Beacon Hill by a clergyman named William Blaxton. It is Blaxton who is credited for growing the first named apple, the Yellow Sweeting. Once apples were established in New England, they played an active role in everyday life. As a fruit which was easily stored through the winter, as well as being very beneficial to settlers’ health, apples were a main staple in early settlers’ diets. Despite the fact that apples were not initially from North America, and have been growing disease-free for centuries in their native habitats, the early settlers found that the long, hot summers and cold w inters of New England grew apples unlike anywhere else in the world. New England apples are known not only for their unique blend of tart and sweet flavors, but also for their size and freshness. Apples can be grown farther North than any other tree fruit. The reason for this is that the tree blooms in late spring when it is unlikely that the blossoms will be harmed by frost. While France harvests more apples than America, the yearly U.S. harvest is around one hundred and fifty million bushels, with the largest apple-growing state being Washington. Growing Techniques:Winter A seed from an apple will generally grow if it’s planted under satisfactory conditions, however, the apples will be smaller and poorer than the apple from which the seed was taken. For this reason, apple trees should be planted from buds cut from a healthy tree. This type of apple planting is called grafting.

World War Two Essay -- WWII World War 2 Essays

World War Two On June 18, 1812, President Madison of the United States and Congress declared war on Great Britain. On June 25, the French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte led his army in Europe across the Nieman River into Russia.(1) Although these two events were thousands of kilometers apart they were directly connected to each other. To some extent, the Americans declared war in protest against measures that were part of Britain's effort to defeat Napoleon with the use of blockades. There are many interesting aspects to the War of 1812, including the fact of why it even happened. Britain and the United States had more reasons to remain friends than to start a war. The intent of this essay is to examine American and British objectives during this war, and despite the Treaty of Ghent, conclude Canadians won the War of 1812. Britain, in their eagerness to starve out France, set up a series of blockades along the European coast.(2) These blockades sought to exclude neutral ships from trading with France and her Allies. The very powerful British Royal Navy would search American vessels, most times within sight of land. British deserters provided England with the excuse it needed to search American ships at sea. Desertions were commonplace in the Royal Navy, harsh treatment and punishments were a way of life to British seamen. In comparison, crews on American merchant vessels enjoyed much better treatment, lots of food, good pay and above all, limited punishment. Royal Navy boarding parties arbitrarily selected deserters who, for their crimes were whipped, strung up by the yardarm or keelhauled.(3) As a bonus, the British impressed, kidnapped would be a better word, the most fit and healthy among the American crews into the Royal Navy, and in most cases seized the cargo. Facing well armed British warships, American merchant ships were powerless to resist and were sometimes captured outright. This treatment of American people and vessels at sea would not go unnoticed by the newly formed colonies of the United States. In his speech to congress June 1,1812 President Madison anger at the British Royal Navy and their tactics on the open seas, was very apparent "Thousands of American citizens under the safeguard of public law and the national flag   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  have been torn from their country and everything dear to them... Against this crying enormity, which Great Brit... ...ton, Flames Across The Border, p.224-5 43.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibid., p.225 44.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibid., p.226 45.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibid., p.227 46.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stanley, 1812 Land Operations, p.260 47.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibid., p.261 48.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibid., p.268 49.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Berton, Flames Across The Border, p.40 50.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ronald Way, "The Day of Chrysler's Farm,"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Canadian Geographic Journal (June,1961) p.216 51.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Berton, Flames Across The Border, p.283 52.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stanley, 1812 Land Operations, p.340 53.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibid., p.377 54.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibid., p.338 55.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibid., p.381 56.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ibid., p.393 57.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Glen Frankfurter, Baneful Domination (Ontario, 1971) p.113-4 58.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Morton, Military History. p.70 59.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Berton, Flames Across The Border. p.405 60.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Richard Gwyn, The 49th Paradox Canada in North America (Toronto, 1985) p.22 61.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frankfurter, Baneful Domination. p.113-4 62.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Berton, Flames Across The Border. p.22-3 63  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C.P. Stacey, "The War of 1812 In Canadian History."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ontario History (Summer 1958) p.154-5 64.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Arthur Campbell Turner, The Unique Partnership Britain and The United States   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (New York, 1971) p.33 65.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Robert Craig Brown and S.F. Wise, Canada Views The United States   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Washington, 1967) p.42

Royal Selangor

The Royal Selangor Pewter: STP Strategy and Marketing Mix. (Written by: Wong Eu Jun of DIA201204. ) Founded by a man named Yong Koon in 1885, Royal Selangor Pewter is a Malaysian pewter manufacturer-retailer which has since become the largest global brand leader in the line of pewter objects manufacturing and a prominent one in the metal craft industry. It is also recognized as a very highly celebrated Malaysian brand icon because of the success that it has gained throughout more than a century of existence. Looking at what Royal Selangor has done, it is needless to say that Royal Selangor has expanded its product range beyond mere pewter objects to a broader variety such as certain glassware and jewelry. Due to the fact that Royal Selangor made such a bold move by venturing into foreign shores, it cannot be denied that the company is bound to face a myriad of possible challenges if it were to carry on with what it is doing. In this case, having a well-planned STP strategy which allows the company to identify its intended market segment thus enabling the company to single out specific groups of buyers would be a very beneficial move. At the same time, it will also help Royal Selangor to set its target market and position its brands in which as we can see, it is already something that they have accomplished because Royal Selangor is a high-end luxury brand name in the minds of many and that the company makes pewter objects of the best quality. Therefore, on a personal level, I’d like share my insights on the STP strategy and marketing mix of Royal Selangor. STP Strategy: Royal Selangor has been able to divide and partition their market segment in a somewhat organized manner. From where I see this, Royal Selangor has catered to a couple of highly notable figures such as the likes of the former U. S President Bill Clinton, Hollywood actor Mel Gibson and lifestyle talk-show host Martha Stewart. Notable figures like celebrities and political icons are supposed to make up a large portion of Royal Selangor’s market segment because they likely come from the higher-income group which is why they would therefore behave in a very lavish way. In addition, the company also creates trophies for major sports events and tournaments like the Petronas Malaysian F1 Grand Prix and the Sime Darby Golf Tournament. This means that Royal Selangor already has a few clear-cut market segments which consist of notable figures, other companies or organizations that need to have pewter objects given as gifts or prizes and probably higher-income people who are likelier to have a stronger purchasing power of buying luxury goods and that is just what Royal Selangor makes; pewter objects that are categorized as luxury goods. Also, I believe that another group of buyers that are a part of Royal Selangor’s market segment would be people who want to decorate their household with pewter objects. From a personal point of view, I have been able to notice that a lot of affluent people tend to display pewter objects and glass wares in their homes for ornamental purposes because they are characterized by their desire to flaunt their status and hence, this leads me to believe that these people are also a part of the market segment of Royal Selangor. Now, as I further on to the target market of Royal Selangor, it seems like as though there are only a couple of target markets that Royal Selangor focuses on and these target markets tend to be very niche ones. The first would be notable figures, as I’ve mentioned earlier in the market segment. These people play a very pivotal role as customers and actual buyers of Royal Selangor and its products and the strategy that Royal Selangor has come up with to satisfy their needs and wants is by creating beautiful tableware, wine accessories, jewelry and various luxury products. As we speak of this, the fact that Royal Selangor is a leading brand when it comes to pewter objects and other accessories is already an advantage for the company because this group of people would feel a need to purchase pewter ware and other luxury items from a well-renowned company like Royal Selangor. Moreover, Royal Selangor also forges rather good entrepreneur ties with sports organizations like Formula 1 by manufacturing their trophies. This is an example that clearly tells us that organizations like Formula 1 are also part of the target market of Royal Selangor. In this circumstance, Royal Selangor fulfills the need of Formula 1 to have a pewter trophy made for a grand prix. Moving on to how Royal Selangor positions itself, it is without doubt that in the Royal Selangor sets itself apart as being the leader of its industry. This is why Royal Selangor is able to attract its buyers because they already know that Royal Selangor is second to none in the metal craft industry. Furthermore, Royal Selangor incorporates very unique designs and excellent craftsmanship in their products. This is the reason Royal Selangor allows itself to be ingrained in the minds of its customers that it is the top pewter objects manufacturer that produces the best pewter objects and other accessories. Secondly, the international reputation of Royal Selangor as a brand that has catered to notable figures is also possibly a reason why the affluent are willing to buy its products. This could have created a mindset psychologically because people are going to believe that Royal Selangor is a brand that has been used by people of celebrity-like status. Marketing Mix and the 4P’s: Product: Considering the fact that Royal Selangor has transformed itself into a highly-revered pewter object manufacturing company synonymous with quality, I feel that it is necessary for the company to have a well-controlled marketing mix in order to monopolize the industry. First and foremost in the marketing mix, Royal Selangor already possesses the trump card of having products that are superior in terms of quality and design. Besides that, the variety of products will also appeal to more market segments since Royal Selangor no longer focuses on just pewter objects. Packaging wise, from what I’ve seen, Royal Selangor packs its gifts in very elaborate boxes and packages like those of wedding-ring boxes so the packaging itself is something that most people may possibly be attracted to. As the common belief exists, ‘’you pay more for the packaging than the goods sometimes’’. This is why the packaging of Royal Selangor is equally important as a part of the product’s characteristic because it is what helps the products to stand out by enhancing its attractiveness. Promotion: Although advertising and other promotional activities have never really been done on an exceptionally large scale by Royal Selangor, one will notice that the company predominantly relies on the use of print media as their primary media platform of advertising despite a few marketing communication events being held probably to gather a bigger crowd. By doing so, they have been able to successfully enforce their tagline ‘’ Pewter has a new attitude’’ with the use of print media. From what I’ve noticed based on a personal observation, there are a lot of Royal Selangor print advertisements like posters and billboards in these 2 places particularly; Central Market and Suria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur. This could possibly be because these 2 areas are frequented by high-income people and not to mention the definite fact that there are a lot of handy-craft and pewter ware for sale in these 2 places. Place: Where Royal Selangor sells its products has never really posed a problem to the sales it generates every now and then. As I take a look at the retail outreach that Royal Selangor has been doing, it is undoubtedly a good idea for the company to make its presence in higher-end shopping destinations because it obviously does a lot of good by strengthening the prominence of the brand Royal Selangor. International expansion is also a very bold move because by venturing into the markets of other countries, it allows the company to attract more customers and set more target markets beyond the confines of the local market segment. This attests to the fact that Royal Selangor has indeed brought the brand beyond the Malaysian target market because in the 1970’s era, the company began selling it products abroad in stores like Harrods’s in UK, Myers in Australia, Mitsukoshi and David Jones. This bold move had initiated the global expansion of Royal Selangor and therefore, the brand could then succeed beyond the regional and local market. Price: The money factor plays an indispensable part of Royal Selangor’s marketing mix because as we all know, what ultimately matters at the end of the day, to most people is how much they have in their wallets. This is why the prices of Royal Selangor are closely linked to the target market the company focuses on. As we all know, Royal Selangor is a company that sets high prices for its products probably because the company dominates the metal craft industry as well. Discounts, as most customers and buyers would expect, are not so easy to come by because if the company were to lower its prices, there will be no standardized price and it will definitely be a loss to the retail outlets. Opportunities and Threats (External Environment): Nobody denies that almost all companies are bound to face its fair share of threats and opportunities, therefore, the same would go for Royal Selangor as a manufacturing company that has existed for more than a century. On the positive side of things, an opportunity that Royal Selangor has would be its long existence as a Malaysian brand icon and one of the earliest Malaysian brands that dates back to the pre-Independence era. So in this case, the company’s strong position as the market dominator definitely gives them the opportunity. Secondly, the broad product range that the company offers that is recognized worldwide is also another opportunity for the company because I feel with this, it is the key for the company to sell its products abroad at a much better pace because it builds the brand recognition at an international level. If there are opportunities that the company might possibly have, it comes in an inevitable package because there should also be some underlying threats that the company is likely to face. As the saying goes, ‘’when there is life, there is death’’. So assuming that the situation is similar, one of the threats that the company may face is an economic recession. In short, when the times get tougher and inflations start happening, people will most likely cut down on luxury products. At the same time, they might have problems adapting to other target markets even though they are a dominant force when it comes to manufacturing pewter objects. For instance, if Royal Selangor were to sell its products in the jewelry market, they could face fierce challenges from jewelry companies like Poh Kong, Habib, Tiffany & Co if these other companies lower their prices. This is when the factor of price intertwines with the purchasing power of the buyers should there be an economic recession because in that case buyers tend to opt for the cheaper brand. In final consideration, Royal Selangor is able to manage its marketing mix very well and it has done a tremendous effort in boosting the economy of the ountry as a manufacturer that exports its produce to foreign lands. Thanks to the right marketing strategy and not to mention, quality control being just as important, these have made what the company is today; a leading brand in the industry of pewter objects manufacturing. Last but not the least, being a leader of an industry that is almost certainly unchallenged is what gives Royal Selangor the edge and it is definitely a bold move for Royal Selangor that brings a whole new challenge when it goes into other industries by crossing beyond the world of pewter manufacturing. So in my opinion, I don’t think it would be surprising if one fine day, Royal Selangor succeeds as a very highly respected global conglomerate brand that is successful in various industries and not just the pewter manufacturing. At the end of the day the fundamental principle is the more territory you control, the more powerful you are. So this is exactly what Royal Selangor ought to do. Expand its product ranges to a broader variety and engage the brand name in the lives of more people that would cut across all walks of life. References: Royal Selangor Pewter (n. d. ) Royal Selangor. [online] [Accessed: 20 November 2012]. Peopalove (2012) BrandTalk: Branded means Wanted. [online] Available at: http://www. peopalove. com/brandtalk/2005/jul/wanted. html [Accessed: 20 November 2012]. The Star Online (2012) Royal Selangor on expansion mode. [online] Available at: http://biz. thestar. com. my/news/story. asp? file=/2010/9/18/business/6935822&sec=business [Accessed: 20 November 2012].

Eliezer’s Relationship with God in Night

Hanging On: The Description of Eliezer's Relationship with God in Night World War II breaks out in Europe during the conclusion of the 1930s. Adolph Hitler plunges Germany into darkness while quickly moving to take over bordering countries with his army of Nazis. Eliezer, a boy no more than 15 years old, lives in Hungary, which is dangerously close to Germany. Along with many other Jews, Eliezer is deported from his home and into a world of unimaginable terror. Night is a memoir of those experiences and, more importantly, a stark reminder that these events should never be allowed to repeat themselves.The Holocaust presents one of the most disturbing theological dilemmas of the twentieth century. As a survivor of the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel has to reevaluate God in his world. He does so through his writings, in which he questions God and tells us of the answers, or lack of answers, that he receives. In Night, author Elie Wiesel writes about his devotion as a child, religious observance s, and anger towards God to reveal how he is still a believer in the Jewish faith despite all that happen to him. Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Treblinka are just a few of the names which evoke nightmares of the Holocaust.The suffering and death at these and other concentration camps were greater than any before endured. Before the Holocaust he had been one of the most devout Jewish children. The Holocaust created a void in the souls of many of those who survived. Elie Wiesel was one of those people. Before the Holocaust he had been one of the most devout Jewish children. Up until the end he waited for God to intervene in Biblical fashion. When that intervention was not forthcoming, he began to doubt in God and in His mercy. He began to accuse God of cruelty against his people.After the torture was over, he had to reevaluate the role of God in his life. He could be forgiving of God and allow Him another chance, as many he had seen had done. Or he could take on the role of God to himsel f and try to define his own destiny. To deal with this, Wiesel has to question God and himself. He does so through his writing. Elie Wiesel tells his heart-wrenching story of his imprisonment in Nazi Germany. He overcame the odds with his strength and will to live. Elie was told by his father to never lose his faith of his religion it would help him through everything, and keep him strong.One should never lose faith or whatever guiding force that may keep them going. This faith was the only force that helped Elie to survive, and without this faith Elie would have surely succumbed to dying. The question now is how far does Elie’s belief in God and in his own faith helps him to go on. He receives many answers, though none are satisfactory. Wiesel thought of God before and during the Holocaust as both the protector and punisher of the Jewish people. Whatever had happened before, he had faith that it was for their good, or one of God's greater plans.Either way, he would accept Go d's will without questioning. When rumors of the Nazis' crimes first reached some of the outlying Jewish towns, like Wiesel's Sighet, no one believed them. The town felt that God was with them and would protect them from anything as horrible as what these rumors suggested. They felt safe and secure in their faith. â€Å"And we, the Jews of Sighet, were waiting for better days, which would not be long in coming now†(17). Others who did not feel guilty believed that God at least had a good reason for punishing the Jews. They thought it must be a test. God is testing us. He wants to find out whether we can dominate our base instincts and kill the Satan within us. We have no right to despair. And if he punishes us relentlessly, it's a sign that he loves us all the more†(53). Faith delayed the revolution that might have erupted in the camps. The younger people felt it would be better to die fighting than to go like lambs to the slaughter. They had knives and a strong will. B ut their elders reminded them, â€Å"You must never lose faith, even when the sword hangs over your head. That's the teaching of our sages†¦ †(40).As long as the elders were willing to accept God's will, the younger people were willing to respect their faith. They still had faith that God had a greater purpose in mind, and though they opposed the idea of suffering, they would suffer with pride that they are part of God's plan. And so Wiesel and his town were indoctrinated without incident into the camps, believing that if their faith endured, they would be saved. Soon the delusions faded and Wiesel began to doubt God. It was not easy for Wiesel to doubt in God, or he would not have held on to his faith with such tenacity.But sooner or later, the seeming meaninglessness of the suffering his people endured had to burst into the consciousness of his seemingly indomitable Jewish faith. In the face of the crematory pit, Elie Wiesel noted, â€Å"For the first time I felt revo lt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank Him for? †(42). He awoke to the idea that he was â€Å"alone-terribly alone in a world without God†¦ †(75). Lack of faith turned quickly to despair. If God wouldn't save His children, who would? No one believed the rumors of peace and safety.In the hospital at Auschwitz, Wiesel met a man consumed with this kind of despair. He said, â€Å"I've got more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He's the only one who's kept his promises, all his promises, to the Jewish people. †(87). All around Wiesel, the number of faithful were dropping. As hard as they tried to hold on, Wiesel's people were finding it hard to believe in God and what He was allowing to happen. Others, like Wiesel, were given the burden of carrying the questions with them, never to be answered. At the hanging of the angel-faced pipel, Wiesel had an answer, when someone asked, † ‘Where is God now? And I heard a voice within me answer him: ‘Where is He? Here He is-He is hanging here on this gallows†¦ ‘ †(72). God died for the child Wiesel then. The destruction of his faith in the God of his childhood was complete. No longer did his name bring cries of praise from Wiesel. God seemed unworthy in the face of His worshipers to accept their worship. Wiesel cannot deny God His due. If anything he can question it and feel angry about it. He can even try to change it, by reevaluating God's role in the world. That is what many of those he encountered did once they got over the initial anger.Any answer cannot come from man, but from God himself. This is what Moshe the Beadle had tried to tell Wiesel when he was a young boy in Sighet, before the terrors of the Holocaust destroyed his life. Moshe said, â€Å"Man raises himself toward God by the questions he asks Him†¦ That is the true dialogue. Man question s God and God answers. But we don't understand His answers. We can't understand them. Because they come from the depths of the soul, and they stay there until death. You will find the true answers, Eliezer, only within yourself! †(15). There can be no end to the questioning, even if there are no answers.In reading the works of Elie Wiesel, I had to ask God some of the same questions that he did. The storm of emotion followed the paths of anger and despair, and finally ended with the acceptance that Elie Wiesel finds. God is not easy to figure out, and he never will be. With all our knowledge, we cannot guess at his reasons for doing anything. I will never stop wondering what happened, and, more importantly, why, but I will sleep quietly, as long as when I wake I watch to see that there is not another Holocaust, and I pray to God that whatever the reasons for the first one, there never will be a second.The Holocaust presented a call to people everywhere to reevaluate the role o f God in their lives. The pain and suffering that we know took place is in dark contrast to what we would have thought possible in the presence of our God, and anyone who comes in contact with these horrors will be forever shaken in his present faith. Some have reacted with anger toward God, others with denial. Still others reacted with mistrust of all that God had meant before. But by asking questions, some have grown to learn that God never did things the way people expect Him to, and that fact becomes the cornerstone of the new start to their theology.God does not answer questions unless they suit His purposes. This is what we have learned from Auschwitz and from the writings of Elie Wiesel. We must continue to ask questions, continue to challenge God, until, one day, He Himself will give us the answers. And until then we should never feel so secure in faith as to think that Auschwitz could never happen again. We must make certain, through our actions, that it will never happen a gain and to never lose the faith that has been devoted to God.

Descriptive Essay About a Person

Zarja G. ESSAY #: About a person They say you will never forget the person you first laid your eyes on. A tinny glimpse, which you probably do not remember, although it somehow stayed in your heart. Not the picture but the feeling you had when you saw him/her. The feeling of warmth, safety and joy. Without them you feel lost not really yourself. Somehow they are a part of you, a part of your world, your heart. For me that is my mother. Her voice calms me down.After moving to Vienna I was a bit homesick, but my mom would call me and everything would get better in a second. Just the sound of her voice is what I need from time to time. She is very good with words and almost knows what you want to hear when you are sad. Being a journalist and a writer explains her love of books and literature in general. She loves telling stories and is really good at it. She puts her heart and soul in what she writes. She never talks about her feelings, but in stories and short stories she always does.W riting somehow makes her feel better. It makes her emotions be heard without a voice just by the words on a white paper. The picture of my mother will never ever disappear from my mind. Her curly brown hair with a ribbon in them so they do not hide her face, her dark brown eyes and the smile which lights up my world. She is not that tall probably the same height as me. Her style for clothing is a bit different from other mothers, but I love that. She never wears heals and her favorite shoes are converse Allstars. My mother is a fantastic cook.Whatever she prepares is absolutely delicious. Even our neighbors tell us that after my parents moved to Klagenfurt even they miss the smell of her gingerbread cookies. For me it is a smell of Christmas. You can smell cinnamon and honey and you can almost immediately feel your mouth water. Right after the cookies were done in our family they quite quickly disappeared. She is the one who is always there for me. If I am in trouble or just sad I k now I can always count on her. She would walk to my room close the door and slowly sit next to me.Without even asking she would know I am not okay. Her presence made me always feel better even though I was broken inside. Her hand would slowly rub my back and she would whisper in my ear: ‘‘I am here everything will be okay. ’’ And it always was. I could say my mother is my best friend which will never disappear from my life. Her personality and charisma makes me want to be just like her when I grow up. We are kind of inseparable. I am always there for her as well as she is there for me. I love my mom. Descriptive Essay About a Person Zarja G. ESSAY #: About a person They say you will never forget the person you first laid your eyes on. A tinny glimpse, which you probably do not remember, although it somehow stayed in your heart. Not the picture but the feeling you had when you saw him/her. The feeling of warmth, safety and joy. Without them you feel lost not really yourself. Somehow they are a part of you, a part of your world, your heart. For me that is my mother. Her voice calms me down.After moving to Vienna I was a bit homesick, but my mom would call me and everything would get better in a second. Just the sound of her voice is what I need from time to time. She is very good with words and almost knows what you want to hear when you are sad. Being a journalist and a writer explains her love of books and literature in general. She loves telling stories and is really good at it. She puts her heart and soul in what she writes. She never talks about her feelings, but in stories and short stories she always does.W riting somehow makes her feel better. It makes her emotions be heard without a voice just by the words on a white paper. The picture of my mother will never ever disappear from my mind. Her curly brown hair with a ribbon in them so they do not hide her face, her dark brown eyes and the smile which lights up my world. She is not that tall probably the same height as me. Her style for clothing is a bit different from other mothers, but I love that. She never wears heals and her favorite shoes are converse Allstars. My mother is a fantastic cook.Whatever she prepares is absolutely delicious. Even our neighbors tell us that after my parents moved to Klagenfurt even they miss the smell of her gingerbread cookies. For me it is a smell of Christmas. You can smell cinnamon and honey and you can almost immediately feel your mouth water. Right after the cookies were done in our family they quite quickly disappeared. She is the one who is always there for me. If I am in trouble or just sad I k now I can always count on her. She would walk to my room close the door and slowly sit next to me.Without even asking she would know I am not okay. Her presence made me always feel better even though I was broken inside. Her hand would slowly rub my back and she would whisper in my ear: ‘‘I am here everything will be okay. ’’ And it always was. I could say my mother is my best friend which will never disappear from my life. Her personality and charisma makes me want to be just like her when I grow up. We are kind of inseparable. I am always there for her as well as she is there for me. I love my mom.

Current health and safety legislation Essay

Ensure the area in or outdoors is free of any hazards or risks and is safe for CYP to work or play in safely. There should be adequate space for the number of people using it to move round comfortably and safely. Equipment should be stored safely storage should be labelled clearly. Furniture should be appropriate size for age of CYP using it. Lighting and noise should be taken into account and specific risks to individuals as in pregnancy, impaired sight or hearing, disabled, and CYP with special educational needs. We have a duty of care towards all the CYP in our care. The outdoor environment has some different needs like secure boundaries, being regularly inspected. The area should be checked for litter broken glass or animal droppings. Ensure any plants bushes or trees are safe no thorns or nettles and no poisonous or irritant leaves, berries, or flowers. Safety rules should be displayed and explained to the CYP also making sure they have a clear understanding of how to use any to ys or equipment safely. Areas that include ponds, pools and sandpits etc should be covered when not in use. Be aware of lines of responsibility for checking the learning environment for risks and hazards. Your health and safety officer should answer any queries you have. There should be the correct ratio of adults to children with suitable training and safety clearance. In both these environments and off-site visits everyone should be aware of what to do in case of: emergencies, fire alarms, incidents, accidents or illness. Be aware of possible signs and indicators of child abuse: physical, emotional, sexual abuse, bullying and harassment , neglect and failure to thrive not based on illness. The signs could be: behavioural changes such as regression, withdrawal, excessive attention seeking, aggression and negative behaviour. Physical indicators such as unlikely bruising, burns, marks, genital irritation or damage, hunger , being dirty, lack of  health care. In school we have notices about certain children whom either have allergies, specific illnesses that require specialised medication or immediate contacting of emergency services, they have a picture of the child and detailed instructions of what to do in an emergency. All incidents and accidents no matter how minor are recorded in detail in our first aid book, anything more serious has to be recorded on special incident sheets along with any witness statements. We have regular fire drill practices. There are security locks on the main exits that can only be opened with a swipe card that only members of staff have. If someone should get through this system and are unknown to staff they will be challenged by any member of staff within the school and asked to leave. All the CYP’s are regularly reminded of stranger danger and what to do if they should be approached by a stranger. The gates are locked to the entrance of the school at starting and leaving times for the CYP’s to ensure there is no danger from cars or lorries driving on and off site. CYP are regularly reminded of hygiene issues like washing hands after using the toilet or at lunch times before eating their food, there are also posters to remind them on a daily basis too.

Research methods and ICT Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research methods and ICT - Literature review Example Hence, health care sector is increasingly utilising the power of information and communication technology (ICT). The emerging trend suggest that an informatics based integrated health care service network is not very far away. The National Health Service (NHS) of UK is rapidly advancing in this direction. It has a clear approach and the target is to integrate the health care services with ICT to ensure highest order of efficiency. â€Å"For 2008-2009, the main NHS spending figure was ?1.63 billion, but this does not cover all spending on ICT by the health service.† (Marsden, 2010). This proves that the urge to develop an integrated information technology (IT) based framework for the health care processes is significant. The main focus of this enormous fiscal spending is on NHS. â€Å"The ?1.63 billion spend by user base comes out with strategic health authorities bottom at ?27 million, primary care trusts ?682 million and far away in the lead, NHS trusts at ?915 million.† (Marsden, 2010) However, the spending patterns of the government have attracted criticisms as well. There are allegations that the overseas companies like â€Å"CSC, Fujitsu and Atos appear to have been the biggest beneficiaries of NHS IT spending, with the former raking in a whopping ?232m for its work during the period.† (Muncaster, 2010). ... tronic care record for patients and to connect 30000 general practitioners to 300 hospitals, providing NHS CFH (Connecting for Health) is responsible for delivering this programme. In due course it is planned that patients will also have access to their records online through a service called HealthSpace. NHS CFH agency will create the world’s biggest civil information technology programme.† (White, 2010). To comprehend this sort of planning, review of the NHS structure becomes critical. â€Å"NHS is divided into two sections: primary and secondary care. Primary care is the first point of contact for most people and is delivered by a wide range of independent contractors, including GPs (General Physicians), dentists, pharmacists and optometrists. Secondary care is known as acute healthcare and can be either elective care or emergency care. Elective care means planned specialist medical care or surgery, usually following referral from a primary or community health profes sional such as a GP.† (National Health Service, 2009). Thus, it can be concluded that the NHS functionary is rather diversified. It consists of primary care trusts (control eighty percent of the total budget of NHS), acute trusts, care trusts, mental health trusts and agencies like NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) (National Health Service, 2009). Hence, the technical aspect of the ICT integration process will involve synchronisation of diverse agencies, offices and hospitals. Database management is crucial, since the knowledge handling systems will have to distribute, display, retrieve, organise, keep and acquire current knowledge. This would provide the clinicians, GPs, and researchers with updated information. The patients will be able to access and retrieve their

The Terrorist Group (ISIS) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The Terrorist Group (ISIS) - Research Paper Example ed condemnation for their ideologies and principles from all around the world, and especially from the Muslim community, which believes that this group does not represent the faith that is Islam. This paper will take a closer look at the group, and examine the principles that make it such a threat to the freedom and liberties of all people. According to different sources, this group was initially a part of the main group al-Qaeda, but their involvement in the Syrian war made them change their name from ISI (Islamic State of Iraq) to ISIL or ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). In 2014, the group sought to change their name to Islamic State, and proclaimed their organization to be a worldwide caliphate. This prompted criticism from different governments, Muslim leaders, and the United Nations calling out the leader of the group and refusing to acknowledge the power the group claims to have over all Muslims, their states, organizations, and even the different religious groups in the world (Tran and Weaver 1). The presence of the Islamic State in some of the warring countries is something that is quite disheartening. It is their ideologies and principles that make them a particularly cruel and calculating group of extremists. Their thoughts on what is right and wrong may be the key to unlocking some of the thoughts they have on the people they unleash terror upon, and the reason why they are becoming intolerable even to their Muslim folk (Crooke 1). It is this form of cruelty that begs the question as to whether this group is motivated by religious beliefs, or if the group has other underlying agendas. The criticism they have received seems to have no impact on their actions as more people continue to suffer at the hands of the Islamic State (IS) organization. Women, who speak out against the organization, continue to be enslaved as they are used by the fighters in the group for gratification. The young are sold off to become the fighters’ wives, while

The Interagency Process (National Security) Essay

The Interagency Process (National Security) - Essay Example ctice, this compartmentalization is partially mitigated by overlapping membership on various interagency groups and by the oversight of the Office of Management and Budget. However, there is still no inter-agency process for developing policy options on these issues that integrates all of the relevant facets and is supported by appropriate quantitative analysis. Any such process should have, at least, a cabinet-level committee that focuses on governmental issues but covers both the domestic and foreign policy aspects of those issues; several sub cabinet-level working groups that are chaired by a senior policy official and supported by a staff located in the White House; access to all of the resources necessary to conduct and comment on quantitative analysis of policy options; and ail avenue for exchanging ideas with industry, the local community, and other outside constituencies on a continuing basis (Friedman, pg 7). Before discussing these elements in greater detail, however, it is useful to look at the emerging international issues, examine existing interagency mechanisms for addressing these issues, and explore the boundary constraints imposed on any interagency mechanism by the United States system of government, political culture, and personnel selection process. In this paper I aim to describe the inter agency process, provide an overview of the legal framework that created the process and discuss the major players. I will explain with examples the major flaws in the present system and also the key strengths. The Interagency process also known as the IAP was officially recognized in 1947. The current process for expressing national planned policy is untied for explanation by the supervisory division, which has led to fruitless proceedings in the interagency process specially I terms of national security, idleness, and at times contradictory policy.   As the state organizes for the upcoming, it is crucial that the IAP be superior codified and dignified to

The role of managers and clinical leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The role of managers and clinical leaders - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the performance of all individuals is based on a large number of factors including internal as well as external ones. It is the responsibility of managers to make sure that all individuals within the organization are motivated enough and their goals are aligned with those of the company. All work done by the employees must be directed towards the objectives of the organization. Mostly all organizations now have a human resource department to improve the motivational level, performance as well as the productivity of the employees. This would improve the overall performance of the organization and would also result in higher profits due to improved quality of the task work. The factors related to the performance of an employee working in a company are similar to those working in a health organization. The motivation of employees is dependant on many factors including environmental factors etc. It also includes factors such as the task st ructure, the workplace environment as well as how the managers treat the employees and other subordinates. The process of performance management aims to improve the effectiveness of employees in order to achieve the organizational goals and objectives. It includes planning, developing as well as rewarding to increase the overall motivation of employees. Planning includes setting the expectations of employees and monitoring the overall performance of the employees. The management should also rate the performance of employees and provide rewards for good performance.... If an employee is continuously facing problems then the manager should change the tasks assigned to the employee involved. This would give the employee chances to use his potential and portray his skills. However, if the employee continues to face the same problems then the manager should realize that the problem is not with the tasks assigned but other factors within the employees such as the motivational level. Therefore, the manager should try to motivate the employees in order to improve his performance for the assigned task. In order to keep the staff motivated, managers all over the world follow a number of strategies. These strategies include performance appraisals, commission pays, other intrinsic as well as extrinsic rewards etc. These rewards act as tools for the motivation of employees in all kinds of organizations. These increased levels of motivation in employees would increase the productivity and improve performance of the organization as a whole. This would also impro ve the employee morale and the organization would be able to retain talented employees as well. It would also improve the image of the organization in the business world. Managers should place a lot of importance on the motivation of employees as they themselves might be the reasons for low motivation and they need to understand what problems the employees are placing in their workplace (Motivation and productivity in the workplace, Web). Managers and clinical leaders have a lot of responsibilities to fulfill to improve staff morale as well as motivation of the staff employees. In order to improve staff morale and motivation, managers can develop clear cut rules and goals for the staff employees. They can even employ

Current Global Practices how countries are responding to the Essay

Current Global Practices how countries are responding to the Greenhouse Business Challenge including Carbon Footprint - Essay Example According to Leggett & et. al. (2008), China and the United States (US) are considered to be the foremost producers of greenhouse gases (GHG) releasing approximately 35% of worldwide emissions. In order to respond towards mitigating the growing concern of carbon emissions, China introduced a plan named â€Å"National Climate Change Program†. The primary objective of China in introducing this important program is to diminish the rising level of GHG emissions (Leggett & et. al., 2008). Leggett & et. al (2008) identified that the economy of the US has been significantly influenced by the increased level of GHG. It has been viewed that the growth of modern transportation arrangements is one of the major causes of rising GHG emissions in the US. In order to respond this significant issue, the US government is incessantly adopting certain important initiatives such as enhancing the energy efficiency relating to the transportation of the vehicles, presenting substitute law-carbon fuels and enhancing the competence level of the entire transportation system (Leggett & et. al., 2008). The European Union (EU) is also liable for generating significant GHG emissions resulting from its international air transportation systems. It is expected that the emissions can be increased in future if the different member states belonging to EU does not employ any sort of policy response in this particular area. In this similar context, EU established a significant mechanism through which it can periodically track the level of emissions as well as the absorption of the GHG (Dow & Aggarwal, 2012). In order to counter the problem about the increased level of GHG emissions, the Government of India established a plan named â€Å"National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)†. This plan has been fundamentally designed for tackling the aspect of climate change in order to reduce the growing concern of carbon emissions. Furthermore, the plan intends to