The Upward Battle free essay sample

I’m a dictator. Ask any of the paper’s staff members about my tactics, and they’ll probably compare me to Mussolini himself. O.K., I’m too critical. I refused to ask for help. I thought I was the Superwoman of high school journalism. And to say the least, I wasn’t. The newspaper adviser of 13 years left after my sophomore year. With his experience in journalism, he was able to advise the editors through tough budget problems, tell them how to handle power struggles, edit copy and bring new ideas to the table. He participated in regional workshops and was an active scholastic media leader in the state. He was a lively member of the staff. We were lucky. I was the first editor in the paper’s history who would not have him to hold my hand, and I thought I could handle it. I would get more students involved in the paper. We will write a custom essay sample on The Upward Battle or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page People would fight for coverage, and readers would make checking the Intermission website a daily activity. I swore I would be the editor who would change the reputation of the paper. Well, sometimes your expectations don’t line up with reality. I failed my paper in more ways than one during my junior year: For one, we never felt united. The designers and photographers were in a completely different building than the writers and copy editors. Classes went on where none of the writers saw my face. I went in with the mentality that I was the â€Å"Almighty Editor-in-Chief† who the staff would automatically respect, fear, and obey. Instead, they treated me as a parent: agreeing to complete the task, but the moment I left the room, they went back to their naps. I had to hold my staff’s hand like they were in kindergarten. Secondly, I never communicated with my adviser. With multiple e-mails sent before the school year even started, I came off too strong. I expected him to know everything about journalism. I expected him to have past experience in the field and to be as eager I was to get started. I quickly realized how optimistic I had been. I never took the time to show him the ropes. He was left behind, and to this day, he still thinks it was his fault. The apology note he wrote in my yearbook does not lie. And lastly, I was awards-driven. My previous adviser always mentioned one editor who set the record for the most papers published in a year, who won the paper numerous awards at our state competitions, and who was an alternate for North Carolina High School Journalist of the Year. I wanted to be her, but I focused on the wrong things. My eyes were only on the prize, and I forgot about the steps to getting there. Impatience, selfishness, and overconfidence are the characteristics of the dictator that once ruled over the Intermission newspaper. A new era of democracy has begun. Now, I’m a democratic leader.

Case Study 4 Culture Clash In Boardroom Example

Case Study 4 Culture Clash In Boardroom Example Case Study 4 Culture Clash In Boardroom – Case Study Example Case Study 4 Culture Clash in Boardroom Identify the most important facts surrounding the case. The case of whether the German-Chinese joint venture should follow the ethical rules of the parent company or the country of operation presents a decision dilemma to the management. The most important facts that surround this case include the socio-cultural differences that multinational companies experience. In this case, the German-Chinese joint venture has its headquarters in Germany and this means that its entire operation management principles and business practices are traditionally Europe. On the other hand, China hosts its subsidiary and offers a better business prospects. The challenge is that in China it is operating in a different cultural environment which is likely to contravene its ethical standards of business practices.Identify the key issue or issues.The key issue in this case is adherence to ethical standards of the company versus the need to accept the bribe culture in C hina to realize sales. Mr.Liu Peijin faces a difficult decision to make since the customer insists on 1% commission as a reward to complete the negotiation and finish the deal. This is the local culture in china but is against the ethical standards of the firm.Specify alternative courses of action.The causes of actions possible in this case are to compromise the ethical standard of the company, give the commission to the customer and gain in huge sales. An alternative cause of action is to withdraw from the deal by rejecting the 1% commission demand thereby holding on the ethical principles of Almond China.Evaluate each course of action.Offering a 1% commission will compromise the ethical principles of the multinational which will affect its ability to negotiate future deals on allegations of corruption and lacking integrity. Sticking to the company’s ethical principles and rejecting 1% commission demand will cost the company a huge sale- 30 million Yuan.Recommend the best co urse of action.The long run survival of the firm is primary and this makes it important to have clean hand in its transactions. Since it is in another country with better business potential, it would be advisable to protect its public image by adhering to its ethical standards. Tis has long term benefits in positive public image of Almond’s as a compromise on its ethics or safety standards may affect its ability to secure contracts in the future.Work CitedKatherine Xin and Wang Haijie Should a German-Chinese joint venture follow the ethical rules of the parent company or the country of operation? Culture Clash in the Boardroom.2011

Comparison of U.S. & Other Health System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparison of U.S. & Other Health System - Essay Example However higher costs does not mean better quality of life, health statistics in Spain show higher life expectancies (82.2 years), lower mortality rates (10.9/1000), and overall lower incidences of population major diseases (diabetes:9.0%, cardiovascular diseases: 23.15%, obesity: 23.95%) compared to US [life expectancies (78.6 years) mortality rates (13.9/1000), major diseases (diabetes:10.85%, cardiovascular diseases: 15.6%, obesity: 31.7% ) (National Center for Health Statistics, 2013; World Health Organization, WHO, 2012). Differences come from lifestyle habits, the Spanish have an active lifestyle and Mediterranean diet, and the US a sedentary lifestyle coupled with unbalanced diet (Borkan, et al., 2010; The Department for Professional Employees, DPE, 2013; National Center for Health Statistics, 2013; WHO, 2012). Health Care Financing: Comparison between US and Spain The US has hybrid healthcare financing: government medical subsidy is combined with private or group insurance for payments: private funding ( insurance or individual’s out-of-pocket payments) amount up to 50% of the total health care spending, with the rest from federal (38%) and local or state funds (12%) (DPE, 2013). For Spain, after healthcare reform financing is also shared, but the government pays up to 74% of the expenses, the rest is paid by individuals or employers (Legido-Quigley, et al., 2013). Spanish healthcare relies more heavily on taxes than US healthcare, contributing to lower healthcare costs per person compared with the latter (WHO, 2012). Health Care Administration: Comparison between US and Spain The US principal agency in healthcare provision is the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which works with other agencies (e.g. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, etc.) to improve the population’s health through research and development, establishment of quality standards, among others (National Center f or Health Statistics, 2013). In Spain the Spanish National Institute of Health (Instituto Nacional de Salud, INSALUD) similarly functions as the HHS in providing the public with quality health services, however unlike HHS it is decentralized and delegates power over regional health communities (Borkan, et al., 2010). Health Care Personnel and Facilities: Comparison between US and Spain Only around one-fifths of the healthcare facilities in the US are government-owned and the rest are private institutions, accounting for high healthcare costs per individual (DPE, 2013). A low physician-to-patient ratio of 24 physicians per 10,000 people promotes high healthcare costs but less quality services (Holtz, 2008; National Center for Health Statistics, 2013). In Spain, healthcare facilities are mostly government-owned and subsidized, and physicians and nurses are salaried, which reduce additional costs per individual (Borkan, et al., 2010). Also, services are better due to a higher physician -to-patient ratio, 39 per 10,000 persons (WHO, 2012). Access and Inequality Issues: Comparison between US and Spain US ranks first in terms of health care responsiveness due to its state-of-the-art health care delivery system, which contributes to an increase in preventable deaths (Holtz, 2008; WHO, 2012). Spain’

The Valley Winery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Valley Winery - Essay Example Employee turnovers have been described as one of the major challenges that face any organization that is bent on growing. This is because turnover puts so much challenging in place for management to solve and the process of solving these problems takes the attention of management from pursuing other beneficial ventures for the organization’s growth (Sigma Assessment Systems, 2012). To this extent, the problem that Pat Waller faces cannot be underestimated in any logical sense. Causes of the Problem There exist a number of causes of the present problem at Valley Winery. However, two of these would be outlined for the present purpose. In the first place, much blame would be given to the characteristics of the job that the sales representatives are supposed to undertake. According to Sigma Assessment Systems (2012), not all jobs have the same levels of intrinsic attraction and that â€Å"a job's attractiveness will be affected by many characteristics, including its repetitiveness, challenge, danger, perceived importance.† There is no denying the fact that most sales representatives take up their jobs with very low levels of perceived importance as they assume those jobs to be stepping stones to get hooked on to other kinds of jobs. Moreover, the job does not guarantee repetitiveness and poses a number of dangers to the representatives. This could be the major cause of the problem. The second cause to be discussed could somehow also have served as the solution to the problem if it was implemented earlier.

Bathsheba and Fanny Essay Example for Free

Bathsheba and Fanny Essay She later married him after he had ordered the killing of her husband. We can relate this story back to the character of Bathsheba Everdene by saying that she was willing to marry someone who she did not love, but for security, like what happened to her with Boldwood and Troy. Not surprisingly though, being so independent she does not rate marriage very highly, I should not mind being a bride at a wedding if I could be without having a husband. This shows us that she is not very keen on the love and marriage scene. Her surname Everdene can also be linked into how she saw herself a fair product of nature and as the meaning of her surname suggests just this, by its meaning: Timeless qualities of nature. This may also have relevant as to where she felt most comfortable, where she did not have to act or have to impress anyone. I think her surname shares a link to the real Bathsheba, the hardworking, independent, country girl, this is why she was so successful in the managing of her uncles farm. It gave her a chance to unwind and clear her mind from all the turmoil that surrounded her constantly. Hardy is not the only person who tells us about Bathsheba. Other characters also make statements about her, she is so good looking and an excellent scholar, we are told this by her aunt, she says this to try and stop Gabriel from proposing marriage to Bathsheba early in the book. Troy also tells us about Bathsheba as well, I said you were beautiful and Ill say so still, by so you are. Troy says this to flatter her and to seduce her; unfortunately Bathsheba is weak in this sense and is easily flattered, so she falls for Troy. Although, in saying this, by the end of the novel she reveals an inner strength which is demonstrated by her being able to endure troy and Fanny being buried together and by her keeping Fannys lock of hair as a momenta of the poor girl. It is this inner strength which illuminates her need and love for Gabriel, who has remained true and loyal to her throughout her progress. On the other end of the social scale we are told of Fanny Robin, she is a direct contrast to Bathsheba: she is blonde and fragile while Bathsheba is dark and lively. She is portrayed as a shadowy figure adding mystery to the plot. We first meet Fanny in chapter seven, in Weatherbury churchyard where she will finally be buried. We are told that When abreast of a trunk, which appeared to be the oldest of the old, he became aware that a figure was standing behind it. This quote shows us that Fanny was a shy girl and that she did not want to be noticed by anyone if she could help it. Hardy evokes sympathy for Fanny when she and Gabriel meet for the first time, as Gabriel notices that she is rather weak and vulnerable. I am rather poor and I dont want people to know anything about me, Then she was silent and shivered. Fanny clearly wants to go unnoticed and she appears to be cold and undernourished which would lead us to believe that she was probably unemployed and very poor. Gabriel feeling sorry for Fanny offers her a shilling Yes, I will take it. Fanny accepts the shilling like a child would a sweet. Like Bathsheba, Fanny can also act unconventionally, for example when she runs off to marry Troy although she is depicted as a vulnerable girl in a hostile landscape. This is effective in that it draws the readers sympathy for Fanny because of her weak stature and the harsh surroundings that she had to cope with each day. Ironically though her letter rejoicing in her forthcoming marriage is somewhat naive and premature. Through this Hardy again evokes sympathy and pity for Fanny when she muddles the churches and faces Troys fury, but this is what Troy needed; a chance to abandon Fanny and marry his rich and beautiful mistress, but unknown to Troy, Fanny is pregnant and destitute. Fanny is a victim of circumstance, a shadowy presence who reveals Troys fickleness when he flirts with Bathsheba. Fanny would now be frowned upon due to the fact that she was pregnant and was giving birth to an illegitimate child, although this was not her fault she would still have faced prejudice. This, also draws sympathy from the readers for Fanny because it is a problem that faces women in even our modern world today. So, Fanny conceals her pregnancy and supports herself as a seamstress until she goes to Casterbridge workhouse to have her baby. I personally feel sympathy for Fanny in this situation because she could have gone to Troy and demanded that he take care of her and the unborn baby, but she didnt, and in doing so showed that she had respected Troys decision to marry Bathsheba. She realised how her social status and upbringing would have affected Troy, and in doing so she left him alone. I think this shows great courage and unselfish behaviour from a woman who had so little, but yet payed the ultimate price. Hardy evokes sympathy by describing in harrowing detail her last journey, especially with the picture of her little arms resting on a large dog. Her death caused by giving birth to an illegitimate child. Fannys fear that she will never see Troy again Perhaps I shall be in my grave is prophetically ironic. Ironically she has more power in death than in life. Her beauty in the coffin reduces Troy to abject shame and reawakens his true love, as he regards Fanny now as his very wife Fanny is then put in a coffin and Gabriel leaves her coffin to rest at Bathshebas house, which is near to where she will be buried. On the coffin though it said Fanny Robin and Child. Gabriel took his handkerchief and carefully rubbed out the two latter words, leaving one inscription Fanny Robin only. Gabriel did this to protect Bathsheba from getting hurt and to maybe protect Troy from the embarrassment, as he was the father of an illegitimate child. Her character is simply drawn from her naive honesty and her forlorn faith in her lover. In many ways, Fanny represents the plight of the Victorian working- class female who strays outside the narrow confines of society rules. In the end Hardy left Fanny on a very sombre and sad note The persistent torrent from the gurgoyles jaws directed all of its vengeance into the grave. The rich tawny mould was stirred into motion, and boiled like chocolate. This is where Hardy has evoked the most sympathy for Fanny, and I am sure other readers of the book would agree with me. Hardy presents these two characters very differently. He portrays Bathsheba as a self- assured, independent, confident woman who was deserted by her husband because he had realised his mistake, leave her to pick up the pieces of what I think was a shattered life and one that was in turmoil, dismay and sadness. This is how Hardy has tried to draw sympathy for Bathsheba, by describing how Troy mistreated her and used her for her wealth; this is the only place in the book that you really feel sympathy for Bathsheba. With the character of Fanny Hardy was able to draw a lot more sympathy from the readers due to the reality of her character and that did happen in those days. Fanny was the total contrast to Bathsheba she was the shy and dark and lonely figure who was never paid any attention to; she was poor and weak. She was never, I think, truly happy with who she was and how people, especially Troy treated her and Troy only realised how special she was until it was too late. The most striking scene in the book was definitely when the gurgoyle was dripping water all over Fannys grave and ruining it. This is when we as readers, we sit back and are made to think of the things in our life that we take for granted each day, just expecting them to always be there, and one day they wont and then we will truly realise how much we had loved them, as Troy found out when Fanny died. Hardy has presented these characters in the most appropriate and effective way in order to draw sympathy from them. I do think now, that this book is not just to be read but it has been written to make you think about the things that you cherish most in life, and dont make the mistake of not appreciating them.

Marketing Information Systems (MkIS) Support for the Marketing Management Process :: essays research papers

Marketing Information Systems (MkIS) Support for the Marketing Management Process Introduction More and more, companies are faced with the need to control an ever larger and rapidly changing marketing environment. The information processing requirements of companies are expanding as their competitive environment becomes more dynamic and volatile (Child, 1987). To handle the increasing external and internal information flow and to improve its quality, companies have to take advantage of the opportunities offered by modern information technology (IT) and information systems (IS). Managing marketing information by means of IT has become one of the most vital elements of effective marketing. By collecting and sharing marketing information and by using it to promote corporate and brand image, IS offer new ways of improving the internal efficiency of the firm. IS allow dynamic marketing communication between personnel in corporate planning, accounting, advertising and sales promotion, product management, channels of distribution and direct sales. These systems also relate to marketi ng strategy, marketing planning and the entire marketing management process. IS span the boundary between the organization and its environment by connecting the customers and partners to the firm ¢s warehouse, factory and management. Today interorganizational relationships and interorganizational information systems (IOS) have become a common form for processing transactions and there are many examples of IOS that create electronic linkages between firms (see Bakos, 1991; Cash and Konsynski, 1985). IT has a key role in new flexible organization forms such as strategic partnerships and cross-functional networks. New organizations will be designed around business processes rather than functional hierarchies (Rockart and Short, 1989) and we will face the need for new kinds of IS in marketing. In fact, IS will be the cornerstone of new approaches to marketing. Management and systems designers should therefore be better aware of the avenues available to integrate marketing and management processes in new innovative ways. The objectives of this empirical survey among Finnish wholesale companies are threefold. First, we evaluate which information included in marketing information systems (MkIS) has been important in providing support for the marketing management process. Second, we analyse what improvements in marketing and sales have been realized by implementing MkIS to support the marketing management process. Third, we investigate, in more detail, what operational MkIS sub-systems have contributed to improved effectiveness for implementing and controlling marketing efforts. In order to answer these questions we first develop the analytical framework, and then we describe the survey of 50 marketing organizations in Finland.

An Enlightening Experience

How often do we appreciate our parents for the advice they gave us? Hardly ever! How often do we turn a deaf ear to their advice? Very often! I believe that is a unanimous answer given by most of us and very often, we will get ourselves into serious trouble or land ourselves in a situation where we greatly regret our act of not having listened to the advice of the wise. I can vividly recall such an unforgettable experience that I had when I was a young child of 12 years old and since that experience, I will never go against the wishes of my mother. When I was a child, I had lived in Georgetown with my mother. Our house was right next to the woods which had always stirred up great curiosity in me in wanting to find out what dwelt within. My father had deceased by the time I was 12 and I had lived alone with my mother. I supposed it was because I was the only child; she had loved me greatly and was very protective over me. She did not like the idea of me wandering off on my own and always ensured that I was in the safety region of her sight. Even if she allowed me to explore the vicinity on my own, it was only to be somewhere within the circumference of the house. Being as curious as the cat, I had always desired to explore the interior of the woods next door. It was as if my mother had understood my desire, she had warned me on numerous occasions never to enter the woods. â€Å"Mum, can I go out and play in the garden? † I asked. â€Å"Donnie,† she would reply each time. â€Å"You can play in the garden but you must promise me never to go into the woods next door where the loggers are cutting and clearing the land. It is too dangerous for a little girl like you. † â€Å"Sure, you’ve said that many times! † I answered in amazement at her repeated reminders. â€Å"You know I’ve always stayed away from there! However, curiosity got the better of me one day. I was playing near the woods as usual when I heard laughter and people talking loudly. I listened intently and discovered that it was coming from within the woods. I wondered who that could be. Ignoring my mother’s constant reminders, I decide d to enter the forbidden world. For once, I had disobeyed my mother but I was filled with great excitement. Very cautiously, I crept towards the sound. I came to an area where there were around six brawny men having their tea break under a tall tree and next to them were many felled trees. Not far from them, there were also many colourful flowers with beautiful butterflies flittering around them. At that moment, I still had no inclination of the trouble that would soon befall on me. I was filled with awe at the beauty of the miniature garden before me. I skipped over to the flowers and started chasing after the butterflies. I was filled with elation and started to become braver as I frolicked gaily in the woods. The men did not bother about me as they thought I was not in their way and they continued with their tea and conversation. The beautiful and gigantic butterfly that I was chasing after started to fly over to the felled trees. Not wanting to lose sight of it, I decided to follow suit. I had even climbed up and walked along a downed log in an attempt to catch the butterfly when suddenly I lost my footing and fell off the log. I screamed in agony when I landed because I was not on the hard forest floor as I had expected to. Instead, I had fallen on an axe that was facing up. Apparently, the loggers had left their axes on the floor when they went for their break. When they saw me playing earlier, they had not expected me to go so near to the downed logs. My cries of pain and fear had undoubtedly attracted their attention and concern as they rushed over to my side. By then, blood was flowing profusely from my left leg where a three inch cut had appeared. The pain was unbearable and I almost fainted from the sight of the fresh blood. However, what was more horrifying was the thought of how I should tell my mother about the incident! I had disobeyed her and landed myself in harm’s way. I should have listened to her sound advice and stayed far away from the woods. I was afraid to face my mother but I know the blood had to be stopped and the wound need to be treated. As I thought of the situation I had landed myself into, I started to howl loud which terrified the men who thought I must have been in tremendous pain and shock. The men tried to sooth my loud crying and to stop the blood flow at the same time. Instantly, there was panic among them as each of them tried to help but in vain. Finally, one of them tied my handkerchief around the wound and the blood was temporarily stopped but it was obvious that I needed some stitching for my deep cut. He carried me out of the woods and took me back to my house. Along the way, I was sobbing quietly, petrified with the thought of facing my mother and what she would say to my mischief. Fortunately for me, my mother was too concern with my injury to reprimand me. After thanking the logger for his help, my mother rushed me to the nearest hospital where I received eight stitches on my left leg. I also received a punishment of not being allowed out of the house for an entire month but I know I had deserved it. I could not believe that an innocent walk in the woods could have landed me in such a plight where I could even have been killed by the axe had it pierced right through my heart! The mere thought of the close shave still sends shudders down my spine. The scar on my left leg is not only a permanent reminder of the incident but also a deterrence for me from any further desire to turn a deaf ear to my mother’s advice. Needless to say, she never had to remind me again of the need to stay away from the woods for I never step foot into it ever again. Nor does she ever have to repeat her advice for me as I know that Mum will always know what is best for me because she is the more experience one.