Summary Of Crito By Plato - 846 Words

In â€Å"Crito† by Plato, Socrates faces a difficult dilemma. Socrates has been wrongfully charged of impiety and corrupting the children and is approached with an offer from his close friend Crito who says he will help Socrates escape and give him a nice place to live away from Athens where he can flee from a wrongful execution. Socrates should stay in prison and face his execution in order to prove he is innocent. Socrates wants to do no wrong at all and comes to the conclusion that escaping would do more harm than facing a wrongful execution. He feels that escaping would be wronging those who wronged him which is still doing wrong. The laws have not wronged Socrates but the people of Athens have. These laws helped him grow into the man he is and he feels he would be doing a disservice to them by going against what he swore to stay true to. When Crito tells Socrates that people will see him as a bad friend Socrates replies, â€Å"But why, my dear Crito, should we care about the opinion of the many? Good men, and they are the only persons who are worth considering, will think of these things truly as they happened†. Basically, Socrates is explaining that what people think is irrelevant and that good men will understand Socrates decision and will not think poorly of Crito as they will see things as they truly happened. If Socrates were to leave he would be breaking his agreement to obey the laws. Socrates swore an oath to accept the verdict and penalty and if he left now he wouldShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis of Jacques Louis The Death of Socrates1047 Words   |  4 Pages The Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David *summary/description: The Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David is a striking picture of the aged philosopher sitting upright in his bed moments before the poison is taking its effect with one finger raised to heaven. He is expostulating to his students but the majority of his students turn away unwilling to see the ravishing effects of the drug on their beloved master. One student looks at the ground covering his eyes. Another sits, head loweredRead MoreBroken Family3761 Words   |  16 PagesMain interests: Epistemology, ethics Notable idea: SocraticMethod, Socratic irony Influenced: Most subsequent Western philosophy; more specifically, Plato, Aristotle, Aristippus, Antisthenes Spouse:Xanthippe Children:Menexenus, Lamprocles, Sophroniscus Aristotle Philosopher Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great â€Å"Personal background† Born: 384 BC Stagira, Chalcidice Died: 322 BC (aged 61 or 62) Euboea Nationality: Greek Era:Read MoreWhat Are The Charges Against Socrates?1019 Words   |  5 Pageshas been conserved of Socrates defense of himself as it was presented before the Athenian Council. It is in essential agreement with the references to the trial that occur in Plato s other dialogs. We may determine that Apology is not written by Socrates and only contains the words of Socrates that were memorized by Plato, since he was present at the time of the trial. However, we know that Socrates was Plato’s teacher and had been admired by him a lot. We should bear in mind that Plato’s viewsRead MoreThe Apology: The Understanding of the Soul in Life and Death Essay1735 Words   |  7 PagesFour main themes are the most important in the assigned section of The Apology. I will begin with a brief synopsis of each major theme, with an analysis and my opinion following, and ending with the question of Socrates own death. Firstly, Plato introduces the important concept that it is far worse for one to do wrong than to suffer wrongdoing. Socrates, refusing to be harmed by Meletus, believes that â€Å"it is not allowed that a good man be injured by a worse† (pg. 41). Despite Socrates impendingRead MoreCartesian and Platonic Philosophical Themes in The Matrix Essay2065 Words   |  9 Pagesare presented in the film. In this analysis, we will examine the questions of skepticism and the mind-body problem separately. Part one will examine how the film broached the subject of skepticism, and in doing so how it ties in to Descartes and Plato. Part two will analyze the mind-body problems as raised by the movie and how those problems hold true or not to Descartes’ and Plato’s ideas. Part One: Skepticism and the Matrix This student of Philosophy now sees the movie The Matrix in a wholeRead More George Gemistos Plethon on God: Aristotle vs Plato Essay4387 Words   |  18 PagesGeorge Gemistos Plethon on God: Aristotle vs Plato In this paper I examine George Gemistos Plethons defense in his De Differentiis of Platos conception of God as superior to that of Aristotles. (2) Plethon asserts that the Platonic conception of God is more consistent with Orthodox Christian theology than the Aristotelian conception. This claim is all the more interesting in light of the fact that Plethon is, as it turns out, a pagan. I argue that Plethon takes the position he does because

Implicit Associations Test - 1011 Words

Grace Dzilenski Society and the Individual March 27, 2011 It was with some trepidation that I awaited my score for the Presidential Implicit Association Test (IAT). Was it possible that I am subconsciously racist? Despite the fact that I genuinely don’t look at Barack Obama any differently because he is black; the nature of this test forces your mind and body to work so quickly in synch that it forces a high level of veracity. Luckily in both of my IAT results my subconscious did not betray me, but it did require a certain amount of concentration at times, which might make a statement in and of itself. My first IAT was the Native American-European test, which I selected merely out of interest and curiosity. When filling out the†¦show more content†¦Again, my results measured little to no automatic preference between the two. I found the results of past test takers to be worth noting, because Obama surpassed Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Lincoln, Jefferson and Presidents in general. He tied with Roosevelt and los t to Clinton and Kennedy, which I think has many implications. First the data could be illustrating that most people are not racist considering he beat out the majority of the other options, including Jefferson and Lincoln who are particularly celebrated in American History. Second, this test begs the question, are they looking to see if people are racist (since he is the only African American option) or is this measuring job performance? The triggers they used were photographs and adjectives. Both Obama and Reagan’s photos were professional headshots with equal number of happy and serious expressions. The words consisted of wonderful, glorious, awful, horrible etc. Neither trigger related to racial stereotypes, and could easily be used to assess performance. Perhaps if they used triggers associated with racial stereotypes that would then yield results that measure racism more accurately. Lastly, whether someone is a Democrat or Republican will also have an effect on this test. Obama beat all the Republican presidents and fell short when compared to JFK and Clinton (two revered Democrats.) It can also be assumed that most people taking this test are somehow related to world of Academia,Show MoreRelatedRacism: The Implicit Associations Test Essay1032 Words   |  5 Pagesof the ideas behind the Implicit Associations Test. The creation of the implicit associations test was to find out if there is a way to determine if it is possible to actually know the inner feelings that someone has, but that they may not be able or willing to report. It may also be a way for someone to determine if their explicit attitudes line up with their implicit attitudes and be able to know themselves a little better than they did before. Before taking the tests, I decided which four thatRead MoreCultural Pluralism Course At The Harvard Implicit Association Test ( Iat )828 Words   |  4 PagesThe first assignment in our Cultural Pluralism course was to take part in several individual studies as part of the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT). Each of the studies measures a person’s attitudes and beliefs that they may not be willing or unable to express and to write about our experience. For some individuals, taking these types of tests would be possibly a little unsettling. As for myself, I was very sure that I h ad a strong understanding of who I am and what I believe, so I thoughtRead MoreA Comparison of Implicit and Explicit Weight Bias Essay1315 Words   |  6 PagesA Comparison of Implicit and Explicit Measures of Weight Bias Renee Szostak Abstract In the present study, the results of the fat-thin Implicit Association Test (IAT) were compared with the results of explicit surveys in ten Indiana University undergraduates. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant correlation between subjects results on the IAT and their responses in the explicit survey. Our survey was designed to measure the same bias that the IAT was measuringRead MoreEducation Plan For Grade Implicit Attitudes And Bias1514 Words   |  7 PagesEducation Plan to Grade Implicit Attitudes and Bias What applications can be used to identify and address the hidden impulses of racial bias? Implicit attitudes develop early within every culture, where race is categorized by age 5 (Hirschfeld, 1996, 2001). While reviewing the developmental process of implicit attitudes in youth when introduced to social groups, it helps researchers understand their significance on an individual’s emotional decision making skills. The level of implicit and explicit attitudeRead MoreThe Effects Of Implicit Bias On Society1885 Words   |  8 Pagesseen as unacceptable, implicit associations still permeate our society. These associations lead to implicit bias. Implicit bias is readily becoming the most pervasive form of bias in our society. It contributes to both micro and macro-level inequalities, and raising awareness of implicit bias is crucial in order to suppress its effects on society. This paper will start with a discussion of what implicit bias is. This will be followed by a discussion of the effects of implicit bias. It will concludeRead MoreRacism And Racism Essay1620 Words   |  7 Pagesmake the difference between whether a job can be secured, or a decent wage or not. It begins with stereotyping. The different methods of how stereotypes can be measured will be investigated, as well as a critical discussion of the applicability of implicit and explicit measures. Firstly, ‘stereotype must be defined. It is one s mental representation or impression of a social group that people form by associating particular characteristics and emotions with the group. (Eagly Mladinic, 1989) suggestedRead MoreImplicit And Explicit Behavior : An Evaluation And Procedures For Future Studies1593 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract The research is based on ‘Implicit Social In-Group Bias.’ This research regards the work of Greenwald, A. G., McGhee, D. E., Schwartz, J. K. L. It was predicted that, there’d be a faster reaction time in the young and positive condition then the young and negative condition. 248 participants were used. The administration of IAT (Implicit Association Test) helped assess the distinction of the individual’s characteristics, associating ‘Young’ and ‘Positive’ to measure the cognitive processRead MoreHidden Biases Of Good People972 Words   |  4 Pagestheir beliefs. In their book Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good people, psychologists Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald explore the ideas of unconscious identity, the judgment and treatment of others based on stereotypes and the phenomenon of association, and our inability to simply stop being biased as opposed to outsmarting it. Children are taught that lying is bad, that telling the truth no matter the consequences will always outweigh the instant benefit of telling a lie. So we grow up knowingRead MoreDiscovering The World Around Us Begins The Moment We Are1575 Words   |  7 Pagesviews our culture holds about minorities. After taking the Implicit Attitude Test (IAT), I realized that my implicit attitude does not match the explicit attitude I have attained. The IAT, created by Harvard University, measures your implicit attitude toward different groups. You are able to choose different categories, and must choose one that you have no negative bias towards. I chose the sexuality category, which measured my implicit attitude toward gay and straight individuals. I have manyRead MoreThe Facebook Effect: Research Study621 Words   |  2 Pagespresented statement ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree which is used to measure global self-worth. Possible scored range from 0-30 with normal scores falling between 15 and 25. Implicit Association Test. The IAT (Greenwald Farnham, 2000) was used as a measurement of the participants’ implicit self-esteem. The IAT is a computer-based reaction time task that asks participants to sort words into categories as quickly as possible. Participants sort words having to do with â€Å"me† and â€Å"others†

Technology a Boon or Bane free essay sample

A world without transportation BY JfrY0430 A world without transportationour world today depends heavily on means of transportation. Whether it be automobiles, trains, airplanes, boats, or even bicycles, we have come to depend on these forms of transportation to do the things we want to do and go the places we want to go. To go to school, work, shopping malls, movies, and even the grocery store we Just hop in our cars and away we go. To go to business meetings in Los Angeles, basketball games in Wisconsin, or vacations in Hawaii, we just book the next flight and were there. To import and export goods, businesses and corporations Just load them up on a truck, plane, or ship, and off they go. On the topic of transportation, U. S. Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters, says:Each year, Americas transportation system from the roads to the skies, rails and ports helps travelers reach their destinations and carries billion of tons of freight worth trillions of dollars in economic stimulus. We will write a custom essay sample on Technology a Boon or Bane or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Transportation is synonymous with opportunity in America connecting workers with Jobs, products with markets, and families with each other. Peters)Over the years, we have become so dependent on these forms of transportation to help us get the Job done to the point of imagining a world without it would seem crazy, almost impossible. But what if? Suppose, due to our limited amount of resources, we could no longer use these forms of transportation. In a desperate act to conserve these resources, the law banned the use of cars, planes, boats, trains, and any other form of transportation that uses such resources. What if, suddenly, we had to live without means of transportation such as automobiles, irplanes, and ships? What would we do if we no longer had those airplanes to fly us across the country? What would businesses do if the trucks, planes, and ships they use to transfer their goods could no longer be used? Would we revert back to the days of horse and buggy? How would we live? How would we get around from place to place? To what extent would this change the world? With all of our other technology that we have today, it would seem likely that there could be some possible solution to this loss, right? This would, without a doubt, change our lifestyles rastically; it would be a totally different world. It would definitely be a crazy thought to think about, but to go as far as saying that its impossible? I think not. We wouldnt have to go back that far in our worlds history to see what it was like without these kinds of things. Henry Ford, who is credited for creating modern automobile mass production, didnt build his first car until 1896 (Safra). It wasnt until 1908 when Ford began mass producing his Model T (Safra). It was in the year 1903 when the Wright brothers showed the world that man could fly (Scholastic). As you an see, it wasnt too long ago when we actually didnt have cars to drive and planes to fly; it was only a little over one hundred years ago. So what would it be like, in our advanced world today, to no longer have these forms of transportation? We would, in fact, have to revert back to the days of horse and buggy because really, how else could we get around? A good way to start searching for some of these answers would be to look at the lifestyles of the Amish. The Amish separate themselves from mainstream society for religious reasons and are known for their plain style of dress

Plato Essays (675 words) - Socratic Dialogues, Philosophy Of Love

Plato Plato How do we know if love is a god or just a little baby we call cupid that flies around during Valentines? Plato's Symposium is a piece of work that is dedicated to Eros the god of love. I choose to disuse Agathon's and Socrates's speeches because they are both similar in subject, but opposite in opinion. Socrates's ideas on Eros, identify him as a spirit in-between beauty and good. He is also in-between love and knowledge. In Socrates's form of Eros, Eros is not seen as a god who is contrary to Agathon's speech. I defend Socrates because his ideas are thought out and argued in Symposium. Socortes's speech starts out with a wise women named Diotima. She tells him how Eros came to be, she states that Eros was conceived on Aphdites birthday ?that's why he is also by nature a lover of beauty, because Aphrodite herself is especially beautiful? (203C). Socrates added to this by saying since knowledge is beautiful and he is a lover of beauty he also is a philospilla. Eros then desire's and seeks knowledge just as all human beings do. Finally since he seeks similar wants and needs as humans do, he is not a god but in-between the heavens and the earth as Socrates puts it he is a ?great spirit? (202E). Agathon view of Eros is completely different, he focus on his dominance as a god. He states that Eros is the youngest god, he points this out by saying there was Gavaldon 2 war with the gods but it ceased when Eros was present. Agathon than says that he has a hold on the gods because they themselves are in love. Since he is so supreme he is the creator of everything fair and good on earth. If Eros is both young and beautiful, he also has a hold on other gods from the effects of love. Agathon concludes Eros is the creator of everything good and fair. Thus Agathon states that Eros is the King of the Gods. Socrates and Agathon speeches come up with the extreme conclusion that the two give an in-depth look on the intentions and the roles Eros plays in our world. While Agthon says that Eros is beauty, Socrates goes the opposite way stating, Eros is only the lover of beauty, therefore he is not beautiful, because if you have someone who is beautiful he doesn't seek beauty. Socrates uses knowledge and refers it to humans and gives the statement that Eros requires knowledge as well as beauty just as mortals do. They try to prove that Eros is in-between immortality and moral, though Agothon boasts that Eros in fact is the supreme ruler of the gods, presuming god is in fact immortal. These two men Agathon and Socrates' in the dialogues of Symposium have strong arguments, yet I find that I agree with Socrates rather than Agathon's happy go lucky world of bliss. Socrates premises are straightforward. He gives you surrounding information-disproving Agathon as he goes in the dialogue. As Socrates explains one idea as he leads into the other and intertwines them to a Gavaldon 3 conclusion. Yet, Agathon seems set on a easy explanation of Eros. As he goes along his speech he gives reasons on why Eros is the god but only to keep referring on the fact that Eros is beautiful and young. I defend Socrates' because he gave a better description as well as step by step of Agathon speech in Symposium. Agathon's speech to me seemed he was caught up it enchantism rather than giving an argument and concluding it as Socrates did in his speech. Socrates speech was well spoken because he had all the elements for a good speech. First he gave the impression that another person was responsible for the words that he spoke. Then he told us the origin of Eros, and then proceeded to fill in the rest that Agathon has left out in his speech of the god of love. Philosophy Essays

55 Easy Ways To Write Headlines That Will Reach Your Readers

55 Easy Ways To Write Headlines That Will Reach Your Readers According to Copyblogger, 8 out of 10 people will read a headline. However,  only two  out of 10 tend to proceed to read the rest of your content. Yikes, right? This is really  important to understand  before you publish  your content. Even if your content is  truly unique and innovative, a weak headline will ruin its chances of being super successful. Fortunately, data and analytics can  help you  write great headlines that will instantly capture the attention of your readers. Heres your  ultimate guide to write  a great headline, backed by research. 55 Easy Ways To Write A #Headline That Will Get The Best Results Understanding How To Write Headlines Well 1. Write At Least 25 Headlines For Every  Piece Of Content Your headline  makes your first impression with readers. A strong headline can drive more clicks. A weak one can send traffic away. That's why it's important to spend time getting them right. Upworthy's well-publicized process suggests writing 25 headlines per blog post.  That might sound like a lot. However, if anything, you could consider this the bare minimum. Some will be better than others. Some, in fact, will be downright terrible. That's okay though. You have to burn through bad ideas before you can find what works. 2. Use The Headline Analyzer It's not enough to guess at what a good headline looks like, though. You need a data-backed way to sort winners from losers. This is where the Headline Analyzer comes in: 1. Type in a few different headline options. 2. The Headline Analyzer will list them for easy comparison purposes. 3. Scroll down to find your Score and Word Balance. The  Headline Analyzer is also built right into your  social media calendar in to help you write the best headlines right where you  organize everything else. Recommended Reading:  25 Scientifically Proven Ways To Write Better Headlines For Your Blog 3. Focus Your Headlines On Helping Instead Of Telling Have a look at the most popular Google searches- they're mostly about solving a problem in the easiest and fastest way. This Mashable post entitled, "How to Pay, Exercise and Take Photos Using Apple Watch", gained more than 1,500 shares- mainly because it addresses an issue owners of this cutting-edge device find relevant to their experience. Pro Tip: "How to" headlines get you instant bonus points with 's Headline Analyzer. 4. Suggest The Best Way To Do Something Successful headlines connect  with common searches and address a real target audience looking for the most effective strategies for solving their problem. Content  starting with "The best way to..." has the potential to go viral super quickly. Look at this article  from Entrepreneur entitled, "The Best Ways to Do Market Research for Your Business Plan"- it was shared more than 6,000 times! Pro Tip: Headlines with "best" and "better" also score higher with 's Headline Analyzer. 5. Give Advice For Improvement Instead of persuading your readers  to do something, show them why it's worth the time to do it.  Addressing the reasons and motivations of your readers  serves as the  basis for a really powerful message. Consider this extremely popular post  entitled, "Why You Should Forget Facebook". The headline promises to resolve the cognitive dissonance it creates. After all, why should anyone want to ignore the largest social network? A headline like this one practically guarantees traffic. 6. Provide Solid Evidence To Support A  Claim There's nothing more powerful than the "Backed By Science" claim. Insights derived from research are considered more accurate, relevant, and attractive. Have a look at this post from Inc.com on "10 Productivity Strategies Backed By Science". It has  more than 1,100 shares- primarily because readers consider scientific findings credible. Headlines Backed By Science Get The Best Results7. Share Your Experience "What I learned" is another great headline strategy. Speaking to your readers  from experience, you'll not only gain their trust, but also promise a solution that really works. A striking example of this kind of content  is "What I Learned from Being a Broke, Unemployed Graduate"  published on Entrepreneur. That article's  19,000+ shares speak for themselves. 8. Avoid Clickbait The era of clickbait supremacy is over. Audiences have caught on. If your headline over-promises and under-delivers (which clickbait does 100% of the time), readers will leave disappointed. 9. Ensure Your Headline Aligns With Your  Content Your headline should accurately reflect the angle of your content. Ask yourself these two questions: What's the point of this content? What  is the most important point this content  makes? If your headline doesn't address each of these points, it's time to start over. 10. Include Numbers In List Headlines Writing a list? Include how many items it includes right away. This gives readers a clear idea of what to expect. 11. Experiment With Open- And Closed-Ended Questions Open-ended questions  are great for encouraging discussion (e.g. When Are The Absolute Best Times To Send Email?). Closed-ended questions, meanwhile, are effective for inspiring curiosity (e.g. Do You Send Email At The Absolute Best Times?). Test each to see what performs best for you. 12. Hint At Something Interesting Leave out just enough detail to get readers interested (without falling into the clickbait trap). For example, something like, "This New Car Door Design Is Changing The Game", might get an audience interested in knowing exactly how that hypothetical car door design works. 13. State A  Problem (And Offer A  Solution) It can be tough to stoke a problem and offer a solution in one headline. However, when done well, this technique can offer a solid emotional one-two punch. Here's a great example from Fast Company: It introduces a problem (one that readers might not even recognize as a problem). It then promises to show what the solution might be. 14. Include A  Stat People love to see numbers in headlines. This is especially true when they seem difficult to believe. If you have a powerful stat in your content  (like in this example), put it in your headline. 15. Know Your Audience Make sure you know who your real audience is, and understand what their interests are. You can do this with a little bit of research in Google Analytics. 16. Speak Like Your Audience, Too Use words and language your audience uses. That includes the same types of jargon and technical terminology. You can get a sense of how your audience talks and what words they use simply by participating in social media conversations with them. 17. Be Relevant And Topical The best written headline is useless if your audience doesn't care. Craft headline copy that targets relevant topics and discussions happening in your industry or niche. Likewise, avoid straying onto topics outside of your scope. 18. Aim For Headline Analyzer Scores Of 70 Or Higher Anything lower needs improvement. Holding yourself to this standard will ensure you write more effective headlines. Understand How Emotions Impact Headlines This  study  from  Moz shows that readers  like content  that is  either understated and features up to one superlative word or goes overboard with superlatives to  show why the content is worth reading. What does it mean for you? If you want your content  to go viral, your headline must be located at one of those two extremes; otherwise it won't catch anyone's attention. Here are some words invoking both positive and negative sentiments: 19. Understand What Word Balance Means The Headline Analyzer breaks down words into four categories. Common:  These are words frequently used in English. They're recognizable and easy to read terms. Uncommon:  These phrases are used less frequently in common English. They're effective for creating intrigue. Emotional:  Hit your readers right in the feels. Literally. These words drive action by targeting desired emotions. Power:  These words inspire feelings of motivation and empowerment. For examples of each category, download the Headline Analyzer tear sheet included in this post. 20. Use Positive Superlatives For A  Strong, Emotional Headline Positive superlatives that will help you in headline writing are as follows: best, always, fastest, easiest, most, greatest, largest, funniest, hottest, strongest, biggest, ever, perfect, top. 21. Try Negative Superlatives To Draw On Fear And Doubt A study by Outbrain showed that headlines featuring negative superlatives performed 30% better than those with positive superlatives. What are negative superlatives? Never, worst, nothing, no one, no way, by no means, none. Featuring words like stop, avoid, or don't in your headline is a good idea, too. Pro Tip: Use the Headline Analyzer to understand whether your headline's sentiment is positive or negative. Neutral headlines tend to perform worse than extremely positive or negative headlines. 22. Front-Load Your Headline Structure Make sure that your superlative- whether it's positive or negative- is always at the front of your headline. "7 Worst Mistakes Of Young Startups" sounds much better than "7 Mistakes Made by Young Startups That Are Worst". 23. Going Extreme Can Be Worth It This study from Startup Moon showed that using aggressive or violent words like kill, fear, and  dead actually generates more social shares.  If these expressions fit your context and aren't offensive to anyone, use them to draw even more emotion from your readers. Recommended Reading:  Proof That Emotional Headlines Get Shared More On Social Media 24. Be Careful With Humor Like avoiding ambiguity, avoid puns or jokes. Your headline must be understandable outside of its context. 25. Invoke Urgency Is your content  time-sensitive? Use words that inspire urgency. For example,  say you're writing about an upcoming event with a registration deadline. Something like, "Register For Our Webinar Before Time Runs Out", lets readers know they're on the clock. 26. Make The Unbelievable A  Reality If your content  includes something strange but true, use that to your advantage. For example, an article about  55 kids playing soccer against two pro soccer stars  deserves a hyped up headline. If your content  is good enough, your headline will sell the story without resorting to cheap clickbait tactics. Understand Ideal Headline Lengths A  Kissmetrics study shows that readers tend to absorb only the first three words and the last three words of a headline. Keeping a headline no longer than six words will help readers  easily process it and reduce the interaction cost involved in grasping its meaning. If you can't limit your headline to six words, bear in mind that it's the first and last words that count most. Use this knowledge to your advantage by including attractive keywords in these places. Here's what to  remember when writing your headline: 27. Understand The Media Types Where You'll Use Your Headline The length of your headline depends on what you want to do with it- different lengths work for different media like emails, social networks, search engines, and language engagement. 28. Avoid Ambiguity And Get To The Point If you want to follow the traditional strategy, write headlines that are information and keyword-rich, match the expectations of your target audience, and are understandable even when taken out of context. This also means keeping them relatively brief (if possible). Use keywords at the beginning of headlines, then get to the point with as few words as possible.29. Know The Best Length For Your Language If you want your headline to perform well, consider the following for English: It should be between 60–100 characters and 16–18 words long. Remember that every language has its own rules- only testing can unveil what really works. Recommended Reading:  What Really Is The Best Headline Length? How Do Your Headlines Appear? Moz also surveyed their respondents about their headline capitalization preferences. And guess what? Apparently, 21% of them admitted that they liked to be shouted at with headlines written in capital lettering. If you want to go for a safer approach, just capitalize your words in title case- 64% of respondents reported to like this. 30. Choose A  Strong Typeface Choose a font that has a strong visual impact and a personality but also fits the body text. Here's a guide from CrazyEgg to help you find the right font. 31. Size Your Headlines To Stand Out Make your headline visibly larger than body text. Its size can make it really eye-catching, even when pushed to extreme. According to a study by Smashing Magazine, most of the best blogs' most popular headline sizes range from 20–36 pixels, or about 2.5 times larger than your body copy. 32. Use Color To Grab Attention 67% of people say black is the best choice  to help them comprehend the content, but other tints can add some contrast and visual interest. 67% of your readers say black headlines help them easily comprehend your message.That study covered by  Cutting Edge PR found 17% of people like bright colored headlines and another 52% say dark colored headlines make for good comprehension. 33. Align Your Headlines For The Biggest Impact Centered headlines are most powerful visually, left-centered are more conservative and formal. Avoid justifying headline type- it can lead to bad lettering. Recommended Reading:  The Perfect Blog Post: Simpler Is Better Polish Your Headlines With Google Your headlines deserve to be found. Here's how to use Google to sharpen your headlines and ensure you optimize  them  for SEO. 34. Write For Search Engines To Help Your Readers Find Your Content Search engines will favor headlines that are shorter than 70 characters  (which is relevant if your title tag is the same as your headline). Make sure your headline includes your target keyword as well. 35. Find Words Your Readers Are Looking For With The Keyword Planner Use Google Keyword Planner to understand the  search terms your target audiences look for. Google's official support documentation explains how to use it. 36. Try Using A Suggested Search Term In Your Headline Just type the first words of your headline to see whether the auto-fill suggestions are similar to it. Ubersuggest is an easy, free tool that surfaces actual autocomplete data: 37. Look For Related Search Terms This list appears at the bottom of your search page and shows you what terms are  related to the one you typed. That feature helps people shake up  their searches to find relevant and related information. Recommended Reading:  An SEO Driven Approach To Content Marketing: The Complete Guide 38. Narrow Your Search Results Google Advanced Search will help you to narrow down your search results to see trends for a given region, language, and  time frame. Keep Your Headlines Crisp And Clear Readers prefer explicit headlines that clearly state what they're going to get from reading the content. Headlines featuring numbers- used extensively by a viral content platform, BuzzFeed- appeal to 34% of readers. List posts also get some of the most shares of any content type. With that in mind, here is how to write a headline with clarity: 39. Use "You" To Address Your Readers Address your  reader as you.  This simply grabs your readers' attention and helps them relate the headline to their personal experience. 40. Promise A  Solution To A  Problem Use that will, to, and so  in your headlines. This kind of headline already promises a certain value to be taken from reading the content. Think about how powerful these headlines sound: 41. Help Your Readers See A  Better Future For Themselves Think about this headline for a minute: "How To Do ___ That Will Help You  ___". That headline- and others like it- clearly states the purpose of the content  and boosts its accuracy in tackling one specific action or problem. 42. Keep It Simple Readers skim on the web, whether on social media, their email inboxes, or in search results. Use simple headlines with clear language to hook their attention fast. Overly complex headlines may get passed over if they're too difficult to read. 43. Simple Doesn't Have To Mean Generic (Don't Be Generic) Generic  headlines get buried and forgotten. If you wouldn't read an article based on a headline you wrote, scrap it and write more until you score a winner. Pro Tip: The Headline Analyzer will tell you when you write a generic headline. 44. Be Specific Narrowly focus on  the one topic your content  is about. Consider the main point and benefit of your post, and get granular by  telling your readers exactly what your content  contains. For example, "How To Write Headlines Better" is less specific than "30 Ways To Write More Emotional Headlines." 45. Avoid Passive Voice Use active instead of passive voice. Active is easier to understand when scanning for interesting headlines. For example,  turn a passive headline like "30 E-Books Written By Astronauts" headlines into "30 Astronauts Wrote 30 E-Books To Help You Become A Better Leader". Recommended Reading:  These Lazy Writing Mistakes May Be Turning Off Your Readers 46. Include Words That Reference Additional Content If your blog post includes an infographic, guide, template, or other downloadable content, reference it in your headline. This gives readers added incentive to click, and provides more detail about the content your blog post includes. Here's a recent example on our own blog: How To Build A Social Media Editorial Calendar The Easy Way (Free Template). Know Your Competition (And Beat Them) If you've ever wondered how much content is created daily, here's your answer: According to A Day in the Internet infographic by MBA Online, 2 million new blog posts, 294 billion emails, and  864,000 hours of videos are uploaded to the Internet  every single day. This means that you're competing against lots of content. Being aware of such a degree of competition should only help you to work harder on your headlines and make them stand out from the crowd. Here's how to make sure your headlines are better than those of your competition: 47. Differentiate Your Headlines From The Competition Research what your competitors are doing. Identify the expressions, keywords, and phrases your competitors use in their content. From there, you will understand how to make your headlines stand out. For example, review your competition quickly for the 46  previous points (skim through their headlines with this information in mind), then brainstorm how to write headlines that will trump theirs. Research competition's headlines, then brainstorm how to brand yours for industry recognition.48. Publish Headlines That Brand Your Content Make it easy for searchers to identify key differences between your content and the stuff  other people publish- otherwise you risk inducing a choice fatigue. If you feel like your headlines sound exactly what may publish on a competitor's  site, write  25 more headlines and choose one with the most unique angle. Imagine the possibilities if a reader could read your headline and know it's your content just by its tone. That's the goal you should aim for. 49. Try Headline Ideas You Haven't Experimented With Before Be creative! Don't be afraid of testing new content on your audience. Even if your headline doesn’t bring a lot of traffic, you may get new ideas on what might. Recommended Reading: 43 Data-Driven Headline Ideas From 1,000 Of The Most Popular Posts 50. Use Social Media For Simple A/B Testing Twitter makes quick and easy A/B testing easy. Simply try writing two different headlines, and use them as tweets to promote your content. Make sure each headline includes a different variable (for example, one could be negative, and the other positive). Then, see which performs best. Over time, you'll develop a clear picture of what clicks with your audience. 51. Contradict Common Wisdom Is there a commonly accepted "truth" you want to challenge? Write a headline that clearly contradicts it. Try something like, "Why {Insert Action} Doesn't Actually Help {Insert Benefit}". These types of headlines can generate a lot of attention (as long as you have data and evidence to support your counter-claim). Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose Great headlines deserve to be read. In fact, they deserve to be read more than once. These tips will teach  you how to repurpose them for maximum mileage. 52. Recycle Your Old Ideas With New Headlines And Angles Recycle your content. A  great evergreen piece of content can be easily recycled under a different headline based on thorough research meant to broaden the gap between you and your competition. 53. Consider Every Platform Where Your Headline May Appear It's likely your content  will be shared on social media. It'll probably be in your email newsletter, too. Try to write headlines that can easily be adjusted for multiple formats (such as social media posts and email subject lines). 54. Try Alternative Headlines For Social Media What works well for a blog post might not work as well on social media.  Consider writing alternative headlines to promote blog posts across various social channels. This can also be an easy way to test different types of messaging to see what resonates most with your audience. 55. Condense Headlines For Email Headlines that perform well in emails are usually around 50 characters long and feature the strongest words at their beginning. The Headline Analyzer can help with this. First, enter a headline. Then, scroll down to find the section pictured below: Recommended Reading: This Is The Way To Write Email Subject Lines That Get More Clicks Go Forth  And Write Better Headlines Now The data from this post  proves that headlines are crucial for getting your content read, increasing your social shares, and improving your brand. Headlines are  the first thing your readers  will see, and it's your job to convince them to click and read your content. Even if you only use one of the 55  tips from this post, you'll  be able to add a touch of uniqueness to every piece of content  you publish. Oh! And don't forget to download kit  to  help you write better headlines.

11 Best Writing Blogs to Master the Craft of Creative Writing

11 Best Writing Blogs to Master the Craft of Creative Writing 11 Best Writing Blogs to Master the Craft of Creative Writing Writing blogs are some of the best resources to become a better writer, which lets be real, is the goal of all writers.You already know this:Writing is hard.It’s so difficult, in fact, that there are countless writing tips and resources online dedicated to helping you better understand and improve the craft.We here at Self-Publishing School are even committed to giving you the best advice out there.But we wanted to offer you more by highlighting blogs about writing that contain solid advice for writing.Weve compiled a list of the best writing blogs on the internet for you to learn and grow from.Here are the best writing blogs we’ll cover for you:The Write LifeWriters DigestWrite to DoneThe Write PracticeCount Blogula by Jenna MoreciThe Creative PennTerribleminds by Chuck WendigDaily Writing TipsBetter Novel ProjectWell-StoriedShayla RaquelIf You’re Ready to Start Writing NOW Watch This FirstDon’t waste any more writing time than you already have.Before we get into the meat of which writing blogs are the best and what unique qualities they have to offer, let’s set you down the path for success.You’re here because you want to learn which blogs about writing are the best.We get it. In fact, we already put together a free training guide for you with all the information you need to know.Join Chandler Bolt at his FREE Webinar Training as he reveals the exact tactics and strategies he used to write and publish 6 bestselling books in a row and how he used them to build a 7-figure business in less than 2 years!Spots are limited!Click Here to Save Your SpotBest Writing Blogs for Tips and AdviceIf you’re not quite serious yet about getting your book published yet, we’ve put together a list of the best writing blogs to learn how to write a book from.Let’s dive into exactly what these writing blogs have to offer and why you should be paying close attention to them if you want to improve your writing, start you r book, and publish it on Amazon (or wherever else you want to publish it through)!#1 The Write LifeIf you’ve been searching through for writing blogs long enough, you’re probably already aware of all The Write Life has to offer.This blog about writing is a fantastic resource for writers of all kind.Whether you’re looking to write a book for the first time or jump into the freelance writing community, The Write Life has you covered.They even have tips for blogging and marketing. All the bases are covered!Make sure to check out their helpful writing blog posts and read the comments for extra help from their dedicated community.Click here to check out this writing blog!#2 Writer’s DigestIf you love writing tips by writers, this is one of the top writing blogs to visit.This writing blog is all about uncovering your potential through real, easy-to-follow blog posts that simplify more complicated issues in the writing community.They even host competitions, f eature blog posts by editors, and give you insights to events they host or even attend.If you’re someone who loves to physically join a writing group, you’ll love this writing blog and all it has to offer.Click here to check out this writing blog!#3 Write to DoneThere are a lot of different avenues writers have to be aware of when it comes to building a successful career from their work.And Write to Done gives you just that!Being both a creative writing blog along with covering nonfiction writing, Write to Done teaches you how to master a number of different techniques and habits geared toward helping you succeed in the literary world.You don’t want to miss out on all the writing advice they have to offer along with motivational material to help you keep it up.Click here to check out Write to Done.#4 The Write PracticeThe Write Practice is a massive source of helpful information for writers everywhere. They cover writing blog posts touching on topics revolving around key writing practices, writing exercises, and even writing prompts to get your mind stirring.You won’t be without help with The Write Practice.Not only do they offer free help through their blog posts, but they also have programs, writing contests, and help involving your author platform in general.Click here to check out The Write Practice.#5 Count Blogula by Jenna MoreciJenna Moreci is an Award-Nominated Self-Published Author with two novels on Amazon, in libraries, and on shelves all over the country.Count Blogula is her writing blog where aspiring authors congregate to ask specific writing, marketing, and publishing questions to be answered by this wildly successful Youtuber and Self-Published Author.Moreci is honest (sometimes brutally in the best way), real, and lets all writers know what it truly takes to make a career out of writing.Head on over to her blog if you want to scroll through pages and pages and pages of free writing advice by someone who has been through it all before.Click here to check out Count Blogula by Jenna Moreci.#6 The Creative PennIf your goal is to make writing a job, it’s worth giving The Creative Penn a read.This website has writing blog posts covering topics from genre-specific writing advice to marketing to publishing tips.Joanna Penn is an Award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and she runs The Creative Penn to teach others how to reach her level of success with their books.She has a number of writing-specific books available for purchase along with podcasts, courses, specific tools, and more. This is one of the best blogs about writing to add to your arsenal.Click here to check out The Creative Penn.#7 Terribleminds by Chuck WendigChuck Wendig has a must-acquire-a-taste-for personality. He’s curt, brutal, and gives humor to his writing tips and advice for aspiring authors.His writing blog covers topics ranging from his own personal work and the work of others to hel p you specifically ask for.You’ll never be bored with Wendig’s unique delivery style and real advice.Click here to check out Terribleminds by Chuck Wendig.#8 Daily Writing TipsDaily Writing Tips is exactly as it sounds; they give writing tips for aspiring authors daily.Their advice ranges from writing-specific to motivation to oddities, like words that Shakespeare invented.If you’re someone who wants to improve the craft of writing with very specific tips and tricks, this is the place to frequent. You’ll never want for more help with Daily Writing Tips.Click here to check out Daily Writing Tips.#9 Better Novel ProjectIf you love doodles along with writing tips, this is the site for you.Better Novel Project has a number of different writing blog posts centered around helping you become a better writer.From NaNoWriMo content to blog posts all about genres, writer life, character development, and even writing scene-specific details.It’s easy to get lost the abundance of content available for you on this writing blog so be careful, but get your fill.Click here to check out Better Novel Project.#10 Well-StoriedKristen Kieffer is the author behind Well-Storied, as well as an author of fantasy and writing resources.Not only does she offer great writing advice, but her dedication to helping writers uncover their true abilities is nearly unmatched.You can check out her free courses, listen to the podcast, and even participate in her community chats.Well-Storied has an abundance of help in the writing-world and you’ll be better off by tuning in regularly!Click here to check out Well-Storied.#11 Shayla RaquelShayla Raquel’s writing blog is filled to the brim will knowledge regarding all aspects of writing. From prepping to writing to marketing, she has you covered.As an editor and seasoned writer herself, Shayla works one-on-one with authors nearly every day. She has edited over 300 books and launched Amazon Bestselle rs making her experienced and competent! Click here to check it out Shayla Raquel!All of these writing blogs have something unique to offer that you won’t find any anywhere else. When it comes to learning any craft especially writing it’s important to broaden your search and learn as much as you can from as many talented minds as you can.ARE YOU READY TO BECOME AN AUTHOR ON YOUR OWN?Your writing blog and expertise could be up here one day with some of the best!But you have to commit to taking action and writing your book first.And we’re here to help you on your journey to write, market, and publish your book. But only if you’re serious about making this a reality.

Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Midterm - Essay Example This means that people and business organizations are on a continuous journey that requires them to experience various processes and practices consciously or unconsciously. In this case, business organizations are expected to be abreast of the changing factors that can affect their profitability and other management aspects. This paper examines the concept of change and how it can be used by organizations to create and enhance their effective performance and success. It focuses on a Chinese Company, Alibaba Holdings, which has navigated its path to reach its current levels of excellence in business performance. The company has recently been listed on the New York Stock exchange in a bid to remain competitive and enhance its market position (Lianna, Jessica & Ryan, 2014). Currently, the pace by which globalization has been taking toll on businesses has quickened tremendously. Business executives and owners have been increasing their call for flexibility, agility and innovativeness from various business functions (Robertson, 2006). This development is aimed at positioning businesses strategically to tackle the rising challenges in competition and other factors in the external and internal environment. Amidst all these persistent calls, one thing has often been largely ignored, that is, organizations are creatively designed in order to search for competitive advantages that are sustainable. In addition, the fact that stability in business practices is just not desirable and effective, but attainable as well, has been an issue buried deeply in managerial psyche, but has been bolstered by periods of practice and theory (Christopher & Edward, 2006). It is important to understand that the popularity that is often associated with efforts for process improvement that range from overall quality management to various kinds of sigma provides are enough evidence for

Kwanzaa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kwanzaa - Essay Example Umoja means unity (Ramirez, 2012). It mandates that every person that traces their descent from Africa must institute and maintain unity among themselves and a goodwill spirit as well. According to Ramirez (2012), it implies instituting family unity, unity across races in which each individual belongs, unity among the African American community and unity with Africa as a motherland. The purpose of this principle is to create a strong bond among the various entities, personalities and characters that share a common ancestral lineage. This is the second principle. It is a Swahili word, which translated means self-determination (Ramirez, 2012). Self-determination depicts the motivation in an individual to support intrinsic or natural tendencies that concerns with effective behavior and healthy mannerism. In this context, Kujichagulia principle indicates the importance of maintaining ones original identity as well as defining oneself and creating a special identity that relates to ones origin (Ramirez, 2012). It demands that the African Americans be proud of themselves and their origin, which ultimately enables them to communicate with sincere joy and pride. It also enables them institute effective interpersonal connection with other ethnicities, races and cultures. Ujima means collective duty and responsibilities (Ramirez, 2012). It directs the African community in working together to produce results that promote the greater welfare of the community. According to Ramirez (2012), it requires the African society to support one another in needy circumstances and in resolving social problems, that one or a few individual cannot address effectively. Ujamaa means cooperative economics (Ramirez, 2012). According to Ramirez (2012), this principle encourages African Americans to support local businesses in their respective communities and to accord preferences for local suppliers and

Tech Environment Essay Example for Free

Tech Environment Essay The company I am continuing to work with is US Airways Group. There is plenty of hard and soft technology to list for the domestic environment. Some of the hard technology used in the domestic environment is aircraft, security system, and safety gear. Some soft technology used in the domestic environment is management, government regulations that govern the procedures of the company, and training for employees. The hard technology I listed above is the obvious technology the air line company utilizes yet there is more hard technology being used. The soft technology being used is essential to the success of the company which I will capitalize on later. I stated the hard and soft technology of the domestic environment but this same technology is used in the global environment also. Hard technology used within the global environment is aircraft, customs operatives, and safety gear. Soft technology used within the global environment is management, different government regulations than the domestic environment, and guides who help foreign travelers from different countries. Although the hard technology is about the same as it is in the domestic environment you may see some outdated equipment within the global environment. The soft technology used such as guides to assist foreign travelers may not be found within the domestic environment due to a large majority of passengers residing within the domestic environment. There are technological barriers for the domestic and global environments. Within the domestic environment there are flaws such as the security system. People find ways to breach the security system and are able to sneak items that should be able to sneak past the system such as drugs and weapons. Of course we do the best we can but this is the nature of the beast and we can always better our systems. Another technological barrier is that we need more foreign employees that can communicate with foreign passengers who travel within the domestic environment. It can be hard to travel within a location where you do not know anyone and no one understands your language. Within the global environment there are technological barriers also. I stated earlier that the technology in some locations is not as good as it is in the domestic environment. This is unfair to the passengers and to the people who work for the company. There should be up to date equipment for the global environment just as there is in the domestic environment. Another barrier is that customs can be difficult to deal with. I always hear of horror stories dealing with customs because they may take a long time to process certain individuals through or the rules are interpreted differently. The barriers can be overcome in both the domestic and global environments. The flaws within the security system are currently being corrected as we speak according to sourcesecurity.com. They have stated that â€Å"turning security weaknesses into strengths, using perimeter and surveillance solutions together, use of video analytics software and managing airport access control system† will better the security in airports significantly (Smith). I believe if those principles stated are applied then the security in airports will be safe as can be. The fact that we need more translators or guides that can speak other languages can be fixed. We need to create a job that specifically guides passengers from other countries to their next gate or to taxi services to get passengers to their next destination without any issues. The barriers within the global environment can be corrected just as they can be corrected in the domestic environment. The fact that the technology within the global environment needs to be up to the same standards is an issue that should be addressed. â€Å"To raise efficiency or establish a better competitive position, firms’ efforts are oriented towards developing capabilities to absorb, adapt and master technologies often developed elsewhere in a process of technological learning† (Goedhuys, Janz, Mohnen, 2008). I honest believe this is the only remedy for providing up to date technology, the company has to make it a priority to provide the same technology to the global environment. The customs can be corrected by provided a print out of what is allowed and what is not allowed to be brought into or out of a country a passenger is traveling through. The information is available online but some older passengers aren’t as savvy with technology so they may not r eceive the same information. With this tactic there is not any excuse for not knowing what is expected when going through customs. The strategies I stated above will be successful, only if they are applied. Without application the strategy will be a failure. Within the domestic environment the security system can be significantly improved and decrease the risk for terrorist attacks greatly. This technology needs to be protected by requiring a security clearance for all employees who work for the company. This way you have a thorough back ground check on everyone who works for US Airways Group and the risk for inside information getting out to enemies of the United States is low. Within the global environment technology needs to be advanced. The company can protect this technology by only providing the technology to its global counterparts and not the competition.

James Clavell Essay - Taipan and Shogun :: essays research papers

James Clavell’s Exploration Of Ancient Oriental Customs James Clavell certainly had his work cut out for him when he chose to write his â€Å"Asian Saga† series of novels. Exposing the customs and culture of the ancient Orient is a daunting task for even the most qualified professional. However, to do so with an intriguing and entertaining medium is verging on impossibility. Until the last two centuries, both China and Japan remained time capsules that held within them unique societies based on radically different values and perspectives. This national seclusion in China and Japan was a direct result of the countries’ trade policies and their view of foreigners. Both countries believed that their country was truly the â€Å"land of the Gods† and that all foreigners were inferior. This belief lead to laws that acted as force fields to repel Western society. Clavell’s in-depth biography explains how Clavell spent part of his life as a prisoner of war in Japan (JamesClavell.net, par. 2), and thus was able to coupl e his experiences with his natural gift of story telling. Throughout James Clavell’s novels Taipan and Shogun, Clavell cleverly intertwines the plot with beliefs and customs of ancient Hong Kong and Japan, respectively. Clavell does not merely present the oriental culture, but he incorporates all of his characters in the process of portraying the different aspects of their way of life. In doing this, Clavell is able to educate the reader without losing their interest. Throughout the two novels, Clavell stresses the importance of â€Å"face† and honour to the Oriental cultures. Early on in the novel Shogun, Clavell opens the reader’s eyes to the absolute importance of honour. Honour, in Japan, came in many forms. A person of low status was always expected to honour a superior by treating them with the utmost respect. One of the most important ways to pay respect to a superior was by bowing to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   them. Clavell demonstrates that this ritual of bestowing honour was extremely important when one man is purposefully disrespectful by â€Å"rise[ing] deliberately, without bowing† (Clavell, 1975, 34). The astonishing result of this disrespect is that â€Å"the [superior’s] killing sword made a hissing silver arc and the man’s head toppled off† (Clavell, 1975, 34). Although this seems extremely ridiculous and uncalled for, the reader realizes that if a samurai broke their code of honour, or bushido, then they had shamed themselves forever. When this occurred, their life no longer had meaning and was disposable at the will of their superiors.

Case study Business policy

The Midwest suburb dealer was once a top Daimler-Chrysler dealer for three years in a row ending 2007. During this time, the dealer was the envy of the entire Midwest car market because of its spectacular sales performance along practically all categories of vehicles. For so many years, the dealership was an apple of Chrysler’s eyes. At the end of the year 2008 however, the dealership dropped to the lowest rung in all 87 Midwest dealers.From a sterling performance of $1.2 billion group revenues in 2006, the dealership revenues slid to just $120 million during 2008 or just a mere 10 per cent of its peak performance. What happened to an erstwhile enviable dealer becoming a corporate issue of great proportions? The financials are obvious but what non-financial factors were responsible for the steep decline in revenues?The critical incidents: Pre 2005-2007The Midwest Chrysler dealer commenced business in May 1995 as a used car dealer starting off with a $2 million investment from the partnership of John Clarkson, an accountant by profession; and Stephen Howell, both in their early thirties.The partners agreed that John Clarkson will become the general manager for three years with the other partner Stephen Howell, a former used car salesman, becoming the general manager for three years as well starting 2003 to 2005 after which John assumes back the position from 2006 to 2009.The dealership did very well selling used cars up to 1999 when the partners found an opportunity to become an exclusive Chrysler dealer. From the $2 million investment, above industry returns jacked up total resources to $20 million by December 2001 and revenues of $50 million.   A sales force of 20 topnotch salesmen from competing dealers were recruited and formed into a cluster sales force of two and assigned in nearby counties and further beyond the state.Sales commissions were increased to 5 percent above industry to sustain the drive of the twenty account executives.   By the end of 2002, total revenues hit $86 million with total assets of $36 million. Upbeat sales were triggered by aggressive selling of both new and old line of cars, supported by aggressive financing from every financial services outfit available in the area.Motivated by the sales trend, the company further increased its sales force by another ten and covered nearby states of Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin, all considered bright areas for almost every Chrysler variant.Thanks to the aggressive sales force that dominated the dealership from 2002 to 2005.By the end of 2005, total corporate resources reached $140 million with revenues hitting $600 million. At this point however, several financing firms were starting to distance themselves from the Midwest dealer for one significant reason: the account executives have been referring subprime buyers, demanding and collecting bigger commissions, proposing too aggressive financing terms than before and threatening to form their ow n financial services group to siphon the good accounts and refer subprime accounts to the local financiers. The sales force was discovered to have favored certain financiers.The general manager at this point was Stephen Howell whose term started 2002 and ended 2005. It was he who conducted an aggressive hiring of account executives that generated the unprecedented revenues. Hiring of new employees was likewise intensified that bloated the dealer workforce by more than 30 non-productive employees without real assignments. Many of these workers were referred by the account executives.Howell accommodated these referrals without referring to the budget control systems adopted by the company, one of the several internal control systems put in place by Clarkson before he stepped down in 2002.   

Comlaw Aropa Assignment Essay

Question 1 Offer is an expression of willingness to enter into a legally binding contract on the terms proposed once the offer is accepted. This letter is an offer since the terms proposed are complete and it is communication to the offeree. The letter was definitely sent to Andrew by mistake since the company makes this offer only to their regular customers and to those who have signed long term supply contract. Andrew did not satisfy both these conditions. According to the case of McMahon v Gilberd & Co, the ‘reward’ for each returned soft drink bottle is made to their customer only. Technically, the bottle dealer is not their customer and therefore the case was invalid. In conclusion, although Andrew replied to the offer before the deadline, the company has no legal obligation to supply Andrew. Question 2 In this situation, Sarah has met the term of the offer as she has expressed willingness to enter into a legally binding contract. The reply from Sarah shows that she agreed to accept the offer for 300 tonnes. Her request to collect the fertilizers in early October is merely a request for information since she is willing to pay for the delay. It is not a counter offer by Sarah as she is willing to collect the fertilizers if the company does not agree to her request. Therefore, the offer is still valid as she was only requesting for more information. Similarly, in the case of Stevenson v McLean, the plaintiffs telegraph was only a request for information and is not a counter offer. Thus, the offeror has legal obligation to sell to the plaintiff since he has accepted the offer via post. The email sent by the company to Sarah on 21 July to revoke the offer is invalid because she has already accepted the offer. Revocation of offer can only be done before the communication of acceptance by the offeree. The method of reply used by Sarah through email is valid as long as it is not less advantageous to the offeror although the offer was sent via post. In conclusion, the company has the legal obligation to supply fertilizers to Sarah since her acceptance of offer is valid.

buy custom Research Methods and Critical Thinking Skills

buy custom Research Methods and Critical Thinking Skills Ebola Virus Outbreak with Absence of a Vaccine Introduction The first discovery of Ebola virus was made in the year 1976. The virus was then in two countries, Sudan and Zaire. In Sudan, 284 people got infected by the virus. The mortality rate then was over 53 percent. A few months later the Ebola-Zaire virus emerged in Yambuku. It was more virulent and had a higher mortality rate of 88 % with 318 people infected. Tremendous efforts were put in place by the researchers with the aim of identifying the virus natural reservoir but all was in vain. Ebola Ruston emerged in Ruston Virginia from the monkeys that were transported from the Philippines. It was the third strain of the virus, which has been discovered in the United States. The third strain saw people get seroconverted by the virus; however, they did not develop the hemorrhagic fever. Ebola cote d Ivore was discovered in 1994 (Li and Chen, 2013). It was an accident that occurred with an ethnologist who was performing a necropsy on a dead chimpanzee in Tai forest.

Printable Homeschool Record Keeping Forms

Printable Homeschool Record Keeping Forms These printable homeschool forms are ones that I have used in my homeschool support groups. These are for your personal use or use in your homeschool support group as is or modified. Attendance Record Form - Use this form to keep track of the school days for your student.Authorization for Transfer of Records - This form can be used to request your childs record from the previous school.Printable Biography Lesson Plan - Biography lesson plan with forms and sample pages.Course of Study - This is a course of study form that Ive been using for years.Emergency Medical Release - Emergency Medical Release Form for use in a homeschool support group.Homeschool Memory Books - Printable memory books for different levels to capture memories of the school year.Physical Education Record Keeping Form - Keep track of the activities performed each day to assure you meet the physical education requirement for your state.Progress Report - Progress Report form to record the progress made and material covered during the quarter.Reading List - Reading lists arent usually required, but I like to keep a list for reference in later years.Registration Application - Registration Applicatio n Form for a support group. Science Report Forms - Report forms for your student to use when doing a science project.Special Needs Forms - Forms to help with some of the unique things you need to track.

Illegal immigration and Middle East profiling Essay

Illegal immigration and Middle East profiling - Essay Example Turning to positions various political philosophers would have taken on these two global phenomena, we need to closely scrutinize their thoughts on citizenship, liberties, freedom, and human rights. Focusing on Aristotle, his idea of citizenship is equated with virtue. That there is more to citizenship than living in a particular place or sharing in economic activity or ruling under the same laws. He contends that it is a great privilege to be a citizen and had a set of duties. He has certain freedoms that non-citizens do not have and obligations like political participation and military service. In his definition and subsequent argument, he refers to illegal migrants as the vulgar, that is, those who are incapable of citizenship, which leads to virtue. More importantly, those migrants are actually migrating in search of work or rather to become laborers. According to Aristotelian thinking, it is impossible to pursue virtue when one is a laborer. Laborers exist like slaves for the be nefit of male free citizens now that citizens are similar in stock and free. (Cohen and Fermon 114). This would be taken to mean that he does not advocate for non- citizens mixing with citizens, and in any case, therefore, the migrants who are laborers will always remain inferior to citizens and would not enjoy equal rights and liberties. In his argument of a good citizen, he contends whether the virtue of the good man and the excellent citizen is to be regarded as the same or as not the same. That a good man is the one who lives in accordance with virtue and finds happiness in doing so. The Middle East profiling is as a result of evil deeds that have informed such scrutiny. His position would then be that a virtuous person should be protected from the evil one and thus my posit is that, he would support such profiling, but as is typical in his ideas, in moderation. Saint Augustine of the city of god fame is on the worldview that we have a sinful nature and only by the grace of God that we can be saved. His philosophy is closely intertwined with the bible and God as the focal point. That we must obey governments to restrain us from being sinful (Cohen and Fermon 141).He believes in giving everyman his due. From this discussion therefore, illegal migration is sinful and like all other sins, evil. In the case of Middle East profiling, it is also sinful because God would not allow it, as we should all remain co-equals and colleagues. Rawls philosophy is anchored on reasonable pluralism. That is, he is more accommodating to divergence. He contends that, stability of society is organized around justice and he believes in respect for human rights. He postulates that, societies and countries lacking the conditions necessary for a decent or just regime should be assisted to realize it. By assistance, he does not recommend intervention, rather, to necessitate that country to achieve a just regime. These principles, he posits, should govern one nation in relation with t he other. His position in regards to illegal migration would then be that they should be accommodated, and their countries be assisted to achieve conditions that would enable citizens to be comfortable in a just regime which would restore peace and get into the path of economic progress. The same can be said on

Rethinking Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rethinking Leadership - Essay Example A leader is the one who motivates and influences his/her subordinates to attain the pre-defined goals (Hernandez et al. 1166). With this definition in mind, one can recognize a number of effective leaders; Alexander the Great, Nelson Mandela, Adolf Hitler, Asoka and Mahatma Gandhi etc. However, at the organizational level, Steve Jobs is undoubtedly the most legendary leader of the 21st century who transformed the world of information technology. Steven Paul  "Steve"  Jobs  (February 24, 1955  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, innovator, leader and inventor, best known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of  Apple Inc.  Through Apple, he was widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the  personal computer revolution and for his influential career in the computer and  consumer electronics  fields, transforming one industry after another, from computers and smart phones to music and movies. Jobs also co-founded and served as chief executive of  Pixar Animation Studios. He became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company  in 2006, when Disney acquired Pixar. Steve Jobs was the one, who led to the creation of the  Apple Lisa  and, one year later, the Macintosh. He also played a role in introducing the  LaserWriter, one of the first widely available laser printers, to the market. Steven Paul Jobs was born on 24 February 1955 in San Francisco, California, to an un-married couple who gave him up for adoption. He was taken in by a working class couple, Paul and Clara Jobs, and grew up with them in Mountain View, California. He attended Homestead High School in Cupertino California and went to Reed College in Portland Oregon in 1972 but dropped out after only one semester, staying on to "drop in" on courses that interested him (Hertzfeld 53). He took a job with video game manufacturer Atari to raise enough money for a trip to India and returned from there a

Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness case 5 Essay

Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness case 5 - Essay Example The Chinese markets have also faces a surge as there has been a huge drop in the social and cultural barriers. This has been a major cause for the businesses to be able to set up the businesses and work more earnestly. Also the SMEs of China have been known for supplying parts and services to the world’s top companies. This has formed a main characteristic of the Chinese SMEs. The fact that the parts are supplied from Chinese SMEs across the world simply means that the demand for the SME depends to a very great extent on the demand of the giants where the company provide for the goods and services. It is quite difficult to ignore the significance of the SMEs in the Chinese economy. It has also been noted that the Chinese foreign exchange markets and the foreign experts have estimated that the country has been contributed as much as 60% of the total industrial output. Also it provides as much as 75% of the workforce of the country. SMEs are responsible for creating most new urb an jobs, and they are the main destination for workers laid-off from state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that re-enter the workforce. This fact of the companies providing a high level of jobs to the workforce in the country has been recognised by the government however it has also lead to a number of social unrest within the country. Chinese officials have said that SMEs would be more important for preserving social stability than the nascent social security system once increased foreign competition as a result of Chinas WTO entry forces more layoffs from uncompetitive state-owned firms. It has also been noted by the local experts that the employees aged over 40 and 50s are being removed from the jobs, specially those with a lack of skills to be able to compete in the private ventures. The next essential step is to consider the plausible strategy for Chinese SME in the manufacturing industry. There are two main strategies that need to be

Analysis of Taylorism Theories and Human Relations Theory

Analysis of Taylorism Theories and Human Relations Theory Question: Work itself is organised according to Taylorian principles, while personnel departments and academics have busied themselves with the selection, training, manipulation, pacification and adjustment of manpower to suit the work processes so organised. Taylorism dominates the world of production; the practitioners of human relations and industrial psychology are the maintenance crew for the human machinery. (Braverman, 1974: 87) This study tries to reveal the statement whether Taylorism theories tries to dictate the production world and the positions of Human Relations theory are just combined into the business operations, in order to just assist the worker output in a Taylorism manner. According to the text of (Taylor, 1914: 1-2; Holloway, 1991: 71-72), it shows that the two theories main objective focus on the method of increasing organisational output and it also extensively determine the production processes which is the objective area that will be focus in this study. Braverman makes a critical evaluation on the production processes of a capitalist environment. He stated that in a capitalist surrounding, the management tries to deteriorate the skilfulness of workers because the capitalist control and subject them to do repetitive routines of work. As this is being stated in the text of (Milloy, 2011: 92-95). The observations of Braverman have strong a linkage to those of Karl Marx, who through his theory of alienation, reached similar conclusions (Yuill, 2011: 104-107), as will be discussed extensively in the last section of this study. Reasons of confessing about the statement Based, on Milloy (2011: 92-95) notes, Bravermans stated that the statement of Taylorism dominates the production world was a conclusion of an examination which shows advanced position by Taylor, according to the availability of a highly popular capitalist management practices visible in most companies during the 70 century. Just like in the current business environment, firms were depending on system that link certain persons who undertook specific activity and were answerable to individuals of a higher level, in that order, until higher management level (Milloy, 2011: 94-97). To Braverman, these structure shows an evidence of Taylorism in the business operation. Moreover, various aim could be attempted to complement the workers society status value in the workplace, as the Human Relations theory supports, the main driver of business operation, according to Braverman and Taylor principles and also the statement. Taylor Principle Taylor principles theories main focus are on the scientific approaches towards the management of workers (Bruce Nyland, 2011: 391-393). During, the late 19th-century most factory manager, were eager in increasing the output level of labours (Weisbord, 2011: 169-171). The theorist recognised that, in order to enlarge the output level, burden of workers had to be broken into smaller units and authorise the task to the particular individuals, which this is known as the process called specialisation (Weisbord, 2011: 169-171). As Milloy (2011: 93-96) suggests, Taylor ground position is on the workers motive to perform these duties on a daily routine basis and to the satisfactory level of their need for money. Therefore, according to Taylorian principles, the compensation of workers should be based according to their productivity levels within the certain period of time (Weisbord, 2011: 170-173). A critical observation of Bravermans statement and the application of existing business world will certainly reveal that Taylor principles dictates the production world. Workers gain salary according to the working hours of worker in the workplace, earn bonuses and benefits depending on the productive level of workers and their performance (Kaplan Atkinson, 2015: 565-569). As Kaplan Atkinson (2015: 556-561) examine, modern management mainly involves the combination of small business procedure and then effectively provide duties to certain individuals and supervising the implementation procedure of these tasks, which then would linked to building up the whole company operation structures. These aspects indicates that Bravermans statement is true. Yet, as Gerhart Fang (2015: 493-496) suggested, in many organisations there is a separation between the output per units of workers and their salary levels. Furthermore, aspects such as gender pay gaps have further served to obscure the mechanism of linking productivity with rewards (Gerhart Fang, 2015: 497-501) and in most case s, the Taylor principles do not employ. Human Relations Human Relations theory holds the position which increase the worker output, firms should invest in the workers social well-being (Barkema et al., 2015: 463-466). Thus, according to the theory, workers should be allowed to have communications that are both official and causal. As opposed to the Taylorism principle, which identify capital as the operator for worker productivity, the theory emphasises that links with each other and the management are the creators of worker achievement and output (Bruce Nyland, 2011: 396-401). Also, the Human Relations theory focus on the fact when undertaking their business roles, workers are not independently rational, as forced by their motive to meet their economic needs, a position contribute by Taylor, but are depending on each other (Bruce Nyland, 2011: 396-401). Accordingly, Taylorism takes into account the fundamental strategies when relating workers objective with business goals, where it assumed that the desire can be related with the econom ic needs of the two (Weisbord, 2011: 169-171), the Human Relations principles identify that the relationship can only be create by building up social value of workers. The assessment of Bravermans statement is true in various ways. In the 21st century business world, Human Relations manner such as happy workplace, informal interactions with friends, are not noticeable as a vital practices (Barkema et al., 2015: 463-466). According to Donka, George Stefanos (2015: 69) they suggest that, these aspects that structure the main controversy of Human Relations theory are recognised as facilitators of current business procedures and operations, which as observed by Braverman, are based on Taylorism principles. Nevertheless, the pursuit of innovativeness, companys such as Google marked themselves by having fun workplace , highly flexible working hours and variety employee benefits , are tearing apart ranks with these approaches and have reconstruct their structures to principally focus on t he workers social well-being (Payton, 2015: 57-63), according with the Human Relation theory. Respectively, Taylor scientific management dominate the current business world, as time pass by businesses tries to become competitive, Human Relations principles are likely to be more significant, like in the case of Google. Karl Marx Karl Marx investigated the production procedure in his theory of alienation. Marx noted that capitalist management tends to deteriorate the workers skilfulness and the ability (Calhoun, 2012: 87-88) the three main reasons. First, Karl Marx claimed that during the workers delivered the products that had a high value, they were not appropriately compensated for their efforts, which could lead them to the feelings of uncontent (Calhoun, 2012: 87-88) and an unappreciation of their respective expertise (Shantz, Alfes Truss, 2014: 2531-2534). Second, the theorist also indicate the fact that capitalist management practice are considerable authority and control over workers, which limited their talents and abilities (Shantz, Alfes Truss, 2014: 2531-2534). Third, according to the research of Shantz, Alfes Truss (2014: 2531-2534) and Calhoun (2012: 87-88), Marx noted that capitalist management has a characteristic of continual and strict routines that transformed workers into tools of the p roduction process, rather a force that had the potential of having a positive impact on business activity . The examination of these positions and the comparison of the statement of Braverman will uncover that the both Marx and Braverman theory had similar observations. Taylorism supports a capitalist style of management, where workers are expected to be productive to their highest levels based on their pay, and the extensive breaking down of production processes and creation of routine-based roles (Bruce Nyland, 2011: 391-395). Therefore, as captured in Bravermans statement, Karl Marx, through the alienation theory, it seems that it have reached the position that capitalist management dominates the firm, which, essentially, is Taylorism. Yet, it can be argued that Karl Marx agreed with the Taylor principle of assuming that workers are motivated by the pay of salary. However, the inspiration behind Karl Marxs position on appropriate worker salary was the workers well-being, which a dvocates the Human Relations theory. Conclusion In conclusion, Bravermans quote that Taylor theory influence the production world and that the positions support by Human Relations are only employed to aid the existence of a highly organised business structure that are noticeable by strong Taylorian principles is true. Nowadays, businesses are characterised by the compensation systems that are mainly on the workers working duration and a strong important on the output within certain amount of periods, which is related with Taylor. Next, the well-being of workers should be consider rather than the productivity. This is because the well-being is perceived as a factor that improve workers performance within a highly organised system of a firm. On the contrary, the development of an innovative culture, companies such as Google have modernised their corporate structure on Human Relations principles, which this could indicate the future, the Human Relations principle could be replace by the business environment of Taylor. References Barkema, H. G., Chen, X. P., George, G., Luo, Y., Tsui, A. S. (2015). West meets East: New concepts and theories. Academy of Management Journal, 58(2), 460-479. Bruce, K., Nyland, C. (2011). Elton Mayo and the deification of human relations. Organization Studies, 32(3), 383-405. Calhoun, C. (2012). Classical sociological theory. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Donka, N., George, A., Stefanos, K. (2015). Sociology of Labour and Human Resource Management: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 4(3 S1), 69. Gerhart, B., Fang, M. (2015). Pay, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, performance, and creativity in the workplace: Revisiting long-held beliefs. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav., 2(1), 489-521. Hollway, W. (1991). Work psychology and organizational behaviour. London: Sage Publications Kaplan, R. S., Atkinson, A. A. (2015). Advanced management accounting. New Delhi: PHI Learning. Milloy, J. (2011). Bravermans New World? Assessing the Labour Process In Recent Scholarship. Left History, 15(2), 91-101. Payton, F. C. (2015). Workplace Design: The Millennials Are Not Coming-Theyre Here. Design Management Review, 26(1), 54-63. Shantz, A., Alfes, K., Truss, C. (2014). Alienation from work: Marxist ideologies and twenty-first-century practice. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(18), 2529-2550. Taylor, F. W. (1914). The principles of scientific management. New York: Harper. Weisbord, M. (2011). Taylor, McGregor and me. Journal of Management History, 17(2), 165-177. Yuill, C. (2011). Forgetting and remembering alienation theory. History of the Human Sciences, 24(2), 103-119. 1438 words

Great White Sharks :: essays research papers

The Great White shark, also known as the white death, is considered the most dangerous shark in the waters. The Great White has a conical instead of a flattened snout, black eyes, and large, serrated, arrowhead-shaped teeth. The upper and lower lobes of the tail are almost equal in size, and the body is blue or brown-gray, not white, except on its belly. The Great White is found in temperate waters throughout the worlds oceans, and it is important, though not common, predator in California’s coastal habitat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The waters off central California offer a rich bounty of food for white sharks, and every summer and fall, they actively feed in nearshore areas. The Farallan Islands, a national wildlife refuge about twenty-seven miles off San Francisco, is a common feeding ground for the great white. The coastal waters along central California, especially around the Ano Nuevo State Reserve and along the Marin Headlands, are another common area for white sharks. In the summer the sharks move to the coasts of Oregon and occasionally the Gulf of Alaska, and in the fall, they turn south and move along the offshore islands. They are also found in great numbers in the Australian waters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The great white is a very agile killer that hunts mostly anything in the ocean. They are carnivorous and usually prey on sick or injured prey. Just one drop of blood can make the shark go into a feeding frenzy. It is not made to swim fast and its usual speed is fifteen miles per hour. It migrates south to warmer waters to give birth to six to nine pups. The only way it can defend itself is by using its mouth and its razor-sharp teeth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most largest specimens caught was off of Mantauk, Long Island, and New York, in 1964; it was seventeen and a half feet long and weighed an estimated 4500 pounds. Between 1916 and 1969, there were thirty-two attacks on swimmers, resulting in thirteen deaths attributed to great white sharks. On three occasions white sharks were reported to have attacked boats, sinking one of them, a dory, off Cape Breton, Nova

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 15

The night before the wedding, I stood staring out the window of my bedroom. A beautiful quarter-moon shown through the ornately paned glass. It felt like the entire nighttime world was teasing me, calling out: Come play. Come hunt. Come disappear into the darkness. My skin prickled whenever a hint of the night air breezed through, and my nostrils flared at the thousand and one scents it carried. I am not meant to stay captive inside at night†¦. I had thought I was miserable in the park hunting squirrels, but here I was trapped by my word, by my guilt, by these stupid walls, by a family of humans under a spell, by my brother. Mrs. Sutherland came in earlier that evening. She didn't say much, just patted my hand and pinched my cheek, telling me not to worry, the wedding would soon be over and then we all – we all – could get back to the normal happy business of being a family. Little did she know that after Damon was through with them, the Sutherlands would never be able to be normal or happy again. A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. I turned and tightened the nice silk smoking jacket Winfield had loaned me, wondering if Mrs. Sutherland had left something behind. But then the door cracked open and a pink, mischievous face poked through. â€Å"Bridget,† I half-groaned. I looked around me desperately, as if some sort of exit would suddenly appear that I could escape through. She giggled and suddenly shoved her way in, slamming the door behind her, leaning against it like she had just shut out an invading army. â€Å"Stefan,† Bridget said in what she probably thought was a sexy, dulcet tone. She was dressed in a chiffon robe with giant chenille cabbage roses. Underneath, instead of a simple nightgown, she wore a complicated corseted dress made of bright pink silk with a rose-red sash that left her shoulders and neck bare. â€Å"Bridget,† I said warningly, backing up. My head hit one of the beams of the four-poster bed. â€Å"I thought maybe we could start the honeymoon early,† she whispered, pushing herself into my arms. â€Å"Uh – † I stammered. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were heavy-lidded. Despite Damon's compulsions, she was also under the sway of her own emotions, stirred to amorous feelings for the man she was about to marry. She pushed me – with remarkably strong arms – down on to the bed and fell upon me, crushing me under wave after wave of silk. Her breasts heaved over the corset, and I could feel her warm skin through my robe. I had a perfect view of her bare white neck. Her heart pumped quickly, giving her skin a hot, rosy glow and filling my senses with her blood. I could smell it all over her, salty and warm and human. A shiver went through my body as her chest pressed against mine, and I could feel the pain begin along my jaw. Such a sweet pain – and it had been such a long time since I had had human blood†¦. It couldn't hurt, part of me said. She wouldn't mind me biting her, even without compulsion. It didn't have to be painful, and she might even enjoy it. Before I knew what I was doing I had pressed my lips to her shoulder, just to feel the skin, to take a little lick†¦ She felt me moving beneath her and misinterpreted it, kissing me harder and getting into a more comfortable position, entwining her legs in mine. â€Å"No!† I managed to get control of myself and shoved her off me. I didn't mean to do it so forcefully, but even in my weakened state I was still several times stronger than a human. She fell to the end of the bed, against one of the posts, looking shocked. And then she began to cry. â€Å"You†¦ don't want me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she wailed, fat droplets of tears rolling down her cheeks. â€Å"Bridget, no, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My fangs retracted and I was aching with the pain and my need for blood. â€Å"It's just†¦ we're getting married tomorrow, Bridget. Just one more day. If we wait until it's†¦ uh†¦ proper, it will be even more special. Just think, we'll have completed a†¦ beautiful day†¦ with you in your beautiful, uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Cream brocade with Flemish lace on the sleeves and bodice and an ivory satin sash with a veil of matching ivory silk flowers,† she sniffled. â€Å"Right.† I touched her elbow delicately and tilted her chin up so she had to look at me. She wiped the tears off her face with a piece of her robe. â€Å"Let my first night with you be with that image of you in my mind, my blushing bride.† She nodded, sniffing again, giving me a faint smile. â€Å"All right.† Then she giggled again, back to her old self, and flounced off the bed and to the door. â€Å"Good night†¦ lover,† she cooed before exiting. As soon as she was gone I fell back on the bed, muffling a groan in my pillow. It did nothing to abate my frustration. I stood, pacing from the window to the door, wanting to leave, to escape, to hunt, to do something. But I had no choice, no option. I was trapped in this room, in this situation, in the terrible in-betweenness of being neither a human nor a monster. I ripped the pillow straight in two, feathers exploding around the room like a white powder keg. Damn you, Damon, I thought violently, for putting me in this position. And damn you, too, Katherine, for beginning all this.

Innovation at 3M Corporation Essay

3M was and still is a worldwide leader in innovation. After a rough start in 1902, over decades, 3M enjoyed national and global growth as well as a reputation for remaining a hothouse of innovation. In the 1990’s, 3M was trying to move away from the incrementalism and it sought to change the mix of new products to truly create something new to the world, instead of line extensions, which typically had provided two out of three new-product sales dollars. By 1996, the 3M Medical-Surgical Markets Division, a world leader in surgical drapes market, had gone almost a decade with only one successful product. At this point, Senior Product Specialist Rita Shor has been charged with the mandate of developing a breakthrough product within existing business strategy. She was selected not only because her seniority but also because she was thought of as being creative and consensus builder. Rita and the Medical-Surgical Market Division experiences with the traditional market research were disappointing. Traditional tools presented an abundance of data but contained little useful information for conceptualizing a breakthrough product as the current strategy of the company was desperate to find. In an in house lecture, Rita had heard about a new methodology for product development called â€Å"Lead User Research.† In an in house lecture, Rita had heard about a new methodology for product development called â€Å"Lead  User Research.† The premise of this novel methodology was that certain consumers experienced needs ahead of other consumers and some of the former would seek to innovate on their own. Shor decided to try since this might provide the key to the breakthrough product. The Medical-Surgical Division focused largely on reducing infections from skin through surgical drapes and surgical prepping. The team decided to  center their interest in a new product that should reduce infections, conform to the body, prove more effective than current products and be easy to apply and remove. Shor and her consultants follow the â€Å"Lead User Research† methodology stage by stage. The first two stages run as planned. However, the diversity in lead users and fields of expertise was adding complexity to the third and fourth phase. Along the way, after a change of the division manager, Shor experienced a big barrier of skepticism from her superiors. They had reduction on the team and clear opposition. The third stage took six months instead of six weeks. Shor and her team had to sell the program starting from scratch, reminding the new managers the expected benefits and the old problems. Finally, after one year and with the help of a dozen of lead users gather from backgrounds as diverse as cosmetics to surgery, the team ended up with three innovative product recommendations. Two of them represented a straightforward linear extension of 3M product lines. One more, the team though, might open the door to new business opportunities. However, the team had a fourth recommendation but it divided the team. The fourth idea would change the business unit strategy, in fact could mean to associate and combine technology from more than one core area of the company. Shor should decide if take the four recommendations to the senior management and revolutionize the company or just play safe and keep doing business as always. Case analysis There is no doubt of the excellence of 3M’s products. It is also known per decades that the company is a leader in innovation. However, this case represents the need for change in a moment where innovation was just predictable and the â€Å"new products† were the result of the same old ideas. It is understandable, up to a certain point, the level of comfort in employees and management had within the company. When the company has a steady income and year after year and the results show growth, small but growth, it is hard to sell a change in the organization. Rita Shor’s dilemma about presenting or not the fourth recommendation was not just about numbers. It was about business strategy, changes in the organization and cultural change management. After all, depending on how that kind of changes are implemented, the numbers could go either direction, faster and bigger by itself. Eventually, 3M should realize that the times where the innovation called for â€Å"it’s better to seek forgiveness than ask for permission† were behind. That there was no more â€Å"get-out-of-the-way† attitude. To put it in perspective, the employees’ comfort zone made the company transform itself in a short-term thinking, incapable of being radical anymore. In addition to the cultural aspect of the organization, another reason for the actual situation was the product developing process and the product teams that perform it. Those teams were composed primarily of technical individuals with zero room for an empirical behavior, making the company a secluded environment. The proportions of logic and predictability in contrast with creativity and â€Å"free† innovation were overwhelming. In summary, Rita Shor’s decision was not an easy one. She never imagined how far her assignment was going to go. The truth was that it went beyond the point of just finding a breakthrough product. The results of applying the â€Å"Lead User Research† methodolog y, opened bigger doors to radical change inside the company. That is what the case is all about. Alternatives Rita Shor had two clear alternatives. On the one hand, she could deliver to senior management only the three products they clearly defined. On the contrary, she could face the opposition of some of her own team members and introduce to 3M the â€Å"Lead User Research† methodology. Explaining the findings and telling the company that the legendary innovation process needed a refresh. The first option would help the team to present a safe and conservative idea, aligned with the 3M traditional methods. In fact, two of the three products were a linear progression of other products, which would please the â€Å"old† school of the management. Likewise, the third product accomplished the goal of the new company strategy. It was the  breakthrough product that the Senior Management charged Rita to find. This option was the best in terms of having everybody happy within the team and everybody in th e organization. The second option was a bigger risk. It was a personal risk for Rita and her results to the company. It was also a business risk for the Health Care Unit and the Medical -Surgical Division. The recommendation of evolution or revolution was a big challenge for all the levels of the organization. It would start with the Health Care Unit’s business strategy statement but it would not stop there. The new recommendation would imply to collaborate with other units. It would means probably to create and destroy business units along the company. Not to mention that the recommendation would touch the core of the innovation principles in 3M. However, all those risks could be the answer that 3M was eager to find. The 30% goal of sales from products that did not exist four years earlier was not an easy target. The answer could be the change in the innovation process as a whole and not just one product at a time. Recommendations Definitely, the recommendation is to deliver the fourth idea to the Senior Management team. However, in order to assure the success of the new â€Å"Lead Users Research† methodology, it must be clear that 3M needs to commit all levels of the organization to the changes that â€Å"reinventing† themselves will bring. Change Management is a painful process. Even though it could involve complex  activities, changes in organizational structure, downsizing and cultural mentality change, all will benefit the company, in the long run. The new initiative will bring back the bright ideas 3M was known for and it will restore the respect that other businesses in the industry always have had for them. It is important though, be aware of the long process, the challenges that implement new methodologies and new ways of thinking implies. In 1995, John Kotter published research that revealed only 30 percent of change programs are successful1. There are not too many changes since then. In fact, fig.1 shows how 9% completely failed, 49% failed and just 21% had a complete and successful implementation of changes in the organizations 2.