Casein micelle structure Models and muddles Assignment

Casein micelle structure Models and muddles - Assignment Example All models that are proposed and should be working should be constructed in a way that it can imitate the behaviors of the represented structure. From the article, we can say that both models being used for representations are muddles. Both models are seen to be reaching their ends. It is imperative to note that milk composition do vary greatly in and in the total concentration of proteins, as well as their relative proportion. From this idea, we can summarize that in every model formed to explain the casein and casein micelle properties, the model cannot be specific to the species from which the milk comes from. Nonetheless, the model should be looking forward to recognizing that all milk from all mammals share same characteristic in that they all contain casein micelles (Horne 2006, pp. 148-153). There are various models put across by scholars. All the scholars have been speculating and striving to come up with a clear model. Each model do possesses its own weaknesses and strengths. The researchers have to come up with the restrictions and any raised requirements prior to choosing the best applicable model. In addition, the micelle system is exposed to advanced physical and technological environment to dig out their properties. The properties and the composition of milk molecules vary. The phosphoproteins are the casein proteins, and they are divided majorly into two groups. These two groups are responsible for the casein properties in mixtures where it prevents calcium from precipitating the groups that are calcium-sensitive. Two more groups that are considered to analogs of the two major groups have also been identified. This makes the total molecules of caseins to be four in total. Through research, it noted that most of the mammalian milk contains the four molecules that include k- casein, alpha â€Å"s1†, alpha â€Å"s2† and beta

Death of a Nation Essay Example for Free

Death of a Nation Essay Clifford Dowdey’s Death of a Nation: The Story of Lee and His Men at Gettysburg is a military history examining the Confederate loss at this epic battle, particularly the decision-making process and the Southern commanders’ failure to perform up to their potential. Partly a fawning defense of Robert E. Lee and partly an insightful study of why the South even dared invade the North, it demonstrates the author’s Southern bias without trying to justify slavery, as well as Dowdey’s fusion of history and storytelling. The book looks almost exclusively at the Civil War’s largest battle, in which Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia invaded the North in hopes of scaring Lincoln into halting the war and recognizing the Confederacy. Instead, as Dowdey’s title implies, it proved the Confederacy’s apex as a military power, beginning its two-year decline and ultimate collapse. Dowdey, a native of Richmond, Virginia, who produced numerous histories and novels about the Civil War, takes a decided pro-Southern stance and offers a rather generous view both of the Confederacy, never approaching its defense of slavery, and of Lee, the inventive, chance-taking commander who proved the South’s greatest leader. The first chapter, â€Å"Rendezvous with Disaster,† conveys in its title how Dowdey sees the battle, yet he is loath to blame Lee for the loss. He opens with an account of Confederate troops invading Pennsylvania, depicting them not as a menacing enemy but as a somewhat merry band: â€Å"[The] Confederate soldiers had not committed acts of vandalism or abused the inhabitants. On the contrary, the troops had been highly good-humored in the face of taunts and insults† (3). The author then introduces the general as a striking, almost godlike figure, quoting an officer who deemed him â€Å"a kingly man whom all men who came into his presence expected to obey† (5); this description recurs throughout the book. Subsequent chapters describe the buildup and the battle itself. In chapter two, â€Å"The Opening Phase,† Dowdey portrays the decision-making process that led to Lee’s invasion of Pennsylvania as a Jefferson Davis-engineered travesty, â€Å"a necessary expedient in the policy of static, scattered defensiveness† (27). The author considers Lee almost a victim of Davis’ vanity, rigidity, and inability to admit his own lack of military expertise, and he absolves the man he believes â€Å"embodied the image of the patriarchal planter who, as military leader, assumed benevolent responsibility for his domain† (33). Throughout the battle, which dominates much of the book, Dowdey introduces Lee’s subordinates as characters in a novel or drama, describing their personalities in lively, even somewhat chatty detail. Jeb Stuart, whose cavalry failed in its reconnaissance duties before the fighting began, appears as a capable soldier who refused to believe he erred; Richard Ewell is a crusty but soft-hearted eccentric whose marriage softened his fighting skills; and John B. Hood is â€Å"a fighter, not a thinker† (174). He reserves his harshest criticisms for James Longstreet, deeming the lone general to openly question Lee’s decision to wage the unwise assault best known as Pickett’s Charge, a lying defeatist. Dowdey claims that â€Å"objective historians and Longstreet partisans have tried to re-evaluate him outside the text of controversy. This is almost impossible. . . . Many other men performed below their potential at Gettysburg, but only James Longstreet absolved himself by blaming Lee† (340). By the end of the book, one realizes that Dowdey will not concede that the figure he admires may have simply made fatal errors at Gettysburg. Dowdey’s descriptions of the battle cover the three days in a generally accurate but not original manner. He alternates between broad, sweeping pictures of dramatic combat and close-up accounts of individual Confederate units and soldiers. (He gives little mention to Union action throughout the book, making clear that his sole interest is depicting Lee’s army and not providing a holistic history of the battle. ) Though his approach provides reliable but not groundbreaking information, Dowdey makes clear that he considers Lee’s defeat not the venerable commander’s fault (despite his own tendency to take long chances against the larger and better-armed Union Army), but rather his subordinates’ inability to perform as competently as they had in previous battles. In this account, Stuart’s ego kept him from realizing he failed in his scouting duties, A. P. Hill lost his usually strong will, Richard Anderson staged a poor excuse for an assault on Cemetery Ridge with undisciplined, poorly-led Carolinian troops (rather than the Virginians that Dowdey, the Virginian, favors), and Ewell did not adequately prepare his troops for their attack. While Dowdey concedes that Lee, â€Å"alone in the center of the vacuum, could not have been less aware of the total collapse of co-ordination† (240). However, he implies, Lee’s unawareness was not his fault, but that of usually-reliable subordinates who curiously failed all at once. The work ends somewhat abruptly, with Lee’s broken army withdrawing from Pennsylvania after Pickett’s failed charge (in which the general whose name it bears appears as a minor figure) and returning to Virginia; the author offers no broad conclusion or explanation of the battle’s meaning within a larger context. Dowdey, primarily a fiction writer and college instructor who also produced numerous histories of the Army of Northern Virginia, approaches the work with a storyteller’s vigor and flair, writing this history with a novelist’s attention to visual details and his characters’ personalities and quirks. Frequently, he aims to stir the reader’s attention by adding what his characters may have said or thought in rich, occasionally overstated terms. For example, he deems Ewell â€Å"this quaint and lovable character† (121); Jubal Early becomes â€Å"the bitter man [who] became as passionate in his hate for the Union as he had formerly been in its defense† (123); and Union general Daniel Sickles (one of the few figures for whom he shows genuine scorn) is â€Å"an unsavory, showy, and pugnacious character from New York who went further on brassy self-confidence and politicking . . . than many a better man went on ability† (203). In trying give his characters personality, Dowdey writes often picturesque and lively prose but also offers a somewhat distorted picture that more detached academic historians may find objectionable. For example, while Lee can do no wrong, Jefferson Davis, the Confederacy’s much-reviled president, appears as nearly as much a villain as Longstreet. Of Davis, Dowdey writes: â€Å"The crisis [in the South’s military fortunes] was caused largely by the defense policies of the president. . . . Among the limitations of this self-aware gentleman was an inability to acknowledge himself in the wrong† (14). As a Lee apologist, Dowdey implicitly blames David for the South’s collapse, though he wavers on this by adding: â€Å"Lincoln had at his disposal unlimited wealth, the organized machinery of government, a navy, the war potential of heavy industry, and a four-to-one manpower superiority. Davis led a disorganized movement in self-determinism composed of proud and fiercely individualistic provincials (15-16). Dowdey comments little about the South in general and does not directly glorify the Southern cause, though he also refrains from any mention of slavery or racism. He seems to simply accept the South as it was, writing his works to illustrate a particularly regionalist sense of pride, if not in its plantation past, then certainly in Lee, its most shining example of military leadership and manhood. He reveals, perhaps unintentionally, his own sense of romance about the South when he writes: â€Å"In a land where the age of chivalry was perpetuated, the military leader embodied the gallantry, the glamour, and the privilege of the aristocrat in a feudal society† (15). Characters like Lee, he implies, gave the South respectability and nobility, while lesser individuals, like the supposedly duplicitous, disloyal Longstreet and the rigid, arrogant Davis, somehow stained it and failed to match its ideals. Despite Dowdey’s biases, he cannot be faulted for failing to do research. He includes a short bibliographic essay at the end, explaining his sources’ strengths and limitations. In addition to using many secondary sources, he relies heavily on participants’ personal documents, such as letters and memoirs, though he concedes that â€Å"the eyewitness accounts are subject to the fallibility of memory, and many of the articles suffer the distortion of advocacy or indictment† (353). This last comment is telling, because Dowdey himself neither advocates nor indicts the Old South, but rather aims to depict the military aspects. The result is a work that shows clear fondness for the South’s self-image as an embattled land of chivalry, but to his credit, Dowdey does not excoriate the North or its leaders. Lincoln scarcely appears in this volume, but the author pays some compliments to Union generals whom historians have seen less favorably, such as Joseph Hooker (whom Lee soundly defeated at Chancellorsville) or George Meade (who won at Gettysburg but failed to pursue and destroy the remains of Lee’s army as it withdrew). Death of a Nation is not a comprehensive history of the battle of Gettysburg, but neither does it claim to be. Instead, it is an often-entertaining, well-researched account of the Southern side’s participation, including its ill-starred behind-the-scenes planning and the personal dynamics among the commanders who underperformed at this key point in the war. Though Dowdey’s conclusion is so brief as to be unsatisfactory, one can draw one’s own conclusion from this volume’s title and the battle it describes: that defeat at Gettysburg meant the Confederacy’s failure to win its nationhood. Dowdey does not openly lament this fact, but instead shows the process that made this failure a reality. Dowdey, C. (1958). Death of a Nation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Hester Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout the Rocking-Horse Winner†, Hester was overly materialistic, emotionally cold towards her children and in self-denial over her own faults. Hester had expensive tastes and she insisted in keeping up the latest style. The â€Å"expensive and splendid toys† that filled the nursery were more than the parents modest income could afford. Paul asked for an explanation of luck. Hester responded by saying â€Å"it’s what causes you to have money†, quickly making a connection between luck and wealth. And while she discovered she had a knack for sketching â€Å"furs and dress materials† she adored, making hundreds of pounds per year did not appease her elegant tastes, for it still wasn’t enough to keep up her extravagant lifestyle. When Hester found that she had mysteriously acquired five thousand pounds, she quickly asked for the whole sum at once. This money was not used to pay off the debts the household so sorely needed; it was used to purchase more cozy and unneeded items. The â€Å"sprays of mimosa and almond blossom† emanated from the home and was more pungent than before. Hester fe lt that her financial state couldn’t afford to buy a car but ironically she purchases tutors for Paul and expensive items for their home. While Hester fancied lavish items, she also strived to be prestigious and gain social stature. This stature was always hard to preserve for â€Å"there was never enough money†. Hester toiled to maintain her superior status and was willing to sacrifice her money to buy â€Å"iridescen...

Zara for Fast Fashion

In analyzing the case we find that Ezra did not appoint a CIO; had no formal process for setting an IT budget; did not have policies in place to select specific technology investments; required no formal Justification for IT efforts; and did not conduct cost/ benefit analysis for IT projects. All of these elements are critical components to the success of IT and business overall. These shortcomings advocate the fact that Ezra completely belittled the role of IT within the organization and merely used IT as a support function for business.With a completely decentralized decision making strategy and lack of IT [business integration, Ezra created the platform for eventual failure. Because all of the above mentioned are responsibilities of both positioned executives and IT leaders, I am inclined to assert that poor integration is in fact the central dilemma to the case. Because the lack of IT and business alignment sets the groundwork for the additional issues to cultivate, it is signifi cantly more critical than all other noted issues including: updating hardware and software systems; creating internal networks; and the lack of formal IT investment strategies.All of the above identified issues can be derived from the central issue of poor IT and business integration, and therefore makes this issue critical and more significant than the aforementioned. B. ) The individuals and groups who are most directly impacted by the lack of functional business and IT integration include: Inedited/Ezra Owners and Shareholders Sara's executives, store management, and all employees Ezra customers All of the above mentioned stakeholders are directly affected by the poor business and IT integration within Ezra.If Ezra continues to fail to respond to the needs of its store managers the impacts will spread and multiply. In the case Sara's managers ask Slogan for the present systems to include more capability and dexterity. Slogan and the IT department cannot reach a general consensus. As the IT steering committee discusses the theoretical possibilities nothing gets done and time is lost. If time progresses and store management is disregarded, ignored, neglected and unaccommodating to, the result will include Job dissatisfaction, passive aggression to service employees, spikes in turnover and ultimately unhappy customers.Because store managers possess such significant levels of responsibility including: ordering merchandise; replenishing stock; handling personnel; and coordinating store needs, the quality and level of in store experiences heavily depend on the competencies and commitment of store management. With stores being the first and last point of contact for customers at Ezra, the customer experience; level of service; availability of goods and employee interaction is vital for Sara's success.If store managers do not feel equipped to provide exceptional service, the customers will suffer via in store service levels. Customers will be directly affected by S ara's failing leadership by experiencing unpleasant employees, long waits for inventory assistance, and inconsistent information between store locations. As service levels drop, so does reputation, loyalty and sales. If sales go down shareholders and owners loose revenue. Lost revenue creates the beginning of an unhealthy business which directly hurts owners and shareholders.C. ) So what causes lead to the absence of successful business and IT integration? There are several factors which collectively generated the abovementioned central problem. Those which are most important are outlined as follows: Organizational: The â€Å"speed and decentralized decision making approach applied to IT was Sara's first and most fatal mistake. Using this approach Ezra failed to realize the importance of appointing a CIO and subsequently had no formal erection for IT decision making.The authors of our text on page 35 site the â€Å"Global trends affecting the CIO role†. These trends include: Coo's expecting IT managers to manage people, finances and materials not Just technology; Coo's expect IT to contribute to a firms flexibility and ability to absorb change; and that Coo's are called on to take a broader role in corporate leadership. These noted expectations given by the texts authors perfectly contradict every aspect of Sara's current executive and IT relationship.Castellated (CEO) does not have any real expectations of Slogan. Slogan the current IT leader has little or no say in setting budgets; contributing to flexibility; is not solely authorized to select technology; and fears acting for organizational change. With little or no influence in the big picture business strategy Sara's IT department is again classified as an operational support group. Because of this decentralization, business and IT units are â€Å"soloed†, separate and far from integrated.I believe that these factors expose and point to one of the major causes for poor business and IT integ ration within Ezra. Managerial: The problems at Ezra essentially surface from the top down. Starting with the CEO, the company is blinded by what they do right which helps them ignore what is going wrong. The article â€Å"Mastering the Three Worlds of IT† states on page 142 that executives do not know when, where, or how to get involved and the reason is, because they operate without a comprehensive vision of what IT does for the company. MacAfee, 2006) This statement defends my assertion that Ezra executives are currently looking at IT as an operational support function and fail to integrate and strategically place IT within the company. The central problem in this case exists not because â€Å"things weren't broken†, but because no one (CEO or Head of IT) stepped up to the challenge of managing organizational change. Although Slogan was not officially appointed CIO, he was the head of IT, and with this responsibility comes the need to be business intelligent.Slogan clearly did not look beyond his operational role and failed to define the company's IT needs as they applied to business strategy. Slogan failed to push Sara's IT efforts to align with organizational needs and therefore failed as an IT leader which led to the major issues within Ezra. The authors of our text remark on page 36 that IT should be positioned as a strategic and competitive necessity; making sure IT plans, actions and capabilities are clearly linked to company objectives.This simply is not occurring competently or proactively within the organization, as the conversations between Sanchez and Slogan only describe reactions to current concerns. Although Ezra is good at making IT work for them, they fail to see how IT can work with them in the future. I believe that Ezra executives misunderstand the role that IT should be playing within the company and this leads to Sara's inability to arm a long term IT renewal plan tied to business strategy.The fact that the executive and I T leadership teams within Ezra completely disregard the importance of proactive strategic planning and use decentralized brainstorming creates another major cause which leads to the central issue of poor business / IT integration. D. ) What are the possible solutions that should be considered? Solution 1: A more centralized executive decision making structure where IT decision making includes the CEO, COO, SCOFF and CIO Solution 2: Implementation of an IT leadership development program. Solution 3: Demoting Slogan and appointing a CIO with business management experience.So the question is how do each of these solutions respond to Sara's lack of Business and IT integration and alignment? Solution 1 addresses this primary issue on a multitude of different levels. By centralizing, formalizing and collaborating decision making there will be a better sense of understanding and transparency amongst the units. This executive IT cooperation will create uncluttered communication which will r esult in stronger organizational awareness, and allow for clear, concise, definite business strategy formation.Once executives understand the essential business needs the technologies that are required come into play, consequently resulting in the desired business/ IT integration. This solution would be acceptable by Sara's stakeholder because once implemented, a positive domino effect of would occur These IT applications will satisfy the needs of store managers, who will be better able to suit their employees. With the accommodation and satisfaction of employees comes improved customer service levels which equals success for all.Solution 2 responds to the central issue with the implementation of a long term resolution. The incorporation of an IT leadership development program will ultimately cultivate and nourish IT focused individuals and gear them toward business management. The authors of our text remark on page 11 that the most useful thing any IT manager could possibly do is t o push business smarts and tech smarts closer together. With the employment of a leadership development program Ezra will be investing in the growth of individual talents that will eventually be equivalent to executive and IT collaborations.These future IT leaders will emerge with the IT/ Business integration mindset, thus saving he company time and money with ongoing integration efforts. This solution will be acceptable amongst stakeholders because it has potential to cut cost and increase productivity and fluidity of operations. As operations improve employees are more efficient and customers are better served. Solution 3 is a very direct approach of organization reformation. By demoting Slogan and appointing a new IT leader Ezra will gain fresh perspective regarding the role IT needs to play.Since Slogan has a very technical background he hesitates on promoting organization change. The appointment of a CIO will deliver formal dictation and distribution of objectives for IT to pur sue. Because the new CIO will lack personal relationships within the department, he or she will be quick to act and ambitious to achieve. The new CIO will bring general management experience which will reduce the tech / business integration gap and essentially create value for Ezra. Increasing value within Ezra would again satisfy the need of all stakeholders involved. E. ) What is the ideal solution?The optimal solution to solving the absence of business and IT integration t Ezra is solution 2. Through the deployment and development of an IT leadership programs Ezra will ultimately build a continuous supply of IT leadership talent. This solution not only becomes part of the long term business strategy, but assists in the longevity and success of the organization. This solution makes more sense for Ezra because it develops a permanent solution to a variable problem. Solution 1 and 2 are respectable choices however these solutions only temporarily fix the major issues.Solution 1 can easily be effected by executive social cohesion and lack thereof; while elution 2 is volatile due to the nature and fragility of organization reformation and changes in ownership. The implementation of solution 2 will be accomplished by (short term) mapping technologists and scouting talent; (midterm) comprehensively assessing, evaluating and analyzing employees who show promise and potential; and (long term) mentoring, planning, and training individuals to copiously understand the business the role of IT and the necessity of integration.Some potential consequences to implementing solution 2 will include: the initial lead-time for the project to show exults may cost a few years; the necessity to rebuild IT credibility within the company and industry; new amongst seasoned technologist who aren't geared toward leadership; and resistance to periodic shifts in IT leadership as innovative and talented leaders take on new projects or roles.The result and outcome of an IT leadership develo pment program will be the long term success and integration of business and IT functionalities within Ezra. By harnessing technologists and gearing personalities for management positions, Ezra will create huge value and sustainability for itself within the clothing retail manufacturing industry.

Hierarchical Analysis of Industries

Hierarchical Analysis of Industries Classes, categories, forms, brands Product hierarchy is a term which defines the way a product is relative to other products in the same industry. It guides the path and process a consumer takes to determine the products we choose and we eventually purchase. To start off we look at a basic need that our ultimate choice serves. After we identify the need and determine which industry will satisfy it we are faced with decisions. Which class of products in that industry will deliver that type of product?The different classes all serve a need that is relative to each other but may not serve the specific need. This is where we identify which category of product we are looking for. Here we will find products that serve similar functions and may be marketed to the same customer groups. To further narrow down our choices we must then select a product form that may serve a specific function. This is where we find the exact product that fills the ultimate nee d. Finally we make our end choice by choosing the brand of that product that will purchase.The actual number of levels in the hierarchy depends on how much more detailed or defined the need is. For example if someone wants soap and their only need is to clean something generic, they wouldn’t dig deeper into the types of soap they are looking for rather than looking for a specific type of cleaning agent for granite counter tops for example. To further explain and give examples of how a product falls into a product hierarchy I will look at five different industries. 1. In the first instance the consumer’s end goal is to open a checking account and the basic need is security.Industry Finance| Class| Savings| Diversified Investments| Insurance| Real Estate| Category| Bank/Credit Union and Online or in person| | | | Form| Checking, Savings, CD’s, Credit Cards, Bill Payment| | | | Brand| CHASE| | | | A consumer would first decide which area of the industry they need. The industry is divided into 4 classes: Savings, Diversified Investments, Insurance and Real Estate. Since our need falls under the first class of â€Å"Savings† it is not necessary to break down the other branches of the industry and explain all the choices they have.In order to open a checking account for example they would decide at the class level what type of institution would suit their needs. At the category level there are choices such as, should you use a credit union or a traditional commercial bank. Both serve the same general service but credit unions tend to be smaller and more community or organization oriented. They might be affiliated with a certain geographic area or group of professionals like teachers for example. They are also non-profit financial institutions owned by their members and run by a board of directors which are typically their members.They appear to offer a more personal service which is their point of marketing it. Banks could be as small as community based or as large as national organizations but they are for-profit businesses. The board of directors of a bank is chosen by the stockholders (private investors). Also will you need on-line or in-person services. There are many institutions which advertise to fill the needs of one or the other (or both) of these consumers. For example a business professional that travels often would not have the time to physically stop by a bank branch to take care of their needs.In this case, a full service on-line institution would better serve that customer. The customer who needs to sit down with a customer service representative to assist them in some way would possibly choose a bank branch for in-person service. Once that decision is made a customer would determine which specific form of the product is necessary. In this industry for example, a customer might be looking for service in checking, savings, certificate of deposits, mortgages or bill paying, etc.At this level I believe t he company uses marketing strategies to show the benefits of their brand and the attributes of their products which ultimately will help the consumer choose a specific brand or in this case institution such as CHASE BANK for example. 2. The end goal is to purchase running shoes but the basic need we are looking to fill here is to clothe ourselves. Industry Apparel| Class| Men’s wear| Women’s wear | | Children’swear| Category| Clothes/ Shoes/ Accessories| | | Form| Casual/Dress/Athletic| | | Brand| Asics| | |The general industry that running shoes are in is the Apparel industry. The class that this need falls into could be either men’s, women’s or children’s apparel. A similar need can be met in either of these classes but for a different target market. There is no substitutability at this level. In this particular instance it would be a straight forward decision based on the gender of the person who needs the product. At the next level a con sumer will have specific categories that their item will fall under. All the items at this level serve a more defined function; in this case they would be to clothe us, but just at the overall level.This is a good example of how an industry hierarchy can have many levels. Within each of the different items that fall in this category there are many choices you may have to get to fulfill the ultimate need before you even pick the specific form of the item. For example, Clothing is one type in this category but within this you may have to decide from outerwear, underwear, pants, skirts, dresses, shirts, etc. Accessories are even broader encompassing everything from hats to belts, scarves, ties, socks and so on. The category level that running shoes fall into is shoes. Once we know exactly what we want we decide on the specifics.This is the product form and where our running shoes fall. If we were looking for casual shoes, dress shoes, sandals or athletic shoes we would make that decisi on at the form level. You cannot substitute different forms at this level because they would not serve the purpose intended. You could not wear dress shoes to go jogging. Once again the detail of this level is open for discussion because there technically are more options once we select the athletic footwear since running shoes are just one type. There are endless types available based on the activity they are being used for.Finally we may choose a brand such as Asics based on brand awareness. 3. The basic need we are looking to fill here transportation but the end goal is to purchase an automobile. Industry Transportation| Class| Ground-Auto/Rail/Bus| Sea- Ship| | Air- Planes| Category| Cars/trucks/vans or motorcyclesCommuter trains/cargo/ orPassenger bus, charter bus| Cruise ships/ cargo/yachts/sailboats| Private/commercial| Form| 2 door, 4 door, sedan, hybrid, convertible| | | Brand| Honda| | | The transportation industry is broken down into 3 main classes: ground transportation which is auto, rail or bus; sea/ships or air/planes.All choices result in the movement of goods or people but depending on the purpose one might choose one over another. In this instance the end result is to purchase a car so we will just look at ground transportation. The main categories within the auto class are cars, trucks, vans and motorcycles. Since these different forms of transportation are pretty cut and dry we know that vehicle we wish to purchase will be met in the car category. The Form level is where substitutability is introduced. We now have choices of the type of vehicle we wish to purchase such as cars/trucks/vans/SUV/motorcycles, etc.Of course, we can further break down the type cars by 2 door, 4 door, sedan, hatchback, etc. There is great substitutability at this level depending on our need and taste. Finally our ultimate choice is based on brand which has strong customer loyalty in the auto industry. 4. The basic need in the publishing industry is to inform and e ducate the consumer and our purpose is to purchase a newspaper for example. Industry publishing| Class| Books| Periodicals | | CommercialPrinting services| Category| Literature/manuals/text ooks| Newspapers/magazines| Brochures/flyers/catalogs| Form| paper/digital/internet based| paper/digital/internet based| paper/digital/internet based| Brand| | Newsday| | All the items in the class category of publishing serve a need that is similar to each other which is to inform us but in a very general way. They may not meet our specific need. We have to select the category that our meets our needs. Books are acquired and saved as entertaining or reference items whereas periodicals are used to inform us.The commercial end of publishing usually has a different end user like a manufacturing company or business that is looking to advertise or get knowledge out to the consumer. At the next level the consumer will decide which of these categories best suits their needs. Here the choices involve wh ich mode type of publication would be necessary. Either books/periodicals/brochures, etc. The form which is chosen will differentiate the mode by which we will use the product. There is more product substitutability at this level because consumers may us different mediums of obtaining the same information.For example by paper print/internet/digital and finally the brand choice could be based on the loyalty of a company like a newspaper you always read and purchase. 5. The basic need is for personal care and the specific purpose in this case is to buy shampoo. Industry Personal care| Class| Cosmetics- luxury items| Personal Hygiene- essential items| | | Category| makeup/perfumes/beautification products| skin care/hair care/oral care| | Form| lipstick/body spray/hair removal/| toothbrush/toothpaste/soaps/deodorant/shampoo| | Brand| Revlon| Pantene| |We can differentiate the personal care industry by determining wants (luxury items) and needs (essential items). There is a small margin dividing these classes based on what you perceive as an essential item. In this instance shampoo is considered essential so it falls into the personal hygiene class. The items in the category class all serve a similar function but cover a wide variety of needs. To be more specific, all skin care items may be marketed to the same consumers but they may not serve a specific or desired need.To seek the actual product we are looking for we must determine which form of the product is required. Within the hair care line we can distinguish between moisturizing, body or dandruff shampoos for example. And ultimately we choose the brand based on pricing, product loyalty or other brand choice factors. Before we make a conscious decision to make a purchase, many of our decisions are made for us based on our needs. We decide which class and category of a product we choose to fill our basic need and then differentiate our choices based on what form of the product we eventually purchase.Finally w e choose a brand based on how these products are marketed to us. References: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Global_Industry_Classification_Standard http://www. citeman. com/1587-product-hierarchy-and-product-line-length. html https://getsatisfaction. com http://www. msci. com/ http://www. wdfi. org/wca/consumer_credit/credit_guides/DifferencesBanksCreditUnionsSavingsInstitut http://www. ions. htm http://www. prospects. ac. uk/industries_publishing_overview. htm

Temporal Environment Essay Example

Temporal Environment Essay Example Temporal Environment Paper Temporal Environment Paper Corus is a big company that is influenced by the tree types of environment. The new technology, customer expectations, competition and sales which are external factors influenced the development of new product and improved staff turnover which are internal factors. In order to develop a new product, Corus needed new expertise and knowledge; these are factors in the Temporal Environment. According to Burnes (2004) there are two kinds of changes: incremental and continuous. The incremental change includes continuous improvement as a quality management process or implementation of new computer system to increase efficiencies. The continuous change is constant, evolving and cumulative; it is a pattern of endless modifications in work processes and social practice. Corus needs to development of new expertise and new products. The company used continuous improvement to achieve these objectives, therefore the change that Corus done is an incremental. Crundy (1993) and Senior (2002) distinguish other two types of change: smooth incremental, bumpy incremental and discontinuous change. From what we know in our case study, I think that Corus made a discontinuous change. The company was doing great until loses an essential contract with a customer. Before the contract there was a smooth atmosphere after the contract they had to response to customer expectation. Discontinuous change can be seen in the Oticon Spaghetti organisation, too. Oticon is a large, hearing instrument company with a long history. When the market grew, Oticons managers understood that the company is too traditional, departmentalized and slow-moving. In order to change that, they created the spaghetti organisation. Oticon changed the whole structure of its organisation. That is a discontinuous change, rapid change. When it comes to change, Dunphy and Stace (1993) identifies change by scale can be divided into four different characteristics: Fine-tuning Describes organizational change as an ongoing process to match the organisations strategy, processes, people and structure (Senior 2002). The purpose is to develop personnel suited to the present strategy, linking mechanisms and create special units to increase volume and attention to cost and quality, and refine policies, methods and procedures. Fosters both individual and group commitment to the excellence of departments and organisations mission, clarify established roles. Incremental adjustments According to Senior (2002) incremental adjustment involves distinct modifications to management processes and organizational strategies, but does not include radical change. Modular transformation It is a change identified by major shifts of one or several departments or divisions. It can be radical but it focuses on a part of an organisation rather than on the organisation as a whole. Corporate transformation It is characterized by radical alterations in the business strategy it is described as corporate transformation. According to Dunphy and Stace (1993) examples of this type of change can be reorganization, revision of interaction patterns, reformed organizational mission and core values, and altered power and status. Corus used continuous improvements to support its new product. The company invested in research and development in order to meet the new customers expectation. Therefore I think that Coruss change is a modular transformation. According to Greiner (1972) organisations grow through five evolutionary stages, separated by brief periods of revolution, or dramatic organizational change. Phase 1 Phase2 Phase3 Phase4 Phase 5 Size of Evolution stages Organisation Revolution stages Age of organisation * Phase 1- Growth through creativity eventually leads to a crisis of leadership. More sophisticated and more formalized management practices must be adopted. * Phase 2- Growth through direction eventually leads to a crisis of autonomy. Lower level managers must be given more authority if the organisation is to continue to grow. The crisis involves top-level managers reluctance to delegate authority. Phase 3- Growth through delegation eventually leads to a crisis of control. This occurs when autonomous employees who prefer to operate without interference from the rest of the organisation clash with the business owners and managers who perceive that they are losing control of a diversified company.   Phase 4- Growth through coordination eventually leads to a crisis of red tape. Coordination techniques like product groups, formal planning processes, and corporate staff become, over time, a bureaucratic system that causes delays in decision making and a reduction in innovation. Phase 5- Growth through collaboration, is characterized by the use of teams, a reduction in corporate staff, matrix-type structures, the simplification of formal systems, an increase in conference and educational programs, and more sophisticated information systems. I think that Corus is in the middle of Greiners Phase 1. The company lost one contract; therefore now it is trying to answer to customers expectation. That is growth through creativity. If Greiner is right, in the future Corus will experience leadership crisis. In order to escape from this crisis I have mentioned below the most popular leadership styles. The managerial grid model is developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton (1964). This model originally identified five different leadership styles based on the concern for people and concern for production.

Supernatural Naturalism essays

Supernatural Naturalism essays Es tan difà ­cil hacerles entender: Natural Supernaturalism in Unamunos San Manuel Bueno, Martà ­r Though western custom usually demands distinction between the concepts of natural and supernatural, the two may be considered inseparable, so closely linked that drawing a line where one ends and the other begins proves difficult. Nineteenth century English Romantic writers Wordsworth and Coleridge (if you will, the generation of 1798) saw this relationship, and Wordsworth states in the Preface to Lyrical Ballads that his aim was to throw over situations from common life. . . a certain coloring of imagination, whereby ordinary things should be presented to the mind in an unusual aspect (Norton 11). Further, it was Wordsworths intention to shake us, out of the lethargy of custom so as to refresh our sense of wonder-indeed, of divinity-in the everyday, the trivial, and the familiar (Norton 11). Shelley shared this vision and, in his Defense of Poetry, states that poetry purges from our inner sight the film of familiarity which obscures from us the wonder of our being and creates a new the universe. . . (Abrams 11). Born about the same time as Lyrical Ballads was published in 1798, the Victorian writer Thomas Carlyle termed this understanding natural supernaturalism. Carlyle argues that nature remains of quite infinite depth, of quite infinite expansion and he likens human beings to minnows whose native creek, because of custom, has become familiar but who do not see the connection with the ocean (Carlyle 1000-1001). A seed performs a miraculous act when it comes in contact with soil and moisture; but because of custom, we dont recognize the miracle. For Carlyle, as for Wordsworth, habit or custom may blunt our recognition of the miraculous, but everything experienced is a miracle of supernatural and inexplic...

How Can an English Literature Course Help Me to Write a Worthy Paper

How Can an English Literature Course Help Me to Write a Worthy Paper How Can an English Literature Course Help Me to Write a Worthy Paper? WhÃ'â€"lÐ µ wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng Ã' Ã ¾mÐ µÃ'• nÐ °turÐ °llÃ'Æ' to some Ã'€Ð µÃ ¾Ã'€lÐ µ, others have tÐ ¾ mÐ °kÐ µ Ã' Ã ¾nÃ'•Ã' Ã'â€"Ð ¾uÃ'• Ð °nd concentrated Ð µffÐ ¾rts to craft a worthy paper. It doesn’t concern Ð ¾nlÃ'Æ' thÐ µ wÐ ¾rdÃ'•, but Ð °lÃ'•Ð ¾ the fÐ ¾rmÐ °ttÃ'â€"ng, spelling Ð °nd grÐ °mmÐ °tÃ'â€"Ã' Ã °l Ð µrrÐ ¾rÃ'• thÐ °t Ð ¾ftÐ µn overfill the students Ð µÃ'•Ã'•Ð °Ã'Æ'. There is a numbÐ µr of rÐ µÃ °Ã'•Ð ¾nÃ'• fÐ ¾r thÃ'â€"Ã'•, hÐ ¾wÐ µvÐ µr they Ã' Ã °n be Ã' Ã ¾rrÐ µÃ' tÐ µd effortlessly wÃ'â€"thin a short period Ð ¾f time. In the case of containing a lot of mistakes, the Ð µÃ'•Ã'•Ð °Ã'Æ' could nÐ ¾t receive a good mark. It Ã'â€"Ã'• important tÐ ¾ make Ã'•urÐ µ that Ð °nÃ'Æ'thÃ'â€"ng frÐ ¾m a paper title to a full blown rÐ µÃ'•Ð µÃ °rÃ' h Ã'€Ð °Ã'€Ð µr Ã'â€"Ã'• Ã' Ã ¾rrÐ µÃ' t and rÐ µÃ °dÃ'• wÐ µll. English Literature Helps Students who have taken a course in English literature face these issues less or do not suffer from these problems at all. Why? Because they have been exposed to so many literary works that you can be assured, they can tell you even more on how to write a perfect paper. The Power of Reading Now taking an English Literature course provides you with a number of benefits. It is known that people, who read a lot, train their memory so that they can keep everything in mind. Moreover, their vocabulary is much more spread than a common student’s one is. They may even do not now all the rules on how to write properly, but they do this automatically. Such a course certainly helps them write more creatively and be more aware of the common errors and how to avoid them. Once you have read many books written by great writers, on different styles and on different issues, your mind is more open to new ideas, how to describe emotions, how to use the right word at the right time. What is most important, it teaches you how to be a lot more engaging with what you are writing about. Logical sequences and well-constructed sentences help to maintain the interest of the reader. As a result, your chances of submitting a worthy paper are far greater. Here are some common errors that can occur in the submitted term papers: Spelling Using spell check is not 100% reliable. Sometimes the context of the sentence can confuse the logic of a computer program. Be aware. Improper Person AlmÐ ¾Ã'•t every Ã'•tudÐ µnt hÐ °Ã'• a problem wÃ'â€"th writing Ã'â€"n the wrÐ ¾ng Ã'€Ð µrÃ'•Ã'€Ð µÃ' tÃ'â€"vÐ µÃ'• at Ã'•Ð ¾mÐ µ Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'â€"nt or another. It Ã'â€"Ã'• a Ã' Ã ¾mmÐ ¾n Ã'€rÐ ¾blÐ µm, and Ã' Ã °n bÐ µ addressed with a lÃ'â€"ttlÐ µ bit of undÐ µrÃ'•tÐ °ndÃ'â€"ng. ThÐ µ two most Ã' Ã ¾mmÐ ¾n Ã'€Ð µrÃ'•Ã'€Ð µÃ' tÃ'â€"vÐ µÃ'• for wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng are thÐ µ first Ð °nd third Ã'€Ð µrÃ'•Ð ¾n. Fragments and Run-On Sentences Students commonly fÃ'â€"nd themselves Ð µÃ'â€"thÐ µr wÃ'â€"th a lÐ ¾ng wÃ'â€"ndÐ µd Ã'•Ð µntÐ µnÃ' Ã µ Ð ¾r ones thÐ °t are nÐ ¾t Ã' Ã ¾mÃ'€lÐ µtÐ µ ideas. ThÃ'â€"Ã'• Ã'â€"Ã'• a vÐ µrÃ'Æ' Ã' Ã ¾mmÐ ¾n Ã'€rÐ ¾blÐ µm Ð °mÐ ¾ng professional wrÃ'â€"tÐ µrÃ'•. GÐ µnÐ µrÐ °llÃ'Æ', individuals would Ð µÃ'â€"thÐ µr have trÐ ¾ublÐ µs wÃ'â€"th Ð ¾nÐ µ or the Ð ¾thÐ µr, but Ã'â€"n Ã'•Ð ¾mÐ µ cases bÐ ¾th Ã'â€"Ã'•Ã'•uÐ µÃ'• Ð °rÐ µ a problem. Not Proofreading PrÐ ¾Ã ¾frÐ µÃ °dÃ'â€"ng Ã'â€"Ã'• nÐ ¾t Ð °ll that fun Ð °nd no Ð ¾nÐ µ lÃ'â€"kÐ µÃ'• doing Ã'â€"t, but Ã'â€"t Ã'â€"Ã'• really important for a wÐ µll wrÃ'â€"ttÐ µn paper. AÃ'• wÐ µ Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'â€"ntÐ µd out earlier, Ã'•Ã'€Ð µll check does nÐ ¾t Ã' Ã °tÃ' h Ð µvÐ µrÃ'Æ' tÃ'Æ'Ã'€Ð µ Ð ¾f Ð µrrÐ ¾r that Ã' Ã °n bÐ µ fÐ ¾und in typical wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng. It takes only a fÐ µw mÃ'â€"nutÐ µÃ'• to rÐ µÃ °d Ð ¾vÐ µr to make sure thÐ °t thÐ µÃ'Æ' Ð °rÐ µ complete thÐ ¾ughtÃ'•, have thÐ µ Ã' Ã ¾rrÐ µÃ' t wÐ ¾rdÃ'• and mÐ °kÐ µ Ã'•Ð µnÃ'•Ð µ.

Impact of e-Business initiatives on firm value Annotated Bibliography

Impact of e-Business initiatives on firm value - Annotated Bibliography Example The study reveals that the cumulative abnormal return for such initiatives ranges from 3.5% to 4.74% in the first five days. Another significant finding is that the abnormal returns are higher in the e-business initiatives of business-to-consumer firms than that of business-to-business firms. The explanation for this claim is found in the ‘firm size effect’. It is found that higher abnormal returns are created in small-sized firms. As business-to-business firms are generally bigger than business-to-customer firms, it is claimed that the latter will gain more abnormal returns in the e-business initiatives. Thus, putting an end to the long ambiguity regarding the profitability of e-business initiatives, the study came up with the finding that it is highly beneficial to the firms because it offers future benefits to the firms in the form of increased market values. The reason, according to the scholars, is that such aggressive steps are often considered as futuristic by stakeholders and other public. Thus, such firms escape the usual bandwagon effect. Admittedly, there were previous studies which proved that e-business initiatives positively affect the value of firms. However, the present study stands apart for showing the various effects of e-business initiatives based on the nature of the initiative and the nature of the business. The strength of the study lies in the fact that it investigates the issue in two different capital markets; namely KSE and KOSDAQ. However, there are some findings which contradict the findings in American market. For example, while the e-business expansion of an established e-business company makes more positive effect than the e-business initiative of a non-internet firm in the U.S, the opposite is true in Korea. Similarly, though the study hypothesized that the abnormal returns are linked to the layer to which the

Apple Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Apple Corporation - Case Study Example This company analysis is carried out through two different perspectives: business and financial perspectives correspondingly. Business perspective is evaluated through SWOT analysis and for financial perspective; the past five years’ stock trend of the company is carried out. The success of the company is evaluated in this case solution. According to the key findings, the recommendation is developed for future strategic planning of the company for the next five years. Company background Apple Inc. was formerly named Apple Computer Inc. It is an American multinational corporation, which designs and sells high technology electronic goods, personal computers and computer software. The company became popular worldwide because of its innovative products. The company’s best-known products are the Macintosh line of computers, iPod, iPhone and lastly, the current iPad. The company was established on 1 April 1976 in California and incorporated on 3 January 1977. It removed the w ord ‘computer’ from its name in January 2007 and expanded towards producing consumer electronics apart from its then existing computer business. By market capitalization, Apple Inc. became the largest public limited company in the world beating ExxonMobil, Google and Microsoft in revenue and profit. Organization structure The success of Apple is the contribution of the collaborative work of the employees in the organization. The organization follows a collaborative organizational structure and work culture. There are no committees in the organization and everything is organized like the biggest start up in the world. In each department, all the team members meet every day to discuss the current scenario of their business and the company values, the employees participate in the decision making process. Apple has a reputation of influencing individuality and excellence that helps the company in its decision-making (Apple Inc, 2012). Innovation Apple was formed with the id ea of innovation and the company has been following this motive to get a better competitive advantage. The brand has become famous in the world and it has better brand recognition and brand value than other electronic goods companies because each product its own unique innovation, generated exclusively by the Apple only, and not copied from others. Effective use of technology by the company resulted in innovations like Macintosh, iPod, iPhone, and the latest gadget – iPad (SRM University, 2008, p.13). Competitors Apple Inc operates its businesses in multiple industries. The main industry is personal computers. Apart from this, the company is involved in the software industry and consumer electronics. In the personal computer industry, the main competitors of Apple are IBM, Hewlett Packard, Dell Inc., etc. In consumer electronics industry, the main market competitor is Samsung, which has similar products in the market, and Apple has been facing competition from the same in the markets of the developing countries. The direct competitors of Apple are Google, Microsoft and RIMM (Research in Motion Limited). In all these industries Apple holds the leading position and no one can surpass this company in terms of revenue, profit, innovation and brand recognition. SWOT analysis Strength Brand position: Apple Inc. is one of the most desired and prestigious brands among its potential and non-potential customers in the world. The company successfully managed to create a positioning of strong brand value among its customers. The customers associate this brand with the concept of

ON orientalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ON orientalism - Essay Example As the empires extend across the world historically, the British and the French have been the mainly significant in terms of the East. The empires required to be acquainted with how they could comprehend the citizens they come across so that they could surmount and suppress them without difficulty. This method of using hefty abstract categories to describe those who look dissimilar, whose skin is a different colour, has been going on for a protracted time, as far back as there had been ring up linking different cultures and people (Sheng 180). However, orientalism makes such all-purpose procedure official in that it presents itself as intent knowledge. American orientalism is to a large extent meandering, and what differs in the American knowledge from British and French Orientalism, is that the American orientalism extremely politicised by the existence Israel for which America is the key partner. Many individuals trust the way that Americans recognize the Muslim world is extremely difficult. Anti-Arab racism seems to approximate the official sanction. Repeating the lines of persons who contain the majority influence, for whom Islam is a useful foreign fiend, to twist concentration away from the inequalities and trouble in the personal culture. America truly desires to think about racism. Racial discrimination that comes from the United States to Muslim individuals and towards Arabic persons, and that something that has to end and the United States has to begin regarding people from the Middle East in order to stumble on a way out to the trouble that has been building up over the years. This violence occurred in April of 1995. It appears to contain a recognizable mark. It got done to cause as many fatalities as possible. The reality that it was a dominant bomb in Oklahoma City, right away drew investigators to regard as fatal parallels that most of them have

Unit 1 Individual Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Unit 1 Individual Project - Essay Example E may look for to start a Greenfield project in Hungary as the subsequent analysis would suggest that the from the start of making its transition to the market economies, Hungary has been able to attract most of the FDI in the form of Greenfield projects. Hungary has gone through a very tough period of its economic history however the same is now seems to be paying of to the country. Hungary has traditionally remained an agriculturalist country with lot of reliance on the agriculture as the main deriver of the economic growth in the country. It has remained under the socialist school of government however is believed to be undertaking the reforms under the socialist era much before the other communist countries in the region. Due to its structural reforms and economic restructuring, Hungary has now being considered as surviving its bad patch and is now on the route of economic growth. As discussed above that the historically, Hungary has remained an agriculturalist country however after the World War II, it turn to the industrialization however most of the industrialization was state owned and most of the agriculture output was coming out of the state owned firms. Over the period of time Hungary has been able to attract more than 90% of all the foreign capital being invested in the Eastern Europe showing the strong trust of the foreign investors into strength of the country. Over the period from 1992 to 2005, the average GDP growth in the economy has remained well over 5% with drastic reduction in inflation and public debt. The economic model followed by Hungary is considered as the model for the transition economies as it is considered as one of the most successful transition model. On the whole, Hungary has the stable economic outlook as well as supporting government policies encouraging foreign direct investment as well as other means of entering into the Hungarian model. (EU Commission, 2006). Hungary has remained a communist nation with centralized and

Business to Business Marketing and Business-to-Consumer Business Research Paper - 2

Business to Business Marketing and Business-to-Consumer Business - Research Paper Example Many business organizations are now implementing social media to get connect with their business clients and consumers. However, business organizations are using very much similar tools within the business process (Brito and Lewis, 2011, p.177). Therefore, the employees of business firms can get connected with each other. When the communication process is taking place among the employees, it can be referred to as B2B communication. Saxon Plumbing Service London Ltd. (SPSL) is a small organization that used to provide plumbing services to the SMEs in south London. Now they are trying to expand their business in by setting up a new office in Manchester. Moreover, they are trying to implement B2C process in their business. The objective of the study is to find the advantages and disadvantages of the implementation of the B2C business process to both the customers and business. Sales Force Developing a new office is most certainly a right step towards the ambitious plan of expansion. The move made by the management to deploy is most certainly a right move made by the company to promote business and develop a customer base. However, in order to be successful, the management must organize the sales force properly to achieve the desired level of output. However, the sales force may not be the solution to all the questions. The company has to rely on some other promotional techniques/ mediums to increase brand awareness and customer base. This section of the study provides a critical analysis as to how the management should organize and manage the sales force, appropriateness of the move of the company to deploy sales force and also other probable ways to increase brand awareness. Sales Force Vs Other methods of promotion According to the 4 Ps of marketing and the marketing mix concept the 4th P of the marketing mix is the promotion or communication. The elements of the promotional mix are an advertisement, sales promotion, personal selling, and public relations. Among this advertisement is probably the most common and popular way to reach out to masses, generate demand and brand awareness. Sales promotion is a great technique to provide promotional offers to increase brand awareness. Public relations are all about developing the relationship between the public (client) and the company (Kitchen and Proctor, 2001, p.280). Personal selling, on the other hand, can be defined as the person to person interaction between the seller and the prospect (buyer). Keeping the on-current circumstances in mind it can be understood that advertisement, public relations seems the two best options. But there are certain constraints such as financial resources and budget. Also, the company uses word of mouth or viral marketing to generate awareness and increase customer base. Personal selling is one of the best ways to develop and manage personal relationships with the client that pays the rich dividend in case of generating positive word of mouth.

Five key things students should do to be successful Essay

Five key things students should do to be successful - Essay Example Goal setting- goals act like roadmaps to achieving any target set. They get individuals from one-point o the other. Goals and the target achievements guide them. Setting goals provide a student with a sense of direction to reaching his or her destination as well as a performance appraisal tool. The best way for a student to be successful is to plan but be cautious enough to ensure that the goals have widespread tentacles to all college activities. Attend classes- successful students do attend classes regularly. They are always on time. Students should listen and train themselves to pay attention to what is being taught by the tutor. Whenever they miss sessions, they should develop obligatory feeling to letting the instructor know the reasons why they will not be attending classes before lesson begins. The excuses given should always be legitimate and reasonable. In addition, should ensure compensation of all missed lessons by contacting fellow students or the instructor. Furthermore, students should pay great attention in such a way that they do not read, talk, or stare out of the windows when the tutor is teaching. Attention is important for students to grasp and gather ideas that would be helpful. The students should ensure participation in class even if their attempt is clumsy. It is through participation that a student can gain courage in answering as well as asking questions. Taking advantage of credit- Successful students always take advantage of extra credit whenever it is offered. They demonstrate great care of their grades and are willing to work hard to make improvements. Students should be eager to achieving greater results and not relaxing in his comfort zone. He or she should develop the willingness and urge to move extra step to do the extraordinary and gather more information. Self-motivation- a student is his or her own best motivator. The best motivation is the power that comes from within the individual. Moreover, the student can still get

Business to Business Marketing and Business-to-Consumer Business Research Paper - 2

Business to Business Marketing and Business-to-Consumer Business - Research Paper Example Many business organizations are now implementing social media to get connect with their business clients and consumers. However, business organizations are using very much similar tools within the business process (Brito and Lewis, 2011, p.177). Therefore, the employees of business firms can get connected with each other. When the communication process is taking place among the employees, it can be referred to as B2B communication. Saxon Plumbing Service London Ltd. (SPSL) is a small organization that used to provide plumbing services to the SMEs in south London. Now they are trying to expand their business in by setting up a new office in Manchester. Moreover, they are trying to implement B2C process in their business. The objective of the study is to find the advantages and disadvantages of the implementation of the B2C business process to both the customers and business. Sales Force Developing a new office is most certainly a right step towards the ambitious plan of expansion. The move made by the management to deploy is most certainly a right move made by the company to promote business and develop a customer base. However, in order to be successful, the management must organize the sales force properly to achieve the desired level of output. However, the sales force may not be the solution to all the questions. The company has to rely on some other promotional techniques/ mediums to increase brand awareness and customer base. This section of the study provides a critical analysis as to how the management should organize and manage the sales force, appropriateness of the move of the company to deploy sales force and also other probable ways to increase brand awareness. Sales Force Vs Other methods of promotion According to the 4 Ps of marketing and the marketing mix concept the 4th P of the marketing mix is the promotion or communication. The elements of the promotional mix are an advertisement, sales promotion, personal selling, and public relations. Among this advertisement is probably the most common and popular way to reach out to masses, generate demand and brand awareness. Sales promotion is a great technique to provide promotional offers to increase brand awareness. Public relations are all about developing the relationship between the public (client) and the company (Kitchen and Proctor, 2001, p.280). Personal selling, on the other hand, can be defined as the person to person interaction between the seller and the prospect (buyer). Keeping the on-current circumstances in mind it can be understood that advertisement, public relations seems the two best options. But there are certain constraints such as financial resources and budget. Also, the company uses word of mouth or viral marketing to generate awareness and increase customer base. Personal selling is one of the best ways to develop and manage personal relationships with the client that pays the rich dividend in case of generating positive word of mouth.

Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands Assignment

Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands - Assignment Example It was authored by Mary Seacole, a Jamaican-born who became famous because of the work she was doing as a nurse during the Crimean (Seacole 15). The book has received universal acclaim as one of the most comprehensible and fulfilling autobiographies of the 19th Century. This is attributed to the fact that the book revolves around a culturally sanctioned and self-reliant feminine. Mrs. Seacole fashioned her own identity despite the fact that other people assigned her other identities. This paper shall seek to address how she thought of herself in relation to the world, as well as how other people viewed her. It will also examine the ways in which Mary Seacole demarcated herself in terms of her imperial and national identities. In the book, Mary Seacole has depicted herself as a self-willed woman who cannot be brought down due to her race and economic status. In as much as she was a Creole, a half-cast between a Scottish father and a Jamaican mother, she was determined to go extra mile s and help people. She has managed to construct her racial image to the readers carefully, as well as those whom she came in contact with during her journeys. She makes minimal reference to her skin color except when people around her point it out. She lives her life normally without making her skin color an issue; while those living around her have an issue with her color. This is best demonstrated when she boarded a ship from Navy Bay to Jamaica with several Americans on board (Seacole 90).

Political Dynasty Essay Example for Free

Political Dynasty Essay â€Å"Propose bill of Sen. Ping Lacson for political dynasty† Due to the growing number of political dynasties, Senator Ping Lacson proposed and supported a bill that is against it. For that, I admire his determination to halt all the families that are involved in this. I also commend him for being a good follower. This was proven by Sen. Lacson when he followed already the bill even though it is not approved yet. He vows that he would retire from politics if his son, Ronald Jay, runs and wins in the 2016 polls. Political Dynasties should be stopped because of the negative effects of it in the good governance of our country. One of the effects, is corruption. For example, a senator discovered the anomalies of a congressman, he/she can easily cover it up because they are relatives. The other one is, one particular family has power all over the country thus, it results to injustices. In Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s Bill, it was observed that political dynasty shouldn’t exist in local elective only. While as Sen. Lacson’s, not only local the local but also the national position is included. I think both of them have good intentions towards this. But they need to elaborate more the clause included in the said bill. Many people/government officials doesn’t approve of this because it is not clear to them the legal definition of a political dynasty and its corresponding consequences. I also think that it would be unfair for a candidate, who may be more qualified than his family or relative already elected in a public post, to be barred from running because of his relations. It is like we are. All in all, it is good but it should be clearer for the citizens and government to agree upon it.

Case Study Monsantos Repatriation Program

Case Study Monsantos Repatriation Program Monsanto is a global provider of agricultural products with revenues in excess of $4 billion and 10,000 employees. At any one time, the company will have 100 mid and higher-level managers on extended postings abroad. Two thirds of these are Americans who are being posted overseas, while the remainder are foreign nationals being employed in the United States. At Monsanto, managing expatriates and their repatriation begins with a rigorous selection process and intensive cross-cultural training, both for the managers and for their families. As at many other global companies, the idea is to build an internationally minded cadre of highly capable managers who will lead the organization in the future. One of the strongest features of this program is that employees and their sending and receiving managers, or sponsors, develop an agreement about how this assignment will fit into the firms business objectives. The focus is on why employees are going abroad to do the job, and what their contribution to Monsanto will be when they return. Sponsoring managers are expected to be explicit about the kind of job opportunities the expatriates will have once they return home. Once they arrive back in their home country, expatriate managers meet with cross-cultural trainers during debriefing sessions. They are also given the opportunity to showcase their experiences to their peers, subordinates, and superiors in special information exchanges. However Monsantos repatriation program focuses on more than just business; it also attends to the familys reentry. Monsanto has found that difficulties with repatriation often have more to do with personal and family-related issues than with work-related issues. But the personal matters obviously affect an employees on-the-job performance, so it is important for the company to pay attention to such issues. This is why Monsanto offers returning employees an opportunity to work through personal difficulties. About three months after they return home, expatriates meet for three hours at work with several colleagues of their choice. The debriefing session is a conversation aided by a trained facilitator who has an outline to help the expatriate cover all the important aspects of the repatriation. The debriefing allows the employee to share important experiences and to enlighten managers, colleagues and friends about his or her expertise so others within the organization can use some of the global knowledge. According to one participant, It sounds silly, but its such a hectic time in the familys life , you dont have time to sit down and take stock of whats happening. Youre going through the move, transitioning to a new job, a new house, the children may be going to a new school. This is a kind of oasis; a time to talk and put your feelings on the table. Apparently, it works; since the progr am was introduced in the early 1990s, the attrition rate among returning expatriates has dropped sharply. Questions: a. Why does Monsanto need to recruit expatriates for their US Operations? b. Why How does the repatriation programme of Monsanto is helping reduce attrition rates? a. Why does Monsanto need to recruit expatriates for their US Operations? INTRODUCTION The world economy is moving away from the traditional economic system, where national markets were considered as distinct entities which were isolated from each other by trade barriers, barriers of distance, time and culture towards a modern economic system, where the national markets are merging into one huge global market. In many industries it is no longer meaningful to talk about the American market, the German Market or the Japanese market. Therefore, as the development in the international business environment are forcing companies to think of the world as one vast market, the companies are being forced to set up their manufacturing and marketing facilities in different foreign countries in order to do business globally. Ford Motors, for instance, has production plants in 38 countries and sales outlets in over 200 countries (Ford 1997 Annual report, www.ford.com). In this regard, there are in todays world a still increasing number of people, who are sent by companies on forei gn assignments for a longer or shorter period of time and it is those people that we in this paper will refer to as expatriates Expatriates play a key role in the globalization of many companies. The parent company often depends on expatriates to transmit the core values to employees in the overseas location besides of course putting in place systems and processes. In short, expatriates assume a significant responsibility for culture building. Black and Gregersen, have given an excellent account of the issues involved in the management of expatriates. Most companies struggle with their expatriate programmes. Some expatriates return early because of job dissatisfaction; others fail to live upto expectations and a few leave after completing an overseas assignment to join competitors. Successful companies seem to follow three practices religiously. While managing international assignments, they focus on knowledge creation and global leadership development. Other considerations are given less importance. While assigning people for overseas postings, they look for people whose technical skills are matched or exceeded by their cross cultural abilities. Finally, companies with a successful expatriate programme know how to end an assignment and put the experience of the executives to good use, when they return after an overseas stint. Global companies after selecting the candidates place them on the jobs in various countries, including the home country of the employees. But, the employees of the global companies are also placed in foreign countries. Even those employees who are placed initially in their home countries are sometimes transferred to various foreign countries. Thus, the employees of global companies mostly work and live in foreign countries and their family members also live in foreign countries. Employees and their family members working and/or living in foreign countries, are called expatriates in the foreign country. Expatriates are those living or working in a foreign country. The parent country nationals working in foreign subsidiary and third country nationals are expatriates. Large no of expatriates normally have adjustment problems with the working culture of the company, countrys culture, laws, etc. some expatriates adjust themselves easily, while some others face severe problems of adjusting. Such employees about their assignments and return to home country by terminating their work contracts. Thus, the major problem with expatriates is adjustment in the new international environment. Expatriate is a person who leaves his country to work and live in a foreign country. Generally, expatriates are the nationals from the other countries than the host and the MNCs parent country, i.e. expatriates are the third country nationals. The unavailability of the required skills and talents takes the organisation to source talent from other countries. The procedures and processes of recruiting and selecting the human resources are never uniform even within a single organisation. The procedures vary according to the post, the skill set required, the nature of work etc. More of it is seen in the case of recruitment of expatriates. The recruitment and selection procedures and considerations are drastically different for expatriates than that of the domestic employees. Recruitment of expatriates involves greater time, monetary resources and other indirect costs. Improper recruitment and selection can cause the expatriates to return hastily or a decline in their performance. A mismatch between job (its requirements) and people can reduce the effectiveness of other human resource activities and can affect the performance of the employees as well as the organisation. Recruiting expatriates require special considerations and skills to select the best person for the job. Except for a few expatriate selection policies, the expatriate selection criterion is generally organisation and nation specific. The recruiters for recruiting the expatriates should be carefully selected and trained. The recruitment strategies for expatriates should be aligned with requirements of the job. The interviews of expatriates are designed in a manner to judge their: Adaptability to the new culture Intercultural interaction Flexibility Professional expertise Past international work experience Tolerance and open-mindedness Family situation Language ability Attitude and motivation Empathy towards local culture A few researches in this field also suggest that women are morale likely to be successful in certain positions as expatriates as they are more sensitive towards new culture and people. Recruitment of expatriates should be followed by cultural and sensitivity training, and language training. Allegiance to parent firm Low Free agents Natives High Hearts at home Dual citizens Low High Allegiance to local operation Monsanto, the US chemicals manufacturer, starts work on suitable assignments for returning expatriates well in advance. The company not only arranges for debriefing on their return, but also identifies suitable jobs based on the expatriates skills and organizational needs. To sum up, the challenge for global companies is to develop a cadre of expatriates who will function as dual citizens, with a balanced allegiance to the headquarters and the country subsidiary. Creating such a cadre would involve careful selection processes, cross cultural training before and after overseas assignments, well planned career systems that lead to clearly defined job expectations and well conceived repatriation programmes. NEED OF EXPATRIATES FOR MONSANTO Expatriate is a person who leaves his country to work and live in a foreign country. Generally, expatriates are the nationals from the other countries than the host and the MNCs parent country, i.e. expatriates are the third country nationals. From the HR-literature we know that expatriates are divided into three types: PCNs (Parent Country Nationals); HCNs (Host Country Nationals); and TCNs (Third Country Nationals)., we will focus on the different roles of these expatriates by point of departure in the following four general approaches to international staffing: Ethnocentric Approach: Because of a lack of qualified HCNs, PCNs occupy all key positions in the foreign operation, which means that the subsidiary is highly dependent on the headquarters decisions. Some drawbacks from this approach could be limited promotion opportunities for HCNs, income gaps between PCNs and HCNs, and that PCNs cannot be involved in local matters. Polycentric Approach: In this approach HCNs occupy positions in the foreign subsidiary. Some transfers of HCNs to headquarters also take place. The approach eliminates the language barriers, and typically HCNs are less expensive. Some drawbacks from this approach could be communication problems between headquarter and subsidiary and limited career opportunities for HCNs as they cannot be promoted to headquarter. Geocentric Approach: In this approach the best people are selected for key positions regardless of their nationality. Nationality is not taken into account and a worldwide integration of employees takes place. In this approach an international team of managers is developed. Some drawbacks from this approach may be related to situations, where host governments prefer employment of locals because of i.e. labor issues. Regiocentric Approach: Here a companys international business is divided into international geographic regions (i.e. the European Union). The staff can only transfer within these regions. MONSANTO needs expatriates because of the following reasons:- Expatriates first enter the picture when corporations have strong incentives to internalize activities. Typical, enterprises will engage in the type of internalization most suitable for the factor combination, market situations and government policies which they face: When it is more profitable for this company to exploit its ownership advantages in another country itself rather than to sell or license them. When a firm desires to extinguish bilateral monopoly because of market imperfections: that is, when some markets incurs lower cost through hierarchical co-ordination (FDI) than through co-ordination by market prices then the need to use expatriates becomes evident. When an enterprise has location and ownership specific resource endowments and finds the need to internalize these because of market imperfections then the expatriate is born. The expatriate will likely be used to take out the imperfections of the market by being the liaison for the organization to that market. Having a manger that knows and understands headquarters desires and wants is therefore of great importance when investing and operation in foreign markets. Securing transfer of technology/filling positions, as companies send the expatriates abroad in order to transfer their technology to the foreign subsidiary. I.e. in countries where qualified people are not available, companies send the PCNs to fill out the positions. This is mostly used by multinational and international firms. Securing the headquarter control, where the companies can exercise this control by using the PCNs in their foreign subsidiaries. In such situations firms try to incorporate the headquarters culture into the foreign operations, which in some cases may create cultural problems. Especially MNCs tend to demand administrative and financial control in their foreign operations. Opportunity for international experience/ management development, as several firms find international experience highly important before promoting their employees. Foreign transfers are here important in order to learn foreign cultures and environments. In such situations qualified HCNs are available but managers are still transferred to foreign subsidiaries to acquire knowledge and skills. Securing organizational development, which also is called the Geocentric approach. This role is performed only by the best people at the best places without nationality barriers. Transfers can take place from headquarter to subsidiary, from subsidiary to headquarter, or from subsidiary to subsidiary. Nationality of employees does not matter in this situation, as the objective of this staffing strategy is to get to know about different cultures, create international networks, decentralization, and interaction between managers of different nationalities. In general, this strategy is mostly followed by larger global companies. Expatriates are responsible for transferring new technologies and penetrating new markets in foreign subsidiaries. Organizations opening a new production facility or branches in a foreign country will send an expatriate to facilitate entry into the new markets. PCNs are commonly sent out to initiate operations in fresh markets in countries with no qualified people to carry out the firms mandate. These PCNs render their expertise in the vital global market within the new markets. Mostly, a firm will send a team of expatriates to work together effectively and penetrate the new market. Companies may want to exercise control over foreign subsidiaries by integrating the headquarters culture in foreign operations. This might be achieved by sending PCNs who have been with the company for some time. These expatriates have to promote a variety of inter-organizational skills and interpersonal skills, commonly used in the headquarters, to different employees in the subsidiaries. Most organizations with operations in foreign countries are quite successful and use expatriates to oversee financial and administrative functions. Expatriates have the opportunity to learn the foreign environment and culture during foreign assignments. This international experience and expansive knowledge gained by expatriates can be used to develop products that suit a specific culture, ensuring the firm remains competitive in the global market. The PCNs may be sent to foreign subsidiaries before they are promoted, so that they can learn the skills and knowledge to operate within a diverse environment. This foreign exposure helps expatriates develop international management competencies. Expatriates are sent to foreign countries where they can locate valuable resources and expertise, learn best practices and transfer all these assets to the company operations in the host country. Expatriates may gain expertise from different cultures, providing the company with learning opportunity from a diverse staff. Expatriates help the organization in forming international networks, creating a global market for products. They also promote decentralization of the organization by taking control of the various foreign operations. b. Why How does the repatriation programme of Monsanto is helping reduce attrition rates? INTRODUCTION A largely overlooked but critically important issue in the training and development of expatriate managers is to prepare them for reentry into their home-country organization. Repatriation should be seen as the final link in an integrated, circular process that connects good selection and cross-cultural training of expatriate managers with completion of their term abroad and reintegration into their national organization. However, instead of having employees come home to share their knowledge and encourage other high-performing managers to take the same international career track, expatriates too often face a different scenario. Often when they return home after a stint abroad-where they have typically been autonomous, well-compensated, and celebrated as a big fish in a little pond-they face an organization that doesnt know what they have done for the last few years, doesnt know how to use their new knowledge, and doesnt particularly care. In the worst cases, reentering employees have to scrounge for jobs, or firms will create standby positions that dont use the expatriates skills and capabilities and fail to make the most of the business investment the firm has made in that individual. Research illustrates the extent of this problem. According to one study of repatriated employees, 60 to 70 percent didnt know what their position would be when they returned home. Also, 60 percent said their organizations were vague about repatriation, about their new roles, and about their future career progression within the company; 77 percent of those surveyed took jobs at a lower level in their home organization than in their international assignments. Not surprising, 15 percent of returning expatriates leave their firms within a year of arriving home, and 40 percent leave within three years. The key to solving this problem is good human resource planning. Just as the HRM function needs to develop good selection and training programs for its expatriates, it also needs to develop good programs for reintegrating expatriates back into work life within their home-country organization, for preparing them for changes in their physical and professional landscape, and for utilizing the knowledge they acquired while abroad. MEANING OF REPATRIATION Repatriation, or re-entry, is the transition from a foreign country back to ones own after working overseas for a significant period of time. According to Black, Gregersen, and Mendenhall (1999) this last stage of the expatriation process has been neglected to some extent since the process of relocation to the home country and home organization has been assumed to be a simple matter for expatriates. However, repatriation problems are complex both for the company and the expatriate because they involve the challenges of personal re-entry and professional re-entry at the same time (Linehan and Scullion, 2002). Hodgetts and Luthans (2001), claim that for most expatriates, the return to the home country occurs within five years after leaving the home country. Furthermore, Dowling, et al. (1994) suggests that the repatriation process consists of different phases in which the expatriate and the company face different roles. The authors describe the repatriation process in four related phas es. These are a) preparation, b) physical relocation, c) transition, and d) readjustment. The first stage, preparation, involves the development of plans for the future both for the company and the expatriate. In this stage the expatriate can gather information about the new position that will be offered in the home organization. Preparation is followed by physical relocation of the expatriate. This stage refers to removing personal effects; breaking ties with colleagues, and traveling to the country where the home organization is located. In this stage the company can offer comprehensive and personalized relocation assistance to reduce the amount of anxiety the repatriate may feel. Transition, the third step in the repatriation process, is the settling into temporary accommodations as well as making arrangements for administrative tasks. This makes the process of re-entry to the home organization smoother. Readjustment, the last step, involves coping with reverse culture shock and career demands that are followed by the re-entry. (Ibid) According to Paik, et al. (2002), the process of an expatriates re-entry to the home organization is a complex interaction of several job-related factors, socio- cultural factors and family factors. The job-related factors primarily address the relationship between the expatriate and the home office and issues related to the repatriates career progression after returning to the home country. Many repatriates return to an organization that does not know what they have accomplished overseas and how to use the repatriates experience appropriately. The socio-cultural factors are related to the repatriates ability to adjust and reintegrate into the home country culture. Sufficient cross-cultural preparation is needed to prepare the expatriate for working in another culture as well as for preparing the expatriate for working in the home organization upon return. Finally, the family factors address the impact of reintegration on the spouse and children. The cultural shock that the family ma y experience can affect the repatriates ability to resume their responsibilities at the home office. One of the key transitional activities is to involve targeted communication concerning the expectation of the home office towards the return of the repatriate and his or her family. (Ibid) Suutari and Brewster, (2003) claim that for the employee, career progression is often the reason to accept an assignment abroad. As a consequence the re-entry position is frequently linked with whether the new position matches the repatriates career expectations. Although international assignments are seen as a key tool for developing international managers the positive connection between an expatriation assignment and career development has been questioned. The authors further state that there is a gloomy picture with organizations losing a lot of talented and experienced international staff at or shortly after repatriation. The fall-out rate is often a result of dissatisfaction among repatriates whose careers are blighted by their negative experience and who have to rebuild their careers elsewhere. (Ibid) However, according to Linehan and Scullion (2002) the costs of losing repatriates are significant because they are valuable and expensive human resources who are capable of understanding the workings of both corporate headquarters and overseas operations; in addition they are responsible for critical co-ordination and control functions. MEANING OF REPATRITION PROGRAMME Black, et al, stress the importance of having a well-defined repatriation program in order to accomplish successful repatriation and to conquer the problems companies and employees face. However, Dowling, et al (1999) present a study by Harvey that state that only 31 percent of U.S companies have a program for repatriation. The three most frequent mentioned reasons for not having a program was a lack of knowledge about how to develop a program, the costs of training repatriates, and no perceived need by top management of having a program. (Ibid) Yongsun (2002), claims that in order for organizations to fully exploit the knowledge and skills of returning expatriates it is critical for the company to manage the repatriation process. Different theories and approaches of how a repatriation program can be developed exist in the literature. (Ibid) According to Jassawalla, et al (2004), a retrofit program at the end of the expatriates assignment makes poor repatriation. Vermond (2001) sugge sts that the repatriation process should start as early as possible in an expatriates assignment, and should be continued after the expatriates return to the home country. The repatriation program as an ongoing process, have developed a theoretical model of how an effective repatriation program can look like. In this model the authors have divided the repatriation process in three stages. This model identifies the key action steps taken prior to departure, during the assignment, and after the repatriates return that appear to determine the organizational and individual outcomes. (ibid) However, the outcomes of these actions will not be discussed as mentioned in the delimitations in chapter one. As previously mentioned, companies and expatriates face different problems in the repatriation process. These problems affect the stages in the repatriation program developed differently. Therefore some problems are mentioned in several stages in order to justify different actions that can be taken in order to conquer the problems that either the company or the expatriate/repatriate face. Repatriation Program Prior to the expatriates departure During the expatriates stay After the expatriates return Choosing new assignments in the home office -Quality of interaction with sponsors The sponsor has a stake in the repatriates personal long-term career. The duties of a sponsor include searching for positions that may suit the repatriate and try to ensure that the repatriates skills will be used upon return. Using the procedures designed to reorient the repatriate to the home office Task clarity Expectations on the expatriate The deadlines of the task How the performance will be evaluated -Career counselling The reasons for sending the manager overseas The benefits of the overseas assignment for the firm and the manager The managers career options upon return Formal policies for repatriation Repatriation policies should include actions to be taken during the pre-visit, visit and post visit. -Perception of support while on assignment Related to issues included in the relocation package such as financial compensation, support to the spouse and children to aid in their adjustment to the foreign environment. Nature and frequency of communication This factor is related to the frequency of communication between the home office and the expatriate while he or she is abroad. Who is responsible for the contact and how the contact is maintained are considered. -Perceptions of support upon return Receiving credit and recognition for the foreign assignment Utilizing their new perspectives in their new job Adjusting to the differences in job related factors of their new job compared to the foreign assignment Although a lengthy discussion of underlying reasons for expatriate failure is unfortunately out of scope for this article, it can be argued that companies benefit from managing this repatriation process in order to exploit the knowledge and skills of returning expatriates. (3) High attrition rates have been found to be primarily related to organizations difficulties to effectively reposition their repatriated employees. This observation is a strong argument to stress repatriation management in HR departments. (4) Organizations may experience difficulties in finding candidates for expatriate positions when potential candidates see what will happen to expatriates once they return. (5) Ogberg, who coined the term culture shock in 1960, also considered a reverse culture shock that expatriates experience when returning home. Proper preparation for this future shock may prepare expatriates for the transition to domestic work and family settings. (5) Research in 2005 showed that repatriatio n adjustment was the strongest predictor of intent to leave the organization (Lee Liu, 2005). Retention and career management, therefore, should be central to planning expatriate positions. Positions should be gradually more challenging in order to challenge valuable employees and be part of a long term career path. Long term career planning foresees in building on previous assignments; assigning repatriates unchallenging positions once back home may be regarded as an invitation to apply for positions elsewhere. Sound expatriate management will therefore consider repatriation arrangements as good practice. In reality, however, organizations often seem to have forgotten who these expatriates are. HR departments fail to build on expatriates skills and experience because they do not know well what they have accomplished during the years. Expatriates experience frustration once their expatriate benefits and status will be lost upon repatriation. They will have to get used to normal levels of pay and taxation again. Their children will have to attend national curriculum schools, private school tuition fees will not be covered upon return to the home country. Establishing a mutual understanding and a clear definition of successful repatriation could help repatriates establish correct expectations before returning home. A proper preparation towards the end of expatriate assignments may ease the transition and avoid costly turnover for the organization. An ongoing lack of attention to repatriation management will likely continue to fuel high attrition rates. Avoiding Reverse Culture Shock While we often think of culture shock as a factor during a familys arrival to a new country, dont underestimate the role that reverse culture shock can play when the assignment ends. After a period of time spent away from their home culture, family members may have trouble readjusting to the formerly familiar environment. This culture shock can affect any member of the family, but children are known to have the most difficulty readjusting. For example, friends and loved ones while they may have stayed in touch during the time away will have moved on to new interests and p