Management At a Company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management At a Company - Assignment Example Apple Inc. is best known for its creative and proprietary software and hardware and has reached many milestones in the world of technology in the recent years. Studies have shown that it is among the most admired organizations in the world and it tops in innovation and management of employees. From the time it was established it had a different and unique way of management i.e. it deviated from the traditional corporate structure that was common with organizations at that time. Its operations were based on the idea of information corporate culture within the industry of technology. It was in favor of the flat organizational structure to the tall structure. This replaces the rigid bureaucracy with informal forms of organization. This is best suited for organizations with difficult problems to solve and where the innovative culture is sophisticated. The advantage of this type of structure is its effectiveness in empowerment and innovation. It is also easy and quick to implement policies, coordination is also increased. This organization has the disadvantage of difficulty in changing the leadership or the culture of the organization. It may face damaging consequences especially when other components of the strategic structures may not fit together. One major management change that has been at Apple Inc was the time Steve Jobs became the CEO of the company. Many considered his management style as what it is expected in management as his leadership style could be admired or criticized but could not be copied. His management was orthodox and that’s how the company was managed. The leadership style approach was of vertical, top-down approach which was often harsh. He was the leading character at new product launches. His workforce was his most treasured asset and he offered meaning to them. The workforce worked hard on visionary projects,

Downsizing Strategy Is Being Used Management Essay

Downsizing Strategy Is Being Used Management Essay Given the issues relating to this research field are introduced and research objectives are also be proposed carefully in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, the researcher would like to continuous introduces the concepts, definitions and theories relevant to the issues that already mentioned in Chapter 1, through that, Chapter 2 will provide and build research hypothesis for research. Basically, Chapter 2 includes the main parts as follows (1) The definition of downsizing, (2) The definition of Survivors Syndrome, (3) The research hypothesis (4) Chapter summary. Definition of Downsizing In the economic context of continuos competitive, developing, changing and unpredictable, organizations suffering severe downturns in their business or facing difficulties, downsizing strategy is being used by many organizations in every industries and sectors with different goals and visions, their perception regarding the implementation of the downsizing policy within their organization also be different. There is not a single downsizing definition accepted by all researchers (Davis, Savage, Steward Chapman, 2003). There are many different definitions or understanding about downsizing, for example Cameron, (1994:194) defines downsizing as a positive and purposive strategy for organizations: a set of organizational activities undertaken on the part of management of an organization and designed to improve organizational efficiency, productivity, and/or competitiveness. Businesses for a long time that no longer considered downsizing as a situation solution in the hard time period, but they considered downsizing as an effective strategy to reduce costs, human focus, create job opportunites, increased job challenge and promotion. The right sizing contributes to better decision-making and the control of human resource so that the cost of expenditure can be cut short effectively. It develops a value system of proactive work culture where the members in the organisation get opportunity for better participation and involvement in the decision making process. It develops an ownership mentality among members and they shoulder forward an organization with more collaboration, fidelity, and accuracy. According to Mishra and Spreitzer (1998) defines downsizing has become the strategy favored by many organizations attempting to cope with fundamental, structural changes in the world economy. Or Freeman and Cameron (1993) defined downsizing as a set of activities, undertaken on the part of the management of an organization, designed to improve operational efficiency, productiv ity, and/or competitiveness. Downsizing as a deliberate reduction in size or complexity of a firms activities intended to improve the profitability, productivity, and/or competitiveness of the firms continuing operations(Legatski II, 1998). But in conclusion, most researches have defined downsizing as any reduction in the size of the organization (e.g. Budros, 1999; Cascio, 1993; Freeman Cameron, 1993; Kozlowski, Chao, Smith Hedlund, 1993). Downsizing, in general, refers to the reduction of work for certain organization. For employees, downsizing is considered as a management weapon to enforce greater control over the workforce. To management, it is a strategic measure to bring optimized operation efficiency and productivity in organization. Cameron and colleagues (e.g Cameron et all., 1991, 1993; Cameron, 1994b) have identified three organizational strategies to achieve downsizing: workforce reduction strategy, work redesign and systematic change. The first strategy is workfo rce reduction is typically a short-term strategy, which simply focuses on reducing organizations headcount. In a confirmatory study, Mishra and Mishra (1994) found that such strategy might lead to loss in valued organizational competency or negative outcome of those who remains. Human resource is essential and is a factor that makes the decision for the development of organizations. Lack of human resource will increase workload, anxiety about losing their jobs at any time, and these feeling leads to insecurity psychological, these are reasons that cause labor productivity reduced. Work reduction is applied by organizations through some programs such as attrition, early retirement or voluntary severance packages, layoffs and terminations. The second and third strategies are work redesign and systematic change strategies. While work reductions resulted is lead to reduction, rather than improvement, the work redesign and systematic change are positively related to organizational perfor mance in term of both cost reduction and quality improvement (Cameron et all.,1993; Mishra and Mishra, 1994) and to survivors (people who remains) of downsizing having a positive learning orientation (Farrell and Mavando, 2004). Many previous researches indicated that the use of workforce reduction is increasing and become popular despite the harmful impacts may arise for organization. Workforce reduction or simply called workforce downsizing is becoming the most popular strategy and a plethora of workforce reduction strategies for downsizing of employees has been proposed (e.g. Greenhalgh et al., 1988; Gutchess, 1985; Leana Feldman, 1992; Price, 1990). Whenever reduce equipments, machinesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ organizations can find out the outcome and its impact through simple calculations, but in workforce downsizing, the emotions, loyalty, and human effort can not simply calculate. In an organizational context, employees not only contribute their individual skills and knowledge, they also collaborate and integrate their separate skills toward creating firm capabilities. As such, both human and social capital-and therefore the commitment and the loyalty of employees-play an important role in dictating a firms c apacity to create competitive advantage. Reducing headcount may lead to immediate labor cost savings, but it can also seriously erode employee commitment and loyalty, with negative consequences for firm competitiveness and performance. So the questions are what the impacts of workforce downsizing to organizations are, how it effects, and what the advantage and disadvantage of the impact are? Some researches indicated the opinion that organizational downsizing produce better result in performance and productivity, while, others indicate downsizing as a threat to the human resources and existing organizational culture. Downsizing has been defined as an attempt to increase organizational effectiveness(Kozlowsky, et. al. 1993). Freeman Cameron (1993) and Tomasco (1990) indicate from their findings that the presumed benefits of downsizing include faster decision making, greater flexibility, and improvements in quality and increased efficiency and productivity. Cascio (1993:97) suggested that proponents of downsizing generally expect the following benefits: lower overheads, less bureaucracy, faster decision making, smoother communications, greater entrepreneurship and increases in productivity. Downsizing can suggest to financial markets or government funding agencies that an organization is cutting costs and reducing waste, which may increase availability of capital for subsequent activities (Cascio, 1993; Dial Murphy, 1995; Palmon, Sun Tang, 1997). Downsizing has been defined as an attempt to increase organizational effectiveness (Kozlowsky, et. al. 1993). It develops a value system of proactive work culture where the members in the organization get opportunity for better participation and involvement in the decision making process. It develops an ownership mentality among members and they shoulder forward an organization with more collaboration, fidelity, and accuracy. However, many others strongly disagree with those arguments and indicate that it has devastating effect on human morale, motivation, and productivity. Downsizing may provide a decrease in operating expenses in the near term, but the long term impacts may not be so positive (Difrances, 2002). Downsizing can lead to a loss of knowledge and experience base because of some laid off will be the people who worked for a long time with organization, old people, who may not have a fast and efficient action in work like young people, but they have extensive knowledge, experiences that young people learn in short time, loss available mentors for existing and new employees, loss of corporate culture, and downsizing can have direct impaction to the customers such as loss of established customer service and contacts. Therefore, whenever workforce downsizing is chosen by organizations in hard time or peaceful time, there is definite and obvious impact good or bad on organizations. But in all the affected elements, the human factor is probably the most affected element. They are staffs of organization, they dedicated their soul to the development of organization, they are people who be laid off or people who lucky enough to keep their job. The individuals who lose their jobs (called victims) are obviously the most affected by downsizing. Numerous researchers have focused on the impact of downsizing on workers whose employment is terminated due to reasons independent of job competence (Cappelli, 1992). These individuals are often known as the victims of downsizing due to research that documents the devastation of job loss, focusing on negative consequences in terms of psychological and physical well-heing (e.g., Bennett, Martin, Bies, Brockner, 1995; Cappeili, 1992; Fallick, 1996; Leana Feldman, 1 992). The real pains of downsizing cannot be minimized. Careers change, families struggle, and downsized victims suffer loss of prestige, income and security. While a few downsized individuals may be victims of their own past inefficiency, the vast number are those who have performed well and played by the rules but have become the victims of a changing economic environment. However, several researchers have analyzed those who remain in the downsized organization called survivors (e.g., Allen, Freeman, Russell, Reizenstein, Rentz, 2001; Appelbaum Donia, 2001; Brockner, 1988a; 1992; 1995; Brockner, Grover, OMalley, Reed, Glynn, 1993; Cascio, 1993; Mollica Gray, 2001; Noer, 1993; ONeill Lenn, 1995; Shah, 2000). The survivors of downsizing are not the happy campers, grateful to have their jobs, but rather that surviving is so difficult that continuing employees experience higher levels of stress than displaced employees (Collins-Nakai, Devine, Stainton Reay, 2003). The downsizing has more effect on the psychological contract that exists in between management and workers within the organization. Many researches reported that it would develop stagnation, deterioration, low morale, low trust and productivity. The fear and anxiety of the retainers of the organization is more, as there is more uncertainty and insecurity feeling among them. This is called a s survivors syndrome. Definition of survivor syndrome The literature suggests a condition referred to as survivor syndrome, or a set of attitudes, feelings and perceptions that occur in employees who remain in organizational systems following involuntary employee reductions (Collins-Nakai, Devine, Stainton Reay, 2003 p.109-110). Survivor syndrome is defined by some human resource professionals as being the mixed bag of behaviors and emotions often exhibited by remaining employees following an organizational downsizing (Appelbaum, Close Klasa, 1999 p.424-436). Survivor syndrome has become known as the emotional and attitudinal characteristics of those who have survived from a downsizing (Mossholder et al., 2000; Iverson and Pullman, 2000; Allen et al., 2001). The emotional responses of each survivor are different. There are not many previous researches confirmed the positive response for survivor when downsizing occurs, some note that concentrating on core operational competencies can reduce unnecessary management layers and increase the speed of decision-making (DeWitt, 1993; Tomasko, 1989), somes even suggest that fear of termination may increase individual effort among employees who wish to retain their jobs (Kraft, 1991). A few active survivors feel themselves so lucky because they still have their job, survivors may work more hours without compensation to help the organization through the transition. They believe that they quite understand the difficulties as well as the main reasons why organizations choose to apply downsizing strategy, they are willing to stick with organization for a long time and continue add their efforts to the development of organizations. Contrary to a few positive responses, a stream of research, both laboratory and field, has provided a lot of evidences of the h armful effects downsizing can have on survivors, these effects have been described in terms of lower morale (e.g., Armstrong-Stassen, 1993), high stress (e.g., Leana and Feldman, 1992), and anger, envy, and guilt (e.g., Noer, 1993). According to Collins-Nakai, Devine, Stainton Reay (2003) consistent with the terminology of a syndrome, this collection of symptoms includes anger, depression, fear, distrust, and guilt, or Baruch and Hind (2000) indicates that survivors exhibit a plethora of problems, such as de motivation, cynicism, insecurity, demoralization and a significant decline in organizational commitment. Termination of co-workers may lead to perceptions of organizational injustice and distrust of top management (e.g. Brockner Greenberg, 1990; Mishra Spreitzer, 1998; Noer, 1998). A lot of research shows that in case of downsizing, the organization breaks the implicit psychological contract between employer and employee-a contract that implies lifetime employment in return for hard work and loyalty. As a result, the feeling of dependency that may have evolved into entitlement is transformed into a sense of betrayal. Downsizing survivors often curious about management and spend their times to observe the intention of management after downsizing occurs; they have greater concern on their future with the organization. It leads to stress and strain among members in the organization; it affects their next attempt and the willing to stay with the organizations. With survivors, organization may thinks they are lucky, but in the reality of many people, their emotions are anger, loneliness, feel lost in broken team work because of missing their colleages, they do not feel confident enough for work due to their wondering about their job. Downsizing occurs that means org anization is left with fewer employees who are expected to put in their best effort in a manner that enhances organizational productivity (Kets de Vries Balazs 1997). They are the ones who organization put their faith in; expect long term commitment, but with fews people, it may lead to workload, role conflict, and role ambiguity tend to be high among the remaining staff after downsizing (Hellgren et al. 2005; Parker et al. 1997; Tombaugh White 1990). Workload reflects the perception of having too much work to do in the time available (Beehr, Walsh Taber 1976). Workgroup membership changes also may be associated with the loss of important organizational knowledge (Fisher White, 2000). Role conflict concerns the experience of having to deal with conflicting terms, instructions, and demands in the work environment (Rizzo, House Lirtzman 1970). Role ambiguity relates to the individuals experience of not knowing what is expected of her at work (Caplan 1971). Beside that, survivors may view downsizing as a threat to their job security, an indication of poor organizational performance, or a symptom of unfair management behavior. Survivors may also develop negative feelings toward the organization, as well as perceiving that organizational goals are difficult to achieve. According to Isabella (1989) has noted that while organizations are usually prepared to meet the needs of those being laid off, they are often unprepared for the strong emotions, lengthy adjustment periods, diminished morale and lower productivity often experienced and expressed by survivors. Managers may expect survivors not only to be grateful they were spared and to forgive what happened to their friends, but also to put their feelings aside and work harder. But the reality is not that, a bag of survivor behaviors or called survivors syndrome has always existed, it is like a contract between employees and organizations, the contract gives survivors psychological control over their work enviro nment, which lets them freely invest themselves in caring for customers. Trust Granovetter (1985) and Lewis and Weigert (1985) define trust as a willingness to be vulnerable to others, based on the prior belief that those others are trustworthy. Another definition of trust is offered by Mayer, Davis and Schoorman (1995), who proposed that trust is the willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party based on the expectation that the other will perform a particular action important to the trustor, irrespective of the ability to monitor or control that other party. Or according to Mishra Spreitzer (1998) trust is related to psychological contracts since trust is the expectation of a future action based on the action in the past by observing the rules of behaviors in relationships. If these expectations are not met, the expecter becomes hopeless, frustrated and will lose confidence, distrust will appear instead of trust (Robinson, Kraatz Rousseau, 1994). The trust is an essential part of managing people and building a high performance, pro ductivity organization. Trust is the foundation of all relationship from top to bottom in the organization. If employees believe in their manager, their organization, this relationship will always help to create good working conditions, employees are willing to stand up for their organization at any situations, they will naturally want to do a good things, contribute their best effort for the success of their organization. Conversely, if there is no trust between employees and managers, employees will have negative actions, will not devote their energy to the development of their organization, the relationship is broken. Downsizing organizations appear to suffer a deterioration of trust (Buch Aldridge, 1991; Cascio, 1993) and an increase in fear (Buch et al., 1991). The occuring of downsizing makes employees feel uncertain about organization, stress à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the responses tends to score lower in problem solving, creativity and the ability to learn new skills, uncertainty and anxiety reduces the focus of work. Trust between employees and organization also reduced because downsizing is usually a headful though of managers, they need along time for making the decision, but with employees, downsizing is just a sudden result, sometimes they do not have a chance to prepare or may not believe that they will be the one who be laid off. According to ONeill Lenn (1995), survivors who believe that management is competent and reliable, may view downsizing as less threatening because they believe that the managers will keep their promise, be honest và   open và ¡Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬ ºi what is going on with their employees. Trust is instrumental in overcoming resistance to change, for it shapes how individuals interpret the implementation process (Kotter Schlesinger, 1979). If they have trust, survivors are willing think that all the things that organization do, have a reason, it is a good thing for them, for organization, downsizing just helps organization stand in difficult time as well as creating opportunities for employees in the future. In other words, trust in top management minimizes the categorization of threat by helping survivors to understand and believe in managements intentions and expected behavior. If they do not have trust, survivors wil have negative thinking such as the decision of manager is wrong, or managers put their personal interests above the interests of employees. Without trust, employees are likely to feel threatened by downsizing, leading to resistance and retaliation, rather than the constructive cooperation that is necessary to facilitate deep change (Quinn, 1996). Commitment There are a lot of definitions about employee commitment such as A force that stabilizes individual behavior under circumstances where the individual would otherwise be tempted to change that behavior (Brickman, 1987), or The relative strength of an individuals identification with and involvement in a particular organization (Mowday et al, 1979) or simply A psychological state that binds the individual to the organization (Allen Meyer, 1990). Commitment is loyalty to the organization. A loyal employee identifies with an organization and is involved in being an employee of that organization (Price Mueller, 1986). Committed employees feel that there is a tight string between them and the organization, which, in the positive form, makes them more willing to perform their job. Organizational commitment is the driving force behind an organizations performance (Suliman and Iles, 2000, p. 408). The multidimensional approach poses that organization commitment is influenced by three constru cts: emotional attachment (affective commitment), perceived costs (continuance commitment) and moral obligation (normative commitment) (Allen and Meyer, 1990). Affective commitment is mean that employees stay with organization because they want to, they believes in organization and feel it like their home. Normative commitment is mean that employees stay with organization because they feel obligated to continuew to work for many different reasons and purposes. Continuance commitment is mean that employees stay with the organization because cost of giving up the job is too high for them. (European Motivation-Index.com). It has also been proposed that different types of commitment can have different effects on behaviors and attitudes (Iles et al., 1990). For example, continuance commitment can have detrimental effects on job satisfaction compared to the beneficial effects of affective commitment (Suliman and Iles, 2000). Affective commitment has been shown to be the best predictor of intention to leave (Stallworth, 2004) and found to be more important than job satisfaction in determining service quality of customer-contact employees (Malhotra and Mukherjee, 2004). It can be seen that in human resource management process, organizations should pay attention to the affect commitment group because these people will add value, increase productivity and quality to the organization, but they also be the most affected by downsizing, or in other word maintaining a high level of employees affective commitment to the organization is assumed to be a critical factor for successful downsizing, but downsizing tends to reduce employees affective commitment to the organization (Lee Jaewon, 2002). According to many research about employee commitment, in downsizing context, employees commitment to an organization is challenged. Moreover, commitment has been shown to positively influence other variables related to survivor syndrome, such as job satisfaction (Liou, 1995; Fletcher and Williams, 1996; Mowday et al., 1974; Wong et al., 1995; Vandenberg and Lance, 1992), performance (Hartmann and Bambacas, 2000) and perceived organizational support (Eisenberger et al. , 2001). A negative relationship has been shown for absenteeism (Iverson and Deery, 2001; Metcalfe and Dick, 2000) and turnover intention (Schnake and Dumler, 2000) Stress According to Casico Wynn (2004) stated that the downsizing create a breach of an unwritten rules that constitute the psychological contract between employer and employee leads to a rise in stress and a decrease in satisfaction, commitment, intention to stay and perceptions of an organizations trustworthiness, honesty, and caring about its employees. Stress has been defined as a stimulus, a response, or the result of an interaction between the two, with the interaction described in terms of some imbalance between the person and the environment (Cooper, Dewe ODriscoll, 2001). When downsizing occurs, like the victims, the survivors often lose control over their employment status and work situation. Survivors often feel angry and overwhelmed by the sudden disruption of the workplace, similar to people who be laid off, survivors also have feelings of betrayal and fury when downsizing occurs. Research also indicates that other stressful characteristics tend to emerge when work has to be carried out by fewer employees (Hellgren Sverke 2001; Hopkins Weathington 2006; Pfeffer 1998). The lack of people to work become overwhelmed, constant anxiety because of imbalance as well as job lossed can be happened anytime that creates stress to survivors. Employee stress can take many forms and significant impact on both employees and organizations; it can manifest as anxiety, irritability, dependency, depression and it results in reduced productivity, employee burnout, absenteeism (Valueoption.com). It has been suggested that layoff survivors experience stress that is as great, or even greater than, the stress felt by those who have been laid off (Kaufman 1982). Job insecurity Job insecurity is the exact opposite of job security, is defined as the perceived powerlessness to maintain desired continuity in a threatened job situation by Greenhalgh and Rosenblatt (1984). Job insecurity represents one of the most frequently investigated stressors in the context of organizational change and downsizing (e.g., De Witte 1999; Sverke/Hellgren 2002). The string sticks employees with organizion is job, in other word, any organization keeps their employees by proper job with many opportunities to learn, to develop, and above all of them, the job has to be durable and security. When downsizing occurs, survivors feel like the promise of organization has broken down, they see their colleagues lose their job and they fear of losing their jobs at anytime, fear of instability of income, loss of status or self esteem. They believe that their work will no longer be safe, if the organization was willing to let the employees go in the past, they would be willing to do it again i n the future. Job insecurity leads to dissatisfaction, people intent to leave the organization and come to a safer place; it also leads to greater absenteeism, higher turnovers and disability claims (Boroson and Burgess, 1992; Koco. 1996; Mishra and Spreitzer. 1998; Tombaugh and White. 1990). Previous studies such as Moore, Grunberg Greenberg (2006); Ashford, Lee Bobko (1989); Brockner et al. (1992) or Hellgren Sverke (2003) have concluded that job insecurity are related with organizational downsizing both in short and long term perspective and the worried about future job loss is associated with impaired work attitudes and well-being. Theorists have emphasized that job insecurity is a multidimensional phenomenon (Ashford, Lee Bobko, 1989; Greenhalgh Rosenblatt, 1984; Jacobson, 1991). The first dimension, called severity of threat, consists of the range of work features at risk, the valence of these features, probabilities of losing each feature, and the number of sources of threat. The second dimension is perceived powerlessness, or ones ability to respond to risks. Job insecurity can also be thought of in terms of expectancy (i.e. probability of loss) and valence (i.e. value of job features) from expectancy theory (Jacobson, 1991). Job insecurity is a broad concept , including threats to any desired work features including opportunities for career development or wages. perceptions of job insecurity also can be considered as stress inducing, so reports of worry and stress are sometimes used as proxies for perception of job insecurity. Results showed that perceived job insecurity increased over time as layoffs unfolded but no new information arrived. Job insecurity was lowest among those employees who had no contact with workforce downsizing, with higher insecurity among those who had friends or co-workers laid off, and the highest insecurity among those who had been warned that they would be laid off or who had been laid off and then rehired. Hypothesis Many organization managers apply workforce downsizing strategy for their organization, often focus their attention and effort for those employees who be laid off and pay little attention to those who remain with organization As the large bank in Vietnam, VietinBank is also applying workforce downsizing like many other organizations to overcome the current difficulties. Get to know the survivors syndrome is very important not only for VietinBank but also for many other organizations. The future of the organization can be at stake if these warning signs take hold and start to have a long-term effect. Organizations that understand and combat the causes of survivor syndrome at an early stage have a far better chance of weathering the storm and moving forward after the period of unsettling change. Based on the previous studies, in the scope of this research, researcher would like to find out the impact of workforce downsizing to the behavior such as trust, commitment, and stress and job insecurity of Vietinbanks staffs to see how they were affected by downsizing and which elements of fours will be the most impacted by downsizing. Through this research, researcher hopes to put some help for VietinBank managers in order to have a better understanding about their employees so that they can looking for an appropriate direction as well as specific plan to minimize the harmful impacted may arises from downsizing. Based on the above theory discussion, the Hypothesis is formulated as following: (H1) There is a significant relationship between downsizing and VietinBank survivors trust. (H2) There is a significant relationship between downsizing and VietinBank survivors stress. (H3) There is a significant relationship between downsizing and VietinBank survivors commitment. (H4) There is a significant relationship between downsizing and VietinBank survivors job insecurity. (H5) There is a survivors symptom that be strongest impacted by downsizing in VietinBank Chapter Summary Through out the chapter, researcher give a deeped review of previous research on downsizing and its impacted on survivors. There are many different opinions about the effects of downsizing on organizations, somes indicated that downsizing is an effective stratefy for organization, which may lead to increase innovation, human resource focusing. However, numerous previous studies have concluded that there are adverse effects of downsizing on organizations, especially for survivors, who is considered to be lucky one for remaining their job. Previous researchs have come up with a term survivors syndrome to describe the behaviors or attitudes of survivors during and after the workforce downsizing occurs. And by understanding the attitudes, emotions and viewpoints of the survivors, a clear perspective on the true short and long term benefits, gains or losses of downsizing for corporations can be derived. Even in early survivor syndrome literature there was some evidence that effective mana gement of downsizing can control for negative effects on the survivors (Brockner, 1990; Brockner et al., 1992) The next section of the research studied further the impact of downsizing on trust, stress, commitment and job insecurity of VietinBanks survivors. This research enables better understanding about the perspective and behavior of VietinBanks survivor when downsizing situation occurs.

The Status of African-American Soldiers in the Regiments of Massachuset

The Civil War, which began in April of 1861, was a war that most saw as ending by the end of the year – not one person expected it to turn into the long and drawn out slaughter that it became. It was a war that came about originally because of the secession of Southern states from the Union in the belief that the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency would render emancipation inevitable. Only white soldiers fought against each other at the outset of war but by mid-July of 1862, Henry Wilson – a Senator from Massachusetts who strongly opposed slavery – had passed a bill that allowed the President to bring African-Americans into active service in the Union army and following the Emancipation Proclamation the President finally allowed the recruitment of colored regiments. By creating a position for African-Americans in the army the status of these men in northern society was increasingly under question. This reflects recognition of the fact that as slavery became the main issue of the war something had to be done in relation to the position of these men in northern society. However, the changes that occurred could not go unnoticed by the South or by Northern whites and put a final stamp on the sectional division. The institution of slavery and the increasing strain it brought between North and South made questions about the position of African-Americans in society increasingly prominent both amongst whites and blacks. Since they had been removed from their home environment and branded as slaves, a process beginning in 1619, the status of blacks had remained one of inferiority to white Americans. Although Lincoln originally argued that the Civil War was about keeping the Union together, a change would have to occur if the N... ...ntry, 1863-1865. Boston: Boston Book Co., 1894. Fitzgerald, Michael. Splendid Failure: Postwar Reconstruction in the American South. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2007. Glatthaar, Joseph. Forged in Battle: Civil War Alliance of Black Soldiers and White Officers. New York: Free Press, 1990. Greenberg, Kenneth. Masters and Statesmen: The Political Culture of American Slavery. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985. Hapgood and Adams, eds. Western Reserve Chronicle. May 20, 1863, image 2. Smith, John. â€Å"Let Us All Be Grateful That We Have Colored Troops That Will Fight.† In Black Soldiers in Blue: African American Troops in the Civil War Era, edited by John Smith, 1-78. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2002. Williams, George. A History of the Negro Troops in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1888.

Spike Lee – Auteur

Spike Lee – Auteur BY as_e453 An auteur is a director who personal creative vision and style is expressed through films. The term auteur is originated in France and is French for author. There are different ways in which a director can express their vision in films and show who they are. There are many directors that are considered to be a auteur such as: Quentin Tarintino, Tim Burton, Kathryn Bigelow, Stanley Kubrick and Woody Allen. The director I have chosen as an auteur is Spike Lee.Lee's Life: Spike Lee is an American film director who has directed, produced, written and acted in Spike Lee films such as Malcolm X, Jungle Fever, Inside Man and Love ; Basketball. Spike Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia where he attended Morehouse College and made his first student film Last Hustle in Brooklyn, he then graduated from New York University in 1982. Lee grew up in a well-off, respective African American family and by the time he was 20 he started to make amateur films. He won a s tudent academy award for his thesis film Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads.Spike originally became interested in the arts because of his parents' background but after attending college e realised he had a stronger passion for film making and decided to become a filmmaker. Film Career: Lee created his first feature film She's Gotta Have It in 1986 which grossed over $7,000,000 and was one of the most profitable films made in 1986. It was a comedy Lee on set directing a film film which makes fun of the stereotyped vision on black men cheating on their partners but instead the roles were reverse and focuses on a woman having 3 different partners.The film did have some mixed views in Hollywood but it became a hit with his African American fans. After making his first feature film Lee began to reate many other great films and was not only being known as a director but also a comic actor. His ultimate goal was to â€Å"make films that will capture the Black experience by any means necessary' and that is exactly what he did. Here's a trailer for Do the Right Thing: His other work: Other than being a successful director, producer, actor and writer. Spike is also a successful music director and documentarian.He has directed music videos for celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Naughty by Nature, Anita Baker and Public Enemy. He has also directed the documentaries, Jim Brown: All-American and 4 Little Girls which was nominated â€Å"Best Documentary'. He is also known for making some great commercials for Nike, Converse, Jaguar, Taco Bell and Ben ; Jerrys. His Personal Style: Themes: Spike is no stranger to controversy due to the elements he uses in his films. Most of Lee's tilms consist ot an Atrican American theme and inspect the issues ot race relations, political issues, urban crime and violence.His 2nd film he made Do the Right Thing (1989) explored all of these issues. He also explored the issues of family/ father & relationships in his films Crooklyn (199 4), Get on the Bus (1996) and He Got Game (1998). In his films School Daze (1988), Do The Right Thing (1989), Jungle Fever (1991), Get on the Bus (1996), Summer of Sam (1999) and Bamboozled (2000) he included the issues circulating around racism. Another issue he explores is black female sexuality which is in the films She's Gotta Have It (1986), Girl 6 (1996) and She Hates Me (2004).Genre: Whenever it comes to genre Spike always picks the right one. He switches them around so sometimes his films will be a comedy, sometimes it will be a romantic comedy (a hybrid genre) or a drama. Spike never seems to fail when it comes to enre because he always brings something different to the film and it's so enjoyable to watch. Use of actors: Spike frequently casts himself, John Turturro, Samuel L. Jackson, Delroy Lindo, Roger Spike as Mars Blackmon a character from his film Guenveur Smith, Michael Imperioli and Denzel Washington in his films.I think it's because he knows exactly what he wants i n a film and if he see a person who could portray the character they are given in a certain way then that is who he will choose, plus these actors are professional actors and know what they are doing. Lee often cast real life families in his films. In Do The Right Thing (1989) he casts Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee (who are real life husband and wife), Joie Lee (Spike's real life sister), Danny Aiello and Rick Aiello (who are real life father and son).He has done this in other films such as School Daze (1998), Jungle Fever (1991), Mo' Better Blues (1990) and Malcolm X (1992) His Signature shot: Spike has a signature shot which he likes to use in his films. It is named â€Å"The Double- Dolly Shot†. The camera is placed on a dolly and moves along a track, the movement of the camera is smooth and makes the subject in the scene look like its floating or gliding. Here is an example of Spike's Double Dolly Shot being used in his films: Another thing which is common in Lee's films is th e way the characters addresses the camera.Spike prefers the characters to address the camera directly when filming. Narrative Structure in films: Lee calls his films â€Å"A Spike Lee Joint†. In the ending of his films he would usually use the phrases, â€Å"By Any Means Necessary', mia Dig† and â€Å"Sho Nuff'. Ending the film like this will make the audience remember it , you won't be able to forget a film with a ending phrase like that. The films that use a narration (She's Gotta Have It 1986) are ften associated with the subject of baseball teams and players.Spike Lee talks about the issues that are going on in the world today and he is not afraid to tell the truth in his movie. He casts characters that portray their characters in a positive light just like in Malcolm X (1992 biographical film). Yes, people may see him as controversial, but that Just makes him who he is. Spike is a good director and he is good at what he does. Spike one wish was â€Å"to put the vast richness of black culture on tilm† when he became a tllm maker. films in his own vision. He is an auteur who continues to make great

Thomas Hardy Poem Interpretation

Poems for essay: Neutral Tones, A Broken Appointment, The Moth-Signal. Interpretation is said to be an explanation or conceptualization of a work of literature or other art form by a critic. Hardy is known for integrating personal events from his life, into his poems that allow the reader to develop a fully rounded view of what he was trying to convey in his work. Love and its effects are one of his most famous themes that are the basis of many of his poems. Hardy tends to use references to many of his loves in his life in his poems especially his first wife Emma.The context from which he writes helps immensely when deducing the meaning of his works. However, knowledge of the poet’s background is not a necessity when interpreting all poems nor does it always influence the interpretation given by the reader; this only true to a certain extent. In the poems: â€Å"Neutral Tones†, â€Å"A Broken Appointment† and â€Å"The Moth- Signal (Edgon Heath)† are all e xamples of poems by Thomas Hardy that does not require awareness of his background to be interpreted by the reader.The poem, â€Å"Neutral Tones† can be deciphered is about a man who loses his true love and thus skews his view of love forever. The first stanza may be interpreted as the setting of which this heartbreaking moment between these two lovers took place. The setting bares no identification needed towards the writer and can be easily interpreted by the reader. The proceeding stanzas basically describe the scenarios in the relationship that led to ultimately the couple going their separate ways and as a result changes the man’s perception of love as the event is relayed from his point of view.This poem is just based on a love gone wrong and does not need Hardy’s background information to be successfully understood by anyone who reads it. His personal detached tone from the poem allows this to be possible. Along with â€Å"Neutral Tones†, â€Å"A Broken Appointment† follows the same trend of love and freedom to be interpreted without having knowledge of his past loves. This poem is about a man who is now reflecting later about the time he was stood up by the woman he loved. This is an issue that happens regularly and does not need to be referenced to sometime in the author’s life to be analyzed thoroughly.This poem was also written generally so it also bore no semblance to the life of Hardy. This goes to show that the background of an author when interpreting a poem is not utter importance. In addition, â€Å"The Moth-Signal (Edgon Heath)†, is another one of Hardy’s poems that lack the need for the context from which the poet writes. In this poem, there is an affair by a woman that is summoned to her lover via a moth being burned in the flames of a candle to indicate her lover was present.Since infidelity is a common issue, the background of Hardy is not needed to influence the interpretation of th is poem. In all of the above mention poems, they all encompassed a plot that was easily identifiable by any reader. The thread of love and heartbreak ran through each and they are all poems that are relatable to all who reads these poems. This gives proof that a poet’s background does not need to be known in order to interpret a poem nor influence its interpretation.

Effects of sugar speech Research Paper Example

Effects of sugar speech Research Paper Example Effects of sugar speech Paper Effects of sugar speech Paper Today I am going to tell you all about sugar by describing what it really is, the main forms it exists in, its effects on the body, and how we can avoid it. Body: I. Sugar is the simple name for the sweet, short-chained, simple carbohydrate used in foods. Sugar is broken down into two categories; simple incarcerations such as glucose, fructose, and calaboose, and complex disaccharide such as sucrose, maltose, and lactose. A. Sugar is a very calorie dense food with no nutritional value. Not all calories act the same way, calories from sugar are more fattening than any other calorie. A study done y Mind, Body, Green concluded that In the American diet added sugar alone accounts for 496 calories per day. B. A major problem in the food industry is that sugars are hidden in almost all of our foods and we dont even realize we are eating them. Hidden names for sugar include High Fructose Corn Syrup, Malnutrition, glucose, cane crystals, and many more. Some high sugar foods that we may not expect are; BBC sauce, with 16 grams of sugar per 2 tablespoons, low-fat yogurt, with 30 grams of sugar per 8 ounces, fruit juice, with 23 grams of sugar per 8 fluid ounces, and soda with 29 grams of sugar per 8 fluid ounces. According to Forbes, an adult should not be consuming more than 40 grams of sugar per day. However, the average American consumes over 90 grams per day. Many companies are now producing low fat versions of their foods but all they are really doing is taking out fat and adding more sugar, which just ends up turning to fat. II. Now that you have an overview of sug ar will go into detail about some of the different types, focusing on Glucose and Fructose. A. There are three different types of macroeconomics sugars. The first, called glucose, is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits and vegetables. The second, called fructose, is another naturally occurring sugar found in fruits, root vegetables, cane sugar, and honey. It is also the sweetest of all the sugars. The third, called calaboose, is a milk sugar and is less sweet then glucose and fructose. B. There are also three different types of disaccharide sugars. The first, called sucrose, is found in sugar cane and used in table sugar. The second, called maltose, is found in grains and is the least sweet of the sugars. The third, called lactose, is found in milk. C. Glucose is one of the main sugars we consume and is also the safest. This is the type of sugar that our cells use for energy and it also produces insulin in the pancreas. Its downside is that it causes the liver to produce a substance called very low density lepidopterist or BLVD d. Sucrose and High Fructose Corn Syrup, or HUFFS, is the other main sugar we consume and also the most damaging. Sucrose is 40% fructose and HUFFS is 55% fructose. The reason for why it is so bad for you lies in how our body processes it. It can only be metabolize by your liver, which causes it to contain more calories, about 3 times the amount in glucose. It also results in a higher production folds. Fructose releases a substance called lepton to the brain which causes you to not feel full, resulting in a larger consumption of the fructose containing food. E. There is also a very big difference between processed sugar and UN-processed sugar. The fructose contained in fruit is k because fruit is very high in fiber, which causes you to feel full so you wont eat as much. Processed sugar has all of the fiber stripped from it which is why you will never feel full. Ill. Now Im going to focus on fructose and its effects on the body. Unfortunately, fructose is the main sugar in almost all foods that we eat. This is unfortunate because it is the most calorie dense and unhealthy sugar that exists. A. The most basic effect is tooth decay. Decay created by Sugar is faster than decay created by any other substance. B. The second effect is its relation to belly fat. In the past 30 years adolescent obesity rates have tripled and child rates have doubled. Americas sugar intake has also doubled in this time period and the main blame lies on our fructose-filled beverages. Fructose intake matures visceral fat cells, setting the stage for an increased amount of fat. C. The third effect is that it damages both the heart ND the liver. The American Heart Association displays strong evidence that sugar can affect the pumping mechanism of your heart and could increase your risk for heart failure?. A Journal in Nature Magazine suggests that sugar also has detrimental effects on your liver and companies should be putting the same labels on sugar that they do on alcohol. It states that while fructose is being metabolize by the liver, it damages these metabolic pathways and leads to several problems down the road. D. The fourth effect of fructose is its interference with immune function. Sugar has been proven to suppress immune responses. This is because the bacteria and yeast found in our bodies feed on sugar and when these organisms get out of balance, we are more likely to contract an illness or infection. E. The last effect Im going to discuss is advanced aging. After entering your blood stream a percent of all sugar attaches itself to a protein in a process called glaciating. This leads to loss of elasticity in both our skin and our organs. IV. Now that have told you all of the horrible things about refined and processed sugars you are probably wondering what to do about it. Your main goal should be to stick to trial sugars and eat them in moderation. Try and get most of your daily 40 grams of sugar through fruits but if you need to satisfy a sweet tooth or need to use sugar in baking there are lots Of natural sugars that work just as well and are much more nutrient dense. A. Raw honey is a great natural sweetener and works well in place of white sugar while baking. It is a natural antibacterial and it boosts the immune system, promotes digestive health, and is very high in antioxidants. It also stabilized blood pressure and helps to balance blood sugar levels. B. Pure Maple syrup is another great natural whitener that works well in place of brown sugar while baking. It contains only evaporated maple tree sap and is very high in manganese and zinc. C. There are also several other natural sugars that you may not know very much about. Steven is a sweetener extracted from a Steven plant. It IS all natural and about 300 times sweeter than table sugar. It is not very nutrient dense but it contains no calories and will not change blood sugar levels. Date sugar is simply dried dated pulverize into a powder. It is very sweet and works well replacing either white or brown sugar in recipes. Coconut sugar contains iron, Inc, calcium, and potassium as well as several antioxidants. It is also high in fiber and has very minimal effects on blood sugar levels. D. Other than using natural sugars it is important to stay away from both low-fat foods and sweeteners labeled as artificial sweetener. This is because, as mentioned before, when companies produce low fat foods they are usually just taking Out the fat and adding loads of Sugar, which is much worse for you. You should try and avoid artificial sweeteners because they are extremely processed and loaded with chemicals, which again, ends up being worse for you than sugar itself.

The eNotes Blog Marchs Teachers Corner BlendedLearning

Marchs Teachers Corner BlendedLearning In the olden days- really not that long ago- technology in the classroom was an intercom connection with the  office and a 16mm projector that showed black-and-white documentaries. When film strip projectors arrived  on the scene, they represented real innovation; a film strip machine with audio and auto advance was cutting  edge. The term â€Å"blended learning† didn’t exist because there was nothing to blend. The concept of blended learning didn’t enter the mainstream of education until the 1990’s as the internet  continued to expand and schools began investing in classroom computers and software. Since then, the idea  of â€Å"blending† internet and digital media resources with traditional classroom instruction has become the  prevailing force in determining how instruction is delivered. Laptops and tablets are quickly replacing  textbooks, and blended learning has become the focus of professional development. Teachers now race to  keep up with the explosion of new technology resources and the myriad ways they can be used in instruction. There are six models of blended learning. For an overview and a description of each model, check out this Web site.  Based on the descriptions, the â€Å"Face-to-Face Driver† model  seems to be most representative of how blended learning is being implemented in the majority of our  classrooms. The teacher delivers most of the curriculum and employs online resources to supplement  instruction and promote learning. Sounds easy enough, but keeping up with the increasing number of technology resources at  hand and using them most effectively have  become daily challenges. Here are some ideas to help sort things out. Kids the Internet With laptops, tablets, or shared classroom computers, students have immediate access to a world of  information. Sometimes, though, they lack the skills and experience to trek through the blizzard of articles  they find online. For younger students and those whose reading levels make it difficult  to use online resources, here are a couple of good Web sites: Factmonster is an online general  encyclopedia that’s not hard to navigate, and it’s filled with information in easy-to-read articles. Ducksters is designed for students K-8, and offers information and  activities in history, biography, geography, and science, along with homework help, games, and sports. Kids Computer Games Using interactive games and activities can be effective in supplementing instruction in every subject and grade  level. They’re also useful in differentiated instruction and remediation. There are thousands to choose from on  the net, but finding the right ones takes time, and time is always in short supply. To narrow your search, look  at these: For students K-12, check out the interactive games and activities at Hoagies Gifted Education Page. They cover many subjects, including engineering, physics,  space, and astronomy. At Interactive Sites for Education  you will find lots of good  interactive games and activities, K-5, in math, science, language arts, social studies, music, art, and  even typing. The brainteasers are worthwhile, too. Other Ways to Blend Learning In making blended learning effective and engaging, consider some of these ways to implement it: Tap into social media. Write some lessons that incorporate Skype, Twitter, and Facebook. Here’s a site  that features 100 ways to use social media in developing classroom projects and activities. Read books online, free of charge. Create a virtual classroom library filled with new books and stories.  At www., you’ll find eTexts of hundreds of works of literature that can be read in their  entirety online, free. Also free are the children’s books that can be read online at Childrens Books Online. It’s an amazing collection. Project Gutenberg  offers free ebooks in the public domain and features titles from world  literature. Supplement and enhance lessons with instructional videos, movies, and film clips. Save time in locating  what you need by visiting this article. It features The  100 Best Video Sites for Educators and describes what you can find at each one. Whatever subject or grade you teach, take your students on virtual field trips. A great collection of  virtual tours can be found at here. Among them  are some virtual reality tours of famous places as they existed in the past. Design lesson-related activities that allow students to use technology in creative ways- drawing  pictures, completing DIY projects, and making music or their own movies. You’ll find top-rated apps for  students K-12 at Graphite. Many of the apps are free. Every resource that can be tapped through technology isn’t necessarily valuable in the classroom. For blended  learning to be effective, it must be orchestrated by teachers who understand their students and who  recognize what can be achieved by connecting them with the right resources at the right time. As always, kids need their  teachers. Without them, the newest, most sophisticated technology is just an improvement on the film strip  machine. Have a great spring break! See you in April. This is a guest post from Staff Writer, Susan Hurn.   Susan is a former high school English teacher and college instructor. She loves writing for and also enjoys good books, creative writing, and all things related to history.   Let us know if youre interested in contributing to the   blog.

Juan Gris, Spanish Cubist Painter

Juan Gris, Spanish Cubist Painter Juan Gris (1887-1927) was a Spanish painter who lived and worked in Paris, France, for most of his adult life. He was one of the most significant cubist artists. His work followed the development of the style through all of its stages. Fast Facts: Juan Gris Full Name: Jose Victoriano Gonzalez-PerezOccupation: PainterStyle: CubismBorn: March 23, 1887 in Madrid, SpainDied: May 11, 1927 in Paris, FranceEducation: Madrid School of Arts and SciencesSpouses: Lucie Belin, Charlotte (Josette) HerpinChild: Georges Gonzalez-GrisSelected Works: Portrait of Pablo Picasso (1912), Still Life with Checkered Tablecloth (1915), Coffee Grinder (1920)Notable Quote: You are lost the moment you know what the result will be. Early Life and Career Born in Madrid, Spain, Juan Gris studied engineering at the Madrid School of Arts and Sciences. He was an outstanding student, but his heart was not in academia. Instead, he chose to focus on the drawing skills that came naturally. In 1904, he began to study with the artist Jose Moreno Carbonero, a past instructor of Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. Hulton Archive / Getty Images After adopting the name Juan Gris in 1905, the artist moved to Paris, France. He would stay there for most of the rest of his life after having avoided Spanish military service. In Paris, he encountered some of the leading artists of the emerging avant-garde scene including Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, and Pablo Picasso, as well as American writer Gertrude Stein, who would become a collector of Gris work. During the period, Gris contributed satirical drawings to a wide range of Parisian journals. Cubist Painter In 1911, Juan Gris began to seriously focus on his painting. His initial works reflect the emerging cubist style. Pablo Picasso led the early development of cubism along with French artist Georges Braque. Gris considered Picasso an important mentor, but Gertrude Stein wrote that Juan Gris was the only person whom Picasso wished away. Portrait of Pablo Picasso (1912). Corbis Historical / Getty Images Gris exhibited at the Barcelona Exposicio dArt Cubista in 1912, considered the first group exhibition of cubist artists. His early cubist works are in the style of analytical cubism pioneered by Picasso and Braque. The 1912 Portrait of Picasso is an example of this approach. However, within two years, he focused on synthetic cubism, which used collage techniques extensively. The 1915 Still Life with Checkered Tablecloth illustrates the change. Crystal Cubism The outbreak of World War I in 1914 disrupted the life and work of Juan Gris. Gertrude Stein provided him with financial assistance, and he spent time at Henri Matisses studio in the south of France. In 1916, Gris signed a contract with French art dealer Leonce Rosenberg which helped solidify his financial future. Coffee Grinder (1920). Heritage Images / Getty Images Juan Gris simplification of the geometrical structure of his paintings in late 1916 is a distilled version of cubism. He also blurs the distinction between the background and the central object in the picture. This style has been called crystal cubism. Many observers see the technique as the logical extension of developments in cubism. The first major solo exhibition of the work of Juan Gris took place in Paris in 1919. He also participated in the final major exhibit of cubist painters at the Salon des Independents in Paris in 1920. Later Career In the months following the end of World War I in 1919, Juan Gris became ill from the lung disease pleurisy. He traveled to Bandol on the southeastern coast of France to recuperate. There, he met Russian ballet patron Serge Diaghilev, founder of the Ballets Russes. Juan Gris designed sets and costumes for the dance troupe from 1922 through 1924. La Liseuse (1926). Heritage Images / Getty Images More major international exhibitions followed from 1923 through 1925. During the period, Gris enjoyed the greatest fame that he would know during his lifetime. He delivered the lecture, Des possibilites de la peinture at the Sorbonne in 1924. It outlined his major aesthetic theories. Unfortunately, Gris health continued to decline. In 1925, he began to suffer from cardiac and kidney disease. Juan Gris died of kidney failure at age 40 in 1927. Legacy Still Life with Checkered Tablecloth (1915). Metropolitan Museum of Art / Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons 1.0 While Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are given credit for first developing the cubist style, Juan Gris is one of the most distinctive artists who devoted his career to the development of the movements theories. Artists ranging from Salvador Dali to Joseph Cornell acknowledged their debts to the innovations of Juan Gris. His use of brand logos and newspaper type anticipated the development of Pop Art a generation later. Source Green, Christopher. Juan Gris. Yale University Press, 1993.

Philosophy ( the great gialogue of plato) Essay

Philosophy ( the great gialogue of plato) - Essay Example themes of Socratic thoughts including Socratic irony, his mode of investigation and inquiry and maintenance of higher moral concerns that greatly direct Socrates’ life. According to Plato, Socrates passed on his wisdom to people with intellect. It is very interesting to note that Socrates never talked about one- sided lengthy lectures regarding his beliefs rather he preferred to present his beliefs in written accounts- in the form of proper dialogues. With the help of this inquiry, it can be well said that he did never believe on his own knowledge to put forward rather his mode of investigation always tried to identify what his interlocutor considers he knows and then gradually analyzing the hidden claims of Socratic knowledge. For Socrates two essential elements for healthier life are virtue and wisdom. These are closely connected elements and greatly participate to improve the society in the broader context. According to Socrates, if all people within a society will be wise then nothing will ever go wrong and as a result of self knowledge and wisdom will finally lead to more fulfilling and healthier lives. This is the basic reason why Socratic thoughts greatly focus on the activities of high morale rather than intangible intellectual quests. Plato explains that Socrates was accused of being guilty in the court of Athens as he was charged of recognizing new deities rather than those recognized by the state. He was charged of corrupting the new generation in Athens through his speech and conversation. This allegation put him at trial and he attempts for a powerful defense through speech. The defense opens with an appeal put forward by Socrates before the jury that the jury would listen him with great care and pardon him too if he would slip into his conventional conversational style as his opponents greatly talked against him in the courts. They adopted flowery language to defend their case. As a result of this, Socrates clearly mentioned before court that he

Midterm 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Midterm 2 - Essay Example For a country to increase its species, it had to export more than its imports. Since manufactured goods were highly expensive compared to agricultural products, nation’s importing manufactured goods were richer. Mercantilism recommended Britain to import agricultural products from its colonies such as America and sell them manufactured goods. After independence, America intended to manufacture  it citizens’ expertise to limit their dependence Jefferson, however did not consent to  the decision. When answering a French diplomat, Marbois, on the state of manufacturing, commerce, and interior trade, Jefferson recommended that the county should not focus on manufacturing but rather concentrate on agricultural production. He recommends that the county Virginia should focus on agricultural production and let the British manufacture what he see as a partnership. He believed that small sufficient farmers were the best citizens and that God chose the labours in earth. This is because they were hard working, more trustworthy and more moral. Alexander Hamilton, in 1791, proposed an economic program aid for the national infant industries, through high tariffs (Hamilton 5). Economic program aid aimed at protecting American companies from foreign competition government subsidies and improvement of internal transport, which could make transport cheap for American industrial use. The intension was to clear the British manufacturing hood in America. He argues that manufacturing does not only earn revenue but also render the produce of greater importance. Unlike Jefferson, he was determined to make the nation self-dependent by fully producing products that its citizen may depend. Finally, he gives it an economical view that the country can export its products to earn it more income, unlike Jefferson’s partnership view Both the declaration and common sense enlightened Americans to advocate their rights to equality and freedom from

Investment Strategy Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Investment Strategy Business - Research Paper Example Graham’s investment strategy, as established in his now seminal text the ‘Intelligent Investor’, encourages a steady and conservative approach referred to as ‘defensive investing’. This strategy is contrasted with ‘speculative investing,’ an approach more closely linked to gambling. Graham’s strategy has lasted the test of time and drawn positive attention from billionaire investor Warren Buffet who claims it is the best investing text ever written. This essay examines Graham’s strategy in this text through an analysis of investment objectives, asset allocation, security selection process, and whether I would implement this strategy. Objectives The strategies articulated in the ‘Intelligent Investor’ are such that any sort of investor including an individual, hedge fund, or pension plan can adopt them. This is due to Graham’s deep understanding of market vicissitudes that make this strategy not simply a s trategic angle on the market, but virtually the only safe approach to investment. In these regards, the only investors that this approach is not targeted for are what Graham terms ‘speculative investors’. Graham states, â€Å"every nonprofessional who operates on margin should recognize ipso facto that he is speculating†¦everyone who buys a so-called â€Å"hot† common-stock issue†¦is either speculating or gambling† (Graham, pg. 21). ... Instead Graham’s encourages a steady and conservative approach, the returns of which will be determined by the specific market conditions of the era. Graham indicates that strategic approaches that guarantee a specific return may be successful for a period, but in the long run have consistently proved ineffective. In terms of risk, Graham indicates that risk should be determined by the investor’s specific goals. For Graham risk is largely measured in the allocation of common stocks vs. bonds. Rather than implementing a time limit, Graham instead considers that risk and return are most concentrated in common stocks and as such they necessitate longer time horizons. One such example Graham gives is that a couple that are saving to buy a home would be better served consolidating their portfolio in bonds as this are safe and easily accessible; conversely, an individual with a longer time horizon should have a higher percentage of common stock. Asset Allocation Grahamâ€℠¢s strategy as articulated in the ‘Intelligent Investor’ functions as a comprehensive approach to portfolio management. Indeed, intrinsic to Graham’s strategy is the mitigation of risk through the successful allocation of bonds and common stocks. There are a number of considerations within this mode of understanding. In regards to precious metals, Graham recommends a relatively small allocation of such securities, indicating 2-3% of a portfolio should be dedicated to them. In terms of determining the percentage of bonds vs. stocks in the portfolio Graham provides a variety of options. Graham begins in considering a base percentage differential of 50% bonds and 50% stocks.

Preconception Health & Prenatal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Preconception Health & Prenatal - Assignment Example It is based on this ground that Atrash et. al. (2008) argued for a shift in the healthcare paradigm from only getting concerned with mother care, to a wider context of women care. The situation of American social health, during the early 1980s was indeed alarming when the country slipped down to the 19th rank from its 10th position due to sudden increase in infant death rates (Atrash et. al., 2008). While the actions taken in the then context helped controlling infant mortality to a considerable extent, the situation has again started deteriorating as per Atrash et. al. (2008). The most salient portions of arguments in Atrash et. al. (2008) concentrated on the improvement of the mother’s health and the infant as well. According to the evidence obtained through scientific experiments and observations, the care provided with the aim to control improvements in the women’s health before pregnancy also enhances the outcomes of pregnancy for both the mother as well as the baby. In this study by Atrash et. al. (2008), the most convincing arguments were those emphasizing the care deliverance requirements when concerning prenatal and preconception stages when would-be mothers experience substantial changes in their body, which was also addressed in Singh, Darroch & Ashford et. al. (2013). Atrash et. al. (2008) also argued that special care must be delivered to mothers infected with HIV or AIDS and those having weak reproductive health among others, which was quite convincing. The study also proposed the extension of the â€Å"healthy mothers-healthy babies† model that was developed in the early 1980s (Atrash et. al., 2008). On the contrary, even though Atrash et. al. (2008) depicted a relationship between women’s health before pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, no statistical tool or firm guidance was used to prove the relationship, which shall make the arguments of Atrash et. al. (2008) unconvincing. Atrash, H., Jack, B. W., Johnson, Coonrod, D.

Predictors of Medication Errors in Elderly in Nursing Homes Research Paper

Predictors of Medication Errors in Elderly in Nursing Homes - Research Paper Example The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (2011) explains that "A medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or consumer.† This means that medication errors do not only occur at the hands of medical professionals. In this essay, the writer review predictors of medication errors in elderly in nursing homes. This means that the bulk of the writer’s attention shall be based on factors that medical practitioners in nursing homes and taking care of elderly people can use to predict possible medication errors. As seen in the definition of medication errors, the writer’s view of predictors shall be varying and widespread, not centering only on the health practitioner but on all other causative factors including patients and consumers. Predictors of Medication Errors in Elderly This section of the essay reviews five major predictors of medication errors that can take place among elderly people in nursing homes. Number of Home Medications The fact that elder people under consideration are based on nursing homes should not eradicate the possibility of medication error occurring as a result of a number of home medications. Nursing officers and other health professionals taking care of elderly people in nursing homes must predict the fact that once admitted at the home, the history of a number of home medications received by patients before their admission at the nursing home can interfere with the efficacy and functions of medications administered to them at the nursing home. For this reason, it is rightly appropriate that nursing and other health professionals have a fair idea of medications patients on admission might have received at home before being admitted. Over the years, it is because nursing practitioners have been negligent of the need to assess the number of home medicati ons taken by elderly patients admitted at the nursing homes that Prasanatikom and Madigan (2004) concluded in a research that â€Å"incidence of medication error was highest at the first visit (23.5%)† Self-administration of medication Self-administration of medication is something that is common among elderly patients in nursing homes. Pollick explains that self-administration of medication or self-medication is the â€Å"practice of using illicit or legal drugs without proper medical supervision is known as self-medication.† The commonest cause given to the problem of self-administration of medication among elderly patients in nursing homes has been found to be over anxiety among the elderly patients (Akakpo, 2003). As a matter of fact, due to degeneration psychological problems among elderly patients, they tend to be very anxious about their health and always have a feeling that taking medications in overdose or taking extra medications aside what is prescribed for them may lead to a quick recovery of their health. Health practitioners in nursing homes must, therefore, have a forecasted knowledge that if self-administration of medication takes place among their patients, the patients risk the problem of medication error because there is the tendency of self-medicated drugs conflicting with the functions of prescribed drugs.  

Recent Organizational Innovations such as TQM and BPR Essay

Recent Organizational Innovations such as TQM and BPR - Essay Example For example, they are responsible for correct approach, implementation and meeting of goals plus objectives that are set by the company (Tuckman 1994, p. 733). The recent innovation defies traditional management approaches and incorporates best methods that suits organizations needs. Innovation management is important in organizations due to its ability to change and integrate various processes such as those of products. This ensures that the ideas generated transform into successful market ventures. The idea of innovation is beyond the non technological innovation considering the organizational innovation seen as in various angles (Tuckman 1994, p. 735). Innovations in the workplace are responsible for the success and conduct of the workers in an organization (Knights & McCabe 1998, p.173). Employees have sufficient freedom although they have a defined responsibility. They require various skills and knowledge to enhance the association between the technological and organizational in novation. The level of innovation depends on the size of organization. Large organizations have the ability to initiate changes due to access of various resources. They are more established than smaller organizations hence will have the power to plan and implement their objectives according to the schedules. In various companies, technological and non technological innovations associate largely (Tuckman 1994, p. 747). It is possible that product plus process innovations relate to enhance various operations in a firm. However, organizational structure may have effects on this relationship. Organizational innovations concentrate on customer issues such as feedbacks to the customers plus the suppliers of the organization. The main aim is to reduce costs and improve revenues of the company. Total quality management TQM This is a type of organizational innovation that is under product and service practices. This innovation is a form of quality revolution arising in recent past. It deals with procedures that affect customers for services and commodities in terms of delivering quality products and services (Knights & McCabe 1998, p.176). TQM depicts how the top management performs their roles in the organization. The innovation has altered the conduct of workers because of the accountability it grants to them. TQM allows each employee an opportunity to participate in quality improvements of products plus services (Tuckman 1994). Their roles widen in order to meet the set goals concerning product quality. TQM enhance workers emphasis on the mission plus visions of an organization, and adherence to procedures in order to achieve objectives. TQM management concept entails various themes that are useful in organizations. TQM is able to transform the work environment as it ensures quality for products and services in which workers and the management has to participate keenly. TQM entails various changes including programs whose aim is to alter the approach to employee ass ociations. This helps employee’s participation in issues concerning quality services (Crosby 1979, p.7). Some notions of TQM view workers as the greatest enhancers of success in an organization. An important aspect of TQM program is that it can be changed to conform to requirements of any organization. Managers of all levels can incorporate TQM to fit their management perspectives entailing quality principles and

Predictors of Medication Errors in Elderly in Nursing Homes Research Paper

Predictors of Medication Errors in Elderly in Nursing Homes - Research Paper Example The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (2011) explains that "A medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or consumer.† This means that medication errors do not only occur at the hands of medical professionals. In this essay, the writer review predictors of medication errors in elderly in nursing homes. This means that the bulk of the writer’s attention shall be based on factors that medical practitioners in nursing homes and taking care of elderly people can use to predict possible medication errors. As seen in the definition of medication errors, the writer’s view of predictors shall be varying and widespread, not centering only on the health practitioner but on all other causative factors including patients and consumers. Predictors of Medication Errors in Elderly This section of the essay reviews five major predictors of medication errors that can take place among elderly people in nursing homes. Number of Home Medications The fact that elder people under consideration are based on nursing homes should not eradicate the possibility of medication error occurring as a result of a number of home medications. Nursing officers and other health professionals taking care of elderly people in nursing homes must predict the fact that once admitted at the home, the history of a number of home medications received by patients before their admission at the nursing home can interfere with the efficacy and functions of medications administered to them at the nursing home. For this reason, it is rightly appropriate that nursing and other health professionals have a fair idea of medications patients on admission might have received at home before being admitted. Over the years, it is because nursing practitioners have been negligent of the need to assess the number of home medicati ons taken by elderly patients admitted at the nursing homes that Prasanatikom and Madigan (2004) concluded in a research that â€Å"incidence of medication error was highest at the first visit (23.5%)† Self-administration of medication Self-administration of medication is something that is common among elderly patients in nursing homes. Pollick explains that self-administration of medication or self-medication is the â€Å"practice of using illicit or legal drugs without proper medical supervision is known as self-medication.† The commonest cause given to the problem of self-administration of medication among elderly patients in nursing homes has been found to be over anxiety among the elderly patients (Akakpo, 2003). As a matter of fact, due to degeneration psychological problems among elderly patients, they tend to be very anxious about their health and always have a feeling that taking medications in overdose or taking extra medications aside what is prescribed for them may lead to a quick recovery of their health. Health practitioners in nursing homes must, therefore, have a forecasted knowledge that if self-administration of medication takes place among their patients, the patients risk the problem of medication error because there is the tendency of self-medicated drugs conflicting with the functions of prescribed drugs.  

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Essay

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol - Essay Example It is also widely supported that, the use of sheltered instructions is very effective where the language used is a secondary language. Learners will be able to relate the display and presented concepts to the image and graphics shown and also relate it to terms in there first language. Each student will be conveyed the same message in varied form. Moreover, SIOP should be made adaptable to classes and topics where learners will be able to easily make relevant association to real life concepts. However, Freeman & Freeman (1998) indicate a number of shortcomings with SI: teachers often sacrifice academic content to meet the language needs of their students, teachers lack training in implementing sheltered instruction, students who do well in sheltered classes often flounder when mainstreamed, and students of differing ability levels are often relegated to the same sheltered class (pp. 39-40). It is to be understood that if the levels of the learners are varied that is a mixed ability class configuration the strategies should be hybrid in nature and SIOP may not be valid. Students will undeniably have varied levels though in the same class.

Analysis Aviss Existing Marketing Strategy

Analysis Aviss Existing Marketing Strategy Avis jump up at Vietnam market from June 2009. They stand at one of leader positions in the car rental industry. Avis is always confident that they would bring to customers a consistent high quality and recognizable service with our dedicated team of employees  [1]  . In Vietnam market, Avis is developing tremendously two fields which are short term leasing and long term leasing. In this report, I will analysis Aviss existing marketing strategy and value creation process by marketing mix (4Ps) to help stakeholders to have an overview about advantages and disadvantages of Aviss marketing strategy. From the research of Avis that I showed at previous part, I would give the company recommendations about their marketing strategy to increase their market share, profitability,value creation, and sustainability. C:UsersHIEPCTDesktopabout_avis_1.jpg INTRODUCTION Avis always has been known as a strong brand name in the world. They have more than 3000 offices in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia and 2000 offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Latin America/Caribbean region. In 1970, the first office of Avis was opened in Asian in Hong Kong. Through 10 years, Avis developed steadily with many new locations in Singapore, the Philippines, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia. Recently, the company opened more operations in India, China and Taiwan in 2007. Avis realized that Asia is a very potential market, so that they develop their network bigger and bigger in here. At the moment, Avis has over 235 offices in Asia in countries below: Bangladesh* Indonesia Malaysia Singapore Brunei India Mariana Islands Sri Lanka China Japan (Sales Office) Pakistan Taiwan (Sales Office) Guam Korea (South) Philippines Thailand Hong Kong Macau Sakhalin (East Russia) Vietnam At present, Avis seems to be the most popular international car rental brand in Asia with more than 34000 cars and about 2500 staffs in all operations. Long term car leasing is a type of business which Avis want to focus on. The kind of leasing has many special benefits and services which the company would bring to customers when they choose it. Current Situation of Avis Access the existing marketing strategy of Avis I would analysis 4Ps to identify the existing marketing strategy of Avis: Elements: Aviss long-term car rental services Product (Service) If you need a car in Vietnam for an extended period of time (1 year or more) but do not wish to commit yourself to buying one then Avis car leasing is for you! Avis can bring to customers benefits and services: Lower monthly payment compared to car rental Choice of your preferred vehicle make, model, color and specs Use of a professionally trained English speaking Avis driver Convenience insurance, road tax, servicing and maintenance all taken care by Avis Complimentary replacement vehicle during vehicle servicing Access to a dedicated Avis Car Leasing Account Manager Complimentary 24 Hours breakdown assistance Exclusive worldwide Avis car rental discounts for travel and home leave  [2]   Place (Distribution) Avis has over 5000 locations in the world and they have two offices in Vietnam market. Price Avis is one of the strongest brand names in the field and their services are always standing at the top, so that their price cannot cheap. Promotion Avis is a popular brand name, so that they always receive many attentions from media although they dont need to promote too much. On the other hand, Avis also advertise their services on social networks like Facebook It can be seen easily that Avis is using differentiation marketing strategy after analysing 4Ps. http://www.unconsultancy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/generic-strategies.gif The marketing strategy of the company is differentiation that means Avis want to make differentiations in the Vietnam market, to compare with their rivals. As can be known, Avis not only can bring to their consumers many choices of luxury car which includes benefits and high quality services, but also can create some special package services for customers in entertainment and business such as Gold Package, Hanoi tour package, Avis Vietnam luxury Halong Bay cruise package. They are excellent services to help consumers to visit wonder places or tourist destinations of Vietnam. Especially, Avis has list of all golf courses in Vietnam to give customers to choose and they also are the leading cruise companies in Vietnam jointly offer you the Luxury Halong Bay Cruise Package. In US market, Avis apply the differentiation marketing strategy to develop as well. As can be seen, Avis in US has not only given care rental but also bought their car and they have a service to make their customer interest in which is ultimate test drive. The service gives consumers chance to try driving a car before they decide to buy it with many benefits: Thousands of low-mileage, late-model vehicles for sale More than 75 well-maintained makes and models Take Avis Ultimate Test Drive for two hours or up to 3 days Low, pre-posted pricing no negotiation Try before you buy  [3]   In my opinion, its really a good marketing strategy which is different and can attract customers come to Avis. Identify the value creation progress of Avis I would use value chain to analysis value creation progress of Avis Vietnam: Inbound Logistics Avis is exist and developing through many years, so that the relationship between the company and car suppliers or partners is very good. However, there are many Vietnams automobile taxes which are very high. Therefore, Avis should concentrate more about this point to reduce the cost. Operations Resource inputs are not only luxury cars. People are a resource especially in service industries. Therefore, Avis trains staffs to build trusted consumer relationships by the premium service. Outbound Logistics Avis product their services through network operators and system of offices in the world. The customer can book schedule by internet or offices. Any car was test carefully before serving customers. Marketing and Sales Avis group uses advertising on network social like Facebook, promotions, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to inform customers about their services. Besides that, Avis builds belief of customers by providing best service and allowed them to segment the market effectively. Service Avis supplies the best services to customers and the addition benefits with it. It is discount, insurance car or monthly check, repaired car, and so onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Support activities Procurement Acquire the resource inputs to the primary actives: Avis always supplied quality cars for their services. In addition, the company will be preferred to pick up the customer at airport by Vietnam airline or received tourist transport contacts from Vietnam national administration of tourism  [4]  . Technology development In my opinion, Avis certainly had some research about Vietnam market and demand of Vietnamese people. Therefore, they made a different thing with other market which is car rental including driver. In addition, they also dont buy their car at Vietnam market like others. Human resource management Avis always hide good drivers who even know to speak English. Avis always want to ensure about their quality services so that the attitude of employees is very important. Avis usually trains them carefully and also provide the chance to employees study and learning to develop their skill. Quality Management Avis believe that corporate sustainability can only be effective if it embraces all steps of the value chain. This is why the Avis not only sets the highest standards for itself but also expects suppliers and partners to meet ecological and social standard. Competitive advantage Resource based view (RBV) Hollensen, S. (2003) defined that long term competitiveness of a company depends on its resources that differentiate it from its competitors, so that the first step, I would analysis tangible resource and intangible resource of Avis Tangible: The quality of Avis car rental. Have more 5000 locations in the world. In Asian, Avis has over 34000 luxury cars for leasing and a large human resource with 2500 employees. Intangible: Strong brand name in the world. Avis has research about Vietnam market before jumping up. Experience in car rental business through many years Special services for any locations Skill and knowledge of employees. Avis has been active in this field for over 40 years, so they have a lot of experience in the car rental field. In addition, the core competence of Avis which is created by the combination of all tangible and intangible resources above, Avis would have a big competitive advantage in Vietnam market. Market oriented view (MOV) There are three main elements of environment which includes customer, competitors, environment; Avis has to adapt to create differentiations from their competitors. Customer: Vietnamese people has trend to own car, instead of using car rental services of Avis. Avis should have more strategies to stimulate customers to use services more. Competitors: Hertz, Enterprise, etc are Aviss major competitors. In Vietnam market, Avis would be competitive by smaller company who set the lower price for their services. Environment: Long-term car rental is preferred for the kind of customers who usually has to use car but dont want to pay a large of money to buy in a period. Especially, the service including driver to help their consumers not to worry about Vietnamese traffic laws which is very complicated. All these changes to suit with environment create differentiation for Aviss services. Base on analysis RBV and MOV, it founds that the core competence and those differentiation create competitive advantage for Avis in Vietnam market. PESTLE analysis Political Legal Environment: There is only one Party nationally in Vietnam, so that they have a stable political situation. In addition, the Government has had reform to develop suitably with international and nation situation at any period. Government also builds the Law of Foreign Investment to encourage organizations to invest in Vietnam market. However, the traffic in Vietnam isnt good, especially in Hanoi and Hochiminh with too large vehicle density, so that the Government has to limit the number of transport, especially car. Therefore, Government brings out policies and law (high taxed rate) applies for car, especially imported car. Economic The Vietnamese economy has been developing rapidly and in 2008, World Bank published that Vietnam is one of the best performing economies in the world over the last decade. Vietnam has joined WTO in 2007 and its quietly opened for foreign company to run business in the market. On the other hand, GDP in 2009-10 in Vietnam grew less than the 7% per annum average achieved during the last decade and the inflation rate increased from 7% to 9% because the global economic which affect to Vietnam, is unstably. Therefore, its really a opportunity with Avis because purchasing power would be decreased which means citizen wouldnt dare bring a large of money to buy car and they can choose Aviss services to save money. It can be a big chance which Avis should concentrate on. (See appendix 1) Social culture According to CIA, Vietnam is really a densely populated country with the population is over 90 million by 2011. However, the Vietnamese people are concentrated mainly in big cities such as Hanoi, Hochiminhà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦which is always potential markets for Avis. Thats reason why Avis opened two operations at the cities. The demand for using car of Vietnamese people is increasing rapidly, but they usually want to own one instead of renting car. That is a big different about culture among Vietnam and others. Technology: Nowadays, technology is focused by all of the governments in the world, media tools are developing more and more, especially internet. We can update all of news every time in everywhere. As can be seen that, media usually affect to customers buying behavior. In 2011, VNNIC published that 42% of poplar use internet as daily communication. We can be sure that advertising and promotion on internet network would help Avis to have a big advantage in marketing. In fact, Avis has promoted their advertising for the services in Vietnam market on their website and Facebook which can be connected easily with customers. Discussion SWOT analysis Strengths Avis is a strong brand name in car rental business in the world. They have developed their business very successful through over 40 years, so that their experiences in the field have been acknowledged. In addition, Avis has a large network with over 5000 locations in the international market. With over 34,000 cars and over 2,500 employees throughout the region, Avis is the leading international car rental brand in Asia and Avis really has good websites, retailer stores and operations around the world. The company also has many kinds of luxury cars to help their customers to choose. To use the long-term leasing of Avis, consumers would receive many benefits and services from Avis with the highest quality. Weakness Avis just appeared at Vietnam market in recent, so that they have only two operations at the country (at Hanoi capital and Ho Chi Minh City). The demand for long-term rental of Vietnamese people is not high and to change their minds is a difficult mission with the company. Opportunity Vietnam always is a potential market for almost of luxury products or services. The standard life of Vietnamese people is increasing more and more, so that to use new services or products can be interested by them. In addition, the service of Avis can help them to save their money although they can still use a luxury car. On the other hand, Avis has not many competitors who can bring to customers good services like them at Vietnam market. Threat Vietnamese Government doesnt encourage increasing the number of car in circulation at Vietnam, especially at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh because the traffic congestion in the two cities is very high. Avis also should care about their competitor Satsco  [5]  that is an indigenous company. The key strengths and weaknesses of Avis existing marketing strategy Strengths Special services to attract customers Have many promotions with high quality services. Use professional website and Facebook to advertise Co-operated with many famous partners in Vietnam market. Weakness Just only two operations in Vietnam market (in Hanoi and Hochiminh) while Danang and Haiphongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are also big cities which are potential markets as well. Avis dont publish their price on public, so that the customer will be lack of information. They dont advertise on other media like television, newspaperwhich are easy to attract customers. Recommendations Segmentation, Targeted, Positioning. Segmentation: The main customers of Aviss car long-term rental are both male and female who have at least average income or small company because they have demand to use car but they havent enough money or save their money. The largest number of customer would focus on big cities such as Hanoi, Hochiminh, Haiphong, Danangà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ However, the economy is developing, so that the segmentation in Vietnam market would be larger. Targeting: Socio-demographic Age: over 25 Income: Above $2000/month Education: graduated, post graduated Occupation: Businessman, artists Geographic: all three regions. Social class: upper-middle, lower-upper, upper-upper Behaviouristic Loyalty: moderate and loyalty Shopping habit: want to use high quality services. Psychographic Interest: class asserting Value: Living standard, convenience Benefit sought Product features: attractive, unique, promotions, benefits including. Positioning: Because of the high quality service, price of Aviss services wouldnt be cheap. High price Aviss car rental Low quality High quality Low price Growth strategy MarketMarket penetration; (for growth) or consolidation (to maintain position) or withdraw Product development Diversification Market Development Present New Present Product New Ansoffs matrix Avis has already had two operations in Hanoi and Hochiminh in Vietnam. Avis should think about expanding stores in other. Therefore, market development is suitable strategy for company at this time. Objective and Goal of Aviss car long-term rental Objective: Lead to the best car rental service in 2014 Goals: Increase revenue by 30% in next two year Have operations in Danang in 2013, Haiphong in 2015 Gain more 10% market share at the end of 2013 The detail plan would be present at Appendix 2. Marketing strategy and program (Marketing Mix) Marketing mix includes 7Ps which Avis has to apply in their marketing plan for achieving. Product: Product refers to the goods and services which firms offer to their customers. Firms must place sufficient importance to the product/service as well as the other aspects associated with the product that attract customer attention.  [6]   Aviss car rental was created to serve customers who need to use car but they havent enough money or want to save money for other works. Avis always understand demands of customers in Vietnam market. Therefore, in addition to normally benefits in services, Avis also make a new different service including drivers for the market which is very necessary with traffic conditions in Vietnam. Price: The price has always been regarded as an important competitive factor in attracting customers. The price of Avis is not published on their anywhere but the service of a famous company like Avis cant be cheap. Therefore, Avis should concentrate on the issue because the average income of Vietnamese people was just about $1.100 (2010). Promotion: Promotion plays an important role in companys marketing strategy. Firstly, we have to decide what components of the communication mix that should be used in the plan. There are many media that Avis can choose to promote: Television, Radio, Newspaper or Magazines, Internetà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In addition, Avis could advertise their service through internet networks such as Aviss official website, online newspapers, forums, social network (Facebook, Twitter, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). IT is developing more and more at the moment, so that it could be the most effective promoting channel with very low cost for Avis. On the other hand, Avis should bring out discount policy or giving giftà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ which would attract more customers. (You can see more detail in Appendix 3) Place: At the moment, there are two ways for Avis to connect with customers. One way is that their customers can come to Aviss operation directly. Avis has two operations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh for transaction. If customers havent time or are so far from the company, they can choose contact with Avis indirectly through their website. Its also comfortable and convenience. In the future, Avis should set to open more operations in other big cities of Vietnam to expand their market in Vietnam. People People are one of the key elements to help the organization to achieve. In this case of Avis, sale forces and drivers would direct communicate with customer so they create the image of Avis. Therefore, to train staffs is important mission with Avis. Process Avis should invest in RD project for better understanding customer need and RD is also help Avis gathering customer feedback because as can be seen that customer communication is an important process with the company. Avis also has to provide information (especially about price) to customers on their website and public through advertising. Physical evidence The car using in rental always need to be clear and comfortable, luxury, elegance to attack customers. In addition, drivers should wear uniform which can create imagine of Avis brand and its also show that the attitude serving of Avis is always professional. The customer can always believe in the company. CONCLUSION Car rental is a new type of services, especially in Vietnam. Vietnamese people are not really familiar with long-term leasing. However, with new marketing strategy, I believe Avis car long-term leasing would be more preferred and Avis would still lead to the first place in car rental industry not only in others but also in Vietnam market. World count: 3297 REFERENCES University of Sunderland, BA (Honor) (2005), Marketing Strategy, University of Sunderland. Kotler, P., Wong, V., Saunders, J. and Armstrong, G. (2005), Principles of Marketing, 4th European edition, Pearson Education, Prentice Hall Ansoff, I. (1965), Corporate strategy, New York: McGraw Hill Barker, M. (1992) Marketing strategy and management, 2nd edition, HongKong : Macmillan Dyson, R. 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