Issues Concerning Islam Essay

Muslims have been accused of mutilating women. This practice, however, is denied by the followers of Islam. According to them, â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation† (FGM), which is actually a surgical procedure performed on girls before they reach the age of puberty for the purpose of terminating or reducing their sexual feelings, is not an Islamic practice. They explain that FGM is a tradition of â€Å"Animists, Christians, and [some] Muslims in those countries where FGM is common. † Women are given equal rights under Islam. In fact, the Qur’an decreed that when it comes to public life, men and women should have equal rights and participation. During the time of Muhammad, women were allowed to participate actively in their baya which is the equivalent of today’s practice of political endorsements. Evidence of this Muslim women’s status is the voting rights granted to women in the predominantly Muslim countries like Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. The women in Kuwait followed suit by earning their right to vote and get elected sometime in 2005. In fact, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Prime Minister, divulged a plan to appoint a woman minister in Kuwait soon (Robinson, 2007). Muslims as terrorists and pro-violence Yusuf (n. d. ) said that majority of the Muslims are convinced that while the U. S. government has been blaming terrorism on Islam for years, it was the 9/11 incident which dealt the most telling blow on the credibility and reputation of their religion. This was because the international media was able to depict that many Muslims around the world rejoiced after that incident. The truth is, however, that majority of the Muslim world was saddened by that incident and the repercussions it caused. They would like to tell the world that terrorism is not an official policy of Islam and that, in fact, Muslims also consider terrorists as enemies of their religion. He laments the fact that When a crazy Christian does something terrible, everyone in the West knows it is the actions of a mad man because they have some knowledge of the core beliefs and ethics of Christianity. When a mad Muslim does something evil or foolish they assume it is from the religion of Islam, not because they hate us but because they have never been told by a Muslim what the teachings of Islam are all about. Yusuf blames this lack of Islamic knowledge among Christians to the fact that there is a dearth of credible spokespersons who could defend Islam from its attackers. As a matter of fact, Yusuf stressed that â€Å"Islam is the middle way between excess and neglect† and that terrorism is the preoccupation of zealots and extremists who are, in fact, a plaque of Islam. According to him, there are two types of Muslim extremists whose acts destroy Islam. The first he calls â€Å"reactionary extremists. † This group rejects any form of religious pluralism. According to these reactionary extremists, the world consists of good and evil with nothing in between. Good, according to them, means the reactionary extremists and all those who oppose their actions are evil. Yusuf further explains that these kind of extremists are in the habit of â€Å"excommunicating† other Muslims who reject the way they interpret the Qur’an. However, this kind does not usually resort to violent acts to achieve their goals. Instead, they employ character assassination or takfir to ward their critics (Yusuf, n. d. ). The second type is the â€Å"radical extremist. † These Muslims extremists, according to Yusuf, are the ones who resort to violent acts and tactics to further their objectives. Yusuf stressed that these Muslims act as if they belong to some secret, wicked society whose members believe in the dictum that â€Å"the end justifies the means. † In other words, any method, even the most violent method, is acceptable as long as their â€Å"cause† is advanced. According to Yusuf, this is destroying Islam because the methods employed by Islam should be reflecting the noble ends of the religion. Secondly, Islam is not a â€Å"secret society of conspirators† – rather, it is open with its objectives and traditions which have already been accepted and recognized by people from other religious denominations (Yusuf, n. d. ).

Marketing of Banking Services

Marketing scope in banking sector should be considered under the service marketing framework. Performed marketing strategy is the case which is determination of the place of financial institutions on customers’ mind. Bank marketing does not only include service selling of the bank but also is the function which gets personality and image for bank on its customers’ mind. On the other hand, financial marketing is the function which relates uncongenitalies, differences and non similar applications between financial institutions and judgement standards of their customers.The reasons for marketing scope to have importance in banking and for banks to interest in marketing subject can be arranged as:Change in demographic structure: Differentiation of population in the number and composition affect quality and attribute of customer whom benefits from banking services.Intense competition in financial service sector: The competition became intense due to the growing international banking perceptiveness and recently being non limiting for new enterprises in the sector. Increase in liberalization of interest rates has intensified the competition.Bank’s wish for increasing profit: Banks have to increase their profits to create new markets, to protect and develop their market shares and to survive on the basis of intense competition and demographic chance levels.SERVICERecently, banks are in a period that they earn money in servicing beyond selling money. The prestige is get as they offer their services to the masses. Like other services, banking services are also intangible. Banking services are about the money in different types and attributes like lending, depositing and transferring procedures. These intangible services are shaped in contracts. The structure of banking services affects the success of institution in long term. Besides the basic attributes like speed, security  and ease in banking services, the rights like consultancy for services to be compounded are also preferred.PRICEThe price which is an important component of marketing mix is named differently in the base of transaction exchange that it takes place. Banks have to estimate the prices of their services offered. By performing this, they keep their relations with extant customers and take new ones. The prices in banking have names like interest, commission and expenses. Price is the sole element of marketing variables that create earnings, while others cause expenditure. While marketing mix elements other than price affect sales volume, price affect both profit and sales volume directly.Banks should be very careful in determining their prices and price policies. Because mistakes in pricing cause customers’ shift toward the rivals offering likewise services. Traditionally, banks use three methods called â€Å"cost-plus†, â€Å"transaction volume base† and â€Å"challenging leader† in pricing of their services.DISTRIBUTIONThe complex ity of banking services are resulted from different kinds of them. The most important feature of banking is the persuasion of customers benefiting from services.Most banks’ services are complex in attribute and when this feature joins the intangibility characteristics, offerings take also mental intangibility in addition to physical intangibility. On the other hand, value of service and benefits taken from it mostly depend on knowledge, capability and participation of customers besides features of offerings. This is resulted from the fact that production and consumption have non separable characteristics in those services.Most authors argue that those features of banking services makes personal interaction between customer and bank obligatory and the direct distribution is the sole alternative. Due to this reason, like preceding applications in  recent years, branch offices use traditional method in distribution of banking services.PROMOTIONOne of the most important element of marketing mix of services is promotion which is consist of personal selling, advertising, public relations, and selling promotional tools.PERSONAL SELLINGDue to the characteristics of banking services, personal selling is the way that most banks prefer in expanding selling and use of them.Personal selling occurs in two ways. First occurs in a way that customer and banker perform interaction face to face at branch office. In this case, whole personnel, bank employees, chief and office manager, takes part in selling. Second occurs in a way that customer representatives go to customers’ place. Customer representatives are specialist in banks’ services to be offered and they shape the relationship between bank and customer.ADVERTISING Banks have too many goals which they want to achieve. Those goals are for accomplishing the objectives as follows in a way that banks develop advertising campaigns and use media.1. Conceive customers to examine all kinds of services that banks offer 2. Increase use of services 3. Create well fit image about banks and services 4. Change customers’ attitudes 5. Introduce services of banks 6. Support personal selling 7. Emphasize well serviceAdvertising media and channels that banks prefer are newspaper, magazine, radio, direct posting and outdoor ads and TV commercials. In the selection of media, target market should be determined and the media that reach this target easily and cheaply must be preferred.Banks should care about following criteria for selection of media.1. Which media the target market prefer 2. Characteristics of service 3. Content of message 4. Cost 5. Situation of rivalsAds should be mostly educative, image making and provide the information as follows:1. Activities of banks, results, programs, new services 2. Situation of market, government decisions, future developments 3. The opportunities offered for industry branches whose development meets national benefits.PUBLIC RELATIONS Public relati ons in banking should provide;1. Establishing most effective communication system 2. Creating sympathy about relationship between bank and customer 3. Giving broadest information about activities of bank.SELLING PROMOTIONAL TOOLSAnother element of the promotion mixes of banks is improvement of selling. Mostly used selling improvement tools are layout at selling point, rewarding personnel, seminaries, special gifts, premiums, contests.DEVELOPMENT IN MARKETING SCOPE AT THE ASPECT OF SERVICE MARKETINGMarketing scope develops day to day. These developments carry special significance for service sector in which customer and service producer interact closely.INTERNAL MARKETINGEspecially in service sector like external relations, internal relations also have significance. It requires finding and keeping successful personnel.For personnel of the organization to be considered their own goals and  service situation, values of the organization are sold to them. The communication techniques c arried out for customers are also performed for the personnel in internal marketing and this two techniques go together. For example, the ads that aim creating firm’s image should be prepared with regarding to audience which is composed of firm’s personnel.NETWORK MARKETINGThis approach takes the organization as a sequence which involves producer and customer that market services to each other in the organization. In this structure, the activities of departments that compose organization would be more focused on market. This will also affect the structure of organization.RELATIONSHIP MARKETINGIt was mentioned that close relationship was established between producer and customer in service sector. In addition to this, life cycle of a customer relationship was also mentioned under the product outline.According to the researchers, maintaining the relationship for extant customer increases the profit of firms. It should be emphasized that this fact has an importance for se rvice sector.Life cycle of a customer relationship is composed of three stages. At the first stage, firms try to be well known and to acquire new customers. At the second stage, the connection between customer and firm has been achieved. During the stage, firms intensified their activities on acquired customers and both of them promises mutually. At the third stage, these promises are accomplished and the service is consumed. During the stage, firms face â€Å"Reality Instants† which could possibly achieve satisfaction of customer and continuous relationship. This could be also true for second stage. So, these instants should be managed successfully. Implementation of close relations with customer successively and true applications at reality instants could not be accomplished by responsibilities of a marketing personnel.Besides, it should be remembered that consumption and production of service are closely interrelated. At this context, marketing should have role not  only in production-consumption between instants, but also at points that these intersect. In this case, 4P that was mentioned at second section would be insufficient. So, we could divide service marketing into two parts as specialist function (marketing mix, marketing researches) and marketing function buyerseller interactions)Efforts in first stage in which customers are not so clear, at the customer relationship life cycle could be minimized for lasting customers. This is achieved by successful customer relations. In this approach, marketing may be defined as; â€Å"Marketing is for establishing, keeping, developing relationship with customers in a manner that profit is got (especially in long term). So, objectives of two relevant sides would be achieved. This would be accomplished by shared promises and carrying out the promises.†

Professional Role/Code of Ethic

Codes of Ethis on the case of Mr. E Professional Roles and Values Western Governor University State Regulations and Nursing Standards Nursing, as other medical profession, aims at helping and saving the life of other. As much as nurses and physician wants to intervene to prolong a patient life, it’s important to consider patient’s wishes. Ethically, intubating Mr. E without proper discussion and consideration of his wishes is against his living will. It’s a violation of Provision I of ANA Code of Ethics in respecting patient’s dignity.The nurse also fail to meet the Standards of Competent Performance based on California Code of Regulation, Article 4, code 1443. 5, which stated â€Å" [nurses] acts as the client’s advocate, as circumstances require, by initiating action to improve health care or to change decisions or activities which are against the interests or wishes of the client [†¦]† (p. 70) Implication. According to code 2. 1 †Å"Primacy of patient’s interest† from American Nurses Association, it’s the nurse’s commitment to respect the uniqueness of each patient, and respect patient’s wishes.Therefore, the nurse is responsible to seek for a solution if patient’s wishes are conflict with others (p. 5). Based on the above codes, the nurse in the scenario must inform Mr. Y about Mr. E’s wish. The nurse also need to assess Mr. Y understanding of risk and benefit of the procedure, so he would have all the neccesary information to make decision. Code of Ethics The Code of Ethics was developed by the American Nurses Association as a framework for ethical guideline. The work serves as a standard in assisting nurses making ethical decision.According to the ANA Code of Ethics,(2001), provision I stated that nurses must treat patient with compassion and respect the patient’s dignity, worth, and uniqueness, regardless of social and economical status, nature of hea lth problem, and person’s attributes (p. 1). In specific, the interpretive statement 1. 4, in which the focus is on patient’s right to self-determination, is appropriate to apply in this scenario. (p. 4) Impact of Code. Code 1. 4 stated that nurses respect patient’s dignity by honor his or her own wishes. Thus, it’s important to inform Mr.Y of Mr. E’s wish as â€Å"do not resuscitate† (DNR). Although Mr. E is mentally challenge, he has his own feeling and perspective on his health status. Moreover, the patient’s mental condition when he signed Advance Directive and Power of Attorney is unclear; therefore, ignoring his wishes is a false assumption and an understatement to his decision-making capabality. As a nurse in this scenario, I would inform Mr. Y of his brother wish on Advance Directive. Ethics of Putting Patient on Ventilator. Putting Mr. E on ventilator based on the niece’s permission is unethical.The decision didnâ€⠄¢t make based on patient’s best interest due to Mr. Y unawareness of Advance Directive. In addition, the niece made the decision instead of Mr. Y; therefore, the patient’s Power of Attorney was not followed completely. As the nurse, I would call Mr. Y to explain the situation and the decision of his niece. I would also inform him of the patient’s wishes in the Advance Directive. As an advocate for patient, I would also bring up the patient’s wish to the physican’s attention, and discuss the need to inform both Mr. Y and his niece of the Advance Directive.Although Ms. H doesn’t have Power of Attorney, she plays a role in assisting Mr. Y decision-making since Mr. Y called her for suggestion. Ethics of Authorizing Ventilator. Mr. Y should considers his brother’s wish based on the Advance Directive. Mr. Y should also ask for the risks and benefits of putting his brother on ventilator. As his brother, Mr. Y would want to prolong his broth er’s life; however, Mr. Y should take in account of his brother’s desire, quality of life, and the extend of suffering. If Mr. Y doesn’t agree with the Advanced Directives, Mr.Y’s authorization is valid since the Advanced Directives is not fully completed. Analysis of Mr. E’s Advanced Directives Because of Mr. E mental health status, his capabality to make decision is unclear when he signed the Advanced Directives. Moreover, according to EmedicineHealth, â€Å"it’s important that the designated power of attorney knows and understands your [the patient] wishes† (Nabili, 2012). However, family member didn’t sign the Advance Directives, and the involvement of family is unclear. Thus, the appointed Power of Attorney may not know and understand the patient’s wish.The patient and family might not discuss patient’s decision. In addition, when the decision of Mr. Y conflicts with the decision of Mr. E in Advance Directive s, the situation becomes very complicated. HIPAA Aside from Mr. E complicated situation, there are major Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violations in the scenario. The physician violated patient’s right to privacy protection by discuss his medical condition and situation to Ms. H in the waiting room, a public place. The information was disclosed to other patients, to Ms.H’s boyfriend, and other non-related health care staff. Moreover, discussing Mr. E condition to Ms. H should be questioning because Ms. H, although she’s the patient’s niece, is not the appointed power of attorney. One of the nurse role is advocate for paient. By not protecting patient’s privacy, a nurse also violate HIPAA. The nurse, although aware of the physician violation, did not intervene to protect Mr. E’s information. Therefore, she could be hold accountable for violation of HIPAA. In this scenario, a nurse commented on ignoring HIPAA.The nurse is not only violated patient’s privacy legally, but also ethically according to ANA Code of Ethics. Besides physician and nurse, the facility is also accountable for HIPAA violation, for the facility did not reinforce the importance of HIPAA with its staff and physician. Professional Conduct As the above paragraphs discuss, the nurse fails to conduct the standard of nursing by ignoring patient’s rights for privacy protection. By stating â€Å"forget it†¦no one pays attention to HIPAA anyway,† the nurse is at risk for violating HIPAA.Beside HIPAA, the cafeteria nurses fail to act as patient’s advocacy by stating â€Å" What difference does it makes? The guy’s got diabetes, ir retarded, and is already in a nursing home. † This nurse violated Provision I in Code of Ethics by ANA in which a nurse cares for patient with compassion and respect regardless of social and economical status, personal’s attribute, and nature of health problems (p. 1). Futhermore, lack of knowledge of Advance Directives is a misconduct of Provision II in Code of Ethics by not â€Å"primacy patient’s interest† and respect patient’s wishes.Steps. To avoid misconduct of professional standard, the nurse in this scenario should talk to the physician in private about disclosing patient information. The nurse first suggests to call Mr. Y and obtain permission to discuss care with Ms. H; then the nurse must inform Mr. Y the Advance Directives as well as assess Mr. Y understanding of risks and benefits of the procedure. Obtaining informed consent from Mr. Y is also a crucial step. If Mr. Y can’t be reach in a time sensitive manner, the nurse should contact the agent that helped Mr.E with the Advance Directive; she can then obtain information related to Mr. E decision-making ability at the time, and inform doctor and charge nurse for decision-making. However, in this scenario, the nurse should notify charge nurse and higher chain of command about the situation and the violation of HIPAA. Ethical committee should be notified to consult for appropriate actions. Regarding her colleagues, the nurse should inform her supervisor, without naming name, the need to orient staff regarding HIPAA, Advance Directives, and reinforce in Code of Ethics.By taking appropriate interventions, the nurse ensures dignity in patient care and maintain respect in work environment. References American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://nursingworld. org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics. pdf California. (2005). California nursing practice act: With regulations and related satutes. Matthew Bender & Co. , a member of the Lexis Group. Nabili, S. (2012). Advance directives. Retrieved from http://www. emedicinehealth. com/advance_directives/page2_em. htm

Network Trend II - Report on Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Network Trend II - Report on Japan - Essay Example pp 58). With passage of time Japan endowed unwavering focus has been able to achieve this dream through nation based programs. Japan tailors its own employees during their college and schooling ways so that the curriculum they pursue is relevant to the job market so that some of the skills taught during schooling don't go to waste. Japanese people capitalize on specializing in the area of labor which comes with multiple advantages such as:-minimizing time wastage which results to more efficiency and productivity (Arlington, 2002. pp 66). As a result there is duty simplification as employees become more and more effective due to exposure and repetition of the same task. Concentration on one recurring task equips workers with expertise in their little time is spent moving between tasks so overall time wasted is reduced. The overall goal attained is quality productivity (Arlington, 2002. pp 72). Japan brings forth motivated hardworking labor force, in the working culture of Japan employees are given many incentives in order to stick to one job. Japanese unlike many other nations do not hop fro job to job they tend to stay in one company and as a result employees attain expertise and built up that company the culture of innovation and advancement in companies is that built making Japan a big economy. Japan's success in information technology is accrued largely to its commitment and support of industries in the linked technologies (Arlington, 2002. pp 85).It has hence put a lot concentration producing superior semiconductors, chip-making skill, and records storage devices, amongst others Information related technologies(Arlington, 2002. pp 88). Japan's success in the computer industries has led to significant market share; the profits have been further reinvested and Japanese capital expenditures have remained high. Though Japan was somewhat frail in software industry this weakness is checked by the industries who took the initiative to train fresh graduates (Arlington, 2002. pp 93) Employer-sponsored programs continuing education in Japan was rigorous and efficient as a result of employee mobility. Some of key ideas in Japan were going global in pursuit of new markets and opportunities, outsourcing outdated technologies and relocating some of it is companies to the suitable markets. Japanese companies were using the proceeds from their success in end user electronics and other information industries to launch themselves other places around the globe (Arlington, 2002. pp 128). The Japanese were experimenting with a vast number of computer structural designs (Arlington, 2002. pp 66). Although their projects were based on American structures, the gap amid the U.S roots and the initial Japanese scheme had narrowed from over a decade and Japan was furiously catching up with the U.S at a very impressive speed. Strategically Japan advanced in computer architectural designing. Hardware making, prototype designing, vector developing and in the area pipeline design, keen hardware replication arc, multimedia workstations, and technology transfer formed their basic areas of strength. Japanese people are detail

Business economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business economy - Essay Example ..............4 Nature and processes of business decision making..................................................4 London Olympics illustrating the application of business decision making..................5 Theme one- The way we do business.........................................................................5 Theme two- Individual responsibility........................................................................5 Theme three- Recruitment, development and transition...........................................6 Theme four- Involvement and Engagement..............................................................6 Theme five- Catalyst for Legacy...............................................................................6 Theme 3: Recruitment........................................................................................................7 Theme 4: Sustainability.....................................................................................................10 Theme 5: Procurement......................................................................................................11 Conclusion..........................................................................................................................14 References..........................................................................................................................15 Introduction Business is getting all the more complex, uncertain and globalized. The mantra for success today is planned activities and selection of best option amongst alternatives presented. This task is undertaken and simplified by management practice termed as decision making. Decision making is resorted to by managers in all situations where they get stuck as to which course of action to choose from. This paper addresses the significance of decision making and highlights its importance in the context of London Olympics. Being the mega event of the year 2012, London Olympics presents plethora of cir cumstances and opportunities to base decision upon. This is the point where managers need to use their intuition, intellect and knowledge to arrive at the most reliable, valid and fruitful decision. Various processes and techniques covered under decision making are elaborated upon by making use of three strategic decisions- recruitment, procurement and sustainable operations. Decision making process applied in each of these and subsequent benefits and limitations of each decision are also highlighted to identify any gaps and recommend solutions for them. Snap shot of business decision making Decision making in layman terms refer to selecting a course of action which is the most suitable and is capable of delivering the desired results, from a list of available alternatives. In business scenarios, managers are presented with plethora of situations where they are supposed to take rational and valid decisions. These may be taken purely on the basis of intuition or prior experience, but such dimensions for decision making can neither be transferred nor can ensure the achievement of desired results. Hence, decisions in business parlance are ought to be taken by carefully analyzing the situation, the pros and cons of each alternative and prioritizing the factors which favour the acceptance or rejection of a particular alternative. Especially in businesses, every alterative has to be contrasted against factors like cost effectiveness, strategic disposition, value addition, responsiveness, et cetera and then zeroing in on one of the alternatives which

Compare Theories of Piaget,Vgotsky and Erikson Essay

Compare Theories of Piaget,Vgotsky and Erikson - Essay Example In the article, "Cognitive and Social Constructivism" there is a relationship being defined between the two differing views of Piaget and Vygotsky. Piaget's cognitive constructivism emphasizes thinking over language; even as Vygotsky's social constructivism emphasizes the reverse-language over thinking. With Piaget's theory, it is most detrimental in the practice of teaching to ensure individual understanding and knowledge of certain concepts. This grasping of ideas is independent of all other characters in the classroom and tailored to fit each separate individual. Piaget's theory of cognitive development is outlined in which four stages are surpassed to achieve elevated intensities of cognitive ability (pp. 242). It is discussed how the child undergoes the accommodation and assimilation of new concepts (or schema) to further enhance his or her knowledge base and move through the stages of development. The teacher is more capable of aiding in the learning process when each child's p articular level of development is determined. On the contrary, social constructivism is dependent upon the teacher, other students, or other adults to facilitate learning. Vygotsky's supposition about the zone of proximal development and cultural- historical psychology should be utilized in a social constructivist classroom.

Credit Squeeze Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Credit Squeeze - Essay Example The long-term decisions and techniques include the Capital Investment Decisions . These are the decisions about which investment is received by the projects weather to finance that investment with debt or equity and when; or whether to pay shareholders with the dividends. Whereas short-term decisions can be listed under the 'Working Capital Management heading. The Corporate Finance deals with current assets and current liabilities short-term balance with focus on inventories; managing cash and short-term borrowing. It must also be noted that Corporate Finance term is also related with investment banking. The service which an investment banker offers is to typically evaluate the investment projects so that investment decisions could easily be made by the bank. (Aswath, n.p., n.d.) There are various definitions given to corporate finance by countries around the world. For instance, corporate finance in the US is used to cover a much wider area for describing techniques, activities, and decisions, which deal with many features of a company's capital and finances. While in the UK, the term 'corporate finance' covering a comparatively smaller area, tends to attach itself with much increased capital transactions so as to create and develop larger businesses. Also in the UK corporate finance, is frequently associated with ownership change in a business, and to some extent connected to corporate transaction that is a potent cause of the development of a new equity structure i.e. a shareholder base, the connected issue of the exchange or purchase of debt or equity. The transactions that are covered are of the following types: Seed raising, and start-up or development of capital expansion. 1. The sale or acquisitions of private companies, the mergers & demergers. 2. Takeovers of public companies (mergers, demergers including both public & private deals). 3. subsidiaries or divisions - typically backed by private equity i.e. similar of companies or buy-in & buy-out management. 4. The issues of equity by firms, having the companies flotation on an established stock exchange so that the capital for development and restructure ownership is raised 5. Capital raising for the refinance and restructure of businesses through other forms of debt, equity, and related securities 6. The financing of joint ventures like, public as well as private partnerships; privatisations project finance, and infrastructure finance 7. The secondary equity issues, either through private placing or via further issues on a stock market. 8. Restructuring and raising debt, when particularly linked to the types of above listed transactions. (Shean, n.p., 2005) What is Credit Squeeze The term 'Squeeze' denotes a period of tight monetary policy; borrowing is tight due to high interest rates. The tight monetary policy, a term opposite of 'easy monetary policy ', is a policy of the central bank intended to curtail inflation by depleting the commercial bank reserves and resulting into

Gregory Hines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gregory Hines - Research Paper Example Born on 14th February, 1946 in a family of music and dance, Hinge had rhythms in his blood (Abrams and Angelis, 2009, p 7). Ora Hines, his grandmother worked at a performer at Cotton Club, (Abrams and Angelis, 2009, p 8) at Washington Heights, New York. It was to the north of â€Å"Manhattan’s Upper West Side†, and had Harlem at its South. Maurice Hines Sr., though worked in a grocery shop, and later on as a bouncer for â€Å"Audubon Theatre and Ballroom† in Harlem, later on formed a trio with George and his brother Maurice Jr. as â€Å"Hines, Hines and Dad† (Abrams and Angelis, 2009, p 14). They made their first family performance at the Apollo Theater, Harlem. Their dancing excellences were aired on highly popular shows- â€Å"Ed Sullivan Show† and â€Å"The Tonight Show†. Gradually with time, they travelled and performed all across the globe. They were also seen in the television show- â€Å"The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson†. Gregory Hines got introduced to dance at his very childhood. He took his first dance lesson at an age of two and a half (Abrams and Angelis, 2009, p 8). His mother Alma Hines Kilfoyl recalls of him grasping tightly his elder brother by one hand and putting the other hand’s thumb in his mouth. But even at that tender age, Hines’s eagerness and determination to learn tap dance overjoyed his mother. Thus was the childhood of Gregory Hines, struggling to match steps with his elder brother Maurice’s and other boys in group classes at a local tap- dance school (Abrams and Angelis, 2009, p 9). Later on, in the able hands of Henry LeTang, himself a legend in tap, Hines and his elder brother Maurice Jr. transformed into dancers in the truest sense of the term. Alongside his brother who was either at that time, he professionally performed since the age of six. They were called the Hinge Kids. His journey to become an iconic tap dancer had begun since then. He made candid confessions in National Public Radio, 1989

Description of Christo and Jeanne Claude`s Installation The Gates Essay

Description of Christo and Jeanne Claude`s Installation The Gates - Essay Example It is all about altering the space and thus altering the eye. ‘The Gates’ have a rare quality that combines an open invitation with an exciting sense of mystery at every step into it. The saffron clothe hung at each gate just like a half-curtain had a function of masking the view ahead, for a few moments, when a person passes through it (Christo and Jeanne Claude â€Å"The Gates†). The gates masked the panoramic view at each step but also revealed a new vision also at every step (Christo and Jeanne Claude â€Å"The Gates†). The saffron wardrobe in which Christo and Claude had dressed up the classic elegance of the park provided a contrast beyond comparisons so as to make the onlooker feel as if he/she was entering a surreal world (Christo and Jeanne Claude â€Å"The Gates†). The monotony of visual experience caused by the repetition of the gates has a purpose to serve. It hides the contours of the park and gives out a monolithic experience where even when a visitor walks miles and miles, she would feel she had not moved at all. By repeating the space and expanding it, thus the artists had manipulated time as well, by instilling a feeling of eternity. The equal distance that is kept between the gates is yet another artistic technique to enrich the feeling of infinity. The very material presence of the textile is suggestive of the time-limited nature of this work of art. It is evident to the visitor to this work of art that it is not going to last forever just like a painting or a sculpture. Yet it has a unique value as a spectacle, a value that a painting or a sculpture cannot command. It is the time-constraint that imparted it a value as a spectacle. The installation also offered the onlookers, a side view, from the road, which was equal to an outside v iew. From this viewpoint, the gates transformed into a neat row of big women legs clad in saffron skirts (Christo and Jeanne Claude â€Å"The Gates†).

Nursing image petition and call for action assignment

Nursing image petition and call for action - Assignment Example The name of this character is Vivian Scully; this character appeared in eight episodes of the twelve episode season. Vivian Scully is student of nursing, and she is very ambitious, but her ambitions her limited to have a doctor husband, who is young, good looking, and rich. Throughout the first season the character of Vivian Scully is shown to be indulged into seducing Dr. Ethan Haas, who is young, talented and handsome. In reality â€Å"the nurse sustains a collaborative and respectful relationship with co-workers in nursing and other fields† (International Council of Nurses, 2012 p4). The show has however tied up the whole staff of the Washington University’s Hospital into a market of pleasure, which is quite objectionable, for people who are of a healthcare system, and those who respect these professionals. The purpose of media is to highlight the critical matters, and to make people aware about the truth (Spurr, Berry, & Walker, 2013). However, in entertainment industry there is little leverage that allows the artists to portray the world according to the theme that they have pictured in their minds. With the freedom of expression, there is also some duty on the artists, they must not create fiction that falsify the reality or put it upside down (Hoeve, Jansen, & Roodbol, 2014). Nursing is one of the professions that have suffered at the hands of movie directors, and script writers (Weaver, Salamonson, Koch, & Jackson, 2013). â€Å"The nurse at all times maintains standards of personal conduct which reflect well on the profession and enhance its image and public confidence†( International Council of Nurses, 2012 p 3). In movies and dramas however, nurses are portrayed as shallow creatures; the role Vivian Scully in one of the recent HBO’s productions i.e. The Masters of Sex has not done justice to the profession of nursing. I accept that professionals involved in nursing are not of the same mind set or caliber,

Food in My Family Essay Example for Free

Food in My Family Essay I come from a very diverse ethnic background, with many variations of what maybe considered cultural foods. I have many fond memories of family reunions and all the interesting dishes my relatives would prepare. Food in my family holds so much meaning; it’s the glue that has held us together for many years even before I was born. Food in my family isn’t just a substance we consume in order to keep our bodies healthy and energized. When we create a meal, it’s as if we are creating art by expressing ourselves in our dish. We take the time to perfect our meals, while also keeping our tradition alive by incorporating the same rituals as our ancestors before us. When it came to certain meals my mother was very traditional in preparing it, and it had to be done a certain way or it was ruined. She wanted to maintain our family’s culture in each dish she prepared. She felt as if by doing this it kept our ancestor’s memories alive; with each recipe preserved to its natural and formal state with zero alteration kept our tradition alive. She didn’t believe in wasting food, so when she prepared dishes she would make sure to cook everything from the head to the feet. My mother’s favorite dish to create was Peni which means pig in Spanish. I remember going to the meat market and having to wait on long lines to buy a whole pig so that she can begin prepping it for the family reunion that was scheduled for next week. My mother always said Una de Las cosas mas importantes de recordar es que no es el alimento que usted come que es importante pero como usted lo creo que lo hace memorable. In English it means â€Å"One of the most important things to remember is that it is not the food you eat that is important, but its how you created it that makes it memorable. † Preparing meals for a family reunion takes a group effort; especially if it requires large quantities of food needed. I believe it brought us closer together when we were cooking the meals compare to when we actually sat down to eat it. Everyone had there own responsibilities to help contribute to the meals, my family was big on making sure no one was left out. It brought everyone together as a whole, no matter what prier arguments you had with one another or what grudges you may have construed towards each other. It was always put aside when it came to family reunion, because on that day nothing else mattered but family. I believe certain foods can trigger certain memories, depending on what your mind can connect it too. For example every time I smell the sweet sent of buttered pancakes in the morning with a side of bacon. It reminds me of my mom and how I use to wake up and run to the kitchen as fast as I can trying to beat my brothers to the table, because I knew they would eat up all the beacon. It reminds me of happier days; when I use to not have to worry about anything and I could just be myself. When my mother would create Peni it would take hours to just prepare it and then she would have to wrap it up in alumini foil so that it would allow the seasonings to settle in. With big family reunions it bound to have some people bring the similar dishes. Even though they cooked the same type of meat doesn’t mean that they are the same dish. Since they were prepared by two different people with different backgrounds, the dish itself represents two completely different styles. For example my mother cooked a lot of her foods traditionally, because that’s how she was raised. She grew up with the knowledge of our ancestor recipes, but our relatives from other countries grow up with their own cooking style. They made it the best way they felt expresses themselves and what they grew accustom to. I looked forward to having family reunions not just because I enjoyed learning how create new dishes, but also I wanted to feel closer to my relatives who I hardly ever get to see. By tasting their foods I was able to take a journey to their home town. I was able to taste all the seasoning that they grew up with and to what they felt best express the true essence of the meat. From the bitter sweet aroma to the texture of how it was deliciously prepared with each morsel I bit into, you could tell how much attention to detail was put into it. I love trying new things especially created by my family members because their style of cooking was so different compare to what I was used to; it was so unique. It always surprised me how dramatically different there dishes tasted compared to my mothers. They would use ingredients I didn’t expect would ever mix so wonderfully together. That’s why I believe when you create a meal it is a form of expression of who you are and where you come from. Every time I eat Peni it reminds me of many different fond memories of my mother, because that was what she loved to make. She took pride in her cooking and because of it I also take pride in everything I cook.

Customer relationship management Essay Example for Free

Customer relationship management Essay Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to provide insights into the development and management of a customer community, informing product innovation and engaging customers in co-creation of a consumption experience. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the state of current knowledge about co-production, co-creation and customer communities is followed by discussion of the case study methodology. The case history of a leading player in the UK and international â€Å"sportkiting† market focuses on product innovation and customer-community development. Discussion re? ects in more detail on the lessons from the case for application of the principles in practice. Findings – The case company’s innovative product development strategy provides the catalyst for co-creation of a customer experience. Its marketing actions extend beyond product development and innovation to actively co-creating experiences with customers, fostering a sense of community among users, facilitating communication within that community, acting on the feedback, and continuously developing and maintaining the community relationship. Research limitations/implications – The company’s marketing strategy can be summed up as â€Å"customer community leadership†. This paradigm proposes a new role for businesses in sectors where there is a potential to develop and engage communities. It provides a context for the effective facilitation of customer knowledge management, within which marketing intelligence plays a signi? cant role. The ? ndings offer scope for further research into the nature of this phenomenon and its relevance to co-creation in other industry sectors, and into numerous aspects of the processes and impacts associated with customer communities. Originality/value – The case contributes to the literature of co-creation, demonstrating how it has been achieved through a marketing strategy and marketing mix in a particular customer community. Keywords Customer relations, Innovation, Relationship marketing, Leadership Paper type Case study Marketing Intelligence Planning Vol. 25 No. 2, 2007 pp. 136-146 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0263-4503 DOI 10. 1108/02634500710737924 Introduction. The increased complexity, globalization and knowledge-intensity of marketplaces require all businesses to make better use of their technological, organizational and marketing competences in order to survive. Contemporary organizations in highly competitive and highly innovative markets must be able to build market share quickly, by delivering fast, high quality, innovative solutions. The changing organisational environment has driven interest in organisational learning and knowledge management (Drucker, 1993; Prusak, 1997). Many studies have con? rmed customer knowledge as one of the most important knowledge bases for an organisation (Bennett and Gabriel, 1999; Chase, 1997), and there is a considerable interest in the potential of â€Å"co-production† and â€Å"co-creation† either individually or in community contexts, to enhance innovation and business performance (Gibbert et al. , 2002). Focus on the engagement of customers in organizational learning, innovation and knowledge processes heralds the dawn of a new paradigm of marketing intelligence in  which data and information are not simply gathered into databases and distilled to inform management decision making, but rather marketing intelligence is embedded in dynamic co-creation processes that involve customers as partners rather than subjects. Through a case study analysis and critique of a leading manufacturer of kiteboarding equipment, this paper seeks to provide insights into the engagement and management of a customer community, to inform product innovation and to engage customers in co-creation of a sporting experience. The case contributes to the literature of co-creation and speci?cally to the way in which communities can be enlisted in the co-creation of experiences. It begins with a literature review, outlining the state of current knowledge on co-production and co-creation and on customer communities, followed by a description of the case study methodology. A pro? le of the company, with particular reference to its product development and community development follows leads to re? ection in detail on the contribution from this case. Finally, conclusions and recommendations provide a summary of the issues. The concept of â€Å"customer community leadership† is proposed, and agendas for further research identi? ed. Literature review This section draws together current knowledge on two key themes: co-creation, or co-production, and customer communities. Research on both of these themes ? ts broadly within the paradigm or philosophy of relationship marketing. As the main plank of a marketing strategy, relationship marketing aims to build long term, mutually satisfying relations with customers, suppliers and distributors with the key objective of earning and retaining their long-term preference, loyalty and business (Foss and Stone, 2001; Peck et al., 1999; Buttle, 1996; Massey et al. , 2001). In discussing the absence of a consensus on the term relationship marketing, and on the appropriateness of the term, other authors have suggested that a focus on interactions and networks of interactions between businesses and their customers might be more meaningful (Healy et al. , 2001; Zoliewski, 2004). The concepts of co-production and customer communities both focus on interactions. Communities, in particular, involve networks of interactions. The theme of interaction between customers and organizations in product and service innovation is developed in the literature on co-production. Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2000) suggest that companies have to recognise that the customer is becoming a partner in creating value, and need to learn how to harness customer competences. One aspect of this will be the engagement of customers in co-creating personal experiences. The body of work on co-creation and co-production has grown in recent years. Kristensson et al. (2004) have examined the bene? Ts of involving users in suggesting new product ideas, ? nding that ordinary users created signi? cantly more original and valuable ideas than professional developers, whilst professional developers and advanced users created more easily reliable ideas. At a more modest level of customer engagement, Salomo et al. (2003) found that customer orientation in innovation projects (not necessarily, in this case, customer engagement) had a positive in? uence on NPD success and that the impact increased with the degree of product innovativeness. Similarly, Hsieh and Chen (2005) showed that new product development performance can be enhanced by interacting with users, and capitalising on user-knowledge management competences. Matthing et al. (2004) suggest that the Customer community and co-creation 137 MIP 25,2 138 value of customer involvement in new service development resides in the opportunity to facilitate proactive learning about the customer, and to understand and anticipate latent customer needs. Lilien et al. (2002) suggest that user contribution to the idea generation process is optimised through the careful selection of â€Å"lead users† to participate in the process. Dahlsten (2004) discusses customer involvement in the case of a product development project at Volvo Cars, which allowed the project management team to acquire an understanding of the customer through â€Å"customer presence†. A study comparing the sources of product and process innovation in large and small technology-based ? rms found that product developers in SMEs valued customers, co-workers, marketing and journals more highly, whilst suppliers were particularly valued by large ? rms (Bommer and Jalajas, 2004). Co-creation might be viewed as an aspect of customer-knowledge competence, the processes that generate knowledge about speci? c customers (Campbell, 2003). Gibbert et al. (2002, p. 460) describe customer knowledge management as a process in which organisations seek to â€Å"know what their customers know† and de? ne it as: . . . the strategic process by which cutting-edge companies emancipate their customers from passive recipients of products and services, to empowerment as knowledge partners. CKM is about gaining, sharing, and expanding the knowledge residing in customers, to both customer and corporate bene? It is thus concerned with an understanding of how to elicit and leverage knowledge from customers. Their emphasis on interacting with customers and co-production, extending to co-learning, lifts the focus from collecting data and information in order to learn about customers to learn with customers. They discuss ? ve different styles of customer knowledge management, including â€Å"prosumerism† where the customer acts as co-producer, and â€Å"communities of creation† in which groups of people work together, have shared interests, and want to jointly create and share knowledge. The focus of co-production research is often on product innovation and new product development, with some contributions relating to service development (Matthing et al. , 2004). However, Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2003), suggest a future in which the locus of innovation and co-production will shift from products and services to â€Å"experience environments†. This suggestion aligns with other proposals that the â€Å"experience marketing† era is on the horizon, and that it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to respond to the needs of the experience consumer (Li and Wei, 2004). Co-creation may take place in the context of customer communities. There is a considerable literature on customer clubs (Butscher, 2002; Gustafsson et al. , 2004; Stauss et al. , 2001) and loyalty schemes (Bolton et al. , 2000; Mauri, 2003; Passingham, 1998; Worthington, 2000). Only a small sub-group of such clubs and schemes can properly be described as customer communities, however, which should at the very least exhibit C2C interaction. To convincingly justify the use of â€Å"community† they should furthermore share a culture with norms, values and identity, and mutual interests and objectives. Fan clubs, interest clubs, and software user groups may constitute customer communities. Butscher (2002) identi? es the Kawasaki Riders Club, The Volkswagen Club, and Swatch The Club as examples which might be described as customer communities. On the other hand, loyalty schemes such as Tesco Clubcard, American Express, Airmiles, and Marriot Rewards are focussed on the B2C dimension of relationship marketing, and do little to cultivate or in? uence C2C interactions. Therefore, whilst they may be able to identify a relatively stable group of users, they have not created a community. One context in which there has been more discussion of customer communities is the virtual environment (Armstrong and Hagel, 1996). Some loyalty schemes use this channel to support C2C interaction. Virtual customer communities enable organizations to establish distributed innovation models that involve varied customer roles in new product development (Nambisan, 2002; Pitta and Fowler, 2005). Nambisan (2002) suggests that the design of virtual customer environments needs to consider interaction patterns, knowledge creation, customer motivation, and integration of the virtual customer community with the new product development team. Dholakia et al. (2004) explore the impact of group norms and social identity on participation in consumer communities. The wider literature on virtual communities and their role in learning and knowledge creation is also substantial, and may have perspectives to offer on the role of virtual communities in innovation (Hall and Graham, 2004; Davenport and Hall, 2002; Wenger, 2000). In conclusion, the themes of co-creation and customer communities have been identi? ed as important in the literature, but there remains a scope for considerable further work, speci?  cally relating to: . co-creation of experiences; Customer communities that exist in both physical and virtual space; and . the mechanisms and processes through which organizations can engage customer communities, as opposed to individual members of those communities, in co-creation. Methodology Case studies are a valuable way of looking at the world around us, and asking how or why questions (Yin, 1994). The case study design adopted in this paper may be described as a holistic single case design. Typically, single case designs are appropriate when the exercise has something special to reveal that might act as a point of departure for challenging received wisdom, prior theoretical perspectives and untested assumptions. A specialist in sporting kite technology was chosen as the basis for the case analysis in this paper for four reasons in particular, as follows: (1) The stated mission of Flexifoil International is to: â€Å"provide our customers with the ultimate Kitesports experience† (www.? exifoil. com/company). (2) Flexifoil has been consistently committed to product innovation. (3) Flexifoil works with customers and proactively builds customer communities to support customer engagement in co-creation of the kiting experience. (4) The active and extensive participation of one of the authors in the kiting community formed the basis for an in-depth understanding of the community building and co-creation processes observed. Company pro? le: Flexifoil International Through product innovation, the company seeks to design and develop the highest performance products, with new designs and products that support new kite-based Customer community and co-creation 139 MIP. 25,2 sporting experiences and events. Flexifoil build both their own customer community and the kite boarding community in general through customer service, distribution networks, sponsorship and promotion of the sports for which their products are used. They provide opportunities for the kite sporting community to interact, online and in other ways. Their community is thus built through B2B, C2B and C2C relationships and channels. 140 Product development Until the early 1970s, a kite had for hundreds of years been a piece of fabric controlled with one or two lines, designed to be hand-?own in windy conditions. What is now Flexifoil International started when two English university students effectively â€Å"invented† the two-line power kite by producing the ? rst to be sold commercially. Two larger kites with the evocative names â€Å"Pro Team 8† and â€Å"Super 10† established Flexifoil’s market position, and enabled the company to enter upon a period of innovation and experimentation that explored a range of different potential applications for power kites. Some of their innovations were successful, others less so, such as three-wheeled buggies designed to be pulled by a power kite or traction kite. The successful developments in materials and design technology by Flexifoil and its followers allowed this basic product to support today such diverse activities as kite boarding (water-based), snow kiting, kite land boarding, buggying, recreational power kiting, and sportkiting (â€Å"traditional† kiting). The company’s own product range now comprises: power kites, recreational kites, traction kites, and water re-launchable kites; buggies and boards; lines and control gear; and miscellaneous accessories such as clothing. Following the launch of a web site, with associated forums in which enthusiasts could meet and exchange ideas, Flexifoil’s sales increased by around 25 per cent each year between 1999 and 2004. Innovation continued, with the development of water-based kiting or kitesur? ng, and later kites for land boarding and snow kiting. Over the last thirty years, the company had thus effectively created a market, and maintained leadership in its particular niche, by means not only of product innovation but also engagement with and cultivation of a power-boarding community. Community development Distribution. The community development process begins with the company’s distribution network of authorised retail outlets. Initially, those were mainly windsur? ng and sur? ng shops, but more recently specialised kiting shops have entered the market. Signi? cantly for Flexifoil, some of those have developed into â€Å"kitesports centres† where customers can â€Å"? y before they buy†. At three Premier Kite Sports Centres, the most comprehensive Flexifoil range is available for trial in an environment characterised by knowledgeable staff and extensive facilities in a good location; activity training is also on offer. A smaller range of Flexifoil kites is sold through high street shops. The company also moves the product to market through training schools, academies and university kite clubs, to whom equipment is available at discounted rates or even free of charge if the outlet becomes an of? cial Flexifoil training centre. In addition to these bricks-and-mortar outlets, the company transacts a signi? cant proportion of its retail sales through internet distributors. It also sells spare parts,  branded clothing and a selection of promotional merchandise via Flexifoildirect. com, but restricts distribution of core products to distributors who can offer a full after-sales service. The objective of the company’s distribution strategy is to build, support and maintain an effective customer community. Promotion and marketing communication. The main platform of Flexifoil’s promotional programme is to communicate their commitment to after-sales support, and their ambition to maintain good relationships with both customers and dealer outlets. This strategy, in turn, generates positive word-of-mouth communication, and often act as a channel for customer feedback that can inform future product innovation and development. In pursuit of that objective, Flexifoil make extensive use of specialised advertising media, including every kite magazine in circulation, often running double-page spreads. A branded display stand for Flexifoil product catalogues is distributed to every dealer. To keep the brand at the centre of the kitesporting world, the company sponsors a team of kite boarders who compete around the world. The promotional mix thus embraces advertising, publicity, sales promotion and point-of-sale. Flexifoil furthermore use their web site and its forums proactively to develop the UK kiting community, especially pre-launch. Previews of new kites provoke discussion in the forums, and a level of interest that builds up over months of anticipation and typically generates high sales volumes immediately on the release of the product. This online communication channel brings customers together to exchange experiences, and sell equipment to each other. The company lays claim to the largest online kiting community, of nearly 7,000 members. The variety of forums available to its members specialise in the full range of sportkiting activities. The clear aim of the marketing communications strategy is, like the distribution strategy, to create a community of interest rather than one based simply on transaction. Discussion This discussion will draw out two themes from the case study analysis: co-creation, and customer communities. The study contributes a perspective on the co-creation of experiences, which  is a central element in the emerging paradigm of experience marketing. By continuing engagement with their customer community, the subject company has been able not only to gather feedback on the experiences associated with the use of its products, but also to add to them by offering opportunities, in both the real and virtual environments for customer to enjoy interactions with others who share their interests. It monitors and enhances the experience through the same channels. Whilst product innovation is stepwise, the dialogue and interaction with customers on which that innovation is based is continuous. This is not â€Å"co-production† in the sense that the term is used in new product development contexts, but rather in the service context, where the term refers to the fact that customers have a hand in the development of their own service experience. Nevertheless, experience â€Å"co-creation† in this case, embeds product innovation. The impact of this approach to co-creation is dif? cult to disentangle from the impact of other business and marketing actions. The signi? cant increase in sales in the years since the launch of the web site could be taken as one indicator, but it  Customer community and co-creation 141 MIP 25,2 142 is important to acknowledge the spiral nature of the community creation process. This increase in sales will have expanded the community, and probably also have intensi? ed customers’ engagement with the experiences that community members co-create with the company. The case also contributes some insights on the nature of customer communities. Though the company does ask customers to register their product and thereby collects personal contact details, it does not operate a customer community, club or loyalty scheme. Rather, the innovative and interesting products act as a catalyst for community creation through the medium of the â€Å"experiences† they deliver. The customer community comprises those who have participated in those experiences, enjoyed them, and wish to develop the interaction. Customers work in partnership with the company to build excitement and develop skill, and by sharing the experiences with others, add to the totality of the customer community. The company has taken a number of actions to facilitate this process, including working with distributors, sponsorship, engagement in events, training courses, and an interactive web site. Speci? cally, their approach to communication with their customers is sophisticated. The common view of marketing communications as a one-way transmission is replaced by a marketing communications strategy designed to build and reinforce the company’s position as a leader of a community. Traditional channels such as advertising, sponsorship, and even brand building are only elements in a complex web or network of marketing communications activities, involving C2C and B2B as well as B2C relationships. The company communicates directly with its customers, but also provides contexts which encourage them to â€Å"talk† among themselves. In addition, the marketing communications effort is â€Å"pushed† through distributors, not just in terms of the traditional advertising and branding, but also through the selection of distributors that can offer appropriate support and advice. These actors in the system have a role in welcoming new members into the community. They are supported in doing so by the existing on-line community, and various company-sponsored events at which members are encouraged to gather. The customer community has built gradually as the business has grown. As new products have been added to the product range to support new sports, new sub-communities have formed around them. The process of community development goes hand in hand with product development. Conclusions and recommendations The entrepreneurs behind Flexifoil International have simultaneously created a sport, and an associated sporting community. The company is clear that its mission as not simply to develop and distribute the best products but rather to deliver the most exciting kiting experience. This case study has demonstrates that the entire marketing mix is focussed not on transactions, or even relationship building, but rather on community creation. That community includes both consumers and dealers. Product innovation, distribution and promotion are tightly coupled with community creation. Community building is not just about increasing membership, or even about the engagement of members with the community, but focuses on the creation of a level of mutuality in which there is ongoing dialogue between community members and the company. Flexifoil has neither annexed an existing community, nor do they â€Å"own† one, although they do manage a virtual space through which the community can interact. Rather, their product innovation and the experiences that their product range provides have the potential to act as the catalyst for the community, whilst sponsorship, engagement in events, and the virtual space all facilitate the enhancement of the experience for community members. Other companies compete with Flexifoil for leadership of the power kiting community, both rival manufacturers and others keen to enhance the sportkiting experience. Many of these have web sites through which they seek to capture an online community. For example, one casts itself as â€Å"the kite ? yer’s portal to the internet† offering links to kite manufacturers and kite stores in the USA and Canada, to other power kiting web sites, to other kite ? yer sites, kite teams and clubs, and to magazines and newsgroups. Another claims to be â€Å"the online community that brings ? yers together† and a third promotes itself as â€Å"the internet magazine for kiters†. All offer different services and bene? ts to their customers, but for some, their engagement with the sport kiting community will be restricted to virtual space. Though Flexifoil has a strong brand presence as a manufacturer, it needs to encourage members to participate with it in â€Å"co-creation† if it is to deliver on its mission of providing customers with the ultimate kite sports experience. The approach to marketing strategy described in this case study can aptly be described as customer community leadership. By leading the sport kiting community, but not owning it, Flexifoil has created a community that will buy their products, co-create kiting experiences, provide insights that can inform innovation in the product, the experience and the community innovation, look forward to the next product release, and mutually enhance community members’ experiences of the company’s products and services. Embedded in this approach to community leadership are a number of more traditional marketing actions, such as new product development, advertising, and commitment to after-sales support. The distribution channels are designed to offer the support and training that is likely to enhance sport kiting experiences, but also to build relationships with dealers, and to bring sports kiters together. This is supplemented by opportunities for interaction in virtual space. Community development is achieved through a network of relationship-building actions, at the heart of which are enjoyable and shareable sports kiting experiences. Through community leadership, the company has created a context in which customers are thus from being passive recipients of products and services, and empowered as knowledge partners (Gibbert et al., 2002). In other words, it has thereby created a context that facilitates the processes of customer knowledge management. This is an approach to marketing intelligence and decision making embedded in dynamic co-creation processes that involve customers as partners. It is worth noting that the term â€Å"customer community leadership† can have two different meanings in practice. First, it may mean leadership of a community, in the sense of making it work, setting its direction, and participating in the shaping of experiences of community members. In this context, the focus is on factors such as member engagement, culture, norms, identity and community viability, in terms of the value delivered to all parties. Second, it can describe an avenue to market leadership, in which the business performance of an organisation over the longer term is de? ned and determined by the extent to which its leadership of a community of potential customers, or its power and capacity to lead, is greater than that of its competitors. Customer community and co-creation 143 MIP 25,2 144 In taking the development of the concept of customer community leadership forward, it will be important to explore the different styles and approaches that are and can be adopted by different ? rms and organizations. Given that another essential of successful leadership is followers, an important phenomenon for further study is the nature of â€Å"followership† in this context. This case study has focussed on the actions and strategies adopted by one business to build and bene? t from a customer community and to engage customers in the co-creation of an experience. In addition, it has demonstrated how both online and real-world communities can be enlisted to contribute to building the experience. There is a scope for considerable further study of the processes associated with the co-creation of the experience, and the details of how communities operate. Such research needs both to cover a wider range of organizations and business sectors, and to examine in more detail aspects of communities, co-creation and customer knowledge management. Some potential areas of investigation are: . Perceptions and views of different stakeholders as to the impact of the community and the contributions of different parties in the co-creation of the experience. . The pro? le of such customer communities in terms of loyalty, retention and customer lifetime value, including comparisons between online and real-world communities. . Community processes, including models of key processes of in? uence, knowledge and learning, identi? cation and role of â€Å"node† members, and the role of celebrity voices and endorsement. . The marketing actions that contribute to the cultivation of effective co-creation communities. References Armstrong, A. G. and Hagel, J. (1996), â€Å"The real value of online communities†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 74, pp. 134-40. Bennett, R. and Gabriel, H. I. (1999), â€Å"Organisational factors and knowledge management within large marketing departments: an empirical study†, Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 212-25. Bolton, R. N. , Kannan, P. K. and Bramlett, M. D. (2000), â€Å"Implications of loyalty program membership and services experience for customer retention and value†, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 95-108. Bommer, M. and Jalajas, D. S. (2004), â€Å"Innovation sources of large and small technology-based ? rms†, IEEE Transactions of Engineering Management, Vol. 51 No. 1, pp. 13-18. Butscher, S. A. (2002), Customer Loyalty Programmes and Clubs, 2nd ed. , Gower, Aldershot. Buttle, F. (1996), Relationship Marketing: Theory and Practice, Paul Chapman, London. Campbell, A. J. (2003), â€Å"Creating customer knowledge competence: managing customer relationship management programs strategically†, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 32 No. 5, pp. 375-83. Chase, R. L. (1997), â€Å"The knowledge-based organization: an international survey†, Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 38-49. Dahlsten, F. (2004), â€Å"Hollywood wives revisited: a study of customer involvement in the XC90 project at Volvo Cars†, European Journal of Management, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 141-9. Davenport, E. and Hall, H. (2002), â€Å"Organizational knowledge and communities of practice†, Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, Vol. 36, pp. 171-227. Dholakia, U. M. , Bagozzi, R. P. and Pearo, L. K. (2004), â€Å"A social in? uence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-based virtual communities†, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 21, pp.241-63. Drucker, P. F. (1993), Post-capitalist Society, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Foss, B. and Stone, M. (2001), Successful Customer Relationship Marketing, Kogan Page, London. Gibbert, M. , Leibold, M. and Probst, G. (2002), â€Å"Five styles of customer knowledge management, and how smart companies use them to create value†, European Management Journal, Vol. 20 No. 5, pp. 459-69. Gustafsson, A. , Roos, I. and Edvardsson, B. (2004), â€Å"Customer clubs in a relationship perspective: a telecom case†, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 14 Nos 2/3, pp. 157-68. Hall, H. and Graham, D.(2004), â€Å"Creation and recreation: motivating collaboration to generate knowledge capital in online communities†, International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 24, pp. 235-46. Healy, M. , Hastings, K. , Brown, L. and Gardiner, M. (2001), â€Å"The old, the new and the complicated – a trilogy of marketing relationships†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35 Nos 1/2, pp. 182-93. Hsieh, L. F. and Chen, S. K. (2005), â€Å"Incorporating voice of the consumer: does it really work? †, Industrial Management Data Systems, Vol. 105 Nos 5/6, pp. 769-85. Kristensson, P. , Gustafsson, A. and Archer, T. (2004), â€Å"Harnessing the creative.

John F Kennedy And His Leadership Style History Essay

John F Kennedy And His Leadership Style History Essay Transformational leadership qualities are not only inherited in person but external environments also involved to build up a leader. Transformational leadership has become so prominent in todays society, especially in the Western world, where athletics, military, and politics all thrive on it. Of course, transformational leadership would not exist if there were no followers, but it is a skill that is extremely effective and needed. Leaders are effective decision makers, strong motivators, and masters of communication. You can instantly tell who is a great leader by observing the way everyone elses effort is as a whole. A great leader is someone who is both task and relationship oriented. While they establish interpersonal relationships with their teammates, they also make sure that everyone is prepared for the task at hand. Transformational Leadership is the behaviour of an individual when he is directing the activities of group towards a share goal. Such leaders act as a communication bridge by inspiring and motivating followers towards particular goals in an organised way. Strong communication skill is a major quality of a leader. The progress of a team depends on the encouragement and affectivity of its leader. Transformational leaders build the teams and motivate them. It can be hard, but it can make a difference. Transformational Leadership emerges from situations in which there is no formal leadership or in the context of formally designated roles (Ronald K. Smith, 2004). Transformational leaders serve as role models and focus on the well being of their followers by helping them develop to their fullest potential. Transformational leadership is associated with the following four factors: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Followers who are able to solve issues without the help of a leader are more likely to have higher self-confidence; therefore, leading to higher motivation and production. Transformational leaders utilize individualized consideration to establish self-esteem and pride in followers by treating them as individuals. Followers with high self-confidence may be more likely to initiate and finish projects that are outside their realm of duties, because they are less afraid of negative repercussions if they fail. Leaders who take the time to meet and know their followers provide an inviting work environment. Followers who feel that their leaders care about them may be mo re motivated to produce superior work to please their leaders. Transformational leaders provide supportive work environments for their followers. These leaders are tolerant to followers mistakes and more willing to teach and model proper behaviour. Transformational leaders involve their followers in problem-solving and innovative sessions. Inviting and encouraging followers to participate in goal setting is characteristic of these types of leaders. These leaders engage themselves with followers and serve as mentors and role models. Transformational leaders, much like charismatic and servant leaders, establish a rapport with their followers. They show an interest for others. Both transformational and servant leaders value others, develop followers, build communities, display authenticity, and share leadership. John F. Kennedy and his Leadership Style: As a president, John F. Kennedy was known for his capability to handle the problems that were out of reach of the other people. By a layman it is usually wondered how skilled can a person be that he can take care of problems which are observed to be much more complicated and bigger than which can be handled by a mortal man. John F. Kennedy proved this by his dedication and determination towards his job as a president. All this proved to be a success not only by his efforts but also with the help of the people as they got a surrounding where they can be at their best. The success of the leader does not only depend on his ability but also on his relationships that he has to establish. Kennedy always was against creating layers in the surroundings which would promote open communication among the individuals which would end up in rivals. In order to avoid the dictatorial nature of a leader, a lot of attention to the details is required so that the respective task is covered by the appropriate person with proper co-ordination and guidance (John A. Barnes, 2007). His personality was embedded with a combination of affection and hard mind. He thoroughly enjoyed the variety of diverse personalities and talents that surrounded him throughout the era of his presidency. He always respected an individual for what he was. He had certain reliability in his acceptance of men to work with him. To make things go right, he had a perfect assessment of the people who would be useful and how can their talents be fruitful. Type of Leader: Out of all the leadership styles, Kennedys leadership style proved to be the most effective and influenced one. He followed the authoritative and charismatic leadership style. Authoritative leaders are to be known as the experts in whatever they get into. They are able to provide you with a clear vision and a perfect path through which it can be achieved and be a success. In Kennedys leadership this quality can be seen very clearly because he had the capability to mobilize the people towards the vision and make use of what they were best in (Peter G. Northhouse, 2009). John F. Kennedy Authoritative Leadership: The authoritarian leadership approach is used by leaders that desire or need to have complete power in decision-making. This method is often expressed by the leader informing his people purposely what to do and how to do it, and is most frequently necessary when time is of the essence. However, this approach should not be used too frequently, because it could direct to the observation of bossiness on the leaders part, which could conduct to reduced peoples inspiration and reduced commitment. Effective leaders are likely to use power in a subtle, careful fashion that minimizes status differentials and avoids threats to the target persons self esteem.  Kennedys approach generates an optimistic and cheerful man to work with (Erwin C. Hargrove, 2008). John F. Kennedy also played a role in situational leadership where he had to loosen his management approach to every circumstance. He considered being successful with the authoritative leadership style when he was the inhabitant specialis t. (Lewis J. Paper, 1975). In his era some of the people supporting him found such alteration a bit scratchy and disturbing to the place of work or to them individually and some had found it bit difficult to relate John F. Kennedy ideas of the upcoming so called future. By his authoritative leadership style, he was able to engage different generations of this nation by communicating his philosophy of hope and change through traditional sources. In his own words, he is audacious enough to propose that Americans can and should transform the nation into something that is better. His political and leadership messages have focused consistently on transformation. John F. Kennedy Charismatic Leadership style: What makes a charismatic leader different from others is his vision to encapsulate obedience of the followers. Using unconventional methods allows a charismatic leader to convince followers that they are not the normal leaders they are new, different, and inspiring. Trust and creditability comes from the willingness of these people to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of followers and organizations. Charismatic leaders usually have high follower expectations and are able to encourage these expectations by using unconventional behaviours to establish credibility, sensitivity, and appeal. Although charismatic leaders have a strong following, it is important to point out that they may have a dark side. Charismatic leaders may take advantage of the fact that they are so well liked and trusted and encourage followers to focus on and aim for atrocious goals. Charismatic leaders are more equipped to influence followers to participate in corrupt behaviour. Because followers trust and like their leaders they may be more willing to ignore and not question any odd behaviour. In some era of John F. Kennedy life people have noticed a charismatic Leadership style. However, the charismatic magic can be equally a lucky thing and a nuisance on the general public. John F. Kennedy charismatic leadership style help him make himself capable of using his personal magic or charm to get the work done out of people. This comes out to an effective, challenging and powerful method to guide other people. John F. Kennedy as a charismatic leader time and again fluent the hallucination by means of descriptions and tales in behaviour that each human being can be aware of his mental picture or image. The persons who support him usually saw him as individual that have power over and capability to create in individuals mind the prospect with transparency. This also helped him become a role model for his workplace. By his charismatic leadership style, Kennedy was able to engage the nation, to inspire and to motivate the people by communicating a clear vision of the future. Kennedy has utilized many media to begin his process of leadership. His inspirational motivation behaviour has been seen in the speeches he gave during the campaign which served to engage and energize both his supporters and those on the fence. Examples from his Leadership: John Kennedy proved to be a transformational leader from the very beginning after being elected. After his inaugural address there was no longer any question about Kennedys ideological orientation. He was still a pragmatist, but he stood on his political legacy as the heir to Roosevelt and Truman. He deluged the Congress with addresses, messages and exhortations. His authoritative leadership trait can be seen in this example. The New Frontier, as his program was styled, had some success, especially in its first year. Congress established the Peace Corps, raised the minimum wage, liberalized social security benefits, and passed bills on housing, depressed areas, manpower retraining, and temporary unemployment compensation. The president was given unprecedented authority to negotiate large across-the-board traffic cuts. As a president, John F. Kennedy did succeed in mobilizing impressive public pressure for his legislative program. Personally he was enormously popular. But the country was generally prosperous, and it was difficult to interest large numbers of voters in the need for change. Some of the Kennedys admirers held that he should be more vigorous in seeking public support and less wary of altercation with the legislative branch. But his own reading of U.S. history was that presidents had rarely succeeded in appealing to the people over the heads of their elected representatives. He was a man of ideas and man of action, but through war, sickness, and politics he had also acquired the tempering qualities of patience and prudence. This proved the charisma in his personality as a leader. He demonstrated the authoritative and charismatic characteristic in two of his most cherished legislative proposals languished for many months and were not passed until after his death. One was a measure to spur economic growth through massive cuts in individual and corporate income tax rates. The plan accepted the inevitability of budget deficits for several years in the expectation that an enlarged economy would increase federal revenues later. The second major proposal that Kennedy left behind was the most sweeping civil rights bill of the century. In this field the president was a late starter. Despite campaign promised and pledges in the 1960 Democratic platform, upon assuming office he felt that he could not endanger immediately into battle with Southern members of Congress. He and his brother Attorney General Robert Kennedy accomplished much through administrative action, recourse to the courts, and the firm use of federal power when Southern officials sought to frustrate court orders. But the president and his brother deferred legislative action until what proved to be Kennedys last month of administration. In 1963 a great wave of black demonstration swept over the country, the North as well as the South. Delay was no longer possible. Inviting Republican congressional leaders into full partnership, the administration worked out a comprehensive bill including curbs on discrimination in employment and in public accommod ations and facilities, and the withholding of federal funds from programs in which the evidence was clear that discrimination was being practiced. As a transformational leader, in the field of foreign policy, President Kennedy began with a disaster and ended with what might in subsequent years develop into a major breakthrough in post-World War II international relations. The disaster was in ill-conceived and badly executed attempt in April 1961 to invade Communist Cuba, using Cuban exiles as troops with extensive US support the project had been conceived during the Eisenhower administration, but Kennedy had to accept, and did accept, responsibility for its dismal failure. Some observers blamed him for not providing U.S. air cover for the invaders, and some charged the Central Intelligence Agency with faulty intelligence and ineptitude. The disaster was a sobering experience for a young, confident president not yet three months in office. Another example exhibiting his authoritative leadership was his vision that was regarding the United States space program. One of his speeches in 1962, speaking to the students in Rice University, he said: We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win (Thomas E. Gort, 1962) He continued to talk about a long term vision of sending a man to the moon. He talked about the metal alloys that were not invented at that time; these alloys were capable of standing huge amount of heat and stresses times more than have ever been experienced. His vision to send a person to moon and getting him back to land safely was his main theme behind his this speech at the university. He explained the entire idea by which this could be accomplished. Here he was exhibiting an authoritative nature that gathered together the resources of the entire nation to a particular goal. As an authoritative leader, Kennedy made the relaxation of East-West tension his central purpose. A June 1961 meeting with Khrushchev, in Vienna, proved fruitless. But the soviets beset with internal problems and their ideological dispute with Communist China eventually became more receptive to western overtures. In June 1963, in a speech at American university in Washington, D.C., Kennedy called for a break in the vicious and dangerous cycle of the cold war. He announced yet another conference aimed at producing a nuclear test ban treaty, and he said that pending the outcome of the negotiations, the United States would refrain from atmospheric testing. At the meeting, held in Moscow, the United States, United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union finally agreed upon a limited nuclear test ban treaty. It was later adhered to buy scores of other powers (not including France and Communist China) and was easily ratified in the U.S. Senate. It was, perhaps, the most important accomplishment of t he Kennedys administration. But treaties and acts of Congress did not fully measure the impact of John Kennedys brief tenure upon the national consciousness. The New Frontier, indeed, was often more celebrated for its image and its style then for its works. A number of reasons proved his nature of authoritative and charismatic nature. The president seemed to be everywhere illuminating nearly every aspect of the national life, from culture to physical fitness, from moral in the Foreign Service to the beautification in Washington, D.C. Although he made some enemies, notably in business circles and among Southern segregationists, his popularity often transcended the usual political and ideological lines. Overseas he was admired by statesmen and ordinary citizen alike (Fred I. Greenstein, 1988). He was considered a charismatic speaker and a great communicator. He spoke with passion but stated his ideas simply, allowing him to appear very bright but still appealing to the average American. Kennedy was also seen as compassionate when he created the Peace Corps to provide aid to needy countries by enabling Americans to volunteer to help the countries in need. He set high goals for America, believing that they would put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s as well as advance in other areas such as the fight against poverty and prejudice, and the fight for world peace. Kennedy was also the youngest elected president which helped many Americans identify with him after generations of old men running the government. Although he smoked cigars, he never smoked in public to avoid setting a bad example for children which helped win him more admiration. He also won admiration from the American public by taking full responsibility for his mistakes (such as the Bay of Pigs invasion,) rather than blaming it on his advisors or the previous administration. The fact that he handled the Cuban Missile Crisis without causing a nuclear war, as well as signing a treaty to end nuclear tests in the earths atmosphere to stop radioactive pollution helped save many potential lives all around the world that could have been lost had he gotten into a war with Russia. Conclusion: Anyone that possesses any of the above qualities with an additional dose of courage could be a leader, which doesnt mean that you have to be leading a group of people. You can be a leader just by living by example expressing to people the right things to do, because you will be surprised by how many people are watching. Being a leader is not an easy task because things dont always go as we anticipate, so thats where the courage comes in because it kind of motivates you to keep going when you want to give up due to obstacles. In conclusion all that am saying is that for a leader to be utterly successful one of the most efficient quality that he needs to his character is Achievement Motivation which is strengthened by the Internal Locus of Control, Social Self Efficacy, Multicultural Competence, and an Effective Communication Style so as to accomplish their goals to the fulfillment of those that they are supposedly making a positive impact on their life.

Common Misconceptions of Islam Essay -- Papers

Did you know that there are currently 1.5 billion Muslims living throughout the world? One in every five people in this world is a Muslim. It is proven that Islam is the fastest growing faith in the world and also happens to be the most widely and openly misunderstood faith as well. Americans have misconceptions about Muslims concerning the rights of Muslim women and whether Muslims believe in the existence of Jesus. "When a gunman attacks a mosque in the name of Judaism, a Catholic IRA guerrilla sets off a bomb in an urban area, or Serbian Orthodox militiaman rapes and kills innocent Muslim civilians, these acts are not used to stereotype an entire faith." How many times is it heard that a Christian, Jew, or any other majority robbed a bank or was involved in a mass murder? Very few, which is ironic because once a Muslim does such perils, it is blamed on the faith on whole and not the individual that makes that decision. Islam can literally be translated to mean submission to God and is derived from the root word meaning peace. One should always remember to go to the true source of Islam and separate what the true religion of Islam says from what is portrayed in the media. Many consider Islam an exotic religion or even too extreme for the modern world. But this is because religion does not dominate everyday life in the West, where as, Islam is consider a way of life for many Muslims; who from the teachings of the Quran have learned to balance their material and spiritual life. Like Christianity, Islam only permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion (but not the excuse for your own personal or political purposes), or on... ...mething it all gets blamed on the faith? The American government has been at war for almost two years to give rights to the people of Iraq, but how much of a difference can they actually make when their own people don't get proper rights? They say the people have freedom of speech, religion, and etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but in reality they have nothing. If the government wanted unity between the people than they would create a better understand on a situation rather than turning citizens against each other. A recent example of how much the American government 'cares' for the rights of the people is shown through the pictures they found of the prisons are being taken care of in Iraq. Many misconceptions of religion, culture, and just people on a whole would be cleared if the government and media did not exploit them for their own advantage.