Using an extended example critically discuss the view that a sector Essay

Using an extended example critically discuss the view that a sector matrix gives a better strategic understanding of product markets than the concepts of product or commodity chains - Essay Example e essay analyses other tools including value chains and commodity chains in a bid to prove the effectiveness of the sector matrix that provides an in-depth understanding of the patterns of both demand and supply which are the key market features that influences the profitability of an organization (Lane, 2005). The essay will provide a systematic approach to the analysis of the above tools including their strengths, weaknesses and the comparison of their performance against the sector matrix which the paper hypotheses is the most effective marketing tool. Marketing refers to the management function mandated with the determination, anticipation and satisfaction of the customer demand. Every business organization has a primary objective of sustained profitability in order to increase its market share. The need for growth as Froud, Haslam, Johal & Williams (1998) explain in their sector matrix relies on the determination of the market. Business organizations must have a substantial market shares and possibly increase their shares a feature that will portray growth and sustained profitability. In order to achieve such growth patterns, the organizations must have effective understanding of the factors that influence the demand from the market. By understanding the factors affecting demand, the organization readily manipulates its supply of products thereby cushioning the organization from incurring loses. Additionally, understanding the relationship between demand and supply makes it possible for organizations to plan their productions th ereby sustaining their profitability as the below analysis of the sector matrix portrays (Alexander, 2010). Just as the name suggests, the sector matrix breaks down an industry into various factors that influence the production and sale of products. Understanding the industry is fundamental for every organization since it helps the organization appreciate the nature of supply and demand. This way, the sector matric overcomes some of

Developing Learning Skills and High Academic Achievements Essay

Developing Learning Skills and High Academic Achievements - Essay Example My previous pedagogical experience will ensure high academic achievement for my students. During my experience, I have learned and trained many pedagogical methods which can help me in my future pedagogical activity. For example, I have gained the ability to be a good and effective manager. It is very important for a teacher to be a good manager as he must be a real leader and a positive example for students. As a manager I will be able to organize the teaching and learning process very effectively – it will ensure high academic achievement for my students. In addition to that, I have learned to have high expectations of myself and other people. So, I will be able to be exacting and make my students fulfil appropriate tasks which will ensure their high academic achievements. I also have learned to pay appropriate attention to small things – it is also very important for effective classroom management and different kinds of teaching activities directed to high academic a chievement for students. The task-oriented teacher also can direct students to their learning achievements and improve their learning outcomes, and my previous experience has taught me to be a task-oriented person. In addition to that, my experience helped me be open to new theories and views, including new learning and teaching methods which can promote higher achievements to my students. I also became ready for different pedagogical activities outside the class as I understand that teacher profession includes many kinds of such activities, and I am aware that it also promotes high pedagogical and learning results for my pupils.

Leadership and Use of Motivation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership and Use of Motivation - Term Paper Example Rewards, punishments, better work environment, opportunity for growth or further learning etc are some of the motivating factors of the employees. Leaders should identify these factors well and use it judiciously to motivate the employees positively. This paper analyses leadership and use of motivation by leaders. Leadership and use of motivation According to Dr. Northouse (2009), â€Å"Leadership is a process by which an individual influence a group of individuals to achieve a common goal† (Dr. Northouse, 2009, p.3). On the other hand, Gould & Voelker, (2010) defined leadership as a â€Å"complex process that involves the effort of an individual to help groups identify and achieve personal and group goals† (Gould & Voelker, 2010, p.2). It is easy for people to become leaders; but it is difficult to become effective leaders. Leadership is a complex task which requires specific skills such as decision making, problems solving, planning etc. However, the most important ch aracteristic of effective leadership is the ability to motivate the subordinates. Leaders use different strategies to motivate subordinates and to derive the maximum out of them. According to psychology today â€Å"Motivation is literally the desire to do things† (Psychology today, 2011). In fact motivation is a force which destroys the employee inertia to stay in their inactive stage. It helps employees to break their idleness and to work more enthusiastically. Motivation can be classified into two categories; intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is the motivation driven by inherent characteristics whereas extrinsic motivation is the motivation driven by external factors. Effective leaders will use strategies necessary to motivate subordinates both intrinsically and extrinsically. One of the popular motivation theory used by leaders is Theory of X and theory of Y. This theory emphasizes the different attitudes of people towards their duties and responsibilities. The ory X says that generally human being has an inherent dislike towards work. â€Å"Because of this inherent dislike of work, most people must be coerced, controlled, directed, or threatened so as to induce them to put forth enough effort so as to meet their goals and get their work done† (Furst, 2009). Rewards and punishments are some of the strategies used by leaders to motivate people in the X category. On the other hand people in Y category believe that work is natural just like play or rest. Leaders can motivate such people easily since their attitude towards work is positive. The needs of the people are different because of the different environment in which they live. Some people may have enough financial abilities and they may like recognition more than anything else in their professional life. On the other hand some others may not have enough financial abilities and such people may like financial rewards more than anything else. Work atmosphere is another aspect which motivates the employees. Nobody wants to work in a hostile atmosphere. Everybody wants to work under a peaceful atmosphere. Even if the organization provides, better salaries, such people may not like the organization if it provides a hostile or aggressive work environment. Leaders should be capable enough to realize all these things well and to use their motivation strategies judiciously. In short, it is the duty of the leaders to realize what motivate a particular subordinate. The drive to acquire is an inherent need for majority of the humans. It is difficult to see an

Human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Human resource management - Essay Example Hofstede studied the attitudes and working values of more than 116,000 IBM employees working in over 40 countries. Using factor analysis of gathered data, Hofstede shows that there are five dimensions that could not be described with other factors. Based on his results, he argues that national culture has an effect on attitudes and values related to workers or employees. Every country chooses a specific management system; however, it cannot reflect the priorities of a nation. The system may prevail by a powerful subculture due to the ability to locate its staff at the high levels of the organisation. Therefore, a predominant subculture can maintain to create a cultural imperialism. The subject was discussed by cross-cultural researchers only from the perspective of the countrys dominance over the country and not from the perspective of cultures dominance over the other culture (McSweeney, 2002, 56). The issue of choosing appropriate levels of analysis is the most significant challenge facing Hofstede’s theory. McSweeney, (2002, 55) argues that any theory should be based on detailed description levels. Hofstede’s findings describe the features. They clarify some of the cultural and behavioural paradigms in organisation of different countries. Hofstede classified the five cultural dimensions as follows (Hofstede, 2001, 56): Power distance: Based on this dimension, countries are different in terms how they treat inequality. Some countries allow inequality to grow so that there is a difference in power and wealth. In such cultures, there is disagreement between subordinates and authority. Uncertainty avoidance: This is regarded with how society members deal with the future risk possibilities. The dimension describes attempts of society to attain a certain level where they feel they are in a conflicting situation. Cultures with high UAI consist of people who

The history of witch hunting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The history of witch hunting - Essay Example Position of women and transition to capitalism Federici points out the issue of witch hunting as a continuous and relevant discourse from the middle ages to the contemporary times. She argues that witch hunting, one of the basest ways of subjugating women, has its roots in the history of capitalism. Prior to the advent of capitalistic concepts, the position and function of women in society were never discriminated from that of men. Federici accounts for the lifestyle of women where they were attributed with work within the house as well as outside. But as capitalism with the concerted effort of the state and the church sought its way into power, it tended to manipulate, undermine and distort established constructs of reality to meet its ends of ‘primitive accumulation’. According to Federici: â€Å"capitalism was the counter-revolution that destroyed the possibilities that had emerged from the anti-feudal struggle—possibilities which, if realized, might have spar ed us immense destruction of lives and the natural environment that has marked the advance of capitalist relations worldwide†. Relation between primitive accumulation and oppression on women The basis of capitalism is considered to be primitive accumulation which means accumulating land and labor. ... ation of differences and divisions within the working class, whereby hierarchies built upon gender, as well as â€Å"race† and age became constitutive of class rule and the formation of the modern proletariat. (Federici, 63-64) Federici points out that one of the main objectives of capitalism was to break the solidarity between the genders that gives a community its strength and nurtures healthy social life. Devaluing women was made into a discourse and misogynistic attitude was provoked to create mutual distrust and antagonism between genders. Federici argues that the logic behind legalizing prostitution on one hand and decriminalizing rape on the other was purely a capitalistic tactic of deliberately underrating women. From this perspective it could be said that capitalism was formed on the motto of dividing and rule policy and it did not spare human relationships. Repressing women power by dehumanizing women: platform for witch hunt The act of witch hunting, which is nothin g but persecuting women on some utterly vague assumptions, points to the desperation of the need to repress women power. The propagators of capitalism particularly targeted to control women’s power of reproduction to have access to manpower resource. It shows that the role of women was dehumanized to that of labor producing machine. The body-as-machine was made the discourse of the early capitalist era that also explains the medieval ideology of the body-mind dichotomy upheld by the church. Accordingly, any kind of unproductive physical indulgence was tabooed as corporeal sin and women were made its worst victim. Women were banished from outdoor activities of community life, stigmatized in any attempt to do so and robbed of privacy. Federici, by giving a detail account of how women were not

The Blood Brothers Essay Example for Free

The Blood Brothers Essay Willy Russell writes entertaining drama about believable characters and champions the cause of the socially disadvantaged. With reference to the historical and social context of Blood Brothers, analyse the accuracy of this statement. Blood Brothers is a musical play written in the 1980s during a recession in a United Kingdom. Written by Willy Russell, the play revolves around the subject of social class, which is definitely a constant theme throughout the play. Set in Liverpool, the story centres on a set of twins that are separated at birth with both mothers desperately trying to keep them apart in vain. In this essay I will analyse the accuracy of the statement above and relate to it throughout this essay. Russell uses a variety of techniques to make Blood Brothers an entertaining piece of drama. One way he portrays the story in an effective way to engage the audience, is by using dramatic tension. Dramatic tension is used when Mrs Lyons blackmails Mrs Johnstone to not tell anyone that the two boys are brothers, by using her fear of superstition. They say they say that if either twin learns that he was once a pair, they shall both immediately die. You wont tell anyone about this Mrs Johnstone; because of you do you will kill them. This section of the play is an excellent example of dramatic tension as it creates suspense and makes the audience sympathise with Mrs Johnstone. Dramatic irony is also another technique Russell uses to entertain the audience. The section of the play where Mickey and Edward meet as young children is great example if this. Ey, we were born on the same day that means we can be blood brothers. Do you want to be my blood brother, Eddie? The audience (and the narrators) know the full story, and know that Mickey and Eddie dont need to be blood brothers because they are already real brothers, and share the same blood. This frees up the audience to observe the implications of the characters actions and having an advantage over the story, by knowing the full plot. Blood Brothers is a musical play, and the songs involved, play an important role throughout. As well as keeping the audience entertained the songs gives us character insight, provides extra information, and carries along the storyline. The songs emphasise and highlight key moments during the play, and make the audience aware of their importance. Techniques such as foreshadowing are made clearer, and the music portrays certain moods making characters emotions and thoughts clearer. An interesting technique Russell has used at the beginning of the play is by using a prologue. This is a very effective way to engage the audience, by giving the audience an insight into the plot for example of one womb born on the self same day, how one was kept and one given away It brings forth questions in the audiences mind and the answers are revealed as the story unfolds. It frees up the audience to speculate the storyline and how the ending came to be. This intricate plot structure shows how the characters actions have severe consequences throughout the story An did you never hear how the Jonstones died, never knowing that they shared one name Foreshadowing is fantastic technique that Russell uses successfully in the prologue and throughout the play. Foreshadowing is when events that happening later on in the play are foretold or hinted by earlier events. The prologue makes foreshadowing possible because the end is revealed to the audience and makes them look for possible omens of this during the story. There are many great examples of this throughout the play, especially in the beginning when the children are playing with toy guns. But you know that if you cross your fingers, and if you count from one to ten, you can get up off the ground again, it doesnt matter the whole things just a game. The reference to guns and its just a game is repeated throughout the play, and relates to the twins death at the end as both of them are shot. At the end of the play its not just a childish game, and the reality becomes too difficult for the characters to deal with. The quotation implies a long for childish innocence from all the characters, and a cry for help from the tragic ending. Although the outcome of the Blood Brothers storyline is tragic, Russell adds comedy and humour throughout. When the boys first meet, an example of Russells humour occurs; So they took him to the hospital an put a plate in his head A plate? A dinner plate? Russell lightens the mood by injecting humour into a scene full of tension and irony. The comedy in the play makes Blood Brothers a more enjoyable and entertaining piece of drama for the audience to watch. By adding this childlike humour into the play, it shows that Russell can invent realistic and believable characters which make the audience more likely to sympathise with the characters. As well as having a great understanding of young children, Russell also has an understanding of adolescents as well. Linda, I wanna kiss y an kiss y but I dont know how to tell y because Ive got pimples an me feet are too big an me bum sticks out

What do you find irritating about a certain media text Essay Example for Free

What do you find irritating about a certain media text Essay A media text that I find quite irritating is the reality television programme Big Brother. This programme has become something of a phenomenon since it began in the Netherlands in 1999, spreading throughout various countries normally a series or two each year. The show is based around a number of contestants who are isolated from the outside world in a Big Brother House one by one being eliminated until there is an ultimate winner. The show relies on its vast audience to vote for whom they would like to be eliminated from the house each week. It is this huge response that the producers receive each year that keeps the show running, however over the years, this huge following has resulted in each contestant only applying for the show because of the quick rise to fame that follows after the show ends, and according to the Learning and Skills Council; one in seven UK teenagers hope to gain fame by appearing on reality television. The media have also become obsessed with the programme, and it is not unusual to see these contestants on the front pages of magazines, revealing shocking stories of their past. The fascination and ultimate obsession that the public has with these ordinary contestants has caused many unnecessary disagreements both on and off the show, which have dominated newspaper headlines when there may be something of greater importance to account. The idea of Big Brother did originate from Dutchman John De Mol, however the shows name comes from George Orwells novel Nineteen-Eighty-Four, in which there is a character named Big Brother who oversees all of dystopian Oceania. The contestants that are sent into the house are often chosen from a sociological perspective, where tension can arise quite easily between people, i. e. placing a loud extroverted person with quite a withdrawn individual in the same room would cause a lot of arguments due to clash of personality. These clashes of personality have cause many incidents over each series of the show, often escalating each year. One example of this would be the fifth series of Celebrity Big Brother (a spin off show of Big Brother containing contestants of a small celebrity status) which took place in January 2007, where a row sparked by racial comments towards Asian contestant Shilpa Shetty was heard around the world. Channel 4 stated that they received a record number of complaints citing racial bullying, and blamed producers for not intervening with the situation. The current prime minister Gordon Brown was hounded by the media to give his views on the incident, which one may find incredibly absurd, as it seems we live in a world where a television programme has more priority than important political affairs. The reaction in Shettys native country, India, was also incredibly shocking as citizens took to the streets of India and burned effigies of the shows organisers. After this huge and rather outrageous reaction, many protested that Big Brother should be axed from Channel 4 and a new series should not return, however this is not happen and Big Brother returned in the summer for an eighth series. The continuation of the show has much relevance to the key concepts, involving the institutions that produce shows such as Big Brother and the audiences that consume them. The reaction that the media and audiences gave to the producers on the racial bullying that appeared on Big Brother may not have been incredibly positive, however it still caused an enormous controversial uproar in the media world, which acted as good publicity for the Big Brother brand. This is proven with the rating figures that followed with Big Brother 8 which were some of the highest the show had ever received, and there is a simple reason for this audiences are addicted to the taboo effect that the show can bring into the household, along with an incredible fascination with watching and analysing ordinary people in an extraordinary environment. What is normally kept behind closed doors in everyday life is available for all to see on national television, and audiences take full advantage of the fact that it is possible to peek into anothers personal space. The media (magazines, newspapers etc. ) observe this fascination and fuel it with articles that ridicule certain contestants to pass them up to the public for furthermore analysing and examination. However, the scrutiny of certain individuals on the show does not seem fair in my opinion, but the show has become so widespread it is now a known fact that any person that enters the house is aware that the media will ridicule their lifestyle. Screenwriter Sheryl Longin stated the difference to the brain between watching reality television and scripted drama is like the difference to our vision between High Definition television and 1970s quality video. In my opinion this is incredibly unfortunate as television is being dominated by these reality television shows due to our obsession with.