Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Employer Brand - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2378 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Cause and effect essay Did you like this example? Employer Branding Question: Comment on the following statement; Developing and Managing the Employer Brand (EB) is now too important to be left in the hands of the HR department and should become incorporated into all aspects of corporate strategy. Summary: It is a well established fact that people, or more precisely good people, are the vital for the success of an organization. The key challenge is how to attract, select and retain good people on your side. The emerging areas of HR managements such as talent management, employee engagement and employer branding provides the solutions for such questions. All these areas of HR management very much interlinked with one- another, and often go hand on hand ,but in this essay, we will focus on the importance of employer branding and its impact on the overall performance of the organization. This will also discuss kind of benefits an organization can sought after including this in its corporate strategy. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Employer Brand" essay for you Create order Introduction: Ever wondered why Google is getting more than 1000 000 job applications each year despite the fact that about 99.5% of those are going to be rejected? The answer to this; may be people might perceive it as the best place to work or one of the best employer in the world. This perception may be developed due to the expected benefits that a future employee might strive for after joining the organization. Such outstanding perception is hard to create and even harder to maintain. Firms always develop strategies for future products and potential customers but they never realize that same principals applies on them as well when it comes on selecting people who can make big difference for them. In a survey Chief Executive Magazine in 2001, 47 percent of CEOs of the companies surveyed believed that the greatest challenge in the new economy is finding and retaining good people. In order to remain competitive, one needs to acquire the capable people, which will determine whether or not you will be successful as an organization. Recruitment of staff is a risky aspect and therefore much research and planning is required (Kaliprasad2006). The right people will not simply come to firm itself, but the firm has to make effort to make them believe that it is the best place to work. Although it is an integral part of any organization, Human Recourse (HR) Management is often given less respect and admiration in the boardroom when compared to other functional units of business such as Finance, Accounting and Marketing (The Economist). But now its the right time for organizations to start looking at the core concepts of HR management with a new and fresh approach. Defining Employer Branding It would be a big slip if anyone assume Employer Branding just a value adding effort made by marketing activities similar to consumer product branding. It is deeper than that. It could be better figure out by looking at the following viewpoints; In its report, Charted Institute of Personnel Development says, Employer Brand is a set of attributes and qualities often intangible- that makes an organization distinctive and promises a particular kind of employment experience Further, according to Backhaus and Tikoo, Employer brand represents the array of economic, functional and psychological benefits that an employee might receive as a result of joining an organization. Just as product brands convey an image to customers, an employer brand conveys an organizational image to potential and current employees. In that regard, the employer brand presents a value proposition about what people might receive as a result of working for a particular employer (Backhaus and Tikoo, 2004) At the same time it is important to note that, it should not be confused with mere promotional activities of an organization which only aims to attract the potential employee. As Andy Dolby, managing director of Barkers Resourcing says; Far too often, employer branding gets confused with consistent recruitment identity. Some companies think that if they say theyre forward-thinking and progressive, and produce images matching that description, thats employer branding. But employer branding has to be consistent with the employee experience. Employer brand has also been defined as the companys image as seen through the eyes of its associates and potential hires, and is intimately linked to the employment experience of what it is like to work at a company, including tangibles such as salary and intangibles such as company culture and values (Ruch, 2002) Therefore, from the viewpoints of these scholars we can derive that employer branding is not just a process, but a ongoing practice which helps to define corporate culture, cultivate its values and strategically deliver an organizations message with a mission to attract, retain, motivate and focus people (talented people) for the economical as well as psychological benefits of the stakeholders of the organization. Benefits of Good Employer Brand A good brand in business is the most valuable asset for an organization. A brand is nothing but a promise or an assurance from the organization, which it has been delivered historically and is committed to deliver in future as well. If an organization manage to create an iconic brand as an employer, the outcomes can be highly desirable. Simon Hepburn (2005) recognizes that being a good employer is not enough abut you must perceived to be a good employer. The main advantages that firms can which enjoys as a reputations of being a good employer brand can be summarize as follows: 1. Good employer brand can make recruitment process more efficient by allowing organization to attract and select the best talent available. 2. It can also affect the behavior of the existing employees by making them feel proud, motivated and more focused towards organizational objectives. 3. By attracting and retaining most talented people, organization can gain competitive advantage over its competitor. 4. A positive reputation as an employer allow organization to deal rough times an it instill trust that organization will survive through difficult situation. 5. An organizations perception as a good employer also affects its perception of its products or services in the market. Therefore Simon (2005) suggests managing employer reputation (Brand) should be a business priority it should strive to remain ahead of the rest. US marketing academics Miles and Mangold (2004, 2005) have developed a model of what they have called Employee Branding. This model shows how all integral parts of organizations corporate strategy, such as its mission ,values , objectives, source and mode of communications affects and shapes employees behavior and brings out desirable outcomes. The employee branding process (Miles and Mangold, 2005) The definition they apply to employee branding is the process by which employees internalize the desired brand image and are motivated to project the image to customers and other organizational constituents (2005, p. 535). According to Miles and Mangold (2005), the brand image has to be conveyed through a range of internal and external, formal and informal communications media to shape employees understanding and psychological contracts. Most of the usual qualifications apply concerning the nature of communications, including the coherence and credibility of the message and medium, and the need for leaders and managers to act as they say in reinforcing the message. The qualifications fit well with our strategic narrative approach. The resulting employer brand image will lead, to a range of favorable outcomes, including positive organizational reputations, customer loyalty and satisfaction, positive brand and organizational positioning, employee satisfaction and turnover. Developing and Managing Employer Branding In a way Employer brand can also be seen as the reputation of the corporate. According to Balmer and Geyser (2003), managing corporate reputations is becoming an increasingly important strategic issue for organizations. Reputations and brands are also becoming more and more important. Further, there is emerging empirical proof of a strong link between corporate reputations, brands and financial performance (Roberts and Dowling 2002). Much of the literature and practice in this field is from marketing, branding and communications, with the HR function and HR academics relatively silent on these issues until recently (Boxall and Purcell 2008). However, its important to note role of the HR function and people management in creating and maintaining these valuable assets. HR can contribute significantly to corporate reputations and branding by influencing the lived experience of employees, levels of engagement, and through these, organizational identity, governance and leadership (Graeme Martin 2009). When such information will be available outside for talented people who are looking for work, it will definitely make an impression. Such HR policies act as a magnet to attract very few talented people. Theses increase the engagement of the existing employees, hence, increases rate of retention. It should be noted that the success of employer branding depends on creating a realistic analysis of the external and internal brand propositions, only them aligning them if there is a broad agreement between the two through core employee value propositions (Barrow and Mosely 2005). It is argued that marketing department is better for developing and managing employer brand and vice-versa. For instance, Chris Wood, chief executive of strategic branding consultancy Corporate Edge, says:There is no role for marketers in internal marketing because it is about people, so should be handled by HR. He concedes that marketing involvement may be justified for service brands, (Jane Simms.2003).Conversely, David Hail, managing director of internal marketing agency Serac Communications, believes that where internal marketing sits is less important than making sure it is done properly. At the moment it tends to fall within HRs remit, but he questions whether HR is best-placed to drive it. Few HR professionals are trained in marketing or communications, and many employer branding programmers fail because the message is not compelling or personal enough or because they are underfunded and resourced. (Jane Simms.2003) Since both marketing and people management aspects of employer branding appears to be essential, Hail suggest the best solution is to take a joint marketing/HR approach. Whats required is a real step-change to ensure employees are aligned behind the brand positioning and promise, and to have the systems and processes in place to do that. In an ideal world that means marketing should drive it, with strong support and involvement from HR. (Jane Simms.2003) Drawbacks of Poor Employer Brand As a poor employer brand, a firm would not be able to attract talented people is likely to limit access to the best staff that it could have been if it has a stronger employer brand. Moreover, it could also affect the performance of the existing employees by limiting their motivation level and hence, decreasing engagement with their area of work. However, as consequences of this a firm is more likely to hire people who are not much talented or people who do not posses enough passion or enthusiasm for their jobs. This could lead to the firm into new situation. For instance, according to Teds Jon Holden1, if poor branding results in recruiting the wrong talent, it can be costly. By the time firm realize that it has hired the wrong person, it can be significant perhaps as much as two times the persons annual salary. It also creates a negative environment in the organization which can further affect the performance of others as well. But most companies dont measure that how many measur e quality of hire? (Daniel Allen 2008) Criticism of Employer Branding Its not that everyone believe in employer branding as the others do. There are also some alternative viewpoints about the concept of employer branding which should be acknowledged. For instance Simon Russell2, director of consulting for Work Communications argue that branding is often associated with sleight of hand, spin and creative sophistry. Like reputation, brand is anamorphous concept that many employers are beginning to shy away from. Instead, they are focusing on employee value proposition (EVP), which, Russell says, poses one simple question: Why should the people we want to employ want to work with us? He further adds few companies take the trouble to differentiate their offer from that of the competition. However, those that do give themselves a big advantage. An EVP offers the scope to demonstrate and substantiate their difference at every stage of the recruitment and employment cycle. (Daniel Allen 2008) Conclusion From this discussion we can derive that despite of slight criticism, the concept of employer branding does hold good for the both employees(current and future) and the organization. As the demographic studies shows that there will be a shortage of talented people in near future, therefore, firms should adopt a comprehensive employer branding strategy, which will help them to attract, recruit, and engage good (talented) people. The adopted strategy should be implemented sincerely, under the close guidelines of Strategic Human Resources Department. This practice will enable firms to gain competitive advantage over its competitors and ensure success of the business in future. References: Ambler, T. Barrow, S. 1996. The employer brand. Journal of Brand Management, 4, 185-206. Backhaus, K. Tikoo, S. 2004 Balmer, J.T., and S.A. Greyser. 2003. Revealing the corporation: Perspectives on identity, image, reputation, corporate branding and corporate-level marketing. London: Routledge Barrow, S., and R. Mosely. 2005. The employer brand : Bringing the best of brand management to people at work. London:Wiley. Boxall, P. And J. Purcell. 2008. Strategy and human resource management. 2nd edn. Basingstoke, Hants:Palgrave Macmillan. Graeme Martin 2009. Driving corporate reputations from the inside: A strategic role and strategic dilemmas for HR? Asia Pacific Journal of Human 220 Resources 2009 47(2) Jane Simms.2003 HR or marketing: Who gets staff on side? Jul 24, 2003. pg. 23 Marttin,g and Hetric,S. Corporate Reputation, Branding and People Management 2006 Miles, S. J. and Mangold, W. G. (2004) A conceptualization of the employee branding process, Journal of Relationship Marketing, 3 (2/3), 65-87. Miles, S. J. and Mangold, W. G. (2005) Positioning Southwest Airlinesthrough employee branding, Business Horizons, 48, 535-545. Minnesh Kaliprasad Cost Engineering Vol. 48/No. 6 JUNE 2006 Personnel Today; Jul 18, 2006; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 19 HRs unique selling point Roberts, P.W., and G.R. Dowling. 2002. Corporate reputation and sustained superior financial performance. Strategic Management Journal 23: 1077-93. Simon Hepburn, 2005. Creating a winning employer reputation Strategic HR Review pg 20-21 Ruch, W. (2002) Employer brand evolution: a guide to building loyalty in your organization. https://www.versantsolutions.com 1Teds Jon Holden Brand Aid PM Guide to Recruitment Process Outsourcing pg 13 Nov 2008 2 Simon Russell Brand Aid PM Guide to Recruitment Process Outsourcing pg 13 Nov 2008
Monday, December 23, 2019
How Does The Environment Play A Role - 1236 Words
How does the environment play a role in learning? Somethingââ¬â¢s you will need to know about learning and the environment are; Ways of Learning now and Learning 20 years ago, Research done on learning and disorders, Distractions and learning tools in the environment, and Types of learning at different ages. These topics will make you want to dig deeper into your brain to find out how the environment plays a role in your learning. I have conducted a little visual research myself by looking at my childrenââ¬â¢s schools now versus what I had in my school twenty years ago. Today my children go to public schools just like myself one is in Pre-K and my oldest is in second grade. Both of their school has lots of technology to teach them how to read,â⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦In twenty years from no technology will bigger and better and it will continue to get better. There are also some cons of technology and how kids today learn versus 20 years ago. One is everything is hands of f, like writing a paper in word it will make corrections for you. Twenty years ago we had to write papers on note book paper and someone had to proof read it with a red pen. More and more classes are being conducted online or on computers because it is easier and more time efficient to buy computers to replace the teachers in the class. John Hopkins School of education stated this ââ¬Å"Schools today care more about uniformity versus diversity.â⬠(Guild, n.d.). This is one of the truest statements I have seen about learning today. Todayââ¬â¢s learning styles are simplistic and an easy way to learn. Felder and Solomon defined learning styles in detail characterizing them into groups such as active versus reflective learners, sensing versus intuitive learners , visual versus verbal learners, and sequential versus global learners (Felder Soloman, n.d.). Earlier years using the technology we had there were more active and verbal learners, now we have more reflective and visual . The worlds United States birth rates today for teenagers is very low in 2010 it was the lowest of any year since 1946 (Hamilton, Ventura, 2012). With the birth rates being low for teenage women what cause the amount of disabilitiesââ¬â¢ to grow rapidly since the early 1990ââ¬â¢s. In 1991
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Honor Killing Free Essays
I believe that the murder of Desdemona was an honor killing. Othello thought that Desdemona brought him dishonor and gave him a bad reputation. While Othello was manipulated into murdering Desdemona, he was the one that had the physical choice. We will write a custom essay sample on Honor Killing or any similar topic only for you Order Now Iago constantly agreed with Othello, saying that Othello should kill Desdemona. This influenced Othelloââ¬â¢s decision, but it was ultimately Othello that chose why he should or shouldnââ¬â¢t kill Desdemona. His choice was based off of his own reputation. He loved Desdemona, but after one rumor he decided to murder her because of what others would think. He believes ââ¬Å"she must die, else sheââ¬â¢ll betray more menâ⬠[V, ii, 6] and he later admits that he is ââ¬Å"almost persuade[d] justice to break her swordâ⬠[V, ii, 16-17]. He tells Desdemona to ââ¬Å"think on [her] sinsâ⬠, trying to get her to realize that he would kill her for having an affair [V, ii, 43]. When he thought to kill Cassio, however, he was seeking revenge. He asked Iago, ââ¬Å"how shall I murder himâ⬠[IV, i, 136]. It is more contemplated and decided than Desdemona. The contrasts between his thoughts on the two were considerable. Othelloââ¬â¢s immediate thought about Cassio was ââ¬Å"kill himâ⬠but he was more torn up about Desdemona. When explaining why he killed her to Emilia, he said ââ¬Å"she turnââ¬â¢d to folly, and she was a whoreâ⬠[V, iii, 146]. He didnââ¬â¢t care to listen to Desdemona. Othello killed her because he thought there was no other way to repair his reputation. He couldnââ¬â¢t live with the shame of an unfaithful wife. It was his honor versus his love, and he chose honor. This turns out to be the main theme of the story. If reputation were not a factor, Desdemona would not be dead. In the end of Othello, reputation trumps all else. Othello killed Desdemona out of shame, making the murder an honor killing. How to cite Honor Killing, Papers
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Enhancing Leadership Quality
Question: What is your definition of leadership now? What have you learned about leadership through this subject that is of benefit to you and/or your organisation? What implications do your studies of leadership have for you in the future? What more do you need to learn or do? How will you develop your own leadership knowledge and skills? Answer: My earlier view about leadership was that it is a quality of a person who exercises his authority on the particular organisation. But now my definition of leadership has changed and it has acquired a new dimension after the lessons learned on leadership throughout my semester lectures. Now I would define leadership as the process of influencing the function of an organized group for the attainment of goals and objectives of the organization. I learned this new definition during my lectures and I got to know that leadership is the ability to instil confidence among people and inspire them to achieve a set of vision and goals. It is the interaction between leaders and followers during different situations. A reciprocal relationship exists between particular institutions, leaders, cultural values and interpretive skills of leaders. The leader is the person actively involved in the well-being of the business. They should not have an authoritarian attitude just trying to force and command employees into certain activities; rather they should positively influence them so that not they do not feel themselves to be worthless (Goetsch Davis, 2014). After my course on leadership, i got many perspectives of leadership. I feel that this lessons will extremely beneficial for the organization where I will work and for me too. It is a process but not the individual or position that creates a leadership relation. It is a kind of social interaction between groups in response to diverse situations. From the week one lessons, I learnt that leadership behaviour is dependent on several factors. I got the idea that potential of a leader was understood by legitimacy. It is a power dynamic in which interpretation is based on a perception of employees and organisation. Secondly, the outcome of any project is dependent on the intention of the leader. I realised that it was critical to have the connection between events and leadership activities. The outcome is driven by the response of the head (Schoemaker et al., 2013). A leader is the most responsible member of a business entity who is required to take the initiative first in any actions. The re is a lot of expectation from leaders and people expect them to deliver good performance based on their independent judgement and discretion. I also learned that leaders should have moral values too. Many decisions are taken by them considering moral values of society which is outside the norms and rules of the business firm. So I learnt that moral dimension in leadership was crucial too. A lot of things are dependent on leaders behaviour also. They should have a character and personality to motivate and influence others through a change in perceptions (Bartenschlag, 2013). In one of my lecture I learned about different skills possessed by great leaders. Seeing the example of great leaders in the past like Alexander the Great, Napoleon, etc., my lecturer gave us idea about actual traits of a leader. The general characteristics associated with a leader are honesty, self-confidence, cognitive skills, achievement, ambitions, tenacity, energy and motivation. All these combined factors propel the organisation forward to achieve top position (Northouse, 2014). I also got to know that leadership is of three types-relational, non-hierarchical and situational. In non-hierarchical leadership, the organization has leaders at all levels not just at the top position of Company. I came to know that relation leadership lays more stress on a social relationship which needs a lot of efforts. Situational leaders work on handling situations and they take hard choices and adapt to those changes. A leader needs to get involved and so they should have participative nature. T hey set high standard challenging goals for the improvement of organisation and self-improvement. I also came to know about leader member Exchange theory. According to this theory, views and thoughts are exchanged between leader and employee related to low quality data like fulfilling contractual relationship and high quality involvement like mentoring, empowerment through performance and sponsorship (Hackman Johnson, 2013). The course on leadership also gave me valuable information on the historical perspective of leadership. I realised that leadership is not a new concept it came into being from time immemorial. There is saying that some people are born to be leaders'. One suitable example of this saying was Napoleon, who transformed the history with his leadership skills. It is known as hero king theory and according to it, the ablest leader is one who is justifiable, noblest man and has supreme qualities to lead. I came to know about the philosopher king, Platos view on leadership. He felt that leader is the most important part of good government who has skills to rule with order and reason. They used their intellect and wisdom in the right direction (Ciulla, 2013). According to Bass, with the evolution of civilisation, leadership is influenced by mythology, religion, culture, various literature, media, education, keen observation and role models in the society. So Bass summarised leadership as the e ffect of personality, behaviour and exercise of influence. According to him, it is a differentiated position with the combination of useful elements and the art of inducing compliance (Van Wart, 2014). The study on leadership enhanced my knowledge about the subject and it will help me a lot in my future endeavours and progress in career. Now if I get the opportunity to become a leader of any Company, then I am confident that I will perform my responsibility efficiently. I feel so because the course on leadership helped me learn all the nuance of the subject and what people expects from leaders (Piccolo Buengeler, 2013). All the lectures will have moral implications for my future. Leadership is more or less related to management. In one of my lessons, I learnt about Fayol's view of management. It had four element-planning, organising, directing and controlling (Shafritz et al., 2015).When I reach this position, I will try to fit my activities according to all these four elements. I think I will also benefit a lot from geese lessons. It was a very fascinating to see how my lecture compared the different flying style of geese to explain us leadership skills. For example, when the flo ck of geese fly in "V" formation; it gives the whole flock power of 71% greater flying range than a bird flying alone. The lesson from this was that when group members have common direction and sense of unity, such organization will move ahead quickly everyone is moving on the thrust of another member. Such leadership character is necessary for leading a team. So, on the whole, the lessons made me aware of leadership values, code of ethics and challenges faced in the job. It will help me to shape the value of the organization (Lautier, 2014). I can develop my knowledge and skill by bringing into practical applications all my lessons. I will check that I don't miss use my power and force task on people. If there is a cordial relationship between my colleagues, then only we can propel our organization to a new set destination (McCauley McCall, 2014).During working in different situations, i will first try to analyze the whole problem and find out the challenges we can face for particular steps. If we are aware of the future challenges we can get prepared to make a defensive plan which can protect us. But in the pressure of responsibility, I will see to it that I don't ignore the cultural values of the society. Though following the rules and protocol of company is important but still understanding cultural and morals values are essential too. I got to what kind of behaviour is right or wrong for the Company and so I will try my best to comply with an ethical code of conduct (Shapiro Stefkovich, 2016). I will try to take ev ery decision within the boundaries of codified laws and consent of the whole team. Before taking any step, i will question myself whether the action is legal and fair to all members involved. It will help me feel better if everyone else agrees with my decision comfortably (Smith et al., 2012). On the whole, it can be concluded from the study that it is an excellent guide for persons wanting to hone their leadership skills or for those who want to know about skills of leadership. Based on my lessons on leadership, I learnt a lot about the skills required to carry out leadership responsibility successfully. I came to know about types of leadership and their style of working. I got well acquainted with different theories on the subject and the management element of Foyal. The lesson on a historical perspective of leadership was also very fascinating. I learnt from examples of exemplary characters in history who were born to leaders and had exceptional innate leadership qualities. The lessons on geese flying style to explain leadership values were also a fascinating thing to learn. I am very satisfied with the useful information and hope to use this knowledge while exercising my responsibility in this position in the future. One interesting quote by Bass will summarise respons ibility of leader which says Leadership is lifting of a mans vision to higher sights, raising performance to higher standards and building mans personality beyond its normal limitations. Reference Bartenschlag, A., Funk, B. (2013). Enhancing leadership quality.Ohio: Battelle for kids. Ciulla, J. B. (2013).Leadership ethics. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Goetsch, D. L., Davis, S. B. (2014).Quality management for organizational excellence. pearson. Hackman, M. Z., Johnson, C. E. (2013).Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press. Lautier, F. (2014). Leadership and Context. InLeadership in a Globalized World(pp. 208-266). Palgrave Macmillan UK. McCauley, C. D., McCall Jr, M. W. (2014).Using experience to develop leadership talent: How organizations leverage on-the-job development. John Wiley Sons. Northouse, P. G. (2014).Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice: Concepts and Practice. Sage Publications. Piccolo, R. F., Buengeler, C. (2013).Behavioral approach to leadership. Oxford University Press. Schoemaker, P. J., Krupp, S., Howland, S. (2013). Strategic leadership: The essential skills.Harvard business review,91(1), 131-134. Shafritz, J., Ott, J., Jang, Y. (2015).Classics of organization theory. Cengage Learning. Shapiro, J. P., Stefkovich, J. A. (2016).Ethical leadership and decision making in education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Routledge. Smith, W. K., Besharov, M. L., Wessels, A. K., Chertok, M. (2012). A paradoxical leadership model for social entrepreneurs: Challenges, leadership skills, and pedagogical tools for managing social and commercial demands.Academy of Management Learning Education,11(3), 463-478. Van Wart, M. (2014).Dynamics of leadership in public service: Theory and practice. Routledge.
Friday, November 29, 2019
The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay Thesis Example For Students
The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay Thesis The Love Song of J. Alfred PrufrockWhen our lives begin, we are innocent and life is beautiful, but as we grow older and time slowly and quickly passes we discover that not everything about life is quite so pleasing. Along with the joys and happiness we experience there is also pain, sadness and loneliness. Hemingways A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, and Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock both tell us about older men who are experiencing these dreadful emotions. In Hemingways short story there are three characters, two waiters and their customer. Of these three, two are older men who are experiencing extreme loneliness. The customer sits alone drinking his glasses of brandy slowly, and very carefully, peacefully becoming drunk. While he is meticulously drinking his alcohol, the two waiters talk about him. They discuss his suicide attempt of the week past. The younger waiter doesnt seem to understand why a man with money would try to end his life. We will write a custom essay on The Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock Thesis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Although the older waiter seems to have an insight into the customers reason, he doesnt share this with the younger one. He seems to know why this deaf old man is so depressed, and sits there alone and silent. When the younger waiter rushes the customer, the older waiter objects. He knows what it is like to go home to emptiness at night, while the younger man goes home to his wife. The older waiter remarks on the differences between him and his younger companion when he says, I have never had confidence and I am not young. He tells the waiter and us that he prefers to stay in a well-lit place instead of going home to darkness and loneliness. When he does go home, he waits until daylight to sleep. The light seems to cure his inner darkness, his despair at being alone, and his despair at the nada-ness in his life but only temporarily. In T.S. Eliots poem J. Alfred Prufrock tells the reader of his fear of rejection. He is a lonely man and wants to ask someone to make his life a little less desolate. He doesnt know what to say or how to ask. We are at a party, a setting Prufrock seems to visit often. He tells us about himself, his bald spot, his skinny arms and legs. He knows that the people at the party will talk about those flaws in his appearance. Prufrock is so unsure of himself that while trying to find a way to ask his question, he loses the opportunity to ask it. He loses his chance at ending the nothingness that seems to fill his life as well. His uncertainty and his inferiority complex are touchingly revealed when he tells us, I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. // I do not think they will sing to me. It is this forlorn attitude that moves us. He is extremely lonely and yet, he cannot do anything about it. In both these works men talk of loneliness and sadness. They are all alone in a world filled with people. The misery they experience from this feeling of solitude moves the reader because we have all at one point or another felt likewise even if not to that intensity.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Free Essays on Jealousy
True Friends Jealousy is the route of many evils, and can effect us, all from the poorest of paupers to the richest of kings. It has lead men to lie, cheat, steal and exhibit other harmful acts toward their fellow man. This one emotion has broken the spirits of men since the dawn of time, and there is no end in site. In A Separate Peace by John Knowls, Gene, an all American boy, is griped with the age old torment of jealousy towards his best friend. This drives him to do despicable things. Gene's jealousy flourishes for Phineas every time Finny accomplishes something new. It reaches it's pinnacle when Phineas beat the school swimming record and does not want anyone to know about it. As if the feat itself wasn't enough, being humble about it angers Gene even more. He tries to deny the jealousy by figuring: " I was more certainly becoming the best student in the school; Phineas was without question the best athlete, so in that way we were even. But while he was a very poor stude! nt I was a pretty good athlete, and when everything was thrown on the scales they would in the end tilt definitely toward me"(47). So in Gene's mind he was better than Phineas, and this appeased the grip of jealousy for awile at least. Peace is once again retained at the Devon school, but it wont last. Neither Gene nor Phineas can foresee the agony which will soon be beckoning them.(4) The summer was quickly passing for these two boys and Gene nearly forgot his jealousy towards Finny. The stress of trying to be better and follow Finny's wild ideas finally got to Gene. He has had enough, and the jealousy turns to rage without Genes knowledge. Finny has another wild idea, he and Gene will jump off the large tree into the river together. Carelessly, Phineas ambles up the tree first with Gene following closely behind.(1) They reached the top "...I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb"(52). Finny fell, shattering his leg as well as hi... Free Essays on Jealousy Free Essays on Jealousy True Friends Jealousy is the route of many evils, and can effect us, all from the poorest of paupers to the richest of kings. It has lead men to lie, cheat, steal and exhibit other harmful acts toward their fellow man. This one emotion has broken the spirits of men since the dawn of time, and there is no end in site. In A Separate Peace by John Knowls, Gene, an all American boy, is griped with the age old torment of jealousy towards his best friend. This drives him to do despicable things. Gene's jealousy flourishes for Phineas every time Finny accomplishes something new. It reaches it's pinnacle when Phineas beat the school swimming record and does not want anyone to know about it. As if the feat itself wasn't enough, being humble about it angers Gene even more. He tries to deny the jealousy by figuring: " I was more certainly becoming the best student in the school; Phineas was without question the best athlete, so in that way we were even. But while he was a very poor stude! nt I was a pretty good athlete, and when everything was thrown on the scales they would in the end tilt definitely toward me"(47). So in Gene's mind he was better than Phineas, and this appeased the grip of jealousy for awile at least. Peace is once again retained at the Devon school, but it wont last. Neither Gene nor Phineas can foresee the agony which will soon be beckoning them.(4) The summer was quickly passing for these two boys and Gene nearly forgot his jealousy towards Finny. The stress of trying to be better and follow Finny's wild ideas finally got to Gene. He has had enough, and the jealousy turns to rage without Genes knowledge. Finny has another wild idea, he and Gene will jump off the large tree into the river together. Carelessly, Phineas ambles up the tree first with Gene following closely behind.(1) They reached the top "...I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb"(52). Finny fell, shattering his leg as well as hi...
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Account for the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the latter part of Essay
Account for the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the latter part of the 20th century - Essay Example However, modern commentators do not agree with this interpretation. The word fundamentalism was first coined in the United States in the early 1900s, where it was applied to religious groups (Rippin 184). It was employed by theologically conservative Protestants, who opposed modernism and liberalism. The members of this group were wont to claim that they were great fundamentalists of their faith. Subsequently, this term was applied to any religious group that demanded the exclusive implementation of their religious beliefs (Rippin 184). The 1970s witnessed a significant amount of political victories by the Islamic fundamentalists. In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini seized power in Iran through his Islamic movement. He was successful in his revolution against the westernized politics of the Shah of Iran. The tyrants and dictators of the Arab world lent their support to Islamic fundamentalism, in order to strengthen their position (Palmowski). Some instances of this trend, were the vocal support that was forthcoming from Saddam Hussein, in Iraq; and Muammar Gaddafi, in Libya. In Sudan, Nigeria, and several Islamic nations, the governments made several concessions to the Islamic fundamentalists, by providing them with funds and a number of concessions. This trend had commenced in the early 1990s (Palmowski). In the early 1970s, there were two major developments that enhanced to the growing influence of Islam at the international level. First, the cost of crude petroleum oil increased in an unprecedented manner, thereby rendering the oil producing countries of West Asia, extremely wealthy. Second, the invasion of Afghanistan by the USSR in 1979, which created considerable tension in the region. This was accompanied by the Islamic revolution in Iran, which brought the Islamic fundamentalist, Ayatollah Khomeini to power (Ghosh 288). The American hostage crises
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Korean War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Korean War - Essay Example hina to intervene in the war because of the fear that USA would help the South conquer the North and acquire its territory.1 Chinese also wanted to safeguard the Chinese-Korean border, as well as support for the North to win a glorious battle and to reclaim its status as the Central Kingdom. By helping the North resist the South, China considered it as repaying the North for the soldiers they provided during the civil war in China. Above all, China had a long standing towards the USA and they saw this as the perfect opportunity to inflict pain and suffering to the USA.2 Evidently, Chinese were not prepared to enter the Korean War, but entry of the US prompted them to rethink their decision and join the war. They entered the war to protect their border and to repay debt they owed North Korea, and most importantly to disapprove the US as the war provided a chance to maintain its status and pride as the world power. Civil Operation and Revolutionary Development Support was an organization formed in May 1967. The program aimed at coordinating the U.S public and pacification programs by pulling together all U.S military and civilian agencies engaged in the pacification efforts. The U.S aimed at promoting pacification of the countryside through development of rural areas coordinated with the army operation. CORDS efforts worked well to integrate military and civil efforts as exemplified by the United States Military experience in Vietnam. According to White, Komer, the head of CORDââ¬â¢s operation in Vietnam, successfully integrated the civilian and military personnel into a single efficient unit.3 Furthermore, Komer successfully placed soldiers under the command of civilians. This merger helped eliminate much of the home loyalty that had led to ineffective working of civilians under the previous Office of Civil system. Komer also consolidated the civilian and pacification into distinct and useful CORD programs.4 It was for the purpose of creating a powerful and
Monday, November 18, 2019
Performance of the British Government and the Bank of England in Essay
Performance of the British Government and the Bank of England in Running the British Economy between November 2008 to November 2010 - Essay Example This research paper talks about how successful the British Government and the Bank of England was able to control UK Economy in spite of the the challenges were present in the global economic condition, displays events that took place in Great Britain between November 2008 and November 2010 as confirmation of its forehanded economy. 'Performance of the British Government and the Bank of England in Running the British Economy between November 2008 to November 2010' is the best example of comparison the historical trends of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unemployment rate, balance of payment, and price stability (in particular inflation rate, Consumer Price Index (CPI), and GDP Deflator) over determined period of time. This essay also examines the most important macroeconomic policies used by the British Government and the Bank of England to success its economy: fiscal policy - the Her Majesty's Treasury on behalf of the British government is aiming at being able to maintain a sound mac roeconomic condition by maintaining a low level inflation rate and monetary policy that means the Bank of England can control the country's money supply and interest rates in order to maintain a maximum level of employment, a stable price and avoid high inflation rate by controlling the interest rates. Using such strategy make able to the British government of creating a better quality life-style for the local citizens by controlling, restructuring, and imposing fair taxes to low income earners.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Communication In An Organization Management Essay
Communication In An Organization Management Essay Communication in an organization is significant and its continuous effectiveness is fundamental for the seamless integration of its internal publics into the organization. Ferguson (1999), suggests that communication priorities must be capable of responding to the requirements of both external and internal audiences. Apparent communication channels echo the well being of an institute. Clampitt (1991) suggests that effective internal communication helps to improve an organizations success. Clampitts proposition is consistent with Heaths (2001) observations that effective internal communication leads to increased productivity, satisfied clients and maintenance of the organizational structure. Furthermore, Clampitt and Downs 1993 cited in Hargie and Tourish (2000) suggest that organizations benefit a lot from improved internal communication. This includes improved productivity, reduced absenteeism, higher quality of service and products. Organizations also experience increased levels of innovation, fewer strikes and reduced costs of operation and high staff turnover. Taylor (2005) summarizes the benefits of effective communication in the acronym as, SUCCESS defined as follows: S- stronger decision making and problem solving; U-upturn in productivity; C-convincing and compelling corporate materials; C-clearer, more streamlined work flow; E-enhanced professional image; S-sound business relationships; S-successful response assured (p. 11). . For an organization to assess the effectiveness of its internal communication based on its employees attitudes about the firm, it needs to conduct a communication audit (Argenti, 2009). Therefore, the assurance that effective internal communication systems exists is vital to the success of any organization. This ensures that all the objectives undertaken by an organization are clearly understood by its employees. A communication audit Scott (2007) defines a communication audit as an indicator used in a particular time to help an organization assess its current communication practices and also to show how effective they are. She suggests that a communication audit can also be used to identify areas with problems such as frequent misunderstandings, information blocks, information gaps, information duplication or misrepresentation. McGann (2010) suggests that, a communication audit is a snapshot of the organizations communications programs, practices and activities. A communication audit will inform you on what is working, what is not working and what needs to be changed or improved in terms of communication within the organization (p. 1). According to Hargie and Tourish (2000), communication audits have been used to identify and reward good practice and at the same time help organizations to manage crisis and improve business performance. Snyder and Morris (1994) cited in Hargie and Tourish (2000) observe that there is a positive correlation between the employee perceptions of communication and job satisfaction which in turn correlates to the overall organizations effectiveness. This can be achieved by the results of the communication audit. Seitel (1995) states that, organizations utilize communication audits to analyze the perception of its constituents, evaluate the readership of its communication, annual reports and newsletters which are the vehicles of the organization. Further, the author suggests that, communication audits provide the organization with important information on how to solve problems like employees working at cross-purposes, uneven communication workloads and benchmarks against which public relations programs can be applied and measured in the future. The author concludes that, a communication audit will determine the communications systems which are being used by the organization, which are the most effective and if the information that is being transmitted by the organization is regarded as adequate by its recipients. This study is an internal communication audit of the CDF Board and Secretariat which aims to determine the effectiveness of the communication systems used within the organization. History of CDF in Kenya In the recent past, the government of Kenya has created a number of alternative windows to allow allocation of resources directly to devolved government units in response to the needs to ensure equitable development at the grassroots. For instance, there has been substantial increase in resources committed at the constituency level and the local government units. When President Mwai Kibaki was in opposition he introduced a motion in parliament that sought to have funds devolved at the grassroot level, however the motion was defeated by the then head of state President Daniel arap Mois government. In the year 2003 when H. E Mwai Kibaki took power, the Ol-Kalao Member of Parliament Hon. Eng. Karue having been a member of his party, brought the motion again to Parliament seeking the funds to be devolved at the grassroot level and it was passed. Constituency Development Fund (CDF) became operational in 2004 with an annual budgetary allocation of a minimum 2.5% by the central government to each of the countrys constituencies. The fund aims to address imbalances in regional development. It targets community projects at the constituency level, particularly those aiming to combat poverty. It also provides individuals at the grassroot the opportunity to make development choices that maximize their welfare in line with their needs and preferences. Some of other notable devolved funds in Kenya include the Community Development Trust Fund (CDTF), the Roads Fund, Constituency AIDs Fund, the Local Authority Transfer Fund (LATF), Women Enterprise Fund, Youth Enterprise Development Fund, Rural Electrification Programe Levy Fund (REPF), Free Primary Education Fund (FPEF) and the Constituency Education Bursary Fund (CEBF). The over-arching goal has been to improve the development outcomes by involving local communities in the decision-making process and management of projects (CDF Board Strategic Plan, 2010-2014). During the period of CDF existence, the fund has registered substantial achievements and has greatly contributed in transforming the lives of Kenyans. The researchers observations are that, the impact of the fund is widespread that in all corners of the country one can never miss a project which has been financed from the CDF kitty. They include the improved infrastructure especially in the rural areas in the form of rural access roads, education and health facilities. The fund has enabled many students to access education through bursary. In addition it has enabled locals to build capacity at the grassroot level through empowerment in participation in project management through various committees. CDF has received a lot of media attention both positive and negative despite the fact that it has brought a paradigm shift in most of Kenyas rural areas in terms of development. However, just like any other noble idea, the Fund has had its own share of challenges ranging from mode of financing, accountability to the public, political interference in identification of projects, approval and implementation of the projects, low level of awareness among communities on the operations of the fund among others. However, Gikonyo (2008) observes that CDF has been a great success despite the challenges faced by the fund. This idea has been seconded by New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) as it acknowledges the Fund as one of the best innovations in Africas development and as a result many countries are seeking to adopt the CDF model. By law, the CDF is controlled by the Member of Parliament of a constituency. This amount is then shared among all the constituencies on an established formula that factors in equality and the poverty levels of each constituency. Thereafter, the onus of disbursing and ensuring the constituencies use their share of the money efficiently and accountably falls with the CDF Board and Secretariat. This body was established under CDF (Amendment) Act 2007 section 5 (CDF Board Strategic Plan, 2010-2014). However, this Board and Secretariat is charged with the overall responsibility of managing the Funds and reporting to parliamentary Constituency Fund Committee (CFC) on its usage. The Board activities are also coordinated by a Secretariat based at its headquarters in Nairobi County. The CEO to the Secretariat is also the Secretary to the Board and the chief accounting officer to the fund. The CDF Board and Secretariat just like any other organization is believed to have communication channels in place. These communication channels play an important role of information dissemination from one person to another. However, they need to be evaluated so as to give the guidelines based on what is working, what is not working and what needs to be changed. The communication channels used by organizations include memos, telephone, emails, newsletters, website, notice board, suggestion box, meetings, annual reports and face to face. In this study the researcher will provide a credible baseline of the actual status of communication in the CDF Board and Secretariat with its internal publics. Problem statement Good internal communication is supposed to ensure low staff turnover, high quality of service and goods, improved productivity, reduced absenteeism, and reduced cost of operation. For an organization like CDF Board and Secretariat good internal communication is critical because it will ensure seamless integration of its internal publics. Staff retention is important to ensure such a young organization has officers long enough to understand, establish and concretize its mandate to ensure it serves the purpose for which it was established. A look at the CDF Board and Secretariat website indicates that several senior officers have left the organization in a period of one year. Although no exit interviews were conducted to establish the reason for their departure, poor internal communication, according to Hargie and Tourish (2000) is a major cause of high staff turnover. These authors further suggest that an organization should conduct a communication audit between five and seven years or after any major change in the organization. This enables the organization to realize what is working and what needs to be changed in terms of communication. The high staff turnover at the CDF Board and Secretariat in the long run would increase the operation costs of hiring and training new staffs regularly and also paint a negative image of the organization. This study therefore aims to investigate whether the CDF Board and Secretariat has effective internal communication and whether poor communication could have contributed to challen ges like high staff turnover. Purpose of the study The purpose of this study is to conduct an internal communication audit of the CDF Board and Secretariat and to analyze the effectiveness of its communication channels between the CDF Board and Secretariat and its internal publics. Objectives of the study General objective The general objective of this study is to carry out an internal communication audit of the CDF Board and Secretariat and to establish what communication styles are in place, how they work and the perceived effectiveness of the organizations communication. Specific objectives of the study will be: To establish the communication systems used to communicate amongst the internal publics of the CDF Board and Secretariat. To verify the effectiveness of the communication systems in meeting employees information needs. To establish employees perception on the relationship of internal communication to job satisfaction and employee retention. To document the strengths and weaknesses of the existing communication practices and propose a way forward. Research questions The issues that this study will address include:- What are the communication systems that are used to communicate among the internal publics of the CDF Board and Secretariat? What is the perceived effectiveness of communication amongst the internal publics? What is the employee perception on the relationship of internal communication to job satisfaction and employee retention? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the existing communication practices at the CDF Board and Secretariat? Rationale/ significance of the study This study will help the organization to develop possible solutions to communication problems if they will arise and also help the organization to avoid other forms of crisis including high staff turnover. The study findings could also be adopted by the government of Kenya as a basis of developing a comprehensive policy framework for internal communication among public institutions in Kenya. Such a policy would ensure smooth flow of information on government policy and directives among the public servants, which would translate to better service delivery to the public/citizens. Further, the study finding will contribute immensely to the body of knowledge in the country, and help scholars and practitioners better understand the subject of internal communication. At the completion of this study, the researcher will provide significant recommendations concerning communication issues from the research findings which will be useful to the organization. This will help the CDF Board and Secretariat to improve its internal communication systems for better and more effective internal communication within the organization. Assumptions of the study The following are the basic assumptions of the study. That CDF Board and Secretariat has got communication systems that can be audited. That the CDF Board and Secretariat employees will be truthful in responding to the research questions. That the CDF Board and Secretariat will allow the participation of its internal publics in this study. That the CDF Board and Secretariat will provide relevant information to the researcher. Limitations and delimitations In this study the researcher will focus on the internal publics of the CDF Board and Secretariat who include the CEO, the staff and the Board members. The researcher will not extend the study to the external publics. In addition, some employees may opt to withhold information due to fear of victimization. This is because most of the information that flows within the CDF Board and Secretariat is classified. To delimit this, the researcher will assure the respondents that the information provided will only be used in this study. In addition, most of the Board members do not report to the Secretariat head office on a daily basis; they only meet on several occasions in a month. To delimit this, the researcher will make arrangements to have the interviews with the Board members when they are at the head office. Scope of the study The research will be conducted at the CDF Board and Secretariat head office which is situated at the junction of Uhuru Highway and Haile Selaisse Avenue at Harambee Sacco Plaza 10th floor in Nairobi. The study will restrict itself to the audit of communication of the internal publics of the CDF Board and Secretariat which includes the CEO, Board of Directors, management staff and subordinate staff. Definition of terms Communication audit Is a snapshot of the organizations communication programs, practices and activities which inform the organization on what is working, what is not working and what needs to be changed or improved in terms of communication within the organization (McGann 2010). For the purpose of this study a communication audit will mean a gauge which helps the organization to analyze its perceived communication to its publics. CDF Board and Secretariat Is the body which has been mandated by the Government of Kenya to manage constituency funds and report to the Parliamentary Constituency Fund Committee on the usage of the funds (CDF Board Strategic Plan, 2010-2014). For the purpose of this study it shall remain one and the same thing. Communication systems: These are the communication networks which help in the flow of information from one level of employee to another. For the purpose of this study it shall remain one and the same thing. Effective communication: Fielding (2006) defines effective communication as the management of flow of information, this means from the sender, the message itself, the channel, the receiver and the feedback. Collins (2009) defines effective communication as the practical guidance on using communication vehicles and tools. For the purpose of this study, effective communication will mean transfer of information and understanding between the sender and the receiver. Internal publics: Broom (2009), refers to internal publics as the employees including managers and people being supervised. Lundblad and Stewart (2005) define the internal publics as the individuals / groups in the employ of the organization. Seitel (1995) says that the internal publics are the publics who are inside the organization though they vary from one organization to another, depending on the nature of the organization. For the purpose of this study the internal publics will be the CEO, the Board of Directors and the employees of the CDF Board and Secretariat. High staff turnoverà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦. Staff retentionà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦.. Summary This chapter covered the introduction and background to the study, defined a communication audit, and gave a brief history of CDF in Kenya, CDF Board Secretariat. Problem statement, objectives of the study, justification of the study and operationalization of terminologies has also been done in this chapter. The next chapter will cover the literature review, the role of corporate communication in conducting a communication audit, theoretical, and conceptual framework. Chapter two: Literature Review Introduction This chapter reviews a literature on communication audits and related concepts. Key topics covered include: the role of corporate communication in conducting audits, empirical studies of internal communication audits, and the process of communication in organizations. Others include internal publics, and barriers to effective communication, communication systems, employee information needs and the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of the study. Communication audits Communication audits have been used as indicators to help organizations assess their current communication practices and show how effective they are. They are used to identify areas with problems such as frequent misunderstandings, information blocks, information gaps, information duplication or misrepresentation Scott (2007). More importantly, the communication audits provide a snapshot of the organizations communication programs, practices and activities. In addition, they act as a tool which helps one to know what is working, what is not working and what needs to be changed or improved in terms of communication within the organization McGann (2010). Contribution of communication audit to organizational success Downs and Adrian (2004) say that there is a tendency of organizations paying attention to communication only after a problem/crisis has occurred. The organizations need to overcome this behavior by conducting a communication audit periodically. Knowing the problem early enough saves image, time and reputation. They add that, organizations have got the responsibility to monitor the effectiveness of the messages they send to the employees because the survival of the organization depends on the employees ability to exchange and coordinate the information they are receiving. However, the authors point out that communication is not the only challenge experienced by organizations. Organizations need to have accurate impression of what their internal publics think of them, how they receive and transmit messages. This amounts to the importance of auditing communication in an organization (Hargie Tourish, 2009). For an organization to know how effective their communication is perceived based on employees attitudes it needs to conduct a communication audit. The results of the communication audit will guide the communication practitioners to formulate the right internal communication programs for the organization (Argenti, 2007). According to Hargie and Tourish (2000) organizations that conduct communication audits enjoy a long running performance in the marketplace. This means that the results of the audit will help the organization to avert chaos like misunderstandings, misrepresentation of staff, strikes, high staff turnover and poor performance. Furthermore, they suggest that the communication audits have been used to identify and reward good practice and at the same time help the organization to manage crisis and improve business performance. This idea concurs with Clampitt (1991) and Heath (2000) who say that as a result of conducting communication audits organizations have experienced increased productivity, employees job satisfaction and a positive maintenance of organizational structure. According to Hargie and Tourish (2009) organizations that have conducted internal communication audits have experienced high performance from their employees because there is a correlation between high performance and existence of effective internal communication programs. This idea concurs with Hicks and Gullet (1988) who say that there is a positive correlation with the openness of communication channels between the subordinate and the supervisor. The openness of communication channels can be realized as a result of communication audit where employees engagement and commitment to work become more significant. For instance, Arnold (1993) conducted a study of internal publics of General Motors in the United States of America. In his findings, a staff turnover rate of 30% in 1989 went down to 12% by 1991. In addition, the companys bad debt percentage went down from 3.2% to an average of 0.4% per month. The role of corporate communication in conducting a communication audit According to Cornelissen (2011) corporate communication practitioners have a role to act as intermediaries between the organization and its stakeholders, and he refers to this process as boundary spanning. Kitchen (1997) defines boundary spanning as the mechanism used by organizations to gather and analyze data about their environment. He insists that the public relations practitioners/boundary spanners play an important role of strategic decision making. This idea is consistent with Tripathi (2009) who says that the boundary spanning function of corporate communication is supposed to help the management to gather information through conducting a communication audit, interpret it from its environment and represent the organization to its publics. Steyn and Puth (2000) however, refer to the boundary spanning role as the mirror/delicate and important function of the corporate communication practitioner. Likely (2003) cited in Barker and Angelopulo (2007) says that the corporate communication has got the role to provide information for the evaluation of the internal environment of the organization. The evaluation of the communication will help the organization to identify strengths and weaknesses of the organizations communication and the management will be able to provide the input to the development of communication strategy. Empirical studies of internal communication audits At Daystar University some scholars have carried out studies on communication audit to assess the impact of communication channels in organizations. Ndegwa (1996) conducted an audit among Daystar University students. In her findings the study found that students received most of the information concerning the university from the weekly newsletter known as infospot and during chapel. In addition, students expressed a desire to get more information in general and at the same time they also felt that there was need to improve the physical environment in the university. This audit was important to the university as the institution has increased the channels of information dissemination to the students. Wamba (1999) conducted a study on public relations audit of selected publics of the Kenya Wildlife Service. In her findings majority of the respondents stated that the organization meant what it said when it made an important announcement. This was in line with employee management relations. On the issue of employees complaints being taken seriously by the management 61% of the respondents agreed that they were rarely looked into. This shows that the management did not care much about the needs of the employees. On the issue of communication from the management, 70.6% of the respondents agreed that the management was interested in telling them what they thought staff ought to know rather than what staff wanted to know. Ngugi (2004) carried out a communication audit of the internal publics of Kenya National Library Services. About 63.8% of the respondents stated that they would like to receive information from management. A small fraction of 1.3% of the respondents stated that they received information from the communication department. About 57.5% of the respondents stated that they had never heard about an internal news letter as much as it had been available. According to the study, the Kenya National Library Services had a policy guideline on forwarding issues to the management, but according to the respondents departmental heads did not forward their issues to the management (Ngugi, 2004). Pokumensah (2011) carried out a communication audit of the internal publics of the Elris Communication Services Limited. In his findings about 88% of the lower level employees received most of the task oriented information from their supervisors. This explained that the network for task oriented was top down. Another 80% of the lower level respondents states that they share task oriented information with their colleagues. This indicated that the horizontal communication happened among the employees of the same level of organizational structure (Mounter, 2003). In conclusionà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Ã ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦ The process of communication in organizations Communication is a continuous process of exchanging verbal and nonverbal messages. A message must be conveyed through some medium to the recipient. It is essential that this message must be understood by the recipient in same terms as intended by the sender and a response given within a time frame. Thus, communication is a two way process and is incomplete without a feedback from the recipient to the sender on how well the message is understood by him. According to Hicks and Gullett (1988) most organizations have taken communication for granted. They assume that if an individual can read, write and speak they are communicating. However, communication is not just speaking, reading and writing; rather it is the transfer of information and understanding from the sender to the receiver. According to Watson and Hill (2000) communication includes five key factors that include the initiator, the recipient, the vehicle, the message and the effect. However, they argue that the communication process, sender, message and receiver are all subject to a multitude of cues which are likely to influence the message. Taylor (2005) suggests that as a communicator it is important to ensure that your message is understood, and stimulates the recipient to take appropriate action. Communication can be affected by the context in which it takes place. This context may be physical, social, chronological or cultural. The sender chooses the message to communicate within a context. Second is the sender / encoder a person who sends the message. A sender makes use of symbols (words or graphic or visual aids) to convey the message and produce the required response. For instance, a training manager conducting training for new batch of employees. Sender may be an individual or a group or an organization. The views, background, approach, skills, competencies, and knowledge of the sender have a great impact on the message. The verbal and nonverbal symbols chosen are essential in ascertaining interpretation of the message by the recipient in the same terms as intended by the sender. The third component is the message which is the key idea that the sender wants to communicate. It is a sign that elicits the response of recipient. Communication process begins with deciding about the message to be conveyed. It must be ensured that the main objective of the message is clear. Fourth is the medium which is the means used to exchange / transmit the message. The sender must choose an appropriate medium for transmitting the message else the message might not be conveyed to the desired recipients. The choice of appropriate medium of communication is essential for making the message effective and correctly interpreted by the recipient. This choice of communication medium varies depending upon the features of communication. For instance, written medium is chosen when a message has to be conveyed to a small group of people, while an oral medium is chosen when spontaneous feedback is required from the recipient as misunderstandings are cleared then and there. Fifth is the recipient / decoder who is the person for whom the message is intended / aimed / targeted. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to the message, and the reliance of encoder on decoder. Last but not least is feedback which is the main component of communication process as it permits the sender to analyze the efficacy of the message. It helps the sender in confirming the correct interpretation of message by the decoder. Feedback may be verbal (through words) or non-verbal (in form of smiles, sighs, etc.). It may take written form also in form of mem os and reports among others (Management Study guide -Online). Internal publics Grunig (1992) suggests that the employees who are the internal publics of an organization are the most important strategic publics of an organization. He further says that their communication should be part of an integrated and managed communication program. However, Baskin, Aronoff Lattimore (1997) argue that identification of the key publics by the organizations is important for the survival of the organization. Internal publics are the active publics of the organization and seek and process information about the organization or an issue of interest to an organization (Grunig, 1992). Importance of effective internal communication in organizations According to Hamilton and Parker (1993) organizations are made up people and the decisions made on a daily basis are likely to affect the organization, customers, other workers and even the destiny of the organization. This idea makes internal communication to be an important aspect of the organization because it is through communication the organization can gain and offer the information needed to its publics which enables them to make successful decisions. Miller (2006), however, says that internal communication helps the organization to answer the following questions; what information needs to be communicated to the publics? When should it be communicated? Who will be in charge of communicating to the public? How will the information be communicated? Millers proposition is consistent with Katz and Kahns (1966) observations that effective internal communi
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Cisco Systems Essay -- essays research papers
Case Study: The Internet and the New Information Technology Infrastructure 1.à à à à à Describe the competitive business environment in which GM is operating General Motors, while they are the largest automobile maker, are currently going through a decline in sales. Their competition is extremely stiff. With competitors such as Ford, Chrysler, and other Japanese vehicles that have lower production costs and include better styling issues and quality in mind, this makes for a difficult struggle for GM. â⬠¢Ã à à à à GM remains a far-flung vertically integrated corporation â⬠¢Ã à à à à Makes 70% of their own parts While GM makes their own parts, other companies, such as Daimer-Chrylser purchases their parts from other vendors with whom they can haggle over their prices. With such advances in the automobile industry, this brought about a race for companies surrounding GM to produce more vehicles quicker and allowed for faster sales. While some may say that GM still builds quality cars, they are by no means keeping up with the competition in production areas. 2.à à à à à Describe the relationship between GMââ¬â¢s organization and its information technology infrastructure. What management, organization, and technology factors influenced this relationship? GMââ¬â¢s organization found that its system as a whole was falling behind in technology. Their design group could not relate with other sectors of the company, as each division of the company was on their own software and hardware database. No one particular system communicated with another. In the early 80ââ¬â¢s GM tried to integrate their system by using EDS (Electronic Data Systems) and they were able to streamline their computers together. Their current CIO Ralph Szygenda has managed to bring the company to its feet once again by bringing in several new changes. â⬠¢Ã à à à à Replaced many systems with standardized software for all computers which in turn was networked to other systems â⬠¢Ã à à à à Created programs that would correlate with one another and enabled data sharing â⬠¢Ã à à à à Consolidated legacy systems and databases Management realized that without sharing the data and having a system that could run smoothly they would soon fall to their knees. When they began reali... ...e problem is quickly finding the car that the customer wants, which is a strategy better known as Locate-to-Order. To reach this goal, GM must create a regional inventory of the vehicle pool that will be shown on the Internet so that regardless of the vehiclesââ¬â¢ location, potential buyers can find ââ¬Å"theirâ⬠vehicle. There is one flaw in the system that manufacturers and dealers must deal with in the business. They must realize that customers will require varying styles, colors and other options and they (the company) must be ready at the drop of a hat to have the product readied. The inventory must be stocked and ready to be sold. Internet technology could be the catalyst for GM to reconstruct its entire value chain, transforming itself into a customer-focused business that provides many different electronic services to consumers, as well as cars. ââ¬Å"Built-to-orderâ⬠has been around the auto industry for a long time, but only for very expensive cars, and it required a waiting period of two to three months before delivery. This system would greatly reduce finished vehicle inventory costs as well as generate other production cost savings, potentially saving GM $20 billion per year.
Monday, November 11, 2019
Martin Luther King Essay
Martin Luther king Jr was born in January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents were martin Luther King Sr and Alberta Williams King. His father was initially called Michael King, but after they traveled to Germany, he changed his name to Martin Luther after a German protestant leader Martin Luther. He got married to Coretta Scott in June 1953 in his hometown Alabama. They got four children. Martin Luther king Jr. became a pastor at an age of 25 in Dexter Avenue Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama. Since Martin Luther King Jr grew up in Atlanta, he schooled at Booker T. Washington High School. Since he was an outstanding student, he skipped 9th and 12th grade and then proceeded to Morehouse College at an age 15 years. In 1948, the King graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in sociology. He later enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania where he got his second degree in bachelor of divinity in 1951. He did his doctoral studies at Boston University and graduated in the year 1955 with a doctor philosophy degree (Rosenberg, 1995). Martin Luther king was the driving force behind the civil rights movements of the 1960s. He organized peaceful marches to protest against segregation and racial injustices against the blacks in America. His speech of 1963 ââ¬Å"I have a Dreamâ⬠which was directed against peace and racial equality stands out to be one of the most powerful speeches in American history (White, 2010). His efforts to fight equality in America led to expression of his view that all black Americans and other disadvantaged groups should receive compensations for the wrongs done to them in the past. He stated further that giving black Americans equality could not bring them to the same level as the whites in terms of economic achievements (Brown, 1996). He clarified that he was not trying to recover the lost wages during slavery, but just proposed a government compensatory scheme of about $ 50 billion for a period of ten years to the disadvantaged groups. The King went further and presented this proposal as an application to the common law and clarified that all disadvantaged groups from all races should benefit (Saul, 2010). Martin Luther king used sermons and speeches to fight for the rights of the disadvantaged groups. Throughout his career as a pastor, he wrote articles and spoke fluently. His efforts to fight for justice are also found in his writings, for example his letter from Birmingham jail which he wrote in 1963. Martin received a Nobel peace prize in 14th October, 1964 for having led non-violent peace protests against racial inequality. He became the youngest recipient of such an award (Rosenberg, 1995). There were laws which were famously known as Jim Crows laws which prohibited black Americans from boarding buses which were meant for the whites. The blacks were also supposed to leave seats to whites whenever the bus was full. In March 1955, there was a case of a school girl who refused to leave her seat to a white man in accordance with Jim Crows Laws. Martin Luther king happened to be in the Birmingham African American committee which was supposed to preside over the case. Martin and his colleagues dropped the case. In December the same year, another black woman was arrested for refusing to give out her seat. These events led to the organization of Montgomery bus boycott of 1955. It was organized by Nixon and led by Martin. The boycott remained for about 385 days and a lot of tension built up which led to bombing of the kings house. The boycott led to the arrest of King when he was campaigning. The arrest resulted in a ruling by the United States district court that ended racial discrimination on all Montgomery public buses (Brown, 1996). In 1957, king and other civil rights activists formed southern Christian leadership conference. The main objective for the formation of the organization was to connect the moral authority and the organizing authority of black churches to carryout non violent protests in the service of civil rights reform. Martin Luther King was the leader of this organization till his death. King widely employed Gandhiââ¬â¢s non violent tactics in his campaigns to correct the civil rights laws which were used in Alabama (Brown, 1996). Martin Luther knew that properly organized non violent protests opposing the system of southern segregation popularly known as Jim Crows laws would result in wide media coverage of the struggle of the black Americans for equality and voting rights. Media coverage on each day deprivation and indignities directed to the southern blacks and violence and harassment from the segregationist to the civil rights activists and marchers resulted into a wind of sympathetic public opinion that made majority of Americans understand that civil rights movement was the contentious issue in American politics in early1960s. Still on his campaign trail, King went to Memphis, Tennessee on March 29th 1968 to support black sanitary public workers who were on strike demanding better wages and equal treatment. On his way to Memphis, his flight was delayed due to bomb threat. On 3rd April 1968, king delivered a speech at the world headquarters of the church of God in Christ. Martin was assassinated at 6:01 pm in April 4th, 1968 while at the balcony of Lorraine motel (Saul, 2010). Conclusion Martin Luther King is fondly remembered by the American people and the world as a whole for having dedicated his entire life to fight for the right of the oppressed. Most of his efforts delivered fruits and black Americans and other disadvantaged groups got rights and liberty. Each year on the third Monday in January, his birthday is celebrated. It is the first national holiday dedicated to a black American. References: Brown, M. (1996). Martin Luther King Jr. Retrieved on February 8, 2010 from: http://www. lib. lsu. edu/hum/mlk/srs216. html Rosenberg, P. (1995). Martin Luther King ââ¬â A Different Drum Major. Retrieved on February 8, 2010 from: http://www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/45a/002. html Saul, M. (2010). President Obama, other leaders recall Rev. Martin Luther King and his Achievements. Retrieved on February 8, 2010 from: http://www. nydailynews. com/news/national/2010/01/19/2010-01- 19_recalling_king_and_his_deeds. html White, D. (2010). Wise & Prophetic Words of Martin Luther King, Jr. Retrieved on February 8, 2010 from: http://usliberals. about. com/od/patriotactcivilrights/a/MLKWords. htm.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Custom Essay Writing Help
Custom Essay Writing Help Running into academic trouble with writing student essays some turn for help to academic assistance writing agencies. This is a convenient way to solve your academic problems. Not only they provide quality original custom essay papers but also perform a high level of service. This kind of agencies help you benefit from ordering custom essays. First of all the team or highly professional academic writers is there round the clock to accept your order at any moment and have it complete within the named time limit. The variety of writers skills and majors enables the company to provide the service for different academic levels starting with basic high school essays and up to PhD dissertations for the rich list of classes the student might attend. In addition the experience gathered by those professionals throughout the years gives them a clear understanding and a strong knowledge distinguishing writing and citation styles which leads to a proper arrangement of the content and adequate referential material. Being an expert in their major every writer is well aware of the sources of information to be used. All of them are legal and updated therefore eliminating any possibility of cheating or plagiarism in the paper. It is nevertheless worth mentioning that the whole working from placing the order till receiving the complete paper is thoroughly adjusted to bring it to the top of the customers convenience. This ensures high quality of performance, corresponding speed of completion, timely delivery and customer satisfaction. The main key to success of such agencies is to maintain constant communication between the writer, student and administration. Try ordering an assignment from and online academic paper help company and enjoy the custom essay writing service.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
The Battle of Chapultepec in the Mexican-American War
The Battle of Chapultepec in the Mexican-American War On Sept. 13, 1847, the American army assaulted the Mexican Military Academy, a fortress known as Chapultepec, which guarded the gates to Mexico City. Although the Mexicans inside fought valiantly, they were outgunned and outnumbered and were soon overrun. With Chapultepec under their control, the Americans were able to storm two of the city gates and by nightfall were in tentative control of Mexico City itself. Although the Americans captured Chapultepec, the battle is a source of great pride for Mexicans today, as young cadets fought bravely to defend the fortress. The Mexican-American War Mexico and the United States had gone to war in 1846. Among the causes of this conflict were Mexicos lingering anger over the loss of Texas and the US desire for Mexicos western lands, such as California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The Americans attacked from the north and from the east while sending a smaller army west to secure those territories they wanted. The eastern attack, under General Winfield Scott, landed on the Mexican coast in March of 1847. Scott made his way towards Mexico City, winning battles at Veracruz, Cerro Gordo, and Contreras. After the Battle of Churubusco on August 20, Scott agreed to an armistice which lasted until Sept. 7. The Battle of Molino del Rey After talks stalled and the armistice was broken, Scott decided to hit Mexico City from the west and take the Belà ©n and San Cosme gates into the city. These gates were protected by two strategic points: a fortified old mill named Molino del Rey and the fortress of Chapultepec, which was also Mexicos military academy. On September 8, Scott ordered General William Worth to take the mill. The Battle of Molino del Rey was bloody but short and ended with an American victory. At one point during the battle, after fighting off an American assault, Mexican soldiers crept out of the fortifications to kill American wounded: the Americans would remember this hateful act. Chapultepec Castle Scott now turned his attention to Chapultepec. He had to take the fortress in combat: it stood as a symbol of hope for the people of Mexico City, and Scott knew that his enemy would never negotiate a peace until he had defeated it. The castle itself was an imposing stone fortress set on the top of Chapultepec Hill, some 200 feet above the surrounding area. The fortress was relatively lightly defended: about 1,000 troops under the command of General Nicols Bravo, one of Mexicos better officers. Among the defenders were 200 cadets from the Military Academy who had refused to leave: some of them were as young as 13. Bravo had only about 13 cannons in the fortress, far too few for an effective defense. There was a gentle slope up the hill from Molino del Rey. Assault of Chapultepec The Americans shelled the fortress all day on September 12 with their deadly artillery. At dawn on the 13th, Scott sent two different parties to scale the walls and assault the castle: although resistance was stiff, these men managed to fight their way to the base of the walls of the castle itself. After a tense wait for scaling ladders, the Americans were able to scale the walls and take the fort in hand-to-hand fighting. The Americans, still angry over their murdered companions at Molino del Rey, showed no quarter, killing many wounded and surrendering Mexicans. Nearly everyone in the castle was killed or captured: General Bravo was among those taken prisoner. According to legend, six young cadets refused to surrender or retreat, fighting to the end: they have been immortalized as the Nià ±os Hà ©roes, or Hero Children in Mexico. One of them, Juan Escutia, even wrapped himself in the Mexican flag and leaped to his death from the walls, just so that the Americans would not be able to take it in battle. Although modern historians believe the tale of the Hero Children to be embellished, the fact is that the defenders fought valiantly. Death of the Saint Patricks A few miles away but in full view of Chapultepec, 30 members of the St. Patricks Battalion awaited their grim fate. The Battalion was composed mainly of deserters from the US army who had joined the Mexicans: most of them were Irish Catholics who felt that they should be fighting for Catholic Mexico instead of the USA. The Battalion had been crushed at the Battle of Churubusco on August 20: all of its members were dead, captured or scattered in and around Mexico City. Most of those that had been captured were tried and sentenced to death by hanging. 30 of them had been standing with nooses around their necks for hours. As the American flag was raised over Chapultepec, the men were hanged: it was meant to be the last thing they ever saw. The Gates of Mexico City With the fortress of Chapultepec in their hands, the Americans immediately attacked the city. Mexico City, once built over lakes, was accessed by a series of bridge-like causeways. The Americans assaulted the Belà ©n and San Cosme causeways as Chapultepec fell. Although resistance was fierce, both causeways were in American hands by the late afternoon. The Americans drove the Mexican forces back into the city: by nightfall, the Americans had gained enough ground to be able to bombard the heart of the city with mortar fire. Legacy of the Battle of Chapultepec On the night of the 13th, Mexican General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna, in overall command of the Mexican forces, retreated from Mexico City with all available soldiers, leaving it in American hands. Santa Anna would make his way to Puebla, where he would unsuccessfully try to sever the American supply lines from the coast. Scott had been correct: with Chapultepec fallen and Santa Anna gone, Mexico City was well and truly in the hands of the invaders. Negotiations began between the American diplomat Nicholas Trist and what was left of the Mexican government. In February they agreed on the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war and ceded vast tracts of Mexican land to the USA. By May the treaty had been ratified by both nations and was officially implemented. The Battle of Chapultepec is remembered by the U.S. Marine Corps as one of the first major battles in which the corps saw action. Although the marines had been around for years, Chapultepec was their highest-profile battle to date: the Marines were among those who had successfully stormed the castle. The marines remember the battle in their hymn, which begins with From the halls of Montezumaâ⬠¦ and in the blood stripe, the red stripe on the trousers of the marine dress uniform, which honors those who fell at the Battle of Chapultepec. Although their army was defeated by the Americans, the Battle of Chapultepec is a source of much pride for Mexicans. In particular, the Nià ±os Hà ©roes who bravely refused to surrender, has been honored with a memorial and statues, and many schools, streets, parks, etc. in Mexico are named for them.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Management Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Management Information System - Essay Example The variety of services offered to the passengers may be extended to include, for instance, communication between the cabins, GPS service, gambling etc. The system may also provide the customization of the offerings, by finding the stored information about the choices made during the previous trip and suggesting to a passenger his or her favorite dish or wine. On the other hand, for the ship managers and personnel the Ship Partner provides enormous benefits as well. By maintaining an extensive real-time database, allowing easy extraction of the information in the form of reports needed and facilitating the communication process with the passengers, the Ship Partner allows the managers to focus more on the core competencies. If there is no need to devote a lot of time to conducting these activities, the management can concentrate on providing a better customer service and inventing ways to improve cruise ship's current operational activities. In general, such an information system and communication network, customized to the needs of particular business sphere, would prove to be of use in the sectors for which reliable and up-to-date clients' information and provision of a high-level services to the custome
Saturday, November 2, 2019
WESTERN CIVILIZATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (continuity and Term Paper
WESTERN CIVILIZATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (continuity and discontinuity) - Term Paper Example Similar advancement derailment could happen at any of the successive psychosexual stages resulting differently to anal retentive personal traits or, subsequent, to an Oedipus intricate. These concepts have a reflective effect on the western culture, more so on the concept that mature personality is considerably formed in the initial stages of the childhood and that the foundational causes of many mature problems must therefore be met and therapeutically revealed in the childhood happening (Woods, 2005). A corollary conclusion was that each point relied on the other. This needed the successful conclusion of each preceding stage. Knowledge of the internal logic in each stage would allow prediction of the later stages (Khalakdina, 2008). There was also an assumption that, the initial stages of child advancement would have a decisive effect on all the later development and the outline of an adult and his conduct (Constantineau, & McLuhan, 2010). The persistence of this conviction in the decisive effect of initial knowledge can be viewed in the normally held notion amid the contemporary middle class parents that they will achieve their childrenââ¬â¢s development without the concern of the stage of such children As it has already been discussed above, the idea of the continuity is so intensely ingrained in the modern observations of human advancement that is regularly merely assumed. In spite of its foundation being found in the Aristotle and other western scholars, it remains clearly a contemporary idea (West, 2008). Prior to the contemporary era, the prevailing observation of peopleââ¬â¢s lives was religious rather than secular. Augustine confessions afforded a vivid and compelling appearance of this sacred western view on the fundamental course and connotation of human existence a master narrative of its vital themes and matters. According to the master narrative, people come into the world together with burden of the new sins and the liberty and the
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Social capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Social capital - Essay Example 42) and intricacy and complexity associated with the word has not been reduced since then. But William Sewell (2008, p. 42) goes on to explain that culture is that part of the social life that needs to be separated from the actual human existence constituting economics, biology or politics. The concept culture has itself intrigued our lives and is the most crucial component of human existence yet its constituting elements are different for the people living in the different areas of the world. We are all identified and recognized by our culture we have adopted while living in our own family, society and even our country. Mathew Arnold, the nineteenth century poet and essayist, used the term culture to speak about as model of individual human refinement as he opined that culture means, ââ¬Å"the best that has been thought and said in the worldâ⬠(1999, p. 190). This conceptual analysis of this culture is quite similar to the German concept of the term bildung (Arnold 1999, p. 19 0). In other words it is an attempt to achieve total precision and a way of knowing others on the matters which are of deep concern to us. Yet the word itself is shrouded in the most debacle position as different propounders, anthropologists and even socialists are explaining the term in different contexts. They go on to the extent of explaining culture as a part of a science as it is associated with the human evolution, while others suggest that it germinates in the minds of the individuals who are more and more linked to their ancestral roots. Cultural socialists felt the necessity to show that culture has an impact on the upbringing of the children and to gain their identity and recognition in the society. This allowed many to formulate the culture as assortment of different items whose impact on the behavior can be scrupulously compared to that of standard sociological variables like class, gender, ethnicity, economic interest and level of education (Sewell 2008, p. 45). It was thus assumed that culture as a system of symbols and meanings defined by Weberian, Parsonian and Durkheimian as ambiguous rather metaphorically itââ¬â¢s a collection of tools understood as a way of carrying out combined activities in the society (Sewell 2008, p. 45). In the United Kingdom, Stuart Hall, Raymond Williams and other scholars as well as sociologists greatly influenced by Marxism formed cultural studies, and connected the culture with consumer goods and services and leisure activities like music, film, art, food, sports etc. It is the various means of production that determine the class relations and how the goods and services are consumed by the large number of people. The term ââ¬Å"cultural studiesâ⬠was first coined in 1964 by Richard Hoggart when Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies was founded by him in Birmingham. Since then it has been associated with Stuart Hall as he became the next director after Hoggart (Munt 2000, p.4). In United States of Americ a, the terms culture and cultural studies connote the study of the popular culture (Munt 2000, p. 6), in other words, it is the way people feel themselves associated and share voices and ideas and about the things we make use of in the daily life. Today what constitutes culture is the way we live, eat, wear, behave in the
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