Thursday, October 31, 2019
Strategic audit of Asics Corporation Research Paper
Strategic audit of Asics Corporation - Research Paper Example It entails evaluating a corporationsââ¬â¢ performance measured against its overall corporate (and business) strategy. Companies initiate strategic audits in situations where there is a disparity between its corporate performance and its strategic corporate goals. The corporate and business performance of a corporation is affected by both internal and external factors as well as the activities of competitors within the same industry. A strategic audit is an important tool for company managers and boards to pinpoint problems and hurdles preventing the achievement of their corporate strategic plans. This paper will evaluate the corporate performance of Asics Corporation by appraising the external factors, internal factors, the industry it operates in and its competitors. It will also draw conclusion and strategic recommendations based on the analysis done. Literature review Institutions are unable to discharge their corporate governance duties effectively until the boards concerned fully take ownership of the organizationsââ¬â¢ strategy by conducting thorough audits much in the same way that financial audits are done (Rabate, 2007). Strategic audits are therefore indispensable tools for helping management and boards make competent and sound decisions about the firm in order to achieve its strategic plans. The performance of an organization in achieving its corporate plans are affected by both internal dynamics such as management, business strategies and key decisions for instance on production methods. External factors that include economic, political, and environmental as well as demographics affect the companyââ¬â¢s performance. In evaluating internal factors, the age of the firm, its production processes and competencies, strategy, competencies and strategies in marketing and its management will be the centre of focus. This will be done using b usiness tools of SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis. SWOT means Strengths, Weaknesses, opportunities and Threats and evaluates both the internal and external environment in which a firm operates. SWOT utilizes an integrated approach in auditing a firm and is one of the most useful and widely used tools to evaluate an organization logically, and if properly used is an important strategic planning tool (Ferrell & Hartline, 2008). External PESTEL on the other hand stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors as they affect an organization and this mainly evaluates a firmsââ¬â¢ external operating environment (Lorat, 2005). Political factors affecting Asics Operating globally in different political environments requires Asics to adapt and abide by business and corporate regulations in countries it has presence in like North America and Europe. These are in terms of taxes to be paid and business regulations. Economic factors affecting Asics For eign exchange fluctuations greatly affect Asics financial performance, for instance in 2008, its third quarter performance was lower than expected due to large swings in foreign exchange rates. This for instance saw its shares falling by 15 percent (Hall, 2008). The global financial crisis saw its 2010 earnings and revenue fall compared to 2009, after a three-year period of steady rise in revenues (ââ¬Å"Financial Timesâ⬠, 2012). Social factors The worldââ¬â¢s populations are beginning to put greater effort into their health and fitness,
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Investment Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Investment - Research Paper Example I am not a risk adverse person which implies I am willing to assume risk. The stock that I selected to purchased stocks was Advanced Cannabis Solutions (CANN). On February 4, 2015 I purchased $100,0000 on CANN stocks. Advanced Cannabis Solutions is a company dedicated to the rental of commercial space and equipment to companies dedicated to the regulated marijuana industry. The corporate headquarters of the firm are located in Denver, Colorado. The chief executive officer (CEO) of the firm is Robert Frichtel. The companys executives are reasonably paid in this early stage of development of the company. The salary of the CEO is $125,000 a year which is relatively low considering that most CEO of public companies in the United States make millions of dollars per year of compensation. The firm targeted service is to provide leasing space for players in the cannabis industry, but the firm also offers consulting services for its clients including agricultural expertise, logistics, and distribution. The firm is currently targeting its home state of Colorado. In 2014 marijuana sales were expected to reach $540 million. The national legal marijuana market is currently worth between $2-3 billion, but by t he year 2018 this market is expected to grow to $6 billion. The legal cannabis market is an emerging market that has the potential to grow exponentially as more states begin the legalization process of marijuana. Currently three states, Washington State, Colorado, and Alaska have legalized marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes. In these three states the consumption of recreational marijuana is going increase drastically as the drug continues to gain social acceptance. On February 23, 2015 Alaska became the third state to legalize marijuana consumption (Abcnews). Currently the legal marijuana market has only penetrated 6% of the U.S. States. Further penetration is expected and eventually once the Federal government approves weed then
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Relational Contracts: Advantages and Disadvantages
Relational Contracts: Advantages and Disadvantages Relational contract is defined as ââ¬Å"Contracts in which what is expected by both sides is not written out in detail but develops as an ongoing relationship.â⬠(Chrystal: 1997 p.702) whereas referring to CRC CI (2002), it deals with identifying and endeavouring an approach of mutual benefits through developing cooperative relationships and establishing a mechanism of risk-sharing. Thus, it is not only based on expectation but also underpins the mechanism of encouraging mutual collaboration between parties. As per Kumar N (1996), relationships must have a degree of elasticity to flourish which cannot be established by enforcing legal force of contracts rather by mutual obligatory force of trust. (p.105) and as the term ââ¬Ërelational refers to the expectancy situation that benefits both parties from its continuance therefore, establishing the element of trust between the parties leads to economical benefits of sustainable lower cost of performing business activities and strategic advantage of meeting organisational goals. As relational contracts rely on existence of corresponding expertise and knowledge that the parties dont need to produce or buy in order to carry out transactions therefore, it cuts down short-run transactional (informational) costs, preventing parties to spend on buying expertise and information that other party can bring. The association between the parties also encourages innovation outcomes by sharing of information and skills so this people-orientated approach leads to develop competitive advantage which in turn manages the costs effectively. Thus, saving contractual cost that would otherwise have incurred in buying information as in classical contracts where there is not a free flow of data. Nowadays, more concern is paid to manage relationships than to maintain contractual terms as Neoclassical and arms-length contractual relations are against ââ¬Å"leanâ⬠working which ensures mistrust and defensive behaviour that adds to transaction costs therefore establishment of partnerships especially between public agencies and services requires maintenance of trust. ââ¬ËAdverse approaches to contracting in construction industry have led to reduced efficient industry with lower productivity levels however, the relational contracting approach has evidently increased the efficiency by developing partnering agreements and joint team goals and reviews that enhanced financial returns and reduced incidents and conflicts. (Latham, 1994; Egan, 1998; RCF, 1995, ECI, 1997; CIB, 1997) It also supports creation of networks and also enhances goodwill that can be beneficial at the time when one company fails to work in the required way which saves cost of switching between the compani es. Relational contracts occur in variety of play between senior and middle-level managers, administration and employees, suppliers and the company so the strength of the relationship develops through the course of dependent learning that is hard to imitate. For example, according to Chrystal.K (1997:72), the job specifications evolve over time which may not be same as when the person applied for the job. Also, there may be many problems in completely specifying the performance required by the other party. In other words, employee and employer have reciprocal obligations which the either party obliges to fulfil anyway even if they were imprecise or ill-defined earlier. If not, then the negative consequences may be evident. Therefore, having a more open-handed, relational contract approach in firms can avoid the unconstructive circumstances, allowing employer to later specify the task and exploit the skills which also save cost that can be claimed by employee for breaching of the specific ations in the formal contract. (Shore and Barksdale, 1998) however, parties may not disclose all the relevant information and interpret the terms in contract their own way which may give rise to adverse selection and moral hazard problems. This shows that presence of clauses may prevent the opportunistic approach and ensures reliability which signifies that ââ¬Ëreal trust does not exist in business world. (Williamson, O.E, 1993:97-107) Also, if contractual relations are based on social norms then fewer transactional relations will be observed with primitive approach as most of them will exist between the reliable known parties whereas the legal approach proposes agreements with anonymous too. Thus, reducing the cost by specification of risk allocation if transactional cost were nil, decreasing coordination and informational expenses. Also it prevents ex ante opportunistic approach by establishing legal enforcement and reduces ex post opportunism by specifying rules. Thus, formal contracts are ââ¬Ëlubricant of economy. (Schafer.H Ott.C: 2004:277-278) however, its clear specification to avoid opportunism can make contracts costly. Also Nooteboom (2002) criticises this view as contracts can be based on moral values, habits and certain other factors that ensure reliable performance as in relational contracts. Moreover, empirical research by Macaulay (1963) and Beale Dugdale (1975) concludes that ââ¬Å"Businessmen prefer relying on a mans word in a brief letter, a handshake, or ââ¬Ëusual honesty and decency even though there is high risk transactional cost includedâ⬠. The underlying basis for formation of relational contracts is the value that it establishes over the years to maintain contracting relationships rather than investing sole concentration on transaction taking place between firms. Different deferred remunerations like promotion based on seniority, lifetime employment, generous pension schemes all serve to the aim of establishing relational contract which develops long-term bonding. Thus, saving cost on investment in establishing future relationship. Also it can establish successful long-term bonding at the start of the relationship which saves costs by enhancing the probability ratio of establishing mutual policy objectives which can encourage alliance over the utilisation of resources that are scarcely available within the parties. (Brown et al., 2004, p.748) This relationship flourishes over time that promotes flexibility of adapting to altering situations and priorities without affecting focus on outcomes thus leading to successful transactions between companies and saving cost that would otherwise have incurred in bringing the change. (Gibbons as cited from Kleins studies: 2005, p.209) (Levin, 2003, p.837) Also contracts that are established on relational basis rely on long-term reputation factor rather than contractual time-limit. (Kragly J et al: 2007) it is also backed by Williamson (2006), that ââ¬Ëparties dont renegotiate the terms in contracts as they carry symmetric knowledge in relational contracting however black and white contract involves costs that increases with the increase in number of terms in agreement (p.290). Referring to Gibbons (2005:p.237), relational contracts can remedy the imperfection of the formal contract. Thus, saving cost on written agreement. Also relational contracts overcome the hardships of formal contracts that are enforced by law as formal contractual terms need to be specified before ex ante that the third party verifies ex post but in relational contracts, only contrac ting parties can notice outcomes ex post. Also the specification of ex ante can be costly so it is avoided in relational contracting. Thus, this ââ¬Ëself-enforcing nature of relational contract saves contractual costs, allowing parties to utilise their elaborated knowledge and adapt to upcoming information as in employee-employer relationship. However, the same reason could lead to a disadvantage of not being enforced by a third party as traders might face a problem with ruling out of third party enforcement as they are most concerned about the identity of trading partners. (Brown et al., 2004, p.748) and as per Levin (2003), relational contracts are based on ââ¬Ëself-enforcing characteristic therefore, reneging can not only end relationship but also can make other party suffer loss which in turn increases cost. (p.836) however, the basis of establishing relational contract is the incentive that both parties share thus, halting the reneging approach. Also the violator would su ffer loss of reputation which delineates the ââ¬Ëself-enforcing nature of relational contracting. (Klein Nevin, 1997, p.417) The point of concern is stated by Simon (1995), that the capability of processing information by humans is limited (Bounded rationality) which can increase relational contract costs. Also contractual rawness can be a result of ambiguity aversion which can be haggling cost because of different acknowledgements of both the parties thus increasing the cost of transaction and contract contingency. (Williamson, 1985, Mookerji, 1998) however, in relational contracts the strength of the relationship develops through the course of dependent learning that is hard to imitate and is more flexible than classical contracts which require more cost of abiding by contractual terms and as the relationship between trust and cost works inversely, the absence of trust would require compliancy to certain standards and rules so as to maintain relationship which then would increase the cost of setting conditions, negotiating, regulating and monitoring formal contracts. Thus, in medium to long term, relatio nal contracting saves costs of uncertainty by establishing reliability on trust that lowers down the degree of insecurity on accomplishing objectives as trust decreases ratio of conflicts and opportunistic conduct. Also less control of regulation means the requirement of tight control is not necessary thus saving cost. In conclusion, relational contracts approach within firms is very effective and need to develop trust across different cultures is required however, some multi-organisations with complex business dealings require formal contractual enforcements that are more cost-efficient for them whereas in construction industry, this is the most widely practised effectual form of contracting. Thus, relational contracts save cost by establishing mutual trust and encouraging multi-disciplinary approach which creates long-term tangible and intangible value that promotes mutual cost-efficient collaboration and flexible dealings however, on the other hand its non-specification can give rise to moral hazard and opportunistic behaviour problems which can further increase the cost. It is suggested that a win-win situation should be created that is founded on relational contracting to establish sustainable long-term relationships and trust which will keep the costs low as compared to formal contract enforc ement. Bibliography Chrystal.K Lipsey.R (1997), ââ¬Å"Economics for business and managementâ⬠, published by Oxford University press, New York, pg.72 Davis.D Holt.C (1993), ââ¬Å"Experimental Economicsâ⬠, Princeton University press, New Jersey McAleesee.D (2004), ââ¬Å"Eonomics for Business-Competition, Macro-stability and Globalisationâ⬠, 3rd Edt, Published by Financial Times Pearson Education Limited, England Samuelson.P Nordhaus.W (1995), ââ¬Å"Economicsâ⬠, 15th International Edt, published by Mc-Graw-Hill, USA Kumar N (1996), ââ¬Å"The Power of Trust in Manufacturer-Retailer Relationshipsâ⬠, Harvard Business Review, p 105. Williamson, O.E., (1985), ââ¬Å"The Economic Institutions of Capitalismâ⬠, Free Press, New York Trust and relational contracting, http://www.mdl.co.nz/library/librarydocs/partnership_contracting/Relational_contracting, date accessed 2-11-09, last updated unknown Kay. J (1995), ââ¬Å"Why firms succeedâ⬠, Oxford University Press, New York, pg 54 Kragly J et al (2007), ââ¬Å"Relational Contracts and Inequity Aversionâ⬠, Technical University Berlin, http://www.bgpe.de/texte/paper/kragl Mouzas S Blois K, ââ¬Å"Relational Contract Theory: Confirmations and Contradictionsâ⬠, University of Lancaster, http://www.impgroup.org/uploads/papers/6764, Henderson.R et al (2008), ââ¬Å"What do managers do (to build competitive advantage) The development of contracts the origin of organisational capabilityâ⬠, Harvard Business School Colledge B (2005), ââ¬Å"Relational contracting-Creating value beyond projectâ⬠, Vol.2, Lean construction journal, www.leanconstructionjournal.org, Baker.G et al (2001), ââ¬Å"Relational contracts and the theory of firmâ⬠, Journal of Economics Anonymous, ââ¬Å"An Investigation Of The Relational Component Of The Psychological Contract Across Time, Generation, And Employment Statusâ⬠, Journal of Managerial Issues, 2001, http://www.entrepreneur.com/interstitial/default.html, Shore, L. M. and K. Barksdale. 1998. Examining Degree of Balance and Level of Obligation in the Employment Relationship: A Social Exchange Approach. Journal of Organizational Behavior 19. 731-744. Grimmer. M Oddy. M (2007), ââ¬Å"Violation of the Psychological Contract: The Mediating Effect of Relational Versus Transactional Beliefsâ⬠, Australian Journal of Management, Vol. 32 Foss.N, ââ¬Å"Bounded rationality and organisational economicsâ⬠, http://organizationsandmarkets.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/foss-n-bounded-rationality-and-organisational-economics.pdf, Schafer.H Ott.C (2004), ââ¬Å"The economic analysis of civil lawâ⬠, published by Edward Elgar publishing Limited, UK, 277-278 Williamson, O.E (1993), ââ¬Å"Opportunism and its criticsâ⬠, managerial and decision economics, 14, pp 97-107 Simon, H.A. (1955), ââ¬Å"A Behavioral Model of Rational Choiceâ⬠, Quarterly Journal of Economics 69, 99-118. Simon, H. A. (1979), ââ¬ËRational Decision Making in Business Organizations, American Economic Review 69, 493-513. Williamson, O.E. (1985), ââ¬ËThe Economic Institutions of Capitalism, New York: Free Press. Mookerji, S. (1998), ââ¬ËAmbiguity Aversion and Incompleteness of Contractual Form, American Economic Review 88, 1207-1231. Rowlinson Steve, ââ¬Å"Relational contracting, culture and Globalisationâ⬠, http://www.alliancingassociation.org/Content/Attachment/Relational%20Contracting,%20Culture%20and%20Globalisation%20-%20S.%20Rowlinson%20F.%20Cheung%202007.pdf, CRC CI (2002), ââ¬Å"A review of concepts and definitions of the various forms of relational contractingâ⬠, (2002-022-a), Barisbane, Australia, unpublished report. Egan J. (1988), ââ¬Å"Rethinking Constructionâ⬠, HMSO, London Egan J (2004)., ââ¬Å"The Egan Review: Skills for Sustainable Communitiesâ⬠, OPDM, London, Latham M. (1994), ââ¬Å"Constructing the Team, Joint Review of Procurement and Contractual Arrangements in the UK Construction Industryâ⬠, HMSO, London Macaulay S. (1963), ââ¬Å"Non-Contractual Relations in Business: A Preliminary Studyâ⬠, American Sociological Review, Vol.28, No. 55 Beale and Dugdale (1975), ââ¬Å"Contracts between Businessmenâ⬠, British Journal of Law and Society, Vol. 2, Issue 45, pp 45-48 Rowlinson, Steve and Cheung, Yan Ki Fiona (2004), ââ¬Å"Relational contracting, culture and globalisationâ⬠, AIT, Bangkok
Friday, October 25, 2019
Suicide Essay -- essays research papers
à à à à à Suicide amongst young people has increased greatly in the past 25 years in the US( young men and women 15-24) Women and suicide has increased the least with 250 percent, men has soared to over 300 percent. The US is now ranked the highest in the world for suicide. à à à à à Until recently suicide amongst the young men and women accounted for less than 5 percent of suicide. It has increased with the increase in population of youth. Young men 15-24 now account for more than 20 percent of the male suicides. Young women are responsible for 14 percent of women suicides. So approximately 7,000 women commit suicide a year and males are up to 20,000 suicides, yearly. à à à à à Even though youth suicides get the most attention, people believe suicide amongst the older people does not happen. But, reality check, it does. A considerable amount of suicides are done by older people seeking to end a life of pain. people aged 50 and older make up almost 39 percent of the yearly suicide count. Even though people aged 50 and over only account for 26 percent of the US population. à à à à à White males are the highest to date. They account for 10 percent of the population, but manage to account for almost 28 percent of the yearly deaths by suicide. For some strange reason, white males are higher on the suicide charts than any other race and sex. They are more open to this, even though they donââ¬â¢t ...
Thursday, October 24, 2019
One to Many Communication Essay
What is wi fi ? Wi-Fi is the name of a popular wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed internet and network connections. A common misconception is that the term Wi-Fi is short for ââ¬Å"wireless fidelity,â⬠however this is not the case. Wi-Fi is simply a trademarked term meaning IEEE 802.11x. The wi fi alliance, the organization that owns the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) term specifically defines Wi-Fi as any ââ¬Å"wireless local area network (WLAN) products that are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineersââ¬â¢ (IEEE) 802.11 standards.â⬠Initially, Wi-Fi was used in place of only the 2.4GHz 802.11B standard, however the wi fi alliance has expanded the generic use of the Wi-Fi term to include any type of network or WLAN product based on any of the802.11 standerds, including 802.11b,802.11a, dual band ,and so on,in an attempt to stop confusion about wireless LAN interoperability. How Wi-Fi Works? Wi-Fi works with no physical wired connection between sender and receiver by using radio frequency (RF) technology, a frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum associated with radio wave propagation. When an RF current is supplied to an antenna, an electromagnetic field is created that then is able to propagate through space. The cornerstone of any wireless network is an access point (AP)The primary job of an access point is to broadcast a wireless signal that computers can detect and ââ¬Å"tuneâ⬠into. In order to connect to an access point and join a wireless network, computers and devices must be equipped with wireless network adapters Wi-Fi Support? Wi-Fi is supported by many applications and divecesincludingvidio game consoles, home network, major operating system, and other types of consumer electronic .any products that are tested and approved as ââ¬Å"Wi-Fi Certifiedâ⬠(a registered trademark) by the WI FI alliance are certified as interoperable with each other, even if they are from different manufacturers. For example, a user with a Wi-Fi Certified product can use any brand of acess point with any other brand of client hardware that also is also ââ¬Å"Wi-Fi Certifiedâ⬠. Wi-Fi Alliance? The Wi-Fi Alliance is a trade association that promotes Wriless LAN technology and certifies products if they conform to certain standards of interoperability. Not every IEEE 802.11-compliant device is submitted for certification to the Wi-Fi Alliance, sometimes because of costs associated with the certification process. The lack of the Wi-Fi logo does not necessarily imply a device is incompatible with Wi-Fi devices. The Wi-Fi Alliance owns the Wi-Fi trademark. Manufacturers may use the trademark to brand certified products that belong to a class of wireless local area network (WLAN) devices based on the IEEE 802.11 standards. Advantages: â⬠¢ Flexible if there is ad-hoc situation when additional workstation was required. â⬠¢ Implementation cost is cheaper than wired network. â⬠¢ Ideal for the non-reachable places such as across river or mountain or rural area. â⬠¢ Ideal for temporary network setups. Disadvantages: â⬠¢ Lower speed compared to wired network. (of course!) â⬠¢ Less secure because hackerââ¬â¢s laptop can act as Access Point. If you connected to their laptop, theyââ¬â¢ll read all your information (username, password.. bla..bla..bla..). â⬠¢ More complex to configure than wired network. â⬠¢ Affected by surrounding. E.g: walls (blocking), microwave oven (interference), far distance (attenuation)
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Sociological Imagination-the Sociological Big Picture
Sociological Imagination-ââ¬Å"The Sociological Big Pictureâ⬠C. Wright Mills wanted people to know that outside of ourselves and our personal problems, we are being shaped by the external forces that surround us in society. Whether people are aware of it or not, they are being influenced by society and its factors. The location in which one lives, the nationââ¬â¢s current economic standing, government affiliation, and more are all effecting people in some way.When living in a broadened social experience where things are all interconnected to one another, it has the power and potential of influencing our human behaviors and impulses that are not internally inherited as Mills suggests, but rather shaped by society. The location where a person lives helps bring meaning and shape the ideas of social acceptabilities. For example, in the Amazon basin of South America the Yanomamo Indians see very differently than people of America.This primitive tribe find normalcy among hallucin ogenic yopo trips, villages where peoples attire are loin cloths, and a society composed of hunters and gatherers. Whereas Americans who are surrounded by urbanization, consumerism, materialism and so on may find the Yanomamo way of living off-putting. Also, the nations economy can affect citizens like after keeping 350,000 students out of school for seven days, teachers in Chicago are ending their strike after some negotiation.The Chicago Teachers Union battling for their rights about their job security, teacher abilities, salary raises, and more. Union president, Karen Lewis, after not being able to reach compromise the first time a few days prior, has now settled on an official contract. Though the near from perfect contract still needs ratification, union members agree ââ¬Å"It was time to end the strikeâ⬠said Lewis whoââ¬â¢s rights to petition and peacefully assembly helped union members and the Chicagoââ¬â¢s delegates reach a settlement.Chinese artist, internet bl ogger, and activist, Ai Weiwei was detained by the Chinese government after trying to find the names of the thousands of victims lost in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; which authorities were refusing to give out to civilians. This only fueled his dislike of the Chinese government, which he had a tendency to expose in his blogs and artwork. In China where the internet is monitored heavily by the state, unlike other places around the world, often Weiweiââ¬â¢s political opinions of Chinaââ¬â¢s autocracy became censored.After three months of detention, Weiwei was released on bail. When society can influence people, one must be willing to pull themselves away from a narcissistic point of view and adapt to a perspective where you are able to evaluate the ââ¬Å"sociological big pictureâ⬠. Building a sociological imagination can create within oneself the ability to truly see what others see and why people act the way they do whether it be stone age indians, claimant mobs, or dissi dent artists: we are all shaped by society.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
The Fundamentals of Nouns
The Fundamentals of Nouns The Fundamentals of Nouns The Fundamentals of Nouns By Mark Nichol Parts of speech serve our communication needs with hardly a conscious thought on our part, but they operate according to a complex, interdependent set of rules and procedures. Here are the basic principles of the noun. A noun was traditionally described (at least, in the US public school system I oh so slowly passed through and briefly taught in) as a person, a place, or a thing, though some resources extend the definition to apply to intangible things ideas such as peace and qualities such as fear as separate categories. Nouns are also subdivided into proper nouns and common nouns. Proper nouns refer to a specifically named entity such as, for example, a person named Mark, a place called California, a thing called a Mac, and an idea or quality personified as Perfection. Common nouns, by contrast, are generic: man, state, computer, perfection. Three other classifications to distinguish nouns include countable and uncountable nouns, collective nouns, and concrete and abstract nouns. Countable nouns can be pluralized (word, words), can be accompanied by numbers or quantifiers (ââ¬Å"Did he say, ââ¬ËSeven wordsââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëseveral wordsââ¬â¢?), and can appear after an indefinite article (ââ¬Å"In a word, yesâ⬠). Uncountable nouns (also called mass nouns and noncount nouns) share none of these qualities; examples include anger, geology, and weather. (Anger cannot be pluralized to angers, one would not say ââ¬Å"seven geologies,â⬠and weather would be preceded by a only if it is used as an adjective, as in ââ¬Å"a weather systemâ⬠). Collective nouns are those denoting a single entity consisting of multiple components, such as team. Concrete nouns are those that name a physical entity or something experienced by operation of one or more senses (computer, article), while abstract ones refer to concepts or ideas (democracy, liberty). Some nouns have both concrete and abstract senses; for example, dance refers to physical movement usually performed to music as well as a social event at which such activity occurs (and has a figurative meaning of ââ¬Å"a careful interaction,â⬠as in ââ¬Å"The two superpowers exchanged messages in a delicate diplomatic danceâ⬠), but the word also denotes an art form involving often rhythmic and patterned physical movement. A noun serves one of three syntactical functions in a sentence, all of which are demonstrated in the first clause of this sentence: the subject of a clause (ââ¬Å"A nounâ⬠), the object of a verb (ââ¬Å"serves . . . functionsâ⬠), or the object of a preposition (ââ¬Å"in a sentenceâ⬠). Nouns, in English, are marked by their association with an article (a, an, the, and sometimes some), such as in the phrase ââ¬Å"an articleâ⬠here, or with one or more attributive adjectives. (In the preceding phrase and a few words farther along in this sentence attributive itself is an attributive adjective for adjective.) A noun is also distinguished as the head, or key word, of a noun phrase; in this clause, clause is the head of the noun phrase ââ¬Å"in this clauseâ⬠and head is the head of the phrase ââ¬Å"the head of the noun phraseâ⬠; note that that phrase has two nouns (head and phrase), but the latter is subordinate to the former. Some grammar theories hold that a single word can constitute a noun phrase and it doesnââ¬â¢t have to be a noun; consider the function of it in ââ¬Å"It is true.â⬠A noun consisting of an adjective used in noun form is known as a nominalization; the last word in the phrase ââ¬Å"a word to the wiseâ⬠is an example. Nouns are not essential to isolated sentences ââ¬Å"Yes,â⬠for example, can constitute a sentence but they are integral to communication. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Handy Expressions About HandsBest Websites to Learn EnglishHonorary vs. Honourary
Monday, October 21, 2019
Goddesses and Sexual Assault in Greek Myth
Goddesses and Sexual Assault in Greek Myth Everyone knows the stories of Greek gods sexual encounters with mortal women, such as when Zeus stole Europa in the shape of a bull and ravished her. Then, there was the time he mated with Leda as a swan, and when he turned poor Io into a cow after having his way with her. But not only human women suffered violent sexual attention from the opposite sex. Even the most powerful females of them all - the goddesses of ancient Greece - fell victim to sexual assault and harassment in Greek myth. Athena and the Snake Baby Patroness of Athens and all-around brilliant divinity, Athena was rightly proud of her chastity. Unfortunately, she ended up enduring harassment from fellow gods - there was one, in particular, her half-brother, Hephaestus. As Hyginus recounts in his Fabulae, Hephaestus approached Athena - whom he says agreed to marry her brother, although thatââ¬â¢s doubtful. The bride-to-be resisted. Hephaestus was too excited to keep control, and, ââ¬Å"as they struggled, some of his seed fell to earth, and from it, a boy was born, the lower part of whose body was snake-formed.â⬠Another account has Athena coming to her blacksmith brother for some armor, and, after he attempted to rape her, he ââ¬Å"dropped his seed on the leg of the goddess.â⬠à Appalled, Athena wiped his sperm off with a piece of wool and dropped it on the ground, inadvertently fertilizing the earth. Who was the mother, then, if not Athena? Why, Hephaestusââ¬â¢s own ancestress, Gaia, a.k.a. Earth. The child resulting from Hephaestusââ¬â¢s attempted rape of Athena was dubbed Erichthonius - although he may have been one and the same with his descendant, the similarly-named Erechtheus. Summarizes Pausanias, ââ¬Å"Men say that Erichthonius had no human father, but that his parents were Hephaestus and Earth.â⬠Dubbed ââ¬Å"earth-born,â⬠as in Euripidesââ¬â¢ Ion, Athena took an interest in her new nephew. Perhaps that was because Erichthonius was an interesting fellow - after all, he was to be king over her city of Athens. Athena stuck Erichthonius in a box and wrapped a snake around him, then entrusted the child to the daughters of Athensââ¬â¢ king. These girls were ââ¬Å"Aglaurus, Pandrosus, and Herse, daughters of Cecrops,â⬠as Hyginus says. As Ovid recounts in his Metamorphoses, Athena ââ¬Å"ordered them not to pry into its secret,â⬠but they did anywayâ⬠¦and were either repelled by the snake and baby snuggling - or the fact he mightve been half-snake - or were even driven insane by Athena. Either way, they ended up committing suicide by jumping off the Acropolis. Erichthonius wound up becoming king of Athens. He established both his foster motherââ¬â¢s worship on the Acropolis and the festival of the Panathenaia.à Heras Hardly on Cloud Nine Not even the Queen of Olympus, Hera, was immune to disgusting advances. For one, Zeus, her husband, and the king of the gods may have raped her to shame her into marrying him. Even after her wedding, Hera was still subjected to such horrible incidences. During the war between the gods and the Giants, the latter stormed their rivalsââ¬â¢ home on Mt. Olympus. For some reason, Zeus decided to make one giant in particular, Porphyrion, lust after Hera, whom he was already attacking. Then, when Porphyrion tried to rape Hera, ââ¬Å"she called for help, and Zeus smote him with a thunderbolt, and Hercules shot him dead with an arrow.â⬠Why Zeus felt the need to jeopardize his wife in order to justify his murder of a giant - when the gods were already slaying the monsters left and right - boggles the mind. This wasnââ¬â¢t the only time Hera was nearly raped. At one point, she had an ardent mortal admirer named Ixion. In order to satisfy this guyââ¬â¢s lust, Zeus created a cloud that looked exactly like Hera for Ixion to sleep with. Not knowing the difference, Ixion had sex with the cloud, which produced the half-human, half-horse Centaurs. For presuming to sleep with Hera, Zeus sentenced this man to be strapped to a wheel in the Underworld that never stopped turning. This cloud-Hera had a long career of her own. Named Nephele, she ended up marrying Athamas, a king of Boeotia; when Athamasââ¬â¢s second wife wanted to harm Nepheleââ¬â¢s children, the cloud lady popped her kids onto a ram - who just happened to have a Golden Fleece - and they flew off. In a similar episode to Hera and Porphyrion, the giant Tityus lusted after Leto, the divine mother of Apollo and Artemis. Writes Pseudo-Apollodorus, ââ¬Å"When Latona [Leto in Latin] came to Pytho [Delphi], Tityus beheld her, and overpowered by lust drew her to him. But she called her children to her aid, and they shot him down with their arrows.â⬠à Also, like Ixion, Tityus suffered for his misdeeds in the afterlife, ââ¬Å"for vultures eat his heart in Hades.â⬠Holding Helen and Pursuing Persephone Apparently, sexual assault on the divine ran in Ixionââ¬â¢s family. His son by a prior marriage, Pirithous, became best friends with Theseus. Both guys made vows to abduct and seduce (read: rape) daughters of Zeus, as Diodorus Siculus notes. Theseus kidnapped a pre-teen Helen and may have fathered a daughter with her. That child was Iphigenia, who, in this version of the story, was raised as Agamemnon and Clytemnestraââ¬â¢s kid and was, of course, sacrificed at Aulis in order for the Greek ships to get good winds to sail to Troy. Pirithous dreamed even bigger, lusting after Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter and wife of Hades. Persephoneââ¬â¢s own husband kidnapped and raped her, ending up forcing her to stay in the Underworld a good part of the year. Theseus was reluctant to try to abduct a goddess, but he had sworn to help his friend. The two went into the Underworld, but Hades figured out their plan and chained them down. When Heracles trotted down to Hades once, he freed his old pal Theseus,à but Pirithous remained in the Underworld for eternity. Ancient Greece as a Rape Culture? Can we actually identify consent or rape in Greek myth? In some colleges, students have requested trigger warnings before discussing particularly violent Greek texts. The incredibly violent circumstances that appear in Greek myths and tragic plays have led some scholars to deem ancient Greek tragedy a ââ¬Å"rape culture.â⬠à Itââ¬â¢s an interesting notion; a few classicists have argued that misogyny and rape are modern constructs and such ideas canââ¬â¢t be used effectively when evaluating the past. For example, from one perspective arguingà for terms like ââ¬Å"seductionâ⬠and ââ¬Å"kidnappingâ⬠over ââ¬Å"rape,â⬠negates the characterââ¬â¢s anguish, while other scholars see rape as an initiation rite or identify victims as the aggressors. The above hypotheses can be neither confirmed nor denied but can present different arguments for the reader to consider both sides and to add a few more stories to the repertoire of seduction or sexual violence in Greek myth. This time, there are stories of the highest ladies in the land - goddesses - suffering as their female counterparts did.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
How To Write A Call To Action With 54 Words + 6 Examples
How To Write A Call To Action With 54 Words + 6 Examples All of your content marketing success hinges on theà bounce and theà conversion. The two exist on a seesaw, the dreaded ââ¬Å"bounceâ⬠on one side and ââ¬Å"conversionâ⬠on the other. And what is the fulcrum at the center of the two that will determine which way it will tip?à Your call to action- akaà yourà marketing CTA. Your content marketing lives and dies based on the success of your CTA. It determines if people take your content and bounce out on their merry way, never to return, or if they leap for the bait and go further into yourà sales funnel. Knowing how to write a call to action thatà hooks your readers interest is key to your contents survival. Know how to write a #CallToAction? Here are 54 words and 6 examples thatll unlock your #creativity. What Is A Call To Action? A call to action might be as simple as asking someone to: Sign up for your email newsletter. Downloadà free resources in exchange for an email address. Buy an ebook,à coaching service, or your product. A call to action might be atà the beginningà of a blog post, at the end of a blog post, or sprinkled throughout a landing page. As a marketer, you use a call to actionà in any medium- videos, advertisements, blog posts, landing pages, and even social messages. Whatever form it takes, and wherever it appears in your content, a call to action is you providing your reader with some form of actionable taskà and usually appears as a button, link within text, or an image of some kind. Whatever form it takes, a call to actionà provides your reader with an actionable task. Content marketing is creating content, but with a purpose. All content has the purpose of establishing your expertise and being helpful to your reader so that they come back to you for more.à And of course, content has the purpose of bringing in new readers throughà search engines. Soà you must include purposeful elements in your content that specifically ask your reader to do something tangible instead of merely feeling warm fuzzies about your brand. You must regularly ask your reader to do something. A call to action not only gets your reader to do something that commits her further to what you are ultimately selling,à it's also something youà can measure. And, if you canà measureà it, youà can test, tweak, and changeà ità so you learn more about your audience. Without a call to action, you're wasting your best efforts. Without a call to action, youââ¬â¢re wasting your best efforts and goodwill on readers who probably would take action and who probably would buy but you'veà never pushed them to. Without writing a call to action, the most youââ¬â¢ll know about your reader is hits, page views, and bounces. Youââ¬â¢ll spread lots of goodwill. But youââ¬â¢ll never make a sale. Recommended Reading: Hereââ¬â¢s How You Can Double Your Blog Conversion Rate Right Now How To Write A Call To Action Using Exclusivity And The Undeniable FOMO When it comes to a powerful motivator for your call to action, FOMO, or the fear of missing out, is hard to beat. This is about exclusivity, which generally works in two ways: Only some get in.à By only letting a few get in, you suggest that those who do are lucky, should be thankful, are special, are deserving- anything of this nature. This is about status, namely whoââ¬â¢s in and whoââ¬â¢s out. In order for this to work, you have to make something amazing enough that people wantà to be in on it. Anyone gets in, but with restrictions. Think of data rights management or DRM controls on ebooks and music. The product is available to anyone, but you need specific devices, tools, or access methods to use it. In this way, it's exclusive because you control how people use it and how theyà can share or spread it. That fear of missing out taps into several human emotions (some of which weââ¬â¢d rather not admit to). Itââ¬â¢s more than just fear because that fear is based in something else: Panic: ââ¬Å"If I miss out, Iââ¬â¢ll never know if this could have changed my life!â⬠Greed: ââ¬Å"I have to have everything.â⬠Comparison: ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t want to be the only person without this!â⬠Curiosity: ââ¬Å"Could this possibly be as amazing as they describe?â⬠Pride: ââ¬Å"I got in and you didnââ¬â¢t. Ha ha.â⬠Most of us are almost compulsively driven by these emotions. When you write a call to action, you must tap into these kinds of emotion- the ones that are so connected to exclusivity- because they're what drive people to act when it comes to selling. And when youââ¬â¢re selling something people donââ¬â¢t needà (i.e. food, water, shelter, new washer) and are instead trying to create a want (i.e. you just bought a new shirt, but why not get a few more?), you have to find another motivator for them to part with their money (or their email address). And, oddly, the fear and subsequent emotions that are tied into exclusivity are good ones to use. How To Use Exclusivity And FOMO In Your #CallToAction To Boost ConversionsHow To Put Exclusivity To Work In Your Call To Action Exclusivity rides on one main idea:à If you donââ¬â¢t do something now, youââ¬â¢ll never be able to do it again. You can hint at exclusivity through the words in your call to action. Think of any word or phrase that suggests now: Last chance Limited supply Only a few left Ends tomorrow Limited time only One-time offer Expires soon Urgent Deadline You get the idea. With FOMO, there isnââ¬â¢t time to think. The language all points to action immediately. So Call nowà is much better than Call anytime. Recommended Reading: 3 Unusual Ways To Create Exclusive Content That Attracts A Crowd How To Write A Call To Action Using Hope As A Motivation Fear isnââ¬â¢t the only way to get people to act, though it's one of the most powerful. Hope can do the trick, too. First you need to create a sense of desperation. Illustrate just how big a problemà your readers have, and the hope to change it will suddenly make sense. While driving around town and checking errands off of my to-do list this past weekend, I took note of the billboards and signs outside of the stores and restaurants. I said to my friend, who was with me, that there was absolutely nothing that I needed, yet here I was, buying stuff. ââ¬Å"I wouldnââ¬â¢t be dissatisfied with my life and possessions if they didnââ¬â¢t tell me it ought to be so,â⬠I said, a bit annoyed. ââ¬Å"You canââ¬â¢t sell to people who arenââ¬â¢t dissatisfied,â⬠my friend replied. With dissatisfaction comes hope. Or it should, if youââ¬â¢re writingà your call to action correctly. How To Leverageà Hope Withà Your Call To Action To tap into hope, you first must suggest hopelessness. By that, I mean you must show the reader that there is a problem, itââ¬â¢s a serious one, and they have it. And then you provide the solution and the hope. ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢ve tried everything to lose weight, but nothing worked,â⬠is easily countered with, ââ¬Å"Try this safe and proven method that returns results every time, risk free!â⬠In this call to action example, you assure the reader by using the words ââ¬Å"safeâ⬠and ââ¬Å"risk freeâ⬠, and give them hope by suggesting it's ââ¬Å"provenâ⬠and ââ¬Å"returns resultsâ⬠. Big problem. Big hope. Once youââ¬â¢ve established this pattern, end with your simplified call to action. ââ¬Å"Startà now and lose 10 pounds in your first month.â⬠Recommended Reading: How To Write The Best Copy Ever With Advice From Junk Mail So ... What Are Those Call To Action Words That Get People To Act? Is it possible that certain words get more conversions than others? It's a good question that has some research behind it- to an extent. So I took a look at five well-researched articlesà to pull together aà bigà list of call to action words that will help you get more email signups, trials, and sales. This data comes from fiveà researched articles, and even includes some words that have helped get as much as aà 27% conversion rate from our own calls to action: Backlinko's research on building email lists Sprout Social's research on call to action phrases WishPond's research on words to use in call to action buttons Unbounce's research on call to action buttons Unbounce's research on conversion rate optimization 's research from our own landing pages and blog posts Now, many of these sources suggestà testing your own calls to action on your blog and website to see what words perform best with your audience. That is great advice you can put into practiceà by using a tool likeà Visual Website Optimizer. Start simple: Write two powerful calls to action you will A/B test against one another. Set up the test with Visual Website Optimizer. Give it a week and analyze the data. The results may surprise you, as they've done with us at . 54 Powerful Words To Test In Your #CTAs6 Call To Action Examples To Help You Writeà Better CTAs Than Ever Call to action examples are everywhere, so where would youà start? I figured we'd take a look at a fewà of the top companies in the world according to Fortune's 500 list (there has to be a reason they're so successful, right?), then dive in to some specific examples that are a bit more content marketing related. Let's do this. 1. Learn More With Apple Like the simplicity of their products, Appleà keeps their calls to action short, clean, and to the point. Learn more and Trade up to a new iPhone are unmistakable in letting Apple'sà audience know exactly what they'll see after they click through the call to action. Appleà also doesn't clutter the design: There are clearly only two options to help their users focus on making a decision to click quickly and easily. Lesson Learned: Be clear and concise,à and position your call to action as theà obvious next step. 2. Save With CVS While the design is super busy compared to Apple's example (do I click on Save with Our App, App Store, Google Play, or on the phone itself?!), CVS focuses on the value propositionà in their call to action. Save with Our Appà focuses CVS'à audience on the perceived benefit of using the tool, which connects into hope to resolve the dissatisfaction of spending so much money. The headline here- Unlockà extra savingsà with app-only deals!- also suggests exclusivity, that you can only experience those benefits if you get the app. They also include the word exclusive in the description, which is a powerful motivator for the fear of missing out. Lesson Learned: Keep your design clean so your users know where to click. Brainstorm the value proposition to answer your readers' inherent question, "What's in it for me?" and tie that into your call to action. 3. Rely On The Visual Like Amazon Who saidà you had to write a call to action? The behemoth Amazon focuses on compelling imagery to entice action. In this example, there is really noà traditional call to action that usually begins with a verb. However, Amazon does rock some powerful words with the visual: Now and Limited time offer. Talk about inducing urgency and appealing to the fear of missing out. The visual tells the rest of the story, helpingà Amazon shoppers envision themselves in front of an amazing TV with a bowl of popcorn and a couple glassesà of champaign. Would you like to chillax like that, too? Heck yes, you would. And that's why the visual creates a powerfulà call to action. It's noteworthy to mention this: Amazon doesn't even show the product they're selling (other than the remote) and focuses the visual mostlyà on the experienceà you'll feel when you click through the call to action to purchase it.à People don't buy products, they buy experiences. And that's why Amazon crushedà it with this call to action example. Lesson Learned: Literally show the pleasurableà outcome your audience will experience if they just click through your call to action. People don't buy products, they buy experiences. Include the experience in your #CTA.4. Code School Shows Calls To Action Don't Have To Be Super Formal Wondering how to apply calls to action into your blog posts? Write a post that helps your readers do something without you, thenà when you canà help themà do it even better, let them know. Code School helps people learn how to code. So when they wrote a post called Why Python? that covered reasons to learn and use the language, they ended the post with a call to action to learn more through the courses Code School offers. The call to action appears as the last paragraph in the blog post, and invites readers to Check out a couple new courses. It's simple, informal, yet informational to teach their audience about the possibilities Code School offers to help their readersà improve. Lesson Learned:à Write a blog post that connects into your product or service. Then end the postà with an informal call to action to workà with you to resolve the problems you just outlined in your post and link to content that introducesà your offering. 5. Wistia Embeds Calls To Action In Videos Do you embed videos in your blog posts? With Wistia, you can addà a Turnstile into yourà videoà to collect email leads during video play, and you can also include a written call to action and link to related content at the end of your video. Turns out, you can also write a call to action right into your YouTube videos, too, if you're not a Wistia user. Anyway,à this call to action example shows up at the end of a video that explains one element about making post-product process simpler- something Wistia's audience cares a lot about. Wistiaà then links to more information on the topic to help their viewers learn more about post-production- which is a part of the video process Wistia as a toolà can help make more efficient. The video appears in lieu of a traditional blog post header graphic. Thatà means Wistia's audience sees a video right away (which also likely boosts on page time and engagement quite a bit), Wistia shows their quirky brand personality, and they display aà strong call to action immediately. This is a great example of leading an audience deeper into the funnelà from inbound marketingà to demand generation content that positions Wistia as the solution to the problem. Brilliant. Lesson Learned: Strategically think about the next step to bring new users from inbound marketing into demand generation content that positions your product or service as the answer to a problem your audience is facing. Writeà calls to action for all of your videos. 6. Create Content-Specificà Calls To Action Like Backlinko Have you seen blog posts that offer something free in exchange for your email address? Somewhere along the lines, marketers started calling those things content upgrades. And they are a super smart way to include a call to action in every blog post to turn the traffic you get into email subscribers. In this call to action example from Backlinko, Brian Dean includes a written CTA in the introduction of his blog post. That is brilliantà because a majority of your audience will read the first 100 words of your post, then maybe skim the rest. Anyway, this call to action is very smart because it relates specifically to the content at hand and not just a generic give-me-your-email-address kinda CTA. Brian relates directly to the challenge his readers want to resolve by writing Get More Email Subscribers, then he uses a powerful word with download. He also promises that what his readers will get behind the call to action will help them quickly execute the 17 strategies from this post, which is very important for the Backlinko blog in particularà because Brianà creates such long-form content. This way, he captures the interest of the too-long-didn't-read (TLDR) audience while also turning them into email subscribers. To top it off, Brian targets another call to action for the 20% of his audience that makes it through the entire blog post to the very end. This time, he lets the visual speak for itself with the power word download, andà includes the emotional word free to describe hisà content upgrade. Lesson Learned: Include aà relevant content upgrade at the beginning and end of your blog posts to convertà traffic into email subscribers.à Use your call to action to appeal to the reasons your audience is already interested in the content, packaging a condensed and actionable guide behind the clickthrough. 6 #CallToAction Examples That Will Unlock Your #Creativity! #bloggingPut It All Together: How To Write Aà Call To Action With A Compellingà Structure No matter what motivation you use (fear or hope), there are some common waysà that you should use when structuring your call to action. 1. Start with verbs. Verbs are the action words that make it clear to readers what you want them to do. Instead of saying, ââ¬Å"Ready to get started?â⬠simplify it to ââ¬Å"Get started nowâ⬠or ââ¬Å"Start saving nowâ⬠. Some verbs are stronger than others. This has to do with the cacophony of the wordà (hard K, G, Dà sounds) coupled withà the strength of the action suggested in context. The word ââ¬Å"buyâ⬠feels stronger and more urgent than ââ¬Å"purchaseâ⬠. ââ¬Å"Get your copyâ⬠is more cacophonous and powerful than ââ¬Å"Download your ebookâ⬠. Starting with verbs means starting phrases and sentences, sure, but also the placement of links and call to action buttons. They come first (or nearly first) and should be prominent. Buttons to buy or sign-up should be above the fold, no scrolling required. They should be before the long chunk of explanatory text. Verbs are words of action, and thatââ¬â¢s exactly what you want from your readers.2. Take it easy on filler words. Adverbs and adjectives can get in the way of the action you want your readers to take. You should have already done the work of convincing people to take the action before presenting your call to actionà to them through blog post or landing page copy. Try your best to avoid words ending in -ly. ââ¬Å"Click hereâ⬠is better than ââ¬Å"Click here quickly.â⬠There are exceptions, though.à For example, you might hint at exclusivity by saying ââ¬Å"Get your custom ebook nowâ⬠instead of just ââ¬Å"Get your ebookâ⬠. 3. Keep things simple and brief. Use words that are simple, common, and not too long. This isnââ¬â¢t because you think your reader isnââ¬â¢t smart enough to handle anything else, but because youââ¬â¢re trying to prod base emotions. You donââ¬â¢t want anything to get in the way of those simple emotions, particularly requiring readers to consider complex thought processes or scenarios which could distract them or lead them down a path of thought awayà from taking action. Avoid buzzwords, jargon, and any word that feels ââ¬Å"emptyâ⬠and can be ignored by the reader. If you use enough ignorable words in your call to action, your entire call to action runs the risk of being ignored. Steps for a successful #CTA: verbà à clarityà à simplicity request.If you must use descriptive words, use simple and common words that are emotionally effective. This is no time to go crazy with a thesaurus and impress the world with your vocabulary. The language must notà get in the way of the emotional prodding youââ¬â¢re trying to achieve. Save your thinking words for your blog posts, and focus your call to action on words that are powerful persuaders. Remember simple, basic, and primal words- and not too many words overall- when you make the big request. 4. Make the request simple, too. Itââ¬â¢s not just the language of the request that you need to make simple, but the request itself must be easy. One or two clicks to completion. As little pain as possible. If you need more information than a name and email, try to break it up so you capture that email first, get the user into the purchase or into their account, and then collect the rest later. The reason is that you donââ¬â¢t want to give your reader time to change their mind. I donââ¬â¢t know how many times Iââ¬â¢ve been at a big box store and, because of too few checkout lanes available, seen people abandon full carts in line and walk out the door. Itââ¬â¢s the same with your call to action. The more complicated you make it for readers to complete it, the more likely theyââ¬â¢ll find a way to change their mind or forget the driving reason you just convinced them they needed to take action. ââ¬Å"Buy now!â⬠doesnââ¬â¢t feel like ââ¬Å"nowâ⬠if you make them fill out lots of information, answer a small survey, and click on a reply email to verify. That feels like buying later, and it brings into question the urgency you insisted was necessary to get a reader to take action.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Is Bullying in School a Normal Part of Life Essay
Is Bullying in School a Normal Part of Life - Essay Example Based on the nature, bullying can be classified into three major categories; physical, verbal and social. Even though only the physical bullying results in physical injury to the victim, verbal and social bullying can cause tremendous emotional problems to the victim. Majority of the schools all over the world are places in which all types of bullying are taking place. Some people argue that bullying in schools is a normal activity and it is necessary to make the teenagers physically and mentally stronger. Such people are of the view that bullying can prepare students to undertake stronger challenges in future. On the other hand critics believe that uncontrolled bullying will cause tremendous damages to the physical and mental development of the victims and therefore it should be prohibited in school campuses. ââ¬Å"Education Minister Christ Carter announced that New Zealand schools will be required to have concrete measures to put a stop to bullying, or at least to deal with itâ⠬ (New Zealand Government Focuses On School Bullying). (New Zealand Government Focuses On School Bullying) Current generation, especially the teenage generation are more aggressive in nature than the generations in the past. Media like internet and television play an important role in injecting aggressive behaviour among teenage community. Teenagers do not have the ability to segregate between the good and evil. They donââ¬â¢t have the maturity to think about the consequences of their actions. Sex and violence related contents in media motivate the teenagers to imitate those things in their real life. They donââ¬â¢t have the wisdom to segregate fiction from facts. Thus physical encounters among teenage community are growing day by day in schools. School shooting incidences are quiet regular in America like western countries because of the easy access of gun like dangerous weapons to the teenage community. In short, physical bullying can result even in loss of lives and there fore it should be avoided at any cost in school compounds. Verbal bullying refers to the act of teasing. It is an act of teasing a mentally weaker student by a group of mentally stronger students as shown in the image below. (International Network) The victim will remain helpless when he/she faces a combined attack by a group of students. In many cases verbal bullying results in physical assaults also. In any case, it is a fact that verbal bullying can cause psychological problems to the victim. Victims of bullying may loss interest in studies and other daily activities. Such people will try to avoid the company of others and their academic performances could be seriously damaged as a result of verbal bullying. According to Dune et al (2010), ââ¬Å"Bullying, aggression and other forms of violence in schools can blight student experiences of formal education and their abilities to make the best of the opportunities they haveâ⬠(Dune et al, p.1). Social bullying is an act of iso lation. In this case, the offenders form a group and prevent the victim from interacting normally with others. Moreover, offenders may fabricate stories against the victim and spread
Friday, October 18, 2019
Distributed Systems Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Distributed Systems Security - Essay Example Client and data encryption are highly recommended on the storage devices which means that corresponding blocks of data corresponds both in the directory and the file but does not know content interpretation, below are the various methods of ensuring secure distributed file system. The initial secure distributed file sharing system was the use of AFS which was later followed by the use of DFS. In the AFS system, servers store data on subtrees in the file system and use the Kerberos in the provision of the authenticated access to all trees. Every server is the one in the management of the meta-data which has full access to the file data. The DFS advanced in the options link in the encryption level in order to prevent the eavesdroppers from the discovery of file systems content (Kistler, 1995). This file server has improved the security of the NFS by providing the ability to encrypt the traffic in between the server and its clients by doing a strong authentication; the NFS has access to data by managing the entire file server. The security of a distributed file system calls for the use of unique and assigned id for every user in the system. This name must be used in line to a password created in the system, which helps the user to gain access in the system. This prevents unauthorized users to go into the system. Distributed file systems require a security protocol to check and verify the login names and password on protection to the system's file from illegal access, this makes the system to improve its security. Every user on the system must have a personal profile in which allows them to gain access to certain areas of the programs and files within the distributed system. This protocol assists in keeping the systemââ¬â¢s information and data confidential.
Econmetrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Econmetrics - Essay Example For instance, when a property undergoes growth, the price of houses goes up. On the other hand, when a property undergoes decay, the price of houses goes down. Thus, these circumstances will affect the general value of houses severely. Demand for houses is a vital aspect in the model. In situations when the demand for houses exceeds the available houses in the market, the price of houses increases as people willingness to purchase also increase. As the demand for houses reduces, the price of houses also reduces since people will not have the will to purchase. Supply of houses has always surpassed its demand. For instance, when the supply of houses increases, the price of houses goes down since the property owners will need to off-load the houses in their possession. Thus, increase in supply will create or rather offer opportunities for the potential buyers in the real estate market. The regression principle in real estate refers to a high value property, in a location of low value property, being affected by the lower price of houses in the neighborhood. The real values of such houses are not always achieved. On the other hand, the progression principle refers to the increase in the general value of a low value house which is located among the houses of higher value. Thus, the low value houses are always priced relatively higher than their real prices. Therefore, the econometric model: House price= Demographic changes + Demand + Supply + Progression + Regression, is a statistical model. The dependent variable (House Price) on the left hand side is fully determined by the independent variables (Demographic changes, Demand, Supply, Progression, and Regression) on the right hand side. The independent variables are the factors that determine the value of houses in the real
Music Culture - The Four Components Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Music Culture - The Four Components - Essay Example The second component of the music culture includes the activities which employ music. Today music is used in almost all the spheres of human activity, and music itself has become a separate activity practiced both by amateurs and by professionals. It is also remarkable that music itself has become a very lucrative business, and it is not normal that sometimes its quality may suffer so that more income could be gained from its mass production. Filmmaking is the first activity mentioned when the music-employing activities are in question. In this sphere of activity, music is one of the key components of the proper product making, as it often conveys such emotions and information which is impossible to be transferred otherwise. Music is also employed by ritual events. This means that such events from oneââ¬â¢s life as marriage, childââ¬â¢s birth, college entering etc. are in most cases accompanied by music, and its kind and mood depends on the nature of the event, that is, if the event is positive and gives happiness, then the music is also major and pompous, and, on the contrary, negative events imply involvement of sad music. This means that music has relation to the norms of the society. It helps people honor their colleagues or relatives and mourn the loss of someone or something very dear, that is, expressing oneââ¬â¢s feelings and emotions, maintenance of interpersonal communication.RepertoireThe next, the third, component of the music culture is the music repertoire.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Discuss whether there is such a phenomenon as global culture Essay
Discuss whether there is such a phenomenon as global culture - Essay Example The establishment and development of the virtual world has, in return, aided in the process of creating a world of knowledge that is freely available on the internet. This has resulted in a free and smooth distribution of information to masses all over the world. The availability of knowledge and information to people located in various parts of the world has led to the process of evolution of consumer demand. People and masses located in the emerging economies and developing countries are expressing the desire to acquire the same brands of products and services, that are being enjoyed by the people and masses located in the more advanced countries that have developed economies. As a result of the spill over of consumer demand from the developed economies to various undeveloped markets, new markets and new economies are being created. The corporations around the world, in an attempt to attain a significant amount of growth, are focusing on the process of developing the markets, that are located in the emerging economies, by fulfilling the new kind of consumer demand that is starting to evolve in that particular area. Talking with regard to the formation of value chain that is getting developed around the globe on a regular basis, it can be said that in most of the economically emerging regions and countries, the consumers are trying to move up the value chain. It can be said that, in an attempt to create a symbiotic relationship with the consumer demand that is getting formed, the corporations and global companies, that are trying to enter the new markets, are focusing on the process of development of brands that can move down the value chain. By doing so, the global and international companies are trying to form a symbiotic relationship with the customers, wherein the customersââ¬â¢ growing demands are being fulfilled by the companies. Global Culture Overview It can be said that in todayââ¬â¢s high-end modern age environment, where the connectivity of th e internet, powered by various high level sophisticated devices like Smart phones, and I-pads, is making significant impact in the lives of the masses around the world, the effect of spill over of information, knowledge and cultural trends cannot be ignored. Talking with regard to spill over of trends, it can be said that the development of a global marketplace, where goods and services are created and delivered to the consumers using various platforms like business to business, business to consumers or even consumers to consumers, has helped in the process of formation of a culture, that is familiar to many consumers irrespective of their presence and distribution in various geographical locations. In brief, it can be rightly stated that the global marketplace is contributing to the formation of a similarity in trends of consumption as well as behavioural patterns of masses all over the world. These similar kinds of behavioural patterns are helping in the process of development and growth of global citizens It can be said that global culture, in very simple terms, represents a variety of more or less similar trends, practices and behaviours which are expressed and displayed by the global citizens. It is necessary to state here that global culture represents a diverse mix of various trends, consumption patterns and styles of living which currently exist in various countries around the world. These diverse trends and consumption patte
Case Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Case Evaluation - Essay Example Henceforth, Siemens Company and its challengers may at times have the temptation of using any possible means in persuading decision makers in signing contracts with their companies. Due to this persuasion, the company gets tempted to offer financial incentives that are not legal in closing the signed contracts (Stanwick, 2014). The illegal method used by Siemens Company to obtain orders from their customers was revealed when it was stated that six executives in Siemens Company had been detained for the actions they did. These actions related to offering bribes to German and different customers in the telecommunication industry. Additionally, these executives were blamed of stealing money from Siemens Company to pay for the offered bribes. Thomson Ganswindt was among the arrested executives. He was heading the telecommunications equipment unit in the company. The assessed bribes amounted to 200 million euros and supposedly incorporated using bribes to get the security systems contract. This was at the 2004 Olympic Games held in Greece (Stanwick, 2014). The concerns began after Michael Kutschenreuter, a senior executive in Siemens Company, stated that he received a very worrying phone call in the beginning of 2004 from Beit Al Etisalat. Al Etisalat was an employee of a consulting firm in Saudi that was Siemens business partner. Al Etisalat claimed that he be compensated 910 million dollars as commission payments by Siemens Company for the role he played in obtaining telecommunication contracts in Saudi Arabia. He went on to threaten the company that he would go to the United States Securities and Exchange with proof of bribes Siemens offered connected to the contracts if Siemens Company did not compensate him the commission payments (Stanwick, 2014). Due to this threat, Michael informed the companyââ¬â¢s superiors, including the then present CEO Heinrich von Pierer and future CEO of the company Klaus
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Discuss whether there is such a phenomenon as global culture Essay
Discuss whether there is such a phenomenon as global culture - Essay Example The establishment and development of the virtual world has, in return, aided in the process of creating a world of knowledge that is freely available on the internet. This has resulted in a free and smooth distribution of information to masses all over the world. The availability of knowledge and information to people located in various parts of the world has led to the process of evolution of consumer demand. People and masses located in the emerging economies and developing countries are expressing the desire to acquire the same brands of products and services, that are being enjoyed by the people and masses located in the more advanced countries that have developed economies. As a result of the spill over of consumer demand from the developed economies to various undeveloped markets, new markets and new economies are being created. The corporations around the world, in an attempt to attain a significant amount of growth, are focusing on the process of developing the markets, that are located in the emerging economies, by fulfilling the new kind of consumer demand that is starting to evolve in that particular area. Talking with regard to the formation of value chain that is getting developed around the globe on a regular basis, it can be said that in most of the economically emerging regions and countries, the consumers are trying to move up the value chain. It can be said that, in an attempt to create a symbiotic relationship with the consumer demand that is getting formed, the corporations and global companies, that are trying to enter the new markets, are focusing on the process of development of brands that can move down the value chain. By doing so, the global and international companies are trying to form a symbiotic relationship with the customers, wherein the customersââ¬â¢ growing demands are being fulfilled by the companies. Global Culture Overview It can be said that in todayââ¬â¢s high-end modern age environment, where the connectivity of th e internet, powered by various high level sophisticated devices like Smart phones, and I-pads, is making significant impact in the lives of the masses around the world, the effect of spill over of information, knowledge and cultural trends cannot be ignored. Talking with regard to spill over of trends, it can be said that the development of a global marketplace, where goods and services are created and delivered to the consumers using various platforms like business to business, business to consumers or even consumers to consumers, has helped in the process of formation of a culture, that is familiar to many consumers irrespective of their presence and distribution in various geographical locations. In brief, it can be rightly stated that the global marketplace is contributing to the formation of a similarity in trends of consumption as well as behavioural patterns of masses all over the world. These similar kinds of behavioural patterns are helping in the process of development and growth of global citizens It can be said that global culture, in very simple terms, represents a variety of more or less similar trends, practices and behaviours which are expressed and displayed by the global citizens. It is necessary to state here that global culture represents a diverse mix of various trends, consumption patterns and styles of living which currently exist in various countries around the world. These diverse trends and consumption patte
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
The Role of Business Communication Essay Example for Free
The Role of Business Communication Essay The role of business communication to the profitability of the organization Communication is an integral part of an organization. Communication is required not only for good human relations but also for a successful business. Communication seeks to fulfill the basic functions such as to inform, to persuade and to promote goodwill. Communication involves sharing information, ideas, thoughts, opinions and plans between various parts of an organization. Therefore just giving directives without expecting a response is naive as it requires the attachment of some meaning to the message sent or received. In a large organization communicating effectively still proves to be a difficult task as communication sometimes takes place over a number of channels and so retaining the basic meaning is literally challenging. Communication seeks to inform individuals so that they are more aware of what is necessary in order to perform a task or to function within the organization. Information such as work ethics, production, benefits, safety regulations and training are just some of the things that employees are informed of maintain successful operation of the organizations. This will also help in the decision making process as employees will act on the best information available to them. Likewise, communication helps in persuading individuals to perform at a level that they would not ordinarily do. Managers often use open communication to influence others to perform the tasks required to achieve organizational goals. This open communication allows individuals to freely share mutual experiences, preferences, likes and dislikes. It also enables managers to create a climate for motivation, that is, a managerââ¬â¢s ability to influence the desired behaviour for performance depends on his ability to effectively communicate with his direct reports and staff at all levels. Communication also enables people to learn how they are doing at their jobs and how performance is being measured, as this is the heart of employee performance appraisals. Communication is necessary to attain managerial function. One such function is promoting good will. Many companies dedicate a whole department for this purpose while others just has one individual. Companies tend to be vigilant this area due to the tax benefits as well as a means of advertising as this goodwill helps in protecting their corporate image. By doing so they advertise a lot, give a way grant, gifts and other benefits to needy persons and shelters in and around their communities as well as on a national scale. For example Bank of Nova Scotia, Sandals and Courts just to name a few. Many managers have come to realize that having an open and effective communication can help in accomplishing organizational goals and objectives. Employees who are properly informed and are able to express themselves without having to go through the chain of command will be more motivated to produce. Both organizational and personal goals can be achieved.
Monday, October 14, 2019
A Study of Change Management in Coca Cola
A Study of Change Management in Coca Cola Introduction According to a Greek philosopher Heraclitus there is nothing permanent than change. He believed that change is the core of universe. This quote describes the importance of managing change in human as well as organizational life. A structured approach to transfer organization, its people and processes from current state to a desired future state is called change management. This process gives employees the ability to accept changes in the existing environment of the business. Change can be of different type for example, change in technology, operations or strategies etc. company needs to implement individual strategies to cope with each type of change. Organizations need to change and adopt dynamic survival strategies to stay alive in uncertain political, social and economic environment (Hiatt and Creasy, 2003). All environmental factors present in the nature experience change on continuous basis. Human nature resists change, so managing that resistance requires well planned change management strategies. This report is aimed at describing the importance of change management for organization its motives and objectives, change management processes, how company can involve all the stakeholders for successful implantation of change management and the strategies that an organization can adopt to implement the successful change. Reasons for adopting change Organizations need change for the following reasons: To respond to the rapidly changing environment To improve the overall performance of the company To rapidly respond to the customers demands To improve the effectiveness and efficiency To increase the employee performance To create the best practices inside the organization and setting standards for the industry To improve profitability and return on overall investment Change management is needed for organizational survival. So the company should adopt to change management techniques in order to maintain its worth in the industry. Importance of change management In a study 327 project managers had responded to the question that if you had a chance to do it again, what would you do differently? Most of them responded that we will implement an effective change management program planned way before starting the project. This study highlights the importance of change management in an organizational perspective. Change management moderates the risks that can cause failure (Jeff and Creasey, 2003). The change management process Change management is being studied by the philosophers, researchers and business experts for many years. A number of change management theories, approaches and philosophies are developed by psychologists and management professionals to implement successful change in the organization (Paton and MacCalman, 2008). There are three phases of change management i.e. preparing for change, managing change and reinforcing change. Preparation for change phase includes assessment of change capabilities and capacity and developing a strategy that fit to those capabilities. Second phase i.e. managing change phase includes processes like planning and implementation of strategies made in the first phase. Last phase which is the reinforcement of change includes the processes like collection and analyzing of feedback data, finding out gaps and coping with determined degree of resistance from inside and outside the organization and taking corrective actions to successfully conclude the change managemen t process (change management learning center, 1996-2011). Change managementA case of Coca Cola Corporation Coca Cola is a retailer, marketer and manufacturer of non-alcoholic drinks and is known worldwide for it coca cola beverage. In addition to its coca cola brand, Coca Cola Company offers 500 beverages and non beverages brands in about two hundred countries. The company was founded by Asa Candler in year 1892. Its headquarter is located in Atlanta, Georgia of United States of America. The company had total net income of approximately 11.8 billion US dollars in year 2010 with total number of employees 139,600 worldwide. Companys brand i.e. Coca Cola stands number one in the list of most well known brands of the world (Coca Cola company, 2006-2011). Coca Cola is a type of company that requires making changes in its products and business strategies according to the consumer expectations and external environment. Here in this study we would quote different examples from coca cola corporations history and will examine that what were the triggering events for opting the change and what strategies the company developed and implemented in order to successfully going through the transitioning process. Coca Cola Corporation is among one of the oldest corporations of the world. It has gone through many internal and external changes since it has been in existence. The company has used techniques of change management in order to survive from the consequences of those events. The company has faced a lot of external changes, for example in world war II, the company was able to manage its existing position at that time and also entered in many new markets and discovered new niches. The company established 64 plants across the world to supply drinks to the troops (Coca Cola company, 2006-2011). The company also provided free drinks to soldiers which were the part of its strategy to become a patriotic symbol for the people of the country. Also it boosted the sales, so the company achieved two objectives by carefully planning to respond to that external environmental change. The plants developed by the company in war era helped its expansion after the war. Barton et al (2002) reported that Coca Cola Corporation adopted acquisition strategy in time of Asian financial crisis. The company acquired bottling, coffee and tea shop businesses in Korea and Malaysia. Beverage is a type of industry where tastes and preferences of the consumers change on continuous basis. Coca Cola Company also responded to such consumer changing behaviors in effective way by developing new products like Diet Coke and Coca Cola Zero. The company also committed a marketing blender when a rival company launched a black beverage with comparatively sweet and smooth taste. The product was named as new Coke. But the sales gradually went down and company faced severe consumer critics and protests. The company managed this situation very commendably by restoring the old formula and naming the bottle as diet coke (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). As people are becoming more health conscious and willing to invest on health based products, coca cola is developing juices and vari ous energy drinks as well. This shows the companys strategy to responding varying consumer tastes and expectations and changing itself according to it. The coco cola company used theory of organization change presented by Kotler (1996) which elaborated the procedure to manage change on the people dimension of the organization. The well known CEO of coca cola Corporation Mr. Gouizetta who remained CEO of the company for seventeen years determined and solved the problem in manufacturing of drinks. He was the key man in revising coca colas operations and tailoring strategies that helped the company standing high among its competitors. He achieved objectives of the firm by planning and leading the tasks by himself and provided an inspirational leadership to the employees. He was the one who appointed talented human resource like Ivester who took great part in covering the weaknesses and exploiting the opportunities for the company (The Coca-Cola company case. n.d.). In addition to making operational and strategic changes, the company also changed its advertising strategy by targeting various groups of consumers like American consumers. African consumers, Middle and far eastern consumers and European consumers. The company altered the packaging of its coca cola brand and developed more product lines and broadened them globally (The Coca-Cola company case. n.d.). The present condition of coca cola company worldwide is very good. The company is selling its beverages throughout the world successfully. But in some countries, coca cola stores are not as according to the companys main marketing, inventory and efficiency theme. The company is planning to align its performance standards according to its own corporate culture and strategies with the help of a comprehensive change management plan. These changes will be implemented within the business operations and management of the company. CHANGE MANAGEMENT AT COCA COLA Employee engagement The recent change management at coca cola is directed towards the intrinsic values and motivations of the employees and can be referred to as employee engagement. The change management process, together with internal branding programs is expected to bring about ideal behaviors in employees, which would align the operations of coca cola worldwide, and bring about efficiency throughout coca cola across all its business segments. Coca cola hopes to bring about a thoroughly integrated system of communications, and focus on creating brand relationships with their employees. This would enhance the operations of Coca cola, as an integrated approach would mean all employees believe in engaging fully in the values, and this would become an inherent part of the employees at a personal level. Coca-cola is actively seeking to incorporate the change into its company if the recent conference on internal branding and and employee engagement held in February,2011 by Robin Gee, Head of Employee Engagement for Coca-Cola Refreshments (CCR) is any indication. Robin Gee is responsible for building capability in engagement, maintaining engagement momentum and ensuring that engagement is integrated into CCRs people practices (Samdahl,2011). For this purpose, employee engagement surveys are conducted twice every year for all the coca cola associates, which serve to highlight the areas where action is required, and further actions and implementations can henceforth be executed. Coca-cola believes that their business results hinge on the dedication of their employees to operational excellence. The company truly recognizes the importance of the people to the business, and knows that to continue to bring about tremendous results it is bringing in, employees throughout the world should believe in the values intrinsically, and therefore the employee engagement is being focused on all the countries the company serves to align thoroughly integrate and align the company so that operational efficiency can be achieved. Importance of change to coca cola Employee engagement is very significant to all segments of operations at coca-cola and has translated into performance in areas where employee engagement is higher. For coca-cola, an engaged workforce means: A more committed workforce Employee performance aligned with organizational objectives Employees have a clear idea of what is expected of them and what are the deliverables Customer experience focus an inherent part of employees values, who strives to provide a better experience to the customers. Customer focus was identified as a central tenant of the multi-year engagement strategy to be implemented in 2011( Gee,2011) When employees are aligned with company goals, they themselves adopt a proactive approach towards issues such as waste elimination Employees awareness gives them a voice which helps to influence legislations at local levels An integrated system of communication is very helpful in the volatile and dynamic markets of today, where conditions change very often and the company has to be responsive at all times Therefore, for all the business segment of coca-cola wherever they are located across the world, the change towards employee engagement is justified if they have to reap the fruits gained by an effective system of integration. Ensuring the Involvement of Required Stakeholders Coca Cola Company can use two change management tools to make sure that all people who are required to be the part of change management process. These tools are Force Field analysis and AKADAR model. Force field analysis is a technique developed by Kurt Lewin to scrutinize the forces that are causing an opposition to change process (Bass, 2009). By doing Force Field Analysis, Coca Cola Company will be able to inductpeople who are in need of appropriate training. Anothr useful tool is AKADAR model which stands for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. Through AKDAR model, firm creates awareness about the need of change, generate desire in the people to help in transitioning process, give knowledge to the people that how they can help the change process, develop an ability in the people to go through the change and provide them with continuous reinforcement to withstand the change (CMLR, 2011). Ensuring that change is successful Some considerations that will facilitate the change management process include: productive and consequential dialogues and talks with employee representatives Online and paper surveys from all the stakeholders involved in the change throughout the world, and with associates to gain an insight on their perceptions Effective communication at this stage for informing the stakeholders the reasons for change and the benefits it would bring Overcoming the inertia by taking all stakeholders in confidence. The surveys can serve as a pre requisite to gain an insight on the stakeholder perspective Details of the action planning process communicated to all those who would initiate the change Recommendations for Coca Cola Company In the volatile dynamics with which companies operate today, change in inevitable. Therefore, the focus should not be on avoiding change, rather bringing about a smooth transition towards the new change by communication about the change, and ensuring all parties of the change that it is for the best of all those involved. To successfully implement organizational change of any nature, a specific regards to organizational structure, design, culture, management and leadership is required to see whether the change would make a best fit with the organizational goals and objectives. First of all the company should ascertain the core problems exist in the company for the change management. The company may develop a change management program for responding to financially uncertain environment of the world. It can also develop change management programs for better operations and logistics. The company can introduce new procedures and technological systems to carry out operations. Programs can be introduced in forms changing companys mission and corporate culture enhancements. For all that, the most essential thing is to train upper management to provide them with specific skills necessary to effectively going through the transitioning process. Following is the brief expression of plans that the company can adopt. Systems thinking Systems thinking can be used to guide the successful change in the organization. The model is based on an integrative and interactive open system which consists of the variables, attributes, internal relations and environment. The system is based on characteristics like wholeness, interdependence, chain of influence, need for balance and adaptability etc in an open system where communication is seen as an integrated process that facilitates change within the organization. Several system characteristics are: wholeness and interdependence (the whole is more than the sum of all parts), correlations, perceiving causes, chain of influence, hierarchy, suprasystems and subsystems, self-regulation and control, goal-oriented, interchange with the environment, inputs/outputs, the need for balance/homeostasis, change and adaptability (morphogenesis) and equifinality: there are various ways to achieve goals. Different types of networks are: line, commune, hierarchy and dictator networks. Communication in this perspective can be seen as an integrated process not as an isolated event. Establishing new structure It is a well known fact that Coca Cola Corporation was a entrepreneurial venture started by one person who bought the formula from another firm and laid foundations of that beverages manufacturing firm. Current structure of the coca cola company is simple with minimal labor and management division. New system that can be adopted by the company may be the machine bureaucracy which Henry Mintzberg (1992) defined as an organization with clearly defined hierarchy, well defined area of operations, standard operating procedures, proper rules and regulations, well division of labor, formal relationships among the member of organization, centralized decision making, technical competence and standardization of work. Reducing employee defiance Opposition of change is a common human behavior. Particularly, in the workplace people resist the change in organizational culture, structure and policies. But in order to successfully and effectively implement the change management program, it is important for Coca Cola Company that it should develop strategies to reduce employee defiance to change.Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) explained six strategies which can be useful for coca cola Company in employee defiance management. First strategy is to involve the employee in change process and make them participate as far as they can. Second strategy is to communicate the change management programs to the people effectively as educate them about the benefits the programs would bring. This will make them comfortable in adopting the change. Third strategy is negotiation and agreement. The company should create a consensus on important change issues and with the agreement of all important stakeholders; it should launch the change management program. The resistance level will be zero on change programs that are being launched with the mutual agreement of all relevant stakeholders. Fourth strategy is that to support the employees who are due to some disability or emotional or psychological issue or some other threat unable to adapt to the change. If the company develops and proper channel to feel such people taken care of, they would adjust gradually to the change management program. In case of failure of above mentioned four strategies, company can manipulate the employees by calling union leader other relevant ones as fifth strategy. Sixth strategy is to force the employees with articulate or non-articulate methods but this is not a very good approach. Conclusion To conclude, it may be said that communication can be a key element to successful change management. Communicate the changes to the employees, tell them why the change was inevitable and how they will benefit from the change. The management should itself adopt a positive attitude towards the change so that employees can follow their lead and welcome the change. Coca-cola as a company has a heritage of embracing change rather than resist it and it should translate into their future endeavors towards change management to ensure that the organization is best poised to market and environmental conditions.
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