3 Steps to Finding Your Dream Job

3 Steps to Finding Your Dream Job We talk a lot about combing job posts, grooming your resume, and sharpening your interview skills. These are definitely important techniques, but they may not be worth all the stress if you’re not also taking a look at yourself and your future to decide what you really want to be when you grow up. Here are some tips on how to find not just a job for you, but  the job for you.1. Know YourselfWhat do you actually want? What do you like doing? What is your largest priority in finding a workplace? Is it the day-to-day responsibilities that need to feel most meaningful? The flexibility it allows you to have in your home life? These priorities can change over time, of course, but it’s important to take a really honest look at yourself before you get started.Ask yourself these questions:What would you be doing if money wasn’t an option?What industries would allow you to involve that skill or field in your day to day work?Do you like working closely and collaboratively with others?Do you prefer autonomy and independence?How interested are you in management opportunities?Do you like the set of skills you’ve currently amassed or do you need to pursue new, more exciting areas of learning?2. Model SuccessYou know how geese migrate with the seasons, flying in those characteristic V patterns? They do that to share the burden of flying right in the face of the wind.  It is okay to be the second goose in the V. Really.The real-life translation of this avian metaphor is simply, find someone who’s doing what you want to do be doing. Learn from them. Ask about the challenges they’ve faced and the lessons they’ve learned as they overcame them. See if they’re actually as happy in their current situation as you imagine they are from the outside.I have a mentor who’s doing exactly the kind of work I thought I always wanted to be doing- but once I saw how much effort she put in and how little that work was valued by he r colleagues or her supervisors, I decided to change course, keep my eggs in multiple baskets, and make sure I had a fall-back plan in case all that effort started to feel like it wasn’t well spent on my chosen career path.3. Find 2-3 Companies that Amaze YouThis is what my mom did when she went back to work after staying home with my little brother. She’d had a few years of clerk and paralegal work when I was very young, then she’d taken that time away. When it was time to make her way back into the workforce, she started by researching local companies with openings that shared values with the government agency where she really wanted to land. Picking out immediate places to apply based on long-term priorities helped her get started in a large corporate office and bring her computer and legal knowledge up to speed, making her  a shoo-in when she finally saw an opening at her ideal job.Now she’s been there for nearly 20 years. The advice she always give s me, and I hate hearing, is to look for places where you want to work and get on their radar before they’re searching for applicants. As soon as that job posting goes up, you could have hundreds of other resumes to compete with; get in there for an informational interview or on a word-of-mouth referral, and you’re going to stand out.The Secret To Discovering Your Dream JobRead More at Careerealism

75 Idioms and Expressions That Include Break

75 Idioms and Expressions That Include Break 75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break† 75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break† By Mark Nichol Break and its various forms are found in a number of idioms and expressions. Here is an extensive but likely incomplete list of such usages. 1. All hell break(s) loose: chaos ensues 2. Break bad: defy authority 3. Break bread: to dine together, thus symbolizing peace and cooperation 4. Break a code: figure out a system for disguising communication 5. Break a law: do something illegal 6. Break a leg: an expression from the performing arts equivalent to â€Å"Good luck† 7. Break a/the record: exceed the previous best performance 8. Break a habit: stop doing something one does regularly 9. Break a story: be the first journalist to report on an incident or issue 10. Break away: separate from a group 11. Break (one’s) back: expend a great deal of effort for a result 12. Break (one’s) balls: overwhelm or overwork someone 13. Break camp: pack equipment at a campsite in preparation for departure 14. Break down: physically or emotionally collapse, or reduce something to its constituent parts 15. Break even: end up with the same amount of money one had before investing or gambling 16. Break faith: cease to support, or to abide by a promise 17. Break (one’s) fall: prevent a fall of one’s body that might have caused injury 18. Break for: pause for 19. Break formation: cease to operate in an established formation or pattern 20. Break free: release oneself from a literal or figurative restraint 21. Break (one’s) heart: suffer emotional distress 22. Break ground: begin construction 23. Break in (or into): enter by force 24. Break (one) in: introduce someone to something, or initiate someone into something 25. Break it up: an admonition to stop what one is doing, especially arguing or fighting 26. Break loose: separate from 27. Break into a gallop: suddenly increase one’s pace to a gallop while riding a horse 28. Break new ground: begin something new or do something different 29. Break (one) of (something): cause someone to stop doing something habitual 30. Break of dawn: beginning of the day 31. Break off: stop or cease 32. Break open: forcibly open 33. Break out: forcibly remove something from something else, literally or figuratively escape, burst forth suddenly, separate (as into groups), or develop pimples 34. Break out in a cold sweat: become suddenly nervous or frightened so that one literally or figurative perspires 35. Break out in a rash: suddenly develop a skin condition 36. Break out in tears: suddenly begin crying 37. Break ranks: cease to adhere to a certain opinion or cause 38. Break silence: cease to refrain from speaking about something 39. Break (one’s) stride: suddenly stop walking 40. Break the back of: reduce the power or end the domination of 41. Break the bank: use all of one’s funds 42. Break the fourth wall: address an audience directly rather than act as if there is no audience (said of an actor) 43. Break the ice: do something to alleviate awkwardness or nervousness 44. Break the mold: do something differently than it has been done before, or, in the case of a comment that â€Å"They broke the mold when . . . ,† a sentiment that someone or something has no equal 45. Break the news: share (often unpleasant) information 46. Break the silence: speak up about a topic previously avoided 47. Break the spell: end a period in which one experienced delight 48. Break through: overcome 49. Break (something) to (someone): provide (usually unpleasant) news or information 50. Break up: to separate into pieces 51. Break up with: to end a romantic relationship with 52. Break wind: create flatulence 53. Break with: end a relationship with 54. Break with tradition: deviate from custom or standard practice 55. Break (one’s) word: renege on a promise 56. Breaking point: the limit of physical or emotional endurance 57. Broke: out of money 58. Broken arrow: military jargon or code referring to an accident involving nuclear weaponry or to a request for air support for a threatened position 59. Broken dreams: unfulfilled aspirations 60. (Sound like a) broken record: sound repetitive, like a vinyl record that skips and therefore repeatedly plays a sound 61. Broken reed: unreliable person (on the analogy of the broken reed of a reed instrument) 62. Even break: even chance 63. (Make a) clean break: escape without complications, or start over again 64. Give me a break: said to express skepticism or exasperation 65. Go for broke: risk everything 66. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: don’t try to improve something that works well 67. Lucky break: fortunate occurrence 68. Make a break for it: attempt to escape or get away 69. Make or break: said of a critical action that will result in significant success or failure 70. Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me: a child’s response to name-calling expressing that he or she is not injured by the name-calling 71. Take a break: pause while working 72. That’s the breaks/them’s the breaks: an expression of mild sympathy for bad luck 73. The straw that breaks the camel’s back: the final unfortunate or unpleasant incident that results in abandoning or rejecting a situation 74. Tough break: bad luck 75. You cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs: a saying referring to the fact that sacrifices must be made to obtain desirable results 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a UK Business LetterThe Possessive Apostrophe5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions

Joni Mitchell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Joni Mitchell - Essay Example Her songs communicate her emotions powerfully, and she connects with her listeners directly and honestly. The album Blue consist of songs that are confessional in nature, where Joni Mitchell reveals her anguish of self discovery concerning her past actions based on selfishness and dogmatic beliefs, which led to her losing important relationships. The artiste is commended by her listeners and critics for her lack of subterfuge or self-justification (Bego 2005). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the music of Joni Mitchell and her album Blue released in 1971; to determine whether there is a relationship between popular music and wider social, cultural and political issues; to examine the album Blue’s genre, and its lyrical and music creativity. Further, the album’s impact on popular music and on wider culture as a whole will be determined. The Relationship Between Popular Music and Social, Cultural and Political Issues Joni Mitchell’s son gs in the album Blue are acknowledged to be poetic and forthright, with a complexity of emotions depicting raw feelings, the beauty of love, the sadness of loss, and the singer’s confession of her own part in creating her failed relationships. Thus, Blue is considered to be the â€Å"quintessential confessional singer/ songwriter album† (Bego 2005: 100). Generally, popular music goes through changing genres and styles, and forms one aspect of popular culture, along with advertising, films, and other parameters of public interest. During the last few decades of the twentieth century, popular culture in the west became established through its music as a â€Å"predominant, social, cultural, political and economic force† (Walker 2007: 18). The sales of audio-visual recordings, the performance of live shows, and related processes produce high economic returns. This has created an ostensibly limitless earning capacity for pop megastars, thereby raising them to the ver y heights of socio-political and cultural prominence. The increasing power of popular culture, mostly led by popular music has been evident over the last five decades. Until Rock ‘n’ Roll emerged in the mid-1950s, popular music utilized core elements of music, particularly in melody and harmony. This progressed to the recent historical diatonic traditions of western art music. From well-established rhythm and blues traditions, emerged Rock ‘n’ Roll’s vigorous and powerfully hypnotic rhythm and dance. Diatonic melody and harmony was decreasingly relied upon. In the beginning, after an initial hostility to what many people considered as overtly sexual depictions of the rhythm, the words and the music, rock ‘n’ roll was accepted as an alternative style of popular music, and in the duration of a few decades, it became the preferred cultural mode and norm of music expression. Thus, â€Å"from an interesting 1950s socio-cultural phenomenon to mainstream cultural domination by the 1990s† (Walker 2007: 18), the transformation of popular music appears radical in its magnitude. As a result of the changes, in the 21st century now, the term â€Å"music† has become synonymous for many people with rock and pop music. Musicians and singers frequently express their political protest through their musical performances. Protesting through music became a popular

Selfies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Selfies - Assignment Example However, some older people are trying to use selfies in the quest of associating themselves with the young generation. Selfies are though to have more benefits than disadvantages and have attracted the attention of the older generation which has been trying to use selfies to associate with the youth. Selfies are self taken photographs and with the right photo angle and posture, selfies may result in eye catching portraits, images and photos (Kraus, 2005). Selfies were not known before 2005. As camera mobile phones started to be popular, self portraits started to be appreciated. People started taking their own photos in different places and time. When social media came into being, people felt that it would be a good idea to share their selfies with their friends and family. Argument Block One Some people in the society feel that selfies are not good while others believe that they are good for the young adults and teenagers. Critics of selfies claim that the young especially those who have not gotten to adulthood may not know the limits of taking selfies. True to that, some adolescents may go to the extent of taking inappropriate selfies for example naked images. Though they are self taken and probably in secret, they would not have a good image if they are shared through the social media. Proponents of selfies disregard this claim stating that the self taken portraits are for self expression. As such, they should not matter how they are taken as long as they are expressing an issue or concern (Day, 2013). A teenager may take a selfie of some part of the body like to hear the comments of their friends for example. Teenagers that are vulnerable to relatively inappropriate selfies are those that are weight gain sensitive yet their friends are spread across the country or the globe. They would want to request their friends to comment yet they want instantaneous answers or responses after they are informed they look in a certain way, for instance being told they look fat. Some people can go to the extent of taking a selfie of their entire body to get the right response from their friends. People taking such selfies should use friend specific message media that is specific to their friends. Selfies of such nature should only be sent after requesting their friends accordingly and they approve the suggestion. Argument Block Two Other critics claim that selfies may have negative effects on especially young adolescents and teenagers. Material of all nature is shared through the social media and those who do not have certain knowledge may be curious. As such, they may try experimenting and trying out some things on their own. They are usually afraid to ask their parents. Inappropriate selfies may in fact change the behavior and perception of adolescents towards certain things. Even so, those in support of selfies claim that the content is somehow regulated. Most social media websites cannot be used by those less than thirteen years. By the time someo ne is thirteen years, they know a lot about their bodies. In that case, they would not be adversely affected in case they come across inappropriate images. At the same time, the chances of inappropriate images being posted over the social media is relatively low. In addition, social media sites do not encourage posting of inappropriate selfies. People who are likely to post inappropriate images and content are socialites. It would be extremely hard for adolescents and teenagers having socialites as their friend through social media. However, it cannot be ignored that some teenagers know such celebrities and may search for them on the internet and come across inappropriate content. Argument Block Three Critics argue that selfies are not good and may have a negative

Principles of Information Systems in Business and Organizations Essay

Principles of Information Systems in Business and Organizations - Essay Example Using this Zoho writer one can publish items directly to a blog and can save and import a range of text document formats, from Microsoft Word to HTML. One can import a document from one's computer or from any other web-page. But it raises a question, why should one import a file rather than accessing it on his own computer! There is no need to register in this website. One can easily access this website from anywhere by using his/her google e-mail id. The other main disadvantage noticed here is that, not two or more applications are made available in one page. In comparison, Google Docs (http://docs.google.com/), a well designed online application that helps user to prepare a Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation and Form. Also, the work done can be shared by others to get online reviews. The application is found to be highly professional with all the basic tools and functionalities available in a stand-alone word processing application. Also, as four applications are made available in one browser page, people tend to use google docs than any other application. The main features of this application is one can allow the list of persons who can access their documents.

Quality Control Systems and Customer Satisfaction at Tesco

Quality Control Systems and Customer Satisfaction at Tesco TQM focuses on the ways in which these processes can be managed with two key objectives: 1 100% customer satisfaction 2 Zero defects Quality Management focuses strongly on the consequence of the relationship between customers (internal and external) and supplier. These are known as the quality chains and they can be broken at any point by one person or one piece of equipment not meeting the requirements of the customer. Failure to meet the necessities in any part of a quality chain has a way of multiplying, and failure in one part of the system creates problems elsewhere, leading to yet more failure and problems, and so the situation is exacerbated. The ability to meet customers (external and internal) requirements is vital. To accomplish quality throughout a business, every person in the quality chain must be trained to ask the following questions about every customer-supplier chain: Designed to give products that will satisfy our customers hope. The main considerations for listing Dairy products in Tesco are:- Safety All products must meet our microbiological standards throughout there shelf life. Quality The products must look great as well as taste delicious. Legality All legal requirements such as compositional standards and labeling must be met. Customer Focus Products will only be sold if there is a customer need for them and they deliver a fit for purpose solution. Produce standards ensure that all Tesco fruit, salad, vegetables and horticultural products have the highest standards of food safety and quality. They also address environmental considerations and labor standards. Produce Codes of Practice apply from production; from the selection of raw materials to harvesting and then packaging and distribution to Tesco stores They cover the design and maintenance of buildings and processing equipment including field rigs The welfare and training of personnel involved in the production process Environmental considerations within Natures Choice Tesco consults Industry Bodies, Professional Associations, Food safety experts and environmental experts to advise on all aspects of production. We also seek advice from with our suppliers and growers when agreeing what standards can be achieved. Natures Choice is an Integrated Crop Management System (ICMS) which has been running within the Tesco Produce Department since its conception in 1991. Tesco Natures Choice Ethical Standards Quality No one tries harder for customers Understand customers better than anyone. Be energetic, be innovative and be first for customers. Use strengths to deliver unbeatable value to customers. Look after people so they can look after customers. The target of cross-departmental survey considered some of the values which staff themselves wanted to see in Tesco: Values associated with customer service. Job satisfaction, Trust, fairness and integrity Open and honest communication teamwork, Quality standards Motivation Profitability Commitment Success and continual improvement The survey exposed that the Retail section came closest to reaching an ideal; Retail which had already been involved in programs to advance customer relations was followed by Head Office, and the Distribution section was in third place. Return surveys carried out show that each section has met or got close to the Main Boards original target. Meanwhile, the target has been stirred in line with their latest vision. The different sectors have maintained the programs in order to reach the new target and further develop their performance. TASK FOUR QUALITY PROGRAMS Quality Programs One of Tescos key business strategies on inward bound the Irish market in 1997 was to build close relationships with the Irish supplier-base to increase the amount of business with Irish suppliers producing Tesco own brand products and branded goods for stores in Ireland and for export to the UK and to the wider Tesco Group. Tesco Ireland put a 12-strong team of technical, quality and trade development experts in place to work with supplier companies construction their product development skills and market expertise, to help them prosper in a rapidly changing commercial environment. Over 130 companies have benefited from the program to date, including Bewleys, Country Crest, Dublin Meath Growers, and Glanbia, Gold star Meats, Irish Yoghurts, Lir Chocolates, Largo Foods and Shannon Minerals. These 130 agreed Irish suppliers of Tesco brand now supply over 1,000 food and non-food products to Tesco Ireland, and to the wider Tesco Group, including eggs, ham, rashers, beef, fish, milk, cheese, bread, burgers, bottled water, biscuits, ice cream, jam and the full range of Irish fruit and vegetables. Only 20 companies were permitted suppliers in 1997, before the program started. As a result of this program, and other support for Irish suppliers, Tesco now buys over É1.5 billion worth of goods from some 800 Irish companies, over 80% of which are small to medium sized enterprises. É400 million-worth of products are exported to Tesco in Britain annually. Supplier companies have created 1,025 new jobs as a result of improved business from Tesco. Tesco is now the largest Training and Development programs As an innovative and vigorous company in the highly competitive retail environment, learning and progression from within the company is core to our operation. Training forms a vital part of staff development, focusing on our key business priority of continually improving our service to customers. We support our people to accomplish their potential through access to specially-tailored training programs, and core skills workshops including effective meeting management, presentation skills, influencing, root cause analysis, personal efficiency and communication skills. All staff has regular performance reviews with their managers and agrees personal development plans (PDPs), setting clear personal performance objectives. This ensures that all staff has the right skills to do their jobs. Supply Chain Labor Standards It is aim to act responsibly in our commercial and trading activities. The welfare and safety of the employees of our suppliers is vital. It expects all our suppliers to extend fair and honest contact to their employees and to all with whom they do business. We have developed a new course for our technical managers to raise their awareness of ethical issues and worker welfare in the supply chain. We will continue to train all new technical managers in this way. Managing standards across our large and complex own brand supply base is a challenge, but Tesco is committed to working with our suppliers to maintain, develop and improve standards. Benchmarking Compliance with all components of the key elements will lead to support of a submitted standard through the Initiative framework and subsequent getting by retailers. Once a food standard has been benchmarked successfully, the standard is acknowledged. The conforming benchmarked food safety standard can be applied by food suppliers throughout the whole supply chain, upon agreement with retailers, when defining contracts for sourcing of products. The application of the benchmarked standards to particular products will be at the maturity of retailers and suppliers. Staff feedback Buyer of Irish food in the world Viewpoint is Tesco Irelands annual staff survey, which provides all employees with a channel for communicating their views and opinions, and informs company management on how things could be done better and simpler for staff. Areas privileged include: emotional loyalty, satisfaction with current role and manager and clarity of role purpose alongside level of satisfaction with career progression, pay and benefits as well as general demographics. Each line manager receives a report on their teams overall responses, and they then work with the team to address areas which the survey has highlighted as requiring attention. Over 90% of staff contributes to Viewpoint surveys. In addition to providing a means to holding Tescos high standards together, the Tesco-Verax programs are probable to produce other benefits which include: Helping staff give a better service to the business. More substitution between departments as people make better use of their individual skills.

Eric Arthur Blair :: essays research papers

Eric Blair’s fictional name was George Orwell , born June 25,1903 in Motihari, India . At that time â€Å"India was part of the British Empire†(Orwell page 1 of 4). This was near the turn of the century, so not many people could afford to move to India with out the â€Å"British Empire†(Orwell pg. 1 of 4). Eric’s father Richard Blair was an agent of the Opium Department of the Indian Civil Service.Blair’s Grandfather served in the Indian Army for sometime before Blair’s birth. His family was â€Å" not very wealthy [Blair] later described them as lower-upper-middle class†(Orwell pg.1of 4). In fact, they owned no property or held any investment what’s so ever. When Eric was about 8 his family moved back to England and moved to a town called Henley, although his father still worked in India. Being middle-class, going to school was tough; however, his parents sent him to a private school in Sussex at the tender age of 8. By the time he was 13 he had received a â€Å"scholarship to Wellington, and soon after another to Eaton, the famous public school†(Orwell pg.1 of 4). After being forced to be good in school, he was not interested in â€Å"anymore †¦ further mental exertion†(Orwell pg. 1 of 4). So he decided to go with his private ambition, to write. At the beginning he writes â€Å" At the age of five or six [he] knew that he would be-must be a writer†(Orwell pg1 of 4). He made up his mind fast unlike many other writers. However, to be a writer one has to read literature. However, at Eaton English Lit. was not a major subject, because â€Å"most boys [ that went to Eaton] came from backgrounds either irremediably unliterary or so literary that to teach them English Literature would be absurd†(Orwell pg.1 of 4). Although he wanted to become a writer he finished â€Å"138th of 167†(Orwell pg. 2 of 4). After this he decided to join the Indian imperial Police ; however, he later left after 5 years in service. This was distracting him from his main lifestyle, a writer and because â€Å" wished to escape from †¦every form of man’s dominion over man†(Orwell pg. 2 of 4). In London he settled down into a â€Å"grotty bedroom†(Orwell pg.2 of 4). And started to teach himself how to write. He was now twenty-four and â€Å"week after week he remained in his unheated bedroom†(Orwell pg. 2 of 4). It was so cold that he â€Å"[thawed] his hands over a candle when they became to numb to write†(Orwell pg. 2 of 4).

Cowgirl Chocolates Essay

1. What are some of the critical strengths and weaknesses of Cowgirl Chocolates that determine the success of this small business? Can the weaknesses be overcome by the strengths of the business? Some of the critical strengths of Cowgirl Chocolates that determine the success of this small business include product differentiation, quality, flexible return policy, and personalization. Cowgirl Chocolates is very modern creation since it meets the needs of a specific market of spicy and chocolate fans by combining both cayenne, a spice, and chocolate, a sweetener. The business also is known for using premium ingredients in all of the chocolates it offers. The business not only offers a flexible return policy, which gives customers a full refund guarantee if they end up disliking the spicy truffles but also facilitates trial purchases for customers interested in the spicy chocolates. The company also uses personal notes in the Web site orders in order to build customer satisfaction. Some of the critical weaknesses of Cowgirl Chocolates include having a high production cost, not having a tailored mission statement for this specific business, and lacking focus. Cowgirl Chocolates has to pay a lot of money for the packaging, ingredients, and travel expenses to make the hot caramel dessert sauce. The business also is unfocused because of weak distribution, there is no product definition or market research, and the target market is thus dispersed due to not having a properly defined consumer base. Yes, the weaknesses can be overcome by the strengths of the business if the business spends time focusing on the weaknesses listed in order to build a more successful small business. 2. Using the total product view, describe the â€Å"hot and spicy chocolate truffle† offered by Cowgirl Chocolates? Based on this product view do you think this product will be readily accepted by consumers? Why or why not? The â€Å"hot and spicy chocolate truffle† offered by Cowgirl Chocolates were offered in several flavors such as plain chocolate, mint, orange, lime tequila, and espresso. The plain chocolate, mint, and orange truffles were wrapped in gold wrappers, the lime tequila truffles were wrapped in green wrappers, and the espresso truffles were wrapped in red wrappers in order for the customer to recognize that this truffle was extra spicy and hot. Personally, I believe the packaging of the truffles is not fully understandable because red does denote something hot, while the other flavors wrappers don’t fully translate to being hot and spicy. The truffles were also available in gift boxes, drawstring muslin bags, a collectible tin, and also in a plastic bag if the customer chose to purchase the truffles on the Cowgirl Chocolates website. Personally, I do not believe that consumers will readily accept this product because the general market of consumers will more than likely purchase sweet, milky chocolates over hot and spicy chocolates. The purchase of Cowgirl Chocolates fully depends on whether the consumer likes the taste rather than attractive packaging and different experience. 3. What market do you think the â€Å"hot and spicy truffles† is competing in—the hot and spicy food market, the chocolate candy market, the gift niche market, or other? Personally, I believe the â€Å"hot and spicy truffles† are competing in the chocolate candy market because when one thinks of the name â€Å"Cowgirl Chocolates† the word â€Å"chocolate† comes to mind rather than hot and spicy. The hot and spicy food market is strongly associated with spices, sauces, Mexican foods, and Spanish influenced foods. Cowgirl Chocolates thus seems more likely to be successful in the chocolate candy market rather than the hot and spicy food market due to the unique packaging of the truffles, the brand name given to the product, and the premium ingredients and price. 4. What is your assessment of Marilyn’s promotional efforts? In order for Marilyn to increase the sale of her chocolates, should she use a push or pull communication strategy? Personally, I believe that Marilyn has been very effective with her promotional efforts in order to create customer demand. Through the use of her award-winning recognition for packaging at various art shows, advertising in her local newspaper, the Soviet Awards recognition of her unique and tasty products, and presence and involvement with Seattle Chocolates have thus far helped bring some awareness for her product. In order for Marilyn to increase the sale of her chocolates, she should use a pull communication strategy because the more publicity she is able to gain for product and creative packaging, the greater awareness she will thus be able to gain for her business. 5. As you examine Exhibit 2, you will note that Cowgirl Chocolates offers several gift packages (1/4 pound, 1/2 pound, 1 lb., gift bucket, gift basket, nothing fancy) that range in suggested retail prices from $8. 95 to $59. 95. Given these price and packaging alternatives what type of product (convenience, shopping, or specialty) is Cowgirl Chocolates? Based on this classification would the buyer decision more likely to be a routine, limited or complex decision? Explain your reasoning. Given these price and packaging alternatives I believe Cowgirl Chocolates are specialty products because they are more expensive and thus for the most part exclusively distributed in either specialty stores or gift stores. By classifying Cowgirl Chocolates as specialty products, buyer decision would more likely be a limited decision because it requires putting though in the shopping process and therefore the decision whether to purchase or not purchase the product the product takes place in a store environment where the display of the products is thus very important to whether or not the customer will thus end up purchasing the product. 6. The suggested retail price and wholesale prices of Cowgirl Chocolates products are displayed in Exhibit 2 along with the product and packaging costs. Based on this information, discuss the relative merits of using a cost-based, demand-based, or competition based pricing method. The relative merits of using a cost-based, demand-based, or competition based pricing method include recognizing the that the retail prices are pretty much double the wholesale price. Thus, the combined packaging costs and the imported chocolate make these high-quality products very costly even before markups on the products are made at both the wholesale and retail level. Similarly, when one compares the price of for example, the half pound tin, that seems very expensive when compared to a 24 pack of Lindor Chocolate Truffles which costs $12. 00 a bag. 7. Construct a table consisting of the generic marketing mix strategies. Based on what you know about Cowgirl Chocolates, what marketing mix plan would you recommend to Marilyn and why? Based on what I know about Cowgirl Chocolates, I would recommend gift purchases to Marilyn because gift purchases are strongly influenced by both situational and temporary conditions, which thus allow for numerous opportunities to purchase Cowgirl Chocolates. Furthermore, these chocolates are very appropriate to give to a male consumer because research shows that men like hot and spicy foods more so than women. Cowgirl Chocolates would also be a good small gift to someone hosting a party or a dinner since a lot of consumers look around for a small gift in order to say thank you to the hostess.? 8. For a small business like Cowgirl Chocolates, what benefits and/or potential problems does a website offer? For a small business like Cowgirl Chocolates, a website offers both benefits and potential problems. The benefits include providing Marilyn the opportunity to build an online customer database and a database with customers who are thus repeat customers. Another benefit includes the business Cowgirl Chocolates to gain online awareness by being features on the appropriate online portals like chocolate candies and unique gift products. The potential problems include the possibility of sales increasing online and Marilyn thus must figure out a way to manage the increasing demand which might include having to pay additional costs in both packaging and shipping and additional labor costs in order to prepare the packages.

The Top 10 Unsolved Questions in Economics

The Top 10 Unsolved Questions in Economics There are many problems in the economic world that have yet to be solved, and fortunately, Wikipedia  has compiled a list of the greatest ones to date - from what caused the Industrial Revolution to whether or not money supply is endogenous. Although great economists like Craig Newmark and members of the AEA have taken a stab at solving these tough issues, the true solution to these problems - that is to say the generally understood and accepted truth of the matter - has yet to come to light. To say a question is unsolved implies that the question potentially has a solution, in the same way 2x 4 8 has a solution. The difficulty is, most of the questions on this list are so vague that they cannot possibly have a solution. Nevertheless, here are the top ten unsolved economic problems. 1. What Caused the Industrial Revolution? Although there are many factors at play in causing the Industrial Revolution, the economic answer to this question has yet to be sussed out. However, no event has a single cause - the Civil War was not wholly caused by slavery and World War I was not wholly caused by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. This is a question without a solution, as events have numerous causes and determining which ones were more important than others naturally involves some subjectivity. While some might argue that a strong middle-class, mercantilism and the development of an empire, and an easily moveable and growing urban population who increasingly believed in materialism led to the Industrial Revolution in England, others might argue the countrys isolation from European continental problems or the nations common market led to this growth. 2. What Is the Proper Size and Scope of Government? This question again has no real objective answer, because people will always have differing views on the argument of efficiency versus equity in governance. Even if a population managed to fully understand the exact trade-off that was being made in each case, the size and scope of a government largely depend on its citizenrys dependence on its influence. New countries, like the United States in its early days, relied on a centralized government to maintain order and oversee rapid growth and expansion. Over time, it has had to decentralize some of its authority to the state and local levels in order to better represent its vastly diverse population. Still, some might argue the government should be larger and control more due to our reliance on it domestically and abroad. 3. What Truly Caused the Great Depression? Much like the first question, the cause of the Great Depression cant be pinpointed because so many factors were at play in the eventual crash of the United States economies in the late 1920s. However, unlike the Industrial Revolution, whose many factors also included advances outside of economy, the Great Depression was primarily caused by a catastrophic intersection of economic factors. Economists commonly believe five factors ultimately resulted in the Great Depression: the stock market crash in 1929, over 3,000 banks failing throughout the 1930s, reduction in purchasing (demand) in the market itself, American policy with Europe, and drought conditions in Americas farmland. 4. Can We Explain the Equity Premium Puzzle? In short, no we have not yet. This puzzle refers to the strange occurrence of returns on stocks being much higher than returns on government bonds over the past century, and economists are still baffled by what could truly be the cause. Some posit that either risk aversion may be at play here, or antithetically that large consumption variability accounted for the discrepancy in return capital. However, the notion that stocks are riskier than bonds isnt enough to account for this risk aversion as a means to alleviate arbitrage opportunities within a countrys economy. 5. How Is It Possible to Provide Causal Explanations Using Mathematical Economics? Because mathematical economics relies on purely logical constructions, some might wonder how an economist might use causal explanations in their theories, but this problem isnt quite that difficult to solve. Like physics, which can provide causal explanations like a projectile traveled 440 feet because it was launched at point x from angle y at velocity z, etc., mathematical economics can explain the correlation between events in a market that follow the logical functions of its core principles. 6. Is There an Equivalent of Black-Scholes for Futures Contract Pricing? The Black-Scholes formula estimates, with relative accuracy, the price of European-style options in a trading market. Its creation led to a newfound legitimacy of the operations of options in markets globally, including the Chicago Board Options Exchange, and is often used by participants of options markets to predict future returns. Although variations of this formula, including notably the Black formula, have been made in financial economic analyses, this still proves to be the most accurate prediction formula for markets around the world, so there is still yet to be an equivalent introduced to the options market. 7. What Is the Microeconomic Foundation of Inflation? If we treat money such as any other commodity in our economy and as such is subject to the same supply and demand forces, reason would suggest it would be just as susceptible to inflation as goods and services are. However, if you consider this question like one considers the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, it may be best left as a rhetorical one. The basis, of course, is that we do treat our currency like a good or service, but where this originates doesnt truly have one answer. 8. Is the Money Supply Endogenous? Wikipedia follows up this question with a simple statement: Mainstream economics claims that it is; post-Keynesian economics claims that it is not. However, the issue isnt uniquely about endogeneity, which, strictly speaking, is a modeling assumption. If the question is properly constructed, I think this could be considered one of the key problems in economics. 9. How Does Price Formation Occur? In any given market, prices are formed by a variety of factors, and just like the question of the microeconomic foundation of inflation, theres no true answer to its origins, though one explanation posits that each seller in a market forms a price depending on probabilities within the market which in turn depends on the probabilities of other sellers, meaning that prices are determined by how these sellers interact with one another and their consumers. However, this idea that prices are determined by the markets overlooks several key factors including that some goods or service markets dont have a set market price as some markets are volatile while others are stable - all depending on the veracity of information available to buyers and sellers. 10. What Causes the Variation of Income Among Ethnic Groups? Much like the causes of the Great Depression and the Industrial Revolution, the exact cause of income disparity between ethnic groups cannot be pinpointed to a single source. Instead, a variety of factors ​are at play depending on where one is observing the data, though it mostly comes down to institutionalized prejudices within the job market, availability of resources to different ethnic and their relative economic groups, and employment opportunities in localities featuring varying degrees of ethnic population density.

Why has the membership of the major political parties declined in recent years Essay Example

Why has the membership of the major political parties declined in recent years Essay Example Why has the membership of the major political parties declined in recent years Essay Why has the membership of the major political parties declined in recent years Essay Essay Topic: Recent The membership of the major political parties has declined alarmingly in recent decades. In the 1950s, Labour had a million members and the Conservatives over two million, but nowadays they have 360,000 and 335,000 respectively. Parties are keen to recruit as many members as possible as they can provide important campaigning and financial support. There must be some wider reason for this phenomenon, as it did not affect just one party. Political apathy may be one factor, as people lose interest in the political system in general. Another possible reason could be the dissatisfaction the electorate feel towards the political parties of today. The class and party de-alignment arguments could also be used to explain this contrast with yesteryear- that the changes in the class system have left people unsure about whom their natural representatives are. The huge increase in floating voters may have something to do with this decline as well. Evans (1997) suggests another possibility, rather than people not participating in politics, this generation has shifted from party politics to supporting pressure groups. A politically apathetic electorate would have no interest in politics; therefore they would not join political parties. This state of mind has increased dramatically, possibly as a result of the move by the major parties in their stances. Moves, initially, by the Labour Party but subsequently by the Conservatives have left very little distinction between the parties. As the Labour Party shifted towards the centre under Blairs early leadership period, so did the Conservatives as a reaction against the Thatcher stereotype. This might have left the electorate feeling discontented, as there would not be as much political debate from two sides that operate so close to each other in their policies. Political apathy can be measured in a number of ways: party membership, turnout, and public opinion polls, although these are not completely reliable, as people might not vote for certain reasons and not join parties for reasons other than political apathy. Without a change in the attraction of politics and parties, this should not change. There would need to be more opportunity to get involved in politics than under the current political system, possibly an increase in referenda and initiatives. This might make the electorate more interested in politics, and consequently political parties. Parties and their politicians have also been given a poor image by the media in recent years, which may have resulted in people not supporting the political parties by not joining them. Incidents like the Neil Hamilton saga and the introduction of negative campaigning show politics up to be a dirty business and one that many people dont want to be a part of. The political parties have become much more centralised now, with less power allowed to the members, and this has been reflected by the membership figures. The politicians in comparison with the constituency groups now hold much more power and some people may think there is nothing to be gained from joining the parties other than funding something that they are not a part of. Party conferences, formerly a means of allowing the member a real vote, are now seen as a media charade. The de-centralisation of the main parties would probably considerably increase their membership, as the members would be in a position to have their say and not have their party managed by an elite. Traditionally, Labour has attracted working class support whereas the Conservatives have got their vote from the middle and upper class. However, according to Crewe (1977), following the emergence of an evolved class system, with a smaller working class, the traditional class boundaries have been eliminated with people making rational choices about their vote. This is the same with whichever party they are going to join, if any. People are not necessarily going to support their class representatives anymore. As these people become more sceptical and objective about the state of the different parties, so have the parties changed their policies to suit most people as opposed to their traditional voters. This has led to a loss of core support, and an increase in the floating vote. There is nothing to suggest that this trend of rational choice voting is going to change. On the contrary, if de-industrialisation continues, the movement towards rational choice voting would gather pace and membership figures would decrease further. For an election victory, the floating vote is very important but these voters will not join a party and will therefore not donate or participate in political activities. The floating electorate choose their affiliations in the short-term, and are the most objective of the different types of voters. Their only commitment is to the party that most attracts them with its various factors whose popularity can only be defined by the individual. They will not participate in party activities- such as assistance in election campaigns, donating money, etc. as they are not members. The increase in this group would explain any change in the party membership. During recent years, the trend has been to support single-issue groups as opposed to broad groups like political parties. In this pattern, there is a divide, where younger people are interested in these single-issue protest activities whereas the older generation are more dedicated to political party activity. Whereas only 6% of 15-34 year olds describe themselves as very interested in politics, 73% see themselves as particularly interested in the homeless situation, and similar proportions have concern about disabled rights, animal rights, and increased funding for the NHS. This could suggest that in the future party enrolment will decrease even more as the previous generation of party activists die out. In conclusion, there are five main reasons for the decline of party membership: an increase in political apathy, due in some considerable way to the move to the centre ground which has disillusioned more partisan support; the distrust surrounding politics, especially showed in the media coverage of sleaze and negative campaigning; the class-dealignment experienced by Britain as a result of de-industrialisation, which has left more people moving to a rational choice model of voting; this having resulted in an increase in floating voters who do not tie themselves down to one political party; and the younger generations tendency to be more interested in single-issue politics than the wide spectrum of issues in politics today. If the following continue as expected, party membership will decrease even further. To stop this movement, parties and the political system will need to change to allow the electorate a bigger role in political decision-making. It should be noted that these conclusions could also be used in the explanation of the decline in the faith of the electorate in the present political system.

Expanding an MNC Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Expanding an MNC - Assignment Example Finally this study will focus on future business strategy for ford to expand their business in China. Table of Contents The Ford Motor Company 4 Organizational Culture of Ford Motor 4 Environmental Scanning 5 Political 5 Economical 5 Social 5 Technological 6 Environmental 6 Legal 6 Entry Strategy 6 Political Risk 7 Implementation Strategy 7 References 9 The Ford Motor Company Ford motor company (FMC) is an iconic automobile manufacturer in the world. The company is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. It was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford, Horace E. Dodge and John F. Dodge. FMC was the most sold automobile brand across the world before World War II. Large scale car manufacturing concept was introduced by Ford motors in the year of 1914. Organizational Culture of Ford Motor Proper understanding of leadership skill and management is required to build a successful organization. Top management of the company believes in creating a sustainable environment for all. Ford has set a targe t to reduce 30 % CO2 emission from car within next eight years. The company tries to operate with a small but efficient workforce. They discontinued more than seven thousand underperforming employees in 2008. This is an example of strong leadership quality in terms of ability to take hard decisions. FMC has always tried to design product in a unique way. They use state of art technology to manufacture automobiles. Organizational culture of Ford can be described in three words- practical, innovative and one that believes in sustainable development (Seligman, n.d.) Environmental Scanning FMC is trying to enter Chinese automobile market. They need to analyze macro environment (considering political, economical, social, technological, legal, environmental condition of a particular country) before planning an entry strategy. Political Communist party is the ruling party in the country. Government has strong control over print media and electronic media. Political condition of the country is stable due to absence of any major opposition party. China has joined world trade organization (WTO) in 2001. The country has become more open in terms foreign investment after Joining WTO. It takes only thirty seven days to start a new business in china. This type of political condition will help FMC to grow their business in the country. Economical Chinese government has direct control over the financial institutes of the country. Government regulates Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy. Chinese government has cut down corporate tax rate last year. Ford has the opportunity to save huge amount of money due to low corporate tax policy of Chinese government (Viswanadham, & Balaji, n.d.). Social Literacy rate in china is more than 90% and most of the educated people are aware of international brands. Many international organizations have entered China in recent years. They have created employment opportunities for Chinese people. Disposable income of a customer has increased du e to rapid industrialization. Technological China is global leader in terms of technological development. Major achievements in the field of science and technology are, building the first atomic reactor, and hydrogen bombs, discovery of the Daqing Oilfield, synthesis of crystalline insulin, electronic collider, nuclear power stations etc. Government is trying to develop automobile industry with the help of foreign companies. This condition also supports the market entry

Figurative language versus literal language Essay - 1

Figurative language versus literal language - Essay Example Analogy is an inference conveyed from one person to another. It is essential in solving problems (Saeed, 2003). For example, the statement ‘I feel like a fish out of water’ means that a person is not at ease in the situation. The example fits where a person is not conversant with his setting. The example may be misunderstood communicating with a person with low intellect. A metaphor refers to a figure of speech that explains a matter by declaring that it is, when compared, similar with a distinct thing. For example, ‘success is a sense of achievement, it is not an illegitimate child’ is a statement employed to support the view that people want to be accredited for a successful situation through effort or coincidence, and reject it when it fails (Crystal, 1997). The example is significant when developing a project and it may be misunderstood after the outcome of a situation. A simile is an expression that precisely compares dissimilar components, frequently by using ‘as or like’ (Jackendoff, 1997). For example, ‘cute as a kitten’ may be used to compare the similarities between a person’s appearance and a kitten’s appearance. The example may be used to describe a child. It may be misunderstood when explaining behavior or physical appearance. A clichà © is a figure of speech that begins with an intelligent statement that turns out to be familiar. It highlights an idea or action which is predictable or expected on the basis of a previous happening (Crystal, 1997). For example, ‘time will tell’. This asserts there will be a revelation over time. It is appropriate when a person is keeping secrets. The example may lead to a misunderstanding during a translation. Amphiboly is a confusing grammatical composition within an extremely brief conversation or sentence (Jackendoff, 1997). For example, ‘teenagers should not be permitted to party. It is becoming unsafe on the streets’. The example is appropriate where adults are