Management Effective contemporary quality Management practices

Introduction Management is considered the most important aspect of operation in the organization. There are several factors that opt to be effectively managed and coordinated to ensure that the organization effectively and efficiently operates or function. There are several resources that an organization or company require to effectively and efficiently operate.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Management: Effective contemporary quality Management practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, human resources are considered the most important resources in an organization. This is because human resources are directly in charge of execution of duties and achievement of results in an organization. Basically, human resources are in charge of formulation and implementation of policies in an organization. Organizations require effective and realistic policies to efficiently operate. Furthermore, the human resource s or employees must be competent to ensure that the formulated policies are effectively implemented. This is a report paper discussing or debating the relationship between employees’ competency and organizational efficiency. Employees’ competency and efficiency in an organization Today, there are four major impediments that may affect the level of productivity in any given organization. These challenges include call to satisfy clients, need for innovation, call for a speedy response to the ever-shifting market requirements, and augmented levels of competition. Consequently, both managers and workers ought to be committed to the attainment of a company’s objectives in order to overcome these impediments. It is therefore necessary for management to come up with effective strategies to deal with the issue at hand, for instance, management should ensure that all aspects of a company’s operations are supportive and encouraging to employees. They can achieve th is by first ensuring that the organization’s basic requirements are put in place. Such requirements may include high quality of goods and services that employees can easily advocate for. Generally, such requirements require competent employees to ensure that they are met. Employee competency ought to begin with the top management and enforced among the junior employees too. Furthermore, an excellent system of delivery that guarantees that pledges and promises made to the customers are met, effective practices which are sincere, clear-cut and executed with honesty. Most importantly, management should consider the manner in which it should provide thrust to motivate workers as this influences their level of commitment to the company (Ferguson 36).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are several factors that are considered while evaluating efficiency of an organizatio n. These factors should be effectively coordinated and implemented to enhance efficiency of the respective organization. Basically, an organization requires competent staff or employees to achieve its goals and objectives, and effectively and adequately respond to market changes, produce quality goods and services and create or enhance good relation between the company and the public and enhance consumers’ satisfaction. Generally, efficiency of an organization is derived from the quality of goods and services it produces or offers in the market, its response to technological changes and market changes, consumers’ satisfaction and relation the company has with the general public among others. Therefore, an organization requires competent employees to enhance efficiency in operation. Furthermore, efficiency in organization is enhanced by competency of employees of the respective organization (Gowdy 28). Even though technology is known to dominate the current corporate se ction throughout the world, a lot of focus has recently been put on employees as well as the manner in which they are handled by their seniors. Basically, relationship between the junior and senior employees is determined by competency of both the junior and senior employees. It has been proved that competent employees professionally relate irrespective of their position in the respective organization leading to efficiency in the organizational operations. It is often said that the best managers produce the best results from their employees. As a matter of fact, throughout history, managers have devised several approaches and strategies which have been aimed at enhancing performance of employees. In addition, a lot of research has been carried out with regards to employee engagement. For this reason, there is need to critically examine employee engagement and competency as well as roles played by managers and relationship between employees’ self-efficacy and managers’ effectiveness. This will help to explain the impacts as well as benefits of enhancing employee competency through engagement. Moreover, it will help to illuminate on various ways that may be used to enhance employee competency through engagement in the respective organization (Bret 37).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Management: Effective contemporary quality Management practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Organizational objectives, organizational efficiency and employees’ competency Businesses or organizations are formed with objectives or goals. However, there are different types of organizations, for instance, profit oriented and non profit organizations. Though non profit organizations are not after maximization of profits, they require competent employees to meet their goals or objectives. Objectives and goals are set by both profit oriented and non profit organizations. This is because objec tives and goals govern operations of individual organizations in the respective industries and market where they operate. Basically, organizations require competent employees so that they can outline or set realistic goals or objectives that can be achieved within the stated deadline (Uche 35). Objectives and goals set or outlined by an organization may lead to efficient operation of the respective organization or company. Achievement of the respective goals and objectives within the stated deadlines also reflects efficiency of not only the organization, but competency of the employees of the respective organization. Therefore, an organization requires a competent staff or management team to set or establish realistic objectives. Furthermore, organizations also require competent employees or staff to achieve the respective goals and objectives within the stated deadlines. This is because achievement of goals and objectives requires competent employees who understand the nature of ea ch objective and time required during the implementation period to achieve the respective goals and objectives (McCarthy 42). Objectives and goals of an organization may also determine the efficiency of the respective organization. However, this can only be realized in case the respective organization employees competent employees to enhance realization or achievement of the respective goals or objectives. An organization may establish effective goals and objectives, but the respective goals or objectives may not lead to efficiency of the respective organization. This can happen in case the organization lacks competent employees who can effectively implement the respective goals and objectives, and ensure their achievements within the stated deadlines by the respective organization. Generally, an organization requires a competent human resource team that can formulate realistic goals and objectives, which can lead to efficiency of the respective organization. However, formulation of effective goals and objectives may not be useful to an organization in case it lacks a competent human resource team to implement the respective goals and objectives.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, an organization should develop and maintain competent employees who can effectively work towards achievement of the goals and objectives, and enhance efficiency of the organization by ensuring that the goals and objectives are achieved within the deadlines stated by the management team during formulation of the respective goals and objectives (Singleton and Singleton 52). Employees’ competency, organizational efficiency and technological changes In operation of businesses, management has to consider both internal and external business environment factors. Organizations have direct influence over internal factors, but not the external factors though both affect operations of an organization, for instance, technological changes. There are several uncertainties in the business environment that organizations ought to effective respond to enhance efficiency in operation in the respective market and industry where they operate. Failure to adequately and effectively respo nd to these uncertainties may lead to losses or even closure of operation of the respective organization. Technology is dynamic and frequently changes and this also affects operations of organizations irrespective of their line of business or nature of businesses they transact. Generally, technological changes affect delivery of services and production of goods by organizations and companies in the market or globally (Silverstone and Sheetz 48). Organizations must effectively and adequately respond to changes in technology that directly affect their nature of business. Failure to respond to these changes may affect income levels of the respective organization. Furthermore, it may also affect operation of the respective organization. Efficiency of an organization is determined by the response the organization has towards changes that affect their operation. Basically, failure to respond to technological changes may lead to production of goods using outdated technologies, and delivery of low quality services in the market. Technology frequently changes due to developments and frequent research on technology. Furthermore, developments in technology influence production processes and delivery of services. Moreover, effective and adequate response of an organization to technological changes enhances efficiency of the respective organization. However, an organization requires a competent human resource team to effectively and adequately respond to these technological changes. Generally, effective response to technological changes may enhance efficiency of an organization because it may lead to adoption of better production methods and delivery of quality services, which meet the market requirements and demands of the respective consumer in the market (Bret 44). Effective response to technological changes is determined by competency of employees responsible for technological department in the respective organization. Employees need to frequently and regularly review technological changes and adopt or adjust to changes that directly affect their operation in the respective market or industry. Effective review of technological changes requires a competent human resource team that can effectively and adequately review technological changes and effectively advise the organization on how to adopt the new changes and enhance efficiency in operation by meeting market demands and requirements. Therefore, organizations require competent employees to effectively and adequately respond to technological changes that directly affect their operation in the respective market and industry. This can also enable an organization to meet demands of consumers by producing quality goods and offering quality services (Gowdy 55). Ensuring that Employees’ competency facilitates the Achievement of an Organization’s Goals Managers should ensure that they connect the employee competency strategies with the realization of the company’s objectives. As a matter of fact, employee competency should be seen as a means to an end but not an end in itself. Consequently, managers should ensure that they first establish the company’s main objective as it is pointless to have employee competency without linking it to the organization’s goals. Effective linking of the organizational objectives and employees’ competency may lead to increased efficiency in an organization. This is because it can lead to achievement of the outlined goals and objectives by the management team within the stated deadline. An organization should ensure that competency of its employees facilitates achievements of goals and objectives leading to increased efficiency in the organization (Mouse 72). In addition managers should ensure that they show their commitment to the ideas of competent employees, for instance, they should always make sure that they respond and act on employees’ propositions for improvement of the organization’s p erformance. It is indeed very exasperating to employees when they are asked for suggestions and their responses disregarded. Competent employees may positively contribute to increased efficiency in an organization through suggestions of ideas that can lead to improved operations within the organization. Generally, competent employees may suggest effective strategies that can lead to efficiency in operation in the respective organization, if the suggested ideas are effectively implemented (Silverstone and Sheetz 82). Moreover, supervisors should always volunteer to teach employees more about the business or organization itself. Employees can only contribute positive suggestions that can enhance efficiency in the organization if they are well versed with the organization where they work. This is because lack of enough knowledge on how a company runs may influence employees to give unsuitable suggestions. Basically, employees’ suggestions in an organization may be used to enhanc e efficiency. Ideally, knowledgeable and empowered employees are likely to produce best outcomes from employee competency programs. Employees are only empowered to give productive suggestions if they are competent and are well versed with their roles in the respective organization and how the organization operates too. Generally, employees’ competency can only contribute to the achievement of organizational goals and objectives if they understand the objectives and goals of the respective organization. Therefore, for an organization to reap from its employees’ competency, management has to enlighten its employees on the goals and objectives of the respective organization, and how the organization operates (Hopwood, Young and Leiner 73). Drivers of Employee competency Even though we can determine the level of employee competencies through employee surveys, we may not be in a position to identify necessary areas that need to be improved within an organization through sur veys. It is therefore important for managers to consider a variety of factors, which are also referred to as drivers, which are said to improve general employee competency and enhance efficiency in the respective organization. In case these drivers are effectively handled, a company can successfully deal with increasing employees’ degree of competency. These drivers include effective communication, performance intelligibility and response, organizational values, incentives as well as appreciation, excellent relationships between employees and managers, professional advancement prospects and familiarity of a company’s objectives are some of the major aspects that enhance employee competency hence enhancing efficiency in the respective organization (Hopwood, Young and Leiner 86). Employee perceptions of his/her job and company According to a recent study, a worker’s attitude towards his/her work in a particular organization has a major influence on his/her on loya lty to the organization which has a tremendous impact on customer satisfaction. Generally, it is believed that competent employees have positive attitude towards their work in respective organization and effectively undertake their duties. This may lead to improved services to customers and production of quality goods leading to increased customer satisfaction. Additionally, this may enhance efficiency in operation because individual employees understand and value their job in the respective organization. An organization requires competent employees because competent employees understand their job leading to positive perception about their job and the respective organization where they work in case they understand the values and culture of the respective organization too. Therefore, positive perception about a company or job by an employee may enhance his/her competency leading to increased efficiency in the respective organization (Manning 75). The clarity of job expectations in th e employees In case the management’s expectations are not clearly outlined to employees, and the entire fundamental resources are not adequately provided, unenthusiastic feelings such as boredom or bitterness may crop within employees and they are therefore likely to shift their attention from the organization’s general wellbeing to survival mechanisms. Employees should be well informed on the job expectation. This makes the employees prepared to carry out their respective duties. Better understanding of an organizational job expectation may also enable an employee to utilize his or competency in carry out respective duties in the organization. Generally, employees may not be able to effectively utilize their competency if they are not aware of job expectation in the respective organization. However, if employees are well informed on the job expectations in the respective organization, they may easily utilize their competency towards improvement of the organizational e fficiency. Moreover, though an organization may hire competent employees, benefits of their competency might not be realized in case the organization does not effectively and adequately inform the respective employees on the job expectations. An organization’s management should enlighten employees on job expectations in the respective organization. In return, this can enhance competency of the respective employees because they adequately understand their job leading to increased organizational efficiency. Therefore, clarity of job expectations may enhance employees’ competency leading to increased efficiency in the respective organization (McCarthy 63). Professional development opportunities Research has shown that career improvement opportunities often have a positive impact on workers attitudes as it contributes to employee motivation. As a matter of fact, in many organizations, this is often suggested by employees and made effective through management. In most cases , career improvement has a positive impact on an organizations general performance. Generally, professional development opportunities are meant to enhance employees’ competency in respective organizations. Employees enhance their performance by undergoing different trainings related to their area of profession. Organizational efficiency greatly relies on employees’ competency. Since professional development opportunities leads to increased employees competency; therefore, it also contributes to efficiency of respective organizations that have established employee professional development plans or programs. An organization requires competent employees to enhance efficiency. However, employing and maintaining competent employees or staff may be difficult. Organizations need to establish a professional development plan or program so as to enhance competency of the respective employees to enhance efficiency. Professional development plans or programs are essential in boost ing employees’ competency leading to increased efficiency in the respective organization. Therefore, professional development plans or programs may enhance employee competency leading to increased efficiency in the respective organization (Lenox 45). Regular and effective communication between employees and managers Management should always strive to present an opportunity for dialogue where employees air their views, are appreciated and reminded of management’s expectations. This way, employees are likely to develop a feeling of belonging and hence likely to influence their productivity positively. Communication is an essential management tool that positively contributes to efficiency in organizations. Employees and managers should frequently and constantly communicate to enhance efficiency in the respective organization. This is because effective communication between managers and employees enables both the managers and employees to understand the organization better . It may also enable the employees to understand changes in the organization and how to adjust to such changes without affecting operations within the respective organization. Furthermore, regular and effective communication between and among employees may enable employees to decide on the necessary changes that the respective organization require leading to increased efficiency. Basically, regular and effective communication between managers and employees may enhance employees’ competency leading to increased efficiency in the respective organization. Therefore, an organization requires regular and effective communication between junior and senior employees to enhance their competency leading to increased efficiency in the respective organization (Silverstone and Sheetz 74). An effective relationship among workers and with superiors An effective relationship among employees and with their superiors is a vital ingredient ‘ in an organizations general performance. In cas e employees do not relate with their fellow employees as well as managers in a cordial manner, then they are not likely to perform at their best. As a matter of fact, employee adequate incorporation of their competency is a direct manifestation of workers feeling towards their relationship with their colleagues and superiors. In addition, such a relationship moves management closer to workers and they are thus in a better position to understand workers grievances and respond to them appropriately. In such instances, management is able to depict when performance is not at its best in good time and thus act promptly. In return, this may lead to increased efficiency in the respective organization. Efficiency in an organization can only be enhanced by performance of employees in the respective organization. Furthermore, competent employees are most likely to enhance efficiency in the organization because competent employees effectively perform their duties. Generally, efficiency in an o rganization may only increase if employees effectively and professionally relate with their supervisors. This is because it leads to good working relation and enhancement of competency. In the long run, this may enhance efficiency in the respective organization (Mouse 94). Perceptions of an organization’s culture and values An organization’s culture and values postulates a vital inspirational factor of employee engagement and competency. Absence of the two is likely to affect a company’s performance negatively. Organizational values and culture stipulates on the expected codes of conduct among employees in the respective organization. This might enhance efficiency of the respective organization if employees adhere by the culture and values of the respective organization. An organization need to enhance employees understanding of their culture and values to enhance their operation in the respective organization. This might also increase competency of employees in the respective organization leading to increased efficiency in operation. Therefore, organizations need to enlighten employees on their cultures and values so as to increase their competency in operation leading to enhanced efficiency (Uche 62). Reward for competency In any organization, it is important for managers to reflect on the benefits that an organization stands to gain if they offer incentives to employees. This is an important way of improving employees’ drive and thus improves their engagement and competency. In order to achieve this, it is important for supervisors to set sensible goals for employees, pick the most appropriate rewards for the incentive program, constantly address reward issues, come up with several and different winners and different rewards, support constant effort, present awards in a transparent manner and assess incentive programs on a regular basis. Rewards to competent employees or best performing employees greatly motivate employees to wor k hard to be recognized by the organization’s management. In return, this enhances employees’ competency because individual employees will have to work towards achievements of respective goals within the stated deadlines to be appreciated and rewarded accordingly. This increases employees’ competency hence enhancing efficiency of the respective organization (Singleton and Singleton 86). Conclusion Organizations operate to enhance efficiency hence increase their market share and profit level. Basically, organizational efficiency relies on employees’ competency. There are several factors that an organization has to effectively respond to so as to enhance efficiency, for instance, technological change, market demands and requirements, service delivery and production of products among others. Furthermore, there are drivers that may increase employees’ competency leading to increased efficiency in respective organizations, for instance, professional dev elopment plans or programs, competency reward system and regular and effective communication among employees among others. Considering relationship between employees’ competency and organizational efficiency, organizations need to promote employees’ competency so as to enhance efficiency in the respective organization. Works Cited Bret, Sharon. Essentials of Human Resource Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print. Ferguson. Management: Effective contemporary quality Management practices. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2010. Print. Gowdy, John. Organizational Efficiency and Employees’ competency. Chicago: CRC Press, 2010. Print. Hopwood, William, Young, George, and Leiner, Jay. Management and employees’  Competency. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2011. Print. Lenox, Marcel. Effective Management towards organizational efficiency. New York: Springer, 2009. Print. Manning, George. Management: Organizational efficiency. Chicago: CRC Press, 2010. Print. McCarthy, David. ‘Contemporary Human Resource Management: Competency Based Approach.’ Cambridge; Cambridge UP, 2011. Print. Mouse, Mika. Management: Competency based approach. Indiana: Pearson Education, 2010. Print. Silverstone, Howard and Sheetz, Michael. Employee competency and Organizational  Efficiency. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2011. Print. Singleton, Tommie, and Singleton, Aaron. Contemporary Management, Organizational  Efficiency and employees’ competency. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2010. Print. Uche, Austin. Human Resource Management. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2009. Print. This report on Management: Effective contemporary quality Management practices was written and submitted by user Jorge Winters to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Biography and Profile of Susan Rice

Biography and Profile of Susan Rice Name: Susan Elizabeth Rice Position: Nominated as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations by then President-elect Barack Obama on December 1, 2008 Born: November 17, 1964 in Washington, DC Education: Graduated National Cathedral School in Washington, DC in 1982 Undergraduate: Stanford University, B.A. in History, 1986. Graduate: Rhodes Scholar, New College, Oxford University, M.Phil., 1988 Oxford University, D.Phil. (Ph.D) in International Relations, 1990 Family Background Influences: Susan was born to Emmett J. Rice, Senior VP at the National Bank of Washington and Lois Dickson Rice, Senior VP for Government Affairs at Control Data Corporation. A Fulbright Scholar who served with the Tuskegee Airmen in WWII, Emmett integrated the Berkeley Fire Department as its first black fireman while earning a Ph.D. at the University of California; taught economics at Cornell as the only black assistant professor; and was a governor of the Federal Reserve from 1979-1986. A Radcliffe graduate, Lois was a former VP of the College Board and chaired an advisory council of the National Science Foundation. High School College Years: At the elite private girls school that Rice attended, she was nicknamed Spo (short for Sportin); she played three sports, was student council president and valedictorian. At home, the family entertained distinguished friends such as Madeleine Albright, who would later become the first female Secretary of State. At Stanford, Rice studied hard yet made her mark via political activism. To protest apartheid, she established a fund for alumni gifts with a catch - the funds could only be accessed if the university divested from companies conducting business with South Africa, or if apartheid were abolished. Professional Career: Senior foreign policy adviser to Senator Obama, 2005-08 Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy, Global Economy Development, Brookings Institution, 2002-present Senior adviser for National Security Affairs, Kerry-Edwards campaign, 2004 Managing Director Principal of Intellibridge International, 2001-02 Management consultant, McKinsey Company, 1991-93 Clinton Administration: Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, 1997-2001 Special Assistant to the President Senior Director for African Affairs, National Security Council (NSC), 1995-97 Director for International Organizations Peacekeeping, NSC, 1993-95 Political Career: While working on the presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis, an aide encouraged Rice to consider the National Security Council as a future career path. She began her stint with the NSC in peacekeeping and was soon promoted to senior director for African affairs. When she was named Assistant Secretary of State for Africa by President Bill Clinton at age 32, she became one of the youngest ever to hold that position. Her responsibilities included overseeing the actions of more than 40 nations and 5000 foreign service officials. Her appointment was regarded with skepticism by some US bureaucrats who cited her youth and inexperience; in Africa, concerns over cultural differences and her ability to deal effectively with traditional African male heads of state were raised. Yet Rices skill as a charming but firm negotiator and her unflagging determination have aided her in difficult situations. Even critics acknowledge her strengths; one prominent Africa scholar has called her dynamic, a quick study, and good on her feet. If confirmed as US ambassador, Susan Rice will be the second-youngest ambassador to the UN. Honors Awards: Co-recipient of the White House’s 2000 Samuel Nelson Drew Memorial Award for distinguished contributions to the formation of peaceful, cooperative relationships between states. Awarded the Chatham House-British International Studies Association Prize for the most distinguished doctoral dissertation in the UK in the field of International Relations. Personal Life: Susan Rice married Ian Cameron on September 12, 1992 in Washington, DC; the two met while at Stanford. Cameron is executive producer of ABC Newss This Week with George Stephanopoulos. The couple have two young children. Sources: Berman, Russell. Meet Obamas Tenacious, Take Charge Dr. Rice. NYSun.com, 28 January 2008.Brant, Martha. Into Africa. Stanford Magazine at Stanfordalumni.org, January/February 2000.Brookings Experts: Senior Fellow Susan E. Rice. Brookings.edu, retrieved 1 December 2008.Emmett J. Rice, Education of an Economist: From Fulbright Scholar to the Federal Reserve Board, 1951-1979. University of California Black Alumni Series, transcript of an interview conducted 18 May 1984.Stanford Alumni: Black Community Services Center Hall of Fame. Stanfordalumni.org, retrieved 1 December 2008.Times Topics: Susan E. Rice. NYTimes.com, retrieved 1 December 2008.WEDDINGS; Susan E. Rice, Ian Cameron.  New York Times, 13 September 1992.

How Christmas Trees Became Popular in the 1800s

How Christmas Trees Became Popular in the 1800s The husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, gets the credit for making Christmas trees fashionable, as he famously set one up in Windsor Castle in the late 1840s. Yet there are reports of Christmas trees appearing in the United States years before the royal Christmas tree made a splash in American magazines. One classic yarn is that Hessian soldiers had been celebrating around a Christmas tree when George Washington caught them by surprise at the battle of Trenton. The Continental Army did cross the Delaware River to surprise the Hessians on Christmas night 1776, but there is no documentation of a Christmas tree having been present. Another story is that a Hessian soldier who happened to be in Connecticut set up Americas first Christmas tree in 1777. While thats accepted local lore in Connecticut, there also doesnt seem to be any documentation of the story. A German Immigrant and His Ohio Christmas Tree In the late 1800s a story circulated that a German immigrant, August Imgard, had set up the first American Christmas tree in Wooster, Ohio, in 1847. The story of Imgard appeared often in newspapers as a holiday feature. The basic version of the tale was that Imgard, after arriving in America, was homesick at Christmas. So he cut down the top of a spruce tree, brought it indoors, and decorated it with handmade paper ornaments and small candles. In some versions of the Imgard story he had a local tinsmith fashion a star for the top of the tree, and sometimes he was said to have decorated his tree with candy canes. There actually was a man named August Imgard who lived in Wooster, Ohio, and his descendants kept the story of his Christmas tree alive well into the 20th century. And there is no reason to doubt that he decorated a Christmas tree in the late 1840s. But there is a documented account of an earlier Christmas tree in America. First Documented Christmas Tree in America A professor at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Charles Follen is known to have set up a Christmas tree in his home in the mid-1830s, more than a decade before August Imgard would have arrived in Ohio. Follen, a political exile from Germany, became known as a member of the abolitionist movement. The British writer Harriet Martineau visited Follen and his family at Christmas 1835 and later described the scene. Follen had decorated the top of a spruce tree with small candles and presents for his son Charlie, who was three years old. The first printed image of a Christmas tree in America seems to have occurred a year later, in 1836. A Christmas gift book titled A Strangers Gift, written by Herman Bokum, a German immigrant who, like Charles Follen, was teaching at Harvard, contained an illustration of a mother and several small children standing around a tree illuminated with candles. Earliest Newspaper Reports of Christmas Trees The Christmas tree of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert became known in America in the late 1840s, and in the 1850s reports of Christmas trees began appearing in American newspapers. A newspaper report described an interesting festival, a Christmas tree, which was viewed in Concord, Massachusetts on Christmas Eve 1853. According to the account in the Springfield Republican, all the children of the town participated and someone dressed as St. Nicholas distributed presents. Two years later, in 1855, the Times-Picayune in New Orleans published an article noting that St. Pauls Episcopal Church would be setting up a Christmas tree. This is a German custom, the newspaper explained, and one that has been of late years imported into this country, to the great delight of the young folks, who are its especial beneficiaries. The article in the New Orleans newspaper offers details indicating that many readers would be unfamiliar with the concept: A tree of evergreen, in size adapted to the dimensions of the room in which it is displayed, is selected, the trunk and branches of which are to be hung with brilliant lights, and laden from the lowest bought to the topmost branch, with Christmas gifts, delicacies, ornaments, etc., of every imaginable variety, forming a perfect storehouse of rare presents from old Santa Claus.What indeed can be more gratifying to children than to take them where their eyes will grow big and bright, feasting on such a sight on the eve of Christmas. A Philadelphia newspaper, The Press, published an article on Christmas Day 1857 which detailed how various ethnic groups had brought their own Christmas customs to America. It said: From Germany, in particular, comes the Christmas tree, hung all round with gifts of all sorts, interspersed with crowds of small tapers, which illuminate the tree and excite general admiration. The 1857 article from Philadelphia whimsically described Christmas trees as immigrants who had become citizens, stating, We are naturalizing the Christmas tree. And by the time, an employee of Thomas Edison created the first electric Christmas tree in the 1880s, the Christmas tree custom, whatever its origins, was permanently established. There are a number of unverified stories about Christmas trees in the White House in the mid-1800s. But it seems the first documented appearance of a Christmas tree wasnt until 1889. President Benjamin Harrison, who always had the reputation of being one of the less interesting presidents, was nonetheless very interested in Christmas celebrations. Harrison had a decorated tree placed in an upstairs bedroom of the White House, perhaps mostly for the entertainment of his grandchildren. Newspaper reporters were invited to see the tree and wrote fairly detailed reports about it. By the end of the 19th century, Christmas trees had become a widespread tradition throughout America.

Struggle in Fairy Tale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Struggle in Fairy Tale - Essay Example Realism makes a story appealing to the reader (Moore 1995). However, realism seems very minimal in fairy tale prose. This realism is concerning about the action/reaction relativity in the story setting of the situation in the fairy tales.Somehow their unrealism can be credited for by the given struggle to them by its authors. Also by the very characterization of the characters that speak and reacted unexpectedly that made the story less credible.An interesting story mostly relies on the reaction from the action given or from the struggle that the main character dealing with as a conflict. Literature scholars have been discussing and affirming this literary concept.In the matter of the fairy tale concept, it was traditionally formulated that the functions of the characters serve as the stable "serve as stable, constant elements in a tale, independent of how and by whom they are fulfilled", according to Russian Scholar Vladimir Propp (Lefavole. Org 2008). He also said that it has been observed that the number of function in the fairy tale is limited and its sequence of function is often identical (Lefavole. Org 2008).Study says that changing the obstacle or danger of the story could also affect the reaction of the character. Thus the changes in the story then able to comply to the expected realism that critical reader would highly appreciate or prefer.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 35

Assignment Example At year end he had 2,000 olives left in inventory. Since it appears the prices are rising very fast, perhaps due to inflation, FIFO method would appear more realistic in the eyes of the bank, unlike LIFO, which would result into unrealistically lower cost of goods sold and higher net income. Therefore, Mr. Jones should use FIFO method (Albrecht 45). Please solve the following Financial Statement Ratios using the Balance Sheet and Income Statement found below. Also tell me, in a sentence or two, what we have learned from each one. Don’t give me a definition of the ratio - tell me what these numbers tell us. A current ratio of 2.3 is a healthy liquidity level, since it means that the company is able to meet its short-term dues using its current assets/liquid assets. For that reason, the company cannot fall bankrupt easily (Baker, Benrud and Powell 112). This figure shows that the financial position of the company is fine. Having a positive working capital means that the company has enough liquid resources to pay its short-term liabilities when they fall due hence it cannot be declared bankrupt

Promotional Strategy Essay Example for Free

Promotional Strategy Essay There are various ways to communicate with potential customers. Promotional strategy includes a mix of advertising, publicity, sales promotions, personal selling, and public relations. Each component of the promotional mix plays a role in your effort to have potential customers learn about your business and buy your goods or services. Your promotional strategy must address the who, what, when, where, and how much money to spend. The Who of Your Promotional Strategy No business can be all things to all people, and no business has an unlimited amount of money to spend on its promotions. You will need to be sure you direct your effort and money to your target market. The better you can identify who is in your target market, where they live, what magazines and newspapers they read, what television stations they watch, and what radio stations they listen to, the higher the probability that you will be able to get their attention and influence their behavior. If you can identify your target markets demographics, then you can check the listenership, viewership, and readership profiles for various media, including local radio stations, newspapers, magazines, and television stations. For example, if you are opening a clothing store and the primary target market is teenage girls, then you should review the rating of radio listenership in your geographic area. Most radio stations have a copy of the ratings. You will be able to determine which radio station has the highest listenership in that age category. The A. C. Nielsen rating service does the same for television viewership. The What of Your Promotional Strategy The what involves determining the message you should communicate to your target market. Your promotional strategy is intended to take people who may have varying degrees of interest in your type of goods and services and get them to become your customers. You will need to know who they are, who they are currently buying from, why they are buying the goods and services, and to what extent they are still customers in search of a business. Your promotional strategy is intended to get the people in your target market to modify their behavior. The message you send to the people in your target market must be tailored to their mental frameworks. Your message must also provide the incentive for them to do business with you. Your promotional strategy should be based on: (1) Who do you want to influence? (2) What do you have to offer them that is better than the competition? and (3) What do I need to communicate to them to get them to become my customers? Your promotional strategy should emphasize your competitive advantage(s). Successful promotional strategies are based on the concept, If everyone is offering a steak, then you must sell your sizzle! You must know what your target market values. Your strategy should highlight your businesss unique selling points/propositions. The When of Your Promotional Strategy There are four major intervals for promoting your business. The first is preening promotion. It is very important for a new business to generate customer interest before your business opens its doors. You want your target market to be anxious for your business to open. Some businesses do teaser advertising. A teaser ad may be, the countdown has begun; there are only 60 days until Company of Miami opens. This business may do teaser advertising by erecting a sign where the business will be located. Your business will also need to provide ongoing promotions. Your existing customers will need to be kept informed about developments in your business. You will also need to let potential customers learn about your business and its sizzle. Most new businesses tend to have a token grand opening promotion and do little after that. You need to develop an ongoing promotional program that will keep your business in your target markets minds. If the world doesnt know about your mousetraps advantages and the market doesnt know where your door is, then you will not sell a single mousetrap. The Where of Your Promotional Strategy Your promotional strategy will only be effective if its message gets to your target audience at the appropriate time. The where of promotional strategy involves the media you use to communicate with your target market. There are numerous avenues or media available for promoting your business. The key is to know which media will produce the best results. The media to be used will depend on to whom you want to direct your message, the nature of the message, and when it needs to be presented. Each type of media has advantages and disadvantages. Television offers color, movement, sound, and broad geographic coverage. Radio offers a means to get to a large number of people at various times of the day and night. Newspapers offer daily coverage to a large percentage of an areas households. Direct mail permits you to send your message to a specific group of people. Billboards take advantage of a captive audience while people are in their automobiles. There is no one best medium for all businesses. There is no one best medium for every type of message. When asked which medium is the best, the answer can only be, The one that does the best job of attracting customers per dollar cost. Your promotion budget also influences media selection. You want to get the best return per dollar invested in promotion. One medium may cost less than another, but you need to determine which one will do the most effective job of getting your message to your target market. businesses frequently evaluate media in terms of the cost of reaching each 1000 potential customers. The How Much to Spend Part of Your Promotional Strategy The question of how much money to spend on promoting your business is very difficult to answer. Some businesses spend a certain percentage of projected sales on promotion-related activities. If, for example, you are trying to generate sales of $ 100,000 for the first year, then you may want to review trade data on your type of business to learn what percentage of sales you should spend on advertising. Bank of America reports that the average ad expenses for apparel stores is 2 to 3 percent of sales; for bookstores, 1.5 to 2.5 percent of sales; and for gift stores, 1.5 to 2.5 percent of sales. These figures reflect annual budgets for existing businesses. Your first years promotional budget will need to be a larger percentage of sales because your business will be unknown and you will be trying to divert customers from other businesses. The percentage-of-sales method may provide a general idea of how much to spend, but spending a certain percentage of sales on promotion does not guaran tee that you will generate that level of sales. The best way to determine your promotional budget is to identify what you want to accomplish. This is known as the target approach. If you want to have 8 people come to you each week, then you need to determine what type and amount of promotion you will need to do to achieve that goal. You may find it will take 3 primetime radio spots per day on two different radio stations; a two column, 3inch ad in the local newspaper on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; 2 billboards located on two major thoroughfares; and 1000 direct mail promotions per month to achieve your goal. The target approach recognizes that you must reach a critical mass before your promotions will have an effect on the market. The percentage-of-sales approach indicates what businesses spent. The target approach determines what you think it will take to achieve your sales goal. The target approach is particularly appropriate for a new venture. There are two other approaches businesses may use to determine their promotional budgets. Some businesses simply try to match their competition. They monitor the number of radio spots aired and the amount of ad space in the newspaper. The businesses then match their major competitors promotional program. This approach has two flaws. First, it assumes that your competitors are doing the right type and amount of advertising. Second, if you dont do a better job of promoting your business than your competition, why should your target market do business with you? The other approach to developing a promotional budget is based on how much you can afford to spend. This may be the least effective approach. It assumes that you have allocated money to all of the other aspects of your business. Any money that is left is what you can spend on promoting your business. You must recognize that you need to do promotions to generate sales. If you hope to have enough sales to leave you with enough money to do promotions, then you have things backwards. It is interesting to note that most people are reluctant to spend much money promoting their business. This reluctance is quite natural. Money spent on promotions offers no assurance that it will bring in enough customers to justify the expense. One of the sayings about advertising is, Only one-half of advertising works. The problem is that you dont know in advance which half it will be! However, promotions should be viewed as an investment that is necessary to generate the level of sales needed to produce your targeted level of profit. The Promotional Mix Most of the discussion of promotional strategy has been focused on advertising. Promotion also includes the name you choose for your business, its sign, personal selling techniques, point-of-purchase displays, special sales promotions, public relations, and publicity. Publicity may be particularly important for a new business. Publicity is defined as media coverage for which you dont pay. Many radio stations, newspapers, and television stations do features on new businesses when they open. If your business is the first of its kind in your area or if it has some special sizzle, you may be able to get the media to do a special feature on it. You should make every effort to get in touch with the media before your business opens. Publicity can be equivalent to thousands of dollars of free advertising. Publicity is also valuable because potential customers tend to pay more attention to features than to advertisements.

Personal Strengths & Weaknesses :: Personal Narrative Character Analysis Essays

I gave this paper a lot of thought before I began to write. ?What qualities and traits do I posses that make me desirable as an employee, a teammate, and as a person First, you must be able to identify your own personal strengths and weaknesses in order to become a lifelong learner and an essential part of a ?team?. As technology is constantly growing you have to be willing to accept what makes you an asset or a liability in any given situation you may encounter in your life. The qualities and traits that I feel make me a valuable entity to my employers, co-workers, classmates and within my personal relationships are varied. I will go on to describe some of the attributes I think are most important in establishing and maintaining successful relationships whether personal or work related.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On a daily basis I am challenged with a multitude of situations that I must prioritize and resolve in order to move ahead. Through these experiences I have developed the ability to juggle these situations in a timely and satisfactory manner. Thus, making me a multitasked individual capable of handling a variety of rigorous tasks. Multitasking enables me to be more productive within a demanding atmosphere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aside from being an expert juggler, the ability to work well with others is a crucial part of most social interactions, as we are forced to interact with individuals in our social and personal realm. Active listening and an open dialogue are the keys to good communication. This has helped me to fulfill my obligations as a team member.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dedication and hard work are additional components that have enabled me to gain ground in the workplace. For example, the refinery I work at is running 24, 7, for me this means having to sometimes work overtime or on the weekends. Taking on-line courses has made it easier for me to remain accessible and dependable as an employee. I haven?t learned how to fit in time with friends and family yet, but I hope by my 3 or 4 course this will be a breeze.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although I would like to think I was perfect, I have come into the reality that in order to move forth in life you must continually try to better yourself both professionally and personally. I feel that my most crippling weakness is my lack of education. Now days, you can?t practically get a job flipping burgers without an Associates Degree. Personal Strengths & Weaknesses :: Personal Narrative Character Analysis Essays I gave this paper a lot of thought before I began to write. ?What qualities and traits do I posses that make me desirable as an employee, a teammate, and as a person First, you must be able to identify your own personal strengths and weaknesses in order to become a lifelong learner and an essential part of a ?team?. As technology is constantly growing you have to be willing to accept what makes you an asset or a liability in any given situation you may encounter in your life. The qualities and traits that I feel make me a valuable entity to my employers, co-workers, classmates and within my personal relationships are varied. I will go on to describe some of the attributes I think are most important in establishing and maintaining successful relationships whether personal or work related.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On a daily basis I am challenged with a multitude of situations that I must prioritize and resolve in order to move ahead. Through these experiences I have developed the ability to juggle these situations in a timely and satisfactory manner. Thus, making me a multitasked individual capable of handling a variety of rigorous tasks. Multitasking enables me to be more productive within a demanding atmosphere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aside from being an expert juggler, the ability to work well with others is a crucial part of most social interactions, as we are forced to interact with individuals in our social and personal realm. Active listening and an open dialogue are the keys to good communication. This has helped me to fulfill my obligations as a team member.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dedication and hard work are additional components that have enabled me to gain ground in the workplace. For example, the refinery I work at is running 24, 7, for me this means having to sometimes work overtime or on the weekends. Taking on-line courses has made it easier for me to remain accessible and dependable as an employee. I haven?t learned how to fit in time with friends and family yet, but I hope by my 3 or 4 course this will be a breeze.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although I would like to think I was perfect, I have come into the reality that in order to move forth in life you must continually try to better yourself both professionally and personally. I feel that my most crippling weakness is my lack of education. Now days, you can?t practically get a job flipping burgers without an Associates Degree.