Brand Loyalty †Thesis Proposal Essay

The current financial crisis has spread around the world and no consumer has stayed untouched. In economic downturns, consumers are trying to better manage their expenses due to uncertainty for the future. In such cases, their brand loyalty might be shaken. Especially for UK consumers, whose purchasing power is lower than the other nations, the situation in the beginning of 2010 seems to be much more difficult. Hence, the purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of the current recession on UK consumers’ brand loyalty. A quantitative method will be employed and the empirical data will be collected through questionnaire survey with a sample of fifty UK consumers from the area of Thessaloniki. The questionnaire survey will be distributed to different people regardless of age and demographic characteristics, backgrounds and attitudes. The results of the study will aim to show that not all consumers’ brand loyalty has been shaken the same by the recession but some types of consumers were more affected compared to others. Furthermore, the research will aim to indicate that brand loyalty varies over products so some product and service categories lost a big part of their market share. The findings might be interesting and useful to several companies that would like to be aware both of the profiles of the customers that are more likely to switch to cheaper brands and the products that will easily lose a part of their market share during a recession so that can formulate the appropriate marketing strategy. In the highlighted part right the name of the area where it will be easier for to distribute fifty surveys and get them back. What Influences brand loyalty towards cigarette brands in the UK market? Brand loyalty has been a one of the biggest issues in the world of marketing over the last years. The two topics of brand loyalty and cigarette smoking have rarely been linked. A possible reason for this is that researchers might feel that it is in some way unethical to provide managerial suggestions for tobacco producers. The aim of this study is to clarify that matter and get knowledge about which product-related, psychographic, health-related and demographic factors influence the brand loyalty among smokers and to what extent. By examining brand loyalty towards cigarette brands, those factors which in fact decrease brand loyalty can be identified. In the literature review, the necessary background will be referenced to answer the research questions. The research will be conducted on a quantitative basis. The main research method used will be questionnaire survey. It is the researcher’s belief that this study will provide new and interesting perspective on the topic of brand loyalty, as well as the researcher hopes that the results will be beneficial for social marketers in their fight against cigarette smoking. What effect does sponsorship have on brand loyalty: A case study of Vodafone customers An increasingly larger marketing budget is allocated to sponsoring in companies. This has triggered the attention of the academics to research what the exact effects of sponsorship on a sponsoring brand are. This study fills a gap in the sponsorship literature by focusing on both current customers and looking at sponsorship from both negative and positive perspective. It researches what the effects of sponsorship are on brand loyalty for current customers concerning a sponsored party. Prior literature on both sponsorship and brand loyalty is explored to establish a sound theoretical reference. The review will demonstrate that negative and positive incidences as the context has a negative and positive effect respectively on attitude change toward the sponsored party, which in turn influences change in brand loyalty. The established theoretical reference is tested by means on a questionnaire survey. The sample will consist of Vodafone customers, which are tested on the change in attitudes toward the sponsored team (McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 team for Vodafone) and on the change in attitudes and behavior toward the sponsoring brand.

Wearable tracking system for analysis of footballer efficiency

â€Å"My function in the application of systems technology in the group project† The inclusive purpose of this Part A Group undertaking was to develop a racy, wearable trailing system for analysis of footballer efficiency during a lucifer. I was portion of Group B of Group 8 ; my group’s assignment was to incorporate the accelerometer with the mbed development platform of the GPS-based system. The group consisted of four people including myself. In drumhead the complete purpose of this undertaking was to develop a wearable GPS-based trailing system that can temporal enter the football players efficiency during an increased continuance of a 5 minute football lucifer. The possible donee for this system is the primary stakeholders who were identified as the football manager or lookout as they benefit from the football players efficiency. They would be able to place if the football participant is worth their salary merely by analyzing their public presentations during lucifers. Accelerometer is an electromechanical device which measures acceleration due to motion and gravitation. The dynamic acceleration which is engendered by quivers from motions allows the capacitive accelerometer to specify in which way the user is traveling and what velocity. The inactive acceleration which is generated by the gravitative pull the measurings portrayed the angle of joust in relation to the Earth’s gravitative pull. A big sum of clip and attempt throughout this undertaking has been spent on team-working – organizing the Group B squad, redacting the paperss achieved between us into a consistent manner and linguistic communication suited for non-technically minded readers. The intent of the group undertaking was to derive organizational, proficient, and systems technology accomplishments and cognition which I had expanded my apprehensions throughout this undertaking. This study is structured into separate subdivisions – the first depicting the paperss created to help from a systems position. The 2nd focal points on the systems technology methods that have been applied ; why they were selected ; how they were tailored ; how good they worked and how these applications could be improved. The 2nd focal points on the functions I played within this undertaking with what I contributed besides. The overall end of the group undertaking was to develop a robust, wearable trailing system for analysis of football player effectivity during a lucifer. The purpose for my tutorial group – Group B nevertheless, was to incorporate the accelerometer with the mbed development platform to enable extraction of the needed informations for tracking the system’s acceleration forces over clip. In this undertaking, I took the enterprise to be the squad leader/manage whose duty was to pull off and put to death the sub-system developments. I made sure that my fellow squad members followed the Management Plans integrating the applications of the systems technology procedure used for this undertaking. As the tutorial group director I had the duty to set up the squad into a construction so that all members felt non merely that they had something to lend, but besides a say in the concluding sub-group study. That manner when it came to the testing of the overall system they wouldn’t feel that they had cheated their manner without lending to anything. One of the chief deliverables for this was in the signifier of a written study, which as a consequence of its size, and in an attempt I tried to include all group members, featured an input from each of them. To back up this undertaking I created a System Engineering Management Plan ( SEMP ) and a Project Management Plan ( PMP ) with a small aid from my squad members. The intent of these direction paperss to place and depict the overall systems technology procedures and methods to be used during the development of this Group undertaking. I was entirely responsible for the PMP due to the fact that I was the sub-group director so it was my responsibility to pull off the undertaking and put to death it with organizational and proficient abilities. To guarantee that there was communicating about the systems development throughout the undertaking I incorporated a communicating direction program. The communicating program involved a directory which had more than one contact information for each forces involved in our sub-group. I found it utile as I was able to update them utilizing the societal networking such as WhatsApp and Facebook to look into their electronic mails when needed. So following the communicating program was successful. I allocated two of my co-workers from the group to bring forth the Work Breakdown construction. The intent behind utilizing this was to be after our work more expeditiously. The undertaking was characterised by time-limited activated with assigned fixed clip frames. The WBS affected the undertaking because it helps do the development of the sub-system consistent supplying effectual undertaking executing. By treating the undertakings at manus more clearly I was able assign duties. The functions provided were given to each of the members based on their strengths and what they were willing to make every bit good. In order to follow the communicating program described in the Group study, I created a Facebook page for the Super Group to maintain up to day of the month with the other members of Group A and Group C of this undertaking. The page was rather successful as the pupils involved in our Super Group were now cognizant of the meetings up-coming with their anterior dockets. Members from each group were made admins so that they could add their fellow group members who I had missed out from their tutorial groups. With this page we were able to hold a successful football lucifer with the to the full incorporate system attached to one of the participants. As system technology procedure are characteristic within the overall system life rhythm. This attack is iterative to the system design and development. The lifecycles used was SEMP, CONOPs, System Requirements, Software coding and Hardware fiction, Unit proving, Subsystem and system confirmation, Validation ( Testing ) . However, to develop the accelerometer I customised this to accommodate my group’s life rhythm procedure of the sub-systems development. This diagram was designed like this as I believed that this would be a suited manner in implementing the following activities. The first phase of the customised VEE diagram is the Requirements. As a group we recognised the user, system, functional and non-functional demands of the sub-system this helped with implementing the following phase of Management Plan paperss. This phase encountered the Project Management Plan ( PMP ) and the System Engineering Management Plan ( SEMP ) . The intent of such paperss provided a comprehensive baseline of what needed to be achieved within the undertaking, how they were achieved, who would be involved and how it will be communicated throughout the undertaking. Cardinal direction: intents – hazard registry Once these were written to a satisfactory criterion, our coder executed the 3rd phase of our life-cycle. This contains the cryptography and testing of the sub-system. We could non go on to the following phase until the concluding execution of the accelerometer was verified by me. Until so, I took the chance to leap to the study composing phase and get down the initial bill of exchanges of the Group and Individual studies. After I verified our sub-system coding the integrating of the trailing system could be accomplished. The integrating merely took approximately two hours as it was rather easy one time all the sub-system cryptography were verified. This meant that in comparing to the Gantt chart which we achieved we were in front of agenda. This had an advantage as my sub-group were able to concentrate on the group study at manus utilizing up the clip allocated for the integrating of the system. When it came to the proving I didn’t take part in the lucifers its ego but I was the one entering the lucifers. I shared the images and picture with the other members in our super-groupo via facebook because I was the one videoing the testing. This means that the images seen in Group 8 sub-group group studies are most likely to be similar. In decision the biggest obstruction, for me in my sentiment, was successful completion of this undertaking was team-working by trying to finish our assignment in clip with the other sub-groups in this undertaking. I found it disputing to do certain that my co-workers kept to the deadline of the undertakings that were allocated to them. Although at the terminal of everything the system constructed performed really good, bring forthing informations required. It was compacted plenty to be worn without set uping the footballer’s public presentation but it could hold been improved if we was provided with a lodging device for the system. As the system was attached to my co-worker with a brand displacement lodging device wrapped around him with tape.

Ms. Kayte Clark, the Vice President for Danskin Inc Case Study

Ms. Kayte Clark, the Vice President for Danskin Inc - Case Study Example However, she is legally blind and her disability issues seem to have grown in the company over the years since she could not be promoted to a higher position by virtue of her blindness. To a greater extent, the decision she makes can be regarded as a scapegoat to get rid of her since there is enough evidence to show that she is no longer liked in the company. As such, this essay seeks to critically evaluate the law that applies federally under Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) as well as ERISA. The essay also seeks to outline the elements she must prove for a prima facie case in each area in question. Ms. Clark is now 53 years which entails that she is protected by the ADEA which stipulates that employees over 40 years must not be discriminated against with regards to aspects such as promotion, employment termination as well as benefits. Under this legislation, the employees are entitled to get their benefits regardless of their age or other physical attributes. The employe e’s prima facie case treatment is that of disparate treatment. In this case, there is every reason for Ms. Clark to prove age discrimination on the basis of disparate treatment through the use of Title VII case set in McDonnell Douglas Corp v. Green which was adopted in the ADEA. According to the provisions of 20 U.S.C ? 623, the employee must prove the four elements going to be discussed below in a bid to persuade the court that she can lay a claim for age discrimination as provided by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (Moram, 492). First and foremost, the employee must prove that she is a member of the protected class. In order to satisfy the requirement for this prima facie case, there is need for the employee to prove that she is over 40 years old. As noted in the case, Ms. Clark is 53 which means that she satisfies this requirement. Conditions surrounding the termination of her employment posit to the effect that she has not been treated fairly given that a lenien t or lighter decision could have been taken. As seen in the case study, there are other factors such as her disability which have contributed to the kind of treatment she is exposed to in the organisation. In the spirit of fairness, the decision she makes does not warranty termination of employment but she could have been reprimanded only whereby an agreement will be reached between the parties concerned. Secondly, Ms. Clark should prove that the decision made by the employer has adversely affected her employment. Termination of employment means that she is rendered jobless as a result of the decision by the employer to fire her due to the fact that she allows the union representatives to the company. According to her, the law stipulates that decisions can be made regarding such actions though the Board of Directors disagreed with her. In other words, it can be noted that they have another vendetta against her which is not directly related to decision she made which is considered as poor judgment. The glaring truth is that Ms. Clark’s blindness is a cause for concern hence spirited efforts are made to fire her from the company. Under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, no employer is allowed to ill treat an employee on the basis of her physical attributes. The unprecedented decision by the employer has negatively impacted on Ms. Clark welfare hence she is liable to claim for damages or to be reinstated to her position with full benefits. The third requirement suggests that the employee must prove that he or she is qualified for the position. A close analysis of the case shows that Ms. Clark has good looks and enthusiasm for the

Discuss the economic relationship between oil prices, food prices and Research Paper

Discuss the economic relationship between oil prices, food prices and the nascent global economic recovery - Research Paper Example This current inflation has not only limited itself to the real estate sector but it has now been affecting the other basic amenities of a common man’s life, most notably food. So the question arises whether the mankind is headed for a food crisis. Market research shows that developing countries like Yemen, India, Mexico, etc have all witnessed food inflation in recent times. People of Argentina have been seen boycotting tomatoes during the presidential elections as the price of vegetables got dearer to that of meat prices. Another instance shows Italian shop keepers organizing a one-day pasta boycott as an agitation against the rising food prices. So, what is the cause of this food crisis and price rises? Experts identify it as immense rise in oil prices. This project is an effort to gauge the economic relationship of oil price inflation and food price inflation and what is their impact in the nascent global economy (Kingsbury). Inflation and its massive global seriousness In light of the present scenario, the world has been witnessing unlimited rise in oil and food prices which is becoming an increasingly unbearable burden for the consumers and the producers. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in 2007, had reported that price of oil at nearly $100 per barrel resulted in huge upshot of the charge of food imports. FAO also predicted rise in the possibility of global hunger with subsequent increase in food prices, and as a result elevation in social unrest. Moreover, FAO reported dip in the worldwide food reserves to be the lowest recorded in the last thirty- five years. This was also another reason for the food prices staying high. FAO estimated rise in global food import bill was $ 745 million in 2007, up by 21% from 2006. In 2008, along with the ongoing inflation the prices of certain other items like that of soybean, corn and meat have also experienced all- time high prices. The oil price experienced a rebound to $ 140 per barr el after a slight slip (Kingsbury; Khor). Countries have been blaming each other for this. In the FAO, 2008 held in Rome several South American countries alleged developed nations for such atrocious results. U.S blamed Indian and Chinese people of increasing their food consumption with rise in income while India lashed back at U.S pointing out that people of West have long been making higher food intake. Most developing nations pointed out that speculation in the commodity markets were raising the food price. The Western countries blamed oil producing nations of not raising their oil supply to meet the rising demand and members of U.S Congress also asking for legislation to mark OPEC (the organization of exporting countries) activities as law defying (Khor). U.S and its massive demand for oil: How are food inflation and oil price rise related? Now amidst such adverse conditions there is an increasing need to assess the participation of United States of America in elevating food and oil inflation. United States is the world’s leading oil user. It contains only 2.9% of the total oil reserves that are proven and a very small percentage of unproven oil reserves. U.S receives about 29% intra-country oil productions and 21% of intra-country natural gas production through offshore drilling, mainly off the Texas and Louisiana coasts in the Gulf of Mexico, an area prone to hurricanes that are rising in intensity. Another 17% of domestic oil is received from the Northern Slope of Alaska by oil

Ethics in Negotiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics in Negotiation - Essay Example It is usually an ‘anything that sells’ approach that is adopted by such sellers. Sellers tend to arbitrarily decide on prices since merchandise is acquired from a plethora of sources with no objective means of deciding on price (Kugel, 2013). They thus pitch a price according to the profile of the customer who visits, based on personal discernments about their willingness and ability to pay for the items. Most customers are however aware of this fact, and the more affluent ones quickly reject the initial price as it borders on exploitation. Hence, bargaining becomes necessary to avoid being taken advantage of by crafty retailers practicing price discrimination to maximize profits. With stalls set up very close to one another, a customer can look through the catalog of a number of vendors whilst standing in one of them. He can thus be aware of the quality of items offered by other vendors, which if greater, can be used as leverage against the current one. Vendors are typically reluctant to let go of customers once they start negotiations, and threats about opting to visit other stalls are extremely effective in getting them to reduce their asking price. They are aware that customers benefit from choice and selection, and if they do not comply with their reasonable wishes, another vendor will. A major factor behind the existence and prevalence of bargaining in flea markets is that of information asymmetry. In a normal market, a customer is aware about the details of merchandise such as the manufacturer, area of production, quality etc. This is not the case with flea markets, where customers are aware that they may be getting anything from a good quality reject of a top notch brand to a used up, ready for scrap item. Sellers in most cases know more about the products origins etc., and can thus often fool customers in believing that the product may be of higher quality than what

Toy as Visual Stimulator for Early Childhood Research Paper

Toy as Visual Stimulator for Early Childhood - Research Paper Example This was demonstrated by measuring the way infants sucked on pacifiers (they typically sucked harder the better they liked something). However, objects such as balls and basic shapes did not instigate a strong reaction in the infants. Most studies that measure infant response to objects use a similar route, measuring the individual baby’s responses through the use of pacifiers and presenting to the infants a variety of objects, familiar and not familiar (Spitz and Woolf 90). Additional studies with infants can be done to help us better understand this concept of visual perception before six months old. For instance, with the advent of technology, more computerized visuals could be created, with not only patterns and faces, which have been so commonly used, but also moving stimuli. Not many tests have been done to see how young infants actually react to moving stimuli. We have established, through current research, that young babies are able to perceive outlines and do have the ir own ways of understanding when they see familiar items and faces. However, their own particular reactions to moving stimuli have not been measured. Of course, young infants are generally not able to follow items side to side, but items placed directly in front of them on a computer screen can still be used in order to measure their reactions. Many studies have been done like this with older babies and toddlers to measure their responses to sounds and colors, generally done by researchers of children’s television shows, like Nickelodeon, and toy companies wanting to sell successful products. However, it would be interesting to see if certain objects could be used to create a show that might be interesting to very young babies, as it may help them... One recent study included putting a variety of faces and other objects on a screen for three-month-old infants to see. Infants responded to all faces, having a heightened response to familiar faces. This was demonstrated by measuring the way infants sucked on pacifiers. However, objects such as balls and basic shapes did not instigate a strong reaction in the infants. Most studies that measure infant response to objects use a similar route, measuring the individual baby’s responses through the use of pacifiers and presenting to the infants a variety of objects, familiar and not familiar. Additional studies with infants can be done to help us better understand this concept of visual perception before six months old. For instance, with the advent of technology, more computerized visuals could be created, with not only patterns and faces, which have been so commonly used, but also moving stimuli. Not many tests have been done to see how young infants actually react to moving stimuli. Many studies have been done like this with older babies and toddlers to measure their responses to sounds and colors, generally done by researchers of children’s television shows, like Nickelodeon, and toy companies wanting to sell successful products. However, it would be more interesting to see if certain objects could be used to create a show that might be interesting to very young babies, as it may help them perceive and learn at an even earlier age. For most parents, the earlier they can assist their child with learning, the better.

Religion; Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religion; Islam - Essay Example The above paragraph may show a perspective that the Sufi would not agree to. Because, if the Sufi spiritual quest has to be considered rightful it should have been given in the Quran and/or the sunnah of Prophet Mohammad. Andrew Rippin, in his work Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, states that To defend Sufism several Muslims say that it was only a respond to the increasing materialism in the Islamic world. However, this argument does not answer the question. In fact it evades it. As even in early Islamic times and under the Prophet Mohammad’s leadership there was materialism and people enjoyed it. The legal nature of the Islamic system has never addressed the issue of materialism and so it was called insufficient by the people who became Sufis during their search for spirituality. This, Islam was called a religion of unspiritual nature. â€Å"considerable ink has been spent by modern scholarship on the ‘origins’ of Sufism in Islam, as to how far it is ‘genuinely’ Islamic and how far a product, in the face of Islam, of outside influences, particularly Christian and Gnostic.†2 Seyyed Hossein Nasr is a Muslim scholar, who in his work Sufi Essays, has shown his contempt of Islamic scholars of the West who are following the older system of detailing Sufism as some type of strange effect within Islam, and celebrates with the reality that â€Å"many are now willing to accept the Islamic origin of Sufism and the unbreakable link connecting Sufism to Islam.†3 While these are responses to the questions originally posed, they appear to be more worried with the preservation of the external manifestation of Islamic unity, than with significant academic research and assessment. Plenty of traditions about the life of Prophet Mohammad that the Sufis relate are not to be seen in the major hadith collections (Bukhari, Muslim, Kulayni, Ibn Babuya), and thus they are rejected. Nevertheless, within Sufi spheres the customs are preserved - and considered by

Haitian poverty crisis and the state of their economy now and then Essay

Haitian poverty crisis and the state of their economy now and then - Essay Example Along with the poverty has come all of the problems associated with the disadvantage of being relegated near the bottom of the world's socio-economic class. Rampant crime, health problems, high infant mortality, and limited life span all further burden a society already faced with the struggle of trying to provide the basics of life. The political system has been wracked by upheaval and instability for two centuries as dictators and the military have vied for power with no thought of elevating the standard of living for the people. The failure of leadership in Haiti, and racist policies in Washington DC, have allowed two hundred years of exploitation and kept Haiti locked in a cycle of poverty. By almost every measure, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. The situation is getting even worse as the last 50 years have seen a stagnation in the Haitian economy and a real decline in the gross national product (Sletten and Egset 5). The gap between the wealthy and the poor is extreme in Haiti and average incomes or median incomes do not tell the whole story. The top 10 percent consume almost 50 percent of the country's resources (CIA). No meaningful official unemployment data exists, but two-thirds of the population have no formal jobs and 80 percent of the people live below the poverty line (CIA). Almost 60 percent of the people are classed as extremely poor and live on less than $1 per day (Sletten and Egset 9). This is almost double the rate of El Salvador and four times the rate of Guatemala and Bolivia. According to Sletten and Egset, "Haiti is not only the poorest country in Latin America, but also the most unequal in a region that is already the most unequal in the world" (9). These are the statistics that form the backdrop of Haiti's poverty. While the statistics on Haiti's poverty are bleak, the location of the poverty imparts an even more disparate picture. Most Haitians live in rural areas and almost 4 out of 5 extremely poor people live in a rural area (Sletten and Egset 10). When poverty is measured in terms of access to public services, this segment of the population suffers further. Access to services such as electricity, education, roads, clean water, and health care is dependent on where a person lives in Haiti (Sletten and Egset 15). In addition, the policy of privatization has placed almost all public services in the hands of the ruling class. According to Gros, "Nearly two-hundred years of informal privatization of the state have left Haiti lacking the capacity to deliver even the most basic of public services; security and justice" (223). The better neighborhoods are better served by these services and the denial in the rural areas of access to basic services further impoverishes this portion of the populatio n. The extremely poor in the rural areas are left with a subsistence wage and no access to the public services, such as education, that might hold some hope for breaking out of the cycle of poverty. The reasons that Haiti continues to be locked in poverty in today's world of globalization can be better understood by examining their history. Haiti claimed independence in 1804 when there was a slave rebellion. This freed the slaves and gave them independence from France. However, through the lens of the US and European powers, "independent Haiti would be viewed continually as a threat to hemispheric and

Management behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management behavior - Essay Example Current customers were more interested in solutions and services rather than the products alone. InterClean Inc is a major player in the sanitation and cleaning industry with high quality products and efficient workforce. High quality products of InterClean can move in the market well only if the product selling backed with high quality services. Management behavior is important in determining the productivity of the workers and quality of services offered to the customers. The purpose of this memo is to inform all the first level managers at InterClean about the merger between InterClean and EnvironTech and the possible changes after the merger. I would like to explain how a manger should behave with his workers to improve their productivity, different types of management actions in line with the existing employment laws and the best strategies to work with a diverse workforce. â€Å"Essential conditions of service such as good pay, motivation, incentives, regular promotions, training and development should be provided for the workforce so as to enable them put in their best in order to increase the level of their productivity in the organization† (ADEKUNLE et al, 2009) Mangers can play a vital role in ensuring the employee satisfaction which is important in ensuring maximum productivity from them. A manager who fails to motivate the workers cannot ensure 100% productivity from them. In order to motivate the employees the first level managers must reward them for the good performances with incentives or promotions. The work culture should be developed in such a way that both the manager and the workers function in a healthy environment where no prejudices or biases control the management actions. In case of a conflict the manager should never take any one sided actions, instead he should take decisions after hearing the arguments of both the parties involved in the conflict. Positive work environment is another

U.S. counterinsurgency operations in Cuba and the Philippines Essay Example for Free

U.S. counterinsurgency operations in Cuba and the Philippines Essay In January 2002, The United States Special Operation Commands, Pacific (SOCPAC) took on an arduous task of assisting the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with a specific mission for ousting the terrorists forces of Al Qaida, Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf Group(ASG) and to carry the humanitarian operations in the islands of Basilan which was considered as the most dangerous place. The United States Special Forces (SP) unit along with the specially equipped forces and scout rangers of the AFP formed the Light Reaction Company. This Light Reaction Company along with the SOCPAC were deployed at Basilan with the sole motive to reject the ASG sanctuary, undergo surveillance on the key positions, support the villagers, conduct regular training to boost the morale of the AFP and support the strike forces of AFP and assist in the civil affairs operations. This was the part of the Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines (OEF-P). In this operation, 350 operating personal were deployed and other 750 were providing logistics support to the headquarters in Zamboanga on Mindanao. The main purpose of the Mission was to help AFP in curbing the stronghold of Abu Sayyaf and as a result, the declared members of the Abu Sayyaf group reduced to 80 from 700. Another project that took place was Operation Smiles, a program to give medical aid to the local civilians of Basilan where the intensive fighting was taking place. The result of this operation was the establishment of 14 Schools, seven clinics, three hospitals and more than 20 fresh wells. Fighting again resumed in 2005 and 2006 between the government forces and the Abu Sayyaf group who was aligned with the New People’s army. By the end of 2006, hundreds of guerillas and soldiers were killed, and NPA was left with 7,000 fighters whereas Abu Sayyaf with 2,000. United States took up a different approach in Cuba by interfering in their internal private affairs. When the United States felt threatened by the Cuban revolution in 1959 and rise of communism under Fidel Castro, they formed a special committee to launch an attack on Cuba. They faced the danger of the coercion of the communist parties in Cuba that they would unleash their communist movements in America. They formulated the plan to infuse the anti-regime spirit and overthrow the government. They made thirty different plans to over throw the government and disrupt their economy. Among these were included the use of American Green Berrets, destruction of their sugar crops and mining of harbors. To overcome the crises, Cuba began to establish the trade relationships with Soviet Union. On April 17, 1961, United States conducted air strikes across the island to eliminate the Cuban air force, and enabling the Brigade 2506 to have a complete control over the island much before their actual landing at the Bay of Pigs. This failed because the invasions were not conducted as planned and Fidel Castro even resisted an armed invasion of 1,500 CIA trained Cuban exiles at the Bay of Pigs. This was another excuse for America to increase their propaganda against the Cuban government. In 1962 Operation North wood, plan was initiated with the intention to use false flag as an excuse to attack Cuba. Every month since 1962 there was one plan or the other to destabilize the communist regime either in the form of publishing views against Castro, equiping militant opposition groups with armaments, helping them in establishing guerilla bases and preparing them for their military interventions in Cuba in October. Many of the plans were devised by the CIA with the sole purpose to assassinate Fidel Castro which included the use of hair removal powder to fall the Castros beard, a poisoned wetsuit, the exploding cigars and the placing of explosive seashells in Castros favorite places including the place where he used to go for diving. This project was originally decided to put into action in October 1962 with an open revolt and ultimately to the overthrow the Communist regime. This action was planned when the Cuba was at the peak of the Cuban Missile crisis due to the Soviet Unions’s presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba, and could have led to the nuclear war between Soviet Union and United States. Therefore on 30th October the operation was suspended, but they had already deployed three of ten six-man sabotage teams in Cuba. One team infact was successful in blowing Cuban industrial facility on 8th November, 1962. This whole Cuban Project was known as Operation Mongoose. United States broke all the diplomatic relations with Cuba and imposed sanctions against it in 1962. The relationship between the two nations improved in 2000-2001 but again deteriorated when George W Bush came to power. Bush termed Cuba as an outpost of tyranny and his undersecretary to the U. S. State Department John R. Bolton levied accusations against Cuba of keeping and maintaing bioweapons program. Bolton even declared that Cuban leader had visited US enemy countries like Libya, Iran and Syria. Cuba was also declared as a State Sponsor of Terror by the United States department of State but Cuban government in turn accuses America for sponsoring terrorism against Cuba. Thus American Government again started their activities towards overthrowing the Cuban government and through the media propagated against the government to the extent that the opposition parties, supporting United States in Havana started displaying messages on a scrolling â€Å"electronic billboard† and to counter these Cuban government constructed large number of poles, carrying black flags with white stars, to obstruct these messages. On 12th September, 2006, the United States formed five interagency working groups to monitor Cuba and to carry their policies. These groups were set up quitely in War like rooms. According to the U. S. officials, three of these created groups; diplomatic actions; strategic communications and democratic promotion are headed by the State Department. One more group which coordinated humanitarian aid to Cuba is run by the Commerce Department, and the fifth group tackles migration issues, is being run jointly by the National Security Council and the Department of Homeland Security. These prcocess is being undertaken to restore democracy. Thus the counter insurgency operations with Philippines was to help the Philippine regime to crush the terrorists activities of the Al Qaida, Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf Group(ASF) whereas the United States Policy towards Cuba was to eliminate the Communist regime by supporting the opposition parties and to counter the Russia’s missiles in Cuba. United States Counter Insurgency operations in Philippines were over and all successful, and the reasons behind these successful efforts were the comprehensive operations, adopting strategy of attacking the enemys line of attacks and disrupting their alliances and this was achieved by strengthening the Philippine government institutions and local security so that the daily lives of the people can move on smoothly. The measures were also undertaken for civic development to provide necessary amenities to its population. These operations being carried out in Basilan led to the ousting of the ASG from the island simply because they lost the support of the population and lost the combat operations as well as bases. But, there were certain strategic errors that led to again the emergence of ASG who â€Å"Lived to fight another day with the sole help from the JI and MILF. The ASG is again rising on the southern islands of Jolo and Tawi Tawi where Forces of the United States are not allowed to give assistance to AFP. This situation arises due to the certain strategic errors by the United States. The first strategic error was inability of the OEF-P, American leaders to fruitfully understand their own forces. They could not understand the basic traits of SF in an arena of employment and their capabilities to take out the combat advisory mission during unconventional warfare. Instead of fully understanding the situation, combatant commander and the Secretary of Defense imposed restrictions on SF soldiers. Over and above, the restrictions were also imposed on these SF advisers to operate at battalion level with their AFP counterparts but were not disallowed to operate at lower tactical echelons. U. S. leaders at the highest levels also could not able to comprehend fully the unconventional warfare. This led to the second strategic error and that is over-reliance on technical reconnaissance assets. The Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the Navys P3 Orion began to be used for locating the ASG and the hostages on Basilan. These they used again for protection minimizing the risks to U. S. personnel. These though reduced the patrolling in remote areas, but this kind of surveillance was unconventional, and the forces on the ground were not allowed to use these reconnaissance assets. The third reason cited because of the prohibition of the U. S. leaders to assist the SF units because the negotiations were going on between the AFP and MILF, so forces were removed from MILF and because AFP was desperate to take the advice and assistance from U. S. Military, AFP troops were shifted from MILF-controlled areas. This led to the creation of de facto ASG sanctuaries giving boost to the ASG and MILF strong relationship. Many people staying in the area are also the members of these two organizations. (Tzu Sun, May-June 2004). The United States strategy in Cuba did not get desired results. The CIA wrote an internal report that blamed the internal incompetence on failure. The administration thought that the troops could retreat to mountains and conduct guerrilla war if they lost in open battle. But they did not realize that the troops could not reach the mountains by foot. The second reason was that the troops were deployed in swampland, where they were easily surrounded. The third biggest fault was their thinking that Cubans would be great full to them to give them liberation from Fidel Castro and would join in the battle, but the Americans could not gain the support of the population. It was basically due to the agencys weak positions on the ground in Cuba. CIA’s witnessed the mass support of Castro and those who were against the Castro were rounded and arrested by him. (Bay of Pigs invasion, encyclopedia) Looking at these failures and strategies the soldiers in order to win the war against terrorism first of all should analyze the ground situation where the war is to be fought, take the local population into confidence, never underestimate the enemies, and use the reconnaissance assets at the appropriate situation and at the appropriate moment. WORKS CITED 1. Bay of Pigs Invasion All Experts: Encyclopedia Retrieved April 5, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://en. allexperts. com/e/b/ba/bay_of_pigs_invasion. htm 2. Maxwell S. David (May-June 2004) Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines: What Would Sun Tzu Say? The U. S. Army Professional Writing Collection Retrieved April 5, 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www. army. mil/professionalwriting/volumes/volume2/june_2004/6_04_3. html

A Study On Importance Of Leisure Sociology Essay

A Study On Importance Of Leisure Sociology Essay Societies consist of men, woman, and children and of various age groups. If these components are not present there can be no society. They make up society collectively. Our society responds differently to recreation and leisure and in turn so do the individuals. The individuals play an important part of how they function in society and how they react to recreation and leisure. The way in which we perceive our roles in society impacts on our recreational and leisure activities. We must consider the way in which we as individuals and our society come together in terms of recreation and leisure. As individuals we need to ensure that our roles in society impact positively. Society in general does not consider the impact of their roles and how it affects leisure. They both are two different entities but function together. I will consider the factors that affect us as individuals in society and how it relates to our leisure in the following discussion. Leisure as a Social Phenomenon Leisure is considered to be a complex social phenomenon that affects many social institutions and should not be considered as just past time activities. Recreation and leisure significantly affects several social institutions. However if utilised incorrectly they can have negative effects on many aspects. Within our societies leisure can be practised in different ways. It can be undertaken alone or in solitude, or it can be occur in a social environment that can be private or community based. We can all participate in leisure in its different forms and this does not necessarily mean that it is not influenced or affected by other people. Our leisure is in fact more often than not affected by other people. Our surroundings and environment can affect our privacy in terms of leisure in three ways: namely by supporting it, by infringing on it and by forcing us into it. Parents can support the leisure activities of their children by purchasing toys for them, which can inspire them to pursue a specific career or cause in life. Our leisure can also be infringed upon by others, for instance competing over the television with an older brother or sister when your favourite show is on. Circumstances can also force us into solitary leisure, for example writing. A famous example is J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of the, The Lord of The Rings novels. In the trenches of World War I, he began recording the episodes of war that brought horror to him. He used this as escapism from the harsh reality he was facing. These recordings of the harshness he experienced were later transferred into the books, The Lord of The Rings. The writing of his books not only provided a sense of recreation and leisure to him. It has also provided these benefits for millions around the world. This demonstrates how one persons leisure can directly and indirectly affect people around them. His books have been developed into multi million dollar earning movies. The movies have lead to memorabilia and figurines being collected by children and adults as hobbies. People have flocked to the premieres of these movies. This indicates the domino effect of his recreation and passion on the rest of the worl d. This has also positively affected numerous people and economies. In contrast to this an individuals solitary recreation can also have negative consequences. In February 2004, Warren le Blanc murdered his 14 year old friend by savagely beating him with a claw hammer and stabbed him after luring him to a park in Liverpool, England. Warren re enacted violence from a popular video game that he used to play called Manhunt. Warren played this game as a recreational past time but there was a negative transfer from his experience. The game gained interest for all the wrong reasons. It was played on the personal computer and Sony play station platforms. These are both popular past times for all age groups. This demonstrates how a video game, a popular past time, became a societal hazard which stemmed from a persons solitary recreation. This emphasises the need for control of technology in our societies in order to alleviate negative consequences. However it must also be remembered that the positives of solitary recreational experiences outweigh the ne gatives. Leisure does not only occur in solitary settings. It can also directly involve other people. They can take the form of bystanders and participants. Both bystanders and participants collectively contribute to the activity. People can further be divided into primary and secondary groups. Primary groups are small groups in which there are face to face relations which are fairly intimate and personal in nature. These primary groups consist of two types namely: family and cliques. Secondary groups are defined as a larger relatively temporary, more anonymous; formal and impersonal group based on some interest or activity and whose members interact on the basis of specific roles (Henslin, 1993). Secondary groups can be a cooking class, book club or Sunday golf league. Primary groups have several factors such as social custom, family beliefs and kinship which influence leisure activities. Secondary groups on the other hand are not only influenced by the group but the individuals in turn can affect the group. The type of groups that we as individuals form part of will have an influence on our leisure activities. It will also affect the people in that group. Our role in these groups will affect our societies in which we exist. It will have individual implications as well as group implications. Leisure, Recreation and Gender In our post modern era the categories of gender are gradually being broken down and multiple categories of gender are arising. With post modernism people are able to express their gender and sexuality with fewer boundaries and constraints. As history suggests men have been the superior sex in most western cultures. In past centuries recreational activities were reserved for men only. There was also a general segregation of genders. Males were the bread winners and woman in were in charge of the household. Due to this most of the woman undertook their recreational activities at home. In recent times the expectations of woman and men have changed. Men and woman tend to change and share roles within our post modern society. Men have a desire for leisure as it is motivated by their hard work. They consider it as a reward for the work they endure. Women generally have a weaker motivation for it as they have to deal with the constraints of the household first. Women tend to combine their leisure with household chores, such as decorating or supervising activities for the children. I certainly feel that leisure opportunities do exist for women outside of the household but other duties and concerns take precedence. There may be cases where equal opportunity exists for men and women but women still tend to perform the feminine tasks. They will naturally be concerned with meals and care of children at various activities. Another problem facing womens participation in these activities is that they find it difficult to participate in them. Other woman may be too busy with family, lack physical ability or merely not knowing where to learn the activity. It is important that women empower themselves in aspects of leisure and recreation. This will ensure that they will also reap the benefits of recreation and leisure. Men need to accept them into programmes and provide equal opportunities in our communities. In recent times there has been an increase in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. People now feel free to disclose their alternative sexual identity. In the past however leisure did not deal with issues of sexuality. These individuals are now being openly accepted into communities; however few opportunities exist for them in terms of recreation and leisure. They are increasingly becoming parents, which indicate that they also have families. All families need to enjoy the benefits of recreation and leisure including the gay and lesbian families. There are few programmes that are designed for them, which re-enforces that they need to be accepted into all programmes without discrimination. There have been programmes such as the gay games and Olivia cruises but this creates segregation. We should design programmes that accommodate everyone irrespective of their sexual orientation. In this way we eliminate any misconceptions and preconceptions that people may have within o ur societies. Leisure, Recreation, Race and Ethnicity Involvement in recreational and leisure activities is influenced by ones race or ethnicity. These factors also contribute to how programmes are provided for communities people. Race and ethnicity both influence recreation and leisure but have different meanings. Race refers to the genetic make up of a person. This includes characteristics such as eye colour, skin colour and hair. Ethnicity refers to our social and cultural heritage. Ethnic groups can be identified by language, customs and religion; this is what distinguishes them from other groups. There continues to be racial and ethnic stereo types in our society despite the ongoing struggle against discrimination. This impacts significantly on recreation and leisure due to the fact that most programmes do not cater for all races and ethnicities. It also creates segregation amongst groups in programmes. This is one of the reasons that the department of Sport and Recreation of South Africa has created the indigenous games project. The project is trying to trace and bring in indigenous heritage to life amongst people of South Africa. Western cultures predominantly oversee these programmes. Leisure services should aim to merge the different groups in order to give people the opportunity to learn about the different races, cultures and ethnicities collectively. This would create an understanding between the differences that people may experience. This would also prevent under representation in the diverse races and ethnicities. We need to ensure that all groups feel comfortable a nd feel a sense of belonging when participating in these programmes. Everyone should be invited, included and involved. By having programmes that include these factors we can create understanding and positive relationships between groups. This will enable us to overcome the prejudice and racial discord that may be still present in our communities. I feel that one way in which we can alleviate the problem of under representation is for the so called minorities to give themselves another identity. They must no longer consider themselves as a minority. By constructing an alternative identity they can give themselves a new representation. This would lessen the perception of them being minorities by others. This in turn would make them more open to participation in programmes. This may develop an attitude in them in which they believe that they are part of the group. We must strive to provide programmes that alleviate inter-group misunderstandings and promote favourable relations. Socio economic Status and its Influence on Leisure and recreation Socio economic status is a means of classifying people into categories based on their income, education, occupation and wealth. People within a specific class have similar attitudes, values and interests. These things can impact on recreation and leisure choices. Socio economic status can affect leisure in a number of ways. Firstly, the amount of education and/or the amount of money that a person has influences the amount of free time and income available for recreational purposes. In general the lower classes have been minorities when it comes to participation in recreational activities. They also seldom participate in health and fitness programmes. Those in higher classes who have more education and disposable income look for more refined and prestigious leisure. For example, in the United States it has been discovered that the poor working class and middle class have been the predominant users of public and non profit services. The agencies that function in the various sectors provide programmes for all income levels but target the lower and middle class particularly. This is a rational approach as it provides opportunities for those who cannot afford the more expensive recreational options. However the upper class may have access to these programmes but often choose to go the commercial route. The y may utilize these services as most consider it as providing a higher quality of service. The upper class may also choose the option of commercial services due to the issue of status. Status may be assigned to things such as exclusive club memberships or exotic travel destinations. There are also activities that may appeal to all social classes such as reading or socializing but there are others that can be placed in each social class exclusively. For example, attending the opera or yachting may most likely be assigned to the upper class, where as a camping trip would more likely be an activity of the middle class. Sometimes there are activities that are popular to all classes but may be enjoyed in different ways. Socio economic status has a significant effect on recreation and leisure activity choices. If we are to be justified providers of recreation and leisure we need to understand these impacts and supply services that meet the needs of everyone. It may not always be possible to provide these services to all people but we need to understand the variations in needs and leisure patterns for those that we target. In this way we can ensure that no one is denied and unrepresented of recreation and leisure opportunities. An important factor that has restricted many people lately is the global recession. The ability to fund recreational or leisure services is an issue that all socio economic classes have faced. With the current state of the economy all service providers have to generate income to stay alive, even the non profit and public organisations. The concept of pay to play is becoming more prominent and this eliminates the poor and working class almost entirely. Many programmes are being kept alive by sponsorships and in turn keep our much needed recreational programmes alive and accessible to all. Is leisure good or bad? Most if not all leisure activities we can do have positive outcomes. There are really good leisure activities, however, only if they are carefully moderated. Some of the activities that people participate in during their free time include sports, cultural activities, technology as well as socialising with friends. Sporting activities e.g. swimming or playing soccer provide great positives in the sense that we exercise, we relax, forget about our problems for a while and meet people. I feel that leisure activities which involve sport should keep the element of competition as low as possible. The emphasis should be on having fun and taking in the experience. When it develops into a serious competition it could deter others who are simply there for the fun aspect. Everyone should be included at all times with the intention of providing some sort of satisfaction to all involved. Cultural activities like learning to play a musical instrument, reading or writing can provide a host of positives. Many people use music as a mode of personal expression of their thoughts and emotions. This can help provide an outlet for the individual. There are many traditional instruments that people can learn to play despite being of different ethnic or racial backgrounds. The instructional classes educate people on the culture behind the music as well as provide them with the skill of learning how to play these instruments. This also allows us to overcome barriers of race and ethnicity in the sense that people spend more time with other races. Technology provides us with alternatives to traditional leisure and recreation. It sometimes eliminates the physical component but can stimulate the mind. Playing video games, web browsing and watching television can be very interesting as well as educational. There are video games which can give us an idea of what it takes to pilot a plane or be a front line soldier during the Second World War. It creates experiences similar to the actual thing and provides escapism from the reality of life. We should however be very careful with these activities; they can make people socially incapable, by making them shy or quite and restrict face to face encounters. It can also make people spend too much time indoors. We must draw a firm balance when participating in these activities in order to extract the positives. Television has numerous good or bad programmes which can educate, provide relaxation and relieve stress in an individual. It also has negative influences, which means we must select what we watch carefully. Most individuals enjoy spending time with friends, such as going to the movie theatre, going out for dinner or going out at night. These activities provide a lot of benefits to us but there are problems associated with it as well. A major problem is the abuse of alcohol and drugs at night time meeting spots. People tend to over drink on nights out with friends and engage in substance abuse. Substance abuse can have serious emotional and physical implications. Self control will lead to happy and enjoyable experiences in these situations. Science and technology has provided our societies with the highest levels of comfort. Technology has also made much more time available to us. Holidays and vacations have also increased and the duration is much longer. If we do not control our leisure and recreation it may become the core of our existence. Our free time must be spent constructively rather than being detrimental to us. It is the responsibility of our societies to make recreation and leisure an asset rather than a liability. How is leisure beneficial to the individual in Society? Leisure has many implications to the individuals in our society and it does not discriminate against race, class or gender when providing people in our society with positives. Society needs to be educated on how recreation and leisure programmes can be beneficial to them. This will promote participation and emphasise the importance of it in our societies. Leisure is a major force in our lives, to the extent that it has become a major concern for governments, parents and leaders. People are now spending more money each year on activities such as sport, tourism, outdoor recreation and many other past times. There has also been a drift towards organised leisure with changes in basic living and competition between our interests. However leisure can still be spontaneous, solitary and surprising. Apart from physiological needs such as sleeping, leisure is what we engage in mainly. According to Leitner and Leitner (2004) if you are 18 now, of the probable 60 years that you will live for, you will spend 18 years in full time leisure. This might be an alarming statistic but it is quite precise. Recreation and leisure has the ability to educate and provide us with vital components for our health and growth from our birth to our death. It is in this sense that leisure provides us with a sense of wellness, satisfaction and improved quality of life. Recreation and leisure can provide the potential to significantly contribute to our physical, social and emotional well being. Having considered the importance recreation and leisure I will now discuss the benefits that it can provide us with. Emotional well- being is an important component for a good life. If we are mentally healthy we are filled with positive emotions. Recreation and leisure can provide us with positive emotions. Recreation and leisure provides a channel for us to improve self definition, self actualization and a sense of empowerment. It provides us with opportunities for self exploration of our talents, capacities and our potential. Recreation and leisure do not possess any constraints and can be used to reinforce our identities. Being actively involved in Recreation and leisure relates to our mental health in way that leads to our intrinsic motivation being enhanced in daily life. Iwasaki and Mannell (2000) found that by simply believing in it, it can contribute to our emotional well being and is enough to reduce mental illness symptoms. This may be quite precise in the sense that in what ever we do we have to think positively in order to achieve our goals. On the other hand, active leisure and recreation may be more stimulating than passive recreation and more beneficial to our psychological health. If the both are linked the outcomes may be even more positive. Stress is a major issue for everybody. Numerous studies have pointed out leisures ability to help people cope with stress. Stress can often make us very sick and can lead to complications such as heart disease, hypertension and body pains. The effects of these complications can be reduced by recreation and leisure. The research in the field of recreation and leisure has confirmed that enjoying lifes pleasures, having satisfying social relationships and pursuing self expressive behaviour can help to lower stress and have positive effects on our immune system. This suggests that we should support our recreation and leisure in order to avoid these complications. Psychological well being can be promoted by activities that are meaningful, fulfilling and active. It provides a balance for the demands of life even during times of crisis. Our physical health is strongly related to emotional health. Our physical health can benefit greatly from leisure and recreation. By staying active in recreational and leisurely activities we can gain numerous physiological benefits. The cardio vascular, respiratory, musculo skeletal and metabolic systems benefit greatly. Recreation and leisure can help the body respond favourably by reducing the risks that of coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer and diabetes. An active lifestyle also helps decrease fatigue, provides us with protection against obesity, maintains bone density and joint mobility and may even protect us from urinary tract infections. Constant physical activity promotes enjoyment, encourages support from others and enhances our confidence in our ability to regularly participate. It also helps to reduce any negative perceptions of being physically active. Technology and peoples life styles have made life in general more sedentary. This emphasises the importance of activity during recreational and leisure activities much greater. It does not matter on the type of activity that has been chosen. It can be a game of Frisbee, surfing, group exercises or even tai chi. They will all provide some sort of physical benefit. Numerous studies have also confirmed that regular participation in these recreational activities provide the necessary aerobic benefits. Recreation and leisure also provide benefits such as social well being and social development. They both contribute to our friendships and the ability to get along with others. Recreation and leisure promotes social interaction for both children and adults. Participation in activities that are highly sociable promotes social support. Our social well being requires social support. This can help test connections or relationships amongst individuals an can also strengthen and test the relationships during recreational experiences. When people feel that they are being cared for and supported they tend to feel better about themselves and their lives. This can help people to develop and maintain their family lives. With the developments in technology activities that emphasize sociability are not as common as they used to be in our societies. People are moving further away from the concept of socializing. Some prefer to watch a movie alone at home on the DVD player rather than at the movie theatre with others. People invest in home gym equipment instead of attending a gym at a recreational centre or a health club. It is important to preserve the older methods in order to promote social benefits to the individuals in our societies. The many benefits of recreation and leisure converge to create a sense of well -being in people. It is important as it emphasizes the vitality in our surroundings and the world. It helps us develop vigorous and caring communities and has the power to create harmony among the diversity in which in exist. Life satisfaction is what we strive for everyday. It is difficult to define but we can recognize it when we have it. It is an emotional and internal experience. Recreation and leisure helps us achieve this satisfaction. When we are satisfied with our lives we focus less on our selves, become less hostile and abusive and generally less vulnerable to disease. These are qualities that need to be eliminated from our societies. We need to be more loving, forgiving, trusting, creative and sociable. Recreation and leisure can help provide these qualities for us. This will in turn provide a snow ball effect as happy people tend to be more positive about their leisure activities. They feel positive and accept the belief that these activities are in fact helping them and the people around them. In order for the importance and benefits of leisure and recreation to be experienced by people in society, we need to have leisure professionals who possess the necessary skills to ensure it is executed effectively. Whether you are employed at a hospital, camp, theme park, national organisations or a resort, you must be able to deliver positive experiences for people. You must be able to personify qualities that reflect professionalism. He should also possess qualities that enable him to deliver the programme or activity successfully. The leisure professional must base his efforts on the needs and interests of the focus group. He should try to develop programmes based on their needs rather than his own. Even if he is employed in a profit making organisation he must focus on the desires and needs of the consumer or else he will fail in his attempts. He should possess the willingness to listen and learn to people in order to provide the correct aspects of the programme. He should embrace the diversities of race, culture, gender etc. Respect should be given to himself and the participants. Recreational experiences require precise organisation and planning. He must be able to provide a sustained effort in the provision of activities. A willingness to put in long hours and hard work is imperative. A lot of recreational activities occur on weekends, after hours or public holidays. This means that he must be willing to work during other peoples free hours. This is a major sacrifice that most people are not willing to make so it is important to consider. The leisure professional should possess a high degree of integrity. Our world is constantly faced with acts of misconduct and improper behaviour. When delivering a service you must maintain a high level of ethical responsibility. This is important especially when dealing with the diversities amongst people. Participants should be treated with dignity and fairness by the leisure professional. This will transfer between participants; they will learn to treat each other graciously and with respect. The leisure professional must possess the ability to project the direction of the programme or activity. He must be able to visualise the positive outcome of the service. The plan will only come together if he can first see it happening. This provides direction and intention. The participants will generally expect an excellent service but he muse try to exceed those expectations. CONCLUSION The importance of recreation and leisure to the individuals in our society has a number of implications. As discussed earlier it relates to race, gender, socio economic status etc., it affects a wide array of people and institutions. We must try to educate people on the importance of these types of activities in order to overcome the various barriers that our societies face. It is one of the best developments in the last century to help overcome barriers such as diversity and health related problems. The reality is that recreation and leisure programmes do work. This is correct to the point where specific projections of what recreation and leisure can achieve have been put forth. There are national departments that have multi -million dollar budgets around the world in order to make it a part of everyones lives. It has been making a difference to millions of lives around the world. REFERENCE: 1. Jarvie, G. Maguire, J.A., 1994. Sport and leisure in social thought, Taylor Francis. 2. (Organization), H.K. Kinetics, H., 2006. Introduction to recreation and leisure, Human Kinetics. Champaign, Illinois, USA 3. Russell, V.R., Jamieson M.L., 2008. Leisure Program Planning and Delivery. Human Kinetics. Champaign, Illinois, USA 4. Moran M. J., 1979.leisure Activities for the mature adult, Burgess publishing company. Minnesota. USA 5. WWW.SRSA.GOV.ZA

The Struggle to Get it All Straight :: Personal Narrative Writing Papers

The Struggle to Get it All Straight I. I first began writing--really writing--sometime around my sophomore year of high school. Since then, I have consistently received high marks and flattering compliments for my work. But I still suffer this insecurity which Judith Guest describes perfectly. She says that after achieving great success in her writing she found that she was "still telling [herself] that [she] wasn't really a writer, but a trickster" (xii). Ah, yes. I know that feeling. Every paper I am asked to write, I fear will be my undoing--that it will be the assignment which proves that I haven't been able to write the whole time, that I'm nothing but crafty. My undergraduate degree carries with it an emphasis in creative writing; for four years I wrote mostly poetry. I didn't know it, but the poetry courses gave me my first introduction to Rhetorical Theory. There I met the generative techniques of Peter Elbow and Natalie Goldberg which make so much sense to me. I appreciated these exercises, which, as Guest notes, "[give] people permission to think the thoughts that come, and to write them down, and make sense of them in any way they wish" (xii). Between the covers of my journal, I took on the premise of Goldberg's book Writing Down the Bones : Learning to write is not a linear process. There is no logical A-to-B-to-C way to become a good writer. One neat truth about writing cannot answer it all. There are many truths. To do writing practice means to deal ultimately with your whole life. (3) Because I understood the idea without understanding the possibilities, these courses didn't change my life--instead they were a reprieve from "real" life, a reprieve from the the standards of "real" academics. Although I enjoyed other English courses, I never felt the freedom that those writing courses offered me--the opportunity to create my own understanding from a personal perspective. Instead I wrote the essays about subject matter, and in the kind of language, I thought those teachers wanted to hear. This contradiction between these two types of English courses was something I accepted without question. Two years ago the issue really opened itself up for me. I had been out of school for a few years and was a little nervous about returning to the world of academic writing. That spring quarter I had three writing courses and an American Literature course.

Lost Dreams :: essays research papers

Lost Dreams   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Remember as a little child, and all those dreams you had? You did anything to make those dreams come true, only to find out in two minutes everything could change. The dreams were gone, the struggle it took to get there seemed futile, and the life that was once organized was useless. Less than a year ago, I found out what exactly what that meant; all the hard work, the planning, and the dream were gone in two minutes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sun was bright and sunny that April morning, Florida seemed to always start spring right. It was my first time in Florida and Walt Disney World. I liked the weather and, most of all I was happy to be there to cheer. As a senior in high school, it was my last year to cheer with the girls I have cheered with since I was seven, and if that was not enough it was my last year on an all-girl team. I was going to attend Florida State University in the fall of 2004 and cheer on a co-ed team. The Florida State University coach and the high school coach were there to see me perform. By the morning of the competition, I was ready to prove myself to the coaches and my team. We crammed into an old school bus to ride us to the competition at Walt Disney World. When we got to the competition, I had to register in my individual event. After registration, the team got ready to perform.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The smell of hairspray overwhelmed us as the representative of the National Cheerleading Association said, â€Å"Maryland Twisters, you may take the floor.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My body got cold for the first time in seven years. I was scared of a two-minute routine that I had practiced a thousand times. When I stepped onto the stage, I could feel my heart as it rapidly pumped. I was scared, as we set for the routine. The first task to complete was a standing tumbling. â€Å"Come on Michelle, jump!† I screamed inside my head. â€Å"You have to pull your legs around.† I landed. â€Å"Good, next was running tumbling.† As I moved to the next spot to start my running tumbling, everything seemed to move in slow motion. I was the last tumbler to go. â€Å"six†¦five†¦four†¦three†¦two†¦one† It was my turn. My legs started to run; my hands hit, then my feet. So far, I was okay.

Le Theme de lUnite et de lHarmonie de lHomme chez Friedrich Schiller :: French Philosophical Paper

Le Theme de l'Unite et de l'Harmonie de l'Homme chez Friedrich Schiller ABSTRACT: This study demonstrates that Schiller's philosophical work is not limited only to the explanation of the artistic phenomenon as such, and that, for him, art represents the premise of philosophizing, of elaborating an original conception of the world and of humanity. I emphasize the way in which the poet and playwright uses art as a philosophical method with a view to penetrating meaning in the world and in life and to identifying a solution to the crisis confronted by modernity. In this context, based on the conviction that the historical and rationalistic methods are the only ones valid for human understanding and achievement, Schiller, due to his artistic genius and his beginning from Kant's ideas concerning the compatibility of the theoretical and the ethical by means of the aesthetic, advances a way of raising nature (the sensible) to the level of morality with the help of the artistic creation interpreted as a game. What radically distinguishes and confers originality on Schiller's versus Kant's conception is the modality of solving the problems of the relation between necessity and liberty, sensibility and intelligibility, and individuality and liberty, thus offering the image of a person able to aspire to resonance with the exactingness of the Great Time, when evolution may become self-evolution, and history transhistory. Friedrich Schiller n'est pas seulement un sommet de la litterature allemande, il est en meme temps un philosophe d'une profondeur et d'une originalite impressionant. Il ne "poetise" pas la philosophie, mais suit les exigences d'une pensee d'une rare rigueur theorique et methodologique. Son oeuvre philosophique est l'une des plus remarquables contributions dans la philosophie de l'art. Il faut mentionner pourtant que les recherches philosophiques du grand ecrivain ne se limitent pas a l'explication du phenomene artistique comme tel: l'art represente pour lui une premisse de l'activite de penser philosophiquement, de l'elaboration d'une conception du monde et de l'homme. Schiller est le penseur qui considere l'art comme l'instrument indispensable pour la comprehension du sens du monde et de la vie. C'est pour cela que, en analysant sont oeuvre philosophique, nous n'y decouvrons pas seulement un systeme esthetique interessant, mais nous penetrons dans un univers philosophique complexe, fonde sur des considerations d'ordre esthetique. On peut dire que, pour ce genial poete et dramaturge, l'esthetique n'est pas seulement un branche de la philosophie mais une veritable methode de celle-ci.

Promotional mix Essay

Introduction: The marketing mix is a business tool used in marketing and by marketing professionals. The marketing mix is often crucial when determining a product or brand’s offering, and is often synonymous with the four Ps: price, product, promotion, and place; in service marketing, however, the four Ps have been expanded to the Seven Ps or Eight Ps to address the different nature of services. Definition: The definition that many marketers learn as they start out in the industry is: Putting the right product in the right place, at the right price, at the right time. The marketing mix refers to the set of actions, or tactics, that a company uses to promote its brand or product in the market. The 4Ps make up a typical marketing mix. When marketing their products firms need to create a successful mix of: the right product sold at the right price in the right place using the most suitable promotion. To create the right marketing mix, businesses have to meet the following conditions: The product has to have the right features – for example, it must look good and work well. The price must be right. Consumer will need to buy in large numbers to produce a healthy profit. The goods must be in the right place at the right time. Making sure that the goods arrive when and where they are wanted is an important operation. The target group needs to be made aware of the existence and availability of the product through promotion. Successful promotion helps a firm to spread costs over a larger output. 1.Product: (refers to the item actually being sold) A product is seen as an item that satisfies what a consumer demands. It is a tangible good or an intangible service. For example good will for intangible. Tangible products are those that have an independent physical existence. Typical examples of mass-produced, tangible objects are the motor car and the disposable razor. A less obvious but ubiquitous mass-produced service is a computer operating system. The marketer must also consider the product mix. Marketers can expand the current product mix by increasing a certain product line’s depth or by increasing the number of product lines. Marketers should consider the features and benefits you offer, your unique selling points (What makes your product/service different from everyone else’s) and what potential spin-off products of services might be. Marketers should consider how to position the product, how to exploit the brand, how to exploit the company’s resources and how to configure the product mix so that each product complements the other. The marketer must also consider product development strategies. 2.Price: (refers to the value that is put for a product/ the amount a customer pays for the product) Price is a critical part and is very important of your marketing mix as it determines the company’s profit and hence, survival. Choosing the right price for your products or services will help you to maximise profits and also build strong relationships with your customers. By pricing effectively you will also avoid the serious financial consequences that can occur if you price too low (not enough profit) or too high (not enough sales). When setting a price, the marketer must be aware of the customer perceived value for the product. Your overall pricing strategy will depend on your marketing, business and lifestyle objectives. Three basic pricing strategies are: 1. market skimming pricing, 2. market penetration pricing and 3. neutral pricing. The ‘reference value’ (where the consumer refers to the prices of competing products) and the ‘differential value’ (the consumer’s view of this product’s attributes versus the attributes of other products) must be taken into account. 3.Place: (refers to the point of sale/ refers to providing the product at a place which is convenient for consumers to access) In every industry, catching the eye of the consumer and making it easy for her to buy it is the main aim of a good distribution or ‘place’ strategy. Whether it’s a retail store, online shop or on social media ‘place’ refers to the channels and locations for distributing your product, related information and support services. This is how you will position your product or service in the marketplace. Place represents the location where a product can be purchased. It is often referred to as the distribution channel. This may include any physical store (supermarket, departmental stores) as well as virtual stores (such as ebay) on the Internet. Being in the right location can be a deciding factor in whether a customer buys from you or not. To find out where your ideal customer is buying from it’s worth doing some market research. 4.Promotion: (this refers to all the activities undertaken to make the product or service known to the user and trade) Promotion is the business of communicating with customers. It will provide information that will assist them in making a decision to purchase a product or service. How do you promote and market your business now (or intend to)? Regardless of how good your business is, if you don’t promote it and tell people you exist, it’s unlikely you will make many sales. Compare what your competitors do for promotion, noting what does and doesn’t work for them as well as yourself. Promotion is more than selling and advertising your business. It’s about attracting the right people to use and reuse your business. There are a number of techniques to use and they can be combined in various ways to create the most cost effective strategy for your needs. This can include online, branding, public relations and advertising. The additional elements that make up your marketing strategy are- 5.People: (the employees of the organization with whom customers come into contact) Every employee in your business (if you have them) can influence the marketing of your products and services. Knowledgeable and friendly staff can contribute to creating satisfied customers, and can provide the unique selling experience that an organisation is often seeking. If an outstanding team provides a competitive advantage, then the quality of recruitment and training becomes essential to achieving your marketing objectives. Make sure you have processes and training in place to get the most out of your team. 6.Process: Process represents the buying experience the customer gets when they buy your product or service. For example, the way a fine bottle of wine is presented and served in a restaurant, the reaction of a business to a complaint or the speed of delivery in a fast food outlet. A poor process can undermine the other elements of the marketing mix. Budget airlines, for example, may offer very competitive headline prices, but if the final price is inflated by additional charges such as baggage charges and administrative fees, customers may begin to feel they have been taken advantage of. Try to document your key processes and procedures so your staff and suppliers know what to aim for. 7.Physical evidence: (pertains to how you, your products, or your company is presented in the market place) The physical environment where your products or services are sold and delivered can have a significant impact on how your customers’ experience your business. The physical environment can be the quality of the furnishings in your consulting rooms, the design of your reception area or website. Creating a positive physical environment doesn’t have to be costly – a vase full of fresh flowers or a creative window display can make a big difference. Many marketing specialists are now seeing the 4Ps as too product-oriented and have adopted the 4Cs marketing mix. In recent times, the concept of four Cs has been introduced as a more customer-driven replacement of four Ps. And there are two four Cs theories today. One is Lauterborn’s four Cs- (consumer, cost, communication, convenience), another is Shimizu’s four Cs- (commodity, cost, communication, channel). â€Å"P†category â€Å"C† category â€Å"C† definition Product Consumer Products are likely to produce as consumer orientation. Price Cost reflecting the total cost of ownership. Many factors affect Cost, including but not limited to the customer’s cost to change or implement the new product or service and the customer’s cost for not selecting a competitor’s product or service. Promotion Communication represents a broader focus. Communications can include advertising, public relations, personal selling, viral advertising, and any form of communication between the organization and the consumer. Place (Distribution) Convenience With the rise of Internet and hybrid models of purchasing, Place is becoming less relevant. Convenience takes into account the ease of buying the product, finding the product, finding information about the product, and several other factors. Robert F. Lauterborn proposed a four Cs classification in 1993[7] which is a more consumer-oriented version of the four Ps that attempts to better fit the movement from mass marketing to niche marketing: After Koichi Shimizu proposed a four Cs classification in 1973, this was expanded to the Seven Cs Compass Model to provide a more complete picture of the nature of marketing in 1981. It attempts to explain the success or failure of a firm within a market and is somewhat analogous to Michael Porter’s diamond model, which tries to explain the success and failure of different countries economically. â€Å"P† category â€Å"C† category â€Å"C† definition Product Commodity It is not â€Å"product out†. The goods and services for the consumers or citizens. Price Cost There is not only producing cost and selling cost but purchasing cost and social cost. Promotion Communication Marketing communication : Not only promotion but communication is important. Communications can include advertising, sales promotion, public relations, publicity, personal selling, corporate identity. Place

Smrt Buses

Marketing CA Report 1 |No |Name ( as in IC / Passport) |IC / Passport Number |Telephone Number |Email Address | |1 |  Ker Shihan |F2880485R |98576248 |[email  protected] sim. edu. sg | SMRT Buses There are two types of environmental forces on SMRT buses, Macroenvironmental and Microenvironmental forces. For Macroenvironmental forces, the factors are Demographic, Economic, Natural, Technological, Political, Social and Cultural forces. For Microenvironmental forces, the factors are the company itself, suppliers, Marketing intermediaries, competitors, Publics and customers affect its ability to serve its customers. However, I will only be covering 2 of each Microenvironmental and Macroenvironmental forces. Introduction SMRT first started off in the year 1983, offering services such as Trains, Buses, and Taxis. From 1983 to 2003, SMRT buses were 2 different companies, namely, Trans Island Bus Services (TIBS) and SMRT. To increase competition of customers between local buses, 16 SBS services were given to TIBS (SMRT before merger). Operation of bus services in the north-east corridor was also offered to TIBS (SMRT before merger). In 1999, when TIBS (SMRT before merger) lost the offer to operate the north east line, TIBS and SMRT decided to merge to increase rails and buses synergy. SMRT then merged with TIBS in 2004. Microenvironmental Forces SMRT buses’ only has one competitor, the SBS Transit. SBS Transit monopolised the scheduled bus market share until SMRT was established in 1982. Now SBS Transit has about 265 bus services and daily ridership of over 2 million passengers, equivalent to 75% of scheduled bus market share. Compared to SMRT, with a daily ridership of over 730000 passengers, which is equivalent to 25% of scheduled bus market share. SMRT needs to observe their competitor to see what they are doing, find a way to counter their actions and then create a better competitive advantage. In doing so, SMRT can increase their scheduled bus market share and eventually monopolise the market. The other microenvironmental force affecting SMRT buses is their customers. To meet customers’ needs, passengers are constantly being observed. In the year 2010, SMRT introduced a new bus that is both elderly and wheelchair-friendly. The buses have steps that are low which allows the use of wheelchairs and at the same time enables swift and ease movement for passengers when moving to the rear of the bus. Also, the bus is quieter and vibrates lesser compared to buses used previously. This allows passengers to experience a smooth and comfortable ride when travelling long distances on buses. To create better competitive advantage over their competitors, SMRT opens feedback from passengers, wanting to know passengers’ opinions, so as to improve their bus services. Macroenvironmental Forces One of the Macroenvironmental forces affecting SMRT buses is the Social force. To make SMRT greener, the new bus as mentioned in the Microenvironmental force, are almost one ton lighter, compared to the older buses used. This improves both mileage and fuel efficiency by about 7%. This new bus has a passenger capacity of about 80 passengers and 1 passenger-in-wheelchair, which is almost the same as older buses. Also, harmful gases like Nitrous Oxide are converted to mostly Nitrogen and water vapour with the BlueTec ® SCR engine, thus making emission from the buses safer and cleaner. With all these new features, there will be lesser pollution, and thus creating a better image for SMRT. The other Macroenvironmental force affecting SMRT buses is the Economic force. Due to the recession in the year 2008, passenger’s spending power and patterns are affected. In September 2008, although in terms of percentage, the bus ridership is stable at 64%. However, the monthly bus ridership has decreased by more than 70000, from 23,788,000 passengers to 23,714,000 passengers. Even though there is a drop in passengers, SMRT is earning profits more than before the recession. Conclusion In conclusion, Microenvironmental and Macroenvironmental forces can affect a company in many ways. It may affect the company in both positive and negative ways. For example, from above, the economic force, during the recession even though there were lesser passengers, the profits earned still increased, but, if the number of passengers did not decrease, the profit will be higher. However, for the microenvironmental force, competitor, it may be a good and a bad thing. When there is competition, companies tend to improve their services to be better than each other. In a way, this creates a competitive advantage for the company who can meet more customers’ needs. References SGWiki (2011 February 26) The Year In Buses, Singapore, SGWiki (http://sgwiki. com/wiki/The_Year_in_Buses) (25/10/2011, 12:38) SBS (No Date) Bus Services, Singapore SBS (http://www. sbstransit. com. sg/transport/trpt_bus_overview. aspx) (25/10/2011, 12:41) SMRT Corporation Ltd(9 March 2010), SMRT INTRODUCES SOUTHEAST ASIA’S FIRST FULL LOW FLOOR EURO 5 BUS – PROVIDING GREATER ACCESSIBILITY FOR PASSENGERS, Singapore, SMRT Corp Ltd (http://www. mrt. com. sg/Upload/201031010315179993. pdf)( 23/10/2011, 20:38) Abhijit (2 November 2009, Monday), Six rail journeys for every 10 bus rides in Singapore, Singapore, PressRun (http://www. pressrun. net/weblog/2009/11/six-rail-journeys-for-every-10-bus-rides-in-singapore. html) (24/10/2011, 21:11) Seraphina Wee (22 October 2009), Mass Media Continues to Perform in Times of Downturn: NielsenConsumption of newspapers, te levision, cable, magazines, and radion have remained stable while the Internet saw considerable growth,

Proposal Plan Essay

The purpose for the organization Riordan Manufacturing is to stay put in a dynamic, self-motivated and energetic business environment. Riordan Manufacturing is a successful business looking to progress overall presentation and place the company for potential expansion. In order for this to follow through, a total rewards program needs to be created. The incentives and compensation plan, must connect with the goals of the organization. A solid rewards program will build motivation in the work place. As the text states, † the notions that rewards are means to motivate employees assuming that the rewards are distributed fairly. Rewards seem to be part of many different perspectives in motivation.† (Shani & Chandler, 2009, p. 8) The most important part are the employees in this organization, and sadly the motivation is not up to par. Employees who lack motivation, insinuates that employees are not receiving proper rewards. Instead of management focusing on only one specific part of a department, they should rather work together towards a solid vision for the business. Presently, there is room for opportunity, to actually analyze the Human Resource Management system and see what are the problems which are leading employees to show lack of motivation. (Riordan Manufacturing, p.2) Through various research, employees and outside sources, especially Human Capital Consulting firms, believe that financial compensation is lower than market value. Employees are also not comprehending how pay intertwines with job performance. 2003 to 2004 surveys show that employees think that pay connects to seniority. (Chen & Hsieh, 2006, p.13) Adding to standard compensation, individual rewards are not well connected to performance. For example, departments like IT and R&D focus the sales force and rarely see no return. The lack of proper positioning for financial compensation and work performance is causing confusion and affecting the motivational problems. Riordan Manufacturing needs to acknowledge that employees views need to be considered. Hence why the distance in understanding between the employees and the business needs to be fixed. Alterations to financial compensation can be expensive. The consultant from Human Capital Consulting the reward and compensation system needs to be fully reformed. The total cost of the reward system alterations are about $175,000. Since the business has been dealing with sales declining an investment of that sort would put the organization at a high risk. (Gross, 1994, p.1). Even though it has to deal with that expense the organization has the chance to compete better in the market and lessen the risk of losing employees to other businesses due to financial compensation formats. This problem can be resolved if the management team at Riordan Manufacturing takes into consideration the cause of external competition. Key objectives to consider are to make certain that the pay is enough to attract and sustain employees. If employees do not see that their pay is competitive compared to what other organizations are giving for the same type of work, then that might cause for the employee to leave. Even though employee motivation and financial compensation are viewed as big problems for Riordan, the business ability to form attraction and support career enhancement has been weakening. The problems can be caused by the lack of Human Resource Management in the business strategic human capital management, with a failure by leadership to form a successful culture that aids the business objectives. As the business sets itself straight and alters its strategy, it will be vital to effectively train employees and make certain that they are set for the challenges that come their way. Sadly, motivation issues are harming the business and may affect the strategic changes. Examples of the weak culture and employee development are seen in the Research & Development and IT parts of the organization. Each section contributes to the success of the business but receives rarely any recognition, whether it is pay or just an overall recognition. Riordan Manufacturing has the chance to brace the culture and form a complete employee development system that supports the enterprises vision and goals for the future. To add to this the business has the ability to explore other areas aside from the financial compensation to augment employee motivation and job satisfaction. Executing a career development system will not be enough for long-term enhancements. Management at Riordan Manufacturing will need to center on building situations that practice career development. (Mason, 2000, pg. 22) Employees at Riordan Manufacturing have different interests. These interest can include financial compensation, career enhancement or development, strong and effective communication and of course support from the management team. Employees have the right to be rewarded fairly and be acknowledged for their efforts and hard work to the organization. To add to this, employees have the right to be included in the organizations culture instead of being part of teams that are divided up. This usually leads to a lack of direction. Employees crave cooperation, a challenging working environment and dedication. That’s why effective end state goals would be to make certain that employee motivation is being measured effectively. Also, form career development plans and spot out important achievements within the business. Not only employee motivation should be worked on, but also set up a comprehensive rewards system. The reward system will give employees the chance to take charge of their reward as well as form a spot to market benefits that pertain to Riordan Manufacturing employees. An internal web application should be created by HR. (Donavan, 2005, pg12) The system will center on benefits administration, cross-function team goal management, and incentive rewards tracking systems. Employees will have the option of reviewing their benefits and make alterations on their time. Also, managers will be able to appraise the improvement and donations made by cross-functional teams. Sales statistics will also be part of the reward system to keep track of sales performance. Riordan Manufacturing needs to restructure its employee compensation program. This means, that the organization needs to first acknowledge that employee motivation is low. From there, increase it, by rewarding employees for a job well done. Acknowledging them in front of their employees, and even bonuses will be nice. Flexible schedule is so important. Basically, re-evaluating everything to make certain that employees are feeling valued. References Chen, H.M., Hsieh, Y.H. (2006). Key Trends of the Total Reward System in the 21st Century. Retrieved January 5, 2013 from, http://cbr.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/38/6/64 Donavan, D. (2005). Don’t bar bosses from extra perks. Employee Benefits; p9-9, 1/4p, 1c. Retrieved from EBSCOhost Database. 18382022 Gross, S.E., Paul, B.N. (1994). Missing links?. Across the Board; Vol. 31 Issue 2. Retrieved January 15, 2013 from, EBSCOhost Database. 9411170727 Mason, J. (2000). Getting Paid For Giving Advice. Financial Planning; Vol. 30 Issue 6. Retrieved January 11, 2013 from EBSCOhost Database. 3182580 Riordan Manufacturing. Retrieved January 3, 2013, from http://riordan- manufacturing.ciiio.com/ Shani, A.B. R., Chandler, D., & Coget, J. (2009). Behavior In Organizations: An Experiential Approach (9th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.