Case Study the Virgin Group Essay

PROBLEM: * The Virgin Group is so unrelated diversified that it has been criticized by some commentators because it has become an â€Å"endorsement brand that could not always offer real expertise to the businesses which it is associated†. So the real question is â€Å"Can The Virgin Group be good/successful in every business it gets into?† â€Å"Are they really adding a real value to each business/customer? * What will happen if a customer has a bad experience with any of the product lines of the Virgin Brand? Would that influence this customer to never try again another line of this brand? Some commentators have found a big risk with Virgin’s approach stating that: â€Å"The greatest threat is that Virgin Brand may become associated with failure†. Can that be possible? * Richard Branson’s is associated with the Virgin Brand, this sure has been the key to the success of this company, but can also his image fire back toward the Virgin brand if he g ains a bad reputation? What can be the consequences? FACTS: Organizational: * The Virgin Group is one of the UK’s largest private companies. (S) * The Virgin Group included in 2006, 63 businesses such as airlines, health clubs, music stores and trains. Also included Virgin Galactic which promises to take passengers into the sub-orbital space. (S) * The personal image and personality of Richard Branson, the founder of the Group is highly bound up with those of the company. (S ,W) * Branson announced in 2006 his plans to invest $3bn in renewable energy. (S) * Virgin’s partnership with cable company NTL, undertook an expansion into media challenging publicy the way NewsCorp operated in the UK and the effects on British democracy. (S ,W) * Virgin was founded in 1970 as a mail order record business and developed as a private company in music publishing and retailing. (S) * In 1986, Virgin was floated on the stock exchange with a turnover of 362.5 million (Euros). (S) * Branson decided to take the business back into private ownership and the shares were bought back at the original price offer, when the price of the shares began to fall and because of the pressure to create short-term profit. (S ,W) * Virgin’s expansion had often been through joint ventures whereby Virgin provided the brand and its partner provided the majority of the capital. I.e.: For cosmetics and clothing Virgin provided 1,000 (pounds), while its partner Victory Corporation 20m (pounds). (S) * Built business with Virgin Mobile, by forming partnerships with existing wireless operators to sell services under the Virgin brand name. The carrier competences lay in network management. Virgin set out to differentiate itself by offering innovative services. (S) * Virgin has been described as a â€Å"keiretsu† organisation. A structure of loosely linked, autonomous units by self-managed teams that use a common brand name. (S ,W) * Virgin Atlantic, which is owned in 49% by Singapore Airways is one of businesses Branson will never sell, despite of the cyclical nature of this business. He included airline businesses such as Virgin Express (European), Virgin Blue (Australia) and Virgin Nigeria in the group. (S) * Branson has reported about withdrawing from the business which more or less can run by itself now, hoping that his son Sam might become more a of Virgin figurehead. At the same time he launched his initiatives in media and fuel. (W) Environmental: * Branson’s public image and special appearances has contributed to the definition and recognisability of the brand. (O) * Virgin is putting up the Capital for Virgin Fuels and is using the brand to attract the attention to the issues and possibilities that the technology offers. (Different from the other business) (O) * In 2005 announced the establishment of a â€Å"quadruple play† media company providing television, broadband, fixed-lined and mobile communications through the merger of Branson’s UK mobile interests with UK’s two cable companies. (O) * Branson describes Virgin as â€Å"a branded venture capital house†. There was no â€Å"group† as such; Virgin was described as a family rather than a hierarchy. (O) * In 2006 Branson explained the basis upon which he considers opportunities: be global in scope, enhance the brand, be worth doing and have an expectation of a reasonable return on investment. (O) * Branson’s engagement with â€Å"greener† fuels has created a debate on measures to reduce carbon emissions from airplanes. (O) * The public flotation of individual businesses rather than the group as a whole has become an intrinsic part of the â€Å"juggling† of finances that underpins Virgin’s expansion. (T) * Virgin argues that its brand research indicated that people who have had a bad experience will blame that particular Virgin company or product but will be willing to use another Virgin product or service due to the very diversity of the brand. (O , T) * In 2000 Strategic Rail Authority Review voted Virgin Rail on 23rd and 24th place among 25 railway operators what had a great negative impact on Virgin Group overall reputation. (T) Values & Aspirations: * The Virgin name was associated with words such as â€Å"fun†, â€Å"innovative†, â€Å"daring† and â€Å"successful†. It was chosen representing the idea of the company being a virgin in every business it entered. (1) * Establish The Virgin Brand as a major global name. (2) * Virgin won an award for the best wireless operator in the UK. (4) * Branson saw Virgin adding value in the three main ways, aside from the brand: Public relations and marketing skills, its experience with Greenfield start-ups; and Virgin’s understanding of the opportunities presented by â€Å"institutionalized† markets. (3) * Each company is â€Å"ring-fenced†, so no company had no rights over the assets of another; providing not only financial protection, but also to a business ethic aspect. (5) * The increasing conformity between personal interest and business activities could be discerned in the establishment of Virgin Fuels. Branson has stated that by using non-oil-based fuels a Second Gulf War can be prevented. (7) * The line between personal conviction and business interests is everyday more thin. (6) KEY ASSUMPTIONS: * Branson’s taste for his brands of business remains undimmed so will surely continue this way. He has grown his business using the Unrelated Diversification Strategy, which is based in entering new businesses sectors outside the core activities; such as travel, telecommunications, trains, cosmetics. * He will continue investing in â€Å"Green companies† producing ethanol and cellulosic ethanol fuels in competition with the oil industry. He has already started to Go Green, so surely all his companies will follow this new eco-friendly trend. * Branson’s son may be taking the lead of the company in the future. His statements toward leaving the company in the future and let his son take the lead may be to prepare his entire workforce for this moment. * Even though the Virgin Brand is powerful, Branson’s image is strongly related to the company, so if he decides to go, will the next person in charge be able to maintain the same cultural organisation that has identified this company till now? * To be part of the World history, by becoming the most powerful Brand and Company, not only of the UK, but also Europe and make many other businesses in other Continents. * Become a leader of non-oil industry. His high investment in this area confirms his seriousness about this issue. * Continue investing on more R&D in new and innovative technologies in order to expand the company’s position in entertainment and telecommunications market. He is already the leader in the mobile service due to correct strategy and implementation. * Virgin Galactic may become the leading company to send humans to space, making this company be part of the Humankind History. SOLUTIONS: * So far Branson’s strategy has leaded him to success. He must continue making new alliances and also to strengthen the ones that have been made so far. The strategy used by the Virgin Group, based on Unrelated Diversification has been the key element of success of the company. This strategy has created a unique culture and corporate structure needed to build a strong competitive advantage. * The investment of new R&D technologies may make the difference for this company’s future. It has the potential to become a Giant in the IT area. * Continue gaining competitive advantage over the market by identifying themselves as the fun, playful and innovative company they have been so far. This marketing campaign has helped Virgin Brand to gain loyal customers. * Expand the Virgin Brand into new continents. Select another target markets in the Asian and African continents where surely can form alliances with local markets and gain competitive advantage by the strong growth potential.

Alternative to GDP

Topic: â€Å"There is rising criticism of the widespread use of GDP as an indicator of the health of an economy. In fact, some experts are of the opinion that GDP growth is making the society poorer. Critically analyse this opinion in view of the concept of sustainability and also discuss some alternate measures being suggested and their implications to the businesses? † GDP as an economic measure of the economic progress of a country Gross domestic product (GDP) is considered one of the most important factors that determine the economic activity and hence the progress of the development of a country. It is the monetary value of all the final goods and services produced by a country in a specified time. Therefore, it is considered that if the country’s economic production increases, other factors remaining positive, then it positively benefits all the citizens of the country. It is hence used as an indicator for the country’s standard of living[1]. Therefore, greater the GDP, better the health of an economy and hence better the lives of the citizens. Reasons for criticism on the use of GDP as an indicator of economic progress As GDP measures the monetary value of the final goods and services produced, it means that the money spent on the country’s well-being for example, millions spent on manufacturing fancy electronic gadgets, constructing a prison, cutting forests to use wood for production of further goods – are all considered at par while measuring the GDP. There is no emphasis on the quality of the output, the progress of the country in terms of the social state of affairs, human happiness, etc. As these are essential ingredients in determining the health of an economy, the concept of using GDP as a measuring scale of the economic progress of a country if criticised. Disadvantages of GDP GDP is criticised on many aspects – it obscures growing inequality, aids depletion of resources and one of the most prominent criticisms is that it measures expenditure on education at par with expenditure on cigarettes i. e. it does not differentiate whether the spending that aids the GDP percentage is going towards a positive or negative cause. GDP does not measures the economic services that nature provides – for example, prevention of floods and landslides by existence of dense forests – it does not account for health, clean environment, etc. i. e. GDP falls short in taking into account equally important things that exist to make a country liveable by fostering social cohesion, along with just the monetary value of goods and services * GDP takes into account the gove rnment spending, but from where the funding is sourced and where it is utilized is not taken into account. Hence, government borrowing is considered good for a country as far as GDP calculation is concerned * Money transactions that take place unofficially and go unrecorded are not accounted for in the calculation of GDP. Hence it does not help in avoiding taxes or prevention of illegal transactions and spending of such huge amount goes unnoticed * Harmful side effects like, pollution is not accounted for in the GDP. No deductions are made from GDP for their harmful effects but addition to GDP is made by market transactions that aid in removing these harmful effects. Hence the calculation of GDP is not balanced * The GDP takes into account the goods and services produced but not exchanged for money. For example, volunteer work or growing own food and consuming it is not included in the GDP whereas expenditure on buying food from the market is taken into account [2]. Adverse effects of using GDP as a sole measure for economic success As GDP takes into account only some value created in the country and does not take into account several key transactions, GDP often increases at the expense of real growth and progress. The result is that GDP fails miserably as an indicator of economic success on the sustainability scale. The environmental and social aspects are not covered by the GDP. Alternative measures & their business implications There are several alternative indicators of the progress of a country. These measure economic activity, environmental or social activities, well-being or changes in environmental, social or human capital. * Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI): It provides a complete picture of economical and social progress. There are several indicators used to calculate GPI that are broadly classified under three categories – economic, environmental and social. The economic category indicators are similar to gross product measurement. The environment factors measure cost of pollution, cost of change to natural resources, cost of climate change, etc. The social indicator includes the value of education, lost leisure time, cost of crime, etc. This indicator has been adopted by the state of Maryland and is altered to include the impact of income inequality on the economy of the state. This indicator indicated the need to focus on reducing the level of income inequality in order to improve Maryland’s overall economic and social growth. Hence, this indicator has been successfully implemented that includes all the factors of well-being in a society. This leads to modified business practices in order to reduce inequality and improve economic, environmental and social spheres of the state * Human Development Index (HDI): It is used by the UNDP to show how the improvement in economic growth and human development is improving conditions of the human in the various countries. The HDI is defined as process of widening choices available to humans in order to live an educated, long and healthy life and to have access to resources to have a healthy and decent standard of living. It makes use of political freedom, human rights and self-respect to measure the index but as they are difficult to measure, the index uses longevity, knowledgeable and decent standards of livings as indicators in lieu of prosperous and long lives. * Gross National Happiness (GNH): It is frequently used as an alternative measure of progress. It was originally suggested by Bhutan to be used instead of using GDP as an appropriate measure of progress. It measures quality of life or social progress in consistency with Bhutan’s culture and spiritual values rather than focusing more on economic activity. It measures seven types of wellness – economic, environmental, physical, mental, workplace, social and political. Several conferences have also been held on use of GNH and it was primarily used to base the progress of the country on reflections of the country’s Buddhist origins[3](Coztanza, Hart, Posner & Talberth, 2009). Conclusion There are several alternative measures that are suggested to be used to measure the progress and the social well-being of a country. GDP is flawed such that it aids detrimental activities and does not take into account the positive activities of a country. Hence, an alternative that measures not only the market value of final goods and service but which also takes into account the social, economic and environmental factors while calculating the progress of a country is imperative to lead to sustainable development. The current use of GDP leads to more consumption of harmful cigarettes with no emphasis on the environmental degradation from the industrial and business rocesses. Hence, although the economy is progressing in certain spheres of economic activity, it is indeed lagging on sustainable development which requires pollution control, reduced resource usage, better social and income equality. Therefore, alternate measures that take into account all the factors that impact a nation should be developed and the alternative measure that is a composite of all the factors should be used to ensure sustainable develop ment of the economy that reflects progress in daily lives of its citizens. References: 1. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gdp.asp 2. http://zorach.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/why-gdp-gross-domestic-product-is-a-poor-measure-of-wealth-and-prosperity/ 3. (Coztanza, Hart, Posner & Talberth, 2009) – http://www.bu.edu/pardee/files/documents/PP-004-GDP.pdf

Accidents Happen All the Time

It involved a car border line illegal with balding tires, and brakes set on suicide mode. The person driving the vehicle of doom was a struggling college student, with little and or no money. The lady driving a car right off the lot spoke with thick New York accent and had the temper to match. It’s funny how at any moment, thoughts turn into actions, actions turn into events, and suddenly were left to face the aftermath. That day specifically was a mess of intertwining events that lead to two people meeting in unfavorable circumstances. Everyone gets involved in accidents, whether they’re cautious or reckless. The driver of a black kia death machine was especially cautious considering she knew it was not the best in regards to safety. She knew it wasn’t long before some freak accident would cross his path, but she would try to avoid it like hell. The fact is life is a recycling wheel, in which past leads to present, and every action has its foot print in the future. It was early in the morning, around 7:30 and the streets were busy with stop and go traffic in every direction. The sky was overcast, gray clouds blocking all sunlight, with rain pouring down in scatters. The streets were glossy with rain, and the reflection of the lights shone on the surface. Traffic was absolutely ridiculous and early commuters are often aggressive if not outright maniacs. The young woman was driving her way home from a late night with friends, still a little groggy since she wasn’t use to being up so early. She had driven down that road a million times and never had any issues with the morning flow. She was just about to merge into the next lane, since the turn for the highway was coming up further ahead. She started to drive over and saw the car ahead break lights shining brightly through the light rain. She began to pump the breaks, when suddenly the car didn’t slow down as expected. The car ahead seems to being nearing quickly, and her heart started to race. She pulls the emergency break and feels the drive of the car as it pushes forward regardless. In mere moments a normal drive home turned into a scary event. The sound of screeching tires pierced the air, a loud thud broke the morning silence, and what followed can be described as an atmosphere of confusion and anger. The driver in the black kia didn’t know what to do. She had just hit a car from behind, and she knew he had to get out and confront the other driver. It was raining, which made it entirely more uncomfortable, and all around him cars honked and whizzed by in frustration. She opened the door cautiously with shaking hands. A head a lady comes at her with craziness in her eyes, staring directly at her. â€Å"You little punk, are you freaking blind†. The lady that hit the car was trying to stay calm saying â€Å"Lady, get a grip. Your car is still drivable†¦ my bumper is sitting on the ground†. The lady was furious; she screamed for 5 minutes before she noticed the other driver wasn’t saying anything and then she apologized. The two began to explore the damage, which inflicted much more harm on the kia then the new 2013 escalade. The new car had a few scratches, but the young college student’s car looked like it had a head on collision with a semi-truck. It wasn’t even the worst Part of everything because the faulted driver had no insurance, and she knew she was going to get totally screwed by the man in blue because she has zero car insurance. The cops arrived on scenes approximately two hours later. The thought of fleeing the scene had cross the faulted drivers mind more than a few times. If it weren’t for a bumper half on the ground, and an exchange of information holding her back, she has been half way home and scott free. Three hundred dollars in fines, and lawsuit pending, that young driver figured something crucial out. Don’t drive without insurance, and if you are don’t do it with a car with bad breaks because you will inevitably screw your life over and get into an accident. Accidents Happen All the Time It involved a car border line illegal with balding tires, and brakes set on suicide mode. The person driving the vehicle of doom was a struggling college student, with little and or no money. The lady driving a car right off the lot spoke with thick New York accent and had the temper to match. It’s funny how at any moment, thoughts turn into actions, actions turn into events, and suddenly were left to face the aftermath. That day specifically was a mess of intertwining events that lead to two people meeting in unfavorable circumstances. Everyone gets involved in accidents, whether they’re cautious or reckless. The driver of a black kia death machine was especially cautious considering she knew it was not the best in regards to safety. She knew it wasn’t long before some freak accident would cross his path, but she would try to avoid it like hell. The fact is life is a recycling wheel, in which past leads to present, and every action has its foot print in the future. It was early in the morning, around 7:30 and the streets were busy with stop and go traffic in every direction. The sky was overcast, gray clouds blocking all sunlight, with rain pouring down in scatters. The streets were glossy with rain, and the reflection of the lights shone on the surface. Traffic was absolutely ridiculous and early commuters are often aggressive if not outright maniacs. The young woman was driving her way home from a late night with friends, still a little groggy since she wasn’t use to being up so early. She had driven down that road a million times and never had any issues with the morning flow. She was just about to merge into the next lane, since the turn for the highway was coming up further ahead. She started to drive over and saw the car ahead break lights shining brightly through the light rain. She began to pump the breaks, when suddenly the car didn’t slow down as expected. The car ahead seems to being nearing quickly, and her heart started to race. She pulls the emergency break and feels the drive of the car as it pushes forward regardless. In mere moments a normal drive home turned into a scary event. The sound of screeching tires pierced the air, a loud thud broke the morning silence, and what followed can be described as an atmosphere of confusion and anger. The driver in the black kia didn’t know what to do. She had just hit a car from behind, and she knew he had to get out and confront the other driver. It was raining, which made it entirely more uncomfortable, and all around him cars honked and whizzed by in frustration. She opened the door cautiously with shaking hands. A head a lady comes at her with craziness in her eyes, staring directly at her. â€Å"You little punk, are you freaking blind†. The lady that hit the car was trying to stay calm saying â€Å"Lady, get a grip. Your car is still drivable†¦ my bumper is sitting on the ground†. The lady was furious; she screamed for 5 minutes before she noticed the other driver wasn’t saying anything and then she apologized. The two began to explore the damage, which inflicted much more harm on the kia then the new 2013 escalade. The new car had a few scratches, but the young college student’s car looked like it had a head on collision with a semi-truck. It wasn’t even the worst Part of everything because the faulted driver had no insurance, and she knew she was going to get totally screwed by the man in blue because she has zero car insurance. The cops arrived on scenes approximately two hours later. The thought of fleeing the scene had cross the faulted drivers mind more than a few times. If it weren’t for a bumper half on the ground, and an exchange of information holding her back, she has been half way home and scott free. Three hundred dollars in fines, and lawsuit pending, that young driver figured something crucial out. Don’t drive without insurance, and if you are don’t do it with a car with bad breaks because you will inevitably screw your life over and get into an accident.

Tourism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tourism - Assignment Example There are greater challenges to the ecology and environment of the tourism destination with increased tourist activities in developing nations. Climate change, and global warming create potential long term consequences on tourism. Conservation and protection of natural resources and wildlife habitats form an important part of the agenda. Similarly, sustainable solutions have to be undertaken to reduce the increased environmental pollution caused by growing tourist traffic. Bhatia (2006) reiterates that it is vital for authorities at the local and national levels to carry out destination planning, management, and marketing strategies, and ensure international cooperation. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to consider the main issues affecting the international tourism sector, and examine how these have challenged conventional forms of tourist activity. Tourism in Kenya will be investigated as a case study, to assess the implications of a responsible tourism agenda, and it s implementation. Case Study: Kenya as an International Tourism Destination Issues and Challenges According to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), tourism is â€Å"a vehicle for economic development and poverty alleviation (EDPA) in developing countries† (Manyara, Jones and Botterill, 2006, p.19). The strategies for economic development and poverty alleviation include small enterprise development, with the help of governmental support. In examining Kenya as a case study for international tourism development, it is primarily important to note that tourism in Kenya is foreign-owned, hence economic benefits are channelled out of the local economy. The industry focuses on safaris and coastal products, and â€Å"exploits the southern and coastal regions in an anachronistic and colonial model of tourism development† (Manyara et al, 2006, p.19). Ondicho (2000) states that the introduction of international tourism in Sub-Saharan Africa has been a recent development. In Kenya , the tourism industry is considered as a successful domain, in relation to the large numbers of visitors, and the country’s capacity to accommodate them. At the same time, although there has been considerable progress in this respect in recent years, the international tourism sector in Kenya has been limited by particular internal and external factors leading to troubles in development, and setbacks to the growth of the industry (Ondicho, 2000). To modernise conventional forms of tourism in Kenya, a new postcolonial model of tourism development â€Å"involving small indigenous enterprises, and promoting cultural products to new markets† (Manyara et al, 2006, p.19) is expected to support economic development and help in the alleviation of poverty in Kenya. The authors examined the promotion of indigenous enterprises, and the obstacles confronting tourism entrepreneurship in Kenya, utilizing for the study 12 indigenously owned Kenyan tourism enterprises and six support organisations (Manyara et al, 2006). The 12 enterprises are divided into two categories: community-based enterprises (CBEs), and formal as well as informal individually owned enterprises

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 4

Philosophy - Essay Example nd analyzing distinguishes human beings from all other creatures including animals, beasts, birds and even latest devised calculation and computation machines. Renowned twentieth century philosopher Alan N. Turing (1950) is of the opinion that digital computation systems render the lengthy and exhausting computation and calculation services far quicker than human brains, and thus they could challenge and surpass human brains in computation performance, even though these machines are unable to make analysis and draw out tangible measurements attributed to humans. The present paper aims to examine the fact, in the light of theoretical frameworks presented by Rene Descartes and A. M. Turing, that whether human made machines, digital computers, robots and androids have obtained the same level of thinking and reason in this era of technological revolution that is attributed and confined to human brain only or human brain certainly outclasses digital computers on the foundation of unique r easoning and deep thoughtfulness which the latest digital computers are unable to observe. The analyses will also be made in the light of Philip Dick’s novel  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep for accept of reject the hypothesis articulated by Turing (1950). Nature has blessed human beings with splendid mental capabilities, which have been turned out to be highly supportive for the establishment of their superiority over the fish of the water, beast of the jungle, pet of urban life and the bird of the sky. Hence, man keeps dominance over almost all creatures by dint of the innate mental characteristics and gifted intellect. Turing (1950) displays his reservations regarding the fast pace of developments being made in the world of technology, which not only have given birth to countless inventions and discoveries, but continuous sequence of these inventions may supersede human intellect as well. By this, according to him, people could rely upon machinery even for entering into

Research Proposal - about cosmetics Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

- about cosmetics - Research Proposal Example 2012). That is why, product managers and marketers have increasingly engaged in conducting market research in order to determine the demand that prevails in the market regarding a particular product and service and the factors that stimulate this demand (Bian & Forsythe, 2012). Academic scholars have suggested that a person’s culture is one such factor that has a statistically significant impact on the purchase decision of the individual (De Mooij, 2010). This is precisely because of the fact that a person’s culture serves as a standard that needs to be maintained when it comes to buying and availing any product and service. However, the extent to which culture influences the purchase behaviour of cosmetic consumers is still relatively unexplored (Lim & OCass, 2009). This forms the basic premise for this research as the researcher will be endeavouring to analyze the extent to which culture and cross culture is responsible for influencing the purchasing decisions of cosmetic consumers. The following sections will involve a brief review of researches conducted in this field and a description of the research methods that will be adopted. The researcher has prepared a time plan of seven months which will also be provided at the end of the proposal. According to Aaker, Kumar & Day (2004), the choice process of cosmetic customers is constructed in such a way that they are able to adapt to the immediate purchase surroundings. This conclusion was provided on the basis of a study the scholars conducted on the dimensions of choice process of cosmetic consumers by tracking down their eye fixations on supermarket shelves. Blackwell, Miniard & Engel (2001) gave a detailed explanation of shopping orientation. The author reported that Indian shoppers are more inclined towards seeking emotional value rather than functional value of buying products. It was observed that the orientation of shoppers was based more on entertainment quotient rather than the

Socioemotional Development Education Assignment

Socioemotional Development Education - Assignment Example The second determinant of the friendship among the children is the social and economic backgrounds. The teacher revealed that more than 40% of the friendship witnessed in class is determined by the social status of the families of the children. He noted that most of those children who come from rich families are more likely to become friends. Third form of relationship witnessed in classroom environment is determined by academic factors. The teacher revealed that most children who share common academic performance tend to relate with each other. The last form of friendship that was noted is determined by the geographic setting. It was found that those children from the same geographic location exhibit closer friendship. In another interview to determine the things that make a kid popular, a number of things came out. The teacher asserted that academic performance is the main factor that makes the kids popular. He noted that when a kid is regularly awarded for a good work he or she ha s done, the others will see him or her taking the reward hence become more popular both to the teachers and other children. He also stated that the level of physical activity of the child play a significant role in determining popularity of the child. He noted that the when he or she is playful, jovial and happy become more popular than others mainly because his or her playfulness would enable him interact with more children. The third determinant of the popularity of a child is the level of discipline. The findings from the interview show that extremely rude kids are more popular than those who are average in their discipline. Equally, very discipline kids are more popular than those whose levels of disciplines are average. As far as the rejection and neglecting of the kids in school is concerned, the teacher revealed a number of factors behind these issues. He stated that disability is one of the major factors behind the rejection and neglecting of the kids. He argues that normal kids do not like to associate themselves with the physically challenged kids. Because of this, the handicapped kids would feel rejected. The second factor that the teacher identified is racial discrimination. The teacher stated that despite the fact that the school administration discourages any form of racial discrimination; the whites normally reject kids from different races especially from blacks. However, the teacher claims that they do not express it explicitly mainly because it is against the school rules. The social background of the kid is another factor leading to rejection and neglecting. It was noted that a kid who is from a humble background is usually neglected and rejected by those who come from rich families. The last factor is the academic performances. A kid who has poor academic performances can be rejected and neglected by his or her classmates. Question two answer The interview was then focused into elucidation of ways of reversing the cases of rejection and neg lecting is through reversing the above factors. The teacher noted that the best way of reversing the issues of related to poor academic performance is by improving the academic performance. He also noted that the cases associated with the disabilities can be solved by encouraging the students to show love and care on each other. Additionally, I interviewed the teacher on the approaches that should be adopted in order to assist kids with disabilities. He

The state of E-learning initiatives in Saudi Arabia Universities Essay

The state of E-learning initiatives in Saudi Arabia Universities - Essay Example This technology, popularly referred to as E Learning, has significantly contributed to the expansion of courses offered and, more importantly, has emerged as an efficient and effective quality education tool for students who want to pursue their education from home. Indeed, the use of the internet as a medium to impart knowledge has experienced unprecedented growth over the past years. The 21st century witnessed acceptance of the internet as the preferred medium of education and instruction in quite a few Western European and United States colleges and universities. Determined not to be left behind, Saudi universities and college took the initiative to implement E Learning technologies. They started off well and a number of colleges put in place courses with credits on the web and students had the facility to get information and also use the services of online tutorials to prepare for the exams. The practice of providing online course information for students has entrenched itself in the educational landscape and indeed, has taken root in countless universities and colleges around the world. Even so, the aforementioned constitutes a minor componential element of E Learning based approach to education. Accordingly, most Saudi colleges took the initiative and put in place the short term plan of posting information online and tying up with International partners and universities in the West to offer their online courses and degrees to the Middle East. The aim was to provide localised service.

The History and Business of Apple Inc Assignment

The History and Business of Apple Inc - Assignment Example The History and Business of Apple Inc. In 1985, Steve Jobs had to leave Apple because of a management shakeup. After that, Apple’s started turning up as a failure. In 1994, Macintosh line was released but Apple still could not turn up to be profitable and continuing taking huge losses. By the time, Steve Jobs had founded NeXt and Apple decided to acquire NeXT in 1996, and this way Steve Jobs brought back to Apple as a special advisor, who later became CEO of Apple. In 1998, iMac released from where Apple started leading the computer industry. Over the last decade, Apple has redefined the cellphone business through the iPhone, the music business through the iPod, and the entertainment and media world through the iPad. On Oct. 5, 2011, the company announced the death of Mr. Jobs, due to pancreatic cancer. In August 2011, Timothy D. Cook became the company’s chief executive. Company Description Incorporated in 1977, Apple is a California based corporation that designs, manufactures and markets personal computers, mobile communication and media devices, and portable digital music players, and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. Apple has introduced a wide portfolio of brands including iPhone, iPod, MacBook Air and iPad and operates through 317 retail stores (including 233 retail stores in the US and 84 in other parts of the world). The Company has appr

The Rise of Christianity in the Roman Republic Essay Example for Free

The Rise of Christianity in the Roman Republic Essay Throughout the Roman republic and most of the empire, the Roman religion was polytheistic. The religion was based on the Greek religion and included multiple gods and goddesses who were anthropomorphic and cruel. However, during the first century of the Common Era, Judaism and â€Å"mystery religions† such as Mithraism, Eleusis, and Christianity were becoming increasing popular. Roman rule tried to control the spread of these religions but eventually Christianity became the chief religion of Rome and its empire. In the early stages of these new religions, Rome was surprisingly tolerant. Many rulers allowed citizens to practice these religions and asked only for simple patriotism and to recognize the holidays of Roman gods. Most Jews and Christians were uncooperative with this notion. In fact, many radical Jews and Christians emerged. A notable radical Jesus, who was an orthodox Jew, led and taught â€Å"the good news† to his followers. This stubborn disobedience enraged rulers such as Nero and Diocletian, who ordered for many Christian persecutions. Diocletian ordered that churches and sacred books be destroyed throughout the Empire. Nero is best known for a devastating fire which was rumored to have been started by Nero himself. He tried to end these rumors by punishing many Christians as a distraction. Persecutions were common and often resulted in death. Women were persecuted the same as men. Christians accepted Jesus as their messiah after he had been put to a gruesome death under the orders of Pilate. At this time, the Roman Empire was in economic turmoil and Christian persecutions were its last attempt at control. A major turning point in the history of Christianity occurred in 312 of the current era. The story is told that Constantine, Roman emperor during this time, had a dream telling him to decorate his shield with the Greek letters for Christ. When he did so and was victorious during battle, Constantine decided that he would convert to Christianity. Constantine also ended all persecutions and allowed all Christians to worship freely. Theodosius the Great took the work of Constantine a step further. He forbade any religion to be practiced except Christianity. This movement gave many more privileges to the church. Churches could now own property and were exempt from certain taxes. Christians were finally free to live and worship. The phenomenon of Christianity was not a battle won easily. There were many cruel and devastating punishments to those who practiced against Roman religion. Men and women were put to death or forced into hiding in the first century. However, as the population of Christians grew rapidly, Roman law found it necessary to revise laws and allow Christianity within the Empire. Christians had won the victory of faith and progressed onward through history.

Cathartic Effects of Aggression: Theories

Cathartic Effects of Aggression: Theories Tan Hui Min Psychology— the systematic study of mental and behavioural processes (Coon Mitterer, 2012)—stemmed from Wilhelm Wundt’s founding of the first laboratory in experimental psychology in 1979. Wundt presented his discoveries about the human mind and behaviour in public lectures and soon had halls of people learning about his theories and experiments (Abbott, 2012, para. 7). Some even started setting up their own experimental laboratories and taking up the new science (Abbott, 2012, para. 7). However, many people see psychology as common sense because psychological findings and research all seem self-evident (Dean, 2008). This essay will touch on three reasons as to why psychology is not just common sense based on a common sense topic that frustrated people tend to vent their anger on inanimate objects for mood repair. People who believe in the value of cathartic venting feel worse after aggression. Bushman, Baumeister, and Phillips (2001) conducted a study whereby a group of participants had their emotional states assessed immediately after manipulated provocations (p. 25). Provocations include receiving negative feedback of their essays and blasts of noises of high intensity from â€Å"another participant† during the competitive time reaction task (Bushman, Baumeister, and Phillips, 2001, p. 19-20). They found that participants were emotionally negatively affected by the stimuli and felt more hostile feelings towards the â€Å"provoker†. This is supported by Bohart’s (1980) study which found that after recalling about a recent incident that angered them, participants in the discharge group showed more anger and hostile attitudes compared to intellectual analysis, role play, and control groups, based on the level of aversive noise each participant gave as punishment to a subje ct whenever a mistake was made on the learning task (p. 193). A louder noise administered meant higher feelings of aggression. Ebbesen, Duncan and Konecni (1974) tested whether subjects who were being laid off their jobs would increase or decrease in verbal aggression compared to those who were leaving their jobs for other reasons when induced to aggress verbally against the company, their supervisor, themselves, or to talk about neutral topics. The results indicated that when angered subjects directed verbal aggression at a specià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ c target, their subsequent verbal aggression increased only when it was directed at the same target. It was also discovered that individuals with higher levels of testosterone responded more aggressively to social provocations (Mehta Beer, 2009, p. 2363). Aggression is therefore relatively useless at getting rid of anger and frustration even though positive feelings are increased during the act of venting. Be it as it may, why is it that the ma ss media still constantly supportting the idea of the catharsis hypothesis through mediums like self-help books, magazines, and television (Shaffer Merrens, 2001)? Angry people feel better when venting their anger through a cathartic process. This popular belief is known as the catharsis theory (Bushman, Baumeister, Phillips, 2001, p. 18). The theory sees emotions as entities that will build up and cause internal pressure if they are not expressed, leading to physiological harm (Bohart, 1980, p. 192). The repression of negative feelings without release may be due to the fear of retaliation or punishment from the provocateur, like in the case of when the source is an employer, thus constraining direct aggression (Dollard, Doob, Miller, Mowrer, Sears, 1939). Aggression is any behaviour that is intended to inflict harm on an unwilling person (Bushman Anderson, 2001, p. 274). A study found that angry people did positively enjoy some of the cathartic activities, such as hitting a punching bag ( Bushman et al., 1999). Since catharsis supports rumination, which is study investigated whether if getting rid of anger by rumination works better than by distraction. angered participants hit a punching bag and thought about the person who had angered them (rumination group) or thought about becoming physically fit (distraction group). The venting of anger is thus considered a healthy act and people in anger would often hear advice like â€Å"let if off your chest† and â€Å"don’t bottle your anger up inside† from their friends (Bushman, Baumeister, Phillips, 2001, p. 18). The effectiveness of the expression of negative emotions on mood applies differently for different genders. Bushman, Baumeister and Philips (2001) conducted a study which examined how mood-freeze manipulation and pro-catharsis messages affect aggressive behaviour (p. 19). Half the subjects in the pro-cathartic group would read a counterfeit newspaper article supporting the venting of anger by hitting a pillow, while the other half in the anti-cathartic group would read one discouraging the venting of anger by hitting a pillow (Bushman, Baumeister and Philips, 2001, p. 25). Half of the participants in the mood-freeze manipulation group were told that the pill, Bramitol, would freeze their mood for an hour after consumption (Bushman, Baumeister and Philips, 2001, p. 20). The other half were free to control their moods. It was found that for women, the venting of anger improved their mood only when their believe that their moods are open to change, as observed from the female participan ts reporting that they felt more positive feelings following aggression in the changeable mood condition compared to those in the mood-freeze condition (Bushman, Baumeister, Phillips, 2001, p. 28). As for men, they were found to be generally more aggressive than women (Bushman, Baumeister, Phillips, 2001, p. 20) and that those who most believed in the efficacy of venting felt the least improvement in their moods after venting their anger in the changeable mood condition (Bushman, Baumeister, Phillips, 2001, p. 28). This observation can be supported by The evidence of how different men and women handle their emotions shows that the effectiveness of catharsis venting differs between genders. Angry impulses and hostile tendencies are not reduced by acting aggressively. It was found that when given the chance to aggress nonverbally against their tormentors, angry participants engaged in less nonverbal aggression afterwards (Doob, 1970; Doob and Wood, 1972; Konecni and Doob, 1972; Konecni, 1973). However, an opposite effect was witnessed for verbal aggression (DeCharms Wilkins, 1963; Kahn, 1966). the annoyer is still derogated and highly disliked at the end of the experiment (Konecni, 1973; Konecni and Doob, 1972). Konecni and Doob (1972) found that nonverbal aggression directed at a scapegoat reduced future nonverbal aggression directed at one’s tormentor. If verbal hostility does serve the same function as covert rumination about one’s plight, then generalization from scapegoat to tormentor might well be expected to occur. Doob (1972) found that nonverbal aggression directed at someone reduced future nonverbal aggression directed at one’s tormentor. Showed that verbally expressing one’s boiling anger toward a given entity increases subsequent verbal aggression towards the same entity but does not affect how their emotions are directed at others (p. 198-199) The angered subjects were more hostile towards the company after telling the personnel manager negative things about the company and that the increase in hostility was signià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ cantly enhanced by the comparable interview session. However, in Bohart’s study, the overall difference between catharsis and the other measures narrowed over several sessions, suggesting that venting through a cathartic process requires time and practice in order for the dilution of negative feelings to be effective (Bohart, 1980, p. 194). This is probably the reason why the belief in catharsis survives today despite all the contrary research findings. In essence, the common sense belief in the efficacy of catharsis can be proven correct by some psychologists and otherwise by others. The field of psychology really involves data collection of human thought process and behaviour though scientific or observational means to prove a common sense hypothesis either correct or false. Many of our intuitions have been rectified through the years and like the intuition that the release of anger on a pillow lessens feelings of aggression, we cannot always depend on common sense to reason things. Psychology is therefore not just common sense, but also based on proper research, meticulous testing, and applications of theory. References Ebbesen, E. B., Duncan, B., Konecni, V. J. (1975). Effects of content of verbal aggression on future verbal aggression: A field experiment. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 11, 192-204. Retrieved from http://konecni.ucsd.edu/pdf/1975%20Content%20Verb.%20Agg%20JESP.pdf

The War on Drugs is Failing Essay -- George Bushs War on Drugs

The War on Drugs is Failing â€Å"Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance†¦ for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation and make a crime out of things that are not a crime. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principle upon which our government was founded† Abraham Lincoln On January 16, 1920 the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified by thirty-six states and became part of the Constitution. The intention of this new amendment was to lower alcohol consumption by Americans. At the time each American consumed on average thirty gallons of alcohol a year.[1] This new amendment took away the license to do business from the brewers, distillers, and the wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol consumption did taper off somewhat at the beginning of prohibition only to slowly rise back to pre-prohibition levels shortly before the end of the movement which took place on December 5,1933. Not only was the goal of prohibition never achieved, but it raised organized crime to levels of power unimaginable before and seriously disrupted both the legitimacy and revenue of the government. Just as Prohibition incited many unsavory activities, so has the War on Drugs. The easiest way to show the connection between these to movements is an excerpt from an article pertaining to Prohibition in America during the 1920’s: Bootleggers ran wild. Professional robberies began as soon as Prohibition did. Territories were divided by groups of organized crime that became the scum known as the Mafia. The territories were decided by violence and death, both against each other, as well as those in the public who may/may not have been innoce... ...equipped with state of the art learning tools. Teachers will receive pay raises. Students will be in an environment conducive to learning. Not to mention violence in schools will diminish drastically. Public schools across America would phase out drug addicts by teaching drug awareness, tolerance and moderation. It is quite clear that the War on Drugs is failing. A drug free country would be ideal. So would an alcohol-free country, a pollution-free country, and most likely a fast food-free country. None of these things will happen, so we have to make the best out of the situation as it is presented. The only practical method of dealing with this problem is the legalization of drugs. The government should take advantage of the money drug revenues will generate to supply the youth of America with the knowledge to make the right choice.

Character Analysis Of Prospero Essay -- essays research papers

Prospero, of course, is the play. He is the exiled duke of Milan and the father of Miranda, as well as a powerful magician ruler of a remote island. The play revolves around him. He has more lines than any other character. His presence is felt continuously, even in those scenes in which he does not appear personally. He is the manipulator of the action in the play. The sometimes-godlike character is well rounded and full of contradictions, making him a difficult character to evaluate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his judging, punishing, forgiving, and in many other ways, he is godlike compare to the rest of the characters in the play. Thanks to Ariel, he is also knows everything as well. Like a god, he punishes the guilty, but with grace he shows mercy and gives second chances. After Caliban attempts to rape Miranda, Prospero does not get rid of him. If I were Prospero, I would have a severe monthly payment punishment-plan installed for Caliban. Near the end of the play, after Properso reveals the conspiracies of all those against him, there is no harsh punishment as one would imagine. He basically just demands repentance. Forgiveness is one of the themes in this play, and here Prospero demonstrates it. Even though Caliban conspires with Stephano and Trinculo to kill him, he refrains from punishing Caliban (“Go, sirrah, to my cell;/Take with you your companions. As you look/To have my pardon, trim it handsomely.'; 5.ii.291-293).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ...

Global Markets vs. Local Realities Essay examples -- Consumption Econo

Global Markets vs. Local Realities "What happens to commodities when they cross cultural borders?" Howes' recent edited volume, Cross-Cultural Consumption, sets out explicitly to answer this very question. Through a diverse and highly accessible set of collected papers, inspired and adapted from a special issue of Anthropogie et Sociitis on "Culture and Consumption," the reader finds an excellent introduction to the major themes in the anthropological approach to consumption. Situated squarely within the booming literature on the globalization of consumer society, the papers in this volume are expressly geared towards students of consumer studies from a range of disciplines. Howes makes his objectives clear - this book is actually intended as a teaching tool (p.8), which likely accounts for its notable clarity. Unlike many similar ventures, Howes et. al.'s pedagological approach allows him to openly pose a set of ethical questions by way of conclusion, challenging the reader to actively reflect on the issues raised in the various chapters. That "cultures and goods stand in a relation of complex interdependence" (p.1), is by now a widely recognized feature of consumer studies in anthropology. Using this perspective as premise, the papers in this volume address the interface between the local and the global. Ulf Hannerz's popular "Creolization Paradigm" provides the appropriate framework for discussion. After rejecting the polar extremes of global homogenization and local fragmentation, Howes reifies another persistent dichotomy: that real and constructed distinction between the West and the rest'. Although the world of commodity flows presents multiple opportunities for various border crossings, it is this primary division... ...early the full range of themes which make up the corpus of anthropological studies of consumption, the authors sacrifice to some extent the coherence a more limited project might have produced. Taken together, the chapters in this work are somewhat uneven in terms of quality and content. As it stands, the book requires a more comprehensive conclusion than that provided. However, despite the criticisms presented here, this volume on the whole does successfully accomplish its objectives. The issues raised are clear and comprehensive and the personal flavor of many of the chapters help make the issues more accessible and immediate to the first-time reader. I would certainly recommend it as an introductory reader for students interested in consumption. Source Cited Cross Cultural Consumption: Global Markets Local Realities David Howes, ed. London: Routledge; 1996

Achilles

* Wrath in its fullest potential can fuel the most heated of battles, but it can also corrupt and destroy the rational mind. In Homer’s, Iliad, wrath is a key component to understanding Homer’s input of emotion on the battlefield of Troy. Achilles creates this emotion throughout the epic. He shows his anger in three ways. First, he leaves command with his soldiers. Second, he curses the Greeks. And finally he kills Hektor to avenge Patroklos. He is justified in revenge because Agamemnon dishonored him by taking his concubine.He has a right to get revenge and reclaim his honor because he is a superior fighter. Achilles, however, was taken over by anger and acts dishonorably in this haze of emotion. * The beginning of Achilles’ wrath begins when he becomes infuriated by the way Agamemnon has publicly humiliated and dishonored him. Achilles feels that he is a greater warrior than Agamemnon and deserves more than he is rewarded after battles because he shows more hon or and bravery than any other man.After being publicly humiliated and dishonored, Achilles is pushed to the edge of anger and announces, â€Å"So must I be called out every order you may happen to give me. Tell other men to do these things, but give me no more commands, since I for my part have no intention to obey you. And put away in your thoughts this other thing I tell you. With my hands I will not fight for the girl’s sake, neither with you nor any other man, since you take her who gave her. † Achilles leaving with his soldiers is dishonorable because he must fight to fulfill his fate and he cannot gain any glory by not fighting.Achilles inhibits his destiny to leave after he is humiliated by Agamemnon and striped of his concubine Briseis. If Achilles does not fight in Troy, he will not be able to fulfill his destiny of bringing honor and having his name live on forever. This state of wrath he feels inside almost destroys his path to destiny by bringing him away f rom battle. As he leaves in his rage, he sends a prayer to his mother asking that the Trojan armies defeat his fellow Achaians to bring shame on Agamemnon, which is a result of his wrath.As the war rages on, the Trojans have pushed the Achaians back to their ships. This is a huge turning point in the war for the Trojans, because if they are able to set fire to one ship, they could destroy the whole camp, leading to a swift defeat of the Achaians, thereby fulfilling Achilles prayer. Achilles cursing the Greeks is somewhat justified because he is using tricks to gain honor. Lendon takes this theory of trickery and expands saying the smartest and strongest warrior will bring gain the most honor.Achilles’ act of ensuring the Greeks will be brought to the edge of defeat will ensure that he will be able to come in at the end when all hope is lost and save the day by fighting to the death, making him the greatest warrior of all time and carving his name into immortality. When Achill es hears of his beloved friend, Patroklos’ death he weeps, tearing his hair and throwing himself to the ground. This sets the tone of revenge in his heart, as he decides to enter the war, and slay Hektor and twelve Trojans at the funeral prye of Patroklos.Homer brings to this scene the fury of a man who has lost everything that he held dear to his heart. His king stripped his honor, his lover was taken away from him, and now his closest friend was brutally killed by Hektor. Achilles rage and wrath become so great in this book that he accepts his fate of entering the war, and gaining the glory and honor he deserves by ultimately dying in the war. This act of extreme lament and sadness shows how much Achilles truly cared and respected Patroklos as a person. He becomes enraged from the loss of his ally, and swears to have Hektor slain.Revenge is a way of honor in the Greek culture. If a father is slain in battle by someone, it is usually the son’s mission to revenge kill the person who had slain his father. In this case Achilles was going to slay Hektor to make right what happened to Patroklos. As the battle rages on, Achilles slays many Trojans. His honor comes into question, as his wrath is so overwhelming he kills opponents before they even have time to announce themselves. Achilles’ honor is somewhat lost as he disrespects the bodies he has slain, by filling up the River Xanthos with blood.The disrespect of the bodies even angers the river god, who chases Achilles across the battlefield. As his wrath reaches its climax Achilles finally finds Hektor and faces him in combat, killing him in the process. Achilles’ honor comes into question again as he maliciously drags Hektor’s body around the Trojan wall. Achilles is justified in killing Hector to avenge Patroklos, but he acts dishonorably when he defiles Hector’s body. By killing Hektor, Achilles has restored honor to his dead friend Patroklos by revenge killing Hektor. In the heat of the moment Achilles becomes overwhelmed with wrath and drags Hektor’s body around the walls of Troy. He greatly dishonors the body by letting it get eaten by dogs, and by not giving it to Troy for a proper burial. His wrath at this point has reached its climax, until the old king of Troy, Priam, snaps him out of his wrath by reminding him of when he yearned to have a proper burial for his father. As he becomes remorseful, he becomes ready for the final chapter of his life and Troy falls and his death becomes eminent.When you look at how Achilles acted on the battlefield, with his bravery and anger, the feeling seem must be mutual for other Greeks. As the readings Achilochus of Paros and Tyrtaus show that Homer’s views changed dramatically in the Archaic age. These views of the Archaic age changed so drastically due to the formation of the phalanx style of war, by bringing single fought combat to a larger scale combat where honor was gained by killing one person, but holding your line in the phalanx and protecting your brothers you were fighting with.Achilochus first poem states that cowardice is acceptable as long as you survive battle. This goes against every moral fiber of a Homeric point of view. In Homer’s view this would be a sign of great shame and dishonor. His second poem is about how leaders should be experienced in battle and not fresh out of training. This agrees with Homer’s view of how the greatest warriors have been in the most battles. Tyrtaus poem states that holding the line in a phalanx is honorable, while in Homer’s view Achilles gained the most honor, by acting alone and fighting for his own personal glory.These views of the Archaic age changed so drastically due to the formation of the phalanx style of war, by bringing individually fought combat to larger scale combat where honor was gained by not necessarily by killing, but holding your line in the phalanx and protecting your brothers you were fighting with. Wrath in its fullest potential can fuel the most heated of battles, but it can also corrupt and destroy the rational mind. He became justified in revenge because Agamemnon dishonored him by taking his concubine.He reclaimed the honor of his fellow friend. And he ultimately slain Hektor and brought forth his of his name living forever. Achilles, however, was taken over by anger and acts dishonorably in this haze of emotion. Bibliography Homer, Illiad, translated by Richmond Lattimore (Chicago: TheUniversity of Chicago Press 1951) Lendon, J, Solders & Ghosts (New Haven: Yale University, 2005) ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Lendon, J, Solders & Ghosts (New Haven: Yale University, 2005)

Address Customer Needs Essay

Task 1: The first customer contact transaction discussed in the Task 1 is when the customer drops in the shop to buy a particular commodity & fetches help from the sales personnel. This is an incident which happened in one of the leading clothing store i.e. Marks & Spencer’s. The customer contact was in person. The duration of the entire transaction was 15 minutes. The customer was unable to fetch a product which suits her requirement. Her need was to buy a pair of navy blue jeans with size 28 inches (Ramsey & Sohi, 1997). She was unable to locate the counter where in the jeans were placed. The person who was doing the customer contact was responsible to handle sales within the store. The line of work or industry they cater to is the merchandise sector. Marks & Spencer’s deals in providing its customer with high end clothes ranging from fashionable tops to formal shirts, sporty t-shirts, jeggings, leggings, skirts, knee length dresses, party wear clothes & lingerie. Yes, there is evidence that, the sales person was prepared for such type of transaction. It is seen that, the sales person deals with such type of transactions every day. Therefore, he has ways to sort out the things & satisfy the needs of the customer. The evidence which was seen in this particular situation was that, he accompanied the customer till the rack where in 28 waist size jeans were kept. He was there with the customer all through her buying process. The listening skills of the sales person were up to the mark. He did his bit to sort out the things at his part. The sales personnel was both listening as well as questioning the customer in order to know the needs of the customer in a well defined manner. The sales person asked the customer the right kind of questions such as the waist size, preferable color, pattern of the pair of jeans, etc. See more: Analysis of Starbucks coffee company employees essay This shows that, the sales person was able to stimulate the thoughts of the customer & provide solutions for the same. In case of this situation, the non verbal communications which were looked upon from the sales person were appropriate to the current problem. In case of this situation some of the nonverbal communications which were used by the sales person were use of his arms, facial expressions, maintaining eye contact with the customers to show case high levels of interest, body movements & postures, etc  (Ramsey & Sohi, 1997). The sort of language which was used by the sales person was apt according to the problems faced by the customer. The customer believed it to be suitable as the sales person was able to resolve the problems in the best possible manner. The customers did not ask for any type of clarification as the language by the sales personal was quite simple to understand & comprehend. There was no different way of talking to the other customers within the store. The sales person used a simple way of knowing the needs of the customers. The sales person communicated with the customer & tried to take feedback from them which helped him to know the needs of the customer in a better manner. No, there was no conflict between the salesperson & the customer. Yes, the salesperson was able to understand the needs of the customer. The tools & techniques used to express empathy with the needs of the customer were done by maintaining fair eye contact, practice empathetic listening, etc. In the end, the need of the customer was satisfied. The customer was happy while moving out of the store. The need of the customer was to buy a 28 waist size navy blue pair of jeans. Initially she was unable to locate the rack which consisted of 28 waist sized jeans. This lead to a problem & the salesperson identified the same to satisfy the needs of the customer (Martin, 2006). The second customer contact transaction discussed in Task 1 refers to a sales call done in a call centre. The customer contact was done over the phone. The duration of the customer contact over the phone was for approximately 7-10mins. The duration of the customer transaction totally depends upon the product or service rendered to the customer. The expert providing the information over the phone would be referred to as the sales & support team who will push the levels of sales. The line of work or industry they are in is the banking industry that provides the financial services to its clients. Yes, there is evidence that the salesperson had prepared for the transaction. The way with which the sales person has been talking to the client portrays the way he has been handling such situations in the past (Ramsey & Sohi, 1997). The listening skills of the sales person were quite empathetic. The sales person cross questioned the client & tried to judge the requirements of the client. The sales personnel used the possible information to tell about the services being offered by him & its usefulness to the client in the near future. Since, it was a sales call carried over phone non verbal  communication techniques could not be observed. The language used by the sales person was a bit complex. The client asked for reconfirmations & clarifications in terms of the meaning of the words, etc. The sales person used the RATER Model to identify the needs of the customer (Martin, 2006). The needs of the customer were divided amongst various categories such as reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy & responsiveness. There was an agreement amongst the salesperson & the customer. The sales person handled the argument in a very tactful manner. The sales person understood the needs of the customer but was unable to convince the client on certain points. The sales person acted as a patient listener which portrays that he was empathetic towards the needs of the customer. The customer was not fully satisfied with the service provided by the sales person. The type of information which was provided by the sales person to the client was the fair view of all the financial services offered by the same. The information provided was appropriate which helped to identify the own needs of the client. In order to satisfy the needs of the customer either the sales personnel should have forwarded the call to the senior sales person or an in depth analysis of the financial services should have been provided to the client (Jane, 2013). Task2: Collect three different instruments or tools used to collect feedback from customers. Attach screenshots of these instruments in your answer. In a simple report, answer the following questions about each of the three instruments or tools. The three instruments or tools used to collect feedback from customers have been discussed in this section of the report. * Crowd Sound: 1. What information does the instrument or tool collect about the customer? The information which Crowd Sound collects from the customer is in form of a productive dialogue. The dialogue takes into consideration a brief conversation upon the product or service opted for. It is one of the easiest ways to communicate with the customers in order to know their suggestions regarding the product or service. The portal will constantly benefit the organization with the introduction of new ideas, improvements within the existing products, etc. 2. What information does the  instrument or tool collect about the way the organization/product/service satisfied their needs? The information collected by Crowd Sound with respect to a particular product or service is in the form of suggestions or comments produced by the users. This information would help the service provider to moderate its products or services based upon the needs of the customers. 3. In what ways does the instrument or tool allow the customer to provide feedback about the organization/product/service? Crowd Sound has been referred to as an instrument or a tool to collect feedback from its users. The tool collects information in form of vote, suggestions with the help of a customizable widget. This tool is one of the easiest ways to gather feedback regarding on a company’s website or intranet. 4. Overall, is the instrument or tool an effective method of collecting up-to-date and relevant feedback? If yes, why? If no, then what suggestions would you make for improvements? The instrument i.e. Crowd Sound is an effective method of collecting up to date and relevant feedback. This is because, the users of this site has a convenient way to send in their suggestions, feedback, etc. The suggestions are collected in a systematic manner and are moved from one bucket to another. It is the only instrument which provides features such as suggestions, moderation, feedbacks and iPhone compatibility. * Ideaffect 1. What information does the instrument or tool collect about the customer? Ideaffect will provide the customers a portal to share their views, post suggestions & provides feedback about a given product or service. 2. What information does the instrument or tool collect about the way the organization/product/service satisfied their needs? Ideaffect refers to a feedback community where in the users can log in post their suggestions regarding a particular product or service. Ideaffect integrates the website with a particular website through an embeddable feedback widget tab. 3. In what ways does the instrument or tool allow the customer to provide feedback about the organization/product/service? The ways with which Ideaffect allows the customer to provide feedback about the  organization or product or service can be seen with the help of a feedback widget tab attached along the website, page ratings, and single sign on the public API & domain aliasing. 4. Overall, is the instrument or tool an effective method of collecting up-to-date and relevant feedback? If yes, why? If no, then what suggestions would you make for improvements? The tool i.e. Ideaffect is an effective method of collecting an up to date and relevant feedback. This is because of the various features attached to it. Some of the features attached along this portal are single sign on & public API, a dedicated feedback website, feedback widget for the concerned website and page ratings. With the help of this tool, the customer will be able to customize the design, embed the widgets & moderate the SSL connections. * User Voice 1. What information does the instrument or tool collect about the customer? Ser Voice would be referred to as a feedback tool which would help to gather feedback by the users in a well defined manner. The interested parties then can use the information to get answers, share ideas & learn from its mistakes. Some of the features attached along this tool are ongoing discussions, simple sign up, integration with face book (Ioana, n.d). 2. What information does the instrument or tool collect about the way the organization/product/service satisfied their needs? The information which is being collected by this tool is to provide an actionable idea as to how to improve the product (Gregory, 2010). User Voice provides a structured forum to its users for voting a particular product or service. 3. In what ways does the instrument or tool allow the customer to provide feedback about the organization/product/service? The various ways with which the tool i.e. User voice allows the customer to provide feedback about the product or service is with the help of feedback forums (which allows the users to post blogs, suggestions, etc), providing support systems, etc (Buleen, 2013). User Voice provides a support system which allows the users share stories as well as understands the customer’s blog. All this is done by building a tool which connects the customers with what is important & what does he want. 4. Overall, is the instrument or tool an effective method of collecting  up-to-date and relevant feedback? If yes, why? If no, then what suggestions would you make for improvements? The instrument i.e. User Voice is an effective method of collecting an up to date as well as relevant feedback. It delights its customers with the help of customer support. A help desk was launched in the year 2011 which made it one of the powerful portals to collect the information & provide a solution for the issue. References Buleen, C 2013, Body Language Sales Tips, viewed on 8th January 2013, . Gregory, A 2010, 10 Customer Feedback Tools to Help You Improve Your Client Relationships, viewed on 5th January 2013 . Ioana, B n.d., â€Å"THE USE OF READING NONVERBAL MESSAGES FROM CUSTOMERS†, University of Bacau Faculty of Economic Sciences. Jane, M 2013, Customer Empathy, viewed on 8th January 2013, . Martin, S 2006, Heavy Hitter Selling: How Successful Salespeople Use Language and Intuition to Persuade Customers to Buy, John Wiley & Sons, US. Ramsey, R & Sohi, R 1997, â€Å"Listening to Your Customers: The Impact of Perceived Salesperson Listening Behavior on Relationship Outcomes†, RESEARCH NOTE.

Exampls of Price Mechanism in China

In current years in China, a nationwide famous tea called Xihu Longjing Tea is allocated to buyers using the price mechanism. This kind of tea is produced only in one place, Xihu, or West Lake, in Zhejiang Province in China, and is very dependent on weather. If in one year there is frost in spring in which Longjing Tea is harvest and produced, the quantity of production will plummet seriously. This shifts the supply curve to the left in a large scale, which makes the price high-rocket to the new equilibrium point by moving along the demand curve. Then in this year Longjing Tea will become a kind of luxurious drink.Only rich people are able and have the willingness to purchase, who regard this as a way to show off their wealth. I think the society should use the price mechanism to determine for whom this good is produced because as rareness, luxury, as well as consumption for enjoyment, the change of the price will not make big effect on the living situation of the middle class and di sadvantaged consumers. Price mechanism in the market of Longjing Tea has no impact on social equity but improve efficiency of allocation. Also in China, vegetables and meat are products that are not allocated by the price mechanism.Instead the price is stipulated by the government. Although vegetable production and transportation, like Longjing Tea mentioned above, are affected by seasonal climate, the Chinese government makes its effort to stabilize the price. I believe that the society should not use price mechanism to allocate vegetables and meat because they are daily necessities, which are produced for all people, the riches, the middle classes, as well as the poors. I think government should spend some of their revenue to stabilize the increasing price in order to gain equity and the stability of the society.

From Now on, Let Women Kill Their Own Spiders

After reading the two articles â€Å"I Want a Wife† and â€Å"From Now On, Let Women Kill Their Own Spiders†,I find a better way to reduce both women’s and men’s complaints is for women to learn how to love themselves. The first article is written by Judy Brady from the point of view of women; even though is a woman, she wants a wife because a wife does all the housework in a family (Brady 542). In another article, written by Dave Barry, entitled â€Å"From Now On, Let Women Kill Their Own Spiders†, the author humorously appeals to men, telling them not to spoil their wives but to let their wives do their own business, like killing spiders (Barry 539). A woman's love is selfless and fearless; she pays all her attention to family and work. As a professional woman, she needs to work everyday no matter how difficult it is; as a housewife, she needs to keep the house clean and put everything in order; as a mother, she shoulders the responsibility to educate children and create an environment in which children can grow up healthy and happy. Women, you are so silly, when you find your husband paying less attention to you and beginning to complain, you totally lose yourself. So, women, don’t give all your love to others — you should learn to love yourself! To be a better woman, you should learn to appreciate yourself, even if you are just an ordinary woman who does not have a beautiful face or perfect figure. Every morning take a quick shower, put on a simple makeup, and be in a good mood. To be a better woman, you should love yourself and that means not only your appearance but also your inner beauty. Reading some articles everyday or even the newspaper won’t take a long time, but will increase your knowledge. To be a better woman, you should not abandon yourself. Women after getting married, in order to take care of her husband and children, they often give up their hobbies, friends or their own business. Taking time to do what you want is also a way to love yourself. To be a better woman, you should give yourself a beautiful vision and brilliant smile. You should believe that each couple is full of hopes and dreams for their future life together. In the journey of life, no one can accompany you all the time, but yourself. As a result, women must learn to love themselves. Only in this way can your life be filled with confidence and courage and be less lonely and helpless.

Ethical Marketing Reflective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethical Marketing issues by Trump on Aberdeen Wind Farm - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the Aberdeen Wind farm has resulted in ethical and legal battles between the Scottish government and entrepreneur, Donald Trump who believes the construction of the wind farm will result in an ugly sore adjacent to his greatest golf course. According to Trump, building his $ 1 billion golf course in Aberdeenshire was because he was informed that the wind farm project would not continue. However, â€Å"former and current first ministers, Jack McConnel and Alex Salmond† denied that they agreed to have the project stopped owing to the plans for the building of the golf resort by Trump. The current minister says Trump wanted the current government to be held accountable for the promises of the previous government, which he believes is not possible and resulted in a court battle filed by Trump’s legal team. In a bid to halt  the development of the wind farm, Trump appeared before the Scottish Parliament’s committee on e conomy, energy, and tourism and he said the wind farm was the most serious problem facing Scotland. From the research, the aim of the wind farm includes the creation of 28,000 jobs, generation of 100 MW of electricity that would supply power to half of Aberdeen city, and act as a pilot project for the aims of turning the country into Europe’s green energy. The Scottish government approved the development of the wind farm resulting in Trump taking to the courts to challenge the project to which he subsequently lost despite the use of misleading campaigns and threats about the fall of the Scottish economy. He also made use of his celebrity status through different media channels and campaigns to influence the court decision, but he was not successful.

Translational Review and evidence based practice Essay

Translational Review and evidence based practice - Essay Example on "Why is there not a uniform nurse-patient ratio in all the states of the U.S.?† could be investigated using the third approach to translational research, namely Implementation and Testing of Systems Change. Today, there exist several healthcare practices that are based on research-driven evidence for many conditions that include diabetes, asthma and cardiac failure(Titler, 2011). Unfortunately, the implementation of these practices is inconsistent, andvariations in practice are common. In the past, research into patient safety has tended to overemphasize the collection and analysis od data which is then used to demonstrate that there are better ways to ensure patient safety. Not much research has been undertaken on how to implement those findings. Putting into practice evidence from research is an uphill task that requires continued collaboration among various players in healthcare provision. These include government agencies, healthcare providers and individual practitioners among other actors. Recently, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) developed a conceptual framework for ensuring that research findings are translated into practice as much as possible and also in the shortest time possible(Titler , 2011). The approach of implementation and testing of systems change incorporates ideas and concepts from several disciplines that include scientific transfer of knowledge, organizational innovation, social marketing and behaviour change. The framework is presented as a series of steps, in practice, however, the process of knowledge transfer is never a linear process. Rather, it is a back-and-forth process in which information is shared between researchers, regulators and practitioners. The process of putting into practice the findings of the research arising out of the above question will entail several stages(Titler , 2011). The first step will entail collecting data from a sample of health facilities across the country. The respondents in

Explanatory Synethisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Explanatory Synethisis - Essay Example Therefore, class inequality does not only affect provision of basic needs, but is a stigma that stratifies the society and binds individuals to static cocoons, which determines their quality of life. People in the lower income class in the society face daunting task trying to catch up with the rest in the social mobility dynamics and are sometime forced to lag behind their peers in higher classes. Locke suggests that a child born in a lower social class has a disadvantage not only in meeting their basic needs, but also in finding better schools and enough learning time to accelerate their learning process compared to their peers in higher social classes. The Economist (2005) in the article, Middle of the Class stresses that American education at the secondary school level is influenced by local property taxes, which suggests those living in high class area have more taxes to equip their schools with more resources than in middle and low class areas. To make it worse as the article ex plains, the increasing of college fees at state colleges that used to help children from poor families made the situation worse for people like Locke. Education is the key to a better future and the roles and responsibilities in a society are pegged on the level and standard of education in schools. Consequently, children from wealthier families will grab the top cream jobs due to the high standard of education received, leaving the poor children with lower rank jobs based on the low standard of education received. This makes it difficult for those in the lower social ranks to achieve the required social mobility in catching up with their peers in careers later in live, which increases social stratification levels. To bridge this gap, Yglasius (2012) proposes a system that ensures more funding in early education to equalize the rich and the poor. The motivation in this system is to help the disadvantaged poor students in attending the best schools, which would catapult them to bette r job opportunities similar to their wealthier peers. Social inequalities in the American society can be partly bridged by providing the less endowed with social security programs such as Medicaid, which facilitates all to have access to healthy living despite their classes. Yglasius recognizes the role that social security programs such as Medicaid have played in the society, though he laments that these programs have suffered from the effects of the recession and their effectiveness has significantly declined (Yglasius, 2012). In other words, Matt proposes programs that encourage pooling of resources to ensure both the higher and lower class citizens have similar quality of services, though there has to be proper management of such programs to realize this dream. In â€Å"Middle of the Class,† the article recommends improvement of policies that may lessen social inequality such as funding education for poor children, though the article recommends that Americans have to real ize there is a growing problem of social inequality in the country. This suggests it is only through pooling of resources that everyone would be carried along and not through the excesses of American capitalism that increases inequality in the society by increasing

Catholicism in Medieval Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Catholicism in Medieval Europe - Essay Example Before starting to discuss the topic of the essay, it should be beneficial to point out the main statements, met in literature as for the possible impact, which religion may create on the economic development of any country. When considering the Bible as a complex social and ethical teachings, it is necessary to account, that it does not contain any 'definite system of theoretical and practical knowledge',1 but only the essential features of faith and morality are described; the Bible gives only the basis for behavioral patterns of human business life. The influence of Catholicism on the dynamics of the market system development can not be unilaterally evaluated. The development of capitalism in Italy, Spain, Portugal and the related countries, has happened much later in comparison with the other countries of Western Europe. The explanation to this phenomenon researchers find in the long-lasting Muslim influence in Spain and Portugal.2 Catholicism was noted as the religion, which was able to quickly react to the changing reality, but we are here to consider the possibility of Catholicism as religion influencing the economic development of the Western European countries before 1570, and though the thesis of close connection between religion and economic development is now subjected to fair criticism, it can't be denied that during the period of pre-Industrialism Catholicism as religion has created considerable effect on the way people were living and working, creating the general product and defining the direction of economic development of their countries.3 As far as the data about the economic development of pre-Industrial Europe is scarce, it would be better to base the evaluation of the economic state at that time and the impact of religious allegiance on that state through the notions of urban population growth and looking closer at the situation with real wages by 1570. Real wages may become the very factor, which will lead us to the conclusion, but exact numbers are absent and we may only take into consideration the aspects of growth or decrease in these wages in comparison to other non-catholic countries of Europe.4 The growth of urban population also presupposes the higher economic prosperity of the certain European countries. It should be noted here, that the northern parts of Europe, which were characterized by the development of Protestantism, were by that time not very well economically developed, due to the scanty population and lacking economic ties between the countries of that region; this has little to do with the impa ct of religion, but it should be noted, that the notions of Catholicism have ultimately defined the way Southern European countries were going in their economic development. It is also necessary to say, that historically the period of European development before 1570 was closely connected with social tension and economic underachievement - facing the consequences of the plague epidemic and crisis of the agrarian production.5 The workers who had traditionally been involved into agriculture, had to leave their places and arrive to cities, where they were hardly been able to find a place of constant employment. The cities by that time were well-developed as the separate units of each state, and had enough amount of autonomy, thus

Recommendations on Canadian government in response to climate change Essay

Recommendations on Canadian government in response to climate change - Essay Example Emission of other pollutants leads to environmental degradation and becomes progressively more and more severe, if not checked in time. Unregulated emission and sewage results in global warming; people’s health notwithstanding, it can cause plant and animal extinction also. It is thus incumbent on Canada and other countries to take appropriate action in tackling the various pollutants seriously and urgently. Damages caused by pollution are not likely to have any discernible impact on people’s current lives within ten years, it is being hoped. One can never be too sure whether the future generation will be able to enjoy the quality of life as people currently do in the next fifty years. In order to reduce the overall environmental damages, Canadian government could issue a set of policies that control firms’ emissions and protect the environment. In most countries, there is a missing market of production externalities which implies that firms’ marginal private cost (MPC) is lower than their marginal social cost (MSC). The difference between MPC and MSC thus becomes a burden to the society which induces social inefficiency and overconsumption (Pettinger, 2013). A balance therefore needs to be struck by the Government to exercise control over emissions by offsetting against this cost. Canadian government could cease the production of heavily (high carbon) polluting firms. For less polluting firms, Canadian government could set a carbon tax to internalize the externalities. The introduction of carbon tax will shift up the MPC curve to MSC by a tax per unit, forcing the emission generators to pay themselves for their deeds. A carbon tax therefore increases the relative price of carbon-intensive goods though it is very hard to set. The Government should attempt to phase the tax in, by giving the consumer and manufacturer a buffer zone for self-regulation;

Decision Support System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Decision Support System - Essay Example Companies, therefore, seek new profit opportunities suggested by them. They must plan innovations and purposely set out to capitalize on new approaches. Marketing is perceived as a means of adjusting to changes through altering such variables as products, services, prices, and channels of distribution to better meet changing environments. Change will be discussed in the chapters on assessment of marketing opportunity and the product and service mix. Chapter 8, Nonlinear Optimization processes will help a manager to model the performance of the company and predict its development opportunities. As an integral part of business, optimization is concerned with setting goals, establishing policies and programs, and implementing business action for the entire firm. Its major tasks are to translate consumer wants and needs, actual and potential, into profitable products and services that the company is capable of producing; to cultivate markets to support these products; and to program the distribution activities necessary to reach the markets. Chapter 16, Markov processes, will help a manager to evaluate random sample and predict possible variations in the proposed management model. ... In reality, the conception of Markov processes as a viewpoint or as the fundamental purpose of a business focuses on the business as a satisfier of consumer wants and needs. This conception implies a top-management philosophy of business operation -- the marketing philosophy. Accordingly, customers and consumers become the core around which a business revolves, thus recognizing customer orientation to decision-making and problem-solving and the impact of marketing on other functional areas. Chapter 2 and 3, Introduction to Linear programming and Linear programming sensitivity analysis, will help a manager to model different situation and select the best alternative. This technique of analysis is intended to provide an overview of the performance of the corporate. The ratios can be applied to the business to examine current achievement and trends. They can also be applied to competitors to enable external benchmarks' of performance to be established. Businesses realize that they cannot appeal to all consumer wants and needs, even for limited markets. Thus they assess both corporate capabilities and goals (actual and potential) and market opportunities to seek areas of profitable intersection. It reflects an integrated and coordinated approach to the management of marketing activity, and the development of total systems of business action that recognize the market as the focal point of business. Essentially, the marketing philosophy is a way of thinking about corporate ac tivity; a frame of mind; an attitude. It recognizes the primacy of consumers and customers as they influence all business operations. It starts with the company's chief executive, who must recognize that, lacking markets for the company's products and lacking customer wants and needs,

Interpersonal skills and team techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interpersonal skills and team techniques - Essay Example When we talk about teams, one of its qualities is the cohesive and interactive nature of team work. To build and amplify these characteristics, some of these interpersonal skills need to be developed. (Shepherd et al., 2007) Listen: Listening is more than hearing. It is the ability to understand what the other person is saying (Bostrom, 1997). Team members need to listen to others so that problems and solutions can be discussed effectively. Reflect: Reflection is the ability to reflect and think about the past and present situations. It also builds cohesion in teams as team members get the opportunity to analyze and think about their behaviors and actions against other team members. Facilitate: Facilitating includes helping out and aiding fellow team members. This skill creates trust between the team members as they know that if they require some assistance, other team members are there to watch one’s back. Communicate: Communication is considered the most essential skill that a person must possess to clearly put across one’s ideas and solutions. Clear and complete communication is required to remove any misunderstandings in teams. A person having a good set of interpersonal skills is expected to prosper working in teams or even independently. These skills must be taught and promoted throughout the organization for the following reasons. Reduces Conflict: A good and effective communication leaves no room for misunderstanding, hence there is lesser chance of conflicts arising in teams. In cases of disagreement, a team leader can intervene and clarify the situation to resolve the conflict. (AMA) Increased Participation: Communication and listening skills encourages team members to increase participation in meetings and be more social. This increases the input from all members thus they would feel comfortable working in the team environment. A