My Own Interpretation of Mandela’s 8 Lessons in Leaders

That is why I also wanted to share to you Mandela’s 8 lessons of Leadership: 1. Courage is not the absence of fear — it’s inspiring others to move beyond it In tackling life’s challenges, you must face fear head-on and find the guts that you may not falter when life is giving you a hard time. There are people who wanted to see you fall and you must find courage to stand up to them. Having courage does not mean being reckless or stupid but rather it means to hold your head up, look them in the eye. Do the right thing even when you stand alone and it eventually will pay off in the end 2. Lead from the front — but don’t leave your base behind Hey, it’s great to be a leader, right? There are privileges like less work for you and more work for your subordinates and get the credit from the efforts of your colleagues-NO, this is a very wrong notion. They will never respect you as a leader if you lead them an iron fist. What’s the point of being a leader if no one will follow you? Move with the principle that others matter as well and do what’s best for your group, not just you. Be honest and fair. Work hard. Play hard. Do your homework. Know what you are talking about and they will follow. Don’t ever mistake arrogance and intelligence for the same thing for they are quite different. Life will eventually teach you humility if your ego will swell up. 3. Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front Sometimes, it’s kind of nice to take a few steps back and let others lead as well while you still lead them. Why not? Give others opportunity to prove themselves that they are capable to lead and let them discover their potentials too. Maybe you could even learn a thing or two from them. Not all great ideas come from one brain but rather a group of brains. When they eventually get off-track, you’re still there to guide them back like a shepherd guiding a lost sheep. 4. Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport Truth is you cannot please everybody and there are some people would not favor you leading them. That irritates you, doesn’t it? Often, the people who anger us most in life are more like us than we’d like to admit. Don’t ignore them. Get to know them. Find out what makes them tick. Maybe they just want your attention. Maybe they just want a duty. Give them something to do for change. See how they fare. Now, at some point, you may need to cut your losses and move on down the road. However, you may inadvertently find out your enemy is all of a sudden your good friend. 5. Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer You’re not alone and there leaders like you as well but with different personalities, capabilities, and leaderships styles. Some of these leaders may agree to you and favor your leadership skills but there are other does not. Still, it is not wrong to have a little healthy competition and learn to appreciate what life gives you because not all life is easy. Again, you have to be strong and be firm for the people who follow you. When things go out of hand, always use diplomacy. 6. Appearances matter — and remember to smile Love yourself first before others. How can you serve other people when you could not serve yourself right? Appearances really do matter especially if you’re a student nurse rendering service to your patient. If your patient sees that you could not take care of yourself, he/she will have second thoughts or doubts in cooperating with you. Being neat and clean will give you an edge. Remember to smile because this stuff is contagious. When you clumsily tripped yourself, you should make a fast recovery with grace and smile because they want strong leaders who could recover fast from a tragic fall and continue the service. SMILE! 7. Nothing is black or white Life could be a burden sometimes when you have to make a decision, either it is small or big because not all of your decisions would favor the entire public and there always consequences. When that happens, first of all pray, it helps to meditate and ask for guidance from above and then think for a solution, it always works. Listen to all sides of the story before making rash decisions. All decisions especially a leader’s decision should be think through. Sleep on it if you must. Don’t let emotions cloud your judgment. This is a very common to student nurses during RLE: when in doubt, don’t or ask your clinical instructor about it, it always works, try it they won’t bite†¦sometimes. 8. Quitting is leading too I flinched when I heard this one but I tend to like it. It is cliche to say: â€Å"do not ever give up, try and try until you succeed, and quitting is for losers† but what if you run out of ideas, too tired to hold on, groping for answers in the dark and hopelessly praying for â€Å"give me more TIME†. Why not tomorrow? Hey, there are always tomorrow right? Don’t tire yourself you’re only human. If you sense that you’re losing a battle, sound a retreat, let your army rest and fight for another day, maybe your enemy needs a rest too you know. Sometimes in life doesn’t work out. Just step back and take a deep breath. Move on and do something else or the alternative. Don’t squander your life in the boulevard of broken dreams, just move on the other side of the road to start anew. A life of good leaders revolves around success and failure all the time. But just learn to accept what God has given you and learn to appreciate it. Do not dwell on failures but move on. Leaders experience too many sufferings and trials in order to strive for excellent service his/her fellows but it will be compensated with the achievements and recognitions he/she earned. The pieces of paper and awards on the wall are important. But they are not nearly as important as the journey you make and the people you meet along the way. CARPE DIEM!

Consumer Decision-Making Styles of Gen Y Consumers in Malaysia

Consumer Decision-Making Styles of Gen Y Consumers in Malaysia Introduction Market segmentation is a crucial element in marketing because goods can no longer be produced and sold without considering consumer needs and recognizing the characteristic of those needs. Due to the highly competitive environment nowadays, attracting and retaining enough loyal customers plays an important key role when developing business strategies.Therefore, business should understand and target consumer from different background and culture differently in order to effectively adapt their marketing strategies (Yeong & Lovett, 2010). In general, there are many demographic variables can be used to segment consumer market, for instance income, age, gender, ethnicity, marital status and household size. Among these variables, gender has been and continues to be one of the most popular forms of market segmentation for a significant proportion of product and services.According to marketing scholars (Meyers-Levy & Sternthal, 1991; Darley & Smith, 1995) argue that gender-based segmentation, especially if it is based on biological sex per se, meets several of the requirements for successful implementation: the segments were easy to identify, easy to access, and large enough for consumer products and services to be marketed profitably. In addition, there are many studies in the past also provided considerable evidence that gender relates to consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, preferences and purchase decisions(Mitchell & Walsh, 2004; Bakewell & Mitchell, 2006).Because gender has been identified as one of the significant factor in understanding consumer behavior and as a fundamental market segmentation index for companies to satisfy their customer’ demand, therefore marketer should endeavor to understand the gender differences in decision-making styles. In addition, research addressing the issue of gender differences in decision-making styles could help marketers to find better ways of communicating with both sexes and to guide marketing mix decisions (Mitchell & Walsh, 2004).Literature Review According to Williams, Page, Petrosky and Hernandez (2010), Generation Y also is referred to as the Millenials or Echo Boomers. They were born during 1977-1994 and are in the 15-32 age range as of 2009. They are children of the original Baby Boomers and their numbers rival that of the Baby Boomers. They grew up in a time of immense and fast-paced change including virtually full-employment opportunities for women, dual-income households as the standard, and having computers at college and home.Moreover Gen Y consumers are more likely to complete their tasks online in just one click in making their decisions (Sengupta & Titus, 2012). Starting in 2000, when the Millennials began attending college, they began to be studied by researchers and marketers to determine the generation’s overriding characteristics. Consumer decision? making styles can be defined â€Å"as me ntal orientations characterizing a consumer’s approach to making choices† (Sproles & Kendall, 1986, p. 268).The aim of Sproles and Kendall (1986) was to provide a potentially useful instrument to assist marketers to better understand consumers’ decision-making styles in purchasing. As consequence, they developed the original 40? item Consumer Style Inventory (CSI) scale, which identified eight characteristics related to consumer decision? making styles. The CSI provides a quantitative instrument for classifying different consumer decision? making styles into distinct categories of shopping orientation.Through empirical research, Sproles and Kendall (1986) defined the following eight categories of decision -making styles namely: 1) perfectionism and high-quality conscious: Consumers carefully search for the best quality in product; 2) brand conscious and price equals quality: Consumer choose to buy more expensive, well known national brands, and believing that a h igher price means better quality; 3) novelty and fashion-conscious: likes new and innovative products and gains excitement from seeking out new things; 4) recreational and hedonistic: finds shopping a pleasant activity and shop just for the fun of it; 5) price conscious and value for money: consumer which has high consciousness of sale price and likely to be comparison shoppers; 6) impulsive and careless: Consumer who do not plan their shopping and appear unconcerned about how much he or she spends; 7) confused by overchoice: These consumer are experiences information overload in the market due to perceiving too many brands and stores and have difficulties making choices and 8) habitual and brand-loyal: These consumers select favorite brands and stores repeatedly overtime. Hiu, Siu, Wang and Chang (2001) revealed three prominent market segments through their study namely: 1. )Trendy, perfectionistic consumers: who frequent shopping and take it as an enjoyment. They are interested in high quality and fashionable items, read fashion magazines, watch various advertisements to gain trendy fashion information and tend to supportive with foreign brand which is high quality and fashionable styling. 2. ) Tradisional, pragmatic consumer: who do not view shopping as a enjoyment activity to them. They are price conscious, not interested in fashion styling and most probably choosing local brands. 3. Confused by overchoice: these consumers tend not to read magazines or advertisement on fashion, avoid exposure to too much information, and only purchase local brands which they are familiar. According to Bakewell and Mitchell (2003), five meaningful and distinct decision-making groups were found in the study of decision-making styles of adult female Generation Y consumers in the UK: â€Å"recreational quality seekers†, â€Å"recreational discount seekers†, â€Å"trend setting loyals†, â€Å"shopping and fashion uninterested† and â€Å"confused tim e/money conserving†. In their later study on decision making styles of male consumers in the UK (Bakewell & Mitchell, 2004), all of the original eight traits plus four new traits namely; store-loyal/low-price seeking, time-energy conserving, confused time restricted and store-promiscuity were identified.From their study it shows that the potential of the CSI for segmenting market as meaningful and different groups of male consumers with different decision making styles. Despite of previous studies which reported gender differences in decision-making styles of consumer, Mitchell and Walsh (2004) compared the decision-making styles of male and female shoppers in Germany. From the research, they managed to verify the construct validity of all eight CSI factors for female shopper and four of the factors for male shoppers. In consequence, they also concluded that male consumers were slightly less likely to be perfectionists, somewhat less novelty and fashion conscious, and less lik ely to be confused when making purchases compared to female consumers.Years after that, Bakewell and Mitchell (2006) undertook a similar study in the UK by using a sample of 480 male and female undergraduate students, they found that nine decision-making style were common to both genders. Through the study they had discovered three traits for male (store-loyal/low-price seeking, confused time-restricted and store-promiscuity) and three new traits for female traits (bargain seeking, imperfectionism and store loyal). There are few studies recently which had attempted to thoroughly explore the antecedent and consequences of consumer decision-making styles. Ghodeswar (2007) found that that seven out of eight dimensions of consumer decision-making style proposed by Sproles and Kendall (1986) in his study of consumer decision-making styles among Indian students.The only style which was not confirmed in his data is â€Å"price consciousness/ value for money consumer†. Gupta, Brantle y & Jackson (2010) found that consumers Generation Y at Midwestern University tend to be brands store loyal when they are buying high involvement product. Kambiz & Fereshteh (2011) found that husband and wife have divergent decision-making styles and their family structure as a social-structural variable can be influenced by the decision-making styles of family members which is related to their purchasing behavior. Lastly, it is believed that male and female consumer in Malaysia may also have certain distinctive characteristic in decision-making during shopping and purchasing.But those characteristic could be have equal interest to both researchers and marketing practitioners. Hence, this paper will fill the gap by focusing on the differences in decision-making styles on gender in the Malaysia context. Methodology According to the past study, most of the researchers prepared a structured questionnaire based on literature review and objectives of the study. Consumers decision-making were measured using the 40-items of Consumer Style Inventory (CSI), developed by Sproles and Kendall (1986). All scales were measured on a 5-point Likert-type scales ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The reliabilities of the CSI scale, according to Sproles and Kendall (1986), ranged from 0. 48 to 0. 76.The scales items were translated into Malay language with minor changes in wording to clarify the meaning. In addition, some demographic questions were included in the questionnaire. And most of the questionnaire was self-administered to non-probability sample of male and female undergraduate students in Malaysia. Finding and Analysis Common Factors for both Male and Female According to the research study of Safiek and Hayatul (2009) in Malaysia, the decision-making of Malaysian young consumer for both gender have similarities namely: 1. ) Quality consciously: meaning that they prefer to buy more durable and quality product. 2. ) Brand consciously: it shows tha t they set high standards and have high expectations for the products they buy.Moreover they choose to buy the product which is heavily advertised and well-know national brands. 3. ) Fashion consciousness: this shows that both genders are seem to gain pleasure from seeking out new things and keep up-to date with fashionable attractive styles. 4. ) Confused by overchoice: This factor shows that they feel over-loaded with the information on various brands products and find it very hard to choose the best product during shopping. 5. ) Satisfying and value seeking: concluded that if both items were identical in both sample, they will carefully find the best value for money product to be purchased which is also satisfied their needs. Male FactorsAgain from the study of Safiek and Hayatul (2009), there are two factors found for males namely brand loyalty and time-energy conserving. For brand loyalty, male consumers score higher than female consumers on this factor because they tend to hav e favorite brands and will use these habitually. Next, time-energy conserving which was not found in females but it characterizes males who often save energy by making their shopping trips as fast as possible in the same stores. Moreover, males have the perception that going shopping is a waste of time and they don’t give their purchases much thought. In overall, both of these results show the similarity with previous researchers, Bakewell and Michell (2006) in the UK. Female factorsFrom the study of Safiek and Hayatul (2009) research, it shows that there are three female factors found namely price consciousness, recreational and shopping avoidance. Female consumers scored higher than male consumers on price consciousness shows that female are more aware of the sale prices and more often choose to purchase lower price products. Next, female shoppers are more particular on recreational or pleasant shopping activity compared to male shoppers. And this factor is consistent with Mitchell and Walsh’s (2004) and Bakewell and Mitchell’s (2006) which characterization of a recreational consumer. The last factor is shopping avoidance which is very exclusive to female consumers and posed an opposite trait of recreational.However the high scored shows that if the shopping is unpleasant, female shoppers will tend to shop as quickly by purchasing the first brands or product that seem to be good enough. Conclusion In conclusion, through the research of consumer decision making styles, it offers a great opportunity to understand the characteristic or style of consumer towards their shopping behavior. And this consumer style inventory provides a fundamental for consumer decision making styles and has practical application advantages for marketers in their marketing strategic. However this study has a limitation because it only covered a specific segment of young adult in an local university in Malaysia.For future recommendation, there is a need to study th ese decision making styles among the larger population across different segment in order to get better converge of Malaysia young consumers. References Sproles, G. & Kendall, E. (1986). A Methodology for Profiling Consumers’ Decision-Making Styles, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Vol. 20 (2), pp. 267-279 Mitchell, V. , & Walsh, G. (2004). Gender Differences in German Consumer Decision-Making styles. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 3(4), 331-346 Bakewell, C. & Mitchell, V. W. (2003) Generation Y Female Consumer Decision-Making styles. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 31(2), 95-106. Bakewell, C. & Mitchell, V. W. (2006).Male versus Female Consumer Decision Making. Journal of Business Research, 59, 1297-1300. Hiu, A. S. Y. , Siu, N. Y. M. , Wang, C. C. L. & Chang, L. M. K. (2001). An Investigation of Decision-Making Styles of Consumers in China. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 35 (2), 326-345. Safiek, M. & Hayatul, S. S. (2009). Consumer Decision-Making Styles in Malaysia: An Exploratory Study of Gender Differences. European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 10, Number 4 Safiek, M. (2009). An Investigation of Consumer Decision-Making Styles of Young-Adults in Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Management. Vol. 4, No. 4 Darley, W. K. & Smith, R. E (1995).Gender Differences in Information Processing Strategies: An Empirical Test of the Selectivity Model in Advertising Response. Journal of Advertising, 24(1), 41-59. Meyer-Levy, J. & Sternthal, B. (1991). Gender Differences in the Use of Message Cues and Judgments. Journal of Marketing Research, 29 (1), 84-96. Kaylene C. Williams, K. C. , Page, R. A, Petrosky, A. R. & Hernandez, E. H. (2010). Multi-Generational Marketing: Descriptions, Characteristics, Lifestyles, and Attitudes. Journal of Applied Business and Economics, Vol. 11(2) Sengupta, D. & Titus, R. (2012). Evaluating Environmental Variables to assess Exhibited Behaviour: A Study of Gen Y. International Conference on Technology and Business Management Yeong, N. C. & Lovet, M. G. (2010).Consumer Decision-Making Styles of Hispanic American College Students: A Consumer Styles Inventory Approach. American Journal of Business Research, Vol. 3, No 2 Ghodeswar B. M. (2007), â€Å"Consumer Decision-Making Styles Among Indian Students†, Alliance Journal of Business Research, Vol. 3, Spring 2007, pp. 36-48. Gupta, M. , Brantley, A. , & Jackson, V. P. (2010). Product Involvement as a Predictor of Generation Y Consumer Decision Making Styles. The Business Review, Cambridge, Vol. 14, Num. 2 Kambiz, H. H. & Fereshteh, L. (2011). Influence of Family Structure on Consumer Decision-making Style in Iran. International Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 6, No. 11; November 2011

Training and Development (8) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Training and Development (8) - Assignment Example This involves three stages: anticipatory, encounter and settling in. The anticipatory stage deals with potential employees. These candidates from previous experience, interaction with peers and managers have an idea of what the company stands for and how it operates. However, Mallor et al (2010) suggests that they should be given a realistic job preview to help them make an informed decision on whether to work for the company. This gives them the true picture of the company instead of relying on hearsay hence they have realistic expectations about the company and working conditions. This information can be obtained from brochures, magazines and company website. Once the potential candidates have been recruited, they move into the encounter stage. At this stage, the employee needs to understand his/her roles and responsibilities so as to perform according to expected standards. He/she also needs to understand the company policies and procedures especially the company culture as it det ermines the behavior of employees. The organization structure indicates the reporting relationships and interrelationships in the organization thus it is crucial for employee to understand it. Though they may have previous experience, each company has its way of doing things hence they need to be given appropriate training and orientation. They also need manager’s support in form of information about their job and the company, challenging work and high-quality relationship (Mallor et al. 2010 p. 479). The last stage is settling in. At this stage, employees are already familiar with their job tasks, company policies and procedures and have developed interpersonal relationships (Mallor et al. 2010). However, they need to deal with various work conflicts such as conflicting job demands. They also have to balance work and family life or nonwork activities so as to be productive employees. They also need to understand how their performance is to be evaluated and how they can progr ess in their career. 2. Why are content and process important in the design of employee orientation programs? What content should an effective orientation program include?   What process should be used? Orientation involves familiarizing the employees with the company history, company goals, performance requirements and interpersonal relationships (Mallor et al. 2010 p. 480). The success of employee orientation programs depends on the content and the process used. These programs are aimed at enhancing commitment and engagement from employees and consequently loyalty to the company which leads to reduced labor turnover and competitive advantage. The content helps the employees to understand their work, the company as well as policies and procedures. An effective orientation program includes company level information such as policies and procedures, employee and union relations, compensation and benefits and customer relations. It also includes department level information such as j ob duties and responsibilities, performance expectations, and introduction to peers. The content also entails the relation of individual to community such as how to find suitable housing and how to deal with family adjustments (p. 481). The process of orientation involves filling forms, scheduling and attending orientation meetings, interacting with managers and coworkers as well as familiarizing with products and services (P. 481). 3. How could you

Dq-Terence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dq-Terence - Essay Example lem and proceed towards the research questions, then the collection of data, followed by data analysis and later on the research report generation (Seidman, 2012). Both the studies also explore various types of qualitative and quantitative approaches with an aim to extract the exact information about a certain phenomenon. The data collection techniques in both approaches are similar since they all employ the use of questionnaires, interviews, audiovisual materials and many other types of techniques for obtaining the information (Silverman, 2013). In terms of focus, Phenomenological research is mainly aimed at comprehending the purpose of the occurrence of existence of a certain phenomenon while case studies focus to develop a conclusive analysis and description of a particular case that may be individual or in multiple forms (Creswell, 2013). In terms of the type of Problem suited for design, Phenomenological research mainly handles the importance of existence of a phenomenon that already exists in the real world while Case Studies mainly seeks to provide an understanding of a particular case or various multiple cases (Creswell, 2013). In terms of background of the discipline phenomenological research is mainly applied in education, philosophy and psychology while case studies is widely applicable in the fields of medicine, psychology, political science and law (Creswell, 2013). In relation to Unit of Analysis, Phenomenological research relies on the study of similar experiences shared by various individuals while case studies analyses a specific event, an activity, a program and it incorporates more than one individual (Creswell, 2013). In relation to the data collection forms, phenomenological research the primary data collection tools and techniques adopted are individual interviews. However, art, observations and secondary sources such as documentations may also be used. Case Studies In terms of strategies of data analysis Phenomenological research, data

International Relations Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Relations - Lab Report Example He wards off the accusation that America had been propagating self-interest and declares that they are in fact led by greater causes, through the Cold War years till the present times. Quoting former president Harry Truman, he asserts that "God has created us and brought us to our present position of power and strength for some great purpose." The major objectives that he sets are to defeat terrorist adversaries and to build enduring peace. While the first objective will have to deal with the defeat of radical Islamist extremists, the second will have to be linked to the building of a comprehensive coalition with other nations with similar objectives. Referring to the view by the Democratic candidates that there will be withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq to the end the war, McCain reiterates that the war in Iraq cannot be wishes away and one has to take into account the realities in the theatre instead of taking decisions based on the political winds at home. He also makes the point that Afghanistan will continue to nurture terrorist groups like the Al Qaeda in the present political situation, and this has to be curbed with sufficient initiative from the U.S. He proposes that there needs to be a continual work with the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to dismantle the camps of Taliban and Al Qaeda there, to help Pakistan resist Talibanization and extremism. He identifies Iran as the world’s chief state sponsor of terrorism. He suggests a multilateral move to resist this and to keep the option of military action open, though not preferred mostly. He claims that America will continue to support Israel against the threat s from Iran, Hezbollah, Hamaz and others. He makes the paradoxical statement that he will try everything to aid ‘moderate’ Muslims who resist the fundamentalist outfits. Approving the steps taken by the Truman

Consideration In Total Quality Environment Essay

Consideration In Total Quality Environment - Essay Example Consideration in a total quality environment is to take care of all employees. It is the duty of the leaders to take care of the needs of their subordinates and to keep them motivated at all levels of management. Consideration is considered very important as it is the key to keep up the spirits of the employees and makes them loyal to the organization. Giving employees a sense of belonging to the organization is very crucial in increasing productivity which in turn increases the sales and profit margins gradually (Gupta & Valarmathi, 178). For this very reason many scholars have formed various models in order to retrench employee motivation through extended consideration like the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and Fredrick Herzberg’s motivator – hygiene factors theory. Consideration in the context of Total quality management needs to be implemented at all levels as in total quality control environments the quality of the productivity of all employees has to be in good health and furthermore enhanced. Consideration is not only to take care of employees needs but it also deals with providing them with a vision to work towards as without a given direction employees tend to feel alienated from the organization. To keep employees productive and satisfied they should not only be given monetary benefits but also a set of goals and tasks that have to be accomplished within a given amount of time. This helps the employees to be satisfied with their job as they feel that they are linked with the foremost working aspects of the organization (Wu?stenhagen, 228). Therefore consideration is one of the core elements in total quality management as without proper employee consideration leadership and management an organization will not be able to succeed the qualit y of its productivity, its services and its organization and/or production processes. Consideration is now given a priority even in the organizations which are far from the total quality concept as employees are the backbone and without a strong backbone an organization cannot succeed (Total Quality Management, 312). INITIATING STRUCTURE Initiating structure is to organize the order in which information flows within the levels of the organization and the accountability of an employee to its superior, in simpler context it means getting people organized. It is also the way in which a leader sets and creates expectations for their subordinates and holds the employees accountable. Organizational structure is very important as it is responsible for a smooth flow of decisions, duties, goals and information from the up to downstream of employees. All activities are allocated in the best way to achieve the strategies and objectives of the organization. Initiating structure is to lay down a foundation of operating procedures on which routine tasks are placed and organized. It also helps to define the importance of one individual over another through their position in the organization and also decides which individuals in the organization are responsible for decision making processes. Without a definite structure an organization is more likely to break apart. In a total quality environment it is important to see if the structure of the organization is prominent enough to give the employees a direction and understanding of how things are carried out and how tasks are performed. A lack in the initiation of structure will result in ambiguity of tasks and actions of the employees, noise in the information flow and eventually directly affect the productivity of all employees. Total quality management refers to the improvement of all aspects of the organization to improve productivity on the whole and so without proper initiation of structure the total quality management pri nciple holds no value. CONCLUSION There are two types of leaders one who give importance to consideration and others who consider initiation of structure more important than consideration. Moreover, in several research

How to make oral presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How to make oral presentation - Essay Example I would like to share the process of doing an oral presentation. I do oral presentation frequently because it is part of a student’s life. One cannot get through college without mastering the art and science of oral presentation. Thus, it would be best that a student must learn how to do oral presentation effectively while still in school. Make an outline of the presentation. This will help organize not only the presentation but also the thought of the person delivering the oral presentation. Outline serves as a guide for the presentation. This could be done through power point and the presenter's own printed copy with the corresponding explanation.Do a dry run presentation a couple of days before the presentation. It will also help a lot if such dry run will be recorded so that the student can play back and observe how he or she is doing in the presentation and do some corresponding adjustments to make the presentation better. The dry run will also let the student have a feel of the presentation which would help diminish the nervousness during the presentation proper. Also, dry runs allow the student to make all possible mistakes without the deduction in grade or embarrassment.Do one last review and the dry run of the subject matter to be presented a day before the presentation. Then relax and get enough sleep. Arrive at the presentation venue earlier to be able to relax and settle down. This will help to remove the nervousness and make the presenter more confident.

Business Summary of each career position Personal Statement

Business Summary of each career position - Personal Statement Example As a senior member on the regional Change and Configuration Management Board (CCMB), I ensured total conformity in terms of accepted standards, equipment and software product list achieved by evaluation, and confirming every kind of system-wide changes, and briefing the senior managers on programmed/ unprogrammed equipment changes. Further, I assisted in development and documentation of network disasters, recovery, backup and Continuity of Operation Program polices and principles; further was the meticulous use of information assurance policies or managing the accessibility and indecency of resources and valuation of Service Level Agreement (SLA) delivery. Lastly, I was responsible for carrying tasks that required application of explicit principles, methodologies and procedures by ensuring the assignment is complete within set periods. This required me to take full duty when MITSC Director were absent and oversee all the activities given to the MITSC. I also farmed out tasks and offered directions as required. I carried out other additional duties engrossed in both long and short-term planning for change and delivery of Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN) services within the region. Another very essential duty was developing policies for regional and local NGEN enterprise services, data centers, network control facilities and system operation units in addition to efficiently maintaining communication lines with HQMC C4, MARFORPAC Regional Network Operations Support Center (RNOSC), and other MITSCs and Base, Post, Station Supporting Establishment staffs. I was further responsible for administering technical planning for performance of Information Technology inventiveness, competences and requirements of architecture for the tenant instructions, offering guidelines to IT Command in terms of improvements in the region. I directly coordinated with Headquarters and all any other relevant

BUYING VS. LEASING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BUYING VS. LEASING - Essay Example The car that has been selected for this discussion is 2015 Accord Sedan LX. Whether to buy a car through the method of loan financing or obtaining a car on the basis of lease is dependent on various reasons. One of the reasons that help in deciding whether to buy or lease a car is dependent on how long does an individual wants to use and own the car. If the person wants to own a car for a shorter period of time and aims at changing the car in a limited time period, then the person should opt for obtaining the car on lease. If the person wants to keep the car for a longer period of time, then the person should obtain it on the basis of a loan. For example, table 1 suggests that if a person wants to keep the car after the lease period is over the total cost of obtaining the car will be $26,712 and this cost will include the residual value as well as the lease payments that a person will make for 3 years for a 2015 Accord Sedan LX. On the other hand table 2 suggests that if the person obtains the car on the basis of an auto loan, he has to pay a total amount o f $25,596 and this amount will include the 2.9% APR that a person pays on the Manufacturer’s suggested retail price. This means that purchasing a 2015 Accord Sedan LX for the long-term on the basis of loan is less expensive as it costs $1,126 less to obtain a car on the basis of a loan instead of obtaining it on lease basis. On the other hand if a person choses to keep the 2015 Accord Sedan LX for a shorter period of time then he/she should opt for the leasing option because the person will only have to pay $15,012 to enjoy the car for 3 years and then he/she can switch to another car. In my opinion, I would obtain 2015 Accord Sedan LX on the basis of a lease as I believe that owning a car for a shorter period of time is better than owning it for a longer period of time. Since I want to keep the car for a shorter time period, I would prefer to pay only $15,012

The country wide changing demographics Essay Example for Free

The country wide changing demographics Essay Since the last decade the trend of ageing in the UK population is increasing, making it important for the researchers and policy makers to investigate and respond to the consequences and demands of the trends. National Statistics says that the UK population has grown by 7 per cent in the past 30 years, increasing from 55. 9 million people in 1971 to 59. 8 million in mid-2004. (Noorwood, 2005) But growth is not even across all age groups: the proportion of those under 16 has fallen from 25 to 19 per cent; the proportion of people aged 65 and up has risen from 13 to 16 per cent. And older people are older; of that aged 65-plus, the proportion living to 85 and over has risen from 7 per cent in 1971 to 12 per cent in 2004. (Noorwood, 2005) As stated by Warnes et al. (2002) the older population is likely to peak at around 16 million in 2040 nationally and then begin a slow decline. Objectives: The company’s broad objectives are: To increase customers by a policy of communication, public relations, and collaboration   To make use of the new technologies which will help the company to promote itself all over United Kingdom. To blend the new concepts of modernisation and design according to need   To ensure permanence through: i) Premises, implying continuity ii) Consistent, steady revenue, guaranteeing development and progress. In order to analyse the strategic situation first of all SWOT analysis have been under taken, which are presented as under: SWOT Analysis the Bob’s Bicycle STRENGTHS Average Collection: The collection of the products is more than average for a small level company. Presence awareness despite the lack of proper marketing – Marketing Department.   Enthusiastic staff   Good relations with media Web based presence WEAKNESSES   Over-reliance on state and local authority programs.   Absence of discount schemes.   Lack of marketing department marketing efforts No relevant researches regarding Company’s competitiveness   Lack of proper space and exposure.   Lack of facilities for people with special needs.   Absence of on line shop. OPPORTUNITIES. Major national trend of promotion and introduction of cultural activities related to conservation and heritage issues   More people moving into area Computer technology for promotion purposes   Renovation of existing shop. THREATS   Current economic climate.   Shop and leisure city centre expanding   Results to be achieved in future can be less than projected After performing the SWOT analysis the following objectives are found important to be considered urgently. In order to formulate the goals it is important to align them according to their importance. Marketing Research: The company should try its level best to get the primary and secondary data regarding its audiences demand and taste regarding their needs and leisure activities. Because before formulating a marketing plan the opinion of the customers is important to know. The products available at Bob’s Bicycle are unique and the company has the cutting edge of product differentiation over their competitors. But this advantage can only be used effectively through effective marketing campaign (Kotler, 2000). Appropriate Market Segments: The potential segments, which needed to be addressed, are.

Effects of the Spirit of Competition

Effects of the Spirit of Competition The spirit of competition is one of the underlying principles in any sporting event, be it one athlete against another, or team against team. The preconceived notion on the part of spectators as to which individual or team will prevail is the attraction and allure of a sporting event, in other words the degree of uncertainty concerning the outcome. By nature, human beings are curious, inquisitive, competitive and cooperative. The harsh conditions of survival that were a fact of life in the prehistoric era provide evidence of how we are bound together. Tribes grew as extensions of family units with the strongest individual rising to take charge over hunting and warding off rival family groups in order to secure the territories best suited to the continued survival of the group. As these tribal groups grew larger, either as a result of birth rates or conquest, the size of competitive conflicts grew as well. Tribal members trained to become better skilled in the use of weapons as well as their individual personal strength in order to prevail in these conflicts. The desire to secure better territories for hunting and survival fuelled further conflicts throughout this age as tribal societies continued to expand and grow. The Greek state of Sparta provides one of the best examples of society organized under the principles of domination through military means. Young Spartan males were removed from their households at the age of seven for mandatory military training which included instruction in the weapons of the day as well as a rigorous schedule of intense physical athletics. In essence, the female population of Sparta ran the economy overseeing slaves, managing the harvest of crops, and conducting commerce as Spartan males trained and served in the military with little to nothing to do concerning other affairs. Spartan training included participation in athletic contests such as gymnastics, running, swimming, throwing the discus and javelin to hone their minds and bodies for the military. Historically, athletic games were an inherent part of Greek religious festivals held at temples where the populace gathered to watch competitors as they honoured the gods. Greek mythology tells us that the Olympic Games started as a funeral feast to honor King Pelops who had prevailed in a chariot race held by KingOenimaus to select a mate for his daughter Hippodamia. The Games started in 776 B.C. and consisted of just a running event which later expanded to include the pentathlon, javelin, boxing, horse and chariot races, wrestling, discus and jumping. Winners of events were hailed as heroes with the commensurate stature and standing in Spartan society accompanying these triumphs. History reveals that the Roman Empire continued this tradition in the Coliseum pitting gladiators against gladiators, along with other spectacles to win the favour of the populace through state sponsored entertainment. The preceding historical summary has been undertaken to provide perspective on how athletics and then sporting events were an outgrowth of a quest for survival linked through physical terms and then as a part of religious celebration to honour deities. The festive mood of these events provided the opportunity to honour champions and also afforded its participants with a means to elevate their status in society as a result of winning. Spectators were entertained by events that consisted of a limited duration of time whereby the person who would prevail could be determined. The uncertainty as to the outcome provided the intrigue, drama and entertainment value. And therein lies the appeal of sports, not knowing the outcome until the event has run its course. Present day sporting events still hold the same basic appeals, competition, uncertainty, a specific time of duration and a festive atmosphere with one major distinction, they are big business. Multimillion dollar stadiums, government tax concessions, broadcast revenue agreements, licensing, merchandise marketing, product sponsorships and endorsements are a few of the financial components of this entertainment medium. English Football, like its American Cousin the National Football League (NFL), professional soccer, basketball, Formula 1, golf and all sports share one common trait – ‘The Outcome’. Fans attend games and events, watch them on television, wager on point spreads and place bets, as the ‘Outcome’ of the match-ups is the source of their interest. The uncertainty of the eventual winner creates acclimate of drama which fuels involvement on the part of fans. The more competitive the match-ups are, meaning the more uncertain the outcome, the more fans become interested in these matches and thus television viewer-ship and stadium attendance rises. The source of this interest is a result of these events and matches being limited by a defined period of time in which the ‘outcome’ takes place. In the world of business one measures winning and losing or in most cases their progress based to some degree upon what they earn or the promotions they receive. The time period and outcomes are less defined, as well as in most cases blurred in terms of what aspects or inputs resulted in said outcome. This segment of a person’s life is subject to a large percentage of undefined variables, events, causes, actions, reactions and so on, all of which tend to blur the factors which led to the outcome. And this also carries over to one’s personal life as well where the outcomes to varied events, such as marriage –children – a new home and more, are mostly a product of long periods of time in which discussions, decisions, modifications and changes in thinking are consistently working up to it (the outcome[s]). In the preceding examples, both business and personal, the eventual outcomes are spread over time periods that can encompass days, weeks, years or even decades. The need for an outcome that fits into a time period that is easily correlated explains why movies, music, videogames and sporting events hold the interest of the general public. The definable time period means that the uncertainty concerning the outcome will be revealed within that time span thus providing satisfaction. Heightened competition increases fan interest and when this is spread over the majority of teams participating in the sporting event, fan attendance and television viewer ship will increase throughout the season. The foregoing translates into revenue from gate receipts, increased broadcast contracts as a result of advertising rates, licensing, merchandise sales, endorsements, appearances and other income streams. This paper will examine the ‘effects of broadcasting revenue† on English football clubs as well as how this revenue is distributed, its effect on operations, the reliance on this income in budgetary terms, and alternative methods to distribute these funds on a more equitable basis. Chapter 1 – Introduction As is the case with any business enterprise, professional sports exist to derive a profit from operations. And those profits come as a result of the extent which a professional team captures the imagination of its fan base in the belief that said team has the opportunity to advance in the standings and onto to the championship final. While there are all manner and degrees of fans, ranging from the fanatic tithe â€Å"I only watch when they are winning†, professional sports organizations are identified with the city they reside, the charisma of its stars, the mystic of its heritage, and its recent public image. Because all but the most die-hard fans have short memories, the rest consist of those who jump on the bandwagon for a variety of reasons. Winning sports franchise provides national publicity for the city it resides in, generates revenues for the local economy from its fan base and those of the visiting team(s). The foregoing aids the municipality in promoting its own agenda(s), such as convention facilities, tourism, attractions, and the benefits of doing business in their cosmopolitan location. A sports franchise, more apropos a ‘successful’ sport franchise, provides a locale with publicity it could not otherwise obtain to generate additional business and the corresponding tax revenues from goods and services. But, a city is more than concrete, glass skyscrapers, taxicabs, buses and municipal services; it exists and prospers as a result of its people. As such a municipality has a vested interest in seeing to the well-being, morale and vitality of its populace by providing them with clean and safe streets, parks, adequate public transportation, progressive government, an excellent educational system, and something to rally their interest. Championships in British football have garnered world renown and recognition for teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea , providing them with media exposure and coverage these locales could not afford to purchase, including public relations stories they could not manufacture. One of England’s goodwill ambassadors David Beckham , even though he now plays for Real Madrid, is a global icon that fans and non-fans of the sport recognize and identify with and his British background. However, the lustre of English Football Clubs when considered as group, as lost some of its sheen as a result of second tier teams whom have yet to see championship status, operating deficits and the lack of structure that prompts overall competitiveness. The League is suffering from the same non-competitive problems that has befallen Formula 1 where Michael Schumacher and Ferrari have put the city of Mirabella, as well as Italy, back on the map by winning five Formula 1championships in a row (2000 through 2004), and his setting what most people believe will be an unbreakable record of seven world driver’s championships (two with the Benetton-Ford team). The success of the Ferrari Formula 1 team has caused the Formula One Administration, the sport’s governing body, to implement a third round of specification modifications to attempt to make the sport more competitive in the face of Ferrari’s dominance over the past five years. This period has seen a drop in viewers as a result of the lack of competitiveness. The same fate has befallen the English Football Clubs. The allure of sporting events is the uncertainty of the outcome. This creates the atmosphere of suspense, anticipation, drama and excitement as one watches the event unfold during the designated time period that determines the winner. These same ingredients are the backbone of all entertainment venues, be it the movies, music, a ride in an amusement park, or a television show, the elements are built upon these basic foundations (suspense, anticipation, drama and excitement). We are entertained as we are able to keep pace with the developments in a timeframe that does not bore us. This is why most entertainment venues, such as sports and movies, are approximately between two to three hours. As sporting events pit competitors directly against one another in a known format of rules and regulations, one simply has to watch and observe the nuances leading to the eventual outcome. The simplicity is the basis for its sophistication. Education, upbringing, language, social standing, and other factors are lost in the heat of battle. Sports provide a framework where nothing matters except the outcome and thus it is one of the ultimate forms of escape, relaxation and entertainment, hence the popularity of sports in all its forms. And in order to produce a winning Club, management must have star athletes. Not just the Dave Beckham’s, but also an exceptional supporting cast as well to see them through the many competitive battles that are a part of a season long campaign. Chapter 2 – The English Football Clubs Founded as the English Football League in 1888 by Scotsman William McGregor, the ‘League’ actually had been in competing since 1872 as tea Cup encompassed Scottish as well as English Clubs. Mar. McGregor was astute enough to see that the game needed to be formalized in terms of rules and regulations to provide a structure for the nonprofessional comprising the sport at that time. He also understood that formulating method to generate income for the Clubs that would provide the foundation to compensate the players. Acting in a role that in today’s terms would be equated to being a commissioner, Mar. McGregor’s vision culminated in the League starting with twelve Clubs with Preston North End becoming the first championship team . The League’s popularity resulted in a Second Division being formed in 1892. During the four years from the League’s formation additional teams were added with three different teams winning the FA Cup. The Blackburn Rovers took the championship title in 1890 and 1891. The League’s popularity with fans was evidenced by its growth from the initial twelve (12) teams to a total of forty-two (42) Clubs and three(3) divisions by 1922. Competitive balance in the League was shown over the twenty-six (26) years from 1893 to 1922 as no Club repeated as a back-to-back League champion during that time span. Aston Villa won the title four times (1895, 1897, 1905 and 1913), Sheffield United prevailed in three (3) championships, and just two (2) other clubs won twice, the Wolverhampton Wanders and Tottenham Hotspur. Fifteen (15)other Clubs from the League’s total of forty-two (42) took the FA Cup once. The preceding meant that nineteen Clubs out of the total of forty-two (42) won championships or 45%. The preceding parity fueledfurther expansion and the League grew to ninety-two (92) Clubs by1950. The competitiveness within the League was the source of fan popularity as two (2) Clubs, the Bolton Wanderers and Arsenal captured the League title three (3) times, with Newcastle United taking home the crown twice. In the twenty-two (22) years between 1923 and 1950fourteen (14) other Clubs won the FA Cup once again showing parity in the League. Between 1951 and 1989 fan support and interest in the League continued to grow as competitiveness kept pace with expansion, and the new Clubs as well as those that had been in the League for some time. This thirty-seven (37) year period saw the following multiple championships; CLUB NUMBER OF FA CUPS Tottenham Hotspur 5 Manchester United 4 Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 3 Liverpool 3 Arsenal 2 Manchester City 2 Fifteen Clubs won singular titles during this period and the League was enjoying unprecedented popularity. One of the key reasons for the appeal of the sport during the periods indicated is â€Å"competitive balance†. When there is uncertainty on the part of fans as to which team will prevail during the regular season match-ups, this sparks heightened fan interest in each contest. The outcome from matches in which their teams play is also affected by how key competitors play in their match-ups with other teams which also affect the standings. This uncertainty means that fans will tune into or attend more regular season matches, and not just those where their particular team is playing a potential contender, but those matches where their team is playing just about anyone. The preceding is true because when there is competitive balance no team is really out of the championship running, and most certainly not out of any match. Parity makes almost each and every game important in terms of the standings and a team’s rankings toward the championship game. The foregoing means increased gate receipts at stadiums and higher advertising rates as well as merchandise and ancillary revenues. Even with the fairly balanced championship appearances a number of clubs have not been able to compete at the top tier level thus eroding the interest of their fans as these Clubs are seemingly ‘cannon fodder ‘with nothing to play for as the stronger teams keep them relegated tithe mid or bottom tiers. The play-off system, which was introduced at the end of the 1986-87 campaign helped to provide more teams with something to shot for. However, with the twenty (20) of the strongest teams leaving in 1992 and forming the new Premier League this left seventy-two (72) Clubs split evenly in three (3) divisions, but the competitive factor was on a lower level. In the twelve (12) years since the breakaway the Premier League is suffering from dominance by a few teams, rather than the hoped for closer competitive balance. A. Parity The formation of the Premier League has placed those Clubs in the position of reaping higher revenues as a result of their being in the â€Å"class† league representing the best teams. One of the offshoots of its formation was it siphoned off fans from other lesser teams by creating secondary ‘favourite’ team even though a particular Premier League Club might not be located in their city. Fans are known to switch allegiances and adopt teams when their city or favourite is continually â€Å"out of the running†. Banking on a heightened percentage of close and meaningful games to induce increased fan interest in these matches to generate higher revenues per match was one of the underlying strategies to enrich the ‘class’ Clubs of the Premier League. And finally, simple mathematics in that fewer Clubs negotiating for advertising contracts means more revenue per Club. In Chapter Three we will examine the ramifications of broadcast revenue sharing, the timing of the Premier League breakaway in relationship to new technologies in television broadcasting (cable / satellite) along with subsequent developments. The breakaway strategy made sense, unfortunately the Clubs did not cooperate in bring this to further heighten fan interest by competitive balance. By cooperation, it is meant that certain teams have emerged as consistent winners, with two (2) teams dominating and another two (2)breaking in to win championships when the powerhouses faltered. Since the 1992 breakaway season the following Clubs have taken the Premier League crown: CLUB NUMBER OF FA CUPS Manchester United 4 Arsenal 4 Liverpool 2 Chelsea 2 Everton 1 The foregoing means that five (5) Clubs out of twenty (20), or 25% have owned the title in the twelve (12) years the League has been inexistence. Not exactly parity! One of the main contributing factors to the preceding is revenue. The top Clubs since 1987 have enjoyed a disproportionate increase in income as a result of their success in championship matches thus enabling them to garner sponsorships, additional revenues from merchandise sales and thus the funds to lure top-flight athletes and a supporting cast. The dominance shown by Clubs in both the Premier League and English Football League Division One has manifested itself in financial clout due as a result of the foregoing and thus the gap continues to widen. The success of the Premier League can be seen in economic terms and the explosive growth. B. Attendance Parity has a direct correlation with attendance and fan interest. The domination of the Premier League by Manchester United and Arsenal, along with the multiple championships by Tottenham Hotspur (5),Newcastle United (3), West Ham (3) and Liverpool (3) has left more than sixty present (60%) of all clubs without a title in its 116 years of existence. From 1888 through 1987 the English Football League enjoyed explosive growth that started to tail off due to the breakaway of the Premier League Clubs and their rising national and international successes, as well as domination in the English Football League by relatively small cadre of teams. Today’s media realities have aided to further widen the competitive gapes a result of cable television deals and lucrative title matches that reward the dominant Clubs with additional revenues. The revenue gap the Premier League enjoys has enabled it to garner top players to strengthen their competitive advantages and perform exceptionally well in international matches. The English Football League’s current day format of â€Å"First – Second – Third and Fourth Divisions† (introduced in1958) has helped to bring Divisional Championships to a wider spectrum of Clubs however, the top Clubs maintain a stranglehold on the FA Cup. The system does promote those Clubs from the lower divisional levels through a system of points based upon standings and finish. This format has aided in fan interest to a degree as the seventy-two (72) Club league Playoff format encompasses a large contingent of Clubs and provides multiple Divisional championships. Club and League management, cognizant of parity and attendance issues(as well as revenue, costs and wages which will be discussed in latter sections), have taken varied actions to maintain and boost attendance. One measure has been the investment in new stadium facilities. Our modern day exposure to all manner of outside stimuli and influences through television, the movies, magazines and other media has spoiled us with regard to expectations. We are consistently being provided with images of new this and new that. From residences to office buildings, furnishings, clothes, and other manifestations, we love new things! Regardless that this is an outgrowth of marketing and commerce, people have always gravitated to what is new. League Clubs, in an effort to maintain as well as renew interest in their current fan base, also recognize the need to cultivate and attract new fans to fuel growth. New stadium facilities provide a sense of excitement and assist in: 1. Pre-Stadium Public Relations The idea for a new stadium creates ‘public buzz’ when the Club announces it is either considering or planning a new facility. The media coverage concerning all manner of stadium questions and concerns over the need for a new structure, its location, how it will impact upon the local economy and environment, how it will be financed, the design, cost and associated aspects creates months of media coverage. In the back rooms management creates strategies and plans to garner support and financing, and this enweaves like a long movie in the press. 2. On-going Media Coverage Regardless of whether the new stadium is truly needed or not, opposition voices help to provide additional media articles, other sides to the issue and comment. The Hollywood adage that there is no such thing as bad publicity still holds true. The Club is in front of its public! 3. Fan Interest It is difficult to conceive of a fan that does not secretly long to attend a match in a new stadium. Advances in today’s building techniques, materials, technological innovations such as giant screens, computer enhancements and designs all serve to fuel inner fires. Attending a match is entertainment, and who among us does not like to visit the newest movie theatre, test drive a new car, look at new homes, and window shop for clothes! Whether for or against, the proposal of a new stadium excites imaginations. 4. Attraction New facilities create attraction for fans and non-fans to visit the new stadium to examine and enjoy is accoutrements, even if it is only to drive by and experience it first-hand. New concessions, seats, viewing angles, scoreboards and big screen replays, help to induce fans to attend and come back to enjoy the facility, as well as to see and be seen. 5. Player Inducement Like it or not, soccer players tend to be spoiled prima donnas! In their defines, it does take a special type of personality as well as mindset to be a professional athlete and face the accolades along with public criticisms that accompany the glory. Identifying raw new talent for the League is a science of hit and miss, so most Clubs stock their teams by obtaining proven performers at the commensurate cost. The size of the contract offer is of course the primary inducement, but the type and newness of facilities does not hurt negotiations. The factors that aid in securing talent are as varied as the players themselves, thus those Clubs that are successful try to account for as many of these variables as possible. 6. External Media Influence The prospect of, as well as newly built facilities receive extensive media coverage in rival cities, sparking the question â€Å"why not us†, along with promoting the Club’s name. Fans from opposing teams tend to visit the stadium when their teams match up where in the past this might not have been a consideration. The allure of new stadium has been manifest by the number of Clubs that have completed or are starting new facilities and/or upgrading existing ones to address the appeal of this area. Interestingly this is being done in spite of the financial difficulties faced by most teams. The2001 / 2002 season saw a 12 million GBP increase in stadium investment over 2000 / 2001 (GBP 47 million and GBP 35 million respectively) Over the course of the previous ten (10) years this figure is in excess fob 400 million. The popularity of both Leagues are reflected in attendance figures, aided by cable television sparking match interest which approximated 27.8 million representing the highest level in thirty (30) years. More importantly English League figures have showman 8.5% increase over the 2000 / 20001 season and has increased 35%since the 1992 Premier League formation. The Premier League is still setting records, with attendance increases for the sixth consecutive campaign, and an average of 34,324 fans coming to matches, a rise of1,500 over 2000 / 20001. As one would imagine the First Division of the English Football League lead other Divisions in average stadium capacity recording 68% as compared against 47% for the Second Division and 42% for the Third Division. In spite of this 12 million seats remained empty. Cup attendance continued its upward trend by 12.2%. C. Operating Costs Increased attendance and additional television revenues are League bright spots (both the English and Premier), even in the face of a lack of parity. The costs of competing, however is another matter. To remain competitive or become competitive is the number one objective, and whenever too much demand chases after a limited number of players, the laws of supply and demand escalate. The major expense item negating operating profits is player salaries. During the 2000 / 2001 season twenty-seven (27) Clubs recorded Balance Sheets showing a negative. Seventeen (17) Clubs filed reports showing operating insolvency during2003 / 2003 as a result of escalating wage costs. The competition for star players to create match day impacts and bolster attendance has proven to be a defeating proposition that the League has addressed by new regulations which limits Clubs to spend no more than 75% of their total revenues in this area. Spiralling wage costs received a huge dose of sanity when the League’s TV Digital deal failed. These revenues were providing the Clubs with the needed extra budgetary room to close the gap between the League and the Premier Clubs. This development along with insolvency issues helped to bring about the wage cap (75%) modification to enable Clubs to get a grip on fiscal matters. With no new deals of the same financial magnitude to replace this lost revenue, the League consensus is that broadcast funds will remain flat, for now. And the damage, in terms of this lost revenue affects the lower ranked Clubs more as a result of their limited gate, merchandising and sponsorship opportunities, and Isa huge blow to financial stability. In addition, the lower ranking Divisions will have difficulties in appealing to advertisers thus further widening the revenue disparity. The pressure on the League and its Clubs to generate additional revenues is further exacerbated by the continued success of the Premier League in generating increased revenues, as well as the ability of its Clubs to obtain additional talent. And with the high wage costs for players in the Premier League, the added revenues from their cable deals a boon in aiding costs. Chapter 3 – Revenues Individual Club revenue is primarily generated from broadcasting, gate receipts and sponsorship / merchandising agreements. The differences in incomes as negotiated by the top level Clubs in relationship to lower level teams, even in the face of the new wage cap arrangement, will essentially not do anything to change the huge revenue gaps. The English Football League Division 1 Clubs in order to compete with the clout and financial muscle of the Premier League need to significantly increase their revenue streams on a League and Club basis in order to make some inroads on their dominance. The financial gulf between the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions is considerably larger concerning their respective abilities to improve upon this situation in view of their less marketable product. Marketability in this sense means the image the Clubs have cultivated and have with the general public in terms of viewer interest in seeing them perform. This translates into higher gate receipts and audience interest in televised games. Demand for stadium seats permits a Club to charge higher ticket prices as well as obtain in stadium banner advertising. The overall heightened public awareness, interest and television audiences also mean higher name recognition and thus puts an additional premium on merchandise sales and licensing deals. And while the general public rarely thinks about the commercial side of the product, the Leagues, Clubs, advertisers, sponsors, broadcast networks and financial backers do! Television is a mass medium that provides tremendous opportunities to reach the public and influence their thinking, as well as loyalties. The marketing of a Club goes beyond short term thinking, it follows the same pattern as all other marketing. Advertisers, which in a sense is what a Club does every match it plays, seek to influence the loyalty, behaviour and interest of all age groups. This includes those that are future customers – children and teenagers. How many times have you seen the latest craze among these groups wear the gear of losing teams! Certainly there are those that do, but, historically, these age groups are more concerned with associating with winners. The family tradition of supporting the hometown team is a product of past eras. The winning teams of today are marketing to the customers of tomorrow, as well as those of the present through winning, exposure, merchandising, television broadcast time, media buzz and appeal of star players along with the overall success of its operations. Just like in any other industry, be it vehicles, clothes, airlines, or a restaurant, the reputation for consistent quality over the long haul wins future customers. Not everyone can afford a Rolls but almost everyone would like one. A survey conducted by Silverman concerning ticket prices reveals that just 18% of the Clubs in Division 1 believe ticket revenue will increase to any appreciable degree over the coming two seasons. The optimism of Division 2 and 3 Clubs is more subdued as only 15% and 8%,respectively, take this view concerning gate prices. On average, attendance has run lower than Club projections with the continued success and dominance of the Premier League not contributing to help this area. Ticket sales in ‘that other League’ have continued to rise six seasons in a row even in the face of higher prices and reduced competitiveness. The lower level teams in the Premier League have also increased prices, but in their cases this strategy has resulted in either stagnant or lower attendance numbers. A. Broadcast Revenue The origin of the English Football League’s formation in 1888 was based upon organizing amateur Clubs that had been formed by voluntary associations, and local neighbourhood organizations as well as churches and companies, so that matches could be arranged. The rules varied and the sport was in the ‘rough and tumble’ mode whereby violent play was commonplace. Clubs such as Manchester United, West Ham and a few ot

Why Is Religion Important :: essays research papers

Why is Religion Important? Religion is the one element of life that has connected the races and societies of the world for hundreds of years. It has given meaning to lives that may seem otherwise hopeless. Religion has provided for a universal language and culture among those who believe in a higher power. The spirit or being receiving the worship and praise may not be the same, but the practices are usually similar and serve the same purpose--to give direction, insight, courage, and a divine connection. In today's world, there are many different ways to get involved in religion; various methods have attracted groups of all ages and races. One popular association is FCA or Fellowship of Christian Athletes. This particular group has helped me to find Christ in my own life. There are a lot of unconventional activities to help the younger generations get involved. Some of these activities included Death Week, which focused on death and pain, meetings about family and divorce, lectures to help people reach for their goals, and encouragement speakers. There is a great deal of fun incorporated into all the seriousness, though. We went on ski trips, did missionary work, and put on skits. All of these activities involved Christ in some way, and helped the younger generation to realize that being spiritual was not 'uncool.'; When I attended the FCA meetings, it was the one time that I actually felt free from all my problems. FCA helped me to find my spiritual self and gave me a sense of compl etion. Religion is the main source of morals and values today. I feel like many people today are not following the word of God. I think that religion is overlooked, and not taught enough. For example, colleges, high schools, and many other places are not even allowed to pray, teach or preach the word of the bible. I feel like that is a problem in the United States today. It has had the effect of more violence, problems in families, and the non- education of the younger generation. I feel that though religion is choice, it should be introduced, because many don't even get the opportunity to learn about it.

The Mexican War by Otis A. Singletary Essay -- essays research papers

This book by Otis A. Singletary deals with different aspects of the Mexican war. It is a compelling description and concise history of the first successful offensive war in United States military history. The work examines two countries that were unprepared for war. The political intrigues and quarrels in appointing the military commanders, as well as the military operations of the war, are presented and analyzed in detail. The author also analyzes the role that the Mexican War played in bringing on the U.S. Civil War. The Mexican-American War of the 1840s, precipitated by border disputes and the U.S. annexation of Texas, ended with the military occupation of Mexico City by General Winfield Scott. In the subsequent treaty, the United States gained territory that would become California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. Mr. Singletary has been remarkably successful, despite the brevity of his book, in describing with important details the Mexican War. The book can be break into two main parts. The first part gives background which explains different reasons that played a decisive role for the break out of the war, and it relates the different campaigns that allowed the invasion of northern Mexico and the city of Mexico. The second half of the book deals with the way politician and generals behave during the war, and the book ends touching the role played by diplomacy in this war. The book has been organized in chronological order, which g...

Literature Review †Business Schools Role in Society Essay

Introduction Since 2007, the people of this planet have been living on 150 percent of its natural resource capacity (WWF, 2010). Increase in consumption does not show any signs of slowing down, as a consequence of emerging third world countries. The role that business schools play in this situation and its importance cannot be understated (Financial Times, 2010). In order to save this planet, we need to create a sustainable business environment, where corporations put ethics and social responsibility in front of profits. We need to switch the focus of all businesses from shareholders to stakeholders. Can this actually be taught? Or do governments need to legislate such actions? This topic is especially interesting because of the weight of our future that lies within this. If we do not change the way we teach students about core values of our society, the future of our planet may become very undesirable. These sources were acquired mainly from the EUR sEURch engine, as well as reading several articles from global news agencies in order to grasp a certain overview of this topic. * * * Literature Investigation * Addressing Concerns Raised by Critics of Business Schools by Teaching Multiple Approaches to Management (Dyck, B et al. 2011) 0 This article is a study about two ways of teaching management at classroom level. The article mentions concerns from other researchers about the way management is being taught in today’s universities. The authors argue that today’s students have a materialistic-individualistic point of view during their studies, and that these characteristics are consolidated during their time in the business study. These arguments are supported by an experiment. The authors indicate that there is flaws in the way business schools teach, and therefore actions should be taken. Others reject this and say management is an objective science. * This article might help to understand how business schools can change in order to make students more focused on stakeholders and ethics than shareholder profits. The article was published in a journal called Business and Society Review. It holds many references, where three of them are from Harvard Business Review. It was published 2011, therefore its currency cannot be questioned. Arguments are supported by an experiment. However, only one experiment was conducted which included a relatively small sample. The role of business schools in society (Cornuel, E 2005) The main subject of this article is very closely related to arguments stated in the introduction. It underlines the important role that business schools play to raise awareness of corporate social responsibility. It briefly mentions the need of humbleness in today’s business schools. Published in The Journal of Management Development in 2005, the importance and relevance of this article has become more of a current interest after it was published. Although the arguments are logical, this source does not provide sufficient support for its arguments. However, it does discuss interesting points and views within the subject. The author is Eric Cornuel, an Affiliate Professor at HEC, and Director General & CEO of EFMD. The non-profit turn and its challenges for business schools (Cornuel, E & Kletz, P 2011) Here, the researchers describe the challenges that business schools are facing today. Aiming towards the increase in demand for managers with an education in non-profit organizational management. The increase in large foundations (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for example) is supposedly one of these demand shifters. The recent financial crisis is also argued to be one of the reasons for the movement towards education for non-profit and sustainability management at top business schools. There are two different models in how to change the curriculum in order to fill this need. The Double Standard Model, which argues that non-profit organizations should be managed differently than ordinary businesses, while the Business-Driven Model argues the opposite. Same author as in the previous source, Eric Cornuel, together with Pierre Kletz, Mandel Leadership Institution, Jerusalem, Israel. This research paper was published in the Journal of Management Development in 2011. This source gives meaningful insights to how and why business schools should make changes in their curriculum. Strategy & Society: The Link Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility (Porter, M & Kramer, M R 2006) This article was published in the Harvard Business Review in 2006. It is about how corporations can benefit from corporate social responsibility, instead of seeing it solely as a cost. One of the two authors is Michael Porter of Harvard Business School, one of the world’s most famous economists. This source is highly reliable because of two reasons. 1. Reputation of the author. 2. For the fact that it was published in one of the world’s most prestigious journals. It provides useful information for my future arguments, when it comes down to what business schools and businesses can gain from increasing CSR, and thereby improving global sustainability. Conclusion These articles all have one common argument. Business schools have to change. The disagreements lie in how this change should be executed, and what result that is to be expected from it (Financial Times, 2008). They all agree that business schools have a major impact on society, and therefore a great responsibility. Most researchers focus on how corporations must change, consequently leading to a change in demand for young managers with special skills in that area. Hence provoking the change of the business schools curriculum. This could be seen as delegating the responsibility of change to those corporations. As shown in the recent financial crisis, greed can make top executives act unethically, with no sense of corporate social responsibility. Should corporate social responsibility be legislated in order to achieve global sustainability? What role do business schools play in this? How can business schools act to ensure a positive future for our planet? Bibliography WWF 2010. Human demand outstrips nature’s supply, viewed 14 April 2012, Financial Times, 2010. Schools ignore sustainability revolution, viewed 17 April 2012, Dyck, B et al., 2011, ‘Addressing Concerns Raised by Critics of Business Schools by Teaching Multiple Approaches to Management’, Business and Society Review, Volume 116, Issue 1, pp. 1 – 27, viewed 17 April 2012, retrieved from Wiley Online Library database. Cornuel, E 2005, ‘Role of Business Schools in Society’, The Journal of Management Development, Volume 24, Issue 9, p. 819, viewed at 17 April 2012, retrieved from ABI/INFORM Complete database. Cornuel, E & Kletz, P 2011, ‘The non-profit turn and its challenges for business schools’ Journal of Management Development, Volume 30, Issue 5, pp. 483 – 491, viewed at 17 April 2012, retrieved from ABI/INFORM Complete database. Porter, M & Kramer, M R 2006 ‘Strategy & Society: The Link Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility’, Harvard business review, Volume 84, Issue 12, p. 78, viewed at 17 April 2012, retrieved from Business Source Premier database. Financial Times, 2008. The importance of sustainability, viewed 16 April 2012, Self Reflection I approached the writing of this essay by and initial review if my previously submitted work, in order to grasp the full context, but also to see where I wanted to go and remind myself of the opinions I had while writing. I mostly free wrote for quite some time, and then later putting it all together with more approvable sentences in an academic sense. My biggest struggle was to get all the sources together to create some sort of an overview of the topic, since many of the articles were devoted to certain specific topics. I (hopefully) overcame this by reading a lot of different sources, and making connections to my own topic. I learned that starting an essay by free writing is the best approach for me personally, although a lot of time has to be dedicated to editing in the end, especially in the sense of making it all stick together as a whole piece. *

Arguing Abortion Essay

Abortion is a legal and necessary medical procedure to have available in the United States. Despite spiritual, emotional, or physical beliefs, the basic truth of any right or law is that a person is free to express his or her opinion and to fight for causes, provided it does not harm another person. This concept could also be applied to the issue of abortion. Though some may argue that a woman who gets an abortion is, in fact, harming another person, medical research has yet to define personhood as happening in the â€Å"moment of conception.† Personhood (which is what the concept would apply to) is defined as happening in the â€Å"moment of birth† (ProCon.org, 2012). Moreover, it is false to argue â€Å"God† or faith into any topic affecting human rights because not everyone believes the same thing and there is no proof that â€Å"God† exists. Though, there are theories based on scientific research discussing the creation of the universe that could suggest that a universal mind had to be the creator based on the precision and placement of the galaxies. However, there is no proof of this. There is a separation of church and state to keep faith and spirituality out of laws that govern lives. The Bible is faith, but the Constitution is law. The Bible is not the governing law of the United States. Therefore, the argument that â€Å"God† says abortion is not allowed is invalid. Incidentally, a research article from ProCon.org provides information on the topic of abortion, among many other controversial topics. The main focus of this website is to analyze critically a topic and provide the good and the ugly points of view. On the issue of abortion it offers several pro-life arguments and pro-choice arguments along with video clips and statistics to back up their evidence. Another argument is that abortion goes directly against the intentions of the founding fathers (as stated in the Declaration of Independence). The argument uses the word â€Å"Creator†, most likely indicating a religious connotation. There are two things to consider in the rebuttal of this argument. One, as previously stated, religion has no business affecting the law of human beings because human beings are different, and in this country are blessed with the right to believe what they will. The second is that with all things comes change. The Declaration of Independence was written a very long time ago and though it’s basic message comes through strong and still applies to this day, it is important to consider the evolution of society since then. Consequently, in this society there is friction over many issues. Abortion is just one of them. There are several arguments for and against abortion. Based on the evidence found through research it has been determined that abortion is legal and necessary for basic human rights. In the court case Roe v. Wade, the 7–2 Supreme Court decision that found a constitutional right to privacy that in turn meant a pregnant woman was entitled to have an abortion until the end of the first trimester of pregnancy without interference by any state (The Daily Beast, 2012). This case supports the right for women to have privacy in their medical endeavors as well as allows women the opportunity to choose what they do with their body and it’s parts. References ProCon.org. (2012). Abortion ProCon.org. Retrieved from http://abortion.procon.org /#Background ProCon.org. (2012). Theoretical experts. Retrieved from http://euthanasia.procon.org /credibility-ranking.php Sanger, L. (n.d.). Citizenium blog. Retrieved from http://blog.citizendium.org/?p=383 The Daily Beast. (2012). Ineractive: readers share their views. Retrieved from http:// www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/01/04/interactive-readers-share-their- views-on-and-stories-about-abortion.html

Putting India to Work Legally Essay

In order to remain India’s largest employer, they had to keep up with the explosive growth and competition in the telecommunications, financial services, and retail sectors. 2. ) Going forward, TeamLease has faced a few challenges along the road. First, TeamLease decided to move from a decentralized to a centralized structure for operations, causing fear and resistance from clients who were afraid of the loss of personalized services and fear from TeamLease employees who disliked the idea of relocating. TeamLease also had a difficult time filling open positions. Many people were registered with the government-run employment exchanges and many of these people were not fully qualified for the job. TeamLease also tried to partner with training companies but there was no training company that would accept their concept of paying for their services only after their trainee has been placed with a job. They also took a big hit during the 2009 recession causing the open job market to drop dramatically and as well as a decrease in client support. . ) The competitors that worry me the most are Addeco and Randstad. Addeco seems to be the largest HR staffing service company followed by Randstad. Addeco is a major threat with over 33,000 employees and 5,500 branches, in over 60 countries. Randstad has 28,700 employees, 3,500 branches, in over 40 countries. TeamLease on the other hand has 75,000 employees in 600 branches. TeamLease may have more employees, but Randstad and Adecco seems to have mo re qualified employees and are more spread out worldwide. TeamLeast has the least amount of branches among its top competitors.I believe that TeamLease should put more money into staffing and training in order to have more suitable and a more experienced staff in order to maintain competitive advantage. They should also try to increase or spread out more of their branches to other countries. TeamLease should also put more effort into marketing and their advertising campaign. Last, they should consider offering employee incentives such as days off or bonuses’.

Ban Cell Phones While Driving

Ban Cell Phones While Driving Almost every American has one. Some people use them strictly for business while others strictly for leisure. Most of us use them for both. They are always at our side ready to be answered, receive text messages, check email, or update our Facebook status. Cellphones have almost become a necessity in society. People regularly engage in a wide variety of multitasking activities when they are behind the wheel. Data from the 2000 U. S. census indicates that drivers spend an average of 25. min each day commuting to work, and there is a growing interest in trying to make the time spent on the roadway more productive (Reschovsky, 2004). Unfortunately, this leads to drivers being distracted on the road. I was a victim of an accident caused by a distracted driver on the telephone. I was in a parking lot about to park and a woman backed into me while she was talking on the phone. She profusely apologized and said she didn’t see me. It wasn’t that she couldn’t see me; she wasn’t paying attention because she was on the phone. Luckily, no one was hurt and there was minimal damage to my car.It’s just annoying and disheartening that people can be so careless. Cellphone use while driving needs to be banned in order to protect drivers and pedestrians alike. This isn’t just my personal opinion on the matter. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommends that states to  ban drivers from any non-emergency use of cell phones and other electronic devices that aren't built into their automobile (Alhers, 2011). It also called on wireless companies to create technology that would â€Å"disable the functions of these portable electronic devices within reach of the driver when a vehicle is in motion† (Alhers, 2011).The recommendation came out of an investigation of a 2010 pickup truck-school bus pileup in Missouri last year that killed two people and injured 35. The investigation found that the pickup driver who caused the accident sent 11 text messages in the 11 minutes leading up to the accident, including some just before impact. The NTSB lacks the authority to impose regulations, but its safety recommendations are highly regarded and have led to many state and federal laws and regulations (NTSB 2011). On Oct. , 2009, President Barack Obama issued an executive order banning the use of text messaging while driving for federal government employees on official business or while using government-supplied equipment. He said, â€Å"text messaging causes drivers to take their eyes off the road and at least one hand off the steering wheel, endangering both themselves and others† (Obama, 2009). Texting while driving is banned in 37 states and the District of Columbia. 30 states ban all cell phone use for beginning drivers.Ten states prohibit all hand-held cell phone use while driving; however, no states currently ban the use of hands-free phones while driving. Most people don't put Bluetooth or Sync in their cars anyway because it’s too expensive. Talking on the phone, hands-free or not, puts the driver’s focus on the conversation and not what is going on around them. It’s impossible to accurately gauge how many car accidents nationwide are cell-phone related, but according to the Department of Transportation, distracted driving killed 3,092 people in the United States in 2010. David L.Strayer, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah, stated the following in their Summer 2006 study comparing cell-phone use and intoxication while driving: It is now well established that cell phone use impairs the driving performance of younger adults. For example, drivers are more likely to miss critical traffic signals (traffic lights, a vehicle braking in front of the driver, etc. ), slower to respond to the signals that they do detect, and more likely to be involved in rear-end collisions when they are conversing on a cell phone.In addition, even when participants direct their gaze at objects in the driving environment, they often fail to ‘see' them when they are talking on a cell phone because attention has been directed away from the external environment and toward an internal, cognitive context associated with the phone conversation†¦ (p. 382) Strayer and his colleagues, with respect to traffic safety, found that the impairments associated with cell phone drivers may be as great as those commonly observed with intoxicated drivers.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ad Council have launched the new Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks. This is a public service advertising public service announcement campaign nationwide. All of the PSAs direct audiences to StopTextsStopWrecks. org, a new campaign website where teens and young adults can find facts about the impact of texting while driving, and tips for how to curb the behavior. The website also has an ar ea where individuals can post and share their solutions to stop texting and driving on Facebook.The NHTSA also reported that pilot projects in Syracuse, New York, and Hartford, Connecticut, produced significant reductions in distracted driving by combining stepped-up ticketing with these high-profile public education campaigns. Before and after each enforcement wave, NHTSA researchers observed cellphone use by drivers and conducted surveys at drivers license offices in the two cities. They found that in Syracuse, hand-held cellphone use and texting declined by a third. In Hartford, there was a 57 percent drop in hand-held phone use, and texting behind the wheel dropped by nearly three-quarters (Wellenbach, 2011).There are many arguments against banning cell phone use infringes on the personal rights of motorists. Receiving a cell phone traffic ticket may negatively reflect on your driver record and can increase your insurance premiums. Those opposed to the ban feel it’s impos sible to enforce because a police officer can mistake a driver for texting someone when they are really changing a song on their MP3 player. Another counterargument is that holding a conversation on a cell phone while driving is no more distracting than being engaged with a passenger or rowdy kids in the back seat, eating fast food or messing around with the radio.Motorists know that using a cell phone while driving is distracting and should refrain from doing so. Another argument against banning cell phones is the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Most GPS’s displays three-dimensional renderings of virtual surroundings. At least 10 states that ban texting while driving offer some type of service that allows motorists to get information about traffic tie-ups, road conditions or emergencies via Twitter (DeMillo, 2009). There is also an argument to implement hands free devices in all motor vehicles.Enforcing such advanced technology to be built would be extremely expensi ve. This technology, built-in speaker phones or no use of cell phone if driving over 30 miles per hour is not cheap. It is not cheap for the manufacturers or for the customers. The average prices of cars would rise, and if there are be technical errors, it would cost more to repair the car. Assume that the United States did enforce this law upon manufacturers in their country. What if someone drove to the United States from neighbor countries, where cars are not equipped with this technology?Should those drivers from the neighbor countries, then, be allowed to use cell phones? No. The best thing to do is having a strict law, banning cellphone while driving until such advanced equipment in cars becomes basic technology, and fairly priced. In a survey I conducted revealed that 80% of drivers between the ages of 16 to 24 use a cell phone while driving. 90% percent of 16 to 24 year olds have been on the road and noticed drivers swerving and talking/texting on the phone while driving. My research indicates that only 20% of drivers 55 and over admitted they use a cell phone while driving.This shows that younger people are more at risk to be involved in some sort of collision or accident. The last question of the survey was have you ever been at a red light and have someone honked at you while you were at a red light looking at phone? Even though the survey was anonymous I don’t think people wanted to admit that this has happened to them. Only 40% of all who took the survey answered yes to this question. I think if had a larger survey pool my information would have supported my argument further. Here is a graph of the results of the question Have you used a cell phone while driving:Several technology start-ups will release new products for phones that can detect when a car is in motion and automatically log incoming calls and texts much as a personal assistant would. All the products have provisions that allow both incoming and outgoing calls during emergencie s. The following products are services available to reduce driver distraction. The first one is Key2SafeDriving. Parents can set up a password-protected profile that won't allow calls or texts when a Bluetooth device detects that the car is in motion. Next, there is Aegis Mobility Drive Assist.This is downloaded software will use a phone's GPS to determine whether it is in a moving vehicle, then log incoming calls and texts, and respond with a message that you're driving. And finally the least restrictive of these three products, ZoomSafer, is downloadable software that lets you dictate text messages and updates to social-networking sites while you're driving (Cruz 2009). This is similar to the talk-to-text program that my Droid phone has. I have tried to use it while driving and it hasn’t been too successful. I have to push a button that records what I want to say and then â€Å"listens. The majority of the time the words are totally wrong and I’m more distracted bec ause I have to go back and delete everything. I know technology will evolve and create a safe way to communicate while operating a vehicle. The evidence from studies showing the negative effects of cellphone use while driving is overwhelming. People need to be less concerned with emails, social networks, and texting and be more focused on the road. There is no simple solution to get everyone to agree or follow the rules if such as ban was put into action.It will take a long time to give up their right of cellphone privileges, but the outcome is worth the sacrifice. References Ahlers, Mike. (2011, December 13). NTSB recommends full ban on use of cell phones while driving. Cable News Network. Retrieved from http://articles. cnn. com/2011-12-13/us/us_ntsb-c ell-phone-ban_1_smart-phones-texting-pickup-truck-driver? _s=PM:US Cruz, Gilbert. (2009, August 24). Distracted Driving: Should Talking, Texting Be Banned? Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0, 9171,1916291-1,00. html DeMillo, A. (2009, Sept 19).Mixed Messages on Texting and Driving. Retrieved from Associated Press and Fox News website: http://www. foxnews. com/us/2009/09/19/states-send-mixed-message-texting-driving/ National Transportation Safety Board. (2011). No call, no text, no update behind the wheel: NTSB calls for nationwide ban on PEDs while driving [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www. ntsb. gov/news/2011/111213. html Obama, Barack. (2009, October 1). Executive Order 15313. Retrieved from http://www. whitehouse. gov/the-press-office/executive-order-federal-leadership-reducing-text-messaging-while-driving Strayer, D.L. & Drews, F. A. (2006). A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 381–391. Reschovsky, C. (2004). Journey to work: 2000, Census 2000 brief. Retrieved May 19, 2012 from http://www. census. gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-33. pdf Wellenbach, P. (2011, Dec. 8) More American drivers are texting while driving despite additional legal measures. New York Daily News. Retrieved from http://www. nydailynews. com/news/national/american-drivers-texting-driving-additional-legal-measures-article-1. 988991#commentpostform