4 Freshman Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - by Lauren Gartner

4 Freshman Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them 4 Freshman Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them The freshman year of college can be challenging in many ways. There are new experiences to navigate, adult decisions to make, and classes that are often much more challenging than they were in high school. Many freshmen struggle with writing classes especially. The expectations in these classes are higher, and students are often asked to write about subject matter that is significantly more complex. Because of this, many freshman find themselves making some very   common writing mistakes. We are going to review these mistakes, and then discuss ways to prevent them through some easy to remember essay writing tips. Following 'Rules' About Where to do Your Best Essay Writing â€Å"Always do your writing at a desk in a quiet room that is free from distractions. Never turn on the television or radio, because the noise will distract you. Make sure you have good lighting† You've probably heard this advice since you were in elementary school. Unfortunately, with the exception of the part about good lighting, most of this advice is wrong. The best place to study is anywhere you are comfortable and productive. That might be on a couch in front of the television set, or in the school library. Your best, and most error free writing will be the result of working hard and editing and proofreading. Relying too Much on Spell Check One of the best pieces of advice for college freshmen is to avoid using spell checker to do their editing. The tool might point out gross spelling errors, but it does not do a very good job of detecting misuse of words. In addition to this, spell check dictionaries aren't usually up to date, and they don't always contain technical jargon or other terms that may relate specifically to   your classes. Spell check also encourages a bit of academic laziness. Take the time to review your writing, and you will find more mistakes than spell check ever did. Not Pursuing Outside Help There are so many avenues that students who need help with writing can pursue. There are tutors, instructors who are willing to help during their office hours, and student learning centers. Students who need papers written quickly and professionally can use an essay writing service. Unfortunately, many students put off asking for help until it is too late. Writing to Impress Rather than Convey Information Successful college essay writing is all about your ability to get your point across in a clear and concise manner. Unfortunately, college freshmen often believe that they can impress instructors and earn grade points by using essays to demonstrate their large vocabularies, and their ability to write in minute detail. This does not usually have the effect that they want. College professors are not impressed by these things. What they appreciate is brevity, reasoned logic, and good research. These are the four common writing errors that we believe most impact college freshmen. What do you think?

How to Catch up on Your College Classes

How to Catch up on Your College Classes No matter where you go to college, youll inevitably face a semester (or two) where the workload moves from feeling overwhelming to actually being overwhelming. All of the reading, writing, lab time, papers, and exams- especially when combined with all you have to do for your other classes- becomes too much. Whether you fall behind because you mismanaged your time or because theres no possible way a reasonable person could manage all you were expected to do, one thing is clear: youre behind. What exactly are your options now? Assess the Damage Go through all of your classes- even if you think youre behind in only one or two- and make a quick list of things youve done (example: finished the reading through week three) as well as things you havent (example: started the research paper due next week). Remember, this isnt necessarily a list of what youll need to do next; its just a way to organize what material and assignments youve done and what youve missed. Look Down the Road You dont want to sabotage your own chances at catching up by inadvertently falling further behind. Look at your syllabi for each class for the next 4 to 6 weeks. Which major projects are coming down the pipe? What midterms, exams, or other big assignments do you need to plan for? Are there weeks with bigger reading loads than others, or less? Get a Master Calendar Going If you want to do well in college, youll need a time management system. Theres simply no way around that basic fact. And if youre behind in your classes, youll need some kind of large, master calendar you can use to coordinate your catch-up efforts. So whether its something online, something you print out, or something like a Google calendar, youll need to get something started ASAP. Prioritize Make separate lists for all of your classes–even the ones you arent behind on- about what youll need to do from here. First, look at all that you need to do to catch up (as suggested above). Second, look at all that you need to do in the next four to six weeks (also suggested previously). Pick the top two to three things you absolutely must do for each class. This likely means that all of the work you need to do wont get done, but thats okay: part of being in college is learning how to prioritize when necessary.   Make an Action Plan Take that master calendar you made, grab the list of priorities you created, and introduce them to one another. If, for example, you need to first outline chapters one to six so that you can then write your research paper next week, simply break it down. Which chapter will you do on what day? What is your goal date to complete it? When will you outline your paper, and when will you write it? When will you revise it? Telling yourself that you have to read all of the material before your paper is due is both too nebulous and completely overwhelming. However, telling yourself that you have an action plan and all you need to do is outline chapter 1 today makes it all manageable. When you have a solid plan to get back on track to meet your deadlines, youll be a lot less stressed. Stick With It Youre still behind, after all, which means you have a lot of work to do to make sure you pass your classes. It isnt easy to catch up, but you can do it- if you stick with it. It took more than one day for you to fall behind, which means it will take more than one day to catch up. Stick with your plan and adjust as necessary. As long as you keep your goals in view, remain on track with your calendar, and reward yourself along the way, you should be just fine.

The Advent Of Globalization And Business Cultures Essay

The Advent Of Globalization And Business Cultures - Essay Example Power Distance: This deals with acceptance of the less powerful sections of an organization pertaining to the uneven distribution of power therein. Britain is a country that ranks low in PDI, indicating that it is a society that believes in minimising the inequalities among people. However, China is a top scorer in PDI, which implies that inequality in the distribution of power is acceptable in there and that power abuse is prevalent. Individualism: The issue addressed by this dimension is related to ways in which the society portrays itself, implying whether it is an inter-dependent society or an individual one. The UK is a country with a high individualistic approach, where children are taught to think and fend for themselves from a young age (Tanielian 90-96). Hence, personal fulfillment is a topmost priority in such societies. China appears to have a rather collectivistic approach, where people strive as a team and perform tasks that cater to the interest of a group or an organiz ation. Masculinity: This dimension explains dominant values of the society. A masculine or high-score on this dimension would indicate towards a society that is driven by achievement and success. A low-score (feminine) on this dimension would mean that the society is more inclined towards living a quality life and caring for others. Both China and the UK are strongly masculine societies, where people are ready to sacrifice family life in order to achieve success in the professional life. Leisure takes a backseat in such societies.  

Fundamental Reasons For Lobbyist Reform Term Paper

Fundamental Reasons For Lobbyist Reform - Term Paper Example TBTF banks, GM, Chrysler, AIG, and other important American companies received aid from the Treasury in the form of stimulus money intended to address the root causes of the problem in losses stemming from the real estate melt-down. After review, it is believed that the undue lobbyist interest by the same companies that received financing from these programs, as well as from the Federal Reserve directly via Quantitative Easing, may have influenced or even corrupted the process through which legislation was written concerning their own industry. Furthermore, the same influences were also seen during the process during which the Health Care Reform was passed. These issues point to a larger cause in the need for lobbyist reform. The most fundamental reason for this is to remove the possible conflict of interest in legislation, but this issue may also be seen as protecting the greater democratic system as well as making the administration’s own work more effective in legislation and reform. 1. In the examples of the Wall St. Rescue Package, TARP, and the stimulus packages implemented to assist the economy, Time magazine reported, â€Å"the legislation, which would bring more change to Wall Street than anything else enacted since the New Deal, was a Super Bowl for lobbyists.† (Brill, 2010) In analyzing the way that lobbyists from Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, Citi, and other TBTF banks contributed soft money to the political process to buy influence in legislation, it reflects badly on the Administration and democratic process in America, and through this, encourages the Administration to support reform of lobbyists in Washington. 2. In the example of Financial Sector reform, the same companies and others, including major leaders in the industry, finance, and banking have influenced the process unduly.

Financial Accounting Standards Board Essay Example for Free

Financial Accounting Standards Board Essay Runway Discount (Runway), a privately held online retailer, has implemented a new customer referral marketing campaign. The campaign involves incentivizing current customers to refer their friends to Runway’s website. When a current customer refers someone who makes a purchase on Runway’s website, the referring customer receives a $25 credit to be applied to a future purchase. Two important provisions should be highlighted regarding this â€Å"Refer-a-Friend† program: The $25 credit is contingent upon the existing customer’s referral actually making a purchase The $25 credit is applied to the referring customer’s future purchase at the time that the referred customer makes a purchase The business purpose of this Refer-a-Friend program is to increase sales and expand Runway’s customer base by providing incentives for current customers to refer their friends. The first accounting issue associated with Runway Discount’s Refer-a-Friend program is identifying how the $25 referral credit should be recorded in Runway’s income statement. Is this consideration an adjustment of the selling prices of the vendor’s products or services, and therefore characterized as a reduction of revenue, or is it a cost incurred by the vendor for assets and services received from the customer, and therefore characterized as a cost or expense? The next significant accounting issue is regarding when Runway should record the $25 referral credit as a liability: (a) at the time an existing customer receives the $25 referral credit, or (b) at the time the existing customer actually uses the $25 referral credit to make a purchase? In the following sections, we will discuss the possible accounting treatments under U.S GAAP and IFRS, which relate to these accounting issues facing Runway Discount. Relevant examples will be provided of businesses that offer similar referral incentive programs. We will conclude with our recommendation of how Runway Discount should account for the referral credits it issues relating to its Refer-a-Friend program. Applicable Authoritative Literature FASB Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 605-50, Revenue Recognition IASC International Accounting Standards (IAS) 18, Revenue Recognition View as multi-pages

Ride Of The Second Horseman :: essays research papers fc

Robert O’Connell explains to us the decline of organized warfare between people. This is stated in three different regions of argument; the nomads having to change to cope with the new geographic changes find it easier to just try to take the agriculturalists food sources rather then find their own. Second the new divisions of government cause a more humanistic approach to settle disagreements rather then warfare, and thirdly the total demise of how warfare once was. The shift to domesticated farming, away from nomadic pastorals, led to a clash between these two subsistence patterns. The nomads, facing geographic change and poor food supplies, attempted to make their way down from the hills and take on the agriculturalist. This is the only way the nomads could keep a steady food source. ‘Cultures that knew nothing of war suddenly began suffering unprovoked attacks by terrifying strangers.’(13) This shows you the kind of bloodthirsty savages the nomads were, their way of life was changing and they weren’t ready for it to change. ‘So it is that these voracious ant armies number in the millions, just as major outbreaks of nomadic aggression were characteristically preceded by inertial congregations. If there is strength in numbers among the sedentary, there is only hunger among the nomadic.’(21) Again this shows how the nomadic are going hungry and have no way to turn except to fight for food. The agriculturalist have superior strength in numbers and after a few attacks from the nomads the will be ready to take them out for good and worry about them no more. This new age of society is just too profitable for them to leave it, crops that a few men farm yielding the food for twenty. The economics itself are just to great to turn back now. ‘The key to such realti0onships is mutualism, with booth plant and animal oolong in ways that intensify the partnership†¦In the period between 8500 BC and AD 1 the great majority of humans made the transition from wild food to planting and harvesting domesticated crops-a span of only eight and a half millennia in the more than four-million history of our line.’(55) Once more you see the demise of the nomads, the ability to culture nature to how humans want it; it’s just to easy. So why continue to keep picking up and moving your entire group when you could just center out of one area and have ever possible thing you could need to sup port yourself.

Psychotherapy Techniques

Psychotherapy involves a number of techniques used to improve mental health or emotional and behavioral issues. Three common techniques are psychoanalysis, cognitive therapy and behavior therapy. Although these may have some fundamental similarities, especially in their objectives, there are some ways in which these approaches are different. Psychoanalysis began with Freud. Trained as a neurologist, Freud began seeing neurological problems that had no biological basis in his clients. He therefore looked towards the mind for answers. Psychoanalysis is based on the belief that change will take place when an individual becomes more self- aware by bringing unconscious thoughts and feelings into the conscious. Behavior must be based more on reality than instinct. The basic method of psychoanalysis is the free association method, where the client is directed to say whatever comes to mind on hearing a particular word. The analyst listens well and interprets the patterns and inhibitions in the patient's speech and behavior the analyst's main job is to help the patient to free his mind from unconscious barriers or past patterns of thought relatedness that are no longer helpful to the client. Recent psychoanalysis techniques try to help clients gain better trust in themselves, self -esteem and overcome the fear of death. Psychoanalysts believe that a more insight-oriented approach is to be used with healthier clients and a more supportive approach with more disturbed clients. This type of analysis is thought to be useful in clients with personality problems and neuroses, problems of intimacy and relationships. Psychoanalysis may include the client examining his relationship with the therapist. This is not included in cognitive or behavioral therapy. Cognitive therapy which also has its foundation in the concept of distorted thoughts and how they influence behavior uses a different technique for helping the client. The emphasis here is more on distorted thoughts interfering with the reality than on patterns of the client's personality as in the psychoanalytical model. The central premise is that our thoughts mediate between the stimuli in the environment and our emotions. Therefore a stimulus elicits a thought which in turn might stimulate a particular emotion, especially if that thought is an evaluative judgment. Cognitive therapists suggest that psychological distress is caused by distorted thoughts about stimuli giving rise to distressed emotions. In short, faulty thoughts cause psychological problems and therefore changing our thought patterns will lead to mental healing and changes in behavior. The analyst therefore attempts to help the client become aware of these distorted thoughts and the behavioral patterns which are re-enforcing these distorted thoughts and then to help the client correct them. The analyst has to understand the experiences from the client's point of view, unlike in psychoanalysis where the analyst only listens and points out insights to the client. The cognitive analyst then helps the client explore these distressed thoughts and put them against reality. The distorted thoughts are replaced by more accurate thoughts about the client and his life. Since this therapy is geared towards modifying people's core beliefs, it has been found to be more effective in treating conditions such as depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and phobias. A major difference observed with behavioral therapy is that it is focused on behaviors that are observable and measurable rather than on cognitions as in the two previous therapies. Behavioral therapy relies on principles of operant conditioning, classical conditioning and social learning theory. Generally behavior therapy works by changing the client's behavior through use of rewards, reinforcements and desensitization. There are many different techniques that are used by behavior therapists, including self-management, biofeedback, role-playing, modelling,etc. Unlike psychoanalysis and cognitive therapy, the client practices a particular behavior, accompanied by a reward or reinforcement of that positive behavior until change in behavior has taken place. Similar to cognitive therapy, behavior therapy is not generally used in dealing with issues of relationships. In some instances cognitive and behavior therapy are combined in one technique- cognitive-behavioral – where the analysts helps the client to understand the thinking behind his behavior while practicing alternative behaviors.

Premium Bath Fittings in India

Marketing Assignment (Term 3): Group 2: Bath Fittings Akhil P, Ameya K, Bhaskar D, Pratyush G, Shashank P Branding Building Brand Equity ? Brand Elements o Superior build quality (elegant designs, corrosion resistance, longer functional life, and superior finishing) of imported bath fittings as compared to domestic bath fittings. Assured after-sales service for imported bath fittings, via their distributors and partners in India (ex: Italian premium brand Novellini markets its products through Cera Sanityware Ltd). Domestic makers of bath fittings are mostly unorganized in after-sales services.Water conservation (Imported bath fittings use 20% lesser water than domestic bath fittings). Imported bath fittings have the option of being customized to customer’s requirements. Endorsement from best-in-business real estate builders, architects, high-end hotels & luxury services and interior designers Associated with competitions and social causes (ex: Participants of the prestigious Solar Decathlons, usually held in Washington, preferably use bath fittings by Duravit in their constructions) Managing Brand Equity ? Brand Reinforcement Concept Bathrooms: Imported bath fittings are prominently displayed in stores as a complete-bath-solution (i. e. a complete bathroom is setup inside the store using imported bath fittings). This style of display enhances the product attractiveness to customers and the customers are inclined to buy the whole solution rather than just the individual product Advanced technology in bath fittings (ex: Sensor technology to control water temperature; Battery-operated towel warmers) Creating limited edition of products to maintain exclusivity (ex: Sterlingham frequently makes a limited set of hand-crafted bath fittings) o o ? o o o Leveraging secondary associations Branding Strategy ? o ? ? Aimed at medium to high income customers Portrayed as a style statement Corporate name is printed on each product Integrated Market Communication Marke t ? ? ? ? Bath fittings that are imported are focusing in the urban segments. Focused in the niche market. Establish tie-ups with architects, builders & interior designers. Establish relationship with the major hospitals for selling their products. Money ? ? ? ? Focuses more on the B2B. Share of business of 70% in B2B and 30% to B2C. Few competitors in the niche market of Bath fittings.Major focus in the product substitutability to have stylish and prestigious products. Message The Imported Bath fittings advertise as the product that is dedicated to designing and delivering beautiful products that last a lifetime. They offer a variety of sinks, bathroom faucets and bathroom showering. Bathroom fixtures combine style and perfectly matching the decorating style. Imported bath fittings are dedicated to designing and delivering beautiful products that last a lifetime. Media The Import bath fittings do marketing through the following mediums ? Television Networks. ? Radio stations. Fashi on Magazine. ? Bill boards in the Airports. ? Trade Shows in Metropolitan Cities. Pricing Customer Value and Sensitivity to Price The imported bath fittings are primarily aimed at medium to high-income customers who have loads of disposable cash. In this unconventional form of art, customer has perceived a value that satisfies his/her need as an ego satisfier and/ or as an investment. Hence higher the price, the better an ego satisfier is the product and so is the willingness to pay. Buyer Characteristics and Pricing Method Buyers are looking for quality, after-sales support and uniqueness.To tap into these customers, foreign makers of bath fittings make limited editions of specific products. They also maintain a superior build quality while giving leeway for customizing the products as per customer requirements. Price-Quality Relationship The traditional price-quality relationship holds good here, where higher price signifies better quality. Price Discounts and Allowances Discounts are usually given by the dealer or partner with which the foreign brand has a tie-up with. These local dealers/partners usually give volume discounting.Sustaining Value Customer Evolution ? ? ? ? ? ? Growth in real-estate sector; Growth in hospitality industry Customers have become knowledgeable about both domestic and imported markets Defining the requirements differently o More focus on quality and after-sales service rather than just low-cost products ? Company o Foreign brands sometimes setup a local subsidiary to cater to the demand ? Context o Imported brands understood the need for after-sales service needed by the customers. Hence, they focused on this need through their dealer and partner networksShifting locus of purchasing authority & Changing ability to pay o Increased disposable income of domestic customers Competition o Domestic vs. Imported brands Collaborators o Sustaining Value Creation ? ? Proprietary Process o Use of new and/or patented technology in bath fitting s New Product Introduction o o Imported brands market through local dealers and partner networks. Domestic brands market through local dealers, partners and company stores Bath Solutions based on: Size (small to large bathroom) or Theme (Family/Guest/Child-friendly/Elder-friendly bathrooms) Go to MarketThe Go-to Market strategy of bath fittings in India focuses on 3 main components: It encompasses the following 3 dimensions: ? Portfolio of offers ? New sales model ? Customer Base/Customer partnerships The bath fitting industry players in India maintain a dedicated innovation function to align the product offers with the demand. Companies, such as Afrikano, Moen etc. , provide a unique and affordable package to suit the budget needs of the customers. In order to crack the new geographical markets, these companies engage in ‘Partner management’ to extend the geographical coverage and complement the offer portfolio.The offer portfolio may include – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Taps Bathroom Furniture Spa Shower and steam room Diverter and jets Kitchen Faucets Kitchen furniture After sales service The target portfolio is basically built around another 3 axes and is thus supported by an intelligible structure, which can be depicted as shown: The Go-to market strategy for the high end bath fittings is faced with 2 main challenges: ? The market is restricted ONLY to urban areas. Customers in the rural areas do not possess such purchasing power and the pioneering cost in rural areas is very high. The demand for replacing bathroom fittings is low and the bathroom size is relatively small when compared with bathroom sizes of other developed/developing nations. Hence, continuous business from the same customer is not ensured. The main players in the market provide complete bathroom solutions with water conservation technology. Another strategy employed by such organization is to forge alliances with builders in the real-estate sector so that installations can be done during the construction phase itself. They also target architects working on high end projects for luxury market, hotels etc.The bath fitting market in India is highly competitive with many organized and unorganized players in the market. Foreign players either have distribution partnerships with Indian major players or have ventured in establishing wholly owned subsidiaries through Mergers & Acquisitions and Green- Field Ventures. Moreover, companies are opening dedicated showrooms with concept bathrooms to showcase better product demonstrations. The market channel that is being used buy this industry can be summarized as follows: Companies employ direct selling and retailing strategies to penetrate the market. Premium Bath Fittings in India Marketing Assignment (Term 3): Group 2: Bath Fittings Akhil P, Ameya K, Bhaskar D, Pratyush G, Shashank P Branding Building Brand Equity ? Brand Elements o Superior build quality (elegant designs, corrosion resistance, longer functional life, and superior finishing) of imported bath fittings as compared to domestic bath fittings. Assured after-sales service for imported bath fittings, via their distributors and partners in India (ex: Italian premium brand Novellini markets its products through Cera Sanityware Ltd). Domestic makers of bath fittings are mostly unorganized in after-sales services.Water conservation (Imported bath fittings use 20% lesser water than domestic bath fittings). Imported bath fittings have the option of being customized to customer’s requirements. Endorsement from best-in-business real estate builders, architects, high-end hotels & luxury services and interior designers Associated with competitions and social causes (ex: Participants of the prestigious Solar Decathlons, usually held in Washington, preferably use bath fittings by Duravit in their constructions) Managing Brand Equity ? Brand Reinforcement Concept Bathrooms: Imported bath fittings are prominently displayed in stores as a complete-bath-solution (i. e. a complete bathroom is setup inside the store using imported bath fittings). This style of display enhances the product attractiveness to customers and the customers are inclined to buy the whole solution rather than just the individual product Advanced technology in bath fittings (ex: Sensor technology to control water temperature; Battery-operated towel warmers) Creating limited edition of products to maintain exclusivity (ex: Sterlingham frequently makes a limited set of hand-crafted bath fittings) o o ? o o o Leveraging secondary associations Branding Strategy ? o ? ? Aimed at medium to high income customers Portrayed as a style statement Corporate name is printed on each product Integrated Market Communication Marke t ? ? ? ? Bath fittings that are imported are focusing in the urban segments. Focused in the niche market. Establish tie-ups with architects, builders & interior designers. Establish relationship with the major hospitals for selling their products. Money ? ? ? ? Focuses more on the B2B. Share of business of 70% in B2B and 30% to B2C. Few competitors in the niche market of Bath fittings.Major focus in the product substitutability to have stylish and prestigious products. Message The Imported Bath fittings advertise as the product that is dedicated to designing and delivering beautiful products that last a lifetime. They offer a variety of sinks, bathroom faucets and bathroom showering. Bathroom fixtures combine style and perfectly matching the decorating style. Imported bath fittings are dedicated to designing and delivering beautiful products that last a lifetime. Media The Import bath fittings do marketing through the following mediums ? Television Networks. ? Radio stations. Fashi on Magazine. ? Bill boards in the Airports. ? Trade Shows in Metropolitan Cities. Pricing Customer Value and Sensitivity to Price The imported bath fittings are primarily aimed at medium to high-income customers who have loads of disposable cash. In this unconventional form of art, customer has perceived a value that satisfies his/her need as an ego satisfier and/ or as an investment. Hence higher the price, the better an ego satisfier is the product and so is the willingness to pay. Buyer Characteristics and Pricing Method Buyers are looking for quality, after-sales support and uniqueness.To tap into these customers, foreign makers of bath fittings make limited editions of specific products. They also maintain a superior build quality while giving leeway for customizing the products as per customer requirements. Price-Quality Relationship The traditional price-quality relationship holds good here, where higher price signifies better quality. Price Discounts and Allowances Discounts are usually given by the dealer or partner with which the foreign brand has a tie-up with. These local dealers/partners usually give volume discounting.Sustaining Value Customer Evolution ? ? ? ? ? ? Growth in real-estate sector; Growth in hospitality industry Customers have become knowledgeable about both domestic and imported markets Defining the requirements differently o More focus on quality and after-sales service rather than just low-cost products ? Company o Foreign brands sometimes setup a local subsidiary to cater to the demand ? Context o Imported brands understood the need for after-sales service needed by the customers. Hence, they focused on this need through their dealer and partner networksShifting locus of purchasing authority & Changing ability to pay o Increased disposable income of domestic customers Competition o Domestic vs. Imported brands Collaborators o Sustaining Value Creation ? ? Proprietary Process o Use of new and/or patented technology in bath fitting s New Product Introduction o o Imported brands market through local dealers and partner networks. Domestic brands market through local dealers, partners and company stores Bath Solutions based on: Size (small to large bathroom) or Theme (Family/Guest/Child-friendly/Elder-friendly bathrooms) Go to MarketThe Go-to Market strategy of bath fittings in India focuses on 3 main components: It encompasses the following 3 dimensions: ? Portfolio of offers ? New sales model ? Customer Base/Customer partnerships The bath fitting industry players in India maintain a dedicated innovation function to align the product offers with the demand. Companies, such as Afrikano, Moen etc. , provide a unique and affordable package to suit the budget needs of the customers. In order to crack the new geographical markets, these companies engage in ‘Partner management’ to extend the geographical coverage and complement the offer portfolio.The offer portfolio may include – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Taps Bathroom Furniture Spa Shower and steam room Diverter and jets Kitchen Faucets Kitchen furniture After sales service The target portfolio is basically built around another 3 axes and is thus supported by an intelligible structure, which can be depicted as shown: The Go-to market strategy for the high end bath fittings is faced with 2 main challenges: ? The market is restricted ONLY to urban areas. Customers in the rural areas do not possess such purchasing power and the pioneering cost in rural areas is very high. The demand for replacing bathroom fittings is low and the bathroom size is relatively small when compared with bathroom sizes of other developed/developing nations. Hence, continuous business from the same customer is not ensured. The main players in the market provide complete bathroom solutions with water conservation technology. Another strategy employed by such organization is to forge alliances with builders in the real-estate sector so that installations can be done during the construction phase itself. They also target architects working on high end projects for luxury market, hotels etc.The bath fitting market in India is highly competitive with many organized and unorganized players in the market. Foreign players either have distribution partnerships with Indian major players or have ventured in establishing wholly owned subsidiaries through Mergers & Acquisitions and Green- Field Ventures. Moreover, companies are opening dedicated showrooms with concept bathrooms to showcase better product demonstrations. The market channel that is being used buy this industry can be summarized as follows: Companies employ direct selling and retailing strategies to penetrate the market.

Reflection Essay The WritePass Journal

Reflection Essay Reflection Essay IntroductionDescriptionFeelingsEvaluation AnalysisTeam workingDecision making Ethical concerns Diversity and difference Management of power and conflict Clinical reasoningConclusionBibliographyRelated Introduction I have recently completed a unit on facilitating collaboration in professional practice, which formed a part of my Diagnostic Radiography course. During this unit, my tutor introduced the class to the skill of reflective writing and its important role in both formal learning and personal development. In order to have an opportunity to practise this skill, we were each assigned groups tasks. I was part of a group of 10 people whose task it was to promote a governmental campaign aimed at publicising the Allied Health Professions. The campaign in question needed to target three key groups, namely primary school children, year 11 school children and graduates not taking healthcare courses. In this essay, I will be reflecting on the experiences that I had as part of the larger group of 10 students, as well as how I found the process of dividing into smaller sub-groups of four people for part of the activities. Underpinning my personal reflections, and providing my essay with a coherent structure, will be Gibbs’ (1988) reflection model as outlined by Cooney (1999). This model describes a process of description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, and conclusion, and, as such, my personal reflection will also be organised under these headings. Description The group work in which I participated took place over the course of a week. The first day was spent in collaborating on a variety of group activities. The participants in these groups were all from different backgrounds and included students taking courses in a variety of healthcare areas including radiography, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy. Although the students were all from such allied health professional groups, there was a mixture of postgraduates and undergraduates, and the vast majority of the students had not met each other before. In order to tackle the task, we decided to separate it into smaller tasks according to the three target audiences involved, dividing ourselves into three smaller groups and working on one target audience per sub-group. At this point, I was part of the group of four people who were responsible for considering the campaign to target graduates not taking healthcare courses. As some group members had responsibilities outside the unit, we decided as a whole that it would be useful to utilise the discussion boards via Blackboard to communicate with other members of the larger group. Our smaller sub-group decided to have meetings at the university during the week in addition to this means of contact. The work progressed in this way for most of the week until, on the last day, the groups joined together for one key session in the afternoon. At this time, we worked together to give our presentation for the campaign that we had devised, for which we had a 10-15 minute window. In preparation for this session, our three sub-groups had a meeting in the morning to discuss the presentation and finalise issues such as how the material was going to be presented and who would be acting as our group’s spokespeople. We also made use of this final discussion session to voice whether we agreed or disagreed with several assertions that had been raised through working on the campaign. This session went well in general and was successful. I found that I did participate, but perhaps not to the extent that I would have liked. Overall, I experienced that all of the group members came to know each other on a personal level through working together over the week to complete our tasks. Feelings Although I was relatively quiet at the start of the session, I became more comfortable as time went on and, by the end of the session, I had begun to contribute my views and ideas to the group discussion. I believe that this initial quietness was a manifestation of my inner feelings of being intimidated by the group. Interestingly, the overall session actually went well and many group members expressed their enthusiasm about the discussion topics. These feelings of intimidation were more acute after the sub-groups reunited as a larger group of 10. I believe that this was because I had become accustomed through the week to working in a small group of only four people, and suddenly becoming part of a much larger group threw my habitual role in the group into uncertainty. I usually experience myself as a very confident person who finds it easy to take charge of situations and engage with activities in a proactive way. However, this was not the case during the aforementioned group sessio n. In retrospect, if I had been in a group of people with whom I had felt comfortable then, regardless of the size of the group, I believe that I would have participated fully in the discussion by contributing as many ideas as possible. In this scenario, I would neither have felt anxious about making a mistake nor experienced the self-censorship that came as a consequence of this anxiety.    Evaluation Overall, I found that the experience of group work was very useful in that it gave me the opportunity to learn a great deal about the topics being discussed as well as helping to illuminate my weaknesses when working with unfamiliar groups. As Moon (1999) asserts, the importance of experiential learning is that it entails organising and developing learning through reflection on practical situations, such that they can lead to improved action. My experience of the group work has made this developmentally valuable reflection possible. The tasks also gave me the opportunity to come into contact with a variety of people from different professional backgrounds, some of whom were older and much more experienced than I. Working in a multi-professional group allowed us to benefit from a number of different perspectives on the task as well as a wide variety of knowledge and experience. This made our presentation much more well-rounded and multi-faceted than it would have been if my group had contained only other radiographers. As the group work progressed, I also began to realise that I was, in fact, more than capable of fulfilling my part in this mixed group and this gradual self-confidence enabled me to overcome the feelings of intimidation that being on unfamiliar territory had initially elicited within me. Towards the end of the session, I began to wish that we could begin the session a second time to allow me to contribute more and be perceived as an active member of the group. Looking back, I would attribute my onl y regrets regarding the group task to this inability to contribute more, perhaps even to the extent of acting as spokesperson during the presentation itself. Initially, I was somewhat sceptical about the idea of the group sessions as I did not appreciate that there was anything valuable to be learned from the collaborative process. However, by the end of the process I had learnt a great deal about the complexities of group work and the way in which people from different professional backgrounds can complement the task by offering a much greater depth of experience. I also increased my knowledge of a number of topics to which I may never have exposed otherwise. The group work also revealed that I rarely make a substantial contribution to group discussions or volunteer for leadership roles in group tasks, preferring instead to avoid the limelight and allow another group member to take the lead. My contributions are then made on the basis of topics already raised by others. This weakness does not stem from a lack of intellectual understanding but rather from a lack of confidence in my own ideas, even when these are valid. An awareness of this tendency to pass the buck will inform my future group interactions and, I hope, facilitate my taking a more proactive role in dictating the course of discussions. Analysis Team working According to the Belbin theory of team roles, I would assess myself as naturally occupying the roles of Team Worker, Resource Investigator and Implementer. The reason why I have identified myself as an Implementer is based firstly on the fact that I took on the responsibility for carrying out the task of researching the use of social networks in our campaign and I enjoyed executing this plan, which we had agreed amongst the group as a whole, in a systematic fashion. The title of Resource Investigator also applies to me as I used these social networks as one of a variety of means to search for useful contacts. As the Belbin theory states (2010), a Resource Investigator explores opportunities and makes useful links with internal and external contacts. Also, I received high marks from my peers for the ability to ‘identif(y) sources and other resources to aid team progress’. I believe that the title of Team Worker also applies to me as, even though I felt that I could have c ontributed more, my peer feedback actually shows that I was perceived by other group members as a good team player. I received high marks for the category of contributing to a collaborative team environment and the comments given on my feedback sheets included ‘active and excellent team member who can be relied upon’ and ‘considerate and pleasant group contributor’. These comments demonstrate that I was seen by others as an important and active member of the team. Decision making My experience of working in my group was that we developed a good decision-making process which we were able to use to come to a mutually-agreed conclusion on the majority of topics that we discussed. We also set clear boundaries about how the group would operate; for example, the ground rules that we devised on the first day were as follows: There will be three individual threads for discussion by each sub-group. On Thursday everyone is to check in to ensure that all work is ready. The sub-groups will send their PowerPoints to David by 3pm on Thursday so that he can amalgamate the PowerPoints into one presentation. The whole group is to meet at 11am on Friday in the cafà © outside the library to prepare for the presentation. A room will be arranged. A poster will be produced for each category. The sub-groups will arrange amongst themselves which method they wish to use to communicate and prepare for the presentation. The sub-groups will decide the media which they will use to promote the AHP. I found these ground rules very useful in giving the group clarity and structure and allowing us to work effectively on common goals. This experience highlighted to me the importance of the ‘forming’ stage as described by Tuckman in his Group Development Model (1965). Although at this stage each team member is keen to be accepted by others, and serious issues are therefore usually avoided, it is a very important stage in team-building. I indeed found this stage to be the time when the group members were getting to know each other, on both a personal and professional level, and forming an idea of how the group would be working together over the forthcoming week. I believe that, without this ‘forming’ stage being completed successfully, we would not have had the basis of understanding that enabled us to progress to the ‘storming’ stage, in which we came up with a number of different ideas, the ‘norming’ stage, when we came to make the mutual decisions about how to write our campaign presentation. This early decision-making process was important as it allowed us all to participate and to feel motivated in working towards the group’s eventual success in producing a good-quality presentation. Ethical concerns The main ethical concern that I had when embarking on this group work exercise was to ensure that each member of the group, including myself, would be treated with respect and in a polite manner. As stated by Dubrin: ‘Showing respect for team members is a general technique for building teamwork’. (2011, pp.487) My experience of treating others with respect, for example by asking whether someone has managed to finish their part of the task rather than demanding that it be ready, certainly reinforced this theory as I was marked highly by my peers for facilitating communication and cohesion within the group. Diversity and difference There was a diverse range of people in the larger group of which I was a part; both males and females, undergraduates and postgraduates of varying ages, and also many different personality characteristics including introverts, extroverts, those who were better at coming up with ideas and those who were better at the organisational side. Rather than causing difficulties, these differences actually meant that our discussions were more varied and interesting, and that our team functioned well through each member playing to their respective strengths. I personally learnt a lot from the group members who were older than me, and felt that I benefitted a great deal from watching the mature way in which they went about resolving conflict to come to a good group consensus. The way in which we all participated in devising the ground rules on the first day created a strong team spirit, an important aspect in the successful management of diversity as Klarsfeld mentions in his recent book (2010). Management of power and conflict Conflict naturally occurs in most group tasks as a consequence of group members having different values, skills and experience. Indeed, Rahim cites a study carried out in 2005 to assert that: ‘a moderate level of substantive conflict is functional, as it stimulates discussion and debate.’ (2010, pp. 122) This was also my experience of the group work.   At points throughout the process there was an element of natural disagreement about the direction that our campaign presentation would take and the best way to complete our activities. I found that this motivated other group members to join in more and also lead to interesting discussions that created further good ideas. I found that the power balance was fairly equal in our group, despite the range of ages and personalities that were represented. The only issue that arose was that one of the girls in the group attempted to dominate at times by getting others to think in the same way as her. As the other group members were more mature and open to other people’s input, we were able to manage this by steering the discussions down a more collaborative path. Clinical reasoning From a clinical point of view, this experience will stand me in good stead for the future. In clinical settings health care professionals are most commonly called upon to work in teams that span different areas such as nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy in order to provide the best all-round care for their patients. Radiographers such as myself also work in teams of two most of the time so it is very important to understand how to co-operate with others in a professional setting. Conclusion In conclusion, I found the group work to be a very educational experience concerning the importance of being able to work well in a team. I have been alerted to aspects of my behaviour and personality, particularly with regards to interactions with unfamiliar people, of which I may otherwise have remained unaware. The main aspect that I would like to improve is my confidence, which will enable me to contribute more of my ideas to group work. This will help me at university as well as in my future work as a professional radiographer collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team. Overall, I found Gibbs’ model helpful in focusing on each of the different areas of the experience in order to evaluate my strengths, such as good teamwork and carrying out tasks in a systematic way, as well as areas such as those mentioned above that I would like to improve. Bibliography Belbin, M., 2010. Management teams: why they succeed or fail. 3rd ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Cooney, A., 1999. Reflection demystified: answering some common questions. British Journal of Nursing. 8(22), 1530-1534. Dubrin, A.J., 2011. Essentials of management. Andover: Cengage Learning. Gibbs, G., 1998. Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning. London: FEU. Klarsfeld, A., 2010. International handbook on diversity management at work: country perspectives on diversity and equality. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Rahim, M.A., 2010. Managing conflict in organizations. 4th rev. ed.   Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers. Tuckman, B., 1965. Development sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin. 63, 384-399. Word count: 2609.

How Putonghua Is Used in Mainland China

How Putonghua Is Used in Mainland China Mandarin Chinese is known by many names. In the United Nations, it is known simply as Chinese. In Taiwan, it is called Ã¥Å"‹è ªÅ¾ / å› ½Ã¨ ¯ ­ (guà ³ yÇ”), which means national language. In Singapore, it is known as è  ¯Ã¨ ªÅ¾ / Ã¥ Å½Ã¨ ¯ ­ (hu yÇ”), which means Chinese language. And in China, it is called æ™ ®Ã©â‚¬Å¡Ã¨ © ± / æ™ ®Ã©â‚¬Å¡Ã¨ ¯  (pÇ” tÃ… ng hu), which translates to common language.   Different Names Over Time Historically, Mandarin Chinese was called Ã¥ ®ËœÃ¨ © ±/Ã¥ ®ËœÃ¨ ¯  (guÄ n hu), meaning speech of officials, by the Chinese people. The English word mandarin meaning bureaucrat, is derived from Portuguese. The Portuguese word for bureaucratic official was mandarim, so they referred to Ã¥ ®ËœÃ¨ © ±/Ã¥ ®ËœÃ¨ ¯  (guÄ n hu) as the language of the mandarims, or mandarim for short. The final m was converted to an n in the English version of this name. Under the Qing Dynasty (æ ¸â€¦Ã¦Å"  - QÄ «ng Cho), Mandarin was the official language of the Imperial Court and was known as Ã¥Å"‹è ªÅ¾ / å› ½Ã¨ ¯ ­ (guà ³ yÇ”). Since Beijing was the capital of the Qing Dynasty, Mandarin pronunciations are based on the Beijing dialect. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, the new Peoples Republic of China (Mainland China) became more strict about having a standardized common language to improve communication and literacy across rural and urban areas. Thus, the name of Chinas official language was rebranded. Instead of calling it national language, Mandarin was now called common language, or æ™ ®Ã©â‚¬Å¡Ã¨ © ± / æ™ ®Ã©â‚¬Å¡Ã¨ ¯  (pÇ” tÃ… ng hu), starting in 1955. Putonghua as Common Speech PÇ” tÃ… ng hu is the official language of The Peoples Republic of China (Mainland China). But pÇ” tÃ… ng hu is not the only language spoken in China. There are five major language families with a total of up to 250 distinct languages or dialects. This wide divergence intensifies the need for a unifying language that is understood by all Chinese people. Historically, the written language was the unifying source of many of the Chinese languages, since Chinese characters have the same meaning wherever they are used, even though they may be pronounced differently in different regions. The use of a commonly spoken language has been promoted since the rise of the Peoples Republic of China, which established pÇ” tÃ… ng hu as the language of education throughout the Chinese territory. Putonghua in Hong Kong Macau Cantonese is the official language of both Hong Kong and Macau and is the language spoken by the majority of the population. Since the ceding of these territories (Hong Kong from Britain and Macau from Portugal) to the Peoples Republic of China, pÇ” tÃ… ng hu has been used as the language of communication between the territories and the PRC. The PRC is promoting greater use of pÇ”tÃ… nghu in Hong Kong and Macau by training teachers and other officials. Putonghua in Taiwan The outcome of the Chinese Civil War (1927-1950) saw the Kuomintang (KMT or Chinese Nationalist Party) retreat from Mainland China to the nearby island of Taiwan. Mainland China, under the Maos Peoples Republic of China, saw changes in language policy. Such changes included the introduction of simplified Chinese characters and the official use of the name pÇ” tÃ… ng hu. Meanwhile, the KMT in Taiwan retained the use of traditional Chinese characters, and the name guà ³ yÇ” continued to be used for the official language. Both practices continue up to the present time. Traditional Chinese characters are also used in Hong Kong, Macau, and many overseas Chinese communities. Putonghua Features PÇ”tÃ… nghu has four distinct tones which are used to differentiate homophones. For example, the syllable ma can have four distinct meanings depending on the tone. The grammar of pÇ” tÃ… ng hu is relatively simple when compared with many European languages. There are no tenses or verb agreements, and the basic sentence structure is subject-verb-object. The use of untranslated particles for clarification and a temporal location is one of the features that make pÇ” tÃ… ng hu challenging for second-language learners.

Reflection on Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reflection on Ethics - Essay Example This automatically creates an ethical dilemma: if Mark does not buy his girlfriend a present, she will be disappointed in him. On the other hand, if he buys, she will be happy but not for long as she might learn about the incident and rebuke him. Mark will also live in guilt and at its worst; it might metamorphose to a nasty police case. In the health sector, there are ethical problems. Everyone knows the problems that arise with medical techniques such as artificial insemination, organ transplants, plastic surgeries and other techniques. In most cases, when faced by moral dilemmas, people may apply existing guidelines, for instance those passed by an ethics committee, an existing statement of policy or â€Å"common sense," â€Å"rules of behavior† or mostly â€Å"the way things are done† (Leer 206). What we apply to solve ethical dilemmas is not considered in many cases, what matters are the paths which we will take to solve those problems. More often than not, our environment plays a major role on our standards. This environment includes our families, culture and our own internal reflection. Culture comprises of religion, customs, etc. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with questions of morality. This branch has instinctively played a major role in our decisions. Based on the philosophy, there are models of moral theories which exist. However, moral theories such as the right theory (moral rights), utilitarianism and theory of justice are of more influence on our lives. The right theory considers the respect to be accorded to every individual member of the society as well as their fundamental and basic rights. However, critics of this theory say that it does not take responsibility of the costs and benefits of getting respect for another’s right. Hence, most people tend to say that â€Å"your rights end where mine begin." This loophole does not make this theory very appealing. The individuals who subscribe to the theory of justice as their moral