Perceptual Map Marketing Essay

The purpose of this document is to illustrate the information contained within the Perceptual Map Marketing simulation and relate to it’s information as practical and important. Contained in the simulation were three phases, each of significant importance. We will include in this document the situation, the recommended solutions and the results. We will discuss the multiple marketing aspects that were revealed within the simulation and we will attempt to create satisfactory responses to the various questions which arise out of the relationships between differentiation and positioning of products or services and what the impact of the product life cycle on marketing is. It is the hope that after reading this document there will be a clear concept of what the results of this simulation were and how they are applicable to the paper’s mission. All good things have a story and Cruiser Thorr was no exception. We learned about the meaning behind the bike. The simulation showed how to create and use a perceptual map using the bike as a primary example. When using the Perceptual Map it then became clearly more evident which direction the marketing goals should take to carry on it’s back the heart and soul of the Morotcycle brand. In selling thousands of motorcycles a year the Thorr Motocycle company has created a client base capable of supporting their imense variety of choice that is given to the consumer. Everything from the type of engine to how many people can ride the bike. They sell accessories such as protective gear, clothing and even little models for children. The services they offer to their customers are that you would expect from a first rate bike shop. Our task is to set up a positioning strategy, a perceptual map and create the parameters that will become vital to the product as it will be the customers only information before making a major purchase. For decades now the industry of motorized bikes have been on the ries. Even with this evident truth backed by consumer research the top selling item that Thorr Motorcycles is creating seems to be dwindeling. The logical conclusion that we are coming to to is that their target customers are in the decades of their 30s till almost 60s and through the proccess of life seem to have lost interests in what Thorr stands for. No longer are these men rebels or out to â€Å"be wild† as Steppenwolf would say. Any consumers who are younger are simply not capable of affording the high price tag associated with a Thorr bike which ranges in the high 20 to low 30 thousand dollar range. Younger riders are more apt to buy less expensive, quicker riding bikes that are the exact opposite of the image that Thorr stands for. We are going to solidify Cruiser thorr’s postion in the market by creating it’s Perceptual map. There are four basic parameters that are relevant to the entire scheme of biking industry which reflect the highest chances for Cruiser Thorr’s survival. These are the four parameters: lifestyle image, product design and styling, service offerings, and price. The selection of lifestyle image is almost a no brainer as it is the backbone of the Cruiser Thorr’s previous success. The entire bike’s thriving record is built upon a reputation that having their bike is a status symbol. The same reason that people buy Starbucks instead of simply brewing their own coffee at home. Unlike other industries, transportation specfically speaks to the identity of the person who has the item. They will spend much of their time utilizing their vehicle. In no vehicle type is this more relevant than in bikes where people will see the bike and there will be no windows, walls, or doors hiding the rider from the world. Everyone will see who the rder is and that is why Product Design nd Styling are so vital to it’s success. The bike and the rider are one. Man and machine moving along the pavement together. The service offerings are probably the most second important aspect to a vehicle other than the price. Maintanence and such can get very expensive very quickly. Assuring that you are taking care of you customers and looking out for their well being is primary in the grand scheme of all things. At the end of the thought of course is always the most important aspect. Cost and price. The price is affected by many, many things. Among these things is engineering, construction, materials, labor, transport of the bike itself. The whole purpose for this bike’s creation is ot make money. To make money you must have a clear marketing plan. Due to this obvious fact we have restructured Cruiser Thorr and decided to not create a new bike. It is imperative to keep the Cruiser Thorr in production if Thorr is going to keep making motorcycles. It is the bike that has built their empire. It would be as if Levi’s stopped selling 501 Jeans. We instead create a financing option that gives the consumers with less money an opportunity to own a Cruiser Thorr. With increased service options will be able to make rational sense of the high price that we will be able to keep at the same price. For advertising it would probably be a good idea to put some endorsements in race tracks, hook up with a popular drink brand like MONSTER and maybe make a â€Å"Monster Bike† that can ride around. We can also take a page out of the GM book and put our bikes into movies and on television for product placement. The current straegy is based on price, product, location, current pomotions and services offered. With the goal of repositioning the product in an attempt to remove the competions hold on the market because we will move the parameters into concurrent thought forms and proccesses making us and our strategies the same as the competition. We know that there are four key factors that are represented by stages in a products life cycle that are important for the marketing officer to know and understand. The four stages: introduction, growth, maturity and decline. Once a product reaches the stage of it’s full maturity it is time to revisit it with the hope of making improvements. If this is not done the product will very quickly enter the declining stages of it’s life cycle. This is the reason that Cruiser Thorr started to drop it’s sales figure. Their product had reached it’s maturity. Their current customers were old and any knew ones had no idea what Cruiser Thorr, the brand, stood for. For this reason we had to reinven and improve their bikes. It was necessary to compete. It is the hope that we have together reached and addressed the various key points necessary to form a graps of the information that was provided. We have described the three major phases in the simulation. The situation and the recommended solutions have been addressed along with what our results were. We have talked about the different marketing aspects and answered the different question sthat were arisen between the relationships of differentiation and positioning for each of the products and services and it’s impact. It was the desire of I to create a solid understanding of the purpose and use of Perceptual Maps in Marketing. References All information was taken from the Perceptual Map Marketing Simulation provided on the University of Phoenix website.

Pre Marital Sex

There is no longer any stigma attached to pre-marital sex in our society. Pop stars do it, sports stars do it, and politicians do it. Teens nowadays too tend to have this perception that sex before marriage is acceptable and would not even bother the consequences of it. Yet, it is still a big NO to every human as it violates this inner reality, because unmarried people thereby engage in a life-uniting act without a life-uniting intent. Some of the couples who deeply fall in love with each other are willing to do anything just to be together with their own partner without thinking twice, just like what Tom and Barbara did.The worse thing is their intention is only for sexual purposes. Frankly speaking, there are better ways to express your love for someone you’re not married to. Sex is not the only solution to show love to your spouse. Besides that, sex is not entertainment. If you’re bored go to the cinema or play a computer game or go for a run – don’t mi suse something as important as sex just for a bit of mindless fun. That would be like hiring a Rolls Royce car just to pick up some shopping – a waste, a misuse of something precious, something that is far more important if used properly.Other people’s bodies are not just toys for us to play with and then discard. They never thought of their after effects on their acts. They may get along together, but it is never guaranteed that they can be ‘happily ever after’. They will be facing problems later on like having difficulties in paying rental fees and daily expenses they still do not have the ability to earn money at this young age. On the other hand, Barbara who takes birth control pills to prevent ovulation still may have the possibility to get pregnant since there is no assurance for it.Not only that, taking birth control pills will cause excessive vaginal bleeding if over dosage, rash, breast tenderness and sexual diseases. Statistics has shown us that 40 percent of women ages 20 to 25 have HPV, which can cause cancer and which, of course, is only one of many sexually transmitted diseases. That means a lot of men and women are spreading potentially deadly diseases and not protecting themselves or others. Her mental health will most likely be affected.They should be wise and focus more on choosing behaviour that respects oneself and one's current and possibly future relationship partners, prospective children, etc. I truly believe that none of us here support premarital sex. Women and men should have a virginity pledge before they get married. True love waits. If a boy or girl truly loves you, they will want the best for you. They will not want you to suffer fear of disease, unwanted pregnancy and the psychological difficulties of premarital sex. They will want to experience love with you only in the very best place of all – the love nest of marriage.

Mystery Stories Sesay Essay

Choose three of the short mystery stories we have studied. In the three you have chosen write about how successful the authors have been in describing the creation of atmosphere, memorable characters and vivid settings. We have been studying four mystery stories, written before 1900. ‘The Beryl Coronet’ ‘The Adventure of the Engineers Thumb’ ‘The Speckled Band’ All written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. ‘The Monkeys Paw’ written by W. W. Jacob’s. Three of the stories feature Sherlock Holmes, the famous Victorian detective solving the case. I have chosen to write about ‘The Monkeys Paw’ ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Adventure of the Engineers Thumb’. All three stories feature memorable uses of atmosphere, characters and setting. The characters play an important part in the mystery stories of setting the mood. In ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Adventure of the Engineers Thumb’ the villain’s and victims are very obvious. In ‘The Speckled Band’ the villain is Dr Grimesby Roylott who is step father to Helen Stoner and her late twin sister Julia Stoner. When Helen Stoner first went to meet Sherlock Holmes she told Holmes about her stepfather Dr Gimesby Roylott. Since the death of the twins mum Dr Grimesby Roylott had changed from an outgoing man who like to exchange visits with neighbours into a man that locked him self in his house and only came out to argue with people. Dr Grimesby Roylott was a violent and angry man ‘He is a man of immense strength, and absolutely uncontrollable in his anger’ Holmes can see this by the marks on Helen Stoners wrist where Dr Grimsby Roylott had grabbed hold of her wrist very tightly. When he was practising in India he killed a man ‘In a fit of anger, however, cause by some robberies which had been perpetrated in the house, he beat his native butler to death, and narrowly escaped a capital sentence’ Dr Grimsby Roylott is capable of killing someone and he would do it again if there was a good enough reason, a reason maybe like inheritance. Helen Stoner believes that Dr Grimesby Roylott has been come an angrier man because of all the time he spent in India. Violence of temper approaching to mania has been hereditary in the men of the family, and in my stepfather’s case it had, I believe, been intensified by his long residence in the tropics’. Helen Stoner is the daughter of Dr Grimesby Roylotts late wife. Helen is a very timid woman who is about to be married. She is very scared of her stepfather because of his anger. Helen is always bailing out Dr Grimesby Roylott when he has money problems. Helen was extremely close to her late twin sister, Julia Stoner. Julia was murdered by her stepfather, Dr Grimsbey Roylott â€Å"she died just two years ago, and it is her death that I wish to speak to you about† Helen was not sure what caused Julia’s death. Helen and her sister Julia didn’t like living with their stepfather, they could not live a normal life he was a very evil man â€Å"you can imagine from what I say that my poor sister Julia and I had no great pleasure I our lives† because of their stepfather and his temper. A very memorable character in two of the stories, â€Å"The Speckled Band† and â€Å"The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb† is Sherlock Holmes. He is memorable in â€Å"The Speckled Band† because he’s not afraid or intimidated by anything. When Dr Grimesby Roylott went to 221B Baker Street to tell Sherlock Holmes to back off and leave his stepdaughter alone, he bent the poker and threw it in to the fire and said â€Å"I am a dangerous man to fall foul of! † and Sherlock also knew Dr Grimesby Roylott had killed before and was capable of doing it again Sherlock just laughed and said â€Å"He seems like a very amiable person†. He didn’t feel threatened of worried about Dr Grimesby Roylott. Sherlock is also a extremely clever man he could tell when Helen got to his rooms how she travelled just by a few spatters of mud on her coat. â€Å"There is no mystery, my dear madam,’ ‘the left arm of your jacket is spattered with mud in no less than seven places’†. He also managed to solve the mystery of Julia’s death and the whistling Helen had been hearing with minimum clues. Sherlock Holmes is a memorable character in â€Å"The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb†, but he isn’t as memorable is this story as he is in â€Å"The Speckled Band† because in â€Å"The Speckled Band† he works out all the clues and solves the mystery but in â€Å"The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb† He is given all the clues he just has to put them all together to get the conclusion. In ‘The Adventure of the Engineers Thumb’ the villain is Colonel Lysander Stark. He is very thin and pale man of middle size. Although he was very thin he was bright eyed and had a brisk step. Colonel Lysander Stark is a sneaky, evil German man. â€Å"Mr Hatherly? † said he, with something of a German accent†. Lysander Stark has killed before â€Å"Fritz! Fritz! She cried in English remember your promise after the last time. You said it should not be again†. Elsie and Lysander Stark know each other very well so Elsie knows his real name, Fritz. Victor Hatherly is the victim he is very weary of Colonel Lysander Stark because when they first met Lysander Stark ask a very weird question â€Å"I have it from the same source that you are both an orphan and a bachelor, and are residing alone in London†. Lysander Stark asked this because then he knew for certain that if anything happened to him no one would know he was missing or even in fact dead. After Lysander Stark had asked this question Victor became increasingly careful of what he said around and to Lysander Stark. Victor Hatherly ignores Elise when she tells him â€Å"I would go. I should not stay here. There is no good for you to do†. Victor ignores Elsie because he needs the money that Lysander Stark is paying him. Victor’s brain is telling him that he shouldn’t be there and that he should go but chooses not to listen to his brain because he wanted the money. But I am of a headstrong nature, and the more ready to engage in an affair when there is some obstacle in my way†. Elise is a very young and weary woman. She is constantly bossed about by Lysander Stark. She is fully aware of what he is capable of and knows what’s going on. She tells Victor to go and get far away from the house because she knows something bad is going to happen. But he doesn’t listen to her so she has to take care of him ‘â€Å"Come! Come! ’ she cried breathlessly. ‘They will be here in a moment. They will see your not there. Oh, do not waste the precious time, but come†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. She is trying to hide victor because she cares for him and doesn’t want to see him be hurt. In â€Å"The Monkeys Paw† there is no obvious villain but you could say that Sergeant Major Morris is the protagonist because he is the one that introduces ‘The Monkeys Paw’ and delivers various warnings that the Whites do not head. â€Å"If you keep it, don’t blame me for what happens. Pitch it on the fire again, like a sensible man† he’s all most guaranteeing that something bad is going to happen because he says that when it does don’t blame him. So he knows ‘The Monkeys Paw’ is not a good thing Mrs White is the one that wants to keep â€Å"The Monkeys Paw† and keep the wishes â€Å"I want it,’ she said quietly. ‘You’ve not destroyed it? ’† She wanted ‘The Monkeys Paw’ so she could get her son back . She thought that if the first wish was granted that the second one would be to â€Å"we had the first wish granted,’ said the old woman, feverishly; ‘why not the second? ’†. She wanted the second wish granted because she wanted to bring her son back from the dead. Mr White just wanted to get rid of â€Å"The Monkeys Paw† because he knew it would only cause trouble and more harm than good â€Å" Good God, are you mad! he exclaimed when Mrs White asked where ‘The Monkeys Paw’ was. He just wanted to get rid of it. Herbert is very sceptical about ‘The Monkeys Paw’ he doesn’t believe that the wishes are true â€Å"how could wishes be granted in these days? And if they could two hundred pounds hurt you, father† he’s saying that wishing for the two hundred pounds could mean that Mr White might have to sacrifice something important to him, which is exactly what happens when Herbert dies and they get the compensation.

Understaning Reliogn Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Understaning Reliogn - Essay Example They all want to be happy and can not think about anything else, but worshiping his planes and waiting for the destiny to be fulfilled. In addition to that, the movement urges people to surrender their activities to the needs of it. Thus, since the locals are not able to directly influence the coming of the planes, the best activity that they could think of was to build the copies of airplanes and airports. Other than that they do not do anything. Finally, by following the rules of the movement, the locals know that they ultimately will have all their desires fulfilled. Indeed, there is no doubt that what this people want the most is material goods: they are in need of good clothes, food, tools and other things that would make their life better. The planes are known to carry all of that. That is why they wait for their paradise. As for the Secular Humanism, one also may say that it should be seen as a religion, according to the view of Paul Tilich. First of all, it represents the ultimate concern of its follows which is to become a happy as well as fully developed human being. In other words, that is the only thing they want in terms of spirituality. No matter how surprising it may see, but Secular Humanism also requires people to surrender to its goals. Unlike the previously mentioned Prince Phillip Movement, it encourages people to carry on the quest of their inner development and try to become a better human being every day. So, surrendering to it does not mean being passive, but being quite active in terms of personal evolution. Finally, Secular Humanism also promises that all the desires of its followers will be fulfilled. There is no doubt that those who position themselves as such want to achieve happiness, a stead moral code and harmony in the world. Secular Humanism is thought to bring all this to the people who follow the path and put genuine effort. Having examined the two examples, one is able to come to a

Final Eassy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Eassy - Essay Example Inside the primary unit of the family, parents are faced with the challenge of juggling children who have acquired the Canadian norms and culture, and desire to maintain their own traditional norms and beliefs. Children born to the immigrants socialize and learn the current cultural norms while the parents are alienated because they cannot let go of their native belief systems (Johnson 342). In addition, Aboriginal families have been denied the opportunity to bring up their children because of programs like residential school programs which forced children to leave their homes hence leading to separation and tearing of the family unit. Italian immigrants are given negative characterization and this has forced the young generation to ignore old norms and beliefs and adopt a Canadian belief system so as to be accepted in the current society. Original subcultures give a family a sense of belonging and enhance the process of socialization through which parents can instill values, beliefs and attitudes of their children. For the aborigines, the government considers their culture non-functional and has had several initiatives to abolish the nomadic system and assimilate them into the big Canadian society. The community's resistance to change has led to isolation and stereotyping, leaving the community in abject poverty in a country that is considered one of the best destinations in the world. Both Italian and aboriginal families are forced to live in poor urban shanties because of lack of acceptance and poverty levels in the Canada. For Italians, the family is a resourceful and dynamic structure that is forced to compromise because of the different demands in the bicultural and bilingual Canadian setting. To adapt the two cultures and survive in Canada, the family is forced to adapt cultural and linguistic aspects and develops a synthetic culture made up of cultural elements from both societies (Colalillo 120) . On the contrary, the Aborigine family has refused to le t go of their traditional cultural systems to maintain their identity. However, they find it hard to maintain their lifestyle and customs because of aggravating poverty and lack of government support. Because of its inability to provide for the basic needs of its members, reports from child welfare society indicates that an estimate of more than 80% of their children being raised in poverty stricken families. Literature indicates Italian immigrant families have experienced alienation that has led to breaking of families, disruptions of family life as laid down by the Italian culture and moved to unfamiliar territories. (Colalillo, 123). On the contrary, Over the years, literature indicates that the aboriginal people have undergone suffering and poverty because of their adamancy to get rid of their nomadic cultural system. In the Canadian society, aborigines are stereotyped and their relationship with other communities is tainted by mutual mistrust and misunderstanding. The Italian f amilies have benefited from a little positive reception as immigrants and therefore their children are able to get basic education. However, the generation and knowledge gap created between these two groups socialized through different systems strains the family set up because of differences in world views. On the contrary, Because of the state of poverty and government alienation, the

Organizational Behavior & Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Organizational Behavior & Leadership - Essay Example Leader B and leader C are senior members of the organization with chances of succeeding Executive A. Executive A is a level five leader. The leadership style integrates features of transformational and transactional leadership styles and focuses on an organization’s long term objectives while shifting focus from the leader. The leader therefore motivates and empowers people to achievement of collective objectives and defines rules to guide people in their designated roles. Rewards or penalty may follow this and integration of features of transformational and transactional leadership may be situational of hybrid. Executive A’s driven and ambitious state identifies transformational features towards inspiration and motivation of followers while his high level focus indicates transactional trait of adherence to guidelines. The leader also shifts focus from him to the organization by attributing success to other leaders. His ability to accept responsibility for mistakes and his role in developing leaders further identifies transformational trait. The executive therefore ha s the traits of a level five leader (Phillips and Gully, 2011). Leader B identifies with transactional leadership style. One of the features of the style is a contingent reward system in which the leaders establishes standards for followers and uses the standard for appraisal and reward. Employees who meet the set standards receive reward while those who do not may either not be rewarded or may be penalized for failure. The leaders also believed in routine operation and does not emphasize on employees’ innovation and growth. From this perspective, performance is based on set instructions and not on an organization’s overall objectives. The leader therefore becomes active when employees deviate from expectations. In leader B’s approach to leadership, clarification of roles to be

Creating a Government Tax on Marijuana Research Paper

Creating a Government Tax on Marijuana - Research Paper Example Its use today is for a combination of medical and religious purposes, but recreational use is no less popular. This is why it would really be beneficial to tax marijuana, as it would bring in a sizeable amount of taxes to the USA and really boost our economy in the present lackluster conditions. Why One Would Support a Government Tax on Marijuana One tends to support a Government Tax on marijuana to legalize its use and make it available to those who want it. There are those who need it for medicinal purposes and it would be cruel to deny them this privilege. For those who are habitual drug users and are addicted to the substance, they would find a way to get it anyway and frequently use criminal avenues to satisfy their needs. By making marijuana legal, the street value would reduce and illegal smuggling would be stopped or greatly reduced. Drug control authorities could then concentrate on rehabilitation rather than on stopping the sources of illegal supply. Drug education is a bet ter way of stopping the menace and should be widely introduced in schools, colleges and universities. By making dealing in commercial quantities a punishable offence this would solve the matter in terms of arresting and incarcerating drug pushers as well. There are two commonly used methods of taxing the citizens of a State or nation. One is by direct taxation in the form of deduction from salaries or other earnings of individuals and corporations. This amount then gets transferred in the accounts and coffers of the IRS. The other is by indirect taxation. In this case, the tax is hidden in the various commodities that we buy and sell that contain marijuana in one form or another. Since there has usually been a huge hue and cry raised over allowing consumption and use of marijuana in the USA for medicinal purposes anyway, the State or Federal Government can allow a minimum threshold of use per month or per year without taxation, and anything above that would be automatically taxed at the decided rates. This would appease the groups of people that use marijuana for medicinal purposes such as in the suppression and control of chronic pain, or for religious and spiritual uses. With the number of people smoking, injecting and inhaling marijuana in its various forms increasing every day, there is a good amount of tax to be earned from it. According to UN estimates, marijuana is the most widely consumed illicit drug in the world. While the Federal Government supports the control and restrictions on marijuana, around 14 States in the USA have allowed the use of marijuana to date. It is worth remembering that was only in the early part of the 20th century that the open and unrestricted use of marijuana was challenged and made illegal. Even so, countries like Spain, Canada, Austria and the Netherlands have legalized a certain amount of marijuana for personal and medicinal use. In fact, there is an argument that production of hemp in large quantities was outlawed because it was a cheap substitute for paper and nylon. It would have ruined the business plans of DuPont, the inventor of nylon and affected the fortunes of William Randolph Hearst, who had invested millions in the wood industry (Wishnia, 3). The Case against Legalization The debate as to whether the use of marijuana should be legalized or not is far from over. Among the reasons opposing legalization of this drug are its known harmful effects. For instance, it has been documented that the use of mariju

Software engineering Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Software engineering - Assignment Example Manager will hold administrative rights and will only be generating administrative orders. The designed software will minimize the need of paper work at the company. A centralized database will be deployed which will remove many issues such as maintaining records twice or inconsistent data. Through database techniques such as transaction roll back, recovery and cascade delete/update, the system will always contain updated and valid data. RUP alongwith UML has been used to design the software. RUP is based on UML and it ensures the production of a high quality software which meets the need of the clients and the users within the alloted time and budget. Part 1 – Development Plan 1. ... Analysis and Design: Analyze and design the system to be a feasible solution -Economic feasibility: The system should be designed within the allotted budget and time -Operational feasibility: The transactions are secure and cannot be tampered. The transactions can be rolled back, in case of a return back of an order. -Technical feasibility: Software, hardware and network issues should be as less as possible. 3. Implementation: Follow Best Practices 4. Testing: Develop Test cases and test the system against the following features: -Functionality: Does it provide the correct functionality? -Reliability: Is the system free of defects and fault tolerant? -Performance: Is the system’s flow smooth enough to be run easily as a daily process? 5. Deployment: -Deploy the system -Provide user manual for the system -Release Documentation for further maintenance of the system -Develop training sessions Part 2 – Use Case Model Create a Ticket: Usecase Create a Ticket Actor Salesperso n Purpose Enter Details about a Product Overview Whenever a new product is taken to the store, a new ticket will be created for the product in which its details will be listed. These tickets will help the customers in instant shopping. Type Primary Cross Reference A new product with no ticket must exist in the stock Actor Action System Response 1. Click on create ticker Return a ticket interface 2. Fill details and enter Save Validate details and show confirmation message Check Price: Usecase Check Price Actor Salesperson Purpose Check the price of an item using the ticket Overview On the request of a customer, any item’s price can be checked through the system immediately using the tickets Type Primary Cross Reference Create a Ticket Actor Action System Response 1. Open Ticket Return the details

Diversity, Equity, and Standards Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diversity, Equity, and Standards - Assignment Example Some of those black Americans imbued with leadership skills struggled hard to find their place under the American system (Gilbrich, 1999). Booker T. Washington became the first African-American to attend higher education in America but endured hardships to complete his education (Gilbrich, 1999). W. E. B. DuBois was the first to gain a doctorate degree and organized the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It was Mary McCleod Bethune who started advocated that native American women should avail education for employment and opportunities (Gilbrich, 1999). In 1904, she founded the first African-American school for women in Florida which was later named as the Bethune-Cookman College (Gilbrich, 1999). The founder also later became a presidential consultant on education and racial matter under Pres. Franklin Roosevelt (Gilbrich, 1999). These humble beginning encouraged the natives to get out from their reservations to learn albeit poor effort, at that time, of the government to integrate the traditional and cultural beliefs of the tribes (Gilbrich, 1999). ... The question of identity became a post-education concern too. As American education evolved, authorities have reconsidered the significance of providing education for native American in recognition of societal diversity and appreciation of multi-ethnic culture. The government take serious responsibility on early childhood learning program, kindergarten classes, elementary and secondary education. Scholarship is provided to American natives specially those who lacked the financial capacity to enrol for higher education. Scholarship, grants and federals student financial aid were offered for college education (Department of Education, 2012). Tribal scholarship otherwise known as local scholarship could also be availed. Many Native American nowadays are able compete with the rest of the white community in business management, in governance, in leadership, and in music or arts industry (Department of Education, 2012). State education reforms are also undertaken under the administration o f President Barack Obama, the re-elected executive who hailed from the black community of Africa. But more reforms are yet to be done. Its however appreciated that although there remains some disparity in the state comparative result of the NAEP using White-Black-based data segregation (e.g. as cited in the average mathematics scale score sorted by race/ethnicity to report trends in Grade 12 of public school as of 2009) of statistics but the average difference of scale score is not quite reasonable to conclude that there is indeed racial discrimination in the access and enjoyment of education (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012; NAEP, 2012). The curriculum in elementary and high schools is subject to the budget and strategic

Strategic Marketing Managment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Strategic Marketing Managment - Case Study Example One of the major competitors of Reebok that is Adidas was already offering technologically superior footwear, while the other competitor that is Nike was offering shoes that guaranteed superior athletic performance (Hines & Bruce, 2007, p. 307). So long, Reebok had been struggling hard to carve out a space for itself amidst these two arch rivals. Besides, it also desired to increase its market share. Prior to this positioning strategy, the competitive strategy of Reebok was mainly focused on offering the lowest prices (Hines & Bruce, 2007, p. 308). It offered significant discounts to the retailers opting to sell Reebok products. However, the flip side of this strategy was that it not only curtailed the revenues at Reebok, but also made Reebok seem a cheaper brand as compared to Adidas and Nike (Hines & Bruce, 2007, p. 308). However, the new positioning offered to the consumers, something that they could relate to. Besides, it is utterly difficult for Nike and Adidas to venture into t his new position affiliated to lifestyle branding, without compromising their stakes in the market segments they already specialize in. Finally, Reebok has found a place for itself in the footwear market, in which it can dare to be the best. This strategy allows Reebok to consolidate its stakes in the lifestyle shoe discipline, while retaining adequate share in the athletic shoe segment (Kotler, 2003). It also allows Reebok the first entrant advantage, thus enabling it to keep on improving its superiority in the lifestyle shoe market, before Nike and Adidas chose to foray into this segment (Kotler, 2003). It also adds to the profitability of Reebok, thereby enabling it to further strengthen its position in the athletic and performance shoe segment (Kotler, 2003). 2: The success of Reebok was assured by its acumen in understanding well in time that the professional athletes comprised only a very small segment of the customers opting to buy sport shoes (Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns, 2007: Online). The major bulk of the sportswear customers comprised of the young men and women who preferred athletic shoes as street wear and demanded comfort and style from the sports shoes they purchased. These casual wearers comprised the largest customer segment in the sports shoes market, responsible for more than 80 percent of the sales (Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns, 2007: Online). While Nike and Adidas worked hard at being perceived by the propitious customers as being the sellers of cutting edge sports shoes, Reebok knew well that technological superiority was certainly not its forte. In the current scenario, Reebok is targeting young, sports minded males, who perceive their casual wear to be a projection of their young and sporty persona. This segment is not only the largest customer segment in the market under consideration, but also tends to be more loyal and relatively easier to approach through advertising campaigns and event sponsorship. Right now, Reebok is emphatically focusing on targeting and converting the young people having a taste for sports and desirous of reflecting their athletic temperament in their casual wear. Not to say, Reebok has accrued immense success in this endeavor. 3: Reebok’s strategy of creating new brands to target new markets and launching special collections under new brand names is a sound brand strategy considering the fact that Reebok primarily associates itself

Case Study#5 Let the Committee Decide Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

#5 Let the Committee Decide - Case Study Example However, in any learning institution the decisions are vital since they impact the learners, teachers and community (P.2, L.24). Principals, often don’t advocate the model since it leaves only a few people within the school committee with the power to make decisions that affect the entire administration. According to them, this initiative directly undermines the principles administrative role, limits creativity and general commitment. Possible perceived advantages of dividing administrative functions into organizational units include: allowing for more targeted governance within the organizational divisions. The division of responsibilities will guarantee accountability and efficiency in administrative roles. As well as provide an opportunity in measuring individual performance of the appointed management. The cons of dividing administrative funding include less self-sustainability - in that smaller sections often tend to face challenges in regards to human and natural resource available to carry out the organizational tasks. Since, they are still dependent on the central body for regular funds and resources. They are also known to affect the unity since some of the management, divisions and distributions of resources choices are bias, and this will ultimately affect unity and lead to in fights. The perceived advantages of committee panel making administrative decisions include the commonly identified aspect of automatically gaining access to the accumulative group knowledge which results in an advantage to the organization. In addition, it makes the decisions more professional and due to its participative nature can contribute to the general satisfaction of the teachers. On the other hand, the perceived disadvantages with using committees for decision making include. The members tend to shift towards extreme or exaggerated decisions, in that person acting as a committee often seem to make decisions that individuals

Training and Development of Employees Essay Example for Free

Training and Development of Employees Essay Bahria University Karachi Campus Human Resource Development (HRD) Questionnaire Respondent’s Name: ________ ___________________ Organization: __________________________Division/Department: ___________________ Position/Designation: ____________________ Date: ______________________ Instructions a) Please fill out the questionnaire and kindly check ( the appropriate box where it deemed necessary b) In advance we are highly indebted for your full cooperation and professional support in filling out this questionnaire Q.1 Could you please cost some light, on the profile of both the Parent and Subsidiary Company? [pic][pic] Q.2 In HRD it is important to carry out, Strategic / Organization analysis in this context Could you please tell us in the analysis that how do you identify the following? a. Organization’s goals b. Organization’s resources c. Organization’s climate d. Environmental constraints Please elaborate. [pic][pic] Q.3) It is imperative for the HRD Specialists to undertake important activity like assessing the HRD†s need in the Organization. By using various methods kindly explain what is the situation in your Organization? Please provide the details. [pic][pic] Q.4) Do you think that the HRD†s need assessment is yielding the requisite results? Yes(No (In either case please provide the details [pic][pic] Q.5) In designing the effective HRD programs/ interventions do you need the following activities among others? 1. Define the objectives of the HRD intervention. 2. The â€Å"Make-Versus-Buy† Decisions related to the HRD programs. 3. Selecting the trainer. 4. Preparing a lesson program 5. Selecting training methods and media. 6. Preparing training materials. 7. Scheduling and HRD program. Kindly provide your perspectives briefly on the above sighted HRD designing programs within from a to e. a)._____________ b)._______________ c).__________________ d)._______________ e).________________ f)._____________________ g)._______________ Q.6 Are you content with designing effective HRD programs in your Organization? Check the appropriate Box Yes(No (In either case please provide the details [pic][pic] Q.7 There are various methods to deliver the training namely. a. On Job Training. b. Job Rotation. c. The Lecture Approach. d. Discussion Methods. e. Experiential Methods. f. Self Based/ Computer Based Methods. Could you please tell us which method is preferred in your Organization and why. Kindly elaborate. [pic][pic] Q.8 The MNC†s do realize the fact that to implement the HRD programs Physical environments do carry high weightage. Kindly tell us your perspective on this aspect and provide us details. [pic][pic] Q.9 Could you please tell us do you carry out the evaluation of HRD programs and how often in terms of its frequency? Please provide the details. [pic][pic] Q.10 The most popular and influential framework provided by Kirkpatrick’s Evaluation Framework advocated four criteria’s namely. a). Reaction (level 1) b). Learning (level 2) c). Job Behavior (level 3) d).Results (level 4) Are you using the same set of framework? Yes(No ( If answer is â€Å"No† please provide the details which evaluation model your organization is using and consequently its satisfaction level. Please provide details [pic][pic] Q.11 Do you use coaching to improve poor performance? Check the appropriate Box Yes(No (In either case please provide the details. [pic][pic] Q.12 In your perspective what skills are necessary for effective coaching? a).__________________ b).__________________ c).__________________ [pic][pic] Q.13 It is common to witness that MNC†s has a system in place which governs the employees assistance programs. Do you have such program? Please provide the list and comment on its effectiveness. [pic][pic] Q.14 HRD covers the areas of Career Management and Career Development what programs and activities do you have in this context. Please provide the list. Are you satisfied with the current Career Management and Career Development? Yes(No (In either case please provide the details. [pic][pic] Q.15 HRD Specialist also serves as a change agent and actively participates in designing and implements the intervention strategies in the organization. Kindly tell us what the situation in your organization is. [pic][pic] Before we depart, we once again extend our sincere thanks for enlightening us with your invaluable inputs and insights. Finally, if you have any comments/observations which you think is critical for our assignment, please provide the details [pic][pic] Interviewers: 1. _______________________________ 2.__________________________ 3. _______________________________ Bahria University Karachi Campus

Development of Child Minding Business: Activity Planning

Development of Child Minding Business: Activity Planning Unit Two Part One – Documentation for a child minding business Clear documentation is essential, as it is an area that receives inspection from Ofsted. Ofsted is the independent regulatory body for schools (including child care providers delivering the early years foundation stage curriculum) that reports directly to the government. The documentation you need for a child minding business are as follows: Criminal records bureau check (CRB)- this will check a person for any criminal records or convictions that may be held against their name. CRB is the first piece of documentation that should be filed in the documentation toolkit. A CRB check is necessary for any adult that will be caring for children within the childcare setting. Child record form- this provides a snapshot of crucial information relating to the child being cared for and will be the first form accessed in the case of an emergency. This form should include, child’s name, D.O.B, address, parent/carers address and contact details, child’s doctors names and contact details, 2 emergency contacts, medical history, immunisations, allergies, dietary requirements, medical conditions, religion (if appropriate) and any other relevant information. Child information record book- this is an essential piece of documentary evidence required by Ofsted, it documents daily the various activities a child has carried out, food they have eaten, number of nappies changes (if applicable) and any other relevant information relating to the child that occurs during the day. The book is usually taken home daily or weekly by the parent so they can see what activities their child has been engaging in during the day and what learning has taken place. The record book can also act as a means of communication for non-urgent items between the parent and child care provider. Childcare agreement forms- this provides the contract between the parent and the childcare provider. The child care agreement sets out essential information such as the child’s contact details, parent/guardian information, start date, hours and days the child will be attending, details of collection from the setting and fee information (including any retainer fees that may be payable). Accident record and incident forms- the accident form gives a detailed account off the accident that has occurred, where it happened, names of any adults who witnessed the accident, type of first aid that was given at the time (if applicable), this should also include the date, name and signature of the person who completed the form. It should also contain a section for the child’s parent to sign to confirm that they have read the report and are aware of the accident. The incident form is very similar to the accident form, it is used to give details of anything that may result in the child becoming upset and distressed ex, a child may be playing with a family cat and be scratched. The incident form is to be completed and signed the same as the accident form and read and signed by the parent. Existing injuries form- an existing injuries form is used to document any injuries, (bruise or cut) which a child may arrive with. Both the childcare provider and the parent should sign the form. These could be completed in the setting before the session starts or issued to parents in advanced. Fire and safety form- this is used to give details if the correct evacuation process from the setting in case of a fire breaking out. All children being cared for should be regularly exposed to a practice fire drill the dates of the drill and children involved should be documented, dated and signed in the fire safety form. Vehicle records and parent permission to travel in a vehicle- this form should contain information regarding registered and insured vehicles that are to be used for the purpose of childcare. These vehicles should have appropriate insurance cover and documentation about who is insured and registered to dive the children around. As well as the vehicle record, it is necessary to obtain a signed form from a parent giving permission for their child to be transported in their childcare provision registered vehicles. This could be for regular trips t a playgroup, the park or an organised outing. Prescription and non-prescription medical record card- this can either be incorporated into the child’s record or detailed separately. It should contain information on prescription and non-prescription medicines the child may need administered by the childcare provider. It should detail the name of the drug, dose and frequency it should be administered. The childcare provision should obtain written permission from the parent for each drug to be given to their child. Each time it is administered it should be recorded in the form. This procedure should also be carried out for non-prescription medication that a child requires, as agreed with the parent. The parent should also detail under what circumstances the medication should be given. Outings and consent forms- there are 2 different typed of consent forms that may be required for documenting small trips and pre-planned larger scale trips. A form including clauses that detail the types of outings a child can go on can be used; this form could include permission statements for trips on public transport, foot, carer’s cars or any other car (e.g. carers friends car). This form should be signed by the parent and kept in the child’s file. In addition to this form a separate form may be required for larger outings, or for those that may require financial contribution from the parent. Financial forms- record of payment, invoice, receipt- as well as the collection of forms already discussed, there are three necessary financial forms for recording financial details relating to the home child care business. Record of payment of fees- used to record fee payments by the parent. The childcare provider signs to say that the payments by the parent have been received. There may be occasions when a receipt is used for other purposes, educational products purchased from the childcare provider. Record of complaint- any complaints may be required to be shared with parents, Ofsted and possibly other agencies. Therefore, it is extremely important that the complaints form is completed accurately, and as soon after the complaint is made so the information is accurate. The next section should contain details of the complaint in full. The following sections should go on to detail how the complaint was dealt with, along with any action that was taken. The child provider should ten sign and date the form. Depending on the nature of complaint, it might be necessary to refer it to Ofsted, particularly if an allegation f serious harm or abuse is made. Part Two – Activities that stimulate children developmentally Play is an essential part of a child development, and there are many activities that can be done to enhance the development of a child, intellectually, socially and physically. Depending on the space available, there are various different options for incorporating physical development activities into a child’s day; for example, skipping is a good physical development activity as it encourages co-ordination and strength. Physical development activities also help to promote a healthy living and exercise. Physical development also helps to develop a child’s gross-motor skills; gross-motor skills refer to the big physical movements made by a child or baby, such as crawling, rolling and walking. Additional activities that enhance physical development of gross-motor skills are throwing or catching a ball; this develops hand eye co-ordination, riding a bike; this helps to develop balance skills, and hopscotch; this helps to develop jumping and counting skills. Fine-motor skills involve dexterity and fine control of muscle movements such as, writing, drawing, using a knife and fork and doing up clothing. Fine-motor skills require a child to use precise and well-controlled movements; there are many activities that can be used to develop these skills such as a dressing up box. There is a wide range of multi-sensory toys to develop a baby’s fine-motor skills from around 9months. Toys that can be squeezed to make a noise, or finger foods are ideal for a baby’s hand eye co-ordination. At about 12months, a baby will love to drop objects such as toys. An excellent toy to have is a shape sorter; babies love the bright colours and will love the sound of the shapes dropping into the sorter. Fine-motor skills are used as the baby picked up each shape, determines where it goes and turning it until it drops into the sorter. For toddlers up to about 24months, the range of fine-motor skill activities changes. A brilliant addition to the home or setting is a dressing up box. Toddlers enjoy dressing and undressing; and a dressing up box helps to encourage fine-motor skills with the various fastenings that the toddler may encounter on the clothing such as zips and buttons, it also encourages creativity. Painting, drawing and colouring are also excellent ways to develop toddler’s fine-motor skills. Multi-sensory baby books are a great aid for developing a baby intellectually. There are lots of picture books in the market that have mirrors, crinkly fabric etc. that babies love to touch when being read stories. Music, singing and colourful, noisy toys all provide brilliant stimulation for a baby’s intellectual development. For toddlers there is a wide range of activities that can be used to stimulate intellectual development. Card games such as pairs are very popular, as are board games such as connect four and dominoes. These are excellent for developing numeracy skills. Toddlers have very inquisitive minds and there are intellectual learning opportunities around every corner during the day-to-day activities that can be promoted by questioning, such as â€Å"what do you think we do next†. Role-play is an excellent way to develop social skills in a safe environment, children can explore different roles in different settings; for example, a post office could be set up where children have to interact with each other as customer and staff. Again here, this task is very closely matched to the study guide. Please amend this task and ensure that you are writing in your own words. Task three- Draft food health and safety policy All employees, paid or voluntary, who handle food, have a responsibility to: Maintain a high standard of personal hygiene Refrain from handling food when they or anyone at home are suffering from an infectious disease such as; diarrhoea, throat infection or rashes Adhere to the settings health and safety policy Report any shortcomings to the appropriate person, e.g. Faulty or damaged storage, preparation and service equipment Principles of handling food: All foods must be checked to ensure they are of the quality, substance and temperature required and that they are within there use-by dates All foods must be stored under conditions that will prevent their deterioration, instructions on the label, if present, must be followed Keep it clean-keep it cool- keep it covered: Food and food only, must be stored in areas designated specifically for that purpose (refrigerators, cupboards etc.) Saucepan handles should not overhang the stove or worktop edges Any food or liquid spillage must be cleaned up immediately When cooking food, recipes or packet instructions must be followed Food not eaten at the meal it was prepared/given must not be kept or offered at a later time Signs of any type of pest infection must be reported immediately Principle of safely using equipment in food areas: All electrical equipment must be switched off and the plug removed from the power source when it is being cleaned or not in use Refrigerators, freezers and other types of temperature control equipment must be routinely checked to ensure there effectiveness All equipment must be according to manufacturer’s instructions Doors and lids of equipment in use should fit securely Hob burners, grills, ovens etc. must always be turned off when not in use All cooking equipment should be checked when in use to ensure that it is functioning correctly. Any slight electrical shock received from the equipment must be reported immediately All equipment and working surfaces must be kept in a clean and hygienic condition Cleaning chemicals should be used at the prescribed dilution rate Task four- Travel plan Amount of children attending: 3 Destination: 100acre woods Date of trip: 3rd September 2014 Time of departure: 09.15am Time of return: 12.15pm Permission slips received: 3 Travelling via car Ensure full tank of petrol Ensure car is correctly insured Ensure child locks are enabled Ensure breakdown cover Ensure permission slips and informed of any child likely to attempt to take off their seatbelt Ensure all children have suitable clothing e.g. rain coat Ensure there is a first aid kit in car and any medication that may be needed Joshua’s inhaler Ensure there are snacks and plenty to drink Ensure risk assessment has been carried out before organising the trip -low risk

Essential Factors Considered In Hr Practices Commerce Essay

Essential Factors Considered In Hr Practices Commerce Essay Human resource management (HRM) is known and accepted in the broadest sense of the term, as a form of management that includes all management decisions and actions that affect the nature of the relationship between the organisation and the employees its human resources (Beer et al., 1984, p. 1). As can be observed based on the definition, the tasks of those belonging in HRM can be complex as it involves all issues that encompasses employee and firm relationship. Believing that the most important asset of a business is the people in order to achieve sustained business success is the core philosophy of human resource management (HRM), and realising this leads to a strategic management of people within the organisation. The effective management of human resources is increasingly being recognised as a major determinant of success or failure in international business (Tung, 1998), in practice many organisations are still coming to terms with the human resources issues associated with international operations (Ferner, 1997). In the international arena, the quality of management seems to be even more critical than in domestic operations (Tung, 1998). This is primarily because the nature of international business operations involves the complexities of operating in different countries and employing different national categories of workers (Morgan, 1986). The field of international human resource management, however, is only slowly developing as a field of academic study and has been described by one authority as being in the infancy stage (Laurent, 1986). Primarily, the main goal of this paper is to provide insightful details regarding the concept of the international human resource management in relation to a multinational company like Honda. In addition, this paper will discuss some factors that must be considered when managing people in the international environment. This paper will focus in three areas: The Organisational Structure in the Context of Globalisation, Global Leadership in a Global Environment and Transferral of Employees Internationally. Company Profile Honda is the worlds largest manufacturer of engines, ranging from tiny single-cylinder lawn trimmers to the mighty V-10 engines of Formula 1 racing. Honda Motor CO., Ltd. is considered as a limited liability and a joint stock corporation which was incorporated on September 24, 1948 under the Commercial Code of Japan known as Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha. The company was formed to the firms of an unincorporated business founded in 1946 by the late Soichiro Honda, to produce or manufacture motors for motorised bicycles. Honda was unusual in having already created an industrial model by the time it entered the automobile industry. Twelve years after it was founded in 1948, Honda had become the worlds largest motorcycle manufacturer, on the basis of a strategy which focused on product innovation and production flexibility and on the mass production of products which had in effect opened new market segments. The firms success owed much to the mechanical and commercial imagination of Soich iro Honda himself. His associate, Takeo Fujisawa, who was in charge of the organisation and its finances, had been concerned from the start to find the resources needed to overcome the difficulties inherent in this profit strategy. Industrial models which are to be consistent with part of a strategy of flexibility and innovation must therefore give the firm the resources to counter these risks or reduce their impact. By 1967 Honda had become a proper car manufacturer. It opted for an innovative automobile niche and exportation in order to create a place for itself among Japanese producers. It marketed a mini front-wheel-drive car with a small but powerful air-cooled engine. The models commercial success in Japan propelled Honda into third place behind Toyota and Nissan, with an annual production of 277,000 passenger cars in 1970 (Mair, 1994). Honda became the worlds largest motorcycle producer twelve years after it was founded in 1948. The company entered the automobile industry during the early 1960s. It then grew continuously for three decades, overtaking established automobile producers to rank tenth in the world and become one of Japanese Big Three alongside Toyota and Nissan. During this period Honda developed an image as a different company with an idiosyncratic trajectory led by innovative products. Growth was seriously challenged in the 1990s. Yet by now Honda had deepened and globalises an industrial model of flexible mass production. Accordingly, Honda remained profitable during the 1990s Japanese recession. At the same time the crisis forced a rethink of the product innovation strategy (Freyssenet, 1998). Today, Honda is being regarded as one of the multinational automotive companies operating in different parts of the world. Honda had been able to penetrate the global market including countries in different pa rts of Asia, USA and Europe. Organisational Structures in the Context of Globalisation The true worth of international HRM is becoming more widely understood as IHRM steadily interweaves all aspects of people management and development within the company (Williams, 1995). According to Lipiec (2001), HRM is defined as the process of coordinating an organisations human resources, or employees, to meet organisational goals. Human resource professionals deal with such areas as employee recruitment and selection, performance evaluation, compensation and benefits, professional development, safety and health, forecasting, and labour relations. There are many factors in which multinational companies must consider, and one of these is about giving emphasis to the organisational structure imposed in the globalisation context. A key issue in accomplishing the goals identified in the planning process is structuring the work of the organisation (Zammuto OConnor, 1992). Organisational structure is the formal decision-making framework by which job tasks are divided, grouped, and coo rdinated. The organisational structure of multinational companies is being influenced or affected by the emergence of globalisation. Globalisation is easier to describe than to define. This is because, in its present form and usage, it is a new, complex, dynamic, multidimensional, and worldwide phenomenon, which means different things to different people and different things to the same people across time and space (Rosenhead, 1996). It evokes strong emotions because it is associated, rightly or wrongly, with most of the worlds significant challenges and opportunities (Kiggundu, 2002). As mentioned, one of the Multinational companies that are being challenged by the concept globalisation in terms with organisational structure is Honda. The organisational structure of Honda comprises of board of directors, senior management, different committees on finance, and employees. As of March 31, 2003 the company has been able to employ 126, 900 full time employees which includes approximately 65, 000 l ocal employees employed in international subsidiaries (See Appendix 1). In order to cope with the various influences and effects of globalisation, the management of Honda, has been able to improve and expand its organisation so as to conduct environmental activities on a global scale. The management has improved its organisational structure to achieve their organisational objectives (A sample of organizational structure of one of the subsidiaries of Honda is seen in Appendix 2). One of these objectives is to be able to pursue an environmental conservation programs at all phases of Hondas operations and throughout the lifecycle of Hondas products. In addition, the improved organisational structure is done in order to initiate speedy and flexible measures in managing their internationally diverse employees. In this manner, Honda ensures that the manager that they will hire certainly have the ability to adjust the human resource policies and practices to foreign environments. In the competition for global talent, corporations that are reluctant to consider foreign nationals for top management positions will lose out; the most talented people simply will not join an organisation that holds no promise of promotion (Keeley, 2001). As of March 31, 2003, Honda had 139 Japanese subsidiaries and 173 international subsidiaries (See Appendix 3). As Honda gain more experience they are able to adopt a more global approach to the management of all their operations both domestic and international (Dowling Schuler, 1990). Researchers have long acknowledged that there are differing types of organisational structures that produce differing types of manager-subordinate relationships. Honda try to enhance cross-value capabilities by facilitating dialogue, camp sessions, or brainstorming seminars held out side the workplace, and even drinking sessions (Nonaka Takeuchi, 1995). Organisational structure had a bigger role in the organisational practice of the management of Honda. It has been evidently shown that when the leader had a great strategic plan and whose plan had been vision and delivered well, the company will have a greater probability to succeed. Since, the competition are very high in the market be especially in the global arena, Honda has been able to consider the strategic function of its organisational structure internationally. Global Leadership in a Global Environment Due to the emergence of globalisation and its intense effect to different companies, many of the businesses are trying to cope with this situation and be known not only in the local marketplace but also in the international level. However, operating in the international arena is not that easy because of different factors to consider. When a firm decides to expand its venture to international market, it faces different challenges that need to be given emphasis (Klein, Ettenson Morris, 1998). One of the most important considerations that should be given enough attention by the management of any industry is the management of the human resources and the determination of the international human resource management (IHRM) practice that will be implemented through the global leadership ability. Leadership comprises the aptitude and ability to inspire and influence the thinking, attitudes, and behavior of other people (Adler, 1991; Bass, 1985; Bass and Stogdill, 1989; Bennis and Nanus, 1985 ; Kotter, 1988). Leadership is a process of social influence in which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of other individuals in the achievement of a common task (Chemers, 1997). The achievement of corporate success can only be accomplished by people who have broader knowledge in leadership (Cascio, 1995). In an international marketplace where borderless organisation is quickly becoming the norm, the leaders of Honda has been able to recognise that employees have an increasingly important role in the cultivation of the company achievements. The level of employee involvement in companies has expanded in general and in internationally-oriented corporation, progressive manages must recognise that only through effective management of people can organisations survive (Bartlett Ghoshal, 1989). The concept of international human resources refers to the process procuring, allocating and effectively utilising human resources in an international corporation. The leaders handling IHRM is said to be significant in the attainment and accomplishment of companies in the global scene. IHRM apparently draws the line between a companys endurance and obliteration (Sims, 2002). In line with the global leadership of Honda, the company has been able to utilise a system that would give balance to their imposed international human resource management. One of the leadership ability that Honda, inherited from Soichiro Honda, is his visionary ability. The visionary leadership ability of the leaders of Honda encompasses their ability to eliminate management layers to become visible within the organisation and being active, early participants for future projects and operations. The leaders of the company have been able to be directly involved in every operation and become a powerful role model to their subordinates (Nevis, DiBella Gould, 1995). In addition, the company had been able to utilise the permissive (delegative) or the so called laissez-faire style. In this manner the employees of the company in the international level are permitted to be involved in the decision making process. In this manner, the management implements minimal control or manipulation on t heir employees both local and international. However, the management is still accountable for the final decision to be made. Herein, the opinion and ideas of the Honda employees are being valued by the leader and each employees and staff encompasses different tasks set by the leader. Transferral of Employees Internationally Another factor to consider when managing international human resources is the concept of transferring human resources to international operations. Part of the concept of transferral of employees to international organisation is the recruitment context. Recruiting in the international arena is taken a lot more seriously and given a lot more thought than it used to be. Gaining competent employees at all levels of the organisation is more than a matter of training. It stems from changes in recruitment and selection philosophy (Ashkenas et al, 1995). Recruiting the most competent employees for each and every organisation is continuous challenge for the human resource management, specifically in the international arena (Henderson, 1996). Faced with the problem of conducting recruiting effort to fill critical position in any level of organisation, the international HRM practice must create an Employee Recruiting Policy to identify the critical activities in the recruitment process and monitor its results. In case of Honda Motor, the international human resource management of the company has been able to plan an IHRM Recruiting Program clearly state the mission and objective of the recruitment process to be done. Specifically, the purpose of such policy is to offer a criterion and standard measure for recruiting human resources that will be work in the international level. The recruitment imposed by the international HRM also includes a procedure so that the recruitment process for the international subsidiaries of Honda should be accurate and correct. In this manner, the international HRM of Honda also ensures that they are updated when it comes to job position, if a new position is required or if a transferred/reassi gned or terminated workers or employees would need a replacement. In addition, the move of Honda to transfer employees to international subsidiaries aims to promulgate their organisation culture even in the global arena. Honda Motor has make it sure that they always follow the international labour policies. In this manner, before an employee is given an opportunity to work in the international level, the company provides all the necessary trainings, in order to ensure that the transferred human resource or employees will be able to provide the necessary responsibilities allotted effectively and efficiently. Another important factor to consider when transferring an employee to an international subsidiary is the orientation of the management system of the host country in order for the transferred employee to adjust with the present situation of the international organization. In the case of Honda, the company has been able to provide a comprehensive orientation to employees who will be transferred regarding the culture, attitudes values and other hum an factors that can be encountered to such international subsidiary. It is also equally important to note that since, Honda, belongs to a company which manufactures quality and innovative cars, sharing of knowledgeable and efficient employee or managers is one of their style. These transferred employees, are responsible to collaborate with other employees in such international subsidiary (Gallie, 1998). The creation of work teams with collective responsibility for the management of a group of machines or a specific segment of the work process was based on a managerial initiative. Conclusion In any business enterprise, employees are considered as the most vital assets. In order for these companies maximise their assets, the management should have the ability to effectively manipulate employees working condition (Ulrich, 1998). Herein, the employees must be allowed to be involved in the decision making process to further enhance the organisational structure (Delaney Huselid, 1996). Moreover, the structure of tasks among the employees strengthens the organisational performance (Wilson, 1989). As problems of regional and cultural diversity politically led administrative issues impede the functioning of the organisation, it is very essential understand the employees (Schneider, 1983). The enhancement, building, enthusiasm, motivation and development of the employees of any organisation depend largely on the leadership, mandate and vision of the organisation (Rainey Steinbauer, 1999). The management of Honda has been able to employ the general HRM practices of Japan with their international subsidiaries like the United States. Hanada (1989) described five phases in the development of international human resource management through which Japanese firms such as Honda pass as it become increasingly involved in global activities. In stage one of Hondas international activities, the programs are limited to export of its product for example in Philippines, Taiwan and USA and its International HRM function is mainly concentrate in an export department. With the urge of the company to be known in the global context, Honda has been able to establish foreign assembly or operations like in USA, UK and other part of Asia. Herein, the increase human resources of Honda, is usually handled by creating an overseas operations department. The establishment of an overseas human resource department characterises the structure of the firm which is substantially modified to reflect the increasing interaction between Hondas domestic and foreign operations. In addition, there are also times when Honda, felt to have greater control of their international operation. Herein, the International HRM of Honda, functions mainly in different areas and practice of HRM. In this manner, the company gives emphasis to the differences of their employees so as to have a harmonious human resource relationship. There are also times in which the company had been able to reach the globalisation phases that the management of Honda, attempts to thoroughly internationalise its human resource management and there is no distinction between foreign and Japanese employees with the international division. All in all it is very crucial that an international organisation should make a way in adjusting their management styles and approaches to adhere with the differences and similarities of the employees, specifically those in the international environment so that IHRM may catalyst the motivation among diverse individual. It is also important to note that international human resource management should have the ability to employ the principles and concepts of emotional intelligence and give emphasis to the importance of self-awareness in dealing with different kinds of people, winning their trust and to ensure that the peoples values and the organisations objective will intersect to a common goal and that is to incorporate good employment relationship. Recommendation In managing people, the international human resource management, Honda Motor Corporation and other Multinational Corporations should be able to have the ability to think more systematically and strategically in handling one of the most valuable factors within the organisation, i.e. its human resources. Herein, IHRM practice should be able to develop a successful organisational culture and a stable organisation by means of effective management of the people. In addition, communication is a very important factor to use in order to have a harmonious and smooth relationship between the management team and the employees in the international level. In addition, the management should try to integrate its own management system with the management system of the host countries, in which MNC are operating. The main goal of this integration is to let the employees within the international operation feel that their culture, values and traditions are not being discriminated by the management. In this case, if Honda would continue to implement a strategic international human resource management, it will be able to handle and manage their human resources in each international operation successfully. Reference Ashkenas, R., Ulrich, D., Jick, T., Kerr, S. (1995). The Boundaryless Organization. Breaking the Chains of Organizational Structure. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Bartlett, C.A. Ghoshal, S. (1989). Managing Across Borders. The Transnational Solution. London: Hutchinson Business Books. Beer, M., Spector, B., Lawrence, P., Mills, D. Walton, R. (1984). Managing Human Assets. New York, NY: Free Press. Cascio, W. (1995). The Human Resource Challenge of International Joint Ventures. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Delaney, J.T., Huselid, M.A. (1996). The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Perceptions of Organisational Performance, Academy of Management Journal, 39: 949-69. Dowling, P.J. Schuler, R.S. (1990). International Dimensions of Human Resource Management . Boston: PWS-Kent. Ferner, A. (1997). Country of Origin Effects and HRM in Multinational Companies. Human Resource Management Journal, 7(1): 19-37. Fine, M.G. (1995). Building successful multicultural organisations. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Freyssenet, M. (1998). One Best Way? Trajectories and Industrial Models of the Worlds Automobile Producers. Oxford: Oxford University. Gallie, D. (1998). Restructuring the Employment Relationship. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hanada, M. (1989). Management themes in the age of globalisation. Management Japan 20, 19-26. Henderson, G. (1996). Human Relations Issues in Management. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Honda Motor Co. Ltd (2005). Available at [www.honda.com]. Accessed on [05/05/2005]. Keeley, T.D. (2001). International Human Resource Management in Japanese Firms: Their Greatest Challenge. New York: Palgrave. Kiggundu, M.N. (2002). Managing Globalization in Developing Countries and Transition Economies: Building Capacities for a Changing World. Westport, CT: Praeger. Klein, J.G., Ettenson, R.E. and Morris, M. (1998). The Animosity Model Foreign Product Purchase: An Empirical Test in the Peoples Republic of China. Journal of Marketing, 62(1): 89-100. Laurent, A. (1986). The Cross-Cultural Pussle of International Human Resource Management. Human Resource Management, 25: 91-102. Lipiec, J. (2001). Human Resources Management Perspective at the Turn of the Century. Public Personnel Management, Vol. 30. Mair, A. (1994). Hondas Global Flexifactory Network. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 14(3): 6-23. Morgan, P.V. (1986). International Human Resource Management: Fact or Fiction. Personnel Administrator, 31(9): 43-47. Nevis, E. DiBella, A. Gould, J. (1995). Understanding Organisations as Learning Systems. Sloan-Management Review, 73-85. Nonaka, I. Takeuchi, H. (1995). The Knowledge-Creating Company. New York: Oxford University Press. Rainey, H.G., Steinbauer, P. (1999). Galloping Elephants: Developing Elements of a Theory of Effective Government Organisations. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 9: 1-32. Ragins, B.R. (1997). Diversified mentoring relationships in organisations: A Power Perspective. Academy of Management Review, 22: 482-521. Rosenhead, J. (1996). Whats the problem? An introduction to problem Structuring methods. Interfaces 26:117-131. Schneider, B. (1983). Inter-actional Psychology and Organizational Behavior. In L.L. Cummings and B.M. Slaw (Editions) Research in Organizational Behavior, vol. 5, pp. 1-31. Selmer, J. (2001). The Preference for Pre-departure or Post-arrival Cross-Cultural Training: An Exploratory Approach. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 16(1): 50-58. Sims, R (2002). Organisational Success through Effective Human Resources Management. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Tung, R.L. (1998). American expatriates abroad: from neophytes to cosmopolitans. Journal of World Business, 33(2): 124-45. Ulrich, D. (1998). Human Resource Champions: The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press, p.88. Williams, L.C. (1995). Human Resources in a Changing Society: Balancing Compliance and Development. Westport, CT.: Quorum Books. Zammuto, R. OConnor, E. (1992). Gaining advanced manufacturing technologies benefits: the role of organizational design and culture. Academy of Management Review, 17: 701-28. Appendix Appendix 1 Total Number of Employees of Honda Motor Co. Ltd As of March 31, 2003 Total Motorcycle Business Automobile Business Financial Service Other Business 126,900 24,100 92,100 1,700 9,000 Appendix 2 Organizational Structure of Honda (Based in Pakistan)

Native Son :: essays research papers

Character Actions Defines Their Individual Personalities and Belief Systems Richard Wright's novel, Native Son, consisted of various main and supporting characters to deliver an effective array of personalities and expression. Each character's action defines their individual personalities and belief systems. The main character of Native Son, Bigger Thomas has personality traits spanning various aspects of human nature including actions motivated by fear, quick temper, and a high degree of intelligence. Bigger, whom the novel revolves around, portrays various personality elements through his actions. Many of his actions suggest an overriding response to fear, which stems from his exposure to a harsh social climate in which a clear line between acceptable behavior for white's and black's exists. His swift anger and his destructive impulses stem from that fear and become apparent in the opening scene when he fiercely attacks a huge rat. The same murderous impulse appears when his secret dread of the delicatessen robbery impels him to commit a vicious assault on his friend Gus. Bigger commits both of the brutal murders not in rage or anger, but as a reaction to fear. His typical fear stems from being caught in the act of doing something socially unacceptable and being the subject of punishment. Although he later admits to Max that Mary Dalton's behavior toward him made him hate her, it is not hate which causes him to smother her to death, but a feeble attempt to evade the detectio n of her mother. The fear of being caught with a white woman overwhelmed his common sense and dictated his actions. When he attempted to murder Bessie, his motivation came from intense fear of the consequences of 2 "letting" her live. Bigger realized that he could not take Bessie with him or leave her behind and concluded that killing her could provide her only "merciful" end. The emotional forces that drive Bigger are conveyed by means other than his words. Besides reactions to fear, his actions demonstrate an extremely quick temper and destructive impulse as an integral part of his nature. Rage plays a key part in his basic nature, but does not directly motivate the murders he commits. Rage does not affect Bigger's intelligence and quick thinking and it becomes evident during the interview with Briton. The detective makes Bigger so angry that the interrogation becomes a game to Bigger, a game of logic and wills, of playing the stupid negro, and telling the man exactly what he wants to hear.

Graduation Speech: I Will Miss You All! :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

It's only been two years here, and I have grown to love this school. It's funny because when my dad told me about Tates Creek High School (TC) I begged him not to make me go there. It just didn't sound interesting. I felt like I wouldn't belong and I figured that I wouldn't get along with any of the teachers, but boy was I wrong! I never thought that TC would have changed me, and get my life back on track. First of all, everyone is always complaining about the uniforms, but I love them! All I have to do is throw it on in the morning. I don't even have to make them match or anything. One day I got up a few minutes before school stared, but since I didn't have to pick out my clothes I was still on time. It's so easy, no one is judging you because they have the exact same thing on. Now, to the teachers. What could I do without them? I remember one time during the year I had some family issues. The teachers could see that in my work and in the way I was acting, something was wrong with me. So basically every teacher talked to me to see what was going on and helped me to raise my grades back up. That is why it's so great to have that one on one attention. All the teachers, also make class endurable, and entertaining. They make it more fun to learn and put it in a way that makes me want to learn. They also are always going out of their way for me. I can't think of a time I have asked a teacher to help me with something or go over something and they have said "no I'm busy or "no I can't." It's always "sure, when?" I never would have guesssed that an acronym could change me, but it has. That acronym is C.R.I.S.P. C.R.I.S.P. inspired me to be a better person. Its great having that writeen everywhere and seeing it every day. I actually try to be a citizen, and try to respect and try to show initiative, and well you guys no where I'm going with this. I am just grateful for having something that inspiring 24/7. I never thought that I would say this, but I am happy how strict the school is.

Beloved & Story

Beloved is a soul-stirring novel with vivid imagery, historical background and complex characters. The dark and grey, tones of slavery is very strongly captured in detail by characters going through the horrific experiences of slavery. The brutal images of slavery tarnishes their lives with â€Å"marks†(Beloved), scars, wounds, shackles, and memories with heavy burden of the past , fragmented self in the present and very foggy view of the future. The precious self, which is the birthright of every human being is stained, fragmented and diminished by the painful experiences of slavery.The body undergoes innumerable hardship, torture and agony; and the mind is made crippled, dependant and weak with exhaustion and hostility. The scars of slavery reduce the human beings to ashes, where they are drained of any hope and light. The spirit is submerged in the burden of life, and everyday existence for survival. Some of the strong ideas around which the novel revolves are: love (mother ’s possessive love), family, self-possessiveness, burden of the past, and desire for ownership. These themes unite the events and the characters within the story.These are the themes that also reflect that human self is higher than the mortal bruises inflicted on the body by the painful experiences of slavery. The power of mother’s love is the strong force which controls many happenings within the story. The life of the protagonist Sethe centers on the protection of her children from the horrors of the slavery. She lived a terrible life, where there was no ray of light and still managed to secure her freedom in the difficult days of pregnancy. How she managed to do it lies in her inner strength as a mother, for the protection of her children .Her mother love is the strong chord which propels her actions to send away her older children for safety and protection to Baby Suggs. In the last and difficult stages of pregnancy, when even walking is painful, she decides to run away from Sweet Home with the help from a white girl Amy. She gives birth to her 4th child on the run and still finds strength to carry on until she reaches the safety of home, where Baby Suggs lives with her other children. The whole length of the novel is weaved with instances that reinforce the strong desire for the family.The vision of united family under one roof is something held as aspiration for Sethe ( the main character), Baby Sugg ( the paternal grandmother), Denver(the living daughter), Paul D(another slave from Sweet Home) and Beloved( the ghost incarnate). The â€Å"House 124† is the symbolic of the shelter of home, which brings all the characters under this one roof, where all the interaction and complexities arise. This is where the past, present and future are face to face, in the race for dominance and survival. This is where the mystery of the numbers is revealed.The critical role which Beloved, the 3rd child, dead as well as living, plays is unfathomable. She creates the mysterious haunted atmosphere within the walls of â€Å"House 124†. Beloved fills the missing number 3, and remains as the unseen force calling the shots through her possessive love and desire for revenge. She represents the invisible force of past, which controls the actions of the present. The inhabitants of â€Å"House 124† are locked in love, possessive love which directs their thoughts and actions beyond control.The world outside does not attract them; they want to be in the security of their house, which represents their freedom and safety. The ownership of â€Å"House 124† is her first attempt to live a normal life without the shackles of slavery. Ownership is complex, when the experiences are so burdened by the cruelties of the past. The stamp of ownership reduced the humans living within the system to indifference. The body suffers, the mind is shattered with pain and anguish, and the spirit is reduced to emptiness.In this desperation, humans can act out of love in unpredictable ways to escape from the darkness and grimness of the situation. This is what Sethe did when she killed her one year-old daughter because she did not want her to live the life which she was living. The mark on Sethe's mother was a mark of possession, the branding of a slave. The human’s who were owned as slaves were treated worse than animals. For the first time, Paul D reveals his 18-year struggle, the endless running and hiding. To him, slavery is worse than being an animal: â€Å"Mister [the rooster] was allowed to be and stay where he was.But I wasn't. † We learn of the cruelty of the schoolteacher's two nephews, who sucked on Sethe's milk as if she were an animal. The pain of watching his wife abused by the owners school teacher and his nephews, drove Sethe’s husband Halle mad. (Beloved). The strong desire for ownership can also be seen, later on in Sethe, Paul D, Beloved and Denver, when they are living in â€Å" House 124†. Their relationship is also a struggle in the claim of ownership and struggle to find that strength to make the claim.The biggest hurdle in their claim for love and ownership is the heavy burden of the past which they carry as haunted voices and dark clouds. The powerful game of love and seduction makes this struggle for power more complicated. The significant role of the heart wounded, locked away and bleeding reinforces the need for love and ownership. The exposed breast as the source of milk, a sign of nurturance indicates the power of protection and possession. Sethe controls the chief events within her household; she is the nurturer as well as the killer.Her love is possessive and strong. She has survived and wishes to hold on to the chords of the future. Sethe’s possessive love is challenged by Beloved, the ghost of the dead baby overshadows the life of people living at â€Å"House 124†when she reveals herself as a woman, 19 or 20 years of age, c oming out of the marsh fully dressed. She is tired and thirsty, but her shoes are new and her skin is flawless except for three scratches on her forehead. It takes her more than two days to drag herself to 124 With a harsh voice, she pronounces that her name is Beloved.Beloved brings back many memories, especially those regarding the horrors of slavery (Beloved). The existing contrasts reveal her out of world characteristics. Much of the imagery in Beloved is dedicated to the picture of the cellars of a slave ship, with implications that this is the place Beloved was before she was born. The description is one of a womb, not of a cramped slave ship. The past has been forgotten, and there is a strong feeling of being trapped in the darkness (Beloved). Beloved is a dangerous mix of human traits and ghostly characteristics. Though hungry for love, she can smother love with revenge.She is a schemer and a parasite, which arrives in the â€Å"House 124† to fulfill her unfinished de sires and urges. She is only centered on herself, which intensifies her fears and terrors. The horror of the obscurity, the pangs of hunger and the fear of death immobilizes the mind and the body. The self, the spirit within is gradually overpowered by the agony of physical torture. The memories haunt the living as well as the ghost, as a shadow of all the experiences. The imagery of loudness and sound also plays a significant role to describe that â€Å"House 124 was spiteful† (Beloved).Here the spite is alive – it is, as Stamp Paid realizes, the roar of â€Å"people of the broken necks, of fire-cooked blood and black girls who had lost their ribbons† (Beloved). What roars is the dead, the injustice dealt to more than sixty million, all alive in Beloved. The loudness betrays a sinister part of Beloved which has not yet surfaced. The loudness is the cry, the despair and the frustrations of life’s experienced by people in shackles and chains, with no freed om to live, think or feel. It is self crying to be saved from this mortal combat of pain and anguish.The deep imprint of slavery is once again brought into play when Paul D reminisces about â€Å"Sweet Home† (Beloved) Even death does not deter the human soul and human self from the desire for freedom. Though the mortal bruises hurt the body and mind, they do not completely destroy the sanctuary of the self, however fragmented and withered. This light within is what keeps humans, such as Sethe and Sixo, to keep going and to find the way to freedom, either through escape or death. The helplessness experienced as a victim of slavery tarnishes the self deeply, leaving a person dirty and unclean from within.â€Å"That anybody white could take your whole self for anything that came to mind. Not just work, kill or maim you, but dirty you. Dirty you so bad you couldn't like yourself anymore. Dirty you so bad you forgot who you were and couldn't think it up†¦ The best thing was, was her [Sethe’s] children. Whites might dirty her all right, but not her best thing†(Beloved). The inner strength of Sethe is very strongly portrayed in the lines above, showing she is willing to go to any length to protect her children and save them from getting dirty.The possessiveness and the protective aspect of maternity are very powerfully expressed in this comment. Mother love is the protector and the nurturer, but also a killer. â€Å"Slavery is not just an institution; it is a philosophy and mindset which is far-reaching in its consequences† (ROTHSTEIN The horrific memories of the past hold a powerful influence on the present life of Sethe and Denver. The re-emergence of Beloved on the scene as half human and half ghost, half child and half adult adds complexity beyond comprehension.All the powerful feminine emotions play a critical role in adding drama and despair. The entanglement of the relationships between Denver and Beloved, though sisters, expos es the deep jealousy and bitterness. The dependence and immaturity, is characterized by their selfishness and insecurity. The overcast clouds of wounds, scars and shackles, are too heavy a burden to carry from one life to another. The past is a burden, the present is a struggle and future is so foggy that the road to freedom seems lost.The insatiable desire of the fragmented self to rise in spirit to face the world is the beautiful message hidden in the heaps of ashes of the past. The message is to bury the past, loosen the shackles of the present bindings and look to future with the hope and courage. Works Cited ROTHSTEIN , MERVYN. â€Å"Toni Morrison, In Her New Novel, Defends Women. â€Å"Books. August 26, 1987, . The New York Times Company. 1 Mar 2007 . ( ROTHSTEIN ) â€Å"Beloved. † Beloved. 1998-2007. Homework Online Inc. 1 Mar 2007 . (Beloved)