Another meaning for Dope

Another meaning for Dope Another meaning for Dope Another meaning for Dope By Maeve Maddox This headline on Buzzfeed caused me to do a double-take: The 4 Dopest Quotes From Ruth Bader Ginsburg On Marriage  Equality Initially, I thought the article so headed would list quotations considered by the writer to be especially misguided or stupid (i.e., â€Å"dopey†). As I read further, I realized that the writer admired Associate Justice Ginsberg’s opinions as expressed in the quotations. The word dopest was intended as a compliment. The word dope has a long and checkered history in English. In its original use, dope referred to a thick liquid or semi-fluid used as an article of food or as a lubricant. The word is thought to derive from Dutch doop, â€Å"a dipping† or â€Å"a sauce.† The Dutch verb doopen means â€Å"to dip.† Other meanings related to the gooey nature of dope include or have included: A preparation, mixture, or drug which is not specifically named. A varnish applied to the cloth surface of early airplanes to strengthen and keep them taut. A substance added to gasoline or other fuel to increase its efficiency. Opium, â€Å"especially the thick treacle-like preparation used in opium-smoking.† US speakers extended this use of dope to include stupefying drugs and narcotics in general. A medical preparation given to a racehorse for the purpose of affecting its performance. Various figurative meanings have become attached to dope: Information, especially on a particular subject or of a kind not widely disseminated or easily obtained. Information, a statement, etc., designed to gloss over or disguise facts; flattering or misleading talk. Something designed to deceive or bamboozle; a fraudulent design or action; a piece of deception or humbug. A stupid person, a simpleton, a fool. Dope is also used as a verb to mean â€Å"apply or to administer dope in one of its senses.† The use of dope as an adjective entered English slang in the 1980s, by way of rap music: 1981  J. Spicer Money (song) in L. Stanley Rap: the Lyrics (1992) 301  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yo, man, them boys is dope This record is dope.† (OED) As for the word dopest used in the quotation about Justice Ginsberg, it is a slang expression meaning, â€Å"sickest, coolest, tightest, most awesome.† It is not standard usage and does not convey a positive connotation to speakers of standard English. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Redundant Phrases to AvoidSocial vs. SocietalWhat’s the Best Way to Refer to a Romantic Partner?

Free Essays on History Of Bowling

Bowling can date its origins to over 5,000 years ago, in Egypt, around the year 3200 BC. British anthropologist Sir Flinders Petrie found a collection of objects in a child’s grave that could have been used for a crude form of bowling. The first written mention of bowling was in the year 1366 when King Edward III of England outlawed the game for his troops in order to keep them focused. Throughout the world, in the early times of bowling, there were many different forms. There is an Italian version called bocce, the â€Å"flop† method from Edinburgh, and nine-pins in England. At first, bowling was strictly an outdoor sport, but in 1455, in London, England, the first indoor game was played. The first mention of American bowling came from Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle, when he awakens to the sound of â€Å"crashing nine-pins.† When bowling was brought to America by the first Dutch settlers, it underwent changes as it became popular. In America, a tenth pin was added when, in 1841, a Connecticut law made it illegal to maintain â€Å"any nine-pin lanes† because bowling was the object of much gambling. Different rules and regulations varied from region to region with bowling. That all changed when Joe Thum brought together the bowling representatives from the different regions to form the American Bowling Congress in 1895. After this meeting at Beethoven Hall, in New York, standardized rules would be established and national competitions would begin to be held. About this same time, bowling took another step. In 1905, the first rubber ball was introduced. It was called the â€Å"Evertrue.† Again, in 1914, the bowling ball became more advanced when Brunswick Corporation introduced the Mineralite ball. In 1951, bowling had a major break through which brought it into the modern era. Morehead Patterson of American Machine and Foundry Company purchased the patents to an automatic pinspotter. The first installation to... Free Essays on History Of Bowling Free Essays on History Of Bowling Bowling can date its origins to over 5,000 years ago, in Egypt, around the year 3200 BC. British anthropologist Sir Flinders Petrie found a collection of objects in a child’s grave that could have been used for a crude form of bowling. The first written mention of bowling was in the year 1366 when King Edward III of England outlawed the game for his troops in order to keep them focused. Throughout the world, in the early times of bowling, there were many different forms. There is an Italian version called bocce, the â€Å"flop† method from Edinburgh, and nine-pins in England. At first, bowling was strictly an outdoor sport, but in 1455, in London, England, the first indoor game was played. The first mention of American bowling came from Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle, when he awakens to the sound of â€Å"crashing nine-pins.† When bowling was brought to America by the first Dutch settlers, it underwent changes as it became popular. In America, a tenth pin was added when, in 1841, a Connecticut law made it illegal to maintain â€Å"any nine-pin lanes† because bowling was the object of much gambling. Different rules and regulations varied from region to region with bowling. That all changed when Joe Thum brought together the bowling representatives from the different regions to form the American Bowling Congress in 1895. After this meeting at Beethoven Hall, in New York, standardized rules would be established and national competitions would begin to be held. About this same time, bowling took another step. In 1905, the first rubber ball was introduced. It was called the â€Å"Evertrue.† Again, in 1914, the bowling ball became more advanced when Brunswick Corporation introduced the Mineralite ball. In 1951, bowling had a major break through which brought it into the modern era. Morehead Patterson of American Machine and Foundry Company purchased the patents to an automatic pinspotter. The first installation to...

The Structure of Biological Membrane Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Structure of Biological Membrane - Essay Example However, membranes are not only passive barriers. They include a set of proteins specialized for promoting or catalyzing various cellular processes (Nelson & Cox 2004, p.369). Molecular transportation is the most important function of membranes facilitated by carrier and channel proteins (McKee 2004, p.62). General questions of transportation and channeling across biologic membranes are well considered in the encompassing textbooks of Lodish (2003, p.245-300), Nelson & Cox (2004, p.369-420), Kuchel & Ralston (1997, p.171-184), McKee (2004, p.353-366), Garrett & Grisham (1999, p.259-326), etc., in special monographs, e.g. Keizer (2000) and also in a variety of articles. All cells acquire from its environs the raw materials for biosynthesis and for energy production, and also release to its environment the byproducts of metabolism. Only some nonpolar compounds can cross the membrane unassisted. However, for polar or charged compounds or ions, a membrane protein is essential for transmembrane movement. Membrane transport mechanisms are vital to living organisms. Ions and molecules constantly move across cell plasma membranes and across the membranes of organelles. This flux must be regulated to meet each cell's metabolic needs. For example, a cell's plasma membrane regulates the entrance of nutrient molecules and the exit of waste products. Additionally, it regulates intracellular ion concentrations. Because lipid bilayers of membranes are generally impenetrable to ions and polar substances, specific transport components must be inserted into cellular membranes (McKee 2004, p.372). In the simplest cases a membrane protein facilitates the diffusion of a solute down its concentration gradient. However, transportation often occurs against a gradient of concentration, electrical charge, or both. In such cases, solutes must be "pumped" that requires energy. The necessary energy may come from ATP hydrolysis (i.e. directly), or may be supplied indirectly, e.g. in the form of movement of another solute down its electrochemical gradient with enough energy to carry another solute up its gradient (Nelson & Cox 2004, p.389; Garrett & Grisham 1999, p.296). Ions may also move across membranes via ion channels formed by proteins, or they may be carried across by ionophores, small molecules that mask the charge of the ions and allow them to diffuse through the lipid bilayer of membrane. With very few exceptions, the traffic of small molecules across the plasma membrane is mediated by proteins such as transmembrane channels, carriers, or pumps (Nelson & Cox 2004, p.391). So, ions cannot pass freely through the cell's phospholipid membrane. Instead, most ions flow through special channels built from multiple protein subunits. These subunits together form a pore across the membrane. Some channels are gated, fitted with proteins that act "as hinged doors, blocking the opening until

Role of Examination in Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Role of Examination in Education - Assignment Example Whether physically, mentally, emotionally, and even in the spiritual and financial, it plays a big part on the success of the examination. As Physical education's primary goals include: the development of motor skills and physical fitness; and with the inclusion of growth in the cognitive and affective domains; social interaction and the encouragement to appreciate the successes and achievements of others. It is therefore, worthy to try to understand one's self and the pressures and forces which makes one respond or react, and be able to prepare for it. Mental preparation or the kind of mind setting is important in taking an exam. A mind that is already defeated beforehand would of course produce a negative result. Worrying on whether to pass or not tends the body to get tensed and muscles tighten. The state of being of an individual before taking an exam matters for it stabilizes one's focus and concentration, and be able to filter information needed to answer most especially essay questions. An examiner is able to organise insights and ideas needed to explain or support his propositions thus, making a desirable or excellent result. With the very nature of time that it cannot be recycled, time management is very significant to an examination result. ... Though some are wise in time management, constraints happen when less time is left to complete the answers. Reading Comprehension/Understanding instructions/Vocabulary Instructions direct the orderliness of an examiner's answers, and poorly constructed instructions would lead to failing examination result - both on the teacher's and the examiner. However, part of the instruction is the ability to understand the requirement of the question. Wherein in most cases, and as a result of the examination, uninformed candidates made little analysis or careful reading on questions and attempted to use whatever knowledge they had regardless of the question. As it is considered to be one of the common hindrances in producing good examination results, students suffering from it are the ones that fail. Reading may be a skill, but common problems during examinations, many students fail to achieve marks because of the inability to understand terminology with specific words or phrases highlighted in the question. It is often misunderstood especially those relating to work covered in the AS course. With the exception of the few, there were candidates who found it difficult to describe terms and consequently gave rather vague and rambling responses. The use of technical language, particularly in the synoptic questions, remains weak for many candidates. Using non-technical language will often result in candidates giving vague and generalised responses that normally fail to answer the question. As questions should be clear resulting to 'clear' answers, there was a fairly even spread between candidates who were able to identify particular body types and those

Read April Morning and write an essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Read April Morning and write an - Essay Example For example in chapter 1 in the Afternoon before the battle, women are portrayed as religious people. This happens when Adam’s mother is preparing supper and when Adam delivers some water to her she asks him why he does not read the bible just like his father used to do. According to Adams mother, Moses Cooper the father to Adam had memorized the book of Lamentations by age of 15 which is Adams age (Fast 8). Another encounter in which women are portrayed as religious is when granny is having a conversation with Adam. When granny asks Adam about if the Committeeman was connected to Sam Adams and Adam replies yes she concludes that Adam is a theist which also shows the religious role of women in the novel (Fast 16). In addition to this, the author cites a reverend as one of the characters in this book but does not show any instances where the character inspires people to be religious leaving the role for women only. Another example of the theme of religion expressed by women in this novel is when granny asks Adam, â€Å"If God gave a person brains, then shouldn’t he use them?† Ruth is also portrayed as a religious young lady (Fast 22). At her teen age youth she was religious and granny ask why Adam had participated in trying to shake Ruth Simmons’s faith. The author also portrays the religious nature of women in the novel when granny got into an argument with his son Moses when Moses said that, â€Å"The highest good was to doubt†. According to granny God was the greatest and hence could not be doubted (Fast 27). The author has also used women to show an understanding and caring character in this novel. Adam confesses that the only person who understands him is her grandmother and most of the time he will spend time with her and make stories (Fast 14). The author further illustrates women as peaceful and caring people when granny tries to control Moses Cooper from attacking his son

Example Answers to Strategic Human Resource Management Exam

Example Answers to Strategic Human Resource Management Exam Section A, Question 1 To what extent does the approach to Talent Management at Standard Chartered Bank display features of SHRM? Answer: By focusing heavily on its talent management program it can be clearly be seen that Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) is making the practice of SHRM as one of its key priorities. As can be seen from the article, the way SCB adopts its appraisal methodology is of a very strategic angle. By making it a global standard to conduct face-to-face performance appraisals every 6 months goes to show that SCB is reviewing its own performance management objectives to make sure that those objectives stay relevant and achievable, and that is a feature of SHRM. Being sensitive to different cultures by employing different appraisal methods also shows that SCB understands the importance of managers and staff identifying and dealing with real, actual problems in a way that is most familiar and effective to them. That is also another facet of SHRM as through such means, SCB is able to monitor its own competitiveness in the market. Through appraisals, SCB also classifies their employees into 5 categories ranging from high-potentials, to critical resources, then to core contributors, followed by underachievers and finally, underperformers. By doing so they are able to identify areas in which they are lacking and act upon it. Interestingly, as Geraldine Haley explains the classifications, it can be seen that SCB is already identifying the likely flow of talent in the bank and are taking actions to manage the flow. For example, when classifying certain employees as underperformers, Haley goes on to mention that this group of people do not fit the job requirements and they should be transferred to another role or be managed out. Clearly, whether the bank decides to place this group of employees in another role (which fits the idea of SHRM because by placing people where they perform best clearly benefits any company), or by managing them out (thereby reducing unnecessary manpower costs or replacement with a more pr oductive candidate), the intent behind both actions is clearly strategic in nature. The employee classification also allows the bank to understand the their potential and manpower mix which is critical because, the HR department would be able to plan in advance for staff mobility or develop different programs to help develop potential of their talents to another level. So far we are able to see that SCB does indeed view its employees as a strategic key asset in churning out profits for the bank. Yet another SHRM feature being displayed is the secrecy of employee classifications. As mentioned in the article, SCBs stance is that while they do not want certain employees to feel de-motivated and others to boast about their own performances, the whole point of the classification system is to inform managers that there might be actions required on their part to improve the situation. It is true that in SHRM, managers should not cause their staff to feel like they are being constantly monitored for poor performance because this will affect the staffs willingness to contribute towards the company. Again, either way, we see that the actions taken are closely linked to helping the organisation achieve its strategic corporate objectives. The classification system is also being used a guide for regional offices to strategically benchmark against one another to see where they stand. Ever since SCB has been experiencing a high staff turnover rate among newly recruited employees, a solution in the form of a global induction program named Right Start was implemented to curb this problem and they successfully brought down the rate of employees leaving by 5% (http://www.standardchartered.com/annual-report-07/en/business_review/people.html, 2008). SCB has also gone on to groom talents into leaders by means of providing coaching and self-help tools through various medias such as podcasts, videos and workshops. Another key concept is to allow talents to play to their strengths rather than on focusing on managing their weakness. As Hayley explains the strategic rationale on focusing on coaching talents with global roles in the bank, it is because a small 5% improvement from these top managers is enough to cause a huge positive impact on the banks earnings. Under the Best practice view in SHRM, there are 18 Key practices of which SCB can safely said to have achieved at least 50% or more: Realistic job previews; Use of psychometric tests for selection; Well-developed induction training; Provision of extensive training for experienced employees; Regular appraisal; Regular feedback on performance from many sources; Individual performance-related pay; Profit-related bonuses; Flexible job descriptions; Multi-skilling; Presence of work-improvement teams; Presence of problem solving groups; Information provided on firms business plan; Information provided on the firms performance targets; No compulsory redundancies; Avoidance of voluntary redundancies; Commitment to single status; Harmonised holiday entitlement (Source: University of Sunderland). It can be concluded that SCB is investing so much resources towards its human talent management program simply because it views it employees as human capital for the organisation and understands the wisdom in developing and managing its employees in close relation to the values and objectives of the company so that an effective workforce can be grown, and groomed to achieve the strategic objectives of the bank. Word count (865) 1.2 Comment on the relevance of this approach in the light of the recent banking crisis? Answer: The banking crisis of 2008 was largely due to the fall of banking giant, Lehman Brothers (LB). If LB had adopted SCBs view of employees as human capital in the organisation, it could have at least minimised the loss to a certain extent. For one, discussions between employers and staff would have been more open and problem issues could have been brought up and identified at an earlier stage. Inefficiencies in the organisation would have been uncovered if there were a global compilation of performance like in SCB, where CEOs were able to benchmark their performances against regional offices. In a way, having a certain amount of centralised control through talent management would also enable the monitoring of LB companies globally. It is interesting to note that when a German subsidiary of LB requested that top management in the USA forgo multi-million bonuses as a sign of taking responsibility for poor performance, the request was immediately struck off at the first instance. It seems that top management either did not know or did not bother to care what was going on in its other global offices. Therefore it is important for companies to have a solid leadership and to achieve that, organisations must start to take the first step in acknowledging its employees as key assets towards enabling the company to achieve it strategic goals and objectives. Thereafter that, the companys HR policies should be dawn to include short and long term strategies that are inline with the companys corporate objectives. Companies should also consider which view the company would adopt in relation to SHRM. For example, does the company suit the Best Practice view, Bes Fit view, Best Fit Integration view or Resource based approach? Each has its own strengths and weaknesses but the company has to decide which is the most compatible and allow the company to achieve its goals. Perhaps the culture of a company should also be set as culture can deeply affect a employees willingness to contribute positively to the company. Every organisation aims to communicate its own objectives and goals to its employees so a to align the values and attitudes of the employees towards commitment in performance for the company, and in this respect, having an appropriate culture will greatly enable the employee to settle comfortably into the company and be motivated to perform well. Retaining talent is crucial in a companys route of progress and much effort should be put into talent management where employees will feel like that are an important part of a company that cherishes their contributions and seeks to develop and groom them for further growth in their career. With SHRM as the key basic guiding principle, companys should therefore seek to create a pool of talent that will steer it in the right direction, both in good times and bad. Word Count (473) 1.3 Why is it important to measure the impact of SHRM? What might be included in a evaluation strategy to measure the impact of SHRM in an organization to achieve strategic integration? Answer: It is important to measure the impact of SHRM because, firstly, strategies that are formulated into HR policies are closely linked to the strategic objectives of its organisation. The reason why this is so is because the company understands that attitudes and performances of its employees makes a significant difference towards achieving organisational goals. Therefore when an organisation decides to employ the HR unit as a strategically, resources are being invested to make sure the HR unit contributes towards the attainment of those objectives. In measuring the impact of SHRM in a company, there are 18 Key practices of SHRM might be used to ascertain the degree of SHRM present in the company: Realistic job previews; Use of psychometric tests for selection; Well-developed induction training; Provision of extensive training for experienced employees; Regular appraisal; Regular feedback on performance from many sources; Individual performance-related pay; Profit-related bonuses; Flexible job descriptions; Multi-skilling; Presence of work-improvement teams; Presence of problem solving groups; Information provided on firms business plan; Information provided on the firms performance targets; No compulsory redundancies; Avoidance of voluntary redundancies; Commitment to single status; Harmonised holiday entitlement (Source: University of Sunderland). Other possible measurements could be in the form of appraisals where performance management objectives are being reviewed. Through the appraisals the organisation would be able to know how it is faring against the achievement of its own targets relative to the overall performance of the employees. Word count (287) Section B, Question 4 4. What are the main features of a Performance Management system? In what ways can organizations ensure that such systems fulfil strategically useful outcomes (30 marks) Answer: 4.1 Main Features of a PMS The main features of PMS are: PMS consists of business-led outcomes that may be assessed against definite business objectives; PMS is integrated with interlocking procedures and flows of information; There is a mix of quantitative and qualitative objectives; There is a focus on both system design and manner of implementation. Because PMS are sensitive to process and culture, it is hence flexible; PMS rely on a participative approach by mangers and staff alike, which can align with other organisational processes, for example, employee religions, communications and decision-making processes; Lastly PMS have a distinctive and adaptable quality of being people and systems-oriented (Source: University of Sunderland). There are 6 other features of PMS that links it to the overall business strategy of a company which might also guide organisations in ensuring strategic outcomes are met: Objective setting; Ongoing review of objectives; The development of personal improvement plans linked to training and development; Formal appraisal and feedback; Pay review; A competence-based organisational capability review (Source: University of Sunderland). 4.2 Ensuring PMS Fulfils Strategically Useful Outcomes The best way to ensure that PMS is able to fulfil strategically useful outcomes is for the organisation to be involved in the setting of performance objectives and thereafter measure those objectives. When setting clearly defined performance management objectives organisations can gear the scope and nature of the objectives to reflect the organisations own corporate goals. These performance objectives should also be linked closely to the individual employees as well as the organisations capability resources. When setting objectives, coverage should include competence and skill development, ability in meeting operational targets, and creating a suitable corporate culture. Objectives are generally defined into 3 categories: productivity and output related, job-related and person-related. For productivity and output related objectives, these are a measure of quantifiable output targets like: Cost reduction Achieving sales quota Meeting production volumes. For job related targets, these involve meeting the main objectives of the job laid down in its description according to the specified level of competence: Achieving main responsibilities and accountability. Meeting tasks as described in the job description. Meeting the obligations and service relationships to internal and external customers. For person related objectives, these affect the behavioural outcomes of the person performing his job, such as sharing knowledge an ideas with co-workers. Organisations recognise the importance of linking organisational culture with person-related objectives as it can help to bring about a positive change in the organisations culture. For instance, an organisation that wants to have a culture that is collaborative in nature will set objectives on employees and measure an employees research report on the number of references made to other employees work or the number contributions made by the employees colleagues in the report. This type of objective will change a person behaviourally so that he or she is able to meet the performance objectives. As organisations are beginning to shift away from individualistic performance objectives such financial goals and moving towards objectives which links the workforce to the corporate objectives or wider environment such as quality and effectiveness of business processes, other measurements are being introduced to maximise the potential and skill of the workforce through a commitment-oriented strategy. Thus, organisations have also realised that to engage the wider environment, they have to identify the relationship between the 3 key stakeholders an the organisation: Investors who require return on their investment through dividends; Customers who require quality and service for which they pay; And employees who require a healthy and rewarding working environment that provides job security (Source: University of Sunderland). Now that the inter-relationship has been identified, organisations are better able to communicate expected levels of competence from employees and will also be able to appropriately empower staff to deal with activities as a result of their integration. Lynch and Cross (1995), created a model that shows this relationship (see Figure 4.A). This model also identifies the broad measures and integration of objectives at each individual level. Figure 4.A shows The Performance Pyramid from Lynch RS and Cross (1995) (Source: University of Sunderland) 4.2.1 Appraisal Systems As the link between objectives and organisational resources are important, it must therefore be integrated with appraisal systems. Appraisals do the job of reviewing the performance management objectives, and it traditionally occurs annually between the manager and staff. However, as the need for objectives to stay relevant and achievable all the time, reviews of the objectives are beginning to occur more regularly. Hence it can be said that regular reviews also encourages the building of relationship and the occurrence of coaching through such regular discussions. In the design of appraisal schemes, there are 2 types of orientation schemes that emerge: the control orientation and the developmental orientation. In the control orientation approach, it is always assumed in a negative light that a senior entity in the organisation decides the goals, targets, objectives and rewards for the employees to achieve. This results in employees feeling insecure as they feel that they are being constantly monitored and may lead to a breakdown in commitment. Often, when adjustments are introduced to ease such worries, the appraisal scheme becomes ineffective as manager do not address real issues which may cause a loss in motivation or damage in relations between the manager and employee. Standardised controls are put in place so as to maintain consistency and equal treatment for all, however it sacrifices flexibility in the process. The level of impact is low on performance with the exception of a few existing high performers. Thus, this approach is effective when targets are clear and staff are used to it. The emphasis is not so much on enhancing performance through feedback and motivation but more on t he managements authority over the employees. In the case of the developmental approach, the manager is not in control whereas employees are the ones who take the initiative to address uncertainties in wanting to know how to improve themselves. Employees want to be helped and supported through problems and they learn through failures and success. The strengths in this approach include less resistance between the manger and staff, and being able to handle problems in an open way. Problems can also be dealt with on a more objective basis without souring relationships. Employees are also given high trust in their integrity. However, the weaknesses with this approach include less visible outcomes being produced and the manager has to take on a more consultative or counsellor role that they might not be able to perform well in. 4.2.2 Types of Appraisals There are a few types of appraisals which organisations may choose to adopt including the, self-appraisal, top-down appraisal, peer appraisal and multi-directional appraisal. Top-down appraisals are traditional and feedback is gathered from the staff while objectives come only from the top. The weaknesses of this type of appraisal are that too much emphasis is being placed on traditional organisational hierarchies. Favouritism might also be prevalent and employees might not have full knowledge in structures where managers posses a wide span of control. Self-appraisal methods are hardly used. It gives the employees more ownership and a much higher degree of participation in the appraisal scheme. Managers adopt a more supportive and advisory role where they engage in discussions with the staff on setting of objectives. In the upward appraisal model feedback is given from the bottom to top. Employees are often asked to provide such feedback anonymously. Organisations that use this method recognise the need to provide more effective working systems for employees to work more efficiently. In the peer appraisal model, members of the same team are being asked to appraise one another. There may be sensitivities involved when using this method as members might show favouritism to particular members or dislike towards certain members might be the reason for poor rating given. In contrast to the peer appraisal method, multi-directional appraisals sets up to obtain feedback from the outside of the team and it often also includes gathering feedback externally from customers. Its key strength is its being able to overcome the lack of knowledge from a single appraiser as it gathers feedback from many sources. However its biggest weakness lies in the lack of control over hostile ratings being given. Thus appraisals are also a tool to ensure that performance objectives meet strategically useful outcomes. Word count (1409) Section B, Question 5 5. Why are reward management systems critical to SHRM? How can organizations develop reward systems strategically? (30 marks) Answer: 5.1 Why Reward Management Systems are Critical to SHRM In strategic human resource management (SHRM), strategies that are being implemented into a companys human resource policies are closely connected with a companys main adopted strategy in order for it to aid in achieving company objectives. SHRM does so by means of recruiting, developing, maintaining and retaining an efficient, productive workforce. As employees make up a companys workforce, they should then be regarded as key assets in a company. Reward management systems are therefore critical to SHRM because they are used to reward and compensate employees in manners that impact employees positively for the company. For example, well-developed reward management systems uses rewards to motivate employees to grow and develop their potential, thereby increasing the quality of efforts contributed towards the company. Rewards and compensation systems are also critically used in aligning the culture, objectives and philosophies of the company with efforts of the employees, this allows employees to identify themselves as part of the company and thus strengthen their loyalty and commitment towards the company and its objectives (Sherman et al., 1998). In todays competitive environment where companies compete for talent and expertise, rewards play an important role in both the recruitment of talent and retention of long serving employees who have difficult-to-source tacit knowledge in their field of expertise. Having a flexible reward management system also means that a company is able harness other forms employment, for example, hiring of part-timers with relevant experience to temporarily fill in during short-term projects. 5.2 Developing a Reward System Strategically Rewards systems in companies practicing SHRM must obviously be strategic in nature. According to Lawler (1984), there are nine points to consider when making strategic decisions in developing reward systems in companies. The nine points are termed as follows: Base of rewards. Performance and Incentivisation scope for progression. Market position. Internal versus External comparison. Centralised versus de-centralised reward. Degree of pay hierarchy. Reward Mix. Process issues. Reward systems consequences/integration. 5.2.1 Base of Rewards Salaries can be based on 3 options: The type of job a person undertakes. The persons contribution in the job. The knowledge and skill level people possess within the job. The 1st option is to pay based on the growth and development an individual undertaking a job. This is typically done through internally comparing a particular job with other jobs within the company using a job evaluation which measures the tasks that the job is required to perform. External comparisons could be used, whereby companies compare the wages offered by other companies against their own. Job based rewards are typically found in larger organisations where job and pay equity is predominant; an example would be jobs in the public service sector where job grading is used. The 2nd option is to pay based on the individuals performance within his or her job and is commonly implemented in cases where the jobs are small in number or job scopes that are distinct and pay has to be individual. Performance based pay is used to balance job demands and contributions made in order to motivate the individual to enhance performance. The 3rd option is to pay based on the need to acquire new s kills and knowledge so as to enable organisations to meet the new market challenges. 5.2.2 Performance and Incentivisation scope for progression. This point considers the many types and ways of using incentives, whether as a part of an individuals salary or an additional portion. However, the main dilemma lies in reconciling strategic objectives with the use of suitable incentives to motivate and enhance employee performance and commitment to the company. Companies will have to decide the forms in which incentives will take and how it will be distributed as well as the positive and negative repercussions it might bring to the company or its employees. For example, substituting commission for a fixed bonus payout to sales employees might cause low-performers to be happy, while high-performers might become disgruntled they could have earned more on a commission scheme. 5.2.3 Market Position As labour markets are vulnerable to the economy, market trends and political influences, radical changes may happen anytime within the labour market. For example, if there is a labour shortage in certain industries, organisations would be forced to pay a higher wage to acquire the labour needed. As such, organisations are finding it difficult to sustain an internal sense of fairness that comes from a formal measurement of job equity within internal wage structures. Therefore, reward strategies need to be formulated to answer to such external uncertainties, and also be flexible (if it is not already so) enough to accommodate different wage schemes and levels when required. 5.2.4 Internal versus External comparison As reward systems are key to hiring, retaining and developing employees, it is important for a company to benchmark its reward policies against the external and internal environment. Hence, it is important for companies to understand the logic behind market rates of pay and benefit and to know where and how to collect data required to conduct pay and benefits surveys. These surveys are often conducted so that companies are able to rely on the information to make adjustments to current pay and benefit rates, thus staying competitive in their pay and benefit policies. Companies should also be able to present data in a meaningful manner so that proper analysis can take place. Job evaluaton (JE) is defined as a systematic procress by which relative worth of jobs are determined so as to establish which jobs will be paid more over others in the organisation (Sherman et al., 1998). The key features of JE are: A process which compares the relationships between jobs based on demand placed on employees. A process of judgement made by understanding of job descriptions and roles required to perform the job. A process of analysis after generating point factors from judgements, to enable job ranking. A process of structuring whereby job descriptions are formulated, problem solving, identifying key factors equivalent to job knowledge, and more. Score formulation also takes place to establish ranking, building wage structures and create job-grading systems. The important decisions to make in a JE are the selection of appropriate factors and their levels, as well as how value of factors will be expressed. 5.2.5 Centralised versus de-centralised reward Organisations often have to struggle to decide if reward systems should be managed in a centralised or de-centralised manner. Centralised controlling is tight and usually means a standardised rate of wage increment. This may cause employees to be less motivated and innovative in their contribution which becomes unhealthy for the company, this holds true for employees who belong to a business unit selling a varied number of products and services. In this case, it might be better having a de-centralised control of rewards system and empower managers with discretionary authority to reward employees accordingly, hence boosting morale. 5.2.6 Degree of Pay Hierarchy Pay hierarchies exists in organisations and reward systems are dependent on them to a large extent. Pay hierarchies show the distinct difference in power and often reflect career progression. However, organisations are gradually moving away from such distinct hierarchies in pay systems by formulating wage structures that encourages wage overlap and opportunities for increment. Graded wage structures are commonly used and though not all are exactly the same, they share common features such as: A salary grade allocated to a job based on an individuals contribution, the labour market and the degree of complexity present in a job. Salary bands or grade in which employees belong to and have to gain promotion in order to progress on to a higher salary band. Each band consists of at least minimum entry point, market or mid-point and a maximum point that employees can achieve. Salary bands are associated with each other; usually the maximum point of a starting salary band is the commencement of the next salary band. The degree of overlap will have to be determined by the organisation. As employees move up along the band, organisations will have to decide if employees move up to fixed points along the bands or should employees be allowed to skip certain points and progress at a faster rate instead. 5.2.7 Reward Mix Although pay is often identified to be the key ingredient in a reward mix, other benefits such as free annual health screening, pension schemes, certified-skill upgrades, use of company vehicles, etc, are just as useful in rewarding employees. When creating a reward mix, the challenge for companies is to identify the strategic reasons for having each benefit in the reward mix and their costs to the company. 5.2.8 Process Issues In the discussion of process issues, the 1st strategic issue to be considered is communication and transparency. As communicating pay objectives to employees clearly is important in achieving positive human resource results, the existing culture of companies usually decides how open the dialogs are. Traditional companies adopt a closed system and keep salary ranges unknown for purposes of pay review. Other companies with open systems often publicise the salary structure and criteria for which salary increment can occur. Open systems tend to instil confidence and fairness into employees as decision-making becomes more transparent and criteria are made known. The 2nd strategic issue concerns with employees degree of involvement in pay decisions. A company aiming to achieve a team-based operating culture and high employee involvement in all aspect of human resource management should consider allowing employees to be involved in determination of job salaries too. Companies adopting close -based systems usually applies HR policies onto its employees and ultimately, companies have to decide whether leveraging highly on employees trust and commitment or otherwise, is more suited to the companys culture. 5.2.9 Reward Systems consequences/integration As HR objectives change over time, so should reward objectives because rewards should be integrated into HR systems. And if the objectives are inline, then the integration between rewards and HR systems will serve well to make a positive impact on employees who in turn stays committed to churn out more positive contributions for the company. Word count (1700)

Budgeting as a Tool for Planning and Control Essay

A budget is one of your best tools for reaching your goals – whatever your age or stage in life. It’s a plan of what money you expect to receive and how you expect to spend it. * Who should have a budget? * How to make a budget * Use the money planner * Things you need * Getting help * Tracking your spending * Making the most of your income Who should have a budget? Tip: A tight budget is harder to stick to. Be realistic. Everyone can benefit from a budget. It’s not just for people who are having trouble making ends meet. If you’re spending less than you earn, use your budget to work out how much you can put aside each pay to improve your financial position. We call this ‘paying yourself first’. If you’re spending more than you earn, use your budget to see where your money is going. Then see if there are any ways you can cut your spending or increase your income. Rick and Heather Mawby The Mawby family makes sure their money goes a long way. Read more Back to top How to make a budget Add up how much money is coming into your household (your income), and how much is going out (your spending), then work out the difference. The result is either money left over (a surplus) or not enough money to cover your spending (a deficit). Aim for a surplus so you have some money to save for your goals or pay off debt faster. Back to top Use the money planner Making a budget is easy with our money planner. Once you’ve set your budget you can save it in My Sorted to review later. You can save more than one budget and even share it with friends and family. The NZ Federation of Family Budgeting Services also has a free budget worksheet you can download. Back to top Things you need Your budget needs to be accurate or it won’t work. Give yourself time to get all the information you’ll need, including: * A record of your day-to-day spending. Keep receipts from your shopping, and gather up bank statements and bills from the last three months. These will show regular expenses like rent, mortgage, hire purchase, credit cards, phone, power and insurance. * A list of annual costs. Think about things you pay for less regularly like vehicle licensing, medical expenses, gifts and holidays. * Your income details. A list of any money you get such as your pay, benefits or allowances, NZ Super or interest earned on savings. * Savings. Details of any regular savings you make. Back to top Getting help If you need help making a budget, or if you are having trouble making ends meet, contact a budget adviser. Back to top Tracking your spending Once you’ve set a budget you need to see how it’s working in reality. Keep a spending diary or use an online tool. Find out more about money tracking. Back to top Making the most of your income Budgeting isn’t just about watching your spending. How much you earn also affects whether you have money left over for saving or paying off debt. Why you need to grow your income If your income doesn’t grow you’ll effectively earn less each year just because of inflation. So when you’re planning your finances, don’t forget to include goals for growing your income. Know what you’re worth Do you know what someone in your position with your experience and skills should be earning? Does your employer? To find out what you’re worth, read the situations vacant in your local paper or check out the online job sites. You could even contact some recruitment agencies to find out what a similar job to yours is currently paying. You can also find broad salary information for different types of jobs on the Careers New Zealand website.

Identity of African American Men Essay

â€Å"No metaphor can capture completely the complexity of ethnic dynamics in the U. S. ‘Melting pot’ ignores the persistence and reconfiguration of the ethnicity over the generations. ‘Mosaic,’ much more apt for pluralistic societies such as Kenya or India, is too static a metaphor; it fails to take in to account the easy penetration of many ethnic boundaries. Nor is ‘salad bowl’ appropriate; the ingredients of a salad bowl are mixed but do not change. ‘Rainbow’ is a tantalizing metaphor, but rainbows disappear. ‘Symphony,’ like ‘rainbow,’ implies near perfect harmony; both fail to take into account the variety and range of ethnic conflict in the United States. The most accurately descriptive metaphor, the one that best explains the dynamics of ethnicity, is ‘kaleidoscope. ’ American ethnicity is kaleidoscopic, i. e. ‘complex and varied, changing form, pattern, color†¦ continually shifting from one set of relations to another; rapidly changing. ’ When a kaleidoscope is in motion, the parts give the appearance of relationships. The viewer sees and endless variety of variegated patterns, just as takes place on the American ethnic landscape. †- Lawrence Fuchs (Literature for Composition 1032) â€Å"Identity in America† was the theme chosen by my English 201 study group. This theme was taken from chapter twenty two of the Literature for composition: Reading and Writing Argument text book. However, I focused the broad theme of â€Å"Identity in America† to the more narrowed theme of â€Å"The Display of African American men in the media. † I chose this theme or topic because I felt that I can relate to it and as a matter of fact, it was also interesting to me. But in order to conduct my research on the particular topic, I came up with the following question, â€Å"How has the identity of African American men been displayed by the media: negatively or positively? † This question was chosen in order to provoke an argument for discussion. I conducted several interviews in order to acquire information about my selected topic. The media’s display of the identity of African American men can be discussed or looked at from two angles: negatively or positively. First, from my experience I can say that the media displays African American men in both lights, negatively and positively. But after conducting interviews with several individuals, my opinion has somewhat changed. I was always aware of the negative images of African/black men in the media. But I was not aware that this display had evolved overtime. My first interview was conducted with April T. Glasgow, a communications major at the University of the Virgin Islands on Wednesday 20th February 2008, at approximately ten o’clock in the morning. We conducted the interview at her dorm’s lobby. I had explained the topic prior to meeting with her, so she already had an idea about what issue the discussion would be addressing. Generally, her opinion was that black men were being exploited and portrayed negatively by the media. She also stated strongly that black men were too often portrayed or given the roles of thugs, gangsters, and pimps in films and magazines. In addition, a suggestion she made on how we could resolve this stereotype was that black people must unite and stand up against these negative portrayals especially those in rap music videos. The second interview was carried out that same day with Professor Alex Randall. His general statements were that the media has changed over the years. â€Å"The negative portrayals of the 1960’s and 1970’s have changed,† Randall stated. Randall felt that in modern times, people of color were treated more fairly and given a more positive portrayal in the media. Randall stated that there were many positive images in the media of African Americans, such as Denzel Washington, Barack Obama, Michael Jordan, and Bill Cosby. In addition, Randall said that in previous years no such image could have been seen in the media. â€Å"We are rational human beings and it’s our choice to choose what part of the spectrum of negative and positive images we would want to emulate,† said Randall. This statement impacted me and slightly changed my opinion on the topic. At that point in conducting my primary research for the paper, my position on the topic has somewhat been altered. After conducting the interviews with April T. Glasgow and Professor Alexander Randall I have become more open minded to the issue. I would admit that I was initially a bit biased and reserved on the topic prior to evaluating the topic from both sides; negatively and positively. In order to decide which position I was going to take I would have to do more secondary research on the topic. Since I started this research paper my observation and assessment of the media have taken a different turn. I now compare and contrast men of other races in the media to African American men. My secondary research was, for the most part, completed using internet sources. The articles that I discovered on the web were very useful and contributed greatly to my research. Three internet articles were analyzed to achieve the secondary data for my paper. The first article I examined was â€Å"The Media’s Bias against black men in America. † The article was basically a discussion of a piece written in the New York Times about the plight of American black men. The author, Armstrong Williams, stated that the New York Times article was another example of major media outlets using negative statistics to consistently cast black men as the scourge of this country. Williams made several strong and interesting statements throughout the article that I thought was beneficial to this research paper. For example, according to Williams, â€Å"The continual coverage of the black man’s plight instead of his progress only hinders his growth, holds back our country from true equality, and hides the truth about the opportunities and challenges that we all face†(Williams  ¶4). Williams also suggested that the American public should challenge the lack of coverage of American black progress in this country (Williams  ¶5). â€Å"In the last century black men have literally gone from being slaves to business owners, government leaders, lawyers, doctors, firemen, generals, entertainers, and educators. No other oppressed class of people anywhere else in the world has advanced its standing in a society this quickly† (Williams  ¶6). I was really impressed by the way Armstrong used this statement to present his argument. In addition, Williams stated that the incidence of drug use, crime, scandal, divorce, and other social ills have increased dramatically for white men, but these statistics are not reported as problems about ‘white men’ in America (Williams  ¶6). â€Å"Approximately 9 out of 10 serial killers are white males between the ages of twenty and thirty five. Yet we never hear these statistics repeated over and over again in the mainstream press, making these crimes synonymous with one particular race as in this case with blacks† (Williams  ¶9). Later in the article Williams explained the image the media is creating internationally. The overseas media continuously places black men in negative positions such as school dropouts, irresponsible fathers, and victims of perpetual racism. The manner in which these stories are constructed and then, displayed to listeners and readers eliminates the possibility of believing that black men do not have positive roles (Williams  ¶10). Therefore, I agree with Williams that the repetitive negative articles can create a vicious cycle of harmful images and low expectations of black men. â€Å"The Black Image in the White Mind† is the title of the second internet article that I examined. The article was useful in constructing my opinion on the topic of how African American men are displayed in the media whether negatively or positively. The article presented some useful statistical data that was quite interesting and yet shocking to me. In this article by Robert M. Entman, he stated that a mug shot of a Black defendant is four times more likely to appear in a local television news report than of a White defendant (Entman  ¶2). He went on to say that the accused is two times more likely to be shown physically restrained in a local television news report than when the accused is a white man (Entman  ¶2). According to Entman, â€Å"The name of the accused is two times more likely to be shown on screen in a local TV news report if the defendant is black, rather than white† (Entman  ¶2). In addition, he stated that while black actors are now more visible in media, it is an open question as to how well they are being represented (Entman  ¶2). The Third article that I examined was â€Å"Black youth and mass media: current research and emerging questions† and I found it to be the most interesting of the three. This article was written by Craig Watkins, an Associate Professor of Sociology and Radio-Television- Film at the University of Texas at Austin. The article was basically an outline of some of the important research findings and emergent issues that examine the changing relationship between black American youth and the mass media industry (Watkins  ¶5). Watkins stated that for most of its history the mass media industry has produced images that distort and misrepresent the complexities of the African American experience (Watkins  ¶9). He stated that contemporary media representations of African Americans can be best described as paradoxical because blacks are simultaneously underrepresented and overrepresented in American media culture (Watkins  ¶9). According to Watkins, â€Å"blacks are underrepresented in many areas of mass media they are over represented in television sports broadcasts and crime and violence related portrayals† (Watkins  ¶13). Watkins said that images of blacks in magazines have increased but they are predominantly portrayed in athletic roles. According to Watkins, African American men are more likely to appear as athletes or musicians (Watkins  ¶14). The strongest statement throughout the article was when Watkins stated that the ‘athleticization’ of the black men in the media reproduces and popularizes long-standing myths about biological and intellectual differences between blacks and whites (Watkins  ¶15). Further analysis of Watkins’ article indicated that when African Americans are portrayed in television news it is generally in aggressive, violent, or criminal roles. Also, a recent analysis of the film industry asserts that blacks tend to be restricted to low budget features that focus disproportionately on crime, violence, and youth delinquency. The repetitious display of blacks in athletic roles creates a limited range of adult and professional role models for young black males being that they are faced with only few media images of successful African American men. The internet articles that I examined clearly showed that there is strong evidence to prove that African American men are negatively and unfairly displayed in the media. After examining these internet articles, I felt that even though they were some positive images of African American men in the media the majority of images are in some way biased or negative. After evaluating and examining my internet sources, I turned back my attention to my English 201 text book, Literature for Composition: Reading and Writing Arguments to get some more insight on the matter. While reading through chapter twenty-three, I came up on a quote from Lawrence Fuchs that I found to be tied in well with my overall all theme of identity in America. I decided to place this quote at the beginning of the research paper a sort of introduction to the overall theme. I chose this quote because it describes the complexity and internal conflicts of identity in America. Speaking of conflicts between identities, Hotel Rwanda is a film that displays such conflict to the extreme. This film was shown in class by my English professor because she said that it was in some way related to our theme and that it could also be used as a part of our secondary research. I did not really understand the connection with our theme until I saw the film. Hotel Rwanda is a historical drama about the hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina played by Don Cheadle during the Rwandan genocide and was directed by Terry George in 2004. The movie is actually based on the Rwandan genocide that occurred in 1994 where almost one million of both Tutsi and Hutu individuals were killed. In the movie which is a reflection of what actually took place, the media was used to instigate conflicts between the Tutsi and Hutu. Throughout the actual conflict the media was used as a tool to falsely display Tutsi’s as the scourge of Rwanda. For example, the radio station, RTLM was used to spread negative and hate messages about the Tutsis such as â€Å"Why do we hate the Tutsis? They are cockroaches†¦Rwanda is Hutu land. †(United Arts. Dir. Terry George. United States, 2004) All in all, it is quite evident from the primary and secondary research that there are both negative and positive displays of African American men in the media. Since the interviews I am more aware that the display of African Americans has changed over time for the better. However, from the Internet articles I have discovered that there are still a lot of negative images of African American men in the media. In addition, I learned that there are still many biases when presenting African American men in media whether on radio, television, or magazines. Overall, the research was very interesting and informative. April T. Glasgow and Professor Alexander Randall were very helpful in making my research paper a success. From carrying out this research paper I was able to conduct some interesting interviews, especially with Professor Randall. I was truly able to critically interpret and analyze the investigation in addition to improving my overall research skills. The research process was a learning experience that I will never forget. Works Cited Barnet, Sylvan, Burto William and Cain E. William. Literature for Composition. New York: Longman, 2007. Entman, Robert and Rojecki, Andrew. â€Å"Media and its Portrayal of Black Americans. † racerelations. about. com. New York. 2008. . Glasgow, April T. Personal Interview. 20 Feb. 2008. Hotel Rwanda. Dir. Terry George. Lions Gate Films and United Artists, 2004. Randall, Alexander. Personal Interview. 20 Feb. 2008. Watkins, S. Craig, â€Å"Black Youth and Mass Media: Current Research and Emerging Questions. † < http://www. rcgd. isr. umich. edu/prba/perspectives/winter2000/cwatkins. pdf>. Williams, Armstrong. â€Å"The Media’s Bias Against Black Men in America. † 31 March 2006. .

Zinn, A Peoples History of the U.S. essays

Zinn, A Peoples History of the U.S. essays The significance of Columbus, to Zinn, would be the stand point of how his story of discovery has been told. The story of Columbus has been told and taught from the stance of Columbus and Spain. It has been used to describe how the Americas were discovered and what a great accomplishment that was. Zinn, however, does not see the story of Columbus discovery in that fashion. In fact, he does not see it that way at all. He signifies the story, as a majority of people know it, as just one of the many in our history that have been embellished and or told from the point of view of leaders, and all others who may get something more out of revealing information a certain way. The traditional story of Columbus demonstrates what is wrong with the way history is usually written. It does this by using only certain facts and possibly naming only few of many people involved. Traditionally we learn history by reading what has been written and then passed down through many resources, which can be very one sided. Zinn would most likely write these teachings differently by divulging more facts. This includes treacheries that were occurring at the same time that discoveries were being made. From reading what Zinn wrote about Columbus, I understand that he would tell the story of Columbus from the point of view of the Arawaks (the Indians). He would do this not only because it has not been the traditional way to tell this story, but to give a different outlook to what had actually happened. This would be a way of teaching people about how all involved have been effected by decisions and conquers that were made, specifically Columbus discovery. Zinn prefers to tell of the cruelties of victims because he wants to reach out to people and let them make their own decisions about history and who was right or wrong. He seems to want people to realize the whole picture of this story, all people involv...

George Balanchine essays

George Balanchine essays There are many people involved in the world of fine arts today and one must have extraordinary talent to influence or create an impact in his or her field or art. George Balanchine, regarded as the ...foremost contemporary choreographer... (Balanchivadze 1) is one of these choreographic geniuses. It was Balanchine that brought the standards of dance up to a level that had never been seen before, creating a new audience for ballet. George Balanchine was one of the most influential choreographers of dance in ballet history. Georgi Melitonovich Balanchivadze was born the second of three children to Meliton Balanchivadze and his wife Marie on January 22, 1904 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He received a classical education, acting and dance training beginning at the age of 9, from the Imperial Ballet School. It was originally thought that young Georgi would become one of the Tsars cadets so it was with the thought that if things didnt work out at the ballet school he could always join the Navy. In fact, in his first year Georgi was not at all thrilled by what he was learning. Eventually the initial homesickness wore off and Georgi thrived in the atmosphere. At the age of 17, Balanchine graduated from the imperial ballet school and joined the Soviet State Dance Company (now known as the Kirov) (Balanchivadze 1). It was here that Georgi first began to choreograph. This choreography deeply upset his traditionally minded superiors because of its improper use of costumes and his unorthodox dance routine. All this discouragement soon ended after Balanchine met Vladmir Dmitriev. In 1924, with Dmitrievs help Balanchine, Tamara Geva, Nicholas Efimov, and Alexandra Danilova formed the Soviet State Dancers. (George Balanchine 1) The group traveled throughout Europe looking for places to perform and eventually settled temporarily in London. They experience...

Marketing in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing in Canada - Essay Example The proposed research paper will attempt to analyze the predominant themes in American marketing, and determine to what degree those themes continued to be used in the Canadian context. As a tentative thesis, this paper presumes that marketing strategies in Canada will, to a great extent, largely resemble marketing strategies that would be used in similar situations in America, and that firms that have both American and Canadian wings do not significantly alter their marketing strategies when advertising similar products or services on both sides of the border, an indication that such marketing strategies retain much of their effectiveness. OVERVIEW OF EARLY FINDINGS As a preliminary step to research, the author evaluated several marketing campaigns launched across both the United States and Canada, from companies with similar placements. At this stage apples-to-apples comparisons of marketing campaigns within a company (the way Ford markets a truck in the United States vs. Canada, f or instance), to attempt to control for the fact that a single company might choose to use similar marketing strategies simply as a cost-saving measures. Research was also conducted into marketing theory, looking into publications that de facto target a US audience as well as explicitly Canadian marketing publications. Throughout this process, some major themes in American marketing have become apparent: gender, patriotism, and technology. Most major marketing campaigns include one of these things to some degree or the other. GENDER Gender plays a major role in many marketing campaigns. Marketers try to connect many different products to the proper performance of gender. This is most clearly demonstrated through explicitly gendered products, such as Dove's normal line versus it's â€Å"Dove for Men† line, which promotes cleanliness as a masculine virtue rather than a feminine one, as is normally shown through marketing in their traditional line. This pattern is also apparent in non-gendered products: beer advertisements for men and for women will be very different from each other, despite being the same product and having many of the same benefits. Gender performance in the United States and Canada are very similar to each other, and one would expect marketing campaigns to feature gender in a similar way. PATRIOTISM Patriotism is rarely expressed explicitly, e.g. â€Å"it is the right thing for your country to buy this product,† - more often patriotism is invoked through connecting the product with demonstrated values of the country, such as strength or constancy, or it is made of products originating in the country. TECHNOLOGIES Technology is the area that might feature a stark difference between Canadian and American strategies. Though the United States, like most developed countries, is increasingly technology heavy, Canadians have proven to be more adept at adapting to social media than Americans. There is a higher percentage of Canadians who have adapted to social media, especially Facebook and Twitter, and they incorporate both of those technologies into their life faster. This might mean that companies need to put greater importance to social media in their

How One Child Policy Would Affect Chinese Economy Research Paper

How One Child Policy Would Affect Chinese Economy - Research Paper Example In 1989, the official slogan was that a â€Å"one-son or two-child† policy, and it was in force in all most all regions of China. Thus, under this changed policy initiates, couples with a daughter were bestowed with the privilege to have a second child that too after a gap of 7 years. China’s entire birth planning initiative and one-child policy was perused on the available processes and structures linked with a centrally planned economy. (US Congress Joint Economic Committee 1992:252). Population control and economic development are the two major concerns for developing nations. China’s response to this issue was the open-door policy and the reform and the one-child policy. Two miracles have been produced by China in these areas. Both, demographic and economic changes have been undergone by China in recent years. Further, China has shifted from the centralised economy to a market- based economy. China, in the last twenty years, has become as one of the fast-grow ing and most energetic economies of the world, and this is regarded to be first miracle. Further, China’s one-child policy has applied the brake to explosive growth of Chinese’s population and also there has been a remarkable decline in fertility rates, which is well bellow –replacement stages and this has been regarded as second miracle of China.( Wong & Liu 2007:333). In reality, the declines in population growth, the slow-down in fertility rates and transformation in age structure have been main features economic achievement of China. The main aim of this research study is to study the association between China’s economic growth and its demographic evolution. In the background of both future and contemporary changes in China’s age structure, this research paper will also scrutinize and evaluate on the role of transformation in populations age structure in impacting China’s prospects for economic growth in the ensuing decades. This researc h paper will endeavour to elucidate the future, and the current confronts China witnesses and suggests policies to cope with them to maintain economic growth in the globe’s most populace nation. (Wong & Liu 2007:334). One Chid Policy and China’s Economic Development History of Chinese One -Child Policy During 1978-79, there had been reformulation of China’s population policy by the post –Mao’s leadership. The population issue witnessed in the late 1970s was footed on the demographic reality that in between 1949 and 1970, China had concluded its demographic evolution from high to low mortality and fertility rates. Before the introduction of one -child policy , the China’s population strategy of the 1970s had resulted in a shark fall in aggregate fertility rates to 2.72 in 1978 from 5.81 in 1970.Despite the fact of low fertility rates , due to demographic momentum , it was foreseen that population increase would prolong for many years to come. Demographic momentums connotes that a population will prolong to increase long after replacement level fertility has been accomplished, as young age structure of the total population will generate groups in the childbearing ages for many more years to come. The research survey by Tien (1981) that was conducted in the late 1970 showed that about 39 % of population of China was in the age group of 15 and above , while 65% of the population was aged 30 and below , born after 1949 . Calculations showed that on the basis of this age structure that if every