Education Is Life Iself Essay Example for Free

Education Is Life Iself Essay Once John Dewey said, â€Å"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.† It is quite difficult, even impossible to contend for the statement. We should clearly understand that education is a long process which lasts for the whole life. More than that life is the best teacher we might ever have. In other words, we can denote that we live educating ourselves and educate ourselves for living. First of all, it is interesting to note that the notions â€Å"education† and â€Å"life† can be regarded as identical ones. The matter is that speaking about education we keep in mind that it is not just a period of life but a lifelong process of learning. As Albert Einstein once noticed, â€Å"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at growth.† Keeping to the point it should be also mentioned that education can be given and taken anywhere – at school, university or home. It doesn’t matter. However, there is no better teacher than life itself. Nobody can dispute it. People learn much deeper and more effectively through their own actions and mistakes. Life motivates, directs, controls and evaluates us. Life teaches us. What is more important, life is always fair towards us. That is why we consider life to be the best teacher. To sum up, it should be said that every person has his own attitude towards education. For some people education seems to be an obligation, even a burden, for others it is the meaning of life, for the rest it can be a means to achieve some higher goals†¦ but there is no doubt, education is the most powerful tool that has a certain impact on our lives. The other question is how to use this tool. Nukhayeva Kamila

Communication skills are vital within a nurses role

Communication skills are vital within a nurses role Communication is natural to most people. We learn to communicate from birth and it is something that most people do without being aware of it. Communication is simply the name for expressing, sharing and understanding information. To examine a model of communication, for example, Shannon and Weavers model of communication (Brooker and Waugh, 2007) there are three components to successful communication. The first part is the sender. This is the source of the information which is to be shared. It could be a person talking, a radio or a newspaper or book. The next part of the model is the message. This is the information itself. It could be words spoken by the person or words from the book or newspaper. The last stage is the receiver. This is the person who is receiving the message. That would be the person listening to the words of another, the person hearing the radio or the person reading the book or newspaper. Communication can be separated into two categories, verbal communication and non-verbal communication. Knapp et al (2010) defines Non-verbal communication as communication without the use of words. Non- verbal communication can include body language, touch and gesture. Non-verbal communication can be more influential than verbal communication (Argyle, 1988 cited in Chambers, 2003) Verbal communication is achieved through the use of spoken or written language. Scammell (1990) states that its purpose include: to instruct, to teach, to educate, to express feelings and emotions, to help or seek help. Although there are two separate categories, both are used together in everyday life by most people without thinking. In this explanation, communication sounds very straight forward but the barriers to communication can be very complex, this is especially relevant in people who have had a stroke as will be explored later in this text. The nurse has a vital role in caring for the patient who has had a stroke. It is within the nurses role to assess, plan, implement and evaluate a personalised care plan for the patient (Brooker Nicol 2003 cited in Brooker and Waugh, 2007). Although the nurse will be assessing the patient holistically, they must also ensure they realise the importance of communication in the patients recovery. It is fundamental the nurse understands and expects the communication problems that the patient may encounter. It is also essential that the nurse can communicate effectively with other members of the multi disciplinary team to ensure that patient receives high quality evidence based care. The nurse must also communicate well with the relatives of the patient as they may not fully understand what to expect in the recovery process (Glass Maddox 1992). The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) have clear guidelines on the responsibility of the nurse to communicate effectively with patients in their care. The nurse has a duty of care to meet the patients communication and language needs. The nurse should use evidence based practice and research to decipher effective communication strategies for each patient, trying to get to know the patient as an individual and documenting successful communication techniques. The nurse may also refer to the patients relatives to gain knowledge of communication strategies which work already. The nurse must have a sound knowledge of the pathophysiology of a stroke to understand how to communicate; this is explored in the next paragraph. Firstly, to understand the communication problems that a patient who has suffered a stroke encounters, how a stroke manifests must be understood. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, 15 million people will have a stroke on an annual basis (WHO, 2004 cited in Ross, 2009) the correct medical terminology for a stroke is a cerebral vascular accident (CVA). A stroke usually happens when an artery within the brain becomes blocked thus leading to the death of cells which have had their blood supply cut off (Chang et al, 2006a). The term for cell death, in this way, is infarction. Another reason for a stroke is when there is a haemorrhage within the brain, or an artery bursts also resulting in cell death. If the blood supply is cut off then the cells dies and this can cause serious damage to important areas of the brain (Chang et al, 2006b). Different areas of the brain control different aspects of the body and depending on where the stroke has taken place can affect how the patient recovers. The patient who has suffered a stroke may have very serious communication difficulties after the stroke. For most people, the language centre of the brain is in the left hemisphere, although a small amount of left handed people may have their language centre on the right hemisphere. If the stroke happens within this area and there is damage then the person can suffer language problems (Horton, 2001). This is called Aphasia. Aphasia can prove to be a very complex barrier in communication. Aphasia can alter the way they communicate, from speaking and pronouncing words, having correct grammar to understanding words (Bannister, 1992 cited in Clarkson, 2010). Aphasia can also disrupt the patients ability to write and read. When a patient suffers a stroke they may be left with aphasia. The patient may not be able to adequately understand language or express language (Clarkson, 2010). A patient with a stroke can be left unable to even recognise simple words or instructions. This can be very infuriating for the patient as they may not be able to express their needs or preferences. The nurse may also find it hard to assess what the patients needs are which could effectively slow recovery. Communication strategies are essential in the plan of care for the patient who has had a stroke, as will be discussed in the next paragraph. There are many communication strategies which have been implemented within a clinical setting to overcome barriers in communication. The nurse must strive to increase the patients confidence when communicating ensuring that the patient has opportunity to make decisions about their care. Alternative and Augmentative communication systems can be put in place to assist with communication (Glennen DeCoste, 1996a). One of these methods is the use of picture cards. Picture cards are used to give the patient the opportunity to express a fundamental need (Speakability.org.uk, 2010). These picture cards can be of varying size but are usually about A4 size. They contain pictures of basic items and usually a phrase accompanying the item, e.g. a pair of spectacles and a phrase stating I need my glasses. The cards are accessible to the patient so it means that they can express needs without speaking. The nurse can quickly decipher what the patient needs and can deliver the care quickly and effectively. Although picture cards may be effective, they can be reinforced by gesture or mime. The patient may use a cup to signal the fact that they are thirsty. This could also be reversed with the nurse holding the cup to ask the patient if they are thirsty. The use of a medical passport has also become more common within clinical area. This consists of a booklet which is usually passport size, which is full of pictures and phrases, like the picture cards (Speakability.org.uk, 2010). This may have pictures of things like a clock and the phrase How long will I have to wait? This means the patient can maintain control over their healthcare and also be more involved in decisions and treatment options. The picture cards and the medical passport are a non-verbal way of the patient communicating wit h the nurse or even family members (Glennen and DeCoste, 1996b). However in order to obtain these responses from the patient, the nurse may have to use a different communication strategy such as questioning. Referring back to the communication model from earlier, the nurse must understand that although it seems very straight forward, it is altered completely in a stroke patient. The patient may be trying to send a message but be unable to find the correct words or grammar to express themselves (Clarkson, 2010). The patient may also have difficulty understanding the message so although the words are correct, they may be unrecognisable to a stroke patient. The nurse could use a verbal form of communication to encourage the patient to, for example, use the picture cards or medical passport. The nurse could use questioning as a tool to assess needs and deliver appropriate care. The nurse must assess the type of questioning needed in certain situations, e.g. if there is important information needed quickly then the nurse could use closed questions to ascertain a yes or no response. Closed questioning may also be useful in stroke patients as an open question may be difficult to answer because of the aphasia. It is important to add that sometimes people with aphasia can say yes when they mean no and vice versa (Clarkson, 2010) so the nurse could summarize what the patient wants, by repeating back to them verbally, just to clarify the correct information has been communicated. The nurse must communicate with clarity, avoiding medical jargon or eloquent grammar, using clear and concise language which is not too complex. Nurses are often seen by the patient as their link to understanding the medical jargon which doctors may use (Castledine, 2002). When relaying information, the nurse must simplify the language so that the patient has a better understanding of the definition, this is especially relevant to patients who have had a stroke due to nature of this condition. Simple language may even be difficult for the patient to understand, so the nurse must relay the information in a simple format, always clarifying that the patient has understood what is being said. In conclusion, this essay has explained the importance of the nurse understanding what communication actually is and why it is relevant in patients who have had a stroke. This text has explored how a stroke manifests and what barriers a stroke patient may encounter when trying to communicate. In summary, it is evident that there are many different ways to communicate with a patient who has had a stroke but it is the nurses responsibility to ensure that they research and build rapport with the individual patient to effectively communicate in the easiest manner. The nurse has legal obligations to meet communication and language needs of the patient. This essay explored two specific strategies used in communicating with patients with aphasia. This essay concludes that communication barriers can be complex and the nurse must ensure that care is delivered in a person-centered, individual, holistic basis. Word Count: 1921 .

Branding architecture and strategies

Branding architecture and strategies Brand distinguishes a companys product from its competitors and an identified product or service that closely satisfies customers needs and wants. Brand is an asset to a company and reflects the quality of customer service. Branding is all about the customers trust of the product or service and makes the segmentation easier for the company. The difference between a company and its competitors should be communicated by brand, because it makes a company unique. BMW, Toyota, Luis Vuitton, NEXT, Debenhams, Nike and Coca Cola are the well-known brands that command price premium and stimulate deep customers loyalty. Branding is the collection of actual and emotional characteristics associated with a particular identified product or service that differentiates it from the rest of marketplace Hand-out notes by tutor Anthony smith Branding is an important aspect of marketing to build a strong image of a company. Mercedes Benz is an automobile brand that commands a premium with their engineering, performance, quality, customer service and after sales service. Toyota shares all these attributes but still they were not positioned as premium in the customers mind. Toyota then formed Lexus as a premium brand with the partnership of both Toyota and Lexus shared engineering, design elements and customer service to successfully compete the big automobile brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes Benz. How-to-branding.com Brand Architecture Brand architecture refers to the hierarchy of brands within a single company. It is the interrelationship of the parent company, subsidiary companies, products, and services, and should mirror the  marketing strategy. Kompanigroup.com How an organization structures various products, services or other entities within its portfolio and how they relate to one another. Brandinstitue.com In the growing economy we can see different companies merging with each other and form the strategy for each of the targeted group in which every product can bring its own brand name. Good and clear brand architecture clues a company towards brand positioning and also helps to get sustainable competitive advantage. There are three different types of brand architecture strategies. Corporate/Monolithic Branding Strategy In this strategy company takes on a unified brand for all products and target markets. This strategy brings simplicity, and cost deficiencies can be achieved as opposed to multi-branding architecture, in which a corporate brand plays a smaller role. Microsoft, Intel, Disney, CNN, SONY, Nike, Virgin and coca cola etc. are the best examples of corporate branding. Corporate banding makes the advertising easier for the company as they just advertise their name and slogan. . Coca cola is recognizable in every continent of the world through its red curved bottle and logo. SONY is a corporate brand as its name is attached to everything, from its DVDs to play station. The founder of SONY, Akio Morita, once said: I have always believed that the company name is the life of an enterprise. It carries responsibility and guarantees the quality of the product. Therefore corporate strategy leads a company to sustainable financial outcomes. Brandingstrategyinsider.com . Adhistry.wikispaces.com Google.co.uk Multi/Individual Branding Strategy Multi Brand Strategy refers to a marketing strategy under which two or more than two similar products of a firm are marketed under different brand names.   Finance.mapsofworld.com It is very difficult for a brand to position itself in a diversified environment where the customers needs and wants are different. Therefore, company can fill different market segments through diversifying its product range. VW, PG, Unilever and Diageo are the best examples of multi branding. PG is the prime example, having a multiple shampoo brand to influence different customers, like head shoulder for dandruff, Pentene for healthy hear and Sassoon for professional saloon experience. Through multi branding a company can target more than one segment in the market and fill the price gaps. Multi branding is a good strategy but sometime it fails because of the poor management. Due to failure it could harm the family brand name. VW took many years to change the negative brand image of Skoda from the customers mind. Helen Meek. et al, 2001 Google.co.uk Endorsed Branding A brand that carries the endorsement of a  source brand (the parent company). Brandbuild.eu Endorsements add integrity and assurance of the indorsed sub brand in customers mind without overpowering it with its own association. Endorsed branding is suitable for the company, using varied product portfolio, e.g. Nestle, Cadbury, Unilever etc. Nestle written on the  Kit Kat,  Cadbury written on Dairy Milk to provide credibility and assurance to the product. Some companies give independence to the endorsed brands like Unilever give freedom to the Heartbrands such as Feast, Magnum and Cornetto and they have their own marketing campaigns and target market. Some companies has firm relationship between company name and product, e.g. Ford does it with the model Mustang, people using either the brand name Mustang or the full name Ford Mustang. Google.co.uk Brand Elements Brand elements are those trademarkable devices that identify and differentiate the brands. There are certain elements of a brand, like names, logos, symbol, characters, slogans, design, features etc. some important elements are mentioned below. Kotler et al, 1996 Brand Name Name is the most significant element of the brand. This is the only part of the brand which should never be changed. It help customers to identify distinguish product from competitors. It is not necessary the brand name is associated with the company and can be different. But if the brand name is linked with the quality of the product either high or low, then all good must be of the same standard. MS is the prime example of providing quality products through St Michael Brand as one can see its tag on the cloths and food and household goods as well. Brand Image Brand image is fundamental way through which a customer recognises and believes a brand. It gives a company an identity and creates a better image in the mind of the customers. Brand image is unique that clearly reflects the image of the organisation and different from the competitors. To build a right image in the customers mind, the company must have to focus on brand identity. Brand Personality Brand personality is the goodwill of the brand. It is associated with the benefits and attributes of the brand. Brand personality is unique and long lasting; it is the emotional attachment of the consumers with the product, e.g. Sony and Panasonic, both are the giants of electronic sector, although both got same features, some peoples prefer one of the other because of their trust on the product by long time. Brand Association Associations, according to Aaker (1991) represent the bases for purchase decisions and for brand loyalty. The way consumers perceive brand is a key determinant of long-term business-consumer relationships. Hence, building strong brand perceptions is a top priority for many firms today. Morris, 1996 It is the perception of the customers towards a brand attributes and quality. Brands can be associated with the name, colours, symbols, attitudes, expressions and sound etc. Mercedes Benz is associated with the luxury drive and excellent engineering, Nike with its Slogan, Nokia with its sound, and Coca Cola with its red colour, Colgate toothpaste with cavity protection and Microsoft with Bill Gates. Renault has launched a successful campaign for its model Clio and used the famous French footballer Thierry Henry and Sesame Steet in the Va Va Voom advertisement. This campaign resulting attract more male customers than females. This is how celebritys association to the brand benefits organisation. Kotler et al, 1996 Brand association gives the basis of buying and brand loyalty to the customers. Companies always try to associate their brands with the positive things to create good image of the product in the mind of customers. Brand association developed if the product is desirable, durable and satisfies the customers needs. Positive customers perception about the product makes a brand stronger. It is formed on the basis of Product attributes, Advertisement, Relevant price, Quality, Celebrity and big entity association, Competition and Display points. Brand positioning Positioning is the place in consumers mind that you want you brand to own. For example, Hallmark caring shared, and Disney Family Fun entertainment. Positioning is not what you do to a product; positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect. Ries and Trout, 1981 Brand positioning is successfully built through continuous communication with the customers about the product to its targeted market, through advertisement, brand name and its packing. Brand positioning refers to the position in the customers mind, it does not relate to market position. Brand positioning is associated with the market segmentation. The right market segment is to be targeted for the brand positioning. Brand positioning is all about a customers perception about the product. There are certain ways for a brand to be positioned, e.g. offering specific benefits, targeting a specific segment, pricing and distribution. Brand positioning is an important concept in which a company can decide where it wants to position its brand in its field relative to competition. Brand positioning is a thinking that guides a company to build a relationship between the brand and customers. Brand positioning gives space in the customers mind, so the company become in the better position to control over its own brand image. Price and quality are the most common attributes are considered in the brand positioning. To get a good position in the customers mind the company introduce brand of a good quality with on competitive price. The quality of the product must be at least equivalent or better from the competitors. Quality perception is the most powerful element of the brand positioning. Once a company is successful in building a powerful perception of quality will result in building a powerful brand. Psychological element is dominant to some extent in building a quality perception as some peoples psyche is that the product with high price tag is of good quality. Communicating brands through their specific features is another way to position brands, e.g. Clinic all clear, Dare to wear Black or Pakistan and India surf excel is advertised as stain remover, Surf Excel hena. Culture is another strong aspect to the brand positioning. Different companies use cultural symbols to differentiate products from their competitors. Examples including, Air India advertise through Maharaja, Tata tea, Hamara Bajaj etc. Treedeuce.com Brand Extension Brand extension  is a marketing strategy in which a firm that markets a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name but in a different product category. Brandexpress.net When a firm uses its brand in another product form, or even within another product class, then the firm is stretching the brand (also referred to as brand extension). Iain Ellwood, 2002 Virgin is the good example of brand extension as they sell everything from records to airline travel, to cola drinks to wedding parties from clothing to cosmetic and computers. This is successful in brand extension because it has the ability to connect the customer directly and give them values. Many firms attempt to extend their brands but all the brand extensions are not suitable or desirable. An extended brand always works best in a top to down direction. It is always easy for a company to bring brand extension from relatively cheaper product line. Ralph Lauren and Gucci are the best example. Ralph Lauren extended from luxury clothing to jeans and bed linen while Gucci brand is extended from luxury clothes to oven gloves, cooking aprons and dog toys. An extended brand has a low introductory cost because the customers, traders and retailer are well aware of the product. Brand extension brings options to the customers through variety of products. If the product is of lower quality, will result in damaging in overall brand value. Iain Ellwood, 2002 Caterpillar is one of the biggest non-sporting footwear companies in the world with its brand CAT. This is basically a construction and mining equipment manufacturing company that extended their brand in this potential segment. It was perceived that it is the biggest mistake of the caterpillar but the extension was a big success. Sometimes the brand extension, implemented incorrectly due to less understanding. LEGO is a Danish toy manufacturing company, decided to extend its brand and launched its own product line of cloths, watches and video games but it was ignored by its target market, that result half of its employee are redundant back in 2004. Kotler et al, 2009 Michelin and Goodyear are the French companies, famous for making rubber tyres and having a number of brand extensions. Michelin brand extensions are car and cycle related product, footwear and clothing, sports and leisure and personal accessories. On the other hand Goodyear becomes the partner of the Adidas to make a series of driving shoes. Kotler et al 2006 We can see normally financial services providers have not attempted to extend their brands, and only concern with their original market. On the other hand, there are too many non-financial service providers extended directly to the financial services. E.g. Tesco extended its market to Tesco banking and Tesco insurance. Benefits of branding To customers People buy brands, because they are well aware of the quality of the product and save time and efforts. Buying a branded product can give customers a peace of mind and credibility. Most of the branded products have warranty policies, which gives customers assurance of a quality product. Some big companies having product replacing policies, e.g. DeWalt a power tool manufacturing company, replace the product immediately in case of damage. To intermediaries/stakeholders There are certain benefits of branding to different stakeholders, that directly/indirectly effecting the organisation. Multinational organisations always have the strategy for social, environmental and economic issues, so Companies contribute to the societies in which they operate. Brands follow government regulations to minimise any adverse effect to the environment and pays tax and create job opportunities that help governments to control over unemployment. Employees always attract to innovative companies where learning opportunities are always there to enhance their career. Multinational companies give assurance of the job security and give career path at the time of recruiting them. Instead of supplying goods directly to retailers, companies distribute goods through agents or distributers. Distributers get long-term agreements from the known brand companies and also benefits from the goodwill of from that brand. Retailer can get benefits from the companys overall marketing campaign. Sustainable competitive advantage When two or more firms compete within the same market, one firm possesses a competitive advantage over its rivals when it earns (or has the potential) to earn a persistently higher rate of profit. Grant, 2002 It is very important for every organisation to be successful in long term. Effective corporate branding is certainly the main source of getting sustainable competitive advantage in the market. Worlds famous corporate brands do not sell products, they sell concepts, e.g. Coca Cola does not sell a soft drink, it sells enjoyment and Microsoft does not sells computers, it sells possibility. Brand designers create a corporate brand identity through promotional material and advertising campaign to establish a corporate identity. There are certain brand characteristics that lead a company to get sustainable competitive advantage. A well designed logo and a strong identity system can give a company an edge over its competitors. Through Brand Identity A unique set of brand associations that the brand strategist aspires to create or maintain. These associations represent what the brand stands for and imply a promise to customers from the organisation members. Aaker, 2004 Brand identity is the way a company aims to identify or position itself or its product or service. Kotler et al, 2009 Brand identity is the first thing that a customer experience and plays a major role in getting a sustainable competitive advantage in the market. Brand attributes are is a bag of features that shows the personality of a brand and these attributes help to create brand identity. Brand identity is supported by emotional and unique elements and values, serve to distinguish the brand in the market, especially for progressively competitive environments, service organisations and recreational sectors. Brand identity creates a distinct identity that is very hard for the competitors to duplicate. The main elements to build a strong brand identity are human resources, organisational culture, organisational structure, stationary, company cards, company dà ©cor, packing, catalogue, market and innovation etc. Kotler et al, 2009 Through Brand loyalty Brand loyalty is considered as ultimate reward for a brand as it is another factor which leads a company to get a sustainable competitive advantage. Customers always prefer to buy those brands they are loyalty with, even though that is expensive and have close substitutes in the market. Apples iPod is a product to listen mp3/mp4 music, and the big electronic giants like Sony, Panasonic and so many other companies have same product with same features at the relatively low price than Apples iPod. Majority of the customers buy iPod just because they are loyal with the brand. Through Brand Equity Brand is a symbol of extremely precious part of legal property, that can control consumer behaviour and it also provides the protection of persistent future revenues to the firm. Brand equity is called the amount that is directly or indirectly accrues by these various benefits. Kapferer, 2005; keller, 2003 Companies invest huge amount of money to develop brand equity. Brands with high equity win the space in the market because of the uniqueness, reliable services and continuous and effective relationship with the customers. Stronger brand image takes a company to financial advantage through the brand equity. Brand equity leads a company to charge perineum prices for the product to raise their profit margin.

Feminism in Sor Juana Essay -- Sor Juana Estela Portillo Trambley Essa

Feminism in Sor Juana In Estela Portillo Trambley’s play Sor Juana the main character Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz was considered to be one of the earliest feminists. Sor Juana’s eternal struggles to study and unshakable craving for knowledge and wisdom, from whatever source it may be, support this attribute. In my opinion however, there are also significant elements of the play that suggest that Sor Juana would not be considered a true feminist. Of these reasons, there are three major ones that I will analyze. The first reason is that Sor Juana gave up her struggle for the acquirement of knowledge from books and settled for reading from religiously accepted writing, essentially giving up what she had been originally fighting for and abandoning her previous ideals. Secondly, Sor Juana only fought for herself and what she wanted to pursue. She did not fight for other women or in other political, economic, or social spheres. Finally, the play fails to identify how Sor Juana set any kind of p recedent or example by accomplishing anything that women before her had never accomplished. In the remainder of this essay I will analyze how Trambley’s representation of Sor Juana is that of a woman concerned only with her own desires and also a woman that gave up her struggle for personal rights that she had once been so motivated to attain prior to setting any precedent for women as a group. One major reason that I do not consider Sor Juana to be the â€Å"Americas’ First Feminist† is that she gave up her struggle for what she originally wanted so badly. In the beginning, Sor Juana went through so much and worked so hard to learn and read and attain knowledge. She seemed so strong, looking past being laughed at and not taken seriously and continuing her quest to study. She began to give in and her original goals started to slip away. â€Å"†¦ and the Church will let me learn.† (151). This quote illustrates how Sor Juana joined the convent to be able to learn because she was not allowed to learn otherwise. Sor Juana settled for life in a convent. She was then forced to live a stricter lifestyle and was limited in her reading materials. It seems she complied with little struggle. Then she felt guilty for having used God in the first place to help her achieve her goal. This led to the abandonment of her original purpose altogether. Sor Juana s ays, â€Å"My whole life was s... ...hown to support the idea that Sor Juana accomplished anything that women before her did not accomplish. Sor Juana says herself, â€Å"I am only a woman incapable of changing worlds.† (184). This is also a main reason that Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, as she was represented in Trambley’s play, is not truly the â€Å"Americas’ First Feminist.† In conclusion, the reasons I have discussed above are sufficient evidence to show that Sor Juana, as she is represented in Trambley’s play is not truly the â€Å"Americas’ First Feminist.† Assertive and intelligent she was, but determined to make any change to the inequality experienced by women by being anything other than a precedent she was not. Also preventing her from being a true feminist is the fact that she was unsuccessful in accomplishing something that no woman had done before. Sor Juana abandoned her struggle to follow her dreams of pursuing something that no woman had ever accomplished prior. She was also unconcerned with the plight of other women, only her own desires to pursue her dreams. Ultimately, becoming just another obedient woman following the constraints of society is what prevents Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz from being a true feminist.

My Hero Essay example -- Hero Heroes Personal Essays

My Hero What is a hero? In my view a hero is someone that you admire. You may admirer them for their achievements, outlooks in life or maybe just because they are famous. In this case I admire my hero for his courage and his determination all through his personal life and his career. This story begins in Bellshill near Glasgow 24th September 1962 where a Glaswegian boy was born. His parents Alexander and May called their miracle Alistair Murdoch McCoist. If only his parents had known the difference this baby boy would make to Scottish football in years to come. At the age of 16 Ally left His High School Hunter high to take up a career in football after his chemistry teacher Archie Robertson noticed him and took him to the St Johnstone Boys Club trials. Unfortunately Mr Robertson died and did not see ally make it to the professional football stage in his career. This is one of Ally's biggest regrets in life. On the 1st December 1978 Ally started his career at St Johnstone FC from their Boys Club. During his first season he appears on the pitch 4 times, though he fails to score a goal but how it changed in the later stages of his football career. Then in 1981 he was transferred to Sunderland for two seasons but still gets no motivation. During his time playing for Sunderland he marries a girl named Allison who to this day is still his wife. Finally in 1983 after three attempts Ally's dream finally comes true when John Greig buys him for  £200,000 and is transferred to Rangers FC almost immediately. This is just the beginning of the success story of Ally Mc Coist. In the early years of his career wearing a number 9 shirt on his back at his new club he is not a popular player with the fans at all.... ... is for Scotland to win the World Cup but he accepts this will never happen, as it would help if they qualified first. He would also like to see one of his boys follow in their "daddy's" footsteps and become a professional footballer. Some general information about my hero is that his perfect happiness would be a Sunday lunch with his family. His greatest fear is his son Argylle. His idol is Robert the Bruce and he admires his son Mitchell the most. Finally his happiest time is when he is on a football pitch kicking a ball around. Overall I chose Alistair Mc Coist as my hero because I admire him for his determination throughout his career as a footballer and also the trials in his personal life that he has overcome including him having the will to save his marriage. Everyday life for me is meeting my hero at the shops and I feel privileged to do so.

Southwest Internal Analysis

Southwest Airlines Internal Analysis Introduction This internal business analysis is on Southwest Airlines, which was founded in 1967 by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher. The main focus for Southwest Airlines was to provide low cost flights for their customers, and also have exceptional customer satisfaction. Southwest is a leading airline company that continues to do well in an industry that has been historically challenging. For instance, in the span of two years (2005-2007) five major airlines have filed for bankruptcy.The challenges are great in the airline industry, because competitors are trying to imitate the â€Å"low-cost† offering of Southwest. Many companies have tried to do what Southwest has done, and many have failed to stay in business. Surprisingly, many of those companies were started by ex-employees of Southwest. Southwest currently has a profitability record for the past thirty six years, which is spectacular in such a challenging industry. Herb Kelleher has be en replaced by Gary C. Kelly, as the president when he resigned in May of 2008.Southwest is in the process of expanding the locations they serve so that they can increase market share, and also find ways to cut costs without losing their quality. In order for southwest to continue their consecutive financial success there is a necessity for excellence in the execution process of their strategy. Business Level Strategy The business level strategy (BLS) that Southwest focuses on is Cost Leadership. They are the leading airline in the United States for providing low-cost fares to their broad customer base.Southwest has found innovative ways to reduce cost within their cost structure enabling them to offer lower fares than competitors and still maintain a profit. One way that has helped Southwest save time and money is their standardization of their airline fleet. This tactic is known as the â€Å"one-model-fleet† by the airline. Having a single airplane model in a fleet has allo wed Southwest to â€Å"lower inventory, record keeping and maintenance costs, and it minimizes the number of technical manuals, tools and spare parts. † Another methodology that has layed an important role in their thirty six years of profitability is their fuel hedging practices they’ve practiced since the late nineties. This tactic has saved the company millions of dollars, and in 2007 alone has saved the company 727 million dollars. Another cost saving measure that Southwest has implemented is the use of blended winglets on all of their 737-700’s models. This change is supposed to improve performance by extending the airplanes range, saving fuel, and lowering engine maintenance costs and reducing takeoff noise. More recently, Southwest began to use EcoPower engine wash services.This is going to allow Southwest to save an estimated $20 million dollars in fuel costs. All of these tactics by Southwest are designed to save on expenses that they incur doing busine ss. Many airlines cut cost by laying off employees, but Southwest has established a â€Å"no layoff policy† that is currently still in effect. This shows how committed the company is to their employees, and how they are an integral part of their business. Resources Southwest has plenty of resources that have contributed to their success as an airline company. Their intangible resources have created their competitive advantage in relation to their competitors.The reason for that is the simple fact that their tangible resources are not difficult to replicate. It’s the technique that Southwest uses to connect their resources that has enabled them to be successful in the airline industry. Their tangible and intangible resources are as follows: Tangible: The main tangible resources that Southwest has are its training center, employees, headquarter facility, acquisitions, partnerships, take off and landing spots, frequent flyer reward program, self-service check-in kiosks, a nd their fleet aircrafts.In 1986, Southwest opened a multi-million dollar training center for their flight crews. As all businesses, employees are necessary if you’re conducting business on a large scale. The connection between Southwest and its customers are their employees, which makes the employees role that much more important. Although, the employees are tangible, the culture of the employees is intangible aspect that has been difficult for competitors to imitate. The training center for their employees was an investment Southwest made early on knowing its importance to the long term success for the company.The headquarters for Southwest is another tangible resource, which is located in Dallas. The headquarter similar to many other companies allow top management to effectively communicate the organizational goals of the company. Acquisitions and partnerships that Southwest has completed throughout their duration allow the company to expand their services to more than 64 cities in the United States, and obtain more take-off and landing spots. The frequent flyer program is another tangible resource that Southwest possesses, but interestingly has not had a major impact on Southwest’s bottom line.With the help of IBM, Southwest was able to offer about 250 self-service check-in kiosks. The reason for having the kiosks for their customers was to reduce the amount of time the customers spend in line and to improve the airport experience. In the very beginning, Southwest only had 3 Boeings in their lineup but now they have more than 243 aircrafts in their lineup. Intangible: The main intangible resources that Southwest has are its brand, unique culture, and reputation. Southwest has a brand that is known widely when referencing the airplane industry.The brand that they represent is one that is reliable, convenient, employee centered, customer oriented, and at the same time providing a low cost alternative to their customers. This has helped dramatic ally in their formation of their culture, because even in the beginning their main focus has been on its employees. Southwest has a culture that is unmatched in the industry, and one of the main reasons they have been wildly successful in a challenging environment. Early on Southwest made the decision to sell one of their airplanes rather than laying off their employees to show their loyalty to its employees.All of these factors have enabled the company to maintain a reputation that is respected among the industry. The reputation that they have has enabled them to reap the benefits of being recognized as a leader in the industry. For example, Southwest has earned several Triple Crown awards, which is an award for having the best on-time record, best baggage handling, and fewest customer complaints. Outcomes from Combinations of the Criteria for Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Is the Resource of Capability Valuable? | Is the Resource or Capability Rare? | Is the Resource or Capabi lity Costly to imitate? Is the Resource or Capability Nonsubstitutable? | Competitive Consequences| Performance Implications| No| No| No| No| Competitive disadvantage| Below-average returns| Yes| No| No| Yes/No| Competitive parity| Average returns| Yes| Yes| No| Yes/No| Temporary competitive advantage| Average returns to above-average returns| Yes| Yes| Yes| Yes/No| Sustainable competitive advantage| Above-average returns| Result from the chart: Capabilities The capabilities of Southwest Airlines are the origin of the firm’s ability to create a competitive advantage over other airlines in industry.Southwest focuses on three main functional areas within the organization, which are management, human resources, and marketing. Management The management capabilities of Southwest Airlines are the main reason why the company has been so profitable, utilizing an effective low cost organizational structure throughout the entirety of the company. Using only one type of plane fleet, the Boeing 737 series, which allows minimizing inventory and resources needed for training, maintenance, parts, and is also a very reliable plane.This helps in the quick turnaround times at the gates, which keeps more planes in the air at any given point in time. In the 1990’s Southwest employed an aggressive fuel hedging tactic saving the company millions of dollars in hard times, while still being able to provide low ticket prices to consumers. Another important area management focuses on is the management of human resources that emphasis both employees and customer alike. Human Resources Focusing on customer service, Southwest Airlines opened a multi-million dollar training facility for its flight crews in 1986.The heart of this training facility is to promote human capitol and share knowledge throughout company. By focusing first on their own employees, southwest can ensure that the employees will then focus on the customer. Through motivation and empowerment in the training of its employees, Southwest can provide customers a comfortable experience while retaining employees and making it hard for competitors imitate. This is proven with its Triple Crown Award for best on-time record, best baggage handling, and least customer complaints. MarketingOne way to promote value and differentiate itself from competitors is Southwest’s humorous advertisements. Exercising the LUV ticker symbol, Southwest promotes its customer driven services and prices. While in the late 1980’s Southwest started a rewards program that has retained loyal customers, but has not been proven successful for leisure travelers. With the low cost abilities, timeliness flights, rewards, and focus on the customer, Southwest Airlines has carried out an exceptional marketing strategy. Core Competencies Employee LoyaltyWithin the first two years of operation Southwest suffered huge losses and had to make some major financial decisions. These decisions lead to the selling off an aircraft and keep all of the employees created the â€Å"no lay off policy†. Then in 1973 Southwest was one of the first companies to incorporate profit sharing where employees owned at least 8% of the company stock. This leads to higher employee satisfaction, retention rate, and increases the want for the company to do well, this way the employees focus more on creating value for the customer.Management Skills Southwest Airlines management has tailored numerous sets of activities around a low cost structure creating value for the customer. With short domestic, point-to-point flights, no additional in flight features and no seat reservations allows for a short turnaround time, which makes for less crowded airports and maximizes flight time. Along with fuel hedging and low maintenance costs, the design of these best-fit activities show that the excellent management skills are a core competency that creates a competitive advantage over other airlines.Conclusion Through the inte rtwining of its resources, Southwest Airlines has created a unique set of capabilities and competencies that has continuously allowed successful implementation of its business level strategy. With a focus on low-cost leadership and customer service, Southwest Airlines creates value with reliable on-time departures and a unique company culture. This provides a sustainable competitive advantage that is hard for competitors to imitate and provides a string foundation for Southwest Airlines’ future success.

Changes in Business Environment

Anyone who is familiar with the major organizations in their area probably has observed firsthand how dramatically the business environment has changed in recent years. These changes have had a significant impact on organizational efforts to be successful. In practically every instance organizations have tried to more clearly identify and then focus on factors that impact their success. One factor that seems to be receiving more attention than any other are the people who work for organizations. What organizations are realizing is that their likelihood of sustained success is most dependent on learning to get the maximum out of their employees. Such a realization has had a significant impact on the practice of human resources management (HRM). What's more, business forecasters predict that the role of employees, managers, and HRM personnel are likely to see more changes in the decades ahead. Thus, individuals entering the business environment today (and tomorrow) require both an understanding of the importance of human resources and effective HRM to organizational success. As we move further into the twenty-first century, it's becoming absolutely clear that the effective management of an organization's human resources is a major source of competitive advantage and may even be the single most important determinant of an organization's performance over the long term. Organizations have started to realize that their success is dependent on their ability to attract, develop, and retain talented employees. Robert Reich emphasizes this point when he suggests that in the future, the organization's ability to attract, develop, and retain a talented workforce will be a critical factor in developing a high-performance organization. The long-term, sustained success of an organization in today's changing and challenging business environment involves top management's commitment to designing and implementing HRM programs geared to developing both high-performing employees and organizations. This means that top management anticipates the future need for employees and develops specific plans to obtain, develop, and retain the type of employees who meet the needs of a high-performing organization. Only by anticipating and working toward the development and retention of the right type of employees can any organization expect to be successful in a global, dynamic, and continuously changing competitive environment. An important element of organizational success is an HRM strategy where every manager is an HRM manager. For example, every manager must be expected to set goals for the development and satisfaction of employees. Second, every employee is viewed as a valuable resource, just like buildings and equipment. The organization's success is dependent upon high-performing employees, and without such employees there is no competitive advantage for the organization. Finally, through effective HRM programs the organization's goals are successfully integrated with individual employee needs. It is the thesis of this paper that HRM will continue to be an important element in achieving organizational success in the years to come. What makes one organization successful whereas another fails to make use of the same opportunities? For our purposes, the key to continued survival and organizational success lies not in the rational, quantitative approaches, but increasingly in a commitment to things like people, employee involvement, and commitment. Success for the organizations of today and tomorrow is being increasingly seen as dependent on effective HRM. Effective HRM positively affects performance in organizations, both large and small. Human resources management is the term increasingly used to refer to the philosophy, policies, procedures, and practices related to the management of an organization's employees. While a great deal of research has been devoted to identifying the sources of workplace stress and its links to adverse health and organizational outcomes, little has been done to focus on interventions to improve working environments. In reviewing the practice overall of stress prevention and intervention at the workplace, three conclusions may be drawn. First, although there is a considerable amount of activity in the field of stress management, â€Å"it is disproportionally concentrated on reducing the effects of stress, rather than reducing the presence of stressors at work. † (Kahn & Byosiere, 1992) To put it differently, stress management activities focus on secondary and tertiary prevention, rather than primary prevention. Whereas the latter involves interventions aimed at eliminating, reducing or altering stressors in the working situation, the former two are aimed at the effects of stress, with secondary prevention concerning the helping of employees (who are already showing signs of stress) from getting sick (for example, by increasing their coping capacity); and tertiary prevention concerning treatment activities for employees with serious stress-related health problems (for example, stress counseling/employee assistance programmers, the rehabilitation after long-term absenteeism). Second, most activities are primarily aimed at the individual rather than at the workplace or the organization, in other words, a worker-oriented approach, for instance, by improving employees' skills to manage, resist or reduce stress, as opposed to a job or organization-oriented approach, for instance, by job redesign or in some way changing the corporate culture or management style. Moreover, as Kahn and Byosiere (1992) conclude in their literature review: ‘Even the programs that aim at stress inhibition tend to address subjective rather than objective aspects of the stress sequence; almost none consider the organizational antecedents (policy and structure) that intensify or reduce the presence of objective stressors' (p. 633). A third peculiarity in the practice of stress prevention concerns the lack of a systematic risk assessment (‘stress audit', identifying risk factors and risk groups) as well as of serious research into the effects of all these activities (Kahn and Byosiere, 1992). In the words of Kahn and Byosiere (1992): ‘The programs in stress management that are sold to companies show a suspicious pattern of variance; they differ more by practitioner than by company. When practitioners in any field offer sovereign remedies regardless of the presenting symptoms, patients should be wary' (p. 23). Against the background of (1) clear evidence of the relationship between psychosocial work characteristics and health , (2) national and international legislation that put the emphasis on risk assessment and combating risks by changing the stressful situation, and (3) the basic idea of prevention, that is, eliminating the stress producing situation (prevention at the source), the current practice of stress prevention and intervention seems disappointing. Given the current status of stress prevention, a question that deserves attention is why it is that companies express a preference for ‘post hoc' individual-directed interventions, as opposed to primary or job/organizational interventions. At least four factors seem to contribute to this rather one-sided ‘individual'-oriented approach : 1 Senior managers are often inclined to blame personality and lifestyle factors of employees who are absent from work or report health complaints, rather than the job or organizational factors, for which they are responsible. Senior management also often point to the potential role of stressful life events (family problems such as a divorce or the loss of a beloved), or responsibilities and obligations in the family life (raising children for example). Of course, on the micro-level (i. e. on the level of the individual employee) stressors at work are often accompanied by stressors in one's family situation, but because of the mutual influence and spill-over between both domains, the causes and consequences can hardly be disentangled. Furthermore, holding individual characteristics responsible for differences in experienced stress, one cannot explain why some occupations show significantly more stress complaints and higher sickness absence rates than others. A risk attached to this view is that the employee is regarded as being ‘guilty' of his or her own health problems, that is ‘blaming the victim', with the potential threat in the workplace being overlooked. 2 The second reason may be found in the nature of psychology itself, with its emphasis on subjective and individual phenomena. Many psychology-oriented stress researchers are primarily interested in stress as a subjective and individual phenomenon. To some extent, this may be a legacy of the strong tradition in psychology to focus on individual differences (i. e. differential psychology), and on individual counseling and therapy (i. e. clinical psychology). In this context, a warning seems appropriate against ‘psychologism', that is, the explanation of (a sequence of) societal events from an individual-psychic point of view. Because of this orientation, the potential impact of more ‘objective' or ‘collective' risk factors in the work situation (e. . poor management, work-overload and bullying), may go unnoticed and untreated. In stress research, there is a gap between what ‘theory' preaches (that is, properly designed longitudinal studies, involving a randomized control group, collecting both subjective and objective measures that are analyzed properly with statistical techniques), and what is possible in practice. One of the main reasons for this gap is the difficulty of conducting methodological ‘sound' interventions and evaluation studies in an ever-changing organizational environment. In the 1990s, not only the context of work is rapidly changing, but also ‘work' itself. Work organizations are in a constant state of change, due, in part, to new production concepts (for example, team based work, lean production methods, telework), ‘the flexible workforce' concept, the 24-hour economy, the increased utilization of information technology, and the changing structure of the work force (for example, more women working). These changes clearly affect the work behavior of employees, work group processes, as well as the organizational structure and culture. As a consequence, it is practically impossible to find two companies with comparable stress problems at the beginning of any intervention programme, of which the control company agrees not to undertake any action for a period of three or four years (the period a researcher might like to choose for an intervention project). A related problem is that it is often not in a company's interest to facilitate ‘sound scientific research' in the context of an ongoing business, involving interlopers from outside (i. e. researchers) and detailed data collection on the scene of sometimes confidential information. Senior managers can regard research of this kind as a nuisance to the primary organizational processes and objectives. 4 A fourth factor may be found in the discipline segregation within stress research, with a tendency of researching to neglect the collection of more objective data on the impact of stress and its prevention. Work and organizational psychologists concentrate primarily on ‘soft' outcome variables (e. g. motivation, satisfaction, effect and health complaints), and are well-known for their questionnaire-oriented approach. Traditionally, it has been observed that stress researchers are reluctant to co-operate with economists. For instance in order to study the potential ‘hard' outcome measures (that would include productivity, sickness absence rates and accident rates), as well as the financial effects of interventions. To put it differently, a history of gaining empirical insight in costs and benefits is merely lacking in stress research. Research in the field should in the future include some of the following: first, stress researchers should not only address ‘soft' outcome variables (for example, motivation and satisfaction), but extend their focus to also include ‘hard' outcome variables (for example, productivity and sickness absenteeism). Whereas work and organizational psychologists have often stated that an adequate stress prevention programme may positively affect productivity and sickness absenteeism, until now they have not laid down a sufficiently strong empirical foundation for this position. For too long, stress prevention advocates have based their arguments on a moral or humanistic appeal to the good employer (that is, on ‘industrial charity'), or on legal regulations (for example, working conditions legislation). It is beyond doubt that these are important and strong arguments. Still, it may well be that they are not enough, since these arguments are not those that primarily affect senior management, who are more ‘bottom line' driven. Second, in order to increase the impact of stress prevention in the workplace, more emphasis should be placed on such factors as the quality of product and services, organizational flexibility, continuity, absenteeism, productivity, labor market facets and improved competitivity; and for there to be a multi-disciplinary approach rather than the traditional mono-disciplinary one (for example, co-operation with economists and ergonomists). And finally, the demonstration of examples of good preventive practice is considered as a sine qua non for developing effective stress prevention procedures and for the involvement of both social partners in this field (i. e. employers and employees). Stress has always been a topic of concern for business and industry. Health educators, in response to this concern, have offered a variety of stress management or stress reduction programs. However, McGehee points out that her discussion is not about what stress is or how stress can be managed or the latest research in stress management. The literature on these topics is profuse and easy to locate. Rather, she is concerned with the nature of stress management programs inside companies that have decided to make stress management a part of their employee development. Her discussion includes the reason behind a management program, the format of stress management programs, the selection of a stress management program, work issues and stress management, and the management of the stress response. Although stress has been a constant concern, a serious and growing problem in industry today is burnout. Klarreich relates his health education program on burnout, which was extremely well received in his organization. He describes the nature of burnout, the myths associated with this phenomenon, and the societal and familial influences that contribute to this problem. He delineates a number of steps to â€Å"put out the fire. † These include self-appraisal, alteration of expectations, communication to establish social support, and determination of a behavioral option. He indicates that the healthy employee of the future will be a â€Å"hardy employee. † Achieving excellence in the workplace has become the passion of most North American corporations. Pulvermacher presents a unique health education program, which he delivers as a workshop, to many corporate employees. He states that pursuing excellence requires the application of several fundamental skills. He reviews effective goal setting strategies, methods for avoiding the trap of perfectionism, techniques for managing self-defeating attitudes and beliefs, harnessing stress advantageously, increasing one's self-discipline, managing conflict constructively, and communicating effectively. A variety of reasons for implementing stress management programs are ascribed to by the companies currently doing so. The major reasons include reducing health costs, improving productivity, and boosting employee morale. In many cases, stress management is part of a wellness program. Stress-related disorders, including certain headaches, stomach disorders, chronic muscular pain, cardiac and respiratory conditions, and psychosomatic complaints have been linked to a large percentage of doctor's office visits and hospital tests and admissions. One goal of stress management programs is to provide alternate ways to respond to stress, to prevent potential disorders, and ultimately to reduce health costs. Stress level has been found to be linked to worker productivity. At moderate amounts of stress, performance is at its highest. Stress in moderate amounts, such as from reasonable deadlines, a focus on quality, rational performance rating systems, a system of accountability, often motivates performance. When stress rises to higher levels and a number of stressors are affecting the individual, performance deteriorates. At times of high stress, an individual is not as effective in solving problems, and on-the-job performance is negatively affected. The goal of stress management programs in this case is to provide ways in which employees can cope better with increasing stress and continue to perform well on the job. Stress management programs are usually popular with employees. Attendance at talks and workshops shows that the topic is a popular one. Many companies decide to implement these programs as morale boosters because they â€Å"can't hurt anything. † Stress management has become an integral part of most preventive medicine programs. These programs attempt to include education and training in a variety of ways so that the employees can safeguard their health.