International Biss

‘Arrow and the apparel industry: Solved Case Study Arrow and the apparel industry Q1. Why did Arvind Mills choose globalization as the major route to achieve growth when the domestic market was huge? Ans. : The reasons of choosing global market by Arvind Mills are: 1. Market seeking motives, such as exclusiveness of product and service with high productivity, stringent in-line quality control and an encouraging manufacturing atmosphere. 2.Economic motives, such as profit making by implementing cutting edge technologies to achieve economies of scale and spreading R;D costs. etc. 3. Strategic motives, such as buying-up of sick units, departing worldwide and gaining German and US brand names. Q2. How does lifting of ‘Country-wise quota regime’ help Arvind Mills? Ans. : The lifting of ‘Country-wise quota regime’ surged a demand for high quality garments from India; while Arvind brands crossed over Rs. 60 crore in the year 2002 and planned to setup two more high tech export-oriented factories in India.And now, Arvind has the largest network of 64 outlets with 30 retail chains and 200 multi-brand outlets all over India. The current turnover of Arvind Brand is about Rs. 85 crore, which aimed to reach Rs. 100 crore with 1200-3000 outlets across 480-800 towns. Q3. What lessons can other Indian businesses learn from the experience of Arvind Mills? Ans. : Arvind Mills is one of the trademarks of Indian market, which executed diverse patterns of business. Arvind brand extended the international brands in small towns of India.Of course, many other business brands in India now follows Arvind brand. The other Indian businesses should learn a lot from Arvind Mills: international outset of market; Multi-regional integration approach; union and attainment, strategic alliances, international delegates, global network formation; changes in internal organization, etc. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Case 1:-BPO – BANE OR BOON? Which of the theories of international trade can help Indian services providersgain competitive edge over their competitors?The theory of free markets can help indian services providers gain competitive edgeover their compititors because India has got an edge over other countries at this pointof time but other nations may try to make their products look cheaper bymanipulating their currencies or by imposing restrictions on imported serviceespecially from india We need to do something like this – do something better than your competitors (either make a better product, market it better, service it better, price it cheaper, whatever). Pick up some Indian services providers.With the help of Michael Porter’sdiamond, analyze their strengths and weaknesses as active players in BPO. WNS, which was established in 1996 and transformed from a captive provider to athird-party provider in 2002, announced in December 2004 a new organizationalstructure focused on its vertical business units. The change to th e vertical focus wasmade to sharpen the company's domain expertise; develop new services andtechnologies; create superior career paths for talented managers; continue toemphasize entrepreneurship and empowerment, and win and retain business bydelivering exceptional value to its clients.The company's business units are organized into the following vertical sectors: travelservices; insurance services; financial services; enterprise services (including financialand accounting services, human resource accounting and health care processing),and knowledge services (including primary and secondary research, and analytics). Each unit is managed by a chief executive officer and has its own operating and salesteams, and draws upon support and â€Å"enabling† services across the company. â€Å"We have seen numerous tangible benefits to our decision in 2004 to more sharply focus our vertical structure,† stated Neeraj Bhargava, Group CEO. Specifically, wehave strengthened our leade rship role in the BPO industry; continued to distinguishWNS from our competitors through our differentiated strategy; maintained our recordof creating value for our key constituencies, especially customers and employees, and broadened our global perspective, thus enhancing our ability to help companies meettheir business challenges. â€Å"These developments reflect positively both on the soundness of our decision, as wellas the breadth and depth of WNS' management team, which is uniquely qualified tolead this company. â€Å"Mr. Bhargava added hat WNS' travel unit continues to be the offshore industry leaderin this segment with a dominant market share, but that â€Å"WNS' formalization of ourvertical structure clearly allowed us to devote additional resources to our non-traveloperations – especially financial services, which include mortgage and insurance. As aresult, we have strengthened our expertise and operations in each of our offerings, aswell as across the company as a whole. † Compare this case with the case given at the beginning of this chapter. Whatsimilarities and dissimilarities do you notice?Your analysis should be based onthe theories explained. Evalueserve: Based in Gurgaon, it has 650 people engaged in market research andbusiness intelligence. Nearly 45% of the company’s revenues come from math relatedprojects. Evalueserve has a research firm called Global Sourcing Now, whichspecialises in high-quality research reports. WNS: A Mumbai-based BPO, WNS has just started its KPO division for market researchwith 300 people. It operates in the knowledge services business segment and offershigh-end services such as market, investment and business research.Wipro BPO – In 2002, Wipro took a quantum jump in the BPO services by acquiring thethen Spectramind. Wipro Limited (Wipro) is engaged in the areas of information technology (IT), services,IT products and consumer care and lighting products. The Company is organized infour segments: IT services, IT products, consumer care and lighting, and others. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009 (fiscal 2009), 94% of Wipro’s operatingincome was generated from its IT Services. In Fiscal 2009, IT products represented3% of its operating income, and consumer care and lighting, and others represented3% of operating income.The Company’s IT services segment provides a range of ITand IT-enabled services. In January 2009, Wipro Technologies acquired Citi Technology Services Ltd. (India), the India-based captive provider of technologyinfrastructure services (TIS), application development and maintenance services forcards, capital markets and corporate banking. Similarities: 1. Require knowledge transfer of the organization's business processes2. Involve migration of jobs (along with some people too) to another country3. Necessitated by business compulsions such as cost reduction or shortage of resources4.Technology intensive exercise/process needing a ‘global delivery model'5. Requires structured migration process to minimize the probability of failure6. ITO and BPO Partners are both affected severely by attrition in the workforceDifferences:1. Skills required in the people are different – IT requires strong technology focuswhile BPO requires strong process understanding focus2. Replacement of resources (on account of attrition) is easier and cheaper in BPOsthan ITOs3. ITO staffing strategy is to hire â€Å"trained people† whereas BPO staffing strategy aimsto â€Å"hire the crowd and train them†4.ITO results in loss of jobs to â€Å"knowledge workers† – but they don't care since theycan get plenty of jobs elsewhere; BPO results in loss of jobs to lower skilled â€Å"processworkers† – often they do not have anywhere else to go ITO – Information Technology OutsourcingBPO – Business Process Outsourcing These are two heads, ITO is bent towards technology i. e. softw are outsourcing,whereas BPO is inclined towards process outsourcing. When we say process that could be functional (admin, HR, accounts) shared by all theindustries or technical depending upon each industry and skills required.Moreover, the KPO>RPO>MPO>PPO>EPO and all the newbies are parcel of nicheindustries vis-a-vis skills required. Case 2 PERU What are some current issues facing Peru? What is the climate for doing businessin Peru today? During the 1970s, the Peruvian government nationalized a number of industries andfactories and began running them for the profit of the state in most cases, these state– run ventures became disasters. Peruvian government are facing problem with lack of advance and latest equipmentfor both locating as well as catching and then loading and unloading the fish.Peruvian government might step in during the next couple of years and again takeover the business. If this were to happen, it might take an additional decade for theloan to be repaid. If the government were to allow the fleet owner to operate thefleet the way he has over the last decade, the fleet the way he has over the lastdecade, the loan could be repaid within seven years. Peru is located on the west coast of South America What type of political risks does this fishing company need to evaluate? Identifyand describe them. Political Risk can be divided into several types of threats. Interference with operations †¢ Confiscation (they take a piece of equipment) †¢ Expropriation (they take the whole company) †¢ Nationalization (they take all the companies in a business sector) †¢ Economic instability, which effects production †¢ Currency Repatriation, not being able to get your money out †¢ Currency Inconvertibility, not being able to exchange your money for another currency of international value (yen, dollars, pounds) †¢ Contract Repudiation Persistent and deliberate refusal †¦ to honor obligations as set forth in a Contractà ¢â‚¬ ¦ What types of integrative and protective and defensive techniques can the bankuse? Some prevention techniques apply to individual banks, independently of the rest of the economy. * A bank can take deposits from depositors who do not observe commoninformation that might spark a run. For example, in the days before depositinsurance, it made sense for a bank to have a large lobby and fast service, to preventa line of depositors from extending out into the street, causing passers-by to inferthat a bank run is occurring. [1]* Banks can encourage customers to make term deposits that cannot be withdrawnon demand.If term deposits form a high enough percentage of a bank's liabilities itsvulnerability to bank runs will be reduced considerably. The drawback is that bankshave to pay a higher interest rate on term deposits. * A bank can temporarily suspend withdrawals to stop a run; this is calledsuspension of convertibility. In many cases the threat of suspension prevents the run,which m eans the threat need not be carried out. [1]* Bank regulation or other constraints can impose a reserve ratio requirement,which limits the proportion of deposits which a bank can lend ut, making it less likelyfor a bank run to start, as more reserves will be available to satisfy the demands of depositors. [5] This practice sets a limit on the fraction in fractional-reserve banking. * Full-reserve banking is the hypothetical case where the reserve ratio is set to100%. Under this approach, the risk of bank runs would be eliminated,[11] and bankswould match maturities of deposits and loans to avoid vulnerability to runs. Would the bank be better off negotiating the loan in New York or in Lima? Why?We can think like that New York Bank is in better position to do negotiation with Limain their own terms and condition. The biggest problem is that the ships are getting oldand they needs an influx of capital of make repairs and add new technology. As theyexplained it to the new York banker. â€Å"Fishing is no longer just an art. There is a greatdeal of technology involved. And to keep costs low and be competitive on the worldmarket, you have to have the latest equipment for both locating as well as catchingand then loading and unloading the fish †Case 3:RED BECOMING THICKERWhy that Coke is has not been able to make profit in its Indian operations? Coca-Cola's operations in India have come under intense scrutiny as manycommunities are experiencing severe water shortages as well as contaminatedgroundwater and soil that some assert [18] are a result of Coca-Cola's bottlingoperations. A massive movement has emerged across India to hold the Coca-ColaCompany accountable for its actions. The state of Kerala imposed a ban of colas fromthe state only to be quashed by Coca Cola; the matter is pending in the supremecourt. citation needed] The Plachimada plant in Kerala state, one of Coca-Cola'slargest bottling facilities in India, has remained shut for 17 months now becau se thevillage council has refused to renew its license, blaming the company for causingwater shortages and pollution. In the initial period of setting the business in India, the COKE was not able tomake profit fromthe Indian operation. This is due to a number of factors. †¢ The local population is not accustomed to drinking cola drinks. †¢ The market needs to be developed. †¢ The initial bottleneck was the lack of adequate network of distributors. †¢ Product distribution was weak. The poor distribution created negative impaction the market growth. †¢ Volume was low. †¢ Overheads were growing. †¢ The operation profit was negligible. Do you think that Coke should continue to stay in India? If yes, why? I would like to mention some points if in order Coke wants to continue its operation inIndia. The allegations in other ways helped Coca-Cola Company, India to show theircorporate social responsibility and to maintain good product quality standards. The initiatives all over India helped them reach villages for a good cause and alsoindirectly marketed their products with establishing a trust among the public.After allthese allegations, the CSE is still not convinced of the quality of the product. Therefore, Coca-Cola must prove that they have upgraded their lab with sophisticatedinstrument which is capable of measuring pesticide residue in soft drinks. As per therecent reports by CSE, they claim that the pesticide residue has gone up 27 timeshigher than expected level by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)Coke is facing different type of problem in which some are mention below Critical Issues/Problems:Solid waste and water issue: The communities near the bottling plant in Indiacomplained about the passage of sludge as fertilizer, causing health andenvironmental damage. The most important issue concerning these communities isthe depletion of water levels caused by the Coca-Cola bottling operations which havedrastically reduced avail ability of water for irrigation purposes. Pesticides in soft drinks: The other issue concerning human health caused by Coca-Cola is that their bottled water and soft drinks contain pesticides which were testedby the reputed NGO, CSE.Dual product standards: Coca-Cola is accused of having dual standards in terms of their products and safety measures concerning human health with respect to USA,Europe and India. Community issue: These allegations affected Coca-Cola largely with its sales and alsocaused the closure of one of their bottling plants in Kerala, India. Additionally, Coca-Cola’s products are banned in the state of Kerala, India. What cultural adaptations would you suggest to the US expatriate managersregarding their management style?A key reason for the return of expatriates before the official end of their foreignassignment is the uncertainty and frustration resulting from poor cross-culturaladaptation. The literature provides this general, normative view without much to sayabout the interpersonal conflict expatriates experience in the workplace abroadcaused by cultural differences. Our exploratory study finds that conflicts with co-workers in host countries occur frequently causing high stress and discomfort, andprovides three specific sources of conflict as recounted by sample managers.Theimplications of our findings include: selecting expatriate managers with highemotional intelligence, providing extensive pre-departure cultural training thatconsists not only of cultural facts but also interpersonal skills such as active listening,conflict management, and ethical reasoning, utilizing sensitivity training techniquesto better prepare managers for new situations, and sending the expatriate on one ortwo pre-sojourn visits to familiarize themselves with the host culture and workplacenorms even before the actual expatriate assignment begins.An additional implicationis training the host-country workers, particularly those who will work most closely w iththe expatriate manager, on home country cultural beliefs and workplace norms. Weaim to stimulate managerial thinking and further research on the workplace conflictsthat challenge expatriates managers. Using the Hofstede and the value orientations cultural models, how can youexplain some of the cultural differences noted in this case? When business consultants and professionals in the field of workplace learning and developmentdiscovered Hofstede's dimensions, applications began to emerge in many areas.The following aremerely a few examples of how the field has translated the abstract theory into a series of concreteapproaches. In expanding their market to the global level with clear and consistent global brand images acrossnations, marketers are ever confronting the issue of how to deal with different cultural values. Cultural value is identified as an influential factor on brand image and is widely accepted as one of the crucial concepts in understanding consumer consumption val ue, which determines choices of consuming everyday products and services.Most firms endeavoring to establish and maintainconsistent global brand images, however, adopt a standardized brand image strategy that usuallydoes not consider individual target markets characteristics, including the concepts of cultural valueand consumption value. This study developed a conceptual framework which incorporated culturalvalue not only as a direct antecedent of brand image, but also as an indirect antecedent of brandimage through consumption value, and empirically tested it using the category of apparel.Following this framework, this study hypothesized the differences in brand image, cultural value,and consumption value between the U. S. and South Korea. Data were gathered through surveying university students residing in the San Francisco and Seoul metropolitan areas using a conveniencesampling method. A total of 329 completed questionnaires were used in factor analysis,discriminant analysis, an d structural equation modeling. The results provide insights intostandardized brand image strategies and suggest some implementable tools that might proveeffective in both countries.Case 4THE ABB PBS JOINT VENTURE IN OPERATIONWhere does the joint venture meet the needs of both the partners? Where does itfall short? â€Å"One of the most common instances that encourage learning and sharing is culturaldifferences. In the case study involving the ABB PBS Joint Venture the two companiesfound it rather difficult to understand certain cultural differences. These differencesexisted because the managers and employees of the venture were from the post-communist country of the Czech Republic and were new to the structure of a freemarket economy.The venture had a difficult time interacting and understanding theculture of the European nations that they were conducting business with. To facilitatelearning and knowledge the managers of the venture had to change the mentality of employees and dev elop ways to motivate them to reach the goals of the company. (â€Å"The ABB PBS Joint Venture in Operation†)† What lessons one can draw from this incident for better management of technology transfers? Technology transfer is the process of developing practical applications for scientificresearch.It is a term used to describe a formal transfer of rights to use andcommercialize new discoveries and innovations resulting from scientific research toanother party. It is, regrettably, not uncommon to find big companies and major industrial concernsin the developed countries turning a blind eye to the ethical questions when it comesto technology transfer. The need to show profits, the desire to please shareholdersand the compulsion to transfer technology to the South, whatever the outcome, haveblurred the vision and concept of fight and wrong. Mahatma Gandhi said the solution in India is not mass production, but production bythe masses.Mass production by organized industry has brought in sophisticatedtechnology and militant trade unions, and has been one of the major factors formigration from the rural to the urban areas. The establishment of small scaleindustries, and better facilities for the rural workers, will ease the tension in the citiesand reduce migratory pressures – but it will mean less profits. This ill-conceived approach has almost destroyed indigenous institutions. Thetechnology input from the developed countries should have strengthened,supplemented and supported the existing, proven structures instead of replacingthem.It has increased dependency on the outside, for spare parts, for expertise and forconsultation, thus controlling and co-opting rather than decentralizing anddisseminating. People forget that what is best and most sophisticated could easily bea ball bearing on bullock cart wheels, or a simple set of hand tools for villageblacksmiths. ——————————â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Top of Form Search Bottom of Form Search History: Searching†¦ Result 00 of 00 00 results for result for ? p.

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Essay

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Is homosexuality a choice or genetic? Homosexuality is becoming more and more common all over the world. There are many different perspectives and theories regarding homosexuality. There are historical, culture, species, scientific, and psychological perspectives on being a homosexual person but which is true and which is simply a theory. Homosexual Perspectives Historically being a gay man or a lesbian was a sin. According to the reading sodomy is a sin and was most likely the reason why Sodom was destroyed all those years ago. Historically any release of sperm not meant for procreation is a sin. However, in ancient Greece it was common for established men to form sexual relationships with young men about the age of growing a beard. There are pictures on vases that depict a man inserting his penis between a boy’s legs but not in the anus. I think that given the historical views of homosexual behaviors it makes some people think that it is still wrong and should still be hidden from people. It also depends on how a person was raised in my opinion. If a person was raised to believe that it is a sin to enter into homosexual relationships then they will try to hide it from everyone for as long as possible. However, if a person was raised to believe that there is nothing wrong with being homosexual then they will be more likely to be open about it. (Rathus, 2011) A study was done in 76 preliterate countries as to if male-male relationships were considered to be acceptable. In 49 of these countries it was considered to be normal and acceptable for male-male relationships. However, the other 27 countries had sanctions if you were caught in male-male relationships. Another study was done years later that was of 70 of the world’s non-European societies and the prevalence of male-male relationships. 41% of the 70 found that male-male sexual relationships were present but uncommon. The other 59% claimed that it was rare or absent in their societies. In some countries  li ke New Guinea it is considered a rite of passage for boys between the ages of 7 and 10 to leave their homes and move into a â€Å"clubhouse† with adolescent boys and adult males. While living there they would fellate the older boys and drink their semen. They are encouraged to drink as much semen as possible to give them a rise in puberty. However, in their late teens early 20s they are expected to take a bride and enter in exclusively into male-female relationships. I think that homosexuals would be more open about their homosexuality depending on if it is accepted in the society that they live in. There are many reasons as to why people hide that they are homosexual from those around them but I think that the most common reason is that they feel that they will not be accepted by others if they tell. (Rathus, 2011) In the animal kingdom it is not uncommon for there to be male-male or female-female sexual relationships. However, in male-male relationships in the animal kingdom it is usually an act of dominance not pleasure. This is very similar to the behaviors of male and female inmates or those with limited access to the opposite gender. In prison there is a dominant and submissive person involved in these male-male and female-female sexual relationships. (Rathus, 2011) Coming Out and Adjusting When a gay male or a lesbian announces that they are a gay male or lesbian it is commonly referred to as coming out. I think that depending on the person and the society that they live in it is easy to come out. If you live in a society that accepts it even if they do not approve of it then it is easier to come out to people. It also depends on the support that a person has around them. If a person has a good support system than they will have an easier time coming out. However, if they feel that they will be scorned, mocked, harassed, or any other form of teasing then they will be less likely to come out. (Rathus, 2011) I think that the adjustment is the same for homosexuals as it is for heterosexuals. It is more of a lifestyle choice and therefore depending on how you live your life you will be happy. However, before a person comes out they may be very stressed, tense, overwhelmed, or any number of other feeling and emotions because they are hiding who they are from the world. Pers onal Beliefs I do not think that the historical or scientific reasons from the reading  have really shaped my sexual orientation. I think that religion might have a part in some people’s lives but me personally I think that a person should be judged for who they are not for their sexuality. Scientifically, I think that there is possibly a gene in the human body that causes you to be gay or lesbian but I do not think that I have that gene if it does exist. I think that I like who I like regardless of what other people think. Homosexuality is different for every person. There are people who are proud to be homosexual and there are people who are ashamed of being a homosexual. I think that this all depends on how a person is raised and what their beliefs are on the subject. No two people are exactly the same and this is true of homosexuals as well. What works for one person might not work for another person. Homosexuality is only on aspect of a person’s life and thus a person should not be judged and treated differently for this one aspect of their life. References Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J.S., and Fichner-Rathus, L. (2011). Human sexuality in a world of diversity (8th ed.) Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Change and Conflict Theories and Change Agent Essay

What does it take to for an organization to become successful? Research suggests that an effective institution is one that is infused with competent, motivated employees who have been molded to succeed. However, this process takes effort from both sound management and motivated employees. If either is not fully committed, then failure is sure to follow. On the other hand, if done properly, any organization will become enriched with employees who will constantly strive for perfection. The bottom line is that a well-mentored and motivated employee helps produce a successful organization. Before any organization can institute change, the management team must identify and understand the concept of change theory. In other words, he or she should have a clear picture of those internal and external forces that create successful situations and those circumstances that hinder progress. Three basic types of organizational change theories come to mind; they are environmental change, teleologica l change and life cycle change. The lecture notes describe environmental change, â€Å"that which involves situations and the environment around an individual or group. Environmental change is unplanned and a result of changes in the environment (South University, 2013). An example is Florence Nightingale’s Environmental Theory Defined Nursing: â€Å"The act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery† (Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 2010). This theory focuses on changing and influencing the environment in order to put the patient in the best possible conditions such as, having access to fresh air, pure water, cleanliness and sanitation. Nightingale considered a clean, well-ventilated, quiet environment essential for recovery (Nursing Theorists, n.d.). Teleological change theory is a repetitive sequence of implementation, evaluation and modification of an end state based on what was intended (Van de Ven & Sun, 2011). Teleological change or planned change is purposeful social construction among individuals within the organization undergoing change and individuals do not recognize the need for change (Van de Ven & Sun, 2011). Changes occur because management sees the need for change but may fail from lack of plans. This can be improved by teambuilding and training (Van de Ven & Sun, 2011). Another change theory is life cycle theory which describes the process of change as progressing through different stages and activitie s over time (Van de Ven & Sun, 2011). In most organizations, life cycle changes are based on  routines learned in the past for managing repeated changes in efficient and effective ways and how individuals are able to adapt (Van de Ven & Kangyong Sun, 2011). Organizations go through different life cycles similar to those of people. For example, people go through infancy, child-hood and early-teenage phases, which are characterized by rapid growth over a short period of time. Comparably, organizations go through start-up, growth, maturity, decline, renewal and death. A leader should take time to explain the change, how it will benefit the organization and how it will help to achieve the organization’s vision. The effect of change on the staff must be thought out and a plan must be implemented to avoid confrontational consequences. Most importantly, leaders should constantly communicate every detail as simply, clearly and extensively as possible. Conflict Theories Conflict theory focuses on the negative aspects of society. Contemporary theory say conflicts are expected between human beings, beneficial and are the result of change (Conflict management, n.d.). Social conflict pertains to each individual advancing their own interest, conflicting with the interests of others. Social conflict theory uses one’s own desires. Conflict evolves from two individuals wanting the same thing or wanting two different things. Thomas (1976), put conflict into two categories: cooperative and assertiveness (South University, 2013). The ones who end up controlling the majority of these resources exert their power over others with the use of inequality causing social conflict over the struggle of power. This way of thinking is derived from Karl Marx who saw society as being split into different groups all competing for the same social and economic resources. Social conflict theory is complex by inequality and conflict that cause social change. Organizationa l conflict is a dispute caused by apparent conflict of needs, values and interests between people working together. Organizational conflict theory enhances productivity, decision-making, cooperation, communication and employees who work together (Organizational conflict, 2013). Organization conflict in the workplace occurs from personality differences and personal problems such as childcare issues or family issues. Organizational factors that cause conflict are leadership and management styles, budget constraints and disagreements among staff members (Organizational conflict, 2013). Organizational conflicts can  also occur when two or more departments within the same organization compete for the same limited resources, such as budget, equipment and the need for additional staff. Organizational conflict can be negative to staff and the faculty. This constant competition can create stress and result in poor outcome for patients. This implies as an individual develops, they need to be given more responsibility and the opportunity to develop their potential (Organizational conflict, 2013). Another type of conflict is interpersonal conflict. This occurs when two nurses disagree on an issue. Interpersonal conflict can be noticeable when a person verbally attack s someone. Thus, the result can be damaging to the medical facility if patients witness the conflict (Dodge, 2009). Intrapersonal conflict may occur for a nurse who feels overwhelmed as she struggles to balance her job requirements with her personal life and beliefs (Dodge, 2009). Conflict resolution With the change in health care, conflict is certain to happen. Managing and addressing conflict and facilitating a healthy work environment is essential (South University, 2013). According to Follet and Deutsch, conflict could be constructive and not viewed as a weakness. Follet studied the effectiveness of handling interpersonal conflict in an organization with domination, compromise and integration (South University, 2013). In 1976, Thomas devised an effective way to handle conflict by accommodating, avoiding, collaborating with members of management and encouraging compromise (South University, 2013). Accommodating is the willingness to meet the needs of others at the expense of one’s own needs; in essence, keeping the peace is more important than â€Å"winning† a small battle. Avoiding conflict is trying to evade the conflict completely. This is a weak and ineffective approach. Collaborating is trying to meet the needs of all people involved. This style is important in order to bring together different viewpoints to make a decision or to agree on a solution. Competing is when one takes a firm stand on what he believes is true. This style is used as a position of power and expertise then used in situations that need an immediate answer. Compromising is when one tries to find a solution that satisfies everyone. This style is effective when the cost of conflict is higher then the cost of losing (Manktelow & Carlson, n.d.). Change Agent The Change Agent is a person who brings a positive change to the health care environment. Nurses play the role of change agent by bringing improvement (Nursing, 2011). An effective nurse leader, as a change agent, resolves conflict by incorporating communication with conflict resolution to get what they need accomplished on a day-to-day basis. Nurses dislike conflict and like to avoid it at all cost. Nurses take a passive approach to conflict management, calming the situation and not addressing it directly. Nurses do not confront the behavior for fear that it will only make matters worse (Blake & Young, 2013). The Change agent must identify the problem, the importance of the problem, address the people involved, and have the confidence to resolve it. Change agents need to implement plans to achieve and change goals (Grossman &Valigra, 2008). They must be proactive in order to address the issue or problem before it becomes a major conflict. An example of a conflict is a family memberà ¢â‚¬â„¢s request for a second opinion regarding the patient care. The nurse leader should have a nurse intervene and go to the family in order to help relieve their anxiety. She should be an active listener and remain calm. Nothing sets people off more than when they feel they are being ignored or patronized. It is easy to become emotional but it is not worth getting into a volatile discussion that ends in confrontation. Finally, she should seek a solution and work to come up with a solution or a compromise good for both parties. Nurse leaders use conflict resolution with collaboration. Both parties of the conflict confront the problem. The nurse leader takes equal concern for both sides by listening and communicating with the parties. Then both parties can collaborate and identify what they can agree on and evaluate the differences for a solution (South University, 2013). A situation that comes to my mind deals with a supervisor and a subordinate. During this interpersonal conflict, I witnessed on many occasions two strong-willed personalities clash that often ended in verbal altercations. In these situations, the subordinate is a highly self-centered female who cares little about those within hearing distance. On the other hand, our supervisor is very laid back and genuinely well- liked by most people. However, when the two came together, they clashed over the speed in which my co-worker completed her tasks. Although, she was very thorough with her work, it often meant that  she could not handle the same load as the others in the office. Therefore, as co-workers, we had to pick up the slack. This person did not deal well with how the conflict was resolved which often ended up with counsel for insubordination. The tension between the two grew more intense over a period of three to four years. This conflict ended when our supervisor resigned. Nurses in health care today use avoidance as a style for managing conflict which is usually counterproductive. This leads to stress and further conflict. Nurses who repeatedly avoid conflict hold onto the feelings of irritation, frustration or anger with themselves. Avoidance does not solve the problem or prevent the conflict. Competition can result from one individual or group gaining up on another. Attempts to solve conflict with power and control will result in unstable situations and negative communication. Lastly, competitive individuals fail to identify the concerns and needs of others (Handling conflict, n.d.). Conclusion In conclusion, for an organization to be successful, the management team and leaders must identify and understand the concept of change theory. Nurse leaders need to be aware of conflict that can occur with change in the health care environment. Nurses have difficulty with change because it can be related to interpersonal conflict, social conflict or organizational conflict. An effective leader is a change agent by being proactive, be an effective listener and have great communication. A change agent must identify the problem, the importance of the problem, know the people involved and have the confidence to resolve it. Nurses in health care today hinder the resolution of conflict by avoiding the conflict. The nurse leader can help by steering the conflict to a positive outcome. References Dodge, A. (2009, November 10). Types of Conflicts in Nursing | eHow. EHow. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://www.ehow.com/about_5630265_types-conflicts-nursing.html Habel, M., RN, MA. (2013). The Power of Change | CE365-60 Content. The Power of Change | CE365-60 Content. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://ce.nurse.com/content/ce365-60/the-power-of-change/ Handling conflict. (n.d.). SAGE – the Natural Home for Authors, Editors and Societies. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from http://www.sagepub.com/ Manktelow, J., & Carlson, A. (n.d.). Management training and leadership training, online. Mind Tools New Articles RSS. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from http://www.mindtools.com/ Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. (2010, November/December). 24th Annual Conference of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (16), 366-387. Retrieved from http://jap.sagepub.com Blake, N., PhD, RN, CCRN & Young, C. (n.d.). How to be an effective charge nurse. Nursing Theorists. (n.d.). Nursing Theorists. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/nursing_theorists.html Oberleitner, M. (n.d.). Theories models and frameworks from administration and management. University of Illinois at Chicago – UIC. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from http://www.uic.edu/ Organizational conflict. (2013, October 15). Wikipedia. Retrieved October 19, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_conflic t South University Online. (2013). Leadership in a Diverse Society: Week 3: Conflict Theories. Retrieved from www.myeclassonline.com Van de Ven, A. H., & Sun, K. (2011, August). Breakdowns in Inplementing Models of Organization Change. Academy of Management Perspectives, 25(3), pp. 58-74. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://www.neeley.tcu.edu

Why is the European Crisis So Much More Severe than the US Crisis and Essay

Why is the European Crisis So Much More Severe than the US Crisis and What Could Be Done to Fix It - Essay Example This crisis first manifested in late 2009 when the sovereign debt crisis was triggered by the increased levels of government debt around the world, and it was worsened by the downgrading of government debts for some European countries. Various causes of economic crises were seen for different European countries and all of these issues converged to form sovereign debts which were further increased by banking bailouts. In some other countries in Europe, their crisis was caused by private debts arising from the downturn of the property market. Greece was one of the countries which were significantly affected by this crisis. However, in general, the impact of the European crisis has been largely extensive. The impact of this crisis however seems to be larger and longer as compared to the US economic crisis as the US is now manifesting improvements in their economy. This paper shall discuss why the European crisis is so much more severe than the US crisis and what could be done to fix it. ... In effect, any economic decision and government solution imposed by the US federal government is a decision which is meant to affect the entire country, not just a particular state (Koba, 2012). For the European community however, the crisis stems from a variety of causes for different countries and any solution to be implemented by the European community would be difficult to implement to all countries (Nelson, et.al., 2012). The European crisis is taking much longer than the US crisis to resolve because it is caused by various issues. These causes seem to include the following or a combination of the following: globalized finance, flexible credit option from 2002 to 2008 which caused high-risk spending, 2007-2012 global financial crisis, global trade imbalance, real estate crisis, 2008-2012 international recession, and bailouts of banks and private bondholders (Kakutani, 2011). All of these elements combined form the European economic crisis. In the last two years, the European Zon e has carried out various considerations on how to handle their crisis. However, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and even Italy have experienced a significant rating downgrade of their sovereign debt (Kakutani, 2011). This led to issues of default and a significant rise in borrowing costs. And, while this zone may be prompted to do whatever it would take to resolve the crisis, it would be unlikely for the situation to be resolved in the immediate foreseeable future. This crisis is not a classic currency issue (Sri Kumar, 2012). It is an issue which involves the management of economies in a currency zone, with their related economic and political issues arising from the fact that their citizens are doing

Compare and contrast the book Forrest Gump and the movie Essay

Compare and contrast the book Forrest Gump and the movie - Essay Example Many of the characters within the movie version of Forrest Gump maintain certain aspects of themselves from the book, but also exhibit a few key differences. This is especially true for the main character. The main character, Forrest Gump, is characterized as a person with less intelligence than most. In the book, Forrest states, â€Å"I been a idiot since I was born . My IQ is near 70, which qualifies me, so they say†(Groom, 1). In the movie, Forrest Gump does not come out and say this about himself like he does in the book. Instead, his lack of intelligence is illustrated in a scene where Forrest’s mother tries to convince the principal of a school to allow Forrest to be educated there. The principal states â€Å"Mrs. Gump, he’s going to have to go to a special school† to which Mrs. Gump replies â€Å"He might be a bit on the slow side, but my boy Forrest will get the same opportunities as everyone else†(Forrest Gump). In this respect, both the mo vie and the book are similar in how they characterize Forrest Gump’s personality. ... I do not know how well you can reason with it†¦but I have never seen anything quite like this before†Ã¢â‚¬ (Groom, 112). This discovery leads Forrest to a brief stint at NASA. In the film, Forrest Gump does not display any particular type of savant intelligence. Instead, everything that happens to Forrest is mainly due to luck or being at the right place at the right time. Finally, the film and book differ in terms of how they showcase Forrest physically. In the book, Forrest is described as rather large: â€Å"By the time I was sixteen I was six foot six an weighed two-hundred forty-two pounds†(Groom, 5). In the movie, Forrest Gump is portrayed by Tom Hanks who is a man of average size. Additionally, in the film version, Forrest is shown to have a problem with his legs and spine which causes him to have to wear leg braces as a child(Forrest Gump). In the book, however, Forrest doesn’t have this problem. It is also important to note that the book version of Forrest Gump dabbles in drugs and curses like a sailor(Groom). In the movie, however, Forrest does not do either of these things, and he comes across far more innocent and childlike to the audience. The friendship between Forrest Gump and Jenny Curran is another aspect that has key differences between the book and the movie. In both the movie and the book, Forrest and Jenny meet as young children; however, the movie version shows Jenny and Forrest to be best friends. At one point Forrest states â€Å"From that day on, we was always together. Jenny and me was like peas and carrots†(Forrest Gump). Both the movie and book show Jenny as a nice person who is not mean to Forrest, unlike other people, but in the novel, Forrest and Jenny are not shown to be as close and do not spend as

Read 2 article which already given and write a short review or Essay

Read 2 article which already given and write a short review or reflection about them - Essay Example It is necessary to understand how each action taken by the current generation bears a consequence on the environment and in turn, how the changes affect not only them but also the future generations. This aspect of caring for the present as well as future and acting accordingly only constitutes sustainable development. The article, What is Sustainable development? Goals, Indicators, Values and Practice written by Robert W. Kates, Thomas M. Parris, and Anthony A. Leiserowitz focuses on this aspect. This paper by reflecting on the concept of sustainable development, featured in the article, will discuss how environment is being destructed by human activities and how sustainable development approaches could avert or even minimize the destructions, and thereby protect humans themselves. According to the authors, environmental impacts are one among the four themes which has raised the collective concerns of sizable sections of the population all over the world. â€Å"In the last half of the twentieth century, four key themes emerged from the collective concerns and aspirations of the worlds peoples: peace, freedom, development, and environment.† (Kates, Parris and Leiserowitz 2005). With peace and freedom actualizing in majority of the parts of the world in the post World War and Cold war periods, only the themes of development and environment is raising collective concerns. Development is taking place due to heightened economic activity, but ironically this development is indirectly impacting the environment. That is, development is happening or visible because of the increase in industrialization as well as increase in other materialistic things like automobiles. Among the many steps that countries take for economic development, most of them lead to Greenho use gases emissions (GHG) or particularly carbon emissions, one of the major causes of environment destruction. That is, starting from

Is the EU merger control regulation necessary Is it a good system Dissertation

Is the EU merger control regulation necessary Is it a good system - Dissertation Example The European Merger Control Law is designed to protect European consumers against unnecessary price increases or fluctuations as by-product of monopolies or companies gaining total control of the free market. Theorist opines that total control of the market of a single company can lead to economic dislocation if not contribute heavily to the economy’s collapse. The Merger Control Law prevents monopolistic prices to reign and ensures that the market is always at its equilibrium prices2 (Navarro, Font, Folguera, & Briones, 2002). Companies with vast financial resources use mergers and acquisitions as a strategy to control a substantial portion of the market instead of using the product’s merit to gain a good hold of the market. By buying off the competition and then killing that competitor’s product ensures total control of the primary product by the purchasing company. This would enable them to dictate the price of their product in the market by regulating its sup ply. Another strategy is to make use of the production or manufacturing facility of the purchased company to produce its product, thereby killing the presence of the competitor’s product in the market3 (Serdareviaa & Teply, 2010). However, not all mergers and acquisitions are intended for these purposes as some mergers and acquisition are conducted to ensure the survival of a product line as a viable alternative to the main line or flagship line of the company. These refer to products that are basically the same but cater to different market demography. Normally, in these instances, brand names are different but the products are basically the same only leveraged and marketed for a specific market segment4 (Hawk & Huser, 1996). The creation of the European Union saw the emergence of more laws and restrictions to regulate mergers and acquisitions of companies within the same industry covering the whole European market. Recognizing the potential and actual possibility of larger corporations merging or acquiring smaller companies from developing nations within the European Union, more stringent laws were enacted to regulate, control and govern merger and acquisition. Symmetrical laws from member nations already existing were aligned or harmonized with the European Union Law on Competition. The rules of procedure for the determination of whether the merger or concentration falls within the allowable parameters was laid down, including modes upon which to ventilate any opposition or dispute to the merger, suspension or annulment thereof. The purpose of the merger law is laudable but nonetheless it has been criticized as anti-establishment and counter-productive. Critics have postulated that the law impedes the natural progress or evolution of the free market as its protectionist nature favours smaller companies or shields those companies that are hard-pressed from competing against larger corporations from take-over whether hostile or friendly. If this line o f reasoning is followed however it is manifest that merger control is not necessarily advantageous as the options available for smaller companies to find other resources to enhance its market viability is similarly impeded or limited. There would be no other recourse

Business Research Methods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Research Methods - Assignment Example ....6 Ethical Considerations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......7 Management Team Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦...7 Profit and Loss Performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦...8 Introduction The Morgan Stanley Company has investments in over forty two countries across the globe. The Company is a worldwide financial institution that is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York. The thesis is written on behalf of the company’s management for the purpose that they make the right investment decisions as most economies across the globe are experiencing slow growth after the recent monetary recession. Industry/ Company Overview The Morgan Stanley investments company offers facilities in the management of worldwide wealth, offering of securities internationally along with management services for global investments by other companies (Venzin, 9). This therefore raises the question whether the investments company should expand its activities globally to include issues such as risk management, at a time that the global economy is recovering from the recent fiscal recession and experiencing slow growths? It was formed in the year 1935 as a response to the Glass-Steagall law, which required that commercial along with trade in investment banking is spilt. It dwells in serving varied conglomerates, governments, economic institutions along with affluent individuals (Venzin, 15). The company operates in around forty two countries across the world and has over a thousand and three hundred offices around the globe. In their recent reports, the company was estimated to be managing or supervising assets owned by other companies that were worth over 287 American dollars. During their first year of operation, the company operated using an initial market share that was estimated at 24% of public offerings along with private placements. The company has not had a smooth transition throughout the years since it suffered a crisis in its management, which resulted in the company losing many of their staff members and the sacking of their senior chief officers about three months after (Venzin, 19). An Assessment Of Past (Actual) and Future (Projected) Performance Due to the introduction of the Glass-Steagall legislation in the year 1935, the Morgan Stanley Corporation was barred from investing in both the commercial along with the investment banking industries. The Corporation opted to indulge in the commercial sector thereby making some of its prominent members to leave the J.P Morgan Company in order t o form the Morgan Stanley Corporation (Venzin, 39). The Corporation in turn began its operations in the month of September achieving a market share worth 24%, which was estimated at over a billion dollars of the total market in its public offerings. They involved themselves in distributing over a hundred million dollars in the form of debentures to several companies within the steel industry. The organization underwent several reforms to facilitate the performance of more operations in their business of providing securities. It additionally won several major contracts such as the financing of the American railway system in the year 1941 and the provision of steel to the majority of the American industries

Decision-making and Information Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decision-making and Information Politics - Essay Example Responsibility refers to the concept of being accountable for every action an officer undertakes, while authority refers to the ability of an officer to influence the behavior of individuals. Empowerment in relation to governance means the authority an officer has towards acting on the decision made. Communication is the exchange of ideas or information pertaining to the policy or decision that has been made. For IT governance to achieve success, the authorities concerned must show the values of transparency, appropriate representation and support (Birrell, 2012). Transparency refers to availing information on the process itself, and this includes on how the decisions are made, and who are the individuals who make the decisions. Appropriate representation denotes the representation of people who might be affected by the decisions made, while support refers to the ability of an organization to mobilize the support of its IT governance structure. The organization should seek the support of every one interested with its affairs, and this includes its employees, and members of the public. The IT governance has a structure component, which provides an answer to what is governed, and who governs it. My university of study has a centralized IT governance model divided into four sections (Brisebois, Boyd and Shadid, 2010) , The first level of the governance structure is the strategic level, and it comprises of the senior most executives of the business entity. The main focus of governance at this level is to align the education strategies of the university, with its information technology strategy. At this stage, the committee creates the vision of the vision of the university, and how information technology will help it achieve its vision (Weill and Ross, 2004). The second level of the IT governance structure is the executive level. This stage

Rising Tuitions are Keeping Many Students Out of College Essay

Rising Tuitions are Keeping Many Students Out of College - Essay Example The researcher states that while the rising costs of college tuition are due to a number of different factors, the result is that fewer think they can afford it, especially since degrees from non-prestige universities or less technical degrees are simply not valued as in the past. Grant used to cover far more than now, so more financial aid becomes debt. Even well informed students, who know their actual cost after scholarships may balk at incurring such high debt. It is a fact that tuition has far exceeded inflation and wages have not kept up for middle and low income families In light of the tremendous burden the debt load would become, many students will elect to get jobs and train as they go up the corporate ladder. Rising tuitions are definitely keeping more students out of college than ever before. In looking at the documented raises in tuition over the past twenty years, wages have not kept pace. This means the burden on the family will be proportionately higher. In addition, financial aid grants cover less than before, leaving the balance to be covered by loans. Some institutions perceive the extension of financial aid as an inducement to raise their tuition. In addition, the tuition is no longer carved in stone, as most universities offer scholarships to accepted students, thereby reducing the cost. To conclude, it is evident that the better quality they perceive the student, the higher the scholarship will be. This allows colleges to filter out some applicants in preference for others.

Sustainability and the Balanced Scorecard Essay Example for Free

Sustainability and the Balanced Scorecard Essay Practices that are good for the environment and society may appear to have a negative impact on corporate profitability, but use of the balance scorecard can result in a clearer picture of the relationship among sustainable practices, corporate strategies, and profitability. This article explores three ways that sustainable practices can be incorporated into BSC and discusses issues that should be considered when selecting sustainability related measures, targets, and goals. It also examines ways to enhance both internal and external reporting of sustainability-related performance. Adopting green operating practices is certainly good for the environment, yet the implications of such practices for a business’s profitability may be viewed as both positive and negative. On one hand, by contributing to product differentiation in the market- place and enhancing organizational image to investors and customers (both current and potential), green practices may increase a company’s profitability. On the other hand, green practices may actually reduce profitability because of extra costs that result from implementation and continuation of sustainable practices. For example, installing solar panels on a building may lower monthly electricity bills, but, concomitantly, the reduced electricity bills may be more than offset by the high purchase and installation costs associated with the panels. The sustainability concept now runs rampant in business literature, but, unfortunately, there is no agreed- upon definition of sustainability or its underlying tenets. â€Å"Sustainable† or â€Å"green† practices will be found throughout the operations of a business. These practices can be included in the design features of an organization’s buildings, vendor  selection in the supply chain, production of goods and provision of services, and packaging features and distribution elements of those products and services, and the practices will be a significant consideration in a product’s ultimate disposal. The BSC typically reflect four interrelated perspectives of a company: financial, customer, international business prowess, and learning and growth. Each perspective has a series of performance measures, targets, and goals that reflect the firm’s long-term strategies. The financial perspective takes the viewpoint of the company shareholders and typically uses traditional financial measures such as operating cash flows, return on investment, and changes in operating income over time. The customer perspective addresses product and firm differentiation strategies as well as value creation from the viewpoint of the organizations client base. The international business processes perspective includes measures of the efficiency and the effectiveness of the firms operations. The learning and growth perspective focuses on the creation of organizational value through employees and innovative practices. The first method is to add a fifth perspective to the BSC. It may be the simplest approach for companies that want to emphasize sustainability as a key corporate value or a critical strategy. The sustainability perspective consists of social and environmental performance indicators that link with the other four BSC dimensions and highlights the importance of social, environmental, and economic responsibility as a corporate goal. This approach could allow management to establish less definitive measurements without compromising organizational aggregation. The second approach is sustainability-balanced scorecard (SBSC). A separate SBSC is an appropriate for many companies such as those existing BSC but want to measure or integrate sustainability without the disruption and cost of adopting a full-scale BSC. SBSC include the following four perspectives: sustainability, stakeholders, processes and learning. The sustainability perspective would emphasize the triple bottom line of economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social justice. The stakeholder perspective would  incorporate measures of business ethics, labor practices, and impact on society. The processes perspective would focus on specific organizational external and internal processes products, tools, and systems. The learning perspective would stress organizational synergy, training, and research and development. A strength of the SBSC is that a well-defined corporate sustainability strategy is not essential to its development. The third is integrating sustainability measures throughout the four perspectives. Management has to both define the metrics that are important in measuring progress towards organizational sustainability objectives, and how sustainability (or lack thereof) will affect the future. Incorporating new measures are important the firms financial well being as customer satisfaction, manufacturing cycle efficiency, and patent-generating research and development. The integration method also works well for companies that have adopted a more all-encompassing definition of sustainable practices that includes environmental, health, and social aspects. This article relates to accounting class because of the topics covered such as sustainability, triple bottom reports, return on investment, and balanced scorecard. The article concludes with developing sustainability metrics. These provide tangible guidance to how the strategies implemented help create shareholder value. There are three ways that sustainable practices can be incorporated into the balanced scorecard: adding a fifth perspective to the BSC, a sustainability-balanced scorecard, and integrating sustainability measures throughout the four perspectives. My perspective is, I know how important it is to be not only more â€Å"green† today, but as cost effective as possible. The three methods don’t look too complicated to be implemented. The article states at the end that companies are being pressured by stakeholders to become more transparent, and such transparency is becoming the norm rather than the exception. The 2008 KPMG international survey of corporate responsibility reporting found that, in 2008, nearly 80% of the worlds largest 250 companies issued some type of responsibility report. These responsibility reports included governance, ethical, environmental and social issues. It is now more important than ever to go green.

The map of Peacocks location Essay Example for Free

The map of Peacocks location Essay Peacocks is located in Peckham Rye lane next to rye lane market where Top Girl hairdressers salon is located.  Stakeholders who are directly affected by the activities of Peacocks  Stakeholders  These are individuals or groups of people who have an interest in what the Peacocks does and either are affected by what Peacocks does or affect Peacocks by what they do. Shareholders  These are individuals or organisations to whom the businesses belong. These are most likely to be affected by the level of profits that the Peacocks makes, but they will also be affected by how much the business is worth. They contribute to the survival of Peacocks.  Employees  An employee is any individual who has a contract of employment to work for Peacocks. Employees are key stakeholders in Peacocks. They depend for their livelihoods on the incomes they earn from work and also upon the prospects available to them for career progression. Peacocks is among the majority of successful firms because it recognises the importance of its staff, and it spends a great deal of time and effort in training and developing its workforce and improving its working conditions so that its employees are happy and motivated at work. Customers  This is any individual or organisation that receives the products of Peacocks.  Suppliers  This is the business that provides Peacocks with the goods or services that it needs for its production. They might run out of goods and if they do, the business may lose sales.  If Peacocks goes bust, the suppliers lose customers. providers of finance  These are individuals or organisations that provide Peacocks with money which it can use to help it produce or invest. The competitors  This is any business that is trying to sell products to the same customers as Peacocks. An example is Primark, and Bonmache. Peacocks does everything to make sure that it attracts customers to its self. Such activities are reducing prices, offering high discounts and providing the best quality items. They also compete on offering a different type of product. When attempting to compete Peacocks ask themselves what their competitors are offering the customers.  The government  As a stakeholder, the government is any part of the state owned administration, which controls and regulates Peacocks. It also affects Peacocks by providing incentives for it to set up in certain areas. And demanding taxes from Peacocks.  The local community  The community is the society, and the people, where the business is located and carries out its production. Trade associations  This trade to make sure that the employees are paid a salary. how much power of influence each stakeholder has Peacocks over  Customers  Consumers create demand for the products offered by Peacocks. The wants of the consumers dictate to Peacocks what to produce and at what price.  Peacocks understands its customers needs, which is important. Customers dictate the pattern of Peacocks activities, as Peacocks will only offer goods, which customers will buy. Customers are not members of Peacocks, but they are virtual to their survival. Customers buy the goods that Peacocks offers. Spending by customers generates income for Peacocks. Customers may be individuals but could also be other businesses. E.g. sole traders may buy items from Peacocks and sell them at cheaper prices in the market.  Demand  This is the amount of a product consumers are willing to purchase at any given price. Demand is concerned with what consumers are actually able to buy, rather than what they would like to buy. Customers have different relationships with Peacocks  Peacocks needs to communicate with consumers to find out what they want. Market research helps Peacocks to collect information about its potential customers.  As well as collecting information from customers, Peacocks also passes on information about the nature of products, the price charged, how products work and where they might be bought. Advertising is often used to do this. Contact between Peacocks and customers take place when goods are bought. This can vary, when goods are not available at the time the customer wants them. The employees will then take done the customers details and contact him or her when the goods arrive. The goods are ordered for the customer from another branch of the company. onsumers are more aware of the products that are available in Peacocks stores. The prices, channels of complaint and product performance. Consumers have more income than ever before, and much greater expectations of products. Peacocks takes these expectations into account when designing, and marketing products. Peacocks operates in a world consumers have increasing rights and protection. Because of increasing consumer expectations and awareness, improved consumer rights and fiercer competition in Peacocks, the vast majority of companies work hard at promoting good consumer relations. Peacocks accepts returned goods and reimburse customers without too much investigation.  Increase in demand  This is when a very large number of customers come to visit the store and buy large numbers of items each day. Raising demand can benefit Peacocks. Decrease demand  This can result in falling sales, profits and possibly enclosure of the business. Changes in demand   Money  It is reasonable to assume that the higher the incomes of consumers, the more they will be able to buy. When income in the UK as a whole increases, the demand for products in Peacocks will increase. The rise in income is unlikely to be same for everyone. Some consumers will have larger increase in income and others find that Peacocks products will only increase if the income of its customers buying its products increases.  Tastes  Some products are subject to changes in tastes and fashion. It is more usual for Peacocks to stop offering products which have gone out of fashion altogether.

The Hotel Industry In Britain

The Hotel Industry In Britain According to the British laws a hotel is a place where a benefited traveler can receive food and shelter provided he is in a position to for it and is in a fit condition to receive. Hotels have a very long history, but not as we know today, way back in the 6th century BC when the first inn in and around the city of London began to develop. The first catered to travelers and provided them with a mere roof to stay under. This condition of the inns prevailed for a long time, until the industrial revolution in England, which brought about new ideas and progress in the business at inn keeping. The invention of the steam engine made traveling even more prominent. Which had to more and more people traveling not only for business but also for leisure reasons. This lead to the actual development of the hotel industry as we know it today. Hotel today not only cater to the basic needs of the guest like food and shelter provide much more than that, like personalized services etc. Hotels today are a Home away from home. Hotel can be classified into different categories or classes, based on their operational criteria. For example the type of accommodation they provide, location of the property, type of services provided, facilities given and the clientele they cater to can help categories hotels today. The market segmentation is economy hotel, mid market hotel, suite hotels, first class hotel, deluxe hotel, casino hotels, resort hotel and resident hotel. Source:http://www.scribd.com/doc/6170286/Introduction-to-the-Hotel-Industry Hospitality industry offers a variety of service including food service and accommodation and has different organizations. One of the most common sectors of hospitality industries is hotel and followed by restaurants. Hotel and restaurants have commonalities but differs in many ways they serve and the quality service that they offer. The organisational sturcture of a hotel Two main divisions in any hotel. The first is operational which contains the following departments : Food and Beverage division Accommodation House keeping Security Functional division contains the following hR Mgt Markeying Finance A/c Dicuss each departments roles Scale and scope of hospitality: Firstly, there are four basic types of the hotel ownership such as the franchise, privately owned and operated, leased and managed, on the other hand restaurant can be franchised and privately owned only. The franchise operation is privately owned but the owner pays for the franchise fee and followed by the royalty which is paid monthly and according to the contract same as the restaurants. The privately owned and operated hotel has company partnership which that may have investors or others with a financial interest in the hotel, however, in the restaurant industry it has one sole or partner ownership who run the business. Leased hotels are owned by individual or company but only lease the establishment. And lastly, the managed hotel is privately owned but has an agreement with another hotel brand to run the hotel operations. Source:http://www.ehow.com/about_5598328_types-hotel-ownership.html#ixzzOfDhyE1W Assessment of hospitality related orgs: ( judgement, evaluate) According to People 1st State of the Nation Report 2009, it is roughly 31% of high turnover in terms of labor in the industry and the employers are spending GBP 414 million on recruiting and improving new staff in 2008/09. Secondly, in diversity perspective in terms of products and services such as food, drinks, accommodation, conferences and banqueting, leisure facilities, levels of services and customer service varies on what kind of hotel and restaurant are. This means the target that they are targeting differs the quality that they are offering. For instance, in 5-star hotel you will see that the food and service are quite posh and branded, the facilities are expensive which exceeds on your expectations, thus, you are delighted of the food and service they offer compared to the 2-star hotel which is much cheaper. These are the things that we are considering regarding the factors that makes it diverse in service . Another thing is the culture of a certain country that they offer different meals and different kinds of meat according to the norms that they are believing in like the Halal food in Muslim country which the people do not eat pork. It is bizarre to give them this meat (pork) because it cre ates chaos and conflict to you when you set up a business in Muslim country. The organizational side of the hotel and restaurant can be divided into operational and functional. The operational is more on food preparation, food and services, accommodation service and front of house services while the functional is more on human resources, finance, marketing, research and development, security and maintenance. In operational point of view in the hotel are much sophisticate and posh and meticulous than the restaurant perspective. The hotel offers international food much more compared to restaurant which is much limited. Hotels caters all according to customers need. In terms of employees such as the waiter and receptionist, the hotel are hiring much more people and mostly who have a degree with personality and experience while the restaurant need few employees regardless of a degree , personality and experience to a certain degree. In functional, the hotel have human resources and high security and maintenance primarily because it is much bigger company and enor mous responsibility and caters different nationality with regard the employee and customers. The following are the organisations which are related to these industries: I want to do this! Whats This? People 1st is the sector skills council for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism. They are working to transform skills in the sector, particularly in the areas of management and leadership, customer service and craft skills. They are committed to ensuring that public funds support the industry to develop only those qualifications and programmes that meet the needs of employers. The British Hospitality Association has been representing the hotel, restaurant and catering industry for 100 years. The Association exists to ensure that the views of the British hospitality industry are represented in a forceful, coherent and co-ordinated way to government and policy makers in the UK and internationally, in order that its members businesses can flourish. The Institute is delighted to release a new suite of five online learning modules which are freely available to all. The modules are tailored to meet the needs of hospitality and tourism students and professionals. They also support learning for our own Hospitality Management Qualifications. These organizations helps everyone what are the current trend and development in hospitality industry. It keeps us update and be aware about the opportunities in the market. Moreover, it enhances our knowledge and we have questions we can check it out anytime we want to. On top of that, it helps the hospitality industry what are the things they need to improve which quite fruitful to all. Task 2 The hotel and restaurants have commonalities in terms of functional and operational side of hospitality management but they have differences in other things. The hotel functional side are the human resources, finance, marketing, research and development, security and maintenance where the restaurant varies whether the restaurants are fast food chain, fine dining restaurants or vending machine. In fast food chain like McDonalds has human resources, finance, marketing ,research and development, security and maintenance however fine dining restaurants do have but others do not have. In operational points of view in the hotel and restaurants like food preparation , food and beverage services, accommodation services and front of house services have same legislative law regarding the health and safety ,environmental law and other laws. The way they do quality service differs in the way they deal the customers and their target market as the hotel restaurants are more meticulous and customer oriented than the restaurants in the market. Hotels have star rating according to their quality and status and much more posh compared to restaurants. The hotels now offers more careers than the restaurants from a wide variety of jobs to choose from. They can apply in management, event organisation, restaurant and bar work as well as operational roles which includes the finance, human resources and marketing. On the other hand, careers in restaurants include management and chef work which is the most difficult to look for purely because of lacking the required skills and experience but in the larger restaurants opportunities for business managers, finance managers and operational staff are existing. In conferences and meetings and events are massive business that mostly involves in the hotel which accounts of 60% according to the British Hospitality Association Centres trends and statistic 2008. Many occupations in the hospitality industries are offering full time, part time and casual and from agency. The full time has 40 hours a week normally but can exceed depending on the availability of the employee whilst in part time offers 20 hours only. The casual are just on call employees but have a limited benefits compared to full time and part time job. On the other hand, if they run out of members of staff they might call from agency to cover up for those who make an absent or those situations that needs more staff . Part-time job are mostly students and they are hired according to their availability especially in the hotel and fast food chain restaurant. The part-time job salary is roughly 5.82 and the full time is much higher depending on how much longer they are in the company. It varies from person to person and it depends on the size of the company and the amount of the responsibility involved and sometimes , packages can include profit-related. Restaurants employ more th an 526,000 full time and part time staff accounting 82% in the UK. In the hotel the full time are approximately 72% in terms of employability. In the UK there are over 46,000 hotels and guest houses and the hotel industry remains a vital role in the economy having an annual turnover of roughly 40,000 pounds according to trends and statistics in 2008 British Hospitality Association. In terms of salaries, the trainee hotel manager earns from 12,000 pounds to 19,000 and the more experience hotel manager gets 16,000 to 22,000 while the restaurant manager salary range from 16,000 to 20,000 pounds. As far as structure is concerned, hotels and restaurants are different in many ways such as the hierarchy ,teams, organisations structures number of employees , career progression , staff characteristic , flexibility and interpersonal skills. The hotels have general manager that look the company as a whole or have a big picture of it. It is break down into department where they are specific on their task like restaurant manager has a responsibility to manage the people working in the restaurant such as the waiter, receptionist and the back of the hotel like the chef. On the other hand, the restaurant is much simple to operate and few people are working here so the restaurant manager are much more relax and specific on what they are doing in the said establishment. The progression of career in the hotel is much better than the restaurant for the reason that if you are working in the hotel it is much easier for you to be hired in higher position in the restaurant since you have the bac kground working in the hotel. In addition, hotel staff can still have the options to apply in the other hotels and restaurants such as the supervisor after being a waiter before. This is what we call career advancement after having intensive training and qualification given by the hotel apart from the experienced gained in the hotel. Since working in the hotel has diverse nationality , the personal growth and confidence become an asset and as time goes it develops which makes you a flexible type of person, thus, having a good interpersonal skills which the employer is looking for. Having said that, the hotel is still has plenty of advantages than the restaurant, although restaurant has pros in many things. But of course, it depends on the person as well if how determined and persevered he is in achieving his goals and be promoted in the company. Qualifications in the hotel and restaurant industries can be apprenticeships, national vocational qualification(NVQ), vocationally related qualification(VRQ) and degree as well. The apprenticeships are nationally designed for young people in age bracket of 16-24 which has two levels like the apprenticeship and the advanced apprenticeships and consist of an NVQ and three key skills such as the application of number, communication and IT. The NVQ is developed by National Occupational Standards which focus on job responsibilities within the scope of the industry which is complied in a portfolio evidence. The vocationally related qualification (VRQ) sometimes called as technical course of study usually 1-5 days. These qualification have levels from level 1-3 , A Level 2 NVQ is equivalent to 5 GCSEs grade A to C, and A Level 3 NVQ is equivalent to 2 A Levels.

Civil Laws and Religious Authority in Jonathan Swifts Gullivers Trave

Civil Laws and Religious Authority in Gulliver's Travels  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In part one of Gulliver's Travels, Swift present readers with an inverted world, not only by transplanting Gulliver to a land that's only a twelfth the size (a literal microcosm), but also by placing him into a society with different ethical and civil laws.   Swift uses these inversions not only to entertain the readers imagination, but more importantly, to transform our perspectives to understand alien worldviews (e.g. in part four, there is great detail given to explain the Houyhnhnms' views on marriage, health, astronomy, poetry, language, death, and reproduction).   The Lilliputian conflict that erupts from the egg law (found in part one, chapter four) is an inversion, which (1) parallels the conflict of the Protestant reformation; and (2) argues that warring over religious viewpoints is futile and destructive to society, and (3) mandates lawmakers to be wary of creating laws that contradict religious teachings.   The conflict between the Lilliputians and Blefuscudians resembles the Protestant and Papist struggle because it's a struggle about interpretation of scripture. The "great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Brundecral" decrees that "all true believers shall break their eggs at the convenient end" (2353). The Blefuscudians (like Roman Catholics) hold a traditional view of scripture, and in their case, " the primitive way of breaking eggs . . . was upon the larger end" (2353), and that was "ancient practice" (2353). The Lilliputians (like Protestants), broke from tradition and held a personal view of scripture, as the Emperor decreed, "to break the smaller end of their eggs" (2353). And for "six and thirty moons past" (2353), the Lil... ...egg law that caused so many wars because of religious persuasions, Swift causes all lawmakers (and thus democratic voters) to be wary of instituting laws that conflict with religion.   Thus the seemingly silly egg law, points to huge ideas that affect every society. When Gulliver first awakes in Lilliput country, Swift has him strapped down staring at the sky, in a new land, with a new language, with new laws.   Swift, in a sense, straps us all down, to teach us about new perspectives and the importance of tolerance.   In Swift's inverted world, he parallels the Lilliputian conflict with the protestant reformation, argues for toleration of religious viewpoints and to not war over them, and instructs all lawmakers to be wary of creating laws that contradict religious teachings. Works Cited: Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1959. Civil Laws and Religious Authority in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Trave Civil Laws and Religious Authority in Gulliver's Travels  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In part one of Gulliver's Travels, Swift present readers with an inverted world, not only by transplanting Gulliver to a land that's only a twelfth the size (a literal microcosm), but also by placing him into a society with different ethical and civil laws.   Swift uses these inversions not only to entertain the readers imagination, but more importantly, to transform our perspectives to understand alien worldviews (e.g. in part four, there is great detail given to explain the Houyhnhnms' views on marriage, health, astronomy, poetry, language, death, and reproduction).   The Lilliputian conflict that erupts from the egg law (found in part one, chapter four) is an inversion, which (1) parallels the conflict of the Protestant reformation; and (2) argues that warring over religious viewpoints is futile and destructive to society, and (3) mandates lawmakers to be wary of creating laws that contradict religious teachings.   The conflict between the Lilliputians and Blefuscudians resembles the Protestant and Papist struggle because it's a struggle about interpretation of scripture. The "great prophet Lustrog, in the fifty-fourth chapter of the Brundecral" decrees that "all true believers shall break their eggs at the convenient end" (2353). The Blefuscudians (like Roman Catholics) hold a traditional view of scripture, and in their case, " the primitive way of breaking eggs . . . was upon the larger end" (2353), and that was "ancient practice" (2353). The Lilliputians (like Protestants), broke from tradition and held a personal view of scripture, as the Emperor decreed, "to break the smaller end of their eggs" (2353). And for "six and thirty moons past" (2353), the Lil... ...egg law that caused so many wars because of religious persuasions, Swift causes all lawmakers (and thus democratic voters) to be wary of instituting laws that conflict with religion.   Thus the seemingly silly egg law, points to huge ideas that affect every society. When Gulliver first awakes in Lilliput country, Swift has him strapped down staring at the sky, in a new land, with a new language, with new laws.   Swift, in a sense, straps us all down, to teach us about new perspectives and the importance of tolerance.   In Swift's inverted world, he parallels the Lilliputian conflict with the protestant reformation, argues for toleration of religious viewpoints and to not war over them, and instructs all lawmakers to be wary of creating laws that contradict religious teachings. Works Cited: Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1959.

F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby is Great Essay -- Reviews Fitzg

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is Great F. Scott Fitzgerald, known by some as author of fluffy magazine articles, has shocked us with the recent release of The Great Gatsby. Breaking from his reputation as a clichà © reporter (his most recent work was on the latest women’s shoe style) Fitzgerald proves himself a true intellectual with this tremendous novel. Using eloquent prose and a style fresh to today’s literature scene, he captures the essence of modern culture. The lavish parties in Gatsby are perfect illustrations of our social lives that have become overzealous and desperate in light of the controversial prohibition laws. Fitzgerald describes the â€Å"floating rounds of cocktails permeat[ing] the garden† and â€Å"amusement park† behavior of typical partygoers with unmatchable insight (40). The debonair host, Gatsby, is a man we have all met at some point—significantly wealthy and relentlessly mysterious. Fitzgerald presents brilliantly complex characters whose contrasting life views represent the sentiments of today. Gatsby’s zealous romanticism is praiseworthy in the face of inevitable corruption. He willfully denies that the world is fragile and clings to his romantic aspirations. Fitzgerald counters this romanticism with characters Tom and Jordan—forceful, blunt characters whose realism starkly contrasts Daisy’s flippant responsiveness and Gatsby’s dreamy aura. The intricacy of these characters warrants significant attention to Fitzgerald’s recent accomplishment as a writer. Offering further social commentary, Tom Buchanan blatantly and exaggeratingly points to a common undertone among today’s upper class when he says, â€Å"Civilization is going to pieces†¦it’s up to us, the dominant rac... ... spirit and its resulting absurdity in a bizarre scene where Daisy whispers, â€Å"’I’d like to just get one of those pink clouds and put you in it and push you around’† (94). Through such scenes, the author shows us â€Å"a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality, a promise that the rock of the world was founded securely on fairy’s wings†Ã¢â‚¬â€a brilliantly paradoxical statement unique to Fitzgerald’s work (99). With beautiful language unprecedented by any work up to date, Fitzgerald presents a work thematically and aesthetically profound. His characters are remarkably applicable to modern behavior as they express commonly felt sentiments. Critics are truly astounded at Fitzgerald’s poeticism and metaphorical writing style; we can hardly believe that Gatsby is a work by the disregarded magazine columnist. We hope to see more quality works from Fitzgerald.

The Oppression of Women Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper -- The Yellow W

The Oppression of Women Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper    Charlotte Perkins Gilman is remembered today principally for her feminist work "The Yellow Wallpaper."   It dramatizes her life and her experience with Dr. S. Weir Mitchell's now infamous "rest cure."   Commonly prescribed for women suffering from "hysteria," the rest cure altogether forbade company, art, writing, or any other form of intellectual stimulation.   When Mitchell prescribed this for Gilman, he told her to "'live a domestic life as far as possible,' to 'have but two hours' intellectual life a day,' and 'never to touch pen, brush or pencil again' as long as I lived" ("Why I Wrote . . . n.p.). It nearly drove her insane.   She began to recover only when she returned to her art and writing, and subsequently wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" to alert others to the perils of the rest cure and its attempt to stifle creativity.   It raises the question, stated by Conrad Shumaker, "What happens to the imagination when it's defined as feminine   (and thus weak) and has to face a society that values the useful and the practical and rejects anything else as nonsense?" (590).   The answer provided by Gilman is that it becomes uncontrollable and has the potential to destroy a person's sanity. In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the narrator suffers from postpartum depression, diagnosed by her husband John as "hysteria."   He recommends the rest cure for her and arranges for them to spend the summer in a country mansion.   Although his wife wants to take a downstairs room which opens out into the garden, John forces her to live upstairs in a nursery with barred windows and hideous yellow wallpaper.   She is not permitted to write, except for a journal which she keeps surreptitiously, an... ...William Day, and Sandra Waller.   New York:   Addison Wesley Longman, 1997.   299-312. "Why I Wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'" The Forerunner October 1913:   n.p. Golden, Catherine.   "The Writing of 'The Yellow Wallpaper':   A Double Palimpsest."   Studies in American Fiction 17 (1989):   198-201. Johnson, Greg.   "Gilman's Gothic Allegory:   Rage and Redemption in 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'"   Studies in Short Fiction 26 (1989): 521-30. Kasmer, Lisa "Charlotte Perkins Gilman's   'The Yellow Wallpaper':   A Symptomatic Reading."   Literature and Psychology 36.3 (1990):   1-15. MacPike, Loralee.   "Environment as Psychopathological Symbolism in 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'"   American Literary Realism 8 (1975):   286-88. Shumaker, Conrad.   "Too Terribly Good to be Printed:   Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'"   American Literature 57 (1985):   588-99. The Oppression of Women Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper -- The Yellow W The Oppression of Women Exposed in The Yellow Wallpaper    Charlotte Perkins Gilman is remembered today principally for her feminist work "The Yellow Wallpaper."   It dramatizes her life and her experience with Dr. S. Weir Mitchell's now infamous "rest cure."   Commonly prescribed for women suffering from "hysteria," the rest cure altogether forbade company, art, writing, or any other form of intellectual stimulation.   When Mitchell prescribed this for Gilman, he told her to "'live a domestic life as far as possible,' to 'have but two hours' intellectual life a day,' and 'never to touch pen, brush or pencil again' as long as I lived" ("Why I Wrote . . . n.p.). It nearly drove her insane.   She began to recover only when she returned to her art and writing, and subsequently wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" to alert others to the perils of the rest cure and its attempt to stifle creativity.   It raises the question, stated by Conrad Shumaker, "What happens to the imagination when it's defined as feminine   (and thus weak) and has to face a society that values the useful and the practical and rejects anything else as nonsense?" (590).   The answer provided by Gilman is that it becomes uncontrollable and has the potential to destroy a person's sanity. In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the narrator suffers from postpartum depression, diagnosed by her husband John as "hysteria."   He recommends the rest cure for her and arranges for them to spend the summer in a country mansion.   Although his wife wants to take a downstairs room which opens out into the garden, John forces her to live upstairs in a nursery with barred windows and hideous yellow wallpaper.   She is not permitted to write, except for a journal which she keeps surreptitiously, an... ...William Day, and Sandra Waller.   New York:   Addison Wesley Longman, 1997.   299-312. "Why I Wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'" The Forerunner October 1913:   n.p. Golden, Catherine.   "The Writing of 'The Yellow Wallpaper':   A Double Palimpsest."   Studies in American Fiction 17 (1989):   198-201. Johnson, Greg.   "Gilman's Gothic Allegory:   Rage and Redemption in 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'"   Studies in Short Fiction 26 (1989): 521-30. Kasmer, Lisa "Charlotte Perkins Gilman's   'The Yellow Wallpaper':   A Symptomatic Reading."   Literature and Psychology 36.3 (1990):   1-15. MacPike, Loralee.   "Environment as Psychopathological Symbolism in 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'"   American Literary Realism 8 (1975):   286-88. Shumaker, Conrad.   "Too Terribly Good to be Printed:   Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'"   American Literature 57 (1985):   588-99.