Customer Service and Marketing at MM

MM possesses a competitive position in this segment in terms of quality product offering and close customer relationships wrought high level Of customer support. 2. With intensive improvements in power-to-size ratios and customer service, we saw potential to regain and grow our market share in Segment A and anchor them as our main business. Initially, we contemplated pursuing sales from Segment D and small customers. However, Segment Ad's main concern turned out to be solely on price. To maintain them, as key customers, we would need to reduce list price substantially.This would prevent us from maximizing revenue and profit from other segments. As for small customers, we recognized an issue of channel inflict as these customers purchased through the distributor channel. We learnt through the simulation that distributors would vary their profit margins freely, and could at times sell the motors lower than our prices to large customers. Hence, to avoid this conflict, we decided not to focus on small customers. Furthermore, we also learnt that we could encounter low market share and decreasing profit margins if we tried to target more than 2 customer segments.So therefore, we decided not to pursue Segment D and small customers. How does customer satisfaction change over time? How do you balance hard reference metrics such as revenues and profits with soft metrics such as customer satisfaction? The segment of the motor industry in which MM operated was highly competitive, with over 1 00 participants. Over 70% of M's revenues were generated from customers that placed large-volume orders. The relationship between MM and its customers was a close one, involving a constant dialogue between many participants.The quality of these relationships and the benefits gained by both sides were critically important to MM. However, customer interviews suggested that large customers were tarring to be dissatisfied with the quality of M's sales team. We chose to allocate 90% of our sales force to the large customers since nearly all our sales volume were attributed to them whereas only 10% was allocated to small customers to provide space for our distributors to implement their own marketing and sales efforts.As we progressed, the volume we received from small customers dropped while that for large customers increased, in line with M's marketing positioning. Hence, we further increased the proportion of sales resources for large customers to 98%, and also pumped in more ending on sales support for them. Since Segment A was our primary target segment, we allocated the largest proportion of our large customer sales support hours, I. E. 41 %, to them. Segment D, our secondary target segment was given 40%.We also gave 10% to Segment B, because we deemed that while Segment B continued to buy from MM, we should try to improve their satisfaction level, so as to avoid negative word of mouth in the market. The least attention, 1 0%, was given to Segment C, since they r esponded more to prices than sales support. The quality of sales representative interaction with Segment A was extremely high due to the large number of hours spent on them. The interaction with Segments B and C were good whereas the interaction with Segment D was fair.We managed to make Segments A and C â€Å"very satisfied† and Segment D â€Å"satisfied† at the end of the Simi lotion. Segment D did not register higher satisfaction due to the higher price compared to their expectations. Segment B remained â€Å"dissatisfied†, due to the lower thermal resistance offered by Our product. Given M's market share and revenue challenges, our team determined the short- and long-term equines goals for MM as follows: 1 . Short-term goal: Acquire high market share in primary market segments. 2. Long-term goals: Attain consistently high profit margins and maintain market share.To achieve these objectives with a limited budget, M's marketing strategy had to centre on value provision. Building on M's original strengths, we saw the opportunity to delight customers with superior power-to-size ratio. We identified Segments A and C as our primary and secondary target segments, as their needs fell within the optimal zone where our product positioning could provide a preference. With the need to reverse declining market share and boost customer satisfaction, aggressive investment in M's R&D was necessary to build a strong and positive brand name for our power-efficient motors and manage internal costs.This allowed us to price our motors to create value for customers while extracting value for our business. Enhanced increased in our sales representatives and marketing communications were identified as critical in communicating MM motors' value to customers, and formed the key differentiators in managing M's dual sales force and distributor channels. How does customer satisfaction relate to customer loyalty? Retention is a reflection of a customers willingness to remain with a particular company's service or products and is useful to measure customer loyalty.The relationship between MM and its customers was a close one, starting to be dissatisfied with the quality of M's sales team. For the split between customer retention and acquisition, we learned that having a higher focus on customer retention produced much higher overall sales. Experience from earlier runs indicated that a high investment in new customer acquisition did not trigger proportionate increase in new customer sales. This could be due to channel conflict with distributors seeking to gain new customers as well.Therefore, our eventual strategy focused on customer retention as to protect our market share, and consequently, still generate new sales through referrals from existing customers. Our heavily trained sales force did a very good job in acquiring nevus customers despite their limited time on new customer acquisition and due to our high retention rate we could rapidly expand our market share in Segment A shows the sales split teen existing and new customers. How should you manage MM pricing? What does it take to justify price increase? How does price discounting affect the outcome?Market research proved to be an important tool for us to determine pricing. Initially, We thought keeping prices constant would help us gain market share that would compensate for the margin. However, we learnt that by adjusting our prices according to customers' price expectations for Segments A, B and C was more effective in maximizing our revenues. Exhibit shows that as time passed, there was generally an increase in willingness to pay across these segments. Therefore, we increased our prices slowly to extract value for MM, while we aggressively increased power-to-size ratios to create value for our target segments.This enabled us to increase market share. Given Segment Ad's price sensitiveness, we gave them maximum discount allowed as a sales strategy and attempt to claim market share in this segment. We kept our discount rate for the distributors constant so that the distributors can better plan their distributor margin depending on their business needs. Over the course of the simulation, our pricing (across all segments) increased by a total of 2%. A conscious effort was made to increase price at a slow and incremental pace to prevent price shocks and allow the market to stabilize in response to each price increase.Although flexibility in setting prices acts as a quick fix for the management to achieve short-term targets, it would send mixed signals to the market and hence should be avoided when possible. We observed that our competitors reacted to our price increases in the same direction but consistently kept their rates lower than ours. From these reactions, we realized that competing on prices would have a detrimental effect on our refits. How do you balance short-term and long-term investments?We invested heavily in enhancing our produc t's power-to-size ratio as to build a strong brand name and gain a competitive advantage over our competitors. The market research was valuable to help us keep track of our product performance over competitors and against customer expectations, so that we can moderate our research investment over. Our strategic positioning on power-to-size ratio shown success as we observed from the market research that, after 4 quarters of the simulation, our competitors started to position homeless in producing high thermal resistance products and decreased their focus on power-to-size ratio.While we limited investments on thermal resistance to improve company financial, we were able to manage the thermal resistance performance against customer expectations such that sales and customer satisfaction of our product were not affected. In addition, we gradually increased our investment in manufacturing efficiency in order to keep the cost of goods sold under control in the long run How does channel co nflict figure into your pricing decisions? How do you minimize channel conflict?

Research Paper on Human Behavior Organization

[pic] Organizational Behavior against Perception In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement of the Subject HBO101 Submitted to: Ms. Pichay Submitted by: Leader: Marino, Lizaso Member: Lindero, Maricar Lustina, Irene Macaraeg, Maan Macarambon, Putri Johanna HBO101-1T ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are heartily thankful to our dearest professor, Mrs. Pichay whose encouragement, support and guidance until the wavering moments of the semester helped us to see this term paper into completion.We are also particularly grateful for the assistance given by the staff of UE Library specifically the Circulation Library and Graduate School Library for letting us borrow books and theses. We would like to offer our special thanks to the National Library for providing us the resources needed for this study. We would also like to thank our respective families and friends for their understanding and for allowing us to spend most of our precious time working with our research paper. Above all, we glorify and thank Almighty God/ Allah, who have given us the power to believe in ourselves and pursue our dreams.We could never have done this without the faith we have in him. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Title Pagei Acknowledgementii Table of Contentsiii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION A. History and Background B. Significance of the Study C. Objectives of the Study D. Scope and Delimitations E. Definition of Terms 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 3SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY REFLECTION PAPER Chapter I Introduction A. History and Background Although human relationships have existed since the beginning of time, the art and science of trying to deal with them in complex organizations is relatively new.In the early days people work along or in such small groups that their work relationships were easily handled. It has been popular to assume that under this conditions people worked in a Utopia of happiness and fulfillment, but this assumption is largely a nostalgic reinterpretation of history actual conditions were brutal and backbreaking. People worked from dawn until dust under intolerable conditions of disease, filth, danger, and scarcity of resources. They had to work this way to survive, and very little effort was devoted to their job satisfaction.Then came the industrial revolution in the beginning the condition of the people did improve, but at least the seed was planted for potential improvement industry expanded the supply of goods and knowledge that eventually gave workers increased wages, shorter hours, and more satisfaction in this new industrial improvement Robert Owen, a young Welsh factory owner about the year 1800, was one of the first to emphasize the human needs of employees. He refused to employ young children. He taught his workers cleanliness and temperance improved their working conditions.This could hardly be called a modern organizational behavior, but it was a beginning. He was called â€Å"the real father† of personnel administration by an early writer. A ndrew Ure incorporated human factors into his work The Philosophy of Manufactures, published in 1835. He recognized the mechanical and commercial parts of manufacturing, but he also added a third factor, which was the human factor. He provided workers with hot tea, medical treatment, â€Å"a fan apparatus† for ventilation, and sickness payments.The ideas of Owen and Ure were accepted slowly or not at all, and they often deteriorated into a paternalistic, do-good approach rather than a genuine recognition of the importance of people at work. Interest in people at work was awakened by Frederick W. Taylor in the United States in the early 1900s. He is often called â€Å"the father of scientific management,† and the changes he brought to management paved the way for later development of organizational behavior. His work eventually led to improved recognition and productivity for industrial workers.He pointed out that just as there was a best machine for a job, so were ther e best ways for people to do their jobs. To be sure, the goal was still technical efficiency, but at least management was awakened to the importance of one of its neglected resources. Taylor’s major work was published in 1911. it was followed in 1914 by Lillian Gilbreth’s The Psychology of Management, which primarily emphasized the human side of work. Shortly thereafter the National Personnel Association was formed, and later.In 1923, it became the American Management Association, carrying the subtitle â€Å"Devoted Exclusively to the Consideration of the Human Factor in Commerce and Industry. † During this period Whiting Williams was studying workers while working with them, and in 1920 he published a significant interpretation of his experiences, What’s on the Worker’s Mind. Organizations permeate all levels of our lives. We come into contact with many of them daily. In fact, most of us probably spend most of our lives in—or are affected b y—organizations.We expend sizable amounts of our time as members of work, school, social, civic, and church organizations. Or we are involved as employees, students, clients, patients, and citizens of organizations. Organizations are characterized by their goal-directed behavior, and they pursue goals and objectives that can be achieved more efficiently and effectively by the concerted action of individuals and groups. Organizations are, however, much more than means for providing goods and services. They create the settings in which most of us spend our lives.In this respect, they have profound influence on our behavior. However, because large-scale organizations have developed only in recent times, we are just now beginning to recognize the necessity for studying them. Organizations have always been regarded as integral to the social world. They have become pervasive and as social units they impinge upon the behavior of their members and the members of society. They are sig nificant since they allow individual members to achieve their personal goals and to channel their energies for the welfare of society.The modern study of what people do within organizations was developed in the mid to late 1940s. the behavioral sciences—psychology, sociology, and cultural anthropology—have provided the principles, scientific rigor, and models for what we refer to today as organizational behavior. Modern society depends on organizations for its survival. Organizations exist through components technology and people. Society must understand organizations and use them to achieve the goals of its human components—the people. Each organization can work effectively with people if the management considers them in human terms.The organizational behavior of the manager affects the people, the structure, the technology, and the environment in which the organization operates. People are the chief components of an organization. They make up the internal soci al system of the organization. They are living, thinking, feeling beings of the organization. Organizations exist to serve people and society as a whole. Organizations operate in an external environment. Individual organizations such as schools and agencies are influenced by the external environment.The environment influences the attitudes, behavior and performance of the people, their working conditions and life styles. According to Davis (1993), the climate of each organization is achieved through an organizational system. In a working social system, people bring together both individual and group ways when they enter an organization. They bring their philosophy and goals, their psychological, social and economic wants which they express in their behavior. For Osborn (1991), he expressed that managers are the hearts of organizations.Organizational behavior is a knowledge base that enables managers to help their organizations perform better. Organizations relay on both human and ph ysical resources for their continued functioning. To combine successfully the two types of resource inputs into product or service outputs, managers must understand organization as work settings. Osborn also stated that the manager heads a work unit which links subordinates with the total organization through means and chains. The manager is also responsible in making the work unit functions as an organization in and of itself. The esults sought by the managers are task performance and human resource maintain at the individual, group, and organizational levels. He stressed further that manager share a common challenge. On the one hand, they are held accountable by superiors for work until performance. On the other hand, they are largely dependent upon their subordinates to do the required work. Organizational behavior Organizational behavior is the study and application of knowledge about how people—as individuals and groups—act within organizations. It strives to iden tify ways in which people can act more effectively.Organizational behavior (O. B) is a scientific discipline in which a large number of research studies and conceptual developments are constantly adding to its knowledge base. It is also an applied science, in that information about effective practices in one organization are being extended to many others. Organizational behavior provides a useful set of tools at many levels of analysis. For example, it helps managers look at the behavior of individuals within an organization. It also aids their understanding of the complexities involved in interpersonal relations, when two people interact.At the next level, organizational behavior is valuable for examining the dynamics of relationships within small groups, both formal teams and informal groups. When two or more groups need to coordinate their efforts, such as engineering and sales, managers become interested in the inter-group relations that emerge. Finally, organizations can also b e viewed, and managed, as whole systems that behave inter-organizational relationships. There are four primary goals in organizational behavior. The first is to describe, systematically, how people behave under a variety of conditions.Achieving this goal allows managers to communicate about human behavior at work using a common language. A second goal is to understand why people behave as they do. Managers would be highly frustrated if they could only talk about behaviors of their employees, but not understand the reasons behind those actions. Predicting future employee behavior is another goal of organizational behavior. Ideally, managers would have the capacity to predict which employees might be dedicated and productive or which might be absent, tardy, or disruptive on a certain day.This would allow them to take preventive actions. The final goal of organizational behavior is to control and develop some human activity at work. Since managers are held responsible for the performan ce outcomes, they are vitally interested in being able to make an impact on employee behavior, skill development, team effort, and productivity. Managers need to remember that organizational behavior is a human tool for human benefit. The key elements in organizational behavior are people, structure, technology and the environment in which the organization operates.When people join together in an organization to accomplish an objective, some king of structure is required. People also use technology to help to get the job done, so there is an interaction of people, structure, and technology PEOPLEPeople make up the internal social system of the organization. They consist of individuals and groups, and large groups as well as small ones. There are unofficial, informal groups and more official, formal ones. Groups are dynamic. They form, change, and disband. The human organization today is not the same as it was yesterday, or the day before.People are the living, thinking, feeling bein gs who work in the organization to achieve their objectives. STRUCTUREStructure defines the formal relationship of people in organizations. Different jobs are required to accomplish all of an organization’s activities. There are managers and employees, accountants and assemblers. These people have to be related in some structural way so that their work can be effectively coordinated. These relationships create complex problems of cooperation, negotiation, and decision making. TECHNOLOGYTechnology provides the resources with which people work and affects the tasks that they perform.They cannot accomplish much with their bare hands, so they build buildings, design machines, create work processes, and assemble resources. The technology used has a significant influence on working relationships. An assembly line is not the same as a research laboratory, and a steel mill does not have the same working conditions as a hospital. The great benefit of technology is that it allows peopl e to do more and better work, but it also restricts people in various ways. ENVIRONMENTAll organizations operate within an internal and an external environment.A single organization does not exist alone. It is part of a larger system that contains many other elements, such as government, the family, and other organizations. All of this mutually influenced one another in a complex system that creates a context for a group of people. Individual organizations, such as factory or a school, cannot escape being influenced by this external environment. It influences the attitudes of people, affects working conditions, and provides competition for resources and power. Organizational behavior follows principles of human behavior.The effectiveness of any organization is influenced greatly by human behavior. People are a resource common to all organizations. There is no such thing as a peopleless organization. One important principle of psychology is that each person is different. Each person has unique perceptions, personalities, and life experiences; different capabilities for learning and stress; and different attitudes, beliefs, and aspiration levels. To be effective, managers of organizations must view each employee or member as a unique embodiment of all these behavioral factors.Organizational behavior is the study and application of knowledge about how people—as individuals and groups—act in organizations. Its goals are to make managers more effective at describing, understanding, predicting, and controlling human behavior. Key elements to consider are people, structure, technology and the external environment. Previously known as human relations, organizational behavior has emerged as interdisciplinary field of value to managers. It builds on an increasingly solid research foundation that was begun in the 1920s, and it draws upon useful ideas and conceptual models from many of the behavioral science.Organization needs a well-managed structural mecha nism in assessing work force performance in correlation to work performance and productivity of workers. Performance appraisal is a measurement conducted on workers to evaluate how they achieve work targets and productivity (Najib, 2007). Various factors can be regarded in applying performance appraisal. Some researchers state that performance appraisal can be viewed from various aspects relating to the aims of research or what is going to be analyzed. Some evaluate working activity aspect, while others evaluate behaviour or personality aspect.Work performance, according to D. Grote (2002), V. M. Rivai and A. F. Basri (2005), and L. M. Robert and H. J. John (2006), is stated as behavior and work result that should be made as priority. They believe that behavior aspect is input or how individual conduct his/her duties which can be measured by knowledge, skill, attitude, and habit variables. Work result aspect, on the other hand, is output or what is going to achieve from a job which can be measured by quantity, quality, and timeliness variables. The approach of both appraisal aspects is used in this research i. . (1) behavior aspect and work result aspect, and (2) their contribution to performance. B. Significance of the Study Having become one of the most prevalent debates in recent years, organizational related studies have became a major topic of study nowadays. Organizations as defined as † a consciously coordinated social unit, composed of two or more people that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals. †    So we can see that individuals, walking under the flag of organization are valuable resources to the firm.It is totally impossible to find an organization without any manpower. So, as long as organizations are consisted of individuals, it is very important to know and learn about these fundamental elements of the firms. And that is the reason the concept of organizational behavior is a major fie ld of study these days. Organizational behavior is defined as † a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups, and structure have on behavior within organizations, for the purpose of applying such knowledge toward improving an organization's effectiveness.    Or in other words, it is â€Å"the study of what people think, feel, and do in and around organizations. †    And because the nature of human being is a sophisticated, multidimensional phenomenon, wide ranges of disciplines are required. Psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, economics and industrial engineering are the traditional disciplines and communications, information system, marketing and women's studies are the emerging disciplines toward studying organizational behavior. The purpose of the study is to draw optimum performance from all the employees.In today’s world, the environment of business is changing constantly. As a result, the manager has to play increasingly important role. With recent increase in workload, responsibilities and diversities, the importance of managers in a working environment has also increased. In order to help managers and supervisors learn more about the complexity of the new workforce many different studies have been developed. One area of study that has increased in importance over the years is the study of Organizational Behavior.This paper first defines exactly what organizational behavior is and discusses its importance. C. Objectives of the Study This research is to analyze the influence of work behaviour towards work performance. Variables for behaviour are knowledge, skill, attitude, and habits. Situational assessments of work performance can be used repeatedly to measure progress in work rehabilitation and used for feedback and goal setting. The organizations in which people work have an effect on their thoughts, feelings and actions.These thoughts, feelings and actions in turn affect the organi zation itself. By this research, can also understand the workers or employees behave the way they do and also thereby predict how they are going to behave in the future. Performance objectives also play a major role in defining the results expected through your staff's hard work and dedication. It’s necessity in setting clear goals for employees. They also challenge staff members to achieve maximum results to promote business growth and make continuous improvements to meet the challenges and changing demands of the marketplace.It must be clear and guide action. D. Scope and Delimitation This research covers about work performance and behaviour of an employee. The limitations of this research are to those people who are currently working. Only workers can participate in this research. E. Definition of Terms The following terms used in this study are defined operationally. Organizational behaviour  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ is the application of knowledge about how people, individuals, and gr oups act in organizations, in order to achieve the highest performance and dominant results.Attitude  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the degree to which the person has a favourable or unfavourable evaluation of the behaviour in question. Knowledge-  remembering of previously learned material; recall (facts or whole theories); bringing to mind. Analysis-  breaking down into parts; understanding organization, clarifying, concluding Work behaviour  -is the  behaviour  one uses in  employment  and is normally more formal than other types of  human behaviour. Job performance  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ is a commonly used, yet poorly defined concept in  industrial and organizational psychology, it most commonly refers to whether a person performs their  job  well.Performance- the act of performing; the carrying into execution or action; execution; achievement; accomplishment; representation by action; as, the performance of an undertaking of a duty. Behaviour- can be regarded as any action of an organi sm that changes its relationship to its environment. Behaviour provides outputs from the organism to the environment. Chapter II Related Literatures In the 1920s and 1930s Elton Mayo and F. J. Roethlisberger at Harvard University gave academic stature to the study of human behavior at work.They applied keen insight, straight thinking, and sociological backgrounds to industrial experiments at the Western Electric Company, Hawthorne Plant. They concluded that an organization is a social system and the worker is indeed the most important element in it. Their experiments showed that the worker is not a simple tool but a complex personality interacting in a group situation that often is difficult to understand. To Taylor and his contemporaries, human problems stood in the way of production and so should be minimized. To Mayo, human problems became a broad new field of study and an opportunity for progress.He is recognized as the father of what was then called human relations and later be came known as organizational behavior. Taylor increased production by rationalizing it. Mayo and his followers sought to increase production by humanizing it. The Mayo-Roethlisberger research has been strongly criticized as being inadequately controlled and interpreted, but its basic ideas, such as social system within the work environment, have stood the test of time, the important point is that it was substantial research about human behavior at work, and its influence was widespread and enduring.According to George and Jones (1996), organizational behavior provides guidelines that both manager and workers can use to understand and appreciate many forces that affect behavior in organizations and make correct decisions on how to motivate people and mobilize other resources to achieve organizational goals. Knowledge on organizational behavior derived from scholarly studies replaces intuition and gut feeling with a well-researched body of theories and systematic guidelines for managi ng behavior in organization.Mangkunegara (2000) defines performance as work result qualitatively and quantitatively that can be achieved in conducting a job as demanded by responsibility. While H. J. Bernardin and J. C. A. Russel (1993) state that performance is an income produced by a worker during his/her service time. V. M. Rivai and A. F. Basri (2005) conclude the definition of performance as a function of motivation and capability. To finalize a demanded job or duty, someone should have a certain motivation and capability.Capability of a worker is not worth if he/she does not know what should be done and how to do it. Target achieving is one of measurements in performance appraisal. There are three criteria in assessing performance, i. e. (1) individual duty, (2) individual behavior, and (3) individual characteristics. From the above description, it can be inferred that performance can be categorized as work result achieved by a worker in a certain time in an organization based on power, responsibility, and duties.During his/her service time, performance of an individual can be observed (Rivai & Basri, 2005). Meaning that performance appraisal should always relate to task finalization. Whenever performance appraisal does not relate to job finalization, then such appraisal will result in a misjudgment and a mistake. Bibliography Luthans, Fred. (2011). Organizational Behavior: An Evidence-Based Approach. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. New York Nelson, Debra L. Quick, James C. Organizational Behavior Foundation, Realities and Challenges. (1997). West Publishing Company, St. Paul MN. http://www. ehow. com/info_8156482_objectives-organizational-behavior. html#ixzz27xcgisTS http://www. brainyquote. com/words/be/behavior135737. html#IIMeu7jGSj4UxvQL. 99 http://mansci. journal. informs. org/content/28/2/138. short http://www. livestrong. com/article/178352-how-behavior-modification-operates-to-motivate-people/

How does Moslow's Hierachy of needs play a role in employee appraisel Essay

How does Moslow's Hierachy of needs play a role in employee appraisel - Essay Example When we talk about motivation, Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" comes forth as one of the more known theories that explain the roots of motivation. His provocative ideas about motivation, self-actualization and synergy have become the basis of some familiar concepts to many managers, management theorists and trainers. His humanistic approach to management has influenced fields as diverse as counseling, health care, education and marketing. Fact is that Maslow actuated a serious investigation as he delved deeper in the human psyche to study the roots of motivation. In his fervent and unrelenting investigations, he carefully studied human behavior and delineated five basic goals of that every human need. By level of importance, he identified the needs as physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization. One could infer in this proposition that it is the task of each human being to achieve his or her own concept of self-actualization. Physiological - As humans are classified as living beings, physiological needs definitely are the most basic and of prime importance in the list of human needs Maslow enumerated. Physiological needs are necessary to maintain life, like hunger, thirst, sleep and many other human activities that involved the palpable human body itself. Safety - After physiological needs are met eventually, humans seek a sense of security from danger and deprivation, that's where safety needs come into picture. Love and Esteem - After physical needs are satisfied, humans as social beings desire companionship, camaraderie and the sense of belonging. Love and esteem are the emotional need that nourishes the human psyche in order for a person feel better about himself or herself. Self-Actualization - This describes the need for self-fulfillment, an urge of individuals to attain their dreams and goals in life for self-development, creativity and job satisfaction. Maslow steadily moved ahead from his peers upon formulating a new explanation of human nature. Its foundation was his radical theory of motivation, which has come to be known as the "Hierarchy of Needs". He passed up a great argument that people have needs for physiological, safety, belongingness, love, self-respect, self-esteem and what he called self-actualization-the desire to become all that a person can become in life. Maslow adds that if in the past lower level needs like physiological and safety needs are just the things the management rewards to its people to ensure protection and sustenance to his family, as society advances to contemporary times, in order for management to be effective they have to satisfy the higher needs too. In Maslow's articles published in 1942 and 1943, he summed up his theory as: It is quite true that man lives by bread alone-where there is no bread. But what happens to [our] desires when there [is] plenty of bread and when [our] belly is chronically filled At once, other and higher' needs emerge and these, rather than physiological hungers, dominate [us]. And when these in turn are satisfied, again new and still higher' needs emerge, and so on. This is what we mean by saying that basic human needs are organized into a hierarchy.... (Sheldrake, 1996 p. 353)

Review of of John Kotter and Dan Cohen's book, The Heart of Change Essay

Review of of John Kotter and Dan Cohen's book, The Heart of Change - Essay Example For people to change their behaviour, they should be shown the truth that influences their feelings. Failures in change management occur mostly in large organizations where managers deal with mergers, acquisitions, new strategies, globalization, cultural transformation, e-business, new technologies, and new structuring of the whole organization or departments of an organization. The two authors found out that: Successful organizations know how to defend the organization against anything that rejects changes. The organizations know how to avoid risks and make use of arising opportunities. They recognize the importance of continuous improvement and know that taking big leaps have bigger rewards. That change is a complex affair that goes through eight stages. The stages are; creation of a sense of urgency, creation of visions and strategies, putting together a guiding team, removal of barriers of action, effective communication of vision and strategies, carrying out short term wins, cre ation of a new culture and making it persist, and keeping the work consistent (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 2). Main focus in change management in the eight stages is the people’s behaviour. ... Ivancevich, Robert Konopaske and Michael T. Matteson†. Discussion Summary of ‘Organizational Behaviour and Management’ by John M. Ivancevich, Robert Konopaske and Michael T. Matteson The book covers organizational management through explanation of various issues in organizational behaviour, organizational culture, individual differences and work behaviour, perceptions, attributions and emotions, and motivation. Organizational behaviour: This is viewed in a multidisciplinary manner. This explains various points about it. Organizational behaviour is believed as operating at individual, organization and group levels. These levels must be defined when studying organizational behaviour. Organizational behaviour makes use of theories, principles, models, and methods from other disciplines. A third point is that organizational behaviour encompasses a distinct humanistic orientation. People and their learning capacities, attitudes, goals, perceptions and feelings are very important to the organization (Ivancevich, Konopaske & Matteson, 2011). Organizational behaviour is performance oriented. The book recognises the role of leaders in organizational behaviour. It describes how everything facing a leader in an organization is in motion and churning. It also explains that a leader accomplishes success through properly aligning the human resources of the organization with the changing conditions, understanding of the organizational structure and design, the organization's environment, group behaviour, individual characteristics, decision making, and organizational change processes. It communicates the following about workers. That workers feel important when recognized, individual behaviours are modified by

Domestic partner benefits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Domestic partner benefits - Essay Example Further requirements were then added for the partners to continue sharing financial obligations and that they  are  over eighteen (Badgett 2006).. A domestic partnership denotes a much that may be or may not be recognized by law as compared to  marriage. According to  Wikipedia, public and private employers in America provide health insurance and other benefits to spouses and same-sex partners of their employees. The employee receiving benefits for his or her spouse may sometimes be forced to pay tax for the benefits. The qualifications for benefits for domestic partners vary from one employer to the next. Different employers have different benchmarks for those that are suitable for these benefits and those that are not. Domestic partner benefits can be categorized into two: same sex partners and opposite sex partners. It is up to employers to determine which  partnership  to include. Some employers only  recognize  same-sex or different-sex couples, while others acce pt both categories. Employers ought to compensate their employees through more than salaries and wages. They should provide benefits such as health insurance. A growing number of employers are now offering domestic partner benefits to gay, lesbians, bisexual and transgender employees and the  partner’s children. These benefits include health benefits (dental,  sight  and medical); retirement benefits (pension plans); bereavement leave; travel assistance; adoption assistance; education and  tuition  assistance and disability and life insurance. Employers  are known  to create their own definitions of domestic partners. This is to  enable  them to know who is eligible for benefits and who is not.  Same sex  unions were usually left out of this consideration. Employers have since begun offering benefits to  same sex  partners. Employers have traditionally offered benefits, such as health insurance, to the spouses and legal dependants of their employees. In 1982, the first  employer  to break ranks and  offer  domestic partner benefits to its  lesbian  and  gay  employees was a New York City weekly  publication  called the Village Voice. Today, the Human Rights Campaign (a nonprofit organization devoted to working for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equal rights) claims that employees who  offer  these benefits stand at more than 2,500. In an effort to promote equality in the workplace, more and more employers are choosing to  offer  benefits to domestic partners. However, these efforts to  bring  more  equality  to the workplace are not without  consequence. Before adopting policies that  afford  domestic partners the same benefits that  are afforded  spouses, employers must carefully consider the benefits and risks to such an  approach (Badgett 2006).. Cost of domestic partner benefits According to Michael E. Hamrick (2009), lack of information has made it difficult to  es timate  the overall  cost  of domestic partner benefits. Some employers believe that the cost for providing benefits for domestic partners is much higher than providing benefits for married couples. An  excellent  example comes from a small group  plan  in California. It paid 17.1% more in the same year for

Lesson plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Lesson plan - Essay Example The teacher sets the sounds to be listened to by learners and allow learners to imitate the sounds. The teacher allows learners to ask him questions concerning clarity to what they have leaned. After clarification the teacher pose some questions to the learners and learners response shows the extend to which the concept taught have been mastered. Assignments to be given to each learner to evaluate the objectives of the lesson. Assignment should be administered both in groups and individually to determine the areas that are okay and some that need revision. Finally, the teacher performs an evaluation to determine how much the lesson objectives have been achieved and those that are not fully met in order to improve in future. Both formative and summative evaluation be used in evaluating students mastery of the concepts learnt. for instance, assigning them vocabularies to use in a composition hence putting what they have leant into practice. Also giving learners certain words to research on how they are supposed to be

Science Meets Real Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Science Meets Real Life - Essay Example This essay stresses that people can become sick when they are exposed to virus and also by consuming contaminated food. An inspection of the restaurant has brought to fore the fact that it is not only unhygienic, but also lacks in the basic facilities. The kitchens of most of the restaurants do not have any ceilings and the shelves of the freezers are dirty. Besides, the cloths that the cooks use for wiping food contact surfaces are not cleaned in sanitizing solutions. Another major aspect that has come to notice is the fact that â€Å"Food thermometers were not being used by employees†. A comparison of the school calendars of the institutions indicates that the students from both schools have met and interacted on the occasion of the May Day Parade. They have also met on 15th May for planning meeting for the battle of the bands, which has been scheduled for 19th May. This paper makes a conclusion that more students may have become exposed to virus due to their interaction on the occasion of the functions related to band parade. The following testable questions can be offered for further investigation: what specific reasons can be attributed to the absence of students in both schools? what may be the causes for the common disease among the students? how are the students from both the schools affected at the same time? if the students from both the schools are suffering from the same problem when have they been exposed to the virus? how are they exposed to the same disease causing agents? what measures can be taken to prevent food contamination in restaurants?

Evidence Base Practice of Repeat Cesarean Sections and Vaginal Birth Research Paper

Evidence Base Practice of Repeat Cesarean Sections and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Section - Research Paper Example The important aspect to highlight in each of the two is the underlying benefits and risks of each method of child birth. There have been observed cases of repeated cesarean as well as that of vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC). These aspects will be explored in this paper and evidence of practice presented. Repeat Cesarean Sections Health care specialists have noticed the rising cesarean numbers around the world. These specialists alongside other associate experts have begun campaigns to advocate for reduced cesareans. Women have intentionally and unintentionally opted for cesarean sections. Some cesarean sections have been involuntarily administered, while others have been termed voluntary. When a woman is on labor and fails to give birth the normal way, surgical teams have been availed to address the issue by carrying out a C-section in a bid to assist the mother. Some cesareans have been carried out on voluntary grounds. Women who are capable of delivering normally have h ad to undergo cesarean section by choice (Menacker 2003). Cesarean sections have increased maternal-newborn health complications. Surgical procedures have been associated with a number of complications that affect both the mother and the newborn. Increased cesareans have also resulted to increased cost of health care especially in the US. This is so due to the health care financing modes of the different states. However, whether the C-section is intentional, unintentional, voluntary or involuntary, the benefits and risks of its practice are important to consider. It is also important to outline what benefits and risks relate to planned or unplanned cesarean. An unplanned cesarean is carried out during labor, when it is established that the mother is not in apposition to deliver normally. This has been termed as an emergency in many reproductive health care institutions. Surgical teams are provided in delivery rooms in case of an emergency. On the other hand, a planned cesarean is a voluntary one. The woman prefers to undertake a cesarean instead of going through the natural birth giving process. Medical researchers have

Geographic Information Systems Essay Example for Free

Geographic Information Systems Essay The future prospects of geographic technologies such as GIS (Geographic Information Systems), satellite images, remote sensing, and more are increasingly discussed in literature (Matthews and Herbert 2005). Today, GIS software can be used in a highly efficient way. In 18 years, people are likely to be amazed by what is being done with it. This paper projects the possible impacts of the technologies for the public service and democratic society of Auckland in the year 2025. The capabilities of GIS will be analysed. In doing so, an overview of GIS is followed by an analysis of the relationship between this technology and democratic values and implications of this relationship for Auckland society. Future Horizons Hardware and software costs for both personal computers and workstations have been declining steadily during recent years. This trend, combined with the rapid increases in technology development, will dramatically benefit the GIS market. Geographic data are of great size and require several unique hardware and software adaptations for data entry, processing, and output (Donaldson 120). These adaptations include hardware equipment and digitizers, scanners, and plotters. With a healthy development of GIS market, these adaptations will become more sophisticated, easier to use, and less expensive. The GIS market also will supply a variety of hardware and software innovations from which to choose. Bottom-Up GIS In the year 2025, GIS will be cheaper, faster, easier to use, and supplied with more and better data. As large amounts of local data will become easily available in GIS format, the outlook for GIS in local area planning will look very bright. Besides using GIS to inform and analyze in the traditional sense, planners will consider using it as a cognitive tool. In this new approach, people learn to use GIS data to exchange their views concerning planning processes, neighborhood issues, and future wishes. This new view of how GIS can be used in planning emerged from recent concern that traditional use of GIS in planning is top-down, controlled, and technicist (Brown 246). Donaldson (2002) have noted that GIS that is merely technological in orientation will fail to address important issues. Therefore, it is likely that GIS will be used in local communities in a way that is not technicist in a fundamental way. One could predict that GIS will have a more democratic approach to planning in which the processes of communication and interaction are considered. As a result, GIS will be used in a bottom-up way that will let the citizens of Auckland characterize their local environment. As a way to ensure a more bottom-up approach to GIS, planners will focus on the inclusion of local knowledge in GIS. There are some examples in regard to planning. Some researchers (Craig Elwood 1998) studied how local knowledge was incorporated in the creation of GIS databases. Such information as how residents value their homes or their feelings about the concerns of a given area was incorporated. Because these approaches have an objective to provide local residents with greater access to GIS, they are integrated with other community-based uses of GIS (Matthews and Herbert 2005). New approaches will enable residents to use GIS to communicate how they perceive their neighborhood or the locality in which they live, via their description, evaluation, or propositions for their local environment. New approach will be both the tool used to explore an issue and the means of its expression. It will be using GIS as a spatial language tool to have access to local knowledge and communicating residents observations, rather than presenting only objective facts. With this new approach, the citizens of Auckland will be able to redefine the questions asked within GIS. For instance, â€Å"Where are roads most overcrowded? † becomes â€Å"What streets do I consider as inconvenient due to traffic jam? † â€Å"What is the location of parks relative to the location of children? † becomes â€Å"What parks are most frequently visited in my neighborhood and how many children use them? † (Craig Elwood 104) The answers of the residents to the first type of question create an entirely different image than the answers to the second type. The result is that the content of the analysis may be significantly improved. Using this new approach, analysis of residents observations that result through traditional visioning processes in answers such as â€Å"We need to have a better system of transporting† become answers such as â€Å"Here are places where we need to travel and where we prefer to travel,† and â€Å"Here is where we at present can and cannot travel† (Donaldson, 189).

The Salah requires praying Essay Example for Free

The Salah requires praying Essay One of the greatest hindrances to attaining peaceful relations in the Middle East comes from the fact that the Islamic religion is often misunderstood. In their book entitled, Islam: A Thousand Years of Faith and Power, authors Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair, discuss the origins of Islam by discussing various aspects of the religion and the cultural practices. Literally, Islam means peace or the surrender of one’s self to God. Islam was born 1,400 years ago, when the message of the Qur’an was relayed to the prophet Muhammad by Allah through the angel Gabriel. The fundamental decree of Islam is monotheism, that there is only one Creator, that he alone should be worshipped by mankind and that Muhammad is God’s final prophet. Aside from monotheism, there are also other five aspects of Islam: first, that the Qur’an is considered by Muslims as the undistorted message of God and is the central text of Islamic religion; second, that angels are the messengers of god, devoid of free will and dedicated only to the worship of God and the duties entrusted to them; third, belief in all of God’s prophets, from Adam to Jesus; fourth, that there will be a â€Å"Day of Judgment† or â€Å"Day of Resurrection† (yawm al-Qiyamah) where every human will account for all the deeds and sins he has committed during his lifetime at a time that is only known to God; lastly, the belief in the Divine Decree (al-qadaa wal-qadr ), that everything occurs according to the will of God. Islam also decrees five main duties that a Muslim must perform. Integral to the understanding of Islam are the Five Pillars. These five duties are otherwise also known as the Five Pillars of Islam: Shahadah, Salah, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj. The Shahadah is the primary tenet of Islam which is found in the shahadatan or â€Å"twin testimonies† wherein a Muslim declares that there is only one God worthy of devotion and that Muhammad is the messenger of God. The Salah requires praying five times a day at different times while facing towards the Kaaba in Mecca. The Zakat is the alms-giving of capable Muslims to the poor and needy. The Sawm is the requirement of fasting during the month of Ramadan wherein a Muslim desists from eating, drinking and having sexual intercourse from dusk until dawn. The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca a Muslim is required to make at least once in his or her lifetime. Aside from discussing these practices, they also discuss the cultural background of some of the most holy sites of the Islamic Religion. Considered as perhaps one of the holiest cities in the whole world, Makkah or Mecca, is located in the historic Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia. With a population of nearly two million (1,700,000 to be exact), this region is deeply revered by Muslims because it contains the Grand Mosque of Mecca. From an etymological perspective, the word mecca means a location that is considered as the center of interest or a goal which religious adherents aspire for. This is synonymous with the religious devotion that is associated with the area. One of the major events that occur in this area is the annual pilgrimage to Makkah which happens during the season of the Hajj. This is very important for every Muslim since it is covered under the Five Pillars of Islam. Given this relevance, every able bodied Muslim who has the means to must visit Mecca at least once in their lifetime. This is a very strict rule. During this time, nobody else is allowed to enter the holy city especially people belonging to other faiths. Historically, the Mecca has always been considered as one of the most important cities in the Arabian Peninsula. Since the 6th century, it has always been the wealthiest of all the settlements in the area. Due to the abundant water supply that it got from the Zamzam Well, Mecca soon grew in prosperity and became the site of the Kaaba, the holiest site in all of Islam. Given this ideal location, it comes as no surprise then that this soon became one of the holiest areas in the world. The sacred mosque or the Al-Masjid al-Haram is the largest mosque in the entire world. Its location in the city of Mecca is only appropriate given the fact that it surrounds what is the holiest place in the entire Islam, the Kaaba. Also known as Haram or Haram Sharif, the mosque is capable of accommodating over four million (4,000,000) people during the great pilgrimage or the Hajj. It covers a floor area of approximately three hundred and fifty-six thousand eight hundred (356,800) square meters. References: Bloom, Jonathan and Blair, Sheila (2002). Islam: A Thousand Years of Faith and Power. New Haven, 2002

The Key Principals Of Effective Communication English Language Essay

The Key Principals Of Effective Communication English Language Essay An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people. Interpersonal communication is a term that refers to the ways that interpersonal relationships are shaped, maintained, and changed. Interaction between people, usually in face-to-face or private settings deals with issue of interpersonal communication. People view communication differently, so it helps to understand why people behave and communicate different. Communication may contain the aspects of listening, persuading, asserting and nonverbal communication. Communicating effectively is when the person receiving the information understands you, and you understand them. If your ability to converse well with others is not good, it will affect the importance in your personal and professional success. The concept of interpersonal relationships is given by ones understanding of interpersonal communication its main beliefs, misconceptions and barriers. First, the concept of interpersonal relationships is given by ones understanding of interpersonal communication its main beliefs, misconceptions and barriers. Interpersonal communication includes message sending and receiving between two or more individuals. This can include all areas of communication such as listening, persuading, asserting, nonverbal communication, and more. To communicate well, one must have the basic communication skills. These skills include: Leveling, Listening, Validating, and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ statements. Leveling means letting a person know your thoughts and feelings. When both parties do not know all of the information, a misunderstanding or conflict arises. Listening is a skill that not only involves hearing what a person is saying, but also comprehending what they are saying. Active listening is when someone makes a mental outline of important points, thinking up questions or challenges to the points that have been made, and becoming mentally involved with the person talking (Hybels Weaver, 2007, p.85) There are several steps involved in active listening. First, we must identify the central idea or the main thought. Next, we must form a mental outline of the speech. Next, we should predict what will come next in the conversation. Fourth, we relate the points of the conversation or speech to our own experience. Then we should look for similarities and differences on the information we are receiving. Is it similar or different from what we already know? Finally, we should ask questions. The next basic communication skill is validating. Validating is a skill that involves communicating to others that you have heard their position or opinion. With validation, we should accept the opinions and feelings of others as being true. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ statements are when the speaker takes responsibility for their own feelings. This keeps defensiveness, or conflict, away from the communication. An example of an Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ statement is when someone states I understandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ or I feelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Using I statements allows us to speak for ourselves. Secondly, people expand and uphold their self-concepts through the course of taking action and building, then reflecting on what they have done and what others tell them about what they have done. Our perceptions are influenced by physical differences, like what we see and hear. Our perceptions are also influenced by the information we receive and what we already know, by habit, and culture. Self-concept is how you think about yourself. Self-concept comes from reflected appraisals from family and friends, and social comparisons. Sometimes judgments can be good or bad. You can change your perceptual influences by staying healthy, avoiding conflicts, taking time out, being accessible, and being able to adjust to other influences. There are many barriers to effective communication. These barriers can be present a persons work or even at home. At work, we speak to many different kinds of people. Many do not have the experience of communicating effectively with others. You need to learn as much as possible about whom you are communicating with, so you can pick the best way to send your message, and then there might less misunderstandings or confusion. The choice of a persons words is one barrier. The words we select to use will have an influence on the quality of our communication. To use words effectively, we need to understand their meanings and associations, in different situations. An additional barrier is the misinterpretation of body language, tone, or other forms of non verbal communication. Again, we should learn how to read another persons nonverbal cues so we know how to respond to them. The way you pay attention, look, shift, and respond tell the other person whether or not you care and how well youre listening. We learn from the very beginning of our lives how to get what we want with gestures and non-communication, and then we learn to trust our environment One more barrier is selective hearing. A very irritating thing about communication is when the person is not listening to you. This can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. Many people choose what they want to hear and do not hear all of the important facts. We should be active listeners so the communication is not lost from one person to the next. You should not be distracted when listening. You should paraphrase, make acknowledgments, dont interrupt, and then respond. A good example of selective listening is with children. Children only hear the beginning of the conversation. They become bored with what they are hearing and lose their concentration. So it is best not to beat around the bush; get straight to the point. Also, an extra barrier is to overcome is power struggles. Sometimes we do not want to listen to someone who does not have the authority over us. Many people think they do not need to listen to another person that may not be of a higher rank then they are. This is true in children and at the workplace. Some other barriers may be stereotyping, or culture differences. All of these barriers can be overcome. To overcome these barriers and become good listeners with effective communication, we should be open-minded, polite, and thoughtful. Everyone could use to learn more when dealing with communication, to learn and understand how to make the interpersonal interactions more efficient. There are many principles to be effective in interpersonal communication. By understanding these principles, we can improve our communication with our coworkers, and anyone we come in contact with. The first principle is to treat each other with respect (Sharland, 2008). This means that instead of putting our energy into complaining about others, we should use that energy for a better use. We should have an open hearted consideration for others no matter who they are or whatever they have done. Treating someone disrespectfully leads to escalating responses. For example, if we have a disagreement with a coworker, we should listen to their point of view to keep the communication ongoing. It would be nearly impossible to work with someone you cannot have a conversation with. This does not mean we have to like this person, but it does mean that the circumstances that caused the issue are unlikely to get worse. The second principle is that we should not interrupt one another (Sharland, 2008). Interruptions can be in a form of speaking at the same time, cell phones ringing, or something other than listening to the speaker. By not interrupting others and focusing on what another person is saying, we are more likely to be listened to. Many times we assume we know what the person is going to say and we bring our own thoughts into the conversation. This is also interrupting. The listener takes over the conversation and they never fully hear what the speaker is saying. Many discussions are hindered by interruptions and often at the end those involved go away with very different views about what has been said (Sharland, 2008). The third principle is that we have the right to pass (Sharland, 2008). Sometimes we may want to pass on something but we still participate because we feel coerced or guilty if we do not participate. We often call this peer pressure. When people are not able to pass on something, they become closed up about their thoughts and feelings because people begin to talk about them. Resentment can build against others and damage a relationship. At work there is often pressure to do what others are doing. If we do not conform to others, we feel isolated and resent the other coworkers. Sometimes it is just difficult to say no. The fourth principle of effective communication is that we do not volunteer others (Sharland, 2008). Sometimes before making a decision for someone else, we should check with them first. When we do not communicate, we cause confusion and conflict. For example, if I were to decide to go somewhere for the weekend and my spouse has made other plans, there may be a conflict between us. Although it may take time to communicate with this other person, it will eliminate any conflict. The time to resolve the conflict is greater than the time it takes to communicate with another. Sometimes we are volunteered to do something that is not in our job description. When this happens, because there is not pay increase, we may resent our employer and may appear unenthusiastic about our job. The fifth principle is to speak only for ourselves (Sharland, 2008). In speaking for ourselves, we often use I statements. Many times we do not hold the same views as others and should not assume they feel the same way. Speaking for others usually leads to conflict. We can assume we know what someone is feeling, but the only way of knowing is to ask them. By using this principle, we make more accurate statements with our communication and avoid unnecessary resentment or conflict. The sixth principle is that we do not speak too often or for too long (Sharland, 2008). If we speak too long, we will have bored listeners and will lose their attention. We will also take too much time and not give them a chance to voice their own opinions. This situation can happen at our workplace such as in meetings or can happen in the home. Many times a parent goes on and on to a child. The child gets tired of listening and is then disciplined for not listening. If a person speaks too often, they are resented because they do not allow others to speak. This happens often in meetings when an individual contributes their thoughts on the subject. They continue with their thoughts and do not give others the opportunity to voice their opinion. The effectiveness of the communication is reduced because the conversation is one-sided. When someone speaks too long or too often, we can improve the conversation by showing our interest. Many times people who repeat things over and over feel t hey are not being heard. If we question them or show our interest, they feel their ideas are being listened to and will move on to the next topic. The seventh principle is that we challenge the behavior and not the person (Sharland, 2008). When we challenge or label a person, ineffective communication occurs. Many times we focus on how someone is perceived to be rather than the behavior they exhibit. Labels are often the result of a conflict. This ineffectiveness in communication brings defensiveness in the person being labeled. When we label a person, the communication does not move forward. We may be able to vent our anger, but we do not communicate the reason for the anger. Instead of name calling, one should express their feelings or the reasons for their behavior. Name calling is just an endless solution. The eighth principle of effective communication is that we respect confidentiality (Sharland, 2008). When we respect ones confidentiality, we gain a persons trust. It also brings a feeling of safety, intimacy, and acknowledging and respecting ones vulnerability in relation to the issue. If we pass on confidential information, we lose the trust of the other person. Many times if people feel their personal information is going to be shared with other, they are uncomfortable and less likely to share their views, fears, ideas, vulnerabilities, or mistakes. The ninth principle is that it is ok to make mistakes (Sharland, 2008). With this principle, we realize that we are not perfect and making mistakes are opportunities for learning, connecting and insight rather than opportunities to condemn others. Without this principle, the other eight would be useless. When we make a mistake, we should use a different principle to be effective in our communication. All of the principles are not rules to go by, but are guidelines to make communication meaningful and effective. Communication is composed of verbal and nonverbal expressions. Verbal communication is what we actually say. Nonverbal communication includes facial expressions, eye contact, body posture, and motions. We are sensitive to these types of body language. As many of us have heard the saying, Our actions speak louder than words. Our nonverbal communication must match what we say. Nonverbal communication can help emphasize the truth, sincerity, and reliability of our communication. Nonverbal communication is important in many situations. It is good to pick up nonverbal cues to prepare oneself on how to handle the situation. We can respond to another appropriately when we understand their nonverbal cues. It also allows us to prevent a violent situation from being escalated. There are many things to consider when interpreting nonverbal communication. We should consider distance. The distance a person stands from another often gives a nonverbal cue. In some cultures, the distance shows how intense the communication is. A persons posture shows how formal the communication is or how relaxed it is. We may be sitting or standing, or have our arms crossed. Another thing to consider is the physical contact with the other person. Shaking hands, embracing, pushing, or patting are all ways to send a nonverbal cue. Some great features of nonverbal communication include facial expressions, gestures, and the way we look at someone. A smile, frown, raised eyebrow, yawn, and sneer can all carry information. There are many different facial expressions and they can change throughout a persons conversation or interaction with another person. Hand movement is the most frequently used gestures but the least understood. People use their hands quite often while they are talki ng. It may be difficult to know what a person is meaning when they use their hands. The person could be just demonstrating something with their hands. Another feature of nonverbal communication is eye contact. Effective communication is very important for you the speaker and the listener. When we communicate effectively, we can eliminate misunderstandings and conflict. When we listen, we need to hear all of the details and be sympathetic to their feelings. We need to learn how to read nonverbal cues. By learning the basic communication skills one can have better communication with others. Effective communication is an essential component to be successful whether it is at work or at home.

Atomism: Democritus And Epicurus Essay -- essays research papers

Atomism: Democritus and Epicurus In the Atomists, we see pluralism taken as far as it could possibly go. We see Democritus and Epicurus divide all the world, as well as the universe, into two categories; atoms and empty space. Everything else is merely thought to exist. The atoms are eternal, infinite in size and number and they are moving through the empty space. There is no motion without empty space. Both Democritus and Epicurus agreed that motion was impossible in a plenum, but it is here that their theories diverge. In the cause of the motion, we begin to see a variety of opinions. Both Democritus and Epicurus agreed that the â€Å"qualitative world of sense perception arises from the motion of qualitatively neutral atoms. They believe that the immense qualitative variety results from the ‘jostling' of atoms...as they collide and bounce apart, and so, constantly form new groupings† (Jones 84). They believe it to be a mechanical process occurring completely by chance. Furthermore, although new groupings are constantly being formed, only the few that can survive are considered the â€Å"right† combinations. These are the combinations we recognize through our senses as being â€Å"real†, although they are not. However, the way in which this complex motion begins is a source of controversy and disagreement amongst the Atomists. Democritus assumes that the atoms' motion is perpetual. The atoms are never at rest. He presumes that their nature is to move, thereby avoiding â€Å"the problem of explaining the origin of the complex motion of atoms by simply affirming that it is in their nature to move so† (Jones 85). He believes that atoms are born along with the whole universe in a vortex. The vortex is not an outside influence, but rather the motion of the atoms themselves. He never accounts for the initiation of this motion. He simply states that it is an inherent quality of the atoms themselves. Epicurus, on the other hand, wanted to find a reasoning behind the initial movement of the atoms; to find the cause of the initial collisions which start the creation process of the universe. Through observation of objects falling â€Å"down† within our limited perceptual space, Epicurus concluded ... ...ualities? Epicurus ambiguously calls these qualities â€Å"accompaniments† yet never explains how they can exist outside of reality and still be considered real. Epicurus changed the doctrine of Democritus in many ways in an attempt to clarify some of the more questionable postulations. Epicurus' theory is not necessarily superior, but certainly progressive. There is room for discourse on a variety of the Atomists' theories. Since they are the first school of thought from which we have so much written record, there is bound to be divergence of opinion. The areas I have discussed relate only the area of physics. Epicurus attempts to resolve some of the dilemmas Democritus leaves unresolved in ethical and psychological dilemmas as well. Of course, lingual and interpretive constraints play a part in all philosophical theory of the classical period. Yet in our "modern" world, we rely heavily on the ideas set forth by these great thinkers. It would be foolish to take one concept as superior over another because the scope of ideas given to us by these thinkers is too great a wealth to judge subjectively.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Gun Buyback Programs Essay -- Gun Contr

Gun buyback programs have become a commonplace law enforcement practice since their creation in the 1970s. These buyback programs are a method of proactive policing against gun crime and are used as a means by law enforcement in an effort to curb gun violence. Generally, police offer incentives to community members in exchange for firearms. These incentives are most commonly money or gift certificates, but may also be merchandise. The programs rose to popularity in the 1990s due to widespread public support. However, as far as weapons policies go, gun buyback programs have been criticized as an ineffective means of curbing or preventing firearm violence. Thus, one must ask does the purchase of firearms from private citizens by law enforcement impact the rate of gun crime, or would other means be more effective in combating this type of crime? According to the Journal of Economics there are more firearms in the United States than people. Furthermore, the majority of homicides are committed with a firearm (Levitt, 2004). This may indicate that the availability of firearms contributes to gun violence. Individuals acquire guns in a variety of ways, from inheritance, purchasing, or theft. Regardless of the means of attainment, the possession of firearms is widespread in the United States. Those who possess guns do so for many reasons such as for sport, protection, or illegal activities (Bilchik, 1999). Gun buyback programs receive weapons from all types of individuals, regardless of how they originally acquired their firearms or why. The first gun buyback program was employed in Baltimore in 1977 to curb violence perpetrated by the use of firearms (Carter, 2002). Over the course of three-months, over 13,000 firearms we... ...Retrieved from Senate website: Cook, P. J., & Ludwig, J. (2000). Gun violence: the real costs. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Levitt, S. D. (2004). Understanding why crime fell in the 1990s: Four factors that explain the decline and six that do not. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 18(1), 163-190. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/pss/3216880 Orlean, S. (2012). Saturday night. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. Walker, S. (2008). Sense and nonsense about crime, drugs, and communities. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Wellford, C. F., Pepper, J. V., & Petrie, C. V. (2005). Firearms and violence. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.

Price Analysis in Various Situations

Price analysis is a price comparison of a proposed price without analyzing any of the separate cost of elements that it’s composed of. With any purchase some type of cost analysis is completed in order to receive the best price possible. This paper will discuss which method for performing price analysis is best in the widest variety of situations. The policy of the government is to contract for its products and services at fair and reasonable prices. With that, many factors are taken into account when determining fair and reasonable prices and how the government determines fair and reasonable pricing. There are five means identified to determine fair and reasonable pricing: competitive offers, established catalog prices, established market prices, established by law and regulation, and cost based prices. Fair and reasonable price is what the government is willing to pay for products and services in competitive market conditions given reasonable knowledge of the marketplace. When the government acquires various products and services it must forecast the products and services in its budget and be able to convince the reviewing authorities the the forecast is reasonable. When forecasting the likely price of acquisition evaluation of bids, proposals, and quotations has to be completed. Then, the bidder or offeror for the reward must be selected and then the preparation for price discussion in negotiation. Given the opportunity to use any method of price analysis for the duration of my career, I would choose comparison of competitive bids. With this method three or more suppliers for the price of the same product are selected in order to determine if a particular price is reasonable. However, it’s not the best idea to go solely on the lowest bid without knowing full details into how that figure came about. Cheaper is not always the best value. Instead of comparing the lowest price, compare the total cost of acquisition. This includes variable cost, fixed cost, and semi-variable cost. When all these items are discussed a fair and reasonable price is at hand. If taking the lowest price is the key then there would be no value if what is purchased is unknown. In all, Price analysis is a price comparison of a proposed price without analyzing any of the separate cost of elements that it’s composed. Given the opportunity to choose the method of price analysis, I would choose comparison of competitive bids because it allows multiple offers to be compared and other factors of discussion in negotiaton of priceing.

Is Science Curse

Today, the mankind is living under the shadow of sudden death. It appears that we have come to the end of our journey. Now we stand on the brink of complete and final destruction. The earth has become a dangerous place. It may explode to pieces at any moment. Man has been living on this earth for thousands of years. It has been giving him everything he needed. Then, why it has become so dangerous. The only thing responsible for this is science and its inventions. Science has brought more fear and danger than hope and comfort.In the beginning, it appeared to be the greatest friend and helper of man. It promised to overcome disease and death. The atom bomb wiped out Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It has broken up the established institutins. What has to accomplished? It has not ended poverty. He loved his neighbours and respected his elders. It promised to make this earth a paradise, and man an immortal god. Science has developed such terrible weapons of war that in the next world war not a s ingle man will escape death. It has made this earth a hell and man an insance devel. Of curse, there were wars and famines sometimes.Science has, no doubt, made it possible to produce things in great quantities. The last two World Wars killed millions of people and destroyed many cities. The disadvantages: 1. Can be easily manipulated by irresponsible persons. 2. We'll be too dependant on it. When technology fails, we r helpless (in one way or another). 3. Sometimes, it affects our health and lifestyles(we'll be complacent and lazy. The chemicals r hazardous). 4. It destroys our simple and healthy life(I miss the traditional style of living). 5. Invasion of our privacy. 6. Science can pollute waters.Scientists die in labs because of accidents. * Too many species to keep track of. * Animals disturbed from habitats. * Plant species taken from environment. * Rare species threatened. due to nuclear development there is a danger of occurence of secon world war 2. due to nuclear radiation there are many diseases throught the world 3. it leads to globular warming On the minus side there is weaponry which is the inseparable issue of the new technologies. Hence the main problem is the proper use of this knowledge. Nevertheless, weapon engineering propels and provides a huge advance.Also, the industry despite highly developed machinery pollutes the globe. On the other hand while many people live in horrible conditions and famine governments spend a lot of money on developing weapon industry. Is it the right way? Maybe the modern technology should either stop or prevent social disproportions. Lastly, do new technologies make us happier? It is not an easy question and each person should consider it. If at one hand, science and technology has brought a lot of wonders for us then on the other hand, there are disadvantages of science and technology as well.Firstly, it has increased the anxiety in our lives. Secondly, when technology goes in the wrong hands then it can negati vely impact the society such as the increasing rate of cyber crime, hacking, stealing of personal information and pornography websites. Thirdly, technology has also increased the alternatives and opportunities for the terrorists. Moreover, technology has suppressed our physical efforts and we are getting more luxurious and comfort living. The economies which lag behind in incorporating new technologies are considered poor economies and their progress in the world is hindered.

Is men appear stronger than women in his play “A Midsummer Nights Dream “? Essay

How does Shakespeare make men appear stronger than women in his play â€Å"A Midsummer Nights Dream â€Å"? How does this affect society at the time of writing? â€Å"A Midsummer Nights Dream† was written by William Shakespeare and was rumoured to be written around 1598, when Elizabeth the 1st was on the throne. The reason that it is believed to be written around this era is that at the time there was a few years of bad weather in England. This links to the effects of Titania and Oberon’s argument over the changeling child whereby the fairy and mortal world are changed. Titania is the Queen of the fairies and Oberon is the King of the fairies. In this essay I will be providing evidence that men seem stronger than women in â€Å"A Midsummer Nights Dream† by using quotations and personal reasons. As ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ is set in Athens and there are four main groups of characters, the lovers, the mechcanicals Theseus, the duke of Athens is getting married to Hippolyta, the Queen of amazons. Egeus has chosen a husband for his daughter, Hermia, who has refused to marry Demetrius. Egeus has gone to the Duke to ask him what he can do about his uncooperative daughter. The Dukes solution is to punish Hermia for disobeying her father; to die or to marry Demetrius. This contradicts my essay title that men are more powerful than women, however, this is only one of the very few times when women seem to be more powerful than men. Hermia is actually in love with Lysander and he is in love with her so he refuses to give her up to Demetruis. To avoid punishment from the Duke, they both flee the nearby forest just outside of Athens were they are followed by Helena and Demetruis. The problems start to arise when Puck, the henchman of Oberon places a love potion in the wrong athenians eye. Making Lysander fall in love with Helena and when he tries to resolve the problem he puts the â€Å"love potion† in Demetrius’s eyes. Demetruis and Lysander are now madly in love with Helena leaving Hermia with nobody loving her. Again Puck creates another problem by messing about while a group of work men are rehearsing for a play that they hope to perform at the Duke’s wedding. This creates a very humorous moment in the play. This is also evidence that the play was written for the Queen Elizabeth 1st as she liked comedies. This is ideal for Oberon’s plan to humiliate the Queen of the Fairies to get the changeling boy that he desires so much. During the period of time when the love juice is in effect, there is a lot of misunderstandings and bewilderment. The fairies create a lot of trouble in the play as well as a paranormal element. It is also like a dream when the play is set in the forest and then when it is set in the city of Athens it more realistic. In the play Egeus can not control his daughter so we assume that he is a weak person especially as in Shakespeare’s time it is thought that women were controlled by males and they weren’t suppose to question it. To prove this Theseus says, â€Å"To you your father must be a god â€Å" Egeus goes on to describe how Demetrius is a man who she should marry. He blames Lysander for her change in attitude towards him as the play continues, â€Å"Turned her obedience, which is due to me, to stubborn harshness†. During the time of Shakespeare women were possessions to men, as Egeus says, â€Å"As she is mine, I may dispose of her† Egeus goes on to explain about the law but he needs Theseus to control the situation, as he is the Duke. In this situation the female involved, Hermia, is the more powerful then Egeus, however, the situation changes when they go and speak to Theseus. where they both threaten Hermia with death. To prove to her father that she will not obey him Hermia argues, â€Å"I grow, so live, so die, my lord†¦unto his lordship, whose unwished yoke† This basically means that you can kill me but I will not be happy until I marry Lysander. Oberon is the King of the Fairies and Titania is the Queen of the Fairies. They are both powerful but in different ways and that is what makes the story interesting. When we first meet Oberon and Titania we find out that they are having an argument or a misunderstanding. We know this because the first thing that Oberon states is â€Å"Ill be met by moonlight, proud Titania† Titania replies with â€Å"I have forsworn his bed company† This reply shows that they are in the middle of the quarrel as she won’t do what Oberon wants her to do; to give him the changeling boy. For a long time Titania resists and she even refuses to go to bed with him. Again like Egeus and Hermia women are supposed to obey men and this is another example of disobedience from women. A changeling boy show power to who ever owns one as a changeling boy is a henchman that’s why Titania wont even give him up for the for the Fairy Kingdom. â€Å"Not for thy fairy kingdom† But Oberon response shows his power because he can take revenge â€Å"Well go thy way †¦ till I torment thee for this injury† By saying this he explains to the audience how his strength and control can be used to retaliate against Titania’s infliction. Theseus and Hippolyta were both leaders of a cluster of people. Theseus was the Duke of Athens and had control over all the people that lived in the Greek city of Athens and Hippolyta was the Queen of the Amazons. The Amazons were a group of women that hated men who had fought in battles and also had a ritual to cut their right breast so they could fire arrows. They both had a lot of respect from two very different groups of people. Hippolyta was seen as a trophy wife, she was won in a battle and so became his prize. Theseus shows Hippolyta off to show that he has the power to win battles. As explained earlier Egeus came to Theseus with a dilemma about his daughter and to show his power he threatens her with a death penalty. During the play Hippolyta doesn’t say a lot of things and it is obvious that she has hidden feelings, but as a conclusion Theseus has a lot more power over her, this proving my statement. The first we see of Demetrius is in the forest and Helena is following him. They are both looking for Lysander and Hermia when we notice that Helena is trying to beg for Demetruis’s love, â€Å"I am your spaniel †¦ your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex we cannot fight love, as many men do† Helena seems a pushy character and seems selfish. I think this because it is obvious that he doesn’t love her but she still asks and pleads him to love her. The power is definitely towards Demetrius as he is denying Helena’s love because he loves Hermia. Demetrius shows his strength and takes advantage of her by saying â€Å"leave the city.† The power changes after puck puts love juice in his eyes while he is sleeping. This affects everything as he now loves her so much and doesn’t love Hermia anymore as Demetrius says, â€Å"O Helena, goddess nymph, perfect divine† By saying this he weakens his masculinity to what Helena was before. Queen Elizabeth was a very powerful woman and to show this she once said this very memorable quote, â€Å"I know I have the body of a weak and feeble, but I have the heart and stomach of a king and a king of England at that† This quote reflects how men were perceived as powerful and strong and women as weak and incapable. Queen Elizabeth was about the first woman to show that she was strong and not how women were portrayed as. She somewhat broke the dowry system law, which was that women were not aloud to work or do anything constructive. In conclusion of this essay I feel that men are overall more powerful than women but after further consideration I feel that towards the end of the play the power changes over to the women. This is all down to Puck and Oberon with the love juice. There is certain situations were women appear more powerful than men. That situation is with Egeus and Hermia, as she doesn’t get punished for loving Lysander rather than the chosen Demetrius. Even at the end of the play she still has power over him as they marry. I think the play was the best out of the Shakespeare plays that I have previously studied. I enjoyed it because it was one of the plays that I actually understood and I like the comedy that was included in the play. I also liked how the subplots all rolled in to one or they affected one of the other plots.

Contrast The American Dream With The Real Life Of The Migrant Worker Essay

In 1930’s America, most Americans had the so-called American Dream, which was to own their own piece of land and to be their own boss. The dream came into existence in the 1800’s, when land was readily available. By the 1930’s, when this novel ‘Of Mice And Men’ was set, it was almost impossible to make the dream reality as most land had been bought beforehand. Migrant workers are labourers who work on ranches as harvesters, skinners, and swampers, carrying heavy materials and doing many other manual jobs. They work hard and earn poor wages. They also have no friends or family as they continuously travel to different ranches in California, and so therefore they have very few possessions such as tinned food, small mats, blankets and shaving blades etc. They carry their possessions in a bindle and are commonly called ‘bindle stiffs’ or ‘bindle bums’, as they carried them on their back. Migrant workers sleep in bunkhouses which are situated on the ranch. They share a bunkhouse with other workers of that ranch. There is little privacy in the bunkhouses as there are usually between four and six workers in one bunkhouse. They are allocated their own shelf or cupboard in which to keep their very few possessions. Migrant workers wear denim clothes as denim is hard wearing and so they don’t have to keep on buying clothes with their hard earned money which can be spent elsewhere. Workers do not have any rights such as sickness payments, old age pensions etc, from their ranch. So when workers retire they have a very grim future in prospect. To be able to work, workers were issued with work cards from the local job agencies. The work cards were only given if a ranch boss wanted new workers. Work cards were important as it gave them a work permit. Workers also feared the sack, which was the case if someone done something wrong. The had no choice of menus as meals were cooked by other workers. If they wanted a different meal they would have to go outside the ranch in the town which workers have to pay for themselves. There was little justice on the ranches and workers had to develop their own rules of behaviour to survive. The novel we read is called ‘Of Mice And Men’. It is set in California, America, in the 1930’s. ‘Of Mice And Men’ is mainly about two American migrant workers. One of the workers is called Lennie and the other worker is called George. The writer of the novel, John Steinbeck, shows us in detail their lives as migrant workers, with the other workers, and Steinbeck also shows us the dreams and aspirations of these two migrant workers and the other workers. Steinbeck also shows the reality on the ranch and what they actually experience. George and Lennie are very close friends. In fact Lennie cannot move without George, as George is a father like figure to him. Lennie has a mental disability and acts like a small child, though he is a very powerful man as seen in his first description, ‘†¦a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders, and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws’. Lennie is frequently described through animal imagery due to his physical features, eg ‘like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master’, ‘strong asa bull’, ‘Lennie covered his face with his huge paws and bleated with terror,’ Lennie growled back to his seat†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ . This consistent use of animal imagery echoes Lennie’s love of and devotion to animals of his own, especially rabbits, mice and puppies. Lennie is a gentle giant, who brings out trouble. Lennie is doomed in a world o f desperate moral confusion. He cannot survive in a world of cruelty, selfishness, and disgrace. Throughout the novel, Lennie is portrayed as sympathetic in loving terms, eg ‘†¦..Lennie’s jus’ like a kid. There ain’t no more harm in him than a kid, neither, except he’s so strong’. George about (Lennie), ‘He ain’t bright. Hell of a good worker, though. Hell of a nice fella, but he ain’t bright’. Lennie’s innocence ‘I won’t get in no trouble, George. I ain’t gonna say a word’. Slim about (Lennie) ‘He’s nice fella. Guy don’t need no sense to be a nice fella’. George’s description is completely opposite of Lennie, and Steinbeck’s initial description emphasises the physical difference between him and Lennie, ‘ The first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp strong features. Every part of him was defined. Small, strong hands, slender arm s, a thin and bony nose’ . The novel ‘Of Mice And Men’ commences a few miles south of Soledad, near the Salinas River. It is warm and tranquil. It is important to mention the opening part of the novel as this is where George identifies a spot where, if Lennie gets into trouble , he can go to and hide, ‘If you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before. (In Weed, Weed is a town in California where George and Lennie used to, before they had to run as Lennie was accused of raping a woman) I want you to come right here an ‘ hide in the bush’. This instruction ensures that the novel will end where it began. George and Lennie are looking forward to their dream which is to save money by working on the ranch in Soledad (the town where they arrived after Weed), and one day owning their own piece of land and being their own bosses, which is the American Dream. George and Lennie’s dream is more materialistic, as they envision a place where ‘nobody gona get hurt nor steal from them’. Their small piece of land will make them part of a stable and secure society, instead of being on its migratory fringes. The friendship between Lennie and George is firmly rooted in their dream. A dream that Lennie is never tired of hearing and which relieves them both from the pain of solitude. The dream is everything to Lennie and so George endlessly repeats descriptions of their idealistic future, a happy time when they will ‘Live off the fatta the land’. Lennie delightedly enjoys interrupting George†¦.. ‘†¦But not us! An’ why?†¦ Because †¦ Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you and that’s why’. George and Lennie’s dream introduces the theme of friendship and love, basic human needs that had all but disappeared at that time for millions of Americans. Candy and Crooks other migrant workers on the same ranch, are also caught up in this dream. On this ranch there was racial prejudice against non-whites, and the stable buck, who was black, has his own room. He reads books to pass his time alone and so therefore he is educated. A lot of migrant workers wanted their own room and privacy like Crooks, and were jealous of it. It was wrong for anyone to go into Crooks’s room as he was black, but one day Lennie went inside and started talking to Crooks. Lennie discussed his dreams with Crooks and he dejectedly and wryly commented, ‘Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land’. Crooks also commented on how his father had a ranch when he was a kid and how he and his two brothers used to work on it. Candy was also caught up in George and Lennie’s dream and wanted to help by adding to the funds with his savings. Curly who is the son of the owner of the ranch, is married and his wife is also involved in a imaginary future and she has a dream of herself as a great movie star. But in one way or another all the dreams of these workers are smashed. This American Dream makes Lennie happy as here he gets to tend rabbits and mice which he loves as they are soft, and so therefore George always repeats the dream for him. And so it seems that George is trying to help Lennie achieve the dream. And helping each other on the ranch was seen to be unusual amongst the workers, and it was different between George and Lennie and the other workers. The reality of the lives of George and Lennie was that it was a struggle even to get a job, and even with a job, funds were still insufficient to buy land, (which was their dream), let alone enjoy themselves. Life involved hard work for George and Lennie. We can see strong devotion in George and Lennie but, in reality they were living with sadistic people such as Carlson. This was seen as he shot Candy’s dog which Carlson said was too old and smelly and suggested the dog was suffering and it would be better off it was killed, ‘That dog ain’t no good to himself. I wish somebody’d shot me if I get a cripple’. This comment seems to be the voice of Steinbeck, a pessimistic voice that understood the fate of all the disposable people. Carlson shoots the dog, and Candy’s final comment about the dog influences George’s decision to kill Lennie. Candy, ‘I ought to of shot that dog myself. I shouldn’t ought to let no stranger shoot my dog’. Although he earned poor wages George enjoyed himself by going to the brothel and drinking. And while Lennie was getting excited about living on his own land, he still had to sleep with four other workers in the bunkhouse with no room for and furniture and no personal possessions which was the same for all workers. George and Lennie had a relationship which was unusual. George always looked after Lennie, and they supported each other, which was unusual. Slim, who is a worker on the ranch, provides a strong contrast to the previous negativity and latent sense of danger. Slime moves ‘With a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsman’. Slim’s reaction to George’s protection of Lennie, seems to echo the feelings of Steinbeck himself, ‘Ain’t many guys travel around together ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I don’t know why. Maybe every’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other’. Recreational activities for the workers on the ranch, apart from going to the brothel every Saturday and having Sunday off, included playing horseshoe which was a game played, outside the barn. The dreams articulates two essential themes in this novel; importance of dreaming and loneliness in the lives of the workers. George and Lennie are very different from all the other workers, mainly because of their relationship and their goals. This may seem odd considering that George always complains of how easy life would be without Lennie (due to his problems), George could spend the nights in ‘cat houses’ and drink quantities of ‘rotgut booze’. Yet his devotion to and protection of Lennie make it clear that he does not want this kind of freedom, as such freedom would leave him alone. In a different sens, Steinbeck continuously focuses on the isolation of loneliness. George is frequently playing ‘solitare’ (a card game for one person). However George is not a pathetic character. He has a will and he makes two critical decisions at the end of the novel. Loneliness is also seen through Cooks, the stable buck, in that, as he is black, he is isolated from all the other workers and therefore has his own room which nobody is allowed to enter. However one Saturday night, Lennie enters Crooks’s room and chats innocently to Crooks about the place he and George are going to have. Lennie is rapt in wonder of the dream and the delight of his new puppy, and is deaf to Crooks’s personal reminiscence. However, when Crooks starts teasing Lennie about the idea that George may not come back, Lennie is extremely agitated. Unable to cope with the thought that someone may have hurt his beloved George, Lennie is ready to attack Crooks physically. Crooks manages to calm Lennie down, and whilst Lennie dreams contentedly of their little piece of land, Crooks speaks of loneliness, and his life when he was a kid. Crooks, a victim of racial inequality, remarks cynically, ‘Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land’. Candy joins Lennie in Crooks’s room. Crooks, desperately lonely, is secretly delighted to have company. George returns. He is angry that Lennie and Candy have shared their plans with Crooks. They all return to the bunkhouses and leave Crooks alone in his room to massage his crooked spine. The opening location and atmosphere reflects the ending of this novel. As this is the day (Sunday) where Lennie dies. While the men are noisily enjoying a ‘horseshoe tenement’ outside, Lennie is alone in the barn. He is distressed as he has accidentally killed his puppy. He’s terrified that George will punish him and he (Lennie) will not ‘get to tend no rabbits’. Curly’s wife, dressed in a tartish way, goes to Lennie. She consoles him about the puppy, ‘he was jus ‘ a mutt’. And settles down to talk to him. Lennie is disheartened with the dead puppy. Curly’s wife tells Lennie, ‘I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely’. She goes on to say that she can only talk to Curly otherwise he gets mad. Lennie tells her how he likes to pet soft things and Curly’s wife encourages him to stroke her hair; ‘Here feel right here†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ feel right aroun’ there ansee how soft it isâ€℠¢. As always Lennie has no understanding of his strength and as Curly’s wife becomes hysterical, Lennie, confused and terrified, prevents her from screaming. Her eyes are ‘wild with terror’ and her neck snaps under Lennie’s paw-like grip. The description ‘her body flopped like a fish’ contains identical imagery to that used when Lennie defended himself against Curly, ‘Curly was flopping like a fish†¦'(chapter 4). Lennie remembers George’s instruction at the opening of the novel and runs to hide in the bush where George told him to. Alerted by Candy, George steals Carlson’s gun and then joins the men. George reassures himself and says ‘maybe they’ll lock him up an’ be nice to him.’ Curly is bursting with rage when he finds out what has happened to his wife and is determined to kill Lennie because Lennie crushed his hand. George is aware that he needs to save Lennie from the fury of Curly. Candy spoke of his greatest fear ‘You an’ me’ can get that little place, can’t we , George?’ Before George spoke candy dropped his head and looked down at the bay. He knew the dream was over. George then faces reality and tells Candy, ‘I’ll work my month an’ I’ll take my fifty bucks an’ I’ll stay all night in some cat house’. George comes back to the barn, as if he did no know, with all the other workers. At this point George knows what he is going to do. Curly gathered his troops together with Crooks’s gun and went to search for Lennie. The death of Lennie will spell the death of his shared dream. He is figuratively as dead as Candy’s dog. The description echoes that of chapter 1, but the stillness has a sharper edge. A motionless heron swallows a water snake, the wind is a ‘gust’ and the dry leaves on the g round ‘scudded’. Lennie kneels down at the edge of the water and drinks, but whereas earlier ‘He flung himself down†¦. drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse’. Now he ‘Knelt down barely touching his lips to the water.’ The verb ‘Jerked up’ and the fact that he ‘Strained’ towards the sound of the birds, conveys his restlessness. Lennie is tormented with guilt and is confusion and anguish reveal themselves in a vision of his Aunt Clara and a gigantic rabbit. The rabbit seems to be imitating George, calling him a ‘Crazy bastard’. The arrival of George settles Lennie and pathetically, knowing he has done a ‘Bad thing’. He waits to be scolded. George goes through the motions of saying how easy life would be without Lennie but his voice is ‘Monotonous’ and has ‘No emphasise’. This leads automatically to the reinforcement of their friendship and their dream. As the shouts of the men come closer, George prepares to shoot the unsuspecting Lennie. George’s hand shake ‘Violently’ but he’s fully aware of the brutality of Curly, so pulls the trigger and this saves Lennie from the vicious brutality of Curly, so then throws the gun near the pile of old ashes. Just as the fire has been reduced to the ashes so to is the dream. Slim comforts George, ‘You hadda, George. I swear you hadda,’ and he takes George away to get a drink. The final word is given to Carlson whose emotional limitations and lack of sensitivity are shown in his remark, ‘now what the hell ya suppose is eatin ‘ them two guys?’