Leadership Effectiveness In The Business World Commerce Essay

Leadership Effectiveness In The Business World Commerce Essay There exist different leaders with disparities in disposition, conceptualization as well as leadership styles. Leaders are meant to provide guiding vision in professional as well as personal matters. A competent leader should exude integrity which encompasses maturity, self knowledge or even candor. Being daring allows a leader take risks of experimenting with new things thereby getting new insights and ideas from the errors incurred. A leader of moral reasoning and futuristic destiny drives institutional growth to greater heights (Davis and Shrander 2007, 96). This document discusses the different leadership strategies as portrayed from Ray Davis leadership in an attempt steer Umpqua bank to higher profitability levels. Ray Davis leadership style can best be described as authentic, focused and transformational. He took over the leadership of South Umpqua bank and utilized creative philosophies as well as unique leadership disciplines in expanding South Umpqua bank operations, thus making the bank profitable, agile as well as customers satisfaction oriented. For him leadership has translated to growth. His leadership style is a clear demonstration that creating a competitive advantage will lead to exceptional growth to any institution. Being an authentic leader, Davis genuine desire to empower other people has been demonstrated. Chapter II: Findings and Discussion Transformational leadership Ray Davis has indeed provided positive change in the management of Umpqua bank making the bank amongst the most profitable institution of the times. Through the radical changes introduced in the banking industry, the institution has transformed into a multibillionaire entity with more than 120 branches spread throughout the state. Ray Davis has largely focused in transforming the lives of people through the establishment of accountability forums where the employees are encouraged to look at the interests of each other while contributing to the general well being of the entire institution. For instance, when Ray Davis took over the management of the bank in the fiscal 1994, the number of employees was about 60 people in Oregon which is an economically depressed region. This scenario has since been transformed with a record 1800 employees spread across the over 120 branches of the bank in Oregon, northern California as well as in Washington. Over the past twelve years relentless growth has been exhibited in this once little known financial institution having been transformed into a highly traded public company (Woodward 2003, 2). The transformational leadership strategy utilized by Ray Davis has propelled the growth which has seen the bank feature in prominent financial matters publications like Fast Company, CNBC as well as in the Business week. Through the personality aspects and traits of Ray Davis, he has managed to create change through the vision and goals he set out to achieve. The influence that Ray Davis has had on his followers is massive due to the charisma, individual consideration as well as the intellectual arousal he exudes. A key pointer to the transformational leadership strategies demonstrated by Ray Davis, lie in his ability to identify and implement new opportunities in the banking industry. For example, when he took the helm of the bank he made it a rule for the tellers to reckon the slogan World Greatest bank whenever they answered their clients phones. This move was frowned over by the competitors in the banking industry but massive benefits have been exhibited and indeed South Umpqua bank is amongst the best banks in the world. Ray Davis is listed amongst the top influential people who have made massive strides in the financial industry. Getting out of the status quo of the banking industry led to alte r the environment with a growth of about 30 times being exhibited at the bank. Ray Davis has offered individualized considerations to his followers through acting as a mentor to the employees and close associates to his business. Through giving support and empathy and support, other people have had a chance to emulate him as they are given an opportunity for self improvement and development (Sperry 2002, 86). Ray Davis appreciates any individual contribution made by the juniors thus enabling an intrinsic motivation of ones tasks to develop. There are times when the executives had to change direction in the implementation procedures on the institutions strategic plans. Ray Davis says that in such instances, he does not admonish their decisions but rather encourage them as they take their time to research on the implications of starting such an initiative at the time. The executives were able to question the assumptions which might have been overlooked and they thereby managed to have a deeper understanding of the strategic implications of such decisions. Through transformational leadership, Ray Davis has been able to break away from traditional rivals in the industry thus giving value to the shareholders, employees as well as to customers. Ray Davis has intellectually stimulated his executive team by encouraging creativity in their thinking. For instance, some branch managers have dog bowls at the entrances to cater for clients with pets. They even go way-out to open lobbies for community events. Managerial Capacity Ray Davis has demonstrated managerial aspects in his leadership as the output of the bank has been maximized owing to his administrative implementation procedures. Managerial tasks like organization, planning, controlling as well as staffing which Ray Davis has undertaken with the assistance of the executive team of the bank have steered the bank into profitability. As a manager he has done things right through following the stipulated procedures and company policies. Ray Davis says he is not predictable and he possesses a rare sense of urgency. Through open communication, tasks get done quickly. He does not communicate through emails and memos rather he prefers to get in touch with concerned parties via phone calls (Engen, 2009). As a manager who embraces delegation, Davis makes himself accessible to even the lowest ranking employees of the institution hence the reason why he does not follow the stipulated chain of command. For example, Ray handles people directly whether its the frontline associate, store manager situated in California or even senior VP heading operations at the headquarters. His staff joke that all the priorities of Ray Davis come at first position especially if they cause even the slightest difference. Executives of the company have experiences of how Ray Davis was relentless about their failure to address a clients problem. Through record keeping, Ray Davis is able to keep track of the customers queries and determine whether they have been addressed by the concerned parties. These managerial concepts help in building customer loyalty thus translating to added financial gains to the institution. Implicit Capacity Ray Davis has openly demonstrated to the employees, shareholders and other stakeholders of the bank that indeed he is a leader and a force to reckon with in the banking industry. He acts as a fully responsible person by being autonomous as well as highly independent during task completion. He is not press0urized to act in accordance to the laid down stipulations of requirements of a CEO of a financial institution. For instance, managers need be stable so as not to distract the functioning of the employees but Ray Davis is so unpredictable. He lets people see him even in social environment. During company picnics, he is never detached from other staff in fact he demonstrates this by cooking hamburgers. He loves having fun and demonstrates that even CEOs enjoy having good time as well.. For instance, when the young executives were designing the Portlands District store, he was filled with feelings of gratitude and massive appreciation such that he didnt want to distract them. He does n ot bottle-up feelings, but rather remain assertive enough thus he is not inscrutable. A very controversial creation of Davis Ray is referred to as Universal Associate program whereby every employee of the bank is trained in all banking operations. Thus instances of employees claiming to be incompetent are not evidenced (Hesselbein and Shrander 2008, 126). For example, a teller can make a mortgage application on behalf of the client. Ray Davis Competencies The competency of Ray Davis is evident as the profitability of the bank has increased as leading to the achievement of an envisioned future to the financial institution. Through his wisdom, he pioneered massive changes in the banking industry by making the Umpqua bank turn to a dynamic and innovative institution. The quality of management and the type of services and products developed by the bank demonstrate high levels of competency. During the 2010 Portland business luncheon, Umpqua Bank was among the most recognized companies in Oregon. It is also ranked amongst the best companies to work with. Throughout the tenure of Ray Davis at Umpqua bank, he has been a source of inspirational leadership to his followers and even to various customers. The kind of culture which Ray Davis has managed to create is geared towards serving the customers adequately (Sperry 2002, 174). When the customers are satisfied then this ultimately translates into added profits. Through consistently communica ting optimism regarding future goals, Ray Davis has managed to provide immerse energy to drive the bank forward. He says he largely concentrated on making the bank significant to the lives of the all the stakeholders. In his tenure, Umpqua Bank has become a financially stable and trustworthy enterprise which will continue to grow even as new leaders are given the mandate to head it. Chapter IV: Recommendation and Conclusion Ray Davis leadership discipline and creativity has not been pegged on selfish gains but there an endeavored move to impact the institutions prosperity. He has created a competitive advantage in the bank by installing projects and service delivery mechanisms which foster customer loyalty. Through building a pool of committed employees who are given the mandate to undertake tasks which are deemed productive to the institution, vital growth is guaranteed. Through transformational leadership, Ray Davis has fought the syndromes which make people to fall back into ancient business routines which are not productive. If Ray decides to go global in future, then there id dire need to strategically plan for the unbecoming effects associated with cords-cultures.

Ethics of Hydraulic Fracturing Essay

Large gas companies have been wreaking havoc on Midwestern United States. These companies’ practices of hydraulic fracturing have been very detrimental to the local populace. Hydraulic fracturing has been known to damage the environment through earthquakes and gas spills. In addition, it has been said that these companies have certain law exemptions that only they enjoy. These unsafe practices have contaminated local’s water supplies. There have even been cases where people have been able to light the water from their faucets on fire. Stricter government regulation should be enforced on these gas companies. Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, has recently (in the last ten years) been used extensively by gas companies (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). Fracking involves drilling down below shale formations (over a thousand feet) in the ground and pumping water, sand, and chemicals until the rock fractures. When the rock fractures it releases natural gas that can be collected at very inexpensive cost. The problem is that this can contaminate local water supplies, including lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, and ground water. The documentary Gasland stirred up interest in the American population to the effects of fracking. After being offered one hundred thousand dollars for his land from a gas company, the director Josh Fox traveled around America investigating the effects of fracking on the local rural populace. Josh Fox did an excellent job at exposing the gas industry for what it really is. The film won an Oscar nomination and has been praised by environmentalists nation-wide. One of the environmentally damaging effects of hydraulic fracturing is that it has been known to cause earthquakes. Reports of minor tremors of no greater than 2. 8 on the Richter scale were reported on June 2, 2009 in Cleburne, Texas, the first in the town’s 140-year history† (Fox). On the other side of the argument, they claim â€Å"Given the ubiquity of fracking without seismic impact, the risks would seem to be remote† (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). This is irrelevant considering that earthquakes are happening where they otherwise would not have occurred. In addition to earthquakes, they also damage the environment by causing environmentally damaging oil spills. In the past two years alone, a series of surface spills, including two blowouts at wells operated by Chesapeake Energy and EOG Resources and a spill of 8000 gallons of fracking fluid at a site in Dimock, Pa. , have contaminated groundwater in the Marcellus Shale region. The amount of water required to drill all 2916 of the Marcellus wells permitted in Pennsylvania in the first 11 months of 2010 would equal the amount of drinking water used by just one city, Pittsburgh, during the same period, says environmental engineering professor Jeanne VanBriesen (qtd. n McGraw). Spills like these cause water contamination for the locals. In this case, a large portion of the spilled fracking fluid flowed into a nearby stream (McGraw). The level of contamination is still being investigated. These irresponsible and selfish practices must be regulated before irreversible collateral and environmental damage occurs. Gas companies have even been able to exploit certain loopholes in the law. An employee from the Environmental Protection Agency stated that the fracking industry enjoy certain legal exemptions from the Clean Water Act – courtesy of Dick Cheney (qtd. in Fox). The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 contained a provision that has come to be known as the â€Å"Halliburton Loophole,† an exemption for gas drilling and extraction from requirements in the underground injection control (UIC) program of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Other exemptions are also present in the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act (Fox). This is an injustice to the local people whose water has been contaminated by these companies. If the government will not regulate these large companies, what will stop these large companies? Furthermore, chemicals contaminating the locals’ water supply have been shown to be a serious health risk. It is reported that â€Å"Last year the EPA found that some chemicals known to be used in fracturing were among the contaminants detected in 11 residential drinking water wells†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lustgarten). These chemicals have even been known to be carcinogenic (Lustgarten). Contaminated groundwater becomes a problem for locals when their cattle have to drink the contaminated water. There are even cases of sick animals where all their hair falls out (Fox). Many farmers worry about the welfare of their cattle’s health which is sometimes their only source of income (Fox). Landowners in shale gas drilling areas have reported foul smells in tap water, and toxic chemicals, such as benzene, have been detected in water from wells near drilling sites (Fox). In addition, there are cases of air pollution from the machinery from the drill sites (Fox). Many claim that the air pollution is the cause of a lot of cancer in the locals (Fox). In Dish, Texas, Mayor Calvin Tillman claimed that the fracking industry created carcinogenic pollution in his town (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). He then quit his job and left his hometown to protect his sons from this pollution (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). These unsafe practices can be very harmful to the local rural populace, and must be regulated. Scientific studies have shown that the drilling has caused local drinking water to be contaminated with methane. In fact, it has been shown that locals can light their water on fire. â€Å"â€Å"Our results show evidence for methane contamination of shallow drinking water systems in at least three areas of the region and suggest important environmental risks accompanying shale gas exploration worldwide. A scientific study has linked natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing with a pattern of drinking water contamination so severe that some faucets can be lit on fire. While most of the wells had some methane, the water samples taken closest to the gas wells had on average 17 times the levels detected in wells further from active drilling† (Lustgarten). This shows that their gas drilling in fact causes this contamination. The contamination can get so bad that it directly affects the local’s safety. There is a case that is being investigated where a large portion of a river is highly contaminated from seeping methane gas; it is so highly contaminated that all wildlife has died along a large portion of the river (Fox). Along the banks of the river are dead bodies of birds, squirrels, and other wildlife (Fox). One local even claims that her father died from drinking the water many years earlier (Fox). In Josh Fox’s documentary, it shows a clip of someone lighting seeping gas coming out of the ground on fire (Fox). â€Å"In several cases, homes blew up after gas seeped into their basements or water supplies. In Pennsylvania, a 2004 accident killed three people, including a baby† (Lustgarten). This irresponsible, disregard for basic human rights must be stopped. Large corporations that run free and unregulated will do whatever it takes for their own gain. The local rural populace has been very badly affected by the practices of hydraulic fracturing. It is clearly shown that these locals are not being heard and little is being done for compensation for the locals (Fox). These gas companies have too much freedom to operate and must be put to stricter government regulation. The question is not whether we should frack or not, but rather how do we regulate these practices to minimize the collateral and environmental damage.

Impact Of Globalization On The United States - 1454 Words

Globalization is an extremely relevant concept in regards to the current shape of the world. Through globalization, ideas are shared across cultures leading to innovations in several departments. I would like to give an overall view and perspective of the impact of globalization on the United States from a macro look at how globalization is now shaping America. Likewise, I will discuss in more detail how globalization has impacted the United States as it relates to technology, trade, transportation, and environmental pollution. Lastly, I will explain the impact of globalization on the United States as to how it relates to these forces on domestic companies, workers, indigenous cultures, and other demographic groups within the country. Most†¦show more content†¦Although globalization provides for lower priced goods in the United States, the drawback is that many Americans have lost jobs to lower paid workers outside the United States, who work in poor conditions. This occurs through the process of offshoring, which is defined as â€Å"the process by which companies undertake some activities at offshore locations† rather than within their â€Å"country of origin† (pg. 8). With American workers now competing with foreign workers in companies, many of them are being replaced. Globalization has also created a major trade deficit, which negatively impacts the ability of the United States to retain its power in the world. From a more micro view of the impact of globalization on the United States, the impact of globalization on the United States is many-fold. The first impact is on jobs. Good jobs have drained from the US economy and have reached China, South East Asia, and other countries where the workers get lower salaries. The reduction in wages for workers strongly influence companies because it leads to an increase in profits. With globalization, outsourcing and offshoring has increased. When a company contracts out its HRM functions, book-keeping, and software making, it is outsourcing. Outsourcing can result in specialized services, lower costs, and no need for capital investment. In offshoring, instead of availing itself from domestic service

Impact of the Recession on Construction Contractors

THE IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS ON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY JANUARY 2009 INTRODUCTION The current crisis in the world’s financial system has left the construction industry facing its toughest challenges for a generation. Salaries are falling; job cuts are predicted to reach 400,000 in England alone; and the impacts look set to get much worse before they get better. No country is immune from the impact of this and the UK, and much of the rest of the world, is already in, or about to enter a recession. Even buoyant construction markets such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are starting to feel the effect, with construction growth rate expected to slow from 20% to 15% in 2009 (Al Mal Capital). The United Nations (UN)†¦show more content†¦The fiscal mitigation measures that were recently announced by the Chancellor (Pre-budget statement, November 2008) were not sufficient to address the underlying loss of confidence facing all UK businesses (and people). More innovative ways could be investigated by Government to help the industry survive, such as providing credit insurance; relaxing bonding requirements on public projects; setting up project bank accounts; and providing tax breaks/concessions for sustainable construction RD. At present, the latter has effectively ground to a halt largely as a result of the deeply entrenched uncertainty that abound. Jobs Loss of Skills Almost 400,000 jobs in the construction sector in England could be lost over the next two years (assuming GDP shrinks by 2.2% in 2009 and rises by 0.75% in 2010). It is predicted that the worst affected area will be London, where 23% of workers are expected to be made redundant (Public and Corporate Economic Consultants for the Local Government Association). On the other hand, Eastern Europeans are responding to the downturn in the market by returning home, and this has eased the severity of the job situation in many instances. Given the forecasts for construction output in 2009, it could be assumed that jobs in the public sector may offer more security than those in the private sector. This reinforces the need for Government to establish how an accelerated public spending package will beShow MoreRelatedPestle Analysis Construction1034 Words   |  5 PagesJohn O’Donnell Gallagher Construction and Development are based in north London. They are a property development and refurbishment company. They have been in the construction industry for about twenty five years. They have a workforce of twenty directly employed and about fifty self employed workers at the moment. 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Many of its resources known as the factors or production i.e. labour, capital, land etc. are limited (Gregory-Mankiw, 2008), however, wants and desires within the industry are infinite (Myers, 2013). Kishtainy notes that this creates two problems; at any given time, there will be a fixed number of resource, against numerous wants. Sloman 2003 adds that in anRead MorePublic Transportation Is A Complex Project928 Words   |  4 Pagesthe biggest issues in many countries. Developing underground public transportation is one of the best solutions but there are lots of public constructions which are developed underground such as subway, MRT, and sewers which mean an underground construction is a complex project with risky and more dynamic, but because of the economic growth, public construction is needed in order to satisfy the needs of people in the metr opolis or rural areas. In order to execute the underground rail project with denseRead MoreProject Risks and Mitigation Techniques for Oil and Gas Industry1332 Words   |  6 Pagesin personnel injury/fatality, negative environmental impacts, and damage to facilities – all of which will have huge detrimental impacts on a project and all of those who have a stake in it. For that reason, HES is commonly managed at the project team level and by others outside of the project team including governments and third-party HES agencies. Mitigations †¢ Enforce and embrace a HES culture in all scopes of work and with all contractors and subcontractors. †¢ Corporate level management and otherRead MoreIs Us Housing Back In Frothy Territory?. The Us Housing1649 Words   |  7 Pagesexpansion of a national mortgage market. Recently, some commentators have been noting that the post-Great Recession recovery in US housing has reached dangerous levels, thereby implying that the sector could be experiencing another bubble. 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However, in spite of this, the industry has suffered a decline in labor productivity beginning in the 1960’s that has continued its trend since that time and seems to be in no hurry to reverse its course (TeicholzRead MoreRecruitment and Selection Strategies for Clapton Commercial Construction1653 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Recruitment and Selection Strategies for Clapton Commercial Construction Jane Winter HRM/531 April 6, 2015 Les Colegrove Summary Atwood Allen Consulting has been retained by Clapton Commercial Construction (CCC) to assist them with their expansion into the Arizona market. We are in the final stages of assisting them with their transition, and the final step is to discuss recruitment and selection strategies for the expansion. 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However, Health and Safety law, Tax Policy, Employment Law, Environmental Law, regulations and deregulations affect the home building business of the company. Approvals are required for acquiring land, and for these approvals the company

Epic of Gilgamesh a Hero Essay - 1615 Words

People have been fascinated by tales of heroism for centuries. In ancient Mesopotamia, heroes give people hope and comfort, and fill them with strength. Ancient Mesopotamia is filled with tales of heroes- mighty warriors battling monsters, men ready to risk life and limb to save their true love or to fight for their nation. Still, there is a great difficulty that lies in defining what a hero truly is. Strength alone does not make a hero; nor does intelligence. Moreover, the Epic of Gilgamesh truly defines the definition of a hero. Gilgamesh is portrayed as a true hero through his skill, intelligence, willingness to die, reverence, and his respect for death. Throughout the entire epic, Gilgamesh demonstrates outrageous skill as a†¦show more content†¦He rows so hard and fast that is says, â€Å"Half way through all that pulling, Gilgamesh had worn the oars to bits.† Even Utnapishtim could not believe what he saw and says, â€Å"I do see, but I am blind. I do know, but cannot understand how he behaves like the beasts of here and there.† All of these things prove that he has the skill of a warrior and leadership ability beyond imagination, but that is not all that is required to be a hero. Intelligence builds the basis of a heroic individual, as well. Gilgamesh was a very intelligent leader. He shows throughout the entire epic a sense of foresight that keeps him safe and his city powerful. It is known, that a good leader must prove that he is powerful, and that he can defend his people in the best way possible. Gilgamesh knew that by fighting the terrible beast Humbaba he would prove to his people that he was strong and powerful and could out wit even the strongest beast. He tells Enkidu that, â€Å"All glory will be ours if now we conquer this unprecedented foe and risk the woe that frightens others.† He also shows foresight by respecting his mother’s wisdom when she told him that Enkidu was his true friend. Additionally, throughout the entire epic Gilgamesh looks to his mother, â€Å"who is wise and worries not,† for advice and counseling on things to do and the right paths to take in his life. Looking to those who are wise and more intelligent, isShow MoreRelatedEpic Of Gilgamesh : The Epic Hero1641 Words   |  7 PagesGilgamesh is an ancient Mesopotamian hero, featured in the famous tale of â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh†, who embarks on a perilous quest for immortality. This idea, â€Å"†¦touches on the most fundamental questions of what it actually means to be human†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Homer 33), and gives us light into the minds of the people during the era. Gilgamesh’s tale gives us a glimpse at how the people of that day viewed a â€Å"hero†, and allows us to reflect upon what we consider a â€Å"hero† today. Using the Epic Hero Cycle, I will analyzeRead MoreThe Hero Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh911 Words   |  4 Pagesstereotypical, sympathetic hero; the Batmans and Supermans who lose their parents in tragic circumstances and devote their lives to vanquishing evil. That however, is not the way heroes have always been portrayed. When we look at The Epic of Gilgamesh we see the archetype of every hero since, however, we are not overcome with a desire to see Gilgamesh succeed. On the hand, if we fast forward two thousand years and look at a hero from Africa named Sundiata who is very similar to Gilgamesh in many aspects, weRead MoreThe Hero Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh1759 Words   |  8 Pages In the â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh†, it is easy to conclude that Gilgamesh, the protagonist of the story, is the hero. In â⠂¬Å"Like Mayflies in a Stream†, Gilgamesh is merely a scary person who appears in the story here or there rather than being the protagonist. Instead, Shamhat is the main person that the story focuses on, but the book is imprecise on one hero of the entire story. There are numerous characters that could reflect hero aspects such as going on a quest, having another to help guide them, or facingRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : The Jeopardy Of A Hero1271 Words   |  6 PagesThe Jeopardy of a Hero The Epic of Gilgamesh was an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia. The Epic of Gilgamesh, is often known as the earliest surviving great work of literature, by an unknown author but translated by N.K. Sanders. The epic poem, tells a creative story about a bold hero named Gilgamesh. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a story that takes place in Summer of Uruk, in the Middle East around 2700 B.C. Gilgamesh is half man, half god. Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s friend is a man that was created fromRead MoreThe Characteristics Of A Hero Journey In The Epic Of Gilgamesh1035 Words   |  5 PagesIt it no surprise that the hero story is present in a variety of the arts ranging from the earliest surviving work of literature, to children’s books, to modern day motion picture masterpieces. The characteristics of a hero have withstood the test of time, and remained remarkably similar. Traits of a modern day hero can be traced back to â€Å"The Epic of Gilgamesh† which dates back to two-thousand BC. This reflects the power of a hero and its message that it portrays to audiences of all ages and backgroundsRead MoreA Hero in the Epic of Gilgamesh and The Novel Monkey1858 Words   |  8 Pages Hero is a word that is commonplace in our society. We seem to always be able to turn on the latest news story and find the newest local man who saved that beautiful kitten from that building that was burning down. When we say hero a vast array of different definitions come to people’s minds. Our definition of hero in our world is most definitely not a constant. In the Epic of Gilgamesh and the novel Monkey many would consider the main characters and their strongest companions nothing close toRead MoreThe Hero s Journey From The Epic Of Gilgamesh942 Words   |  4 Pages Gilgamesh was a powerful king of Uruk an ancient city in Sumer now known as Iraq. Created by the gods, Gilgamesh was 2/3 god and 1/3 man he thought of himself as undefeatable, and carried himself immorally, taking advantage of his people. Being tired of this the people of Uruk began sobbing, and the goddess Aruru heard their cries and created Gilgamesh s equal Enkidu. Together they would go on to venture into battles, one of which leads to the death of Enkidu that brings Gilgamesh to his veryRead More Comparing the Hero in Epic of Gilgamesh and Homers Iliad Essay730 Words   |  3 PagesThe Hero in Epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad    One and the same lot for the man who hangs back and the man who battles hard. The same honor waits for the coward and the brave. They both go down to Death, the fighter who shirks, the one who works to exhaustion. (IX,385-88) Thus muses Achilles, one of epic poetrys greatest heroes. Epic poetry, one of the earliest forms of literature, began as an oral narration describing a series of mythical or historic events. EventuallyRead MoreOdysseus Or Gilgamesh - Will The Real Epic Hero Please Stand Up?1640 Words   |  7 PagesOdysseus or Gilgamesh - Will the real Epic Hero please stand up? â€Å"Gilgamesh went to the entrance into the mountain and entered the darkness alone, without a companion. By the time he reached the end of the first league the darkness was total, nothing behind or before. He made his way, companionless, to the end† (Book 9 p. 51, The Epic of Gilgamesh). In The Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem translated by N.K. Sanders, Gilgamesh is a character who is by all accounts an epic hero. As a person of nobilityRead More Creation, Flood and the Hero in Epic of Gilgamesh and Book of Genesis of the Christian Bible1020 Words   |  5 PagesCreation, Flood and the Hero in Gilgamesh and the Bible    The Epic of Gilgamesh compares to the Bible in many different ways. The epic has a different perspective than the Bible does. This paper is a contrast and comparison between the two books. The three main points of this paper will be the Creation, Flood and the Hero.    The way these two books start out is creation. This is the first similarity that we can state. God created man out of the earth, â€Å"In the beginning God created

Promotion and Price Analysis Free Essays

The product chosen for its promotion campaign analysis is instant coffee Nescafe produced by Nestle. Before analyzing the promotion campaign, it is important to determine the target audience of Nescafe. In the major part coffee is usually preferred by both male and female at the age of   20 to 45 approximately. We will write a custom essay sample on Promotion and Price Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Children are usually not allowed to drink much coffee, since caffeine is believed to provoke special hyper reaction. Older people, in turn, are trying to avoid coffee because at this age they are taking special care for their health. Thus, the typical segmentation in the sector can be represented in the following way: Demographic characteristics: men and women from 20 to 45; single/married/married with children; elderly people who prefer decaffeinated coffee. Economic: low, middle and premium segments; Consumption habits: regular buyers, random buyers; those who prefer to drink coffee at coffee bars/ those who prefer to drink coffee at home / those who prefer take-outs;   those who prefer to drink coffee alone/ in a company; psychographical characteristics: people who lead active style of life/passive style of life; people who prefer status/price/taste/convenience; businessmen/students/working people. (Cateora, 1990, p.116) As for Nescafe its target segments are: 1. Married and married with children people who prefer to drink coffee alone at home and buy instant coffee on a regular basis. It is caused by the fact that those people are oftentimes busy and they do not have time to brew their coffee. Moreover, those who have children usually face the problem that if they leave the coffee in the coffee machine, their children might tempt to drink it. 2.Students who simply do not have coffee machines and prefer instantaneous coffee, which they can easily make at any given time. Thus, we can see that Nescafe is aimed for younger audience as its core segment.  Ã‚   Targeting the younger audience as its core segment, it is very important for the company with such a strong brand as Nescafe to distinguish the core values for this type of customers. Such values are individuality, independence, pleasure, self-confidence. Thus, the brand is positioned as the one, which has extraordinary taste that you want to enjoy every day. The slogan sounds like â€Å"Don’t let anyone prevent you from enjoying your favorite taste†. The company emphasizes both functional qualities of the product, as well as special feelings that it gives to the customers – pleasure, comfort, and the whole imaginary world that you want to enjoy over and over again. Nescafe is really aimed to be â€Å"Your favorite taste,† as another slogan states. Thus, we can see that Nescafe is professing more individualistic values. However, Nescafe is still perceived as a caring, charming brand, though it gives self-confidence and assures good taste. People choose this brand as they trust its long-standing reputation and think this brand is very reliable. Moreover, it is quite affordable as well. Since it cares about people, Nescafe, as it was mentioned before, presents something for everybody – a wide range of choice from different type of product to different sizes and prices. Having analyzed the positioning of Nescafe, it is easier to determine the key messages that are being delivered via different channels of communications. The first channel of communication is television with large-scale advertising. The key message that are being delivered is that Nescafe is a wonderful taste that needs to be enjoyed and enjoyed. Global commercial portraying woman in a peculiar garment trying to become unnoticed by her husband to be able to enjoy Nescafe alone is the best proof of that. Thus, we can see that brand managers of Nescafe are emphasizing physical qualities of the product, specifically its taste. However, the TV with its ability to show the wide range of colors, sounds and images is also chosen to make people feel and understand the sophistication of Nescafe’s taste. It was already mentioned that Nescafe is positioned as a premium segment coffee (despite subbrand Nescafe classic). That is why it is crucial to transmit to the audience the very special qualities, the originality of the brand. Thus, on of the original feature of Nescafe appears to be its sophistication, its elite taste. The commercial is trying to convey that if you drink Nescafe, it means that you belong to the chosen circle of people who have exceptional taste, namely elite. The second channel of communication is Internet. In fact, Nescafe has its own web-site separate from the site of the producer Nestle. Nescafe site was created in order to give its target audience ampful information about the product and the brand in particular. It has the description of all the existing types of Nescafe (subbrands), about the new products that appears in the product line. It also tells about the coffee as a physical substance, about its nutrition etc. Thus, the main message that is being delivered via Internet (including Internet advertising) is that brand Nescafe is so diverse, that everyone can find something that suits him/her the best wether it is Necafe Colombie or Nescafe Gold. The message stimulates to try Nescafe and to match the desire with the available product brand. Finally, the third channel of communication is publicity. The latter is achieved by creating different kinds of informational grounds. It can be sponsorship of certain events that are covered by different types of media. It can be informational articles discussing the problem of coffee-drinking. It can also be different special events that are also covered in media.   For instance, in 2004 in England there was a contest the winners of which could experience a luxury balloon flight and stay in the country hotel house. The evnts was transmitted via TV. This was a great informational ground and thus the cause of publicity. The main message that is delivered via publicity is that Nescafe is a reliable trustworthy and responsible brand. Thus, drinking Nescafe one can be sure of its exceptional quality. In other words, publicity is aimed to ensure good reputation of Nescafe and ultimately to form a strong brand loyalty of customers. As for pricing, it is not dependent on the life cycle of the product. Coffee is a product with an extended life-cycle since the taste and the quality of it are unique, and the customers are usually loyal to the brand that can ensure the same quality taste over and over again. Therefore, the pricing of Nescafe is based upon its segmentation. Simply saying the premium segment brands such as Nescafe Gold, Nescafe cap Colombie, Nescafe Alta Rica cost more. They are aimed at elite target audience with more than average level of income. Similarly, there is also an offer for the lower income level people who cannot afford buying premium segment products.   This offer is called Nescafe Classic, which is substantially cheaper than brands mentioned before. Thus, we see that Nescafe pricing strategy is more of a marketing tool that allows to cover more of a target audience. Yet, the key target audience for Nescafe still remains people with more than average income segment that can afford buying elite products. In conclusion, it is important to say that Nescafe is aimed to embrace as big audience as possible. However, its primary focus is on younger people with middle and high income, who are self-confident, active and enjoy pleasure. The company positions its brand as the one giving tempting taste that you want to enjoy. Since the brand is designed to embrace wide circle of customers, the company uses differentiation while pricing the product, giving its customers the opportunity to choose from different types and sizes. The key messages that Nescafe is trying to deliver depends on the channel of communication. yet, the main messages emphasize Nescafe’s exceptional taste, reliability of the brand and its peculiarity varying on the subbrand, so that everyone can find something that suits him/her best. References Applbaum K. â€Å"The Marketing Era† Routledge, New York, 2004 Brown S. â€Å"Imagining Marketing: Art, aesthetics and the avant-garde† Routledge, London, 2000 Cateora P. †International Marketing†, 7th ed. Irwin, Homewood, IL, 1990 Laforet S. (1999)  «Managing Brand Portfolios: Why Leaders Do What They Do† In Journal of Advertising Research, vol.39, p.23 Parsons A. (1996) â€Å"Nestle; The visions of local managers† In The McKinsey Quarterly, no.2, pp.21-22 How to cite Promotion and Price Analysis, Essay examples

Essay on Family History My Family Essay Example For Students

Essay on Family History : My Family Essay Family History: I come from a big, loving, catholic family. We are all very close and friendly to each other and to the ones around us. Making friends comes easy and we tend to treat everyone like family. We see the good in everyone and welcome anyone with open arms. Anxiety, depression and alcoholism do run on both the maternal and paternal sides of my family. I have not been medically diagnosed with either depression or anxiety but I do present signs and symptoms of both. Unfortunately, my family does not believe in medical intervention such as therapy and medication when it comes to mental stability. Due to my family’s beliefs in such things, it is hard to seek support when it comes to getting help and treatment from them. Onset: I noticed I was different from everyone else when I realized that being home alone scared me. It was easier to be home during the week because I would work all day, go visit friends, or go home and sleep. I found it hard to be home on weekends because I did not have anything to keep me occupied. I felt my anxiety become a problem during the weekends. I would always find reasons to go home and visit my family. Once I was home my anxiety still would not subside. Although I was with family and that is what I wanted, I felt very secluded and alone. Even though I knew my family would be understanding, loving, and supportive about the situation, I did not want to taint my family with this new information about what had happened. I knew my family would try and understand and I would have their sympathy, but none of them have gone through something like this, so there was no way of relating. I found that I would seek attention and support from my family however, I felt it was not the attention or support . . that may trigger my PTSD symptoms. These therapy sessions have provided me with the tools and techniques needed to relieve stress before allowing it to affect my everyday life and relationship with loved ones. The medications I was directed to take are anti-depressants and anti-anxiety. I was directed to take anti-depressants once daily, this helps to regulate my mood, sleep and how I interact with people. I take my anti-anxiety medications as needed, this helps me to relax when I feel like I am in a situation I can not handle. This medication helps slow down my central nervous system, relieve anxiety, and helps to be able to take deep breathes. Fortunately, this treatment plan is designed to gradually help me learn to use the tools and techniques to cope on my own without the need of therapy and medications. Which will help me to live a healthy and care free life.