Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Charles on fire

Appearances, or spirituality? Charles on fire, by James Merrill, describes a conversation about the trade off between the maintaining of appearances and the pursuing of spirituality, which the discussion happened among three friends. The process of spirituality finding Is beautiful but painful, and people would rather stay with appearances. One of them, the bearded man, says, â€Å"Without your Intellectual and spiritual values, man, you are sunk. † The beard implies that this man is old enough to summary something f life.And his friends realize that he is right, they do only pay attention to the surface, the appearances. So they begin to contemplate. Then Charles appears, â€Å"brought out little tumblers finely etched† filled with wine, then lights a fire in one glass. The narrator describes the beautiful view of the fire on wine, â€Å"A blue flame, gentle, beautiful, came, went above the surface,† but rapidly â€Å"we heard the vessel crack† and  "the contents drained†. That means if you want to chase the rise of your spirit, you usually need to pay pain as the cost.And this pain is so unbearable that few people can tolerate It. That is why Charles â€Å"made two quick sweeps† to extinguish the flames and â€Å"flesh again. † The word â€Å"flesh† Implies that Charles comes back to a real person with flesh, not a virtual split. And even so, Charles still makes â€Å"a shocked, unconscious glance Into the mirror† because he cares about his appearance. Since he â€Å"finding nothing changed,† he â€Å"sank down among us,† just as the bearded man said, you are sunk. † Maybe in a few minutes, they are in â€Å"a crystal coach† which means they are in a higher level of life.However, finally they have to get out of the coach, and return to a normal person, a lower level of life. James Merrill uses many metaphors to make his readers contemplate. These metaphors are beauti ful, ingenious and most important, reasonable. It is wonderful that he can express his opinion through such a short, delicate poem. Discussion happened among three friends. The process of spirituality finding is them, the bearded man, says, â€Å"Without your intellectual and spiritual values, man, few people can tolerate it.That is why Charles â€Å"made two quick sweeps† to extinguish the flames and â€Å"flesh again. † The word â€Å"flesh† implies that Charles comes back to a real person with flesh, not a virtual spirit. And even so, Charles still makes â€Å"a shocked, unconscious glance into the mirror† because he cares about his appearance. Since he â€Å"finding nothing changed,† he â€Å"sank down among us,† Just as the bearded man said, â€Å"you are sunk. † Maybe in a few minutes, they are in â€Å"a crystal coach† which coach, and return to a normal person, a lower level of life. James Merrill uses

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Effects of Communication on Employee Essay

This study explores the positive effects of effective communication on employee motivation and performance. Specifically, in intends to compare the results between service employees and manufacturing employees in terms of communication as a motivating factor. The theories used in this study to create a conceptual framework are Herzberg Two factor theory, Goal Theory, and the circular theory of communication. The concept is that when hygiene and motivator factors are high, goals can be developed, but can only be effective only if the message was disseminated effectively. The study uses quantitative research on service and manufacturing employees. They were surveyed using a semi-structured questionnaire with ranking questions and some open-ended questions. The study found that there were only slight differences in the motivator factors for both set of respondents but there service employees are higher in hygiene. Both industries, however, see communication as an important factor in motivation. However, they only experience high hygiene, but less motivator, which means that they are not fully motivated. It has been suggested that the companies of the employees surveyed should invest on improving the motivator factors within the working environment and improve communication flows. CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND This study examines the importance of communication on the performance and motivation of employees. The target samples of the study are employees from service and manufacturing companies. This allows seeing the importance of organizational communication in two different angles – that is the difference between the views of service and manufacturing companies regarding the matter. Comparison of these views may lead to the development of new hypotheses or theories that may contribute to human resource management research. In this chapter, the nature of problem is presented and discussed. The backgrounds of different variables related to the study were also featured. Here, the aims, objectives, problem statements and significance of the study were also explained. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Employees Employees basically refer to people who work for another in return for wages or salary (Gillis, 2004). Legally, an employee is referred to a person hired to provide services to a company on a regular basis in exchange for compensation, and who does not provide these services as part of an independent business (Gillis, 2004). However, Gillis (2004) stated that employees are more than any of those definitions. Employees are the lifeblood of the organization because they are the ones who provide products and services that define corporations, organizations and government entities (Gillis, 2004). They are referred to as the most precious assets of the organization because without them, the organization is crippled and cannot function effectively. Because of the important role of employees, organizations have the responsibility to motivate them so as they can function more effectively. Theories of motivation such as Maslow’s theory, Alfelder’s theory, McClelland’s theory, and Herzberg’s theory (Mullins, 1999) explain why employees should be motivated and why organizations should take this concept into consideration. But what really constitutes effective employee motivation? Several research and organizational reports point positive communication as one of the most important factors that build effective employee motivation. For instance, Riccomini (2005) cited a couple of organizational research by General Electric and Hewlett-Packard in the eighties that concludes: â€Å"The better the managers’ communication, the more satisfied the employees were with all aspects of their work life†. Building a positive communication with employees is important because they are the organizationâ€℠¢s best ambassadors or loudest critics, depending on how fast they get relevant information and the context in which it is received (Howard, 1998). Information consistency affects the success of the company and if it fails to communicate information internally and externally, the reputation of the company may fall. Communication basically uplifts the morale of an employee as it makes them feel that they are valued by the  organization. This also builds employee loyalty and satisfaction. As Goldfarb (1990) stated: â€Å" Employers are becoming more aware that employee loyalty, commitment, and concern for quality depend on effective employee communication. Communication Communication is not just important to an organization, but is an important component in everyday human life. Gamble and Gamble (1999) stated: â€Å"Communication is the core of our humanness†, and that â€Å"how we communicate with each other shapes our lives and our world† (p.4). Communicative skills help humans to reach out to one another or to confront events that challenge our flexibility, integrity, expressiveness and critical thinking skills (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Communication is rather complex to define in a single sentence. In a glimpse, however, it has many types which include: interpersonal communication; intrapersonal; group communication; public communication; mass communication; and online or machine-assisted communication (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Interpersonal communication means to interact with another person, while intrapersonal means to interact with oneself, or to reason with or evaluate self (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Group communication, on the other hand, is defined as the process of interacting with a limited number of others, work to share information, develop ideas, make decisions, solve problems, offer support, or have fun (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Mass communication, is communicating to a large number of people using media (television, newspaper, internet, radio), and finally, online or machine assisted communication deals with communicating through the use of online software that are programmed to interact with browsers or users (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Communication is also categorized into two: verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication means the use of the spoken word when communicating, while non-verbal communication means using other medium such as body signals, writing etc. (Gamble and Gamble, 1999). Communication undergoes a process, which involves the information source, the transmitter, noise source, receiver and destination. This is based on the communication theory (see figure 1) that was developed by Shannon and Weaver (1949). The information source is the communicator of the information, which then uses a specific type of transmitter or medium (e.g. verbal, written, telephone, etc). The receiver receives the information, but the information can be affected by a specific noise source, which can be a distraction from anyone or anywhere. The receiver then interprets the message and finally puts the communicated message in its destination (Bryant and Heath, 2000). Figure 1: Shannon and Weaver Theory of Communication The theory of communication evolved over the years, but the model of Shannon and Weaver (1949) is one of the firsts that explains the process of communication. Today, communication is being regarded as an important factor in business, and that the ability of the company to communicate can determine its success. Business Communication Communication is important in business because a business environment is a place where many interactions are needed, and much information should be acquired (Eckhaus, 1999). It always involves openly competitive activity, in which working professionals debate issues, defend positions, and evaluate the arguments of others (Eckhaus, 1999). Most working professionals, particularly those in middle and upper management, routinely produce a variety of messages, many of which are in the written form of memoranda, electronic mail, letters, reports, performance reviews, instructions, procedures, and proposals (Eckhaus, 1999). It is also argued that a fuller understanding of organizations is a vital ingredient at every forward step of the career process, and that communication is a primary element for understanding how organizations function and how members of the organization should, even must, behave in organizations if they are to  advance their careers (Harris, 1993). The practice of effective communication within the organization is also linked with the development of a healthy corporate culture, job satisfaction of employees, and the happiness and productivity of employees (Harris, 1993). Communication skills are also important to organization leaders because it helps them manage the company more effectively (Harris, 1993). Companies recognize the importance of communication that is why it is a barometer in hiring or measuring employee performance. Waner (1995) found that companies want their employees to maintain confidentiality, write persuasively, write routine letters, use proper placement and format, compose at the keyboard, and write special types of letters. Furthermore, interpersonal and oral skills were rated as very important. Also, basic English as well as abilities dealing with ethics, morals, values, and sensitivity were rated either important or very important (Waner, 1995). Although there were proven studies that communication promotes positive improvement in organizations, specifically motivation and performance improvements of employees, studies often fail to compare the level of importance of communication in terms of firm industry types. Firms of today can either belong to the manufacturing or service industry. Each industry has different traits and characteristic from the other. Service industries sell and produce intangible services, while manufacturing companies sell tangible manufactured products. The management of the service firm is basically different the manufacturing firm because they have different organizational structures, services and products being provided, and working systems. STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES While many organizations believe that positive employee communication promotes employee motivation, this belief can still be considered as a complex issue because of the changing nature of  organizations and the differences of their structure. For instance, the old employee communication paradigm relied on top-down approaches to reach their employees (Edelman, 2004). Today, this has already been replaced by new communication paradigms where employees â€Å"ping† sources both inside and outside their organization for information (Edelman, 2004). Employees are now basically treated as consumers. The Workplace Communication Consultancy (2005) even reported that statistics show â€Å"90% of those who are kept fully informed are motivated to deliver added value; while those who are kept in the dark almost 80% are not†. However, such results are not industry specific. Industries vary in terms of culture – for instance, service versus manufacturing industry. Thus, this study will confirm the effects of positive communication on employee motivation in two specific industries – service and manufacturing. The following are the research objectives of the study: 1. To confirm the effectiveness of positive communication on employee motivation. 2. To determine the effects of positive communication on employee motivation in service companies. 3. To determine the effects of positive communication on employee motivation in manufacturing companies. 4. To find out if the relationship between positive communication and employee motivation depends on which industry the organization is into. Needless to say, two groups of companies will be surveyed in this study –from the service industry; and from the manufacturing industry. The results from the two groups will be compared and evaluated to determine if the relationship between positive communication and employee motivation depends on a specific type of industry. Hypothesis The study aims to test the hypothesis that: â€Å"managers in manufacturing companies give importance to motivation but their employees are less motivated compared with service companies†. The reason why that hypothesis is developed is because of the  difference between service and manufacturing company operations and process. For instance, since the service companies already dominated the market and most of their employees have higher salaries compared to manufacturing workers, there are great differences in terms of motivational factors. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The study is significant to both service and manufacturing companies because it offers insights on which industry gives higher importance to communication. Through this study, the importance of communication in organization is once again emphasized. However, the comparison between the two business industries gives new insights and may develop new hypotheses for future studies. This study may help develop theories for service and manufacturing companies on how communication can be used as a tool to motivate employees to improve their performance or work. This study is also significant to communication and business students. For communication students, this study may benefit them because it may serve as a reference when it comes to communication theories or the role of communication in business. On the other hand, for business students, this paper may also serve them as a useful academic reference tool. Through this study, they will realize early the importance of communication and how this can help them become motivated or more active at work. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Because the aim of this study is to determine a possible motivational factor for employees (which is specifically â€Å"communication†), the theoretical frameworks that have been chosen for this study are motivational theories – a content motivation theory; and a process motivation theory. Theories of motivation can be divided into two: the content theories; and the process theories (Mullins, 1999). Content theories emphasize the factors that motivate individuals. Examples of content theories are Maslow’s theory, Alfelder’s theory, McClelland’s theory, and Herzberg’s theory (Mullins, 1999). On the other hand, the emphasis on process theories is on the actual  process of motivation. Some examples of process theories are Expectancy theories, equity theory, goal theory, and social learning theory (Mullins, 1999). The content motivation theory that has been chosen as one of the frameworks for this study is Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory or Motivator-Hygiene Theory. This theory basically extended Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory and is more directly applicable to the work situation (Steers, 1983; Kreitner and Kinicki, 1998). Herzberg’s research suggested that motivation is composed of two largely unrelated dimensions: job-related factors which can prevent dissatisfaction, but do not promote employees’ growth and development (hygiene); and job-related factors that encourage growth (motivators) (Steers, 1983; Kreitner and Kinicki, 1998). Herzberg’s theory is the first of its kind to emphasize the importance of non-monetary rewards in motivating employees (Gevity Institute, 2005). According to this theory, satisfying experiences are most often associated with the non-monetary, or intrinsic, content of the work. This includes variables such as achievement, recognition, personal growth, personal responsibility and the characteristics of the work (Gevity Institute, 2005). These factors are called motivators. When people are satisfied, they attribute their satisfaction to the work itself and not on the environment in which they work (Manisera et al, 2005). On the other hand, dissatisfying experiences result from the extrinsic work environment (Gevity Institute, 2005). These factors include company policies, salary, co-worker relations, supervisor relationships, status, supervision, personal life and job security (Herzberg, 1966; Gevity Institute, 2005). Extrinsic factors cause a person who feels neutral about the job to feel dissatisfied and less motivated (Herzberg, 1966; Gevity Institute, 2005). The theory explains that workers basically attribute their dissatisfaction to the environment in which they work, or conditions that surround the doings of the job (Herzberg, 1966; Gevity Institute, 2005). This is also known as the â€Å"Hygiene factor† (Herzberg, 1966). This should be continually maintained because employees never completely satisfied (Manisera et al, 2005). Manisera et al (2005) noted that when the hygiene factors are very low, workers are dissatisfied. However, when hygiene factors are met, workers are not dissatisfied but it does not necessarily mean that they are satisfied or motivated to work. The same goes for the motivator factors. When motivators  are met, workers are satisfied leading to higher performance. However, when motivators are not met, workers are not satisfied but it does not necessarily mean they are dissatisfied with their work. For this study, the following are the motivators and hygiene that affects the employees: HygieneMotivator 1.Supervisor’s participation level 2.Supervisor’s directions/expectations. 3.Supervisor’s communication approach to employees. 4.Supervisor’s willingness to help employees on problems concerning work information or directions. 5.Supervisor’s preferred medium when communicating with employees. 6.The level of noise where communication takes place. 7.How information about salaries or company policies are communicated to employees. 1.The employee receives appraisals or compliments when a job is well done. 2.The employee is being given awards for performance and this is broadcasted or made known throughout the company. 3.The responsibility of the employee is well-communicated or well-explained in terms of its contribution to the company. 4.Improvements are well-communicated to employees. 5.Employees receive briefing or information regarding changes in management or company policies. 6.Employees feel they are part of the company. 7.Employee mistake are corrected through strategic communication by the supervisor. On the other hand, the process motivation theory adopted for this study is the goal theory of motivation. In the late 1960s, Edwin Locke proposed that intentions to work toward a goal are a major source of work motivation (Locke and Latham, 1990). That means the goal will tell the people what needs to be done and how much effort will need to be put in order to fulfill the goal and target of the organization (Locke and Latham, 1990). The key steps in applying goal setting are: (1) diagnosis for readiness; (2) preparing employees via increased interpersonal interaction, communication,  training, and action plans for goal setting; (3) emphasizing the attributes of goals that should be understood by a manager and subordinates; (4) conducting intermediate reviews to make necessary adjustments in established goals; and (5) performing a final review to check the goals set, modified, and accomplished (Matteson, 1999).

Monday, July 29, 2019

Communication and Professional Relationships Essay

1.1Explain the principles of effective communication? Why are 1.2effective communication skills important when developing 2.1positive relationships with children, young people and adults? 2.3 1.3What social, professional and cultural differences/factors may 2.2affect the way we develop relationships with children, young 2.3people and adults? 2.4 2.5Explain how to manage disagreements with children and young people within your school? 3.2Why is it important to reassure children, young people and adults about confidentiality. Provide an example of how confidentiality would be breached. Effective communication is a two-way process of giving and receiving information. Effective communication skills are important when developing positive relationships with children, young people and adult. Effective communication is important to develop a good rapport. You need to support children and young people in making choices. There are many forms of communication; there is verbal, non-verbal, written format and body language. You need to consider the forms of communication for the appropriate age and language. If you were communicating with little children you need to position your body to their level, you need to come face to face with them instead of looking down at them. With people of different abilities you tend to use hand gestures and rely on body language. While speaking to other staff members in the school you speak to them in a more formal way. It is important to know the cultural beliefs of everyone in the community as some cultures can cause communication barriers. As a Muslim in the school it would be hard to use eye contact as it is against their beliefs. You need to be able to create an atmosphere in which everyone feels involved and confident to communicate. You need to adapt communication for different needs. Other communication barriers that could occur are having misunderstandings, disagreements and lack of time. If a disagreement was to arise in the school I would stay calm. I would be assertive and discuss the issue in private. I would get the people involved in the disagreement together and talk through the problem. If talking calmly didn’t sort the problem out then the next step would be to ask someone else to step in who isn’t bias and see what they could suggest. If these steps didn’t work you would have to work your way up the ranks until you reach the head teacher who would then have to inform the governors. This is a problem for the two parties involved as formal steps would be taken and a tribunal would be carried out. You need to record all progress made within the school, including any difficulties you find children or employees are having as well as achievements that are made. Adults are role models for all young people so it is important to be a caring person, you need to be approachable, genuine and a good time keeper.

Critical Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Critical Review - Essay Example There is a common understanding that consumers require information to know about products that have the potential to satisfy their top needs. Information channels that avail the products details consumers want have a place in the current market. The following review will focus on the objectives of integrated marketing communication, the way IMC has developed over the years, review of academic studies, the role of consumers and communication channels in the purchase decision-making process. Understanding consumer behaviour also calls for an evaluation of the proposed IMC model and unearth the strengths and weaknesses. The review further considers the consumer segmentation to know the attributes they look for when making purchase decisions. The re-evaluation also criticizes some of the approaches the author uses to discuss the aspects of integrated marketing communication with respect to consumer behaviour and the ultimate consumer decision-making process. The article is entitled Impact of Integrated Marketing Communication on Consumer Behaviour written by Camelia Mihart. The author uses a comparison of studies to highlight the impact of IMC on the consumer behaviour and decisions they make concerning purchasing. The article features a structured comprehensive flow that starts with an abstract and ends with a model of IMC. The model has been deduced from the studies explored in the literature review section. The author has used the literature review section to explore IMC impact despite myriad of authors studying the topic in the past. Highlighting objectives of integrated marketing communications (IMC) with respect to consumer behaviour is relevant. Companies must keep competition at bay by understanding how consumers behave and providing them with their needs on prompt basis. Consumer satisfaction is far more important than availing the needs that match their tastes and preferences, which is the foundation of integrated marketing communication or

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Education and social class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Education and social class - Essay Example Therefore, the people from the upper social class have a higher probability of securing high-paying job opportunities than their low-class counterparts. People from the high social class have the means to attend prestigious schools (Archer, Hutchings and Ross, 2003). People from the low-class cannot attend these elite schools because they charge a fortune.   For instance, an average college may charge US $25,000 per academic year while a prestigious college, such as Dartmouth College or Yale University, may charge nearly four times the amount. Given that the average American earns US $ 40,000 it becomes hard for most of the people to afford it (Fields and Morgan-Klein, 2013). High social class people also have the privilege of knowing where opportunities exist (Joyner, 2012). They have the relevant information to take advantage of the opportunities. For instance, high-class people may understand the procedure of applying for the prestigious schools which students from the low-class may not. As a result, they have a higher chance of being accepted in these prestigious schools and receive high quality education.According to Joyner (2012), education has always been perceived as the stepping stone towards crossing the social class boundaries. Most of the governments in the world have put systems in place and complementing policies to see to it that all the people, regardless of their social class, attain at least the basic education. The presumption is that education is the agent of change that enables the bridging of the gap.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Guns, Germs, and Steel Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Guns, Germs, and Steel - Movie Review Example For instance, if Eurasians develop resistance to common diseases like typhoid; it is because of geographical influences surrounding these people. The resistance is not in any way associated with the inherent Eurasian genomes. The preface commences with a conversation between Yali a politician from Guinea and Diamond. The dialogue is about the differences in technology and power. These differences are between the people of Yali and the Europeans who have dominated their land for two decades (Diamond 12). Diamond explains that these differences are not in any way associated with the genetic make up of the Europeans. The Europeans do not have superiority genes, but they dominate many regions because of their environmental differences with other people. Yali asks why white people develop a lot of cargo (manufactured goods and inventions) and bring to Africa whereas the Africans possess little cargo of their own (Diamond 4). This question made Diamond relate it to Eurasian people. According to Diamond, Eurasians have dominated wealth and power of the world for a long period of time whereas other people own little power and wealth despite the fact that they are no longer captivated in colonial powers (Diamond 15). This documentary’s title refers to various means used by farm-based societies to conquer and dominate other nations. Although these dominating nations were sometime outnumbered by the natives of the land, they had superior weapons like guns; which gave them military superiority. Diseases attacking Eurasian people made them weak and sometimes killing them. This simplified the Europeans work because they maintained control over the Eurasians who were germs. Steel is the durable mean of transport used by Europeans to travel around the world. Efficient travelling enabled them to achieve imperialism (Diamond 122). According to Diamond, environmental characteristics and climatic conditions favored the early development of

Friday, July 26, 2019

Adverse Effects of the Foreign Aid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Adverse Effects of the Foreign Aid - Essay Example uals, organizations and governments in order to assist people or governments experiencing distress, suffering, war, disasters and other emergencies provide humanitarian aid. For instance, governments could provide aid through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in cases of emergencies that occurred as a result of natural disasters. Development aid is the main focus of this paper. It is the financial and other resources provided by wealthy countries to low-income states in order to help spur economic development, reduce poverty, improve governance, solve population explosion, expand access to basic education and healthcare, protect the environment, promote stability in conflictive regions, protect human rights, among other objectives (Tarnoff, 2010, p.3). It is distinguished from the humanitarian assistance by the fact that the intent to alleviate suffering and poverty is aimed at the long-term as opposed to the latter's emphasis on the short- term relief. Industrialized countries have institutionalized development aid through their respective Official Development Assistance (ODA). Financial resources are provided through different channels such as international aid organizations, non-government organizations and global bodies such as the UN and the World Bank. The flow of financial resources and the part of it that is normally called aid, wrote Singer and Ansari (1988, p.180), is only a part - and a comparatively small part - of the total aid relationship between rich and poor countries. This is because other types of aid could also emerge. For instance, there are those who argue that when a rich country opens up its market to the exports of low-income countries, it is providing a meaningful aid. Ideally, the effect of foreign...This essay investigates the theme of relative ineffectiveness of foreign aid, compared with other forms of financial cooperation. The essay identifies a comprehensive list of problems that are ei ther directly or indirectly associated with large amount of foreign aid. It is expected that through the information, corrective measures could be identified made so that the delivery of financial aid is effective and could achieve more meaningful effects. Foreign aid is supposed to be an altruistic initiative. However, aids are often granted to beneficiaries in exchange for something or tied with several conditions. Then, there is also the claim that foreign aid could give rise to numerous problems on the part of the beneficiary such as its incapacitating effect on people in determining and building their own solutions to their problems. These variables, among others, underpin the manner by which large amount of financial resources and other forms of aid could cause harm to recipient countries. The absorptive capacity is the ability of a country to employ both domestic and foreign capital productively in the sense that the resources yield some minimum rate of return. This concept explains the problems and negative impacts for foreign aid beneficiaries listed by this paper. The lack of competence and capability for example, led to wastage in the financial aid, which often fall prey to unscrupulous government officials. It provided insights with regards to addressing the pitfalls entailed in giving aid.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Demonstrative Communication Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Demonstrative Communication Paper - Essay Example It also reveals how people relate to each other. Nonverbal or demonstrative communication accounts for about 93 percent of people’s communication. Types of demonstrative communication Demonstrative communication involves different types of communication. Facial expressions contribute a large portion to people’s communication. For instance, a smile or a frown can communicate a lot of information to the receiver. People throughout the world use facial expressions to express happiness, sadness, anger, and fear. Gestures also contribute to non-verbal communication. These are movements and signals that that provide meaning during communication. Their meanings can be more important than words. Paralinguistic can also convey a lot of information during communication. These mainly involve the use of vocal communication such as tone of voice, loudness, and pitch. The type of vocal variation in a particular conveyance of information can bring out a different meaning depending on the context. Body language and posture can also convey a lot of information. Such nonverbal behaviors can indicate feelings and other communication cues. Demonstrative communication may start at an early stage in human development when people start to point at things. The making of gestures by small kids may be a start point for learning demonstrative communication in life. ... 470). Effective and ineffective demonstrative communication Depending on the context, demonstrative communication can be effective or ineffective. The effectiveness of demonstrative communication varies differently between the sender and the receiver. Demonstrative communication involves understanding the feeling of each stakeholder in the communication. There has to be an understanding between the sender and the receiver. Demonstrative communication can be very effective especially for teachers. Their line of work dictates that the teacher has to make the students understand whatever he/she is teaching. The best method to increase students understanding is the use of demonstrative communication in addition to verbal communication while teaching. Demonstrative communication can be very effective depending on the context at hand. For example, facial expressions can be very effective in warning kids. Whenever a kid does something wrong, it is common for parents to give the kids an angr y kind of look. Instantly, the kid stops doing the wrong thing. Such a scenario demonstrates the effectiveness of facial expressions in communicating to kids. Ineffective communication occurs when the speaker uses the wrong nonverbal message to deliver certain information. For instance, using hand gesture to point to a certain direction when the intention was to point to the opposite direction. Wrong choice of nonverbal message can send a different message to the audience. This may make the audience to perceive a different message from the intended Positive and negative effects of demonstrative communication The perception of demonstrative communication can be positive or negative depending on how the receiver. For instance, picture a company meeting where everyone is

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Managing Activiies to Achieve Results Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Managing Activiies to Achieve Results - Essay Example Here, for this assignment, this author has chosen the example of a pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, where these themes are equally applicable. Pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive, and every step of functioning in this industry is governed by business process management to improve products and services to the customer with maximal efficiency. An efficient system must be usable, and people must be convinced about the usefulness of it. Thus the developmental journey must be people centric, where the trench people must not feel excluded. They need to be consulted, listened to, trained and communicated with on a regular basis. They must understand the business process and its benefits. Conviction of people about the reasons of the process change, the necessity of it would promote them to take ownership and responsibility. The organisational structure would enable that. The organisational structure and culture are important parameters and preconditions for fostering an environment where people would understand clearly what is expected of them and how they are significant in the new structure and process (Morrill, 2008). There are many components in the structure and culture. The components are logically connected in such a way that there is a meaningful concept of fitment among the different components of organisational struc ture and the cultural settings. In the stated organisation, the decision makers implement change processes interpret and utilise the environmental culture to shape the organisational structure. Sometimes depending on the situation, a double-loop change process is utilised where within the organisational structure, the members of one culture impose their favoured structures on organisational members coming from different cultures. Sometimes, again depending on the situation, the organisational hierarchy utilises the naturally socially constructed organisational structure and culture (Walsh, 2004). Mission and Aim of Organisation and Effects on Structure and Culture The objective and aim of the organisation has important impacts on its culture and structure. If by organisational structure we mean formalisation and centralisation and if organisational culture means participative decision making, support and collaboration, and learning and development, both must interrelate. The aim and objective of this organisation is to produce innovative pharmaceutical products, and thus it means technological processes, administrative control, and product manufacturing. Studies by Jantan et al. (2003) have shown that both participation in decision making and support and collaboration and learning and development have demonstrable positive effects on administrative innovation. Although structural variables appear to be unaffected, they may affect the cultural variables (Jantan et al., 2003). Bate et al. (2000) highlights the role of aims and goals of an organisation in shaping the structure and

The Relationship between Social Media and Brand Management Dissertation

The Relationship between Social Media and Brand Management - Dissertation Example Hence, it is noteworthy that social media has become one of the key business communication tools, which has helped modern organizations to promote their brands worldwide. On the other hand, the online marketing concept has triggered impressive transformations, especially in the domain of brand management, thereby eliminating the risks inherent to the traditional marketing concept (Brindle, 2011). Â  The use of social media for brand management was also considered quite helpful for both the customers as well as for the company, owing to its ability to target customers in clusters and reach them with efficiency, within a very short time span. It is also noteworthy that the brand image of a company is perceived as one of the most valuable assets in the modern day context. This particular assertion becomes quite apparent with reference to the strategies applied by Alibaba Group to promote its brand in a popular Chinese social media named Sina Weibo. Alibaba Group is noted as one of the most popular Chinese e-commerce retail outlets, which deals in all kinds of products. Prior to the inception of social media, brand managers engaged in different companies followed various marketing communication strategies, such as storytelling, aggressive and frequent advertisement as well as newsletter distribution to the customers. In this regard, it can be mentioned that the traditional metho ds of brand promotion were less cost-efficient in comparison to the modern brand promotion strategies, which certainly raises a noteworthy challenge to modern organizations. However, the advent of online brand management strategy has proved cost efficient as well as less time-consuming in nature to mitigate previous stress factors associated to company’s customer relationship strategies through brand management (Jenkinson et. al., 2005). Â  

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

MacNaughton(2003) states curricula can be defined as conforming Essay

MacNaughton(2003) states curricula can be defined as conforming reforming or transforming.Critically discuss extent each of thes - Essay Example Consequently, reform in education is currently the standard rather than the exception. Nonetheless, in spite of the continuous spectacle of reforms, only a slight portion of the core changes. Institutions and individuals should evolve over time or face the possibility of extinction. Valuable changes enhance the institution or individual so that it may work more successfully in, and be more sensitive to, a relentlessly evolving environment. But efforts at educational reform usually create new problems rather than improve its foundation and processes. There are those who find fault with comprehensive reforms in education which forces several schools to give in, or conform to mainstream standards. Hence, according to MacNaughton (2003), â€Å"curricula can defined as conforming, reforming, or transforming†. This essay will explain this statement and relate it to post-16 curriculum. The discussion will also take into account the points of view of different practitioners. Curriculu m as ‘Conforming’ Before 1998 in England it was teachers, in theory, who chose the curricula and objectives of their schools. There were actual issues about this, not merely the often broadly disparate policies between schools (Ross 2000). However, there was a more deep-seated problem. Why should teachers be granted this authority? Do they have the knowledge and experience which qualify them to such choices? Are they qualified to make decisions whether to ‘conform’ or ‘reform’? According to Webster (2011), the term ‘conform’ means ‘to fit, accommodate, adapt, suit or befit’ (para 3). Following this definition, there is certainly a valid argument against granting macro-decisions to conform or not to teachers. They are just one sector of the population, but decisions about the routes education should follow involve everyone. Cuban (1993) suggests a paradigm of varied curricula for the study of curriculum. He proposes tha t we treat curricula in four groups (as cited in Joseph, Braymann, Windschitl, Mikel & Green 2000): Official curriculum can be found in curriculum guides and conform to state-mandated assessment. Taught curriculum is what individual teachers focus on and choose to emphasise—often the choices represent teachers’ knowledge, beliefs about how subjects should be taught, assumptions about their students’ needs, and interests in certain subjects. Learned curriculum encompasses all that students learn; learned curriculum may be what teachers planned or have not intended, such as modelling teachers’ behaviour or what students learn from other students. The fourth curriculum Cuban calls tested curriculum; these tests—whether derived from the teacher, the school district, state, or national testing organisations—represent only part of what is taught or learned (ibid, p. 4). Similar to MacNaughton (2003), Cuban advises us to be careful of the view that curriculum is ‘conforming’, or how the state or school embodies itself, but not essentially suggestive of what transpires in classrooms (Joseph et al. 2000). Cuban (1993 as cited in Joseph et al. 2000) argues that we have to take into account these varied perspectives of curricula if we are genuinely interested with reform in education; reforms in tested and official curricula could be pointless unless we address the learned and taught curricula. The varied curricula model of curriculum

Monday, July 22, 2019

Public Administration and Management Essay Example for Free

Public Administration and Management Essay Introduction Public administration in Britain takes place through a variety of state agencies with varying histories, functions, as well as patterns of political control and accountability. These comprise the civil service; a large number of local bureaucracies serving an elective system of local government; another massive organization administering the National Health Service (NHS) and, under the acronym quango, a diverse range of organizations responsible for a assortment of administrative, consultative, advisory in addition to regulatory roles. In addition there is a compound of tribunals, inquiries, an ombudsman system and the judiciary, which together dispense administrative justice. The architecture of the modern state was drawn mainly in the nineteenth century, when the rising industrial bourgeoisie required a means of supporting the emerging capitalist economy. A number of major reports and Acts of Parliament offered blueprints for a competent and meritocratic modern civil service and the system of carefully managed municipalities. Reconstruction following the Second World War added a new layer to the modern state with the making of a inclusive welfare state, including the NHS, and the nationalization of a number of chief industries in the form of public corporations. From the 1980s an additional chapter was opened, as the post-war Keynesian beliefs were challenged in the rise of neo-liberalism under the government of Margaret Thatcher. The bureaucratic terrain was re-landscaped, part of a procedure distinguished as a hollowing out of the state (Rhodes 1994; 1997). Even though talk of reform had long featured on the political program, the public bureaucracies had established a renowned capacity to resist change. However, this time the thoughts were backed by resolute political will. A significant intellectual dynamic came from interpretation based on rational individuality under the name of public choice theory (Niskanen 1973). This was usually suspicious of public bureaucracies, which were seen as principally self serving. Much of the practical reform in structure and management was stirred by the model of the private sector, where it was reasoned that the restraint of the profit motive secured greater efficiency, effectiveness as well as economy. The oratory spoke of reinventing government (Osborne and Gaebler 1992); though to critics it emerged as abandoning government in an anti-statist crusade. A program of privatization cut sheathe through the state industrial sector while giving rise to a new generation of regulatory agencies. Much of the civil service was recast into a compound of agencies with a greater level of autonomy from the centre, and the collection of quangos began to grow as responsibilities for a variety of functions were transferred from the realm of elected local government. Indeed, processes of market testing as well as compulsory competitive tendering saw the stipulation of certain services passing from the state altogether and into the hands of the private sector. The arrival of a Labour Government in 1997 did little to stem the tide of change. Furthermore, this new government occasioned further seismic shifts through devolution to Scotland and Wales. Great Britain includes the nations of England, Wales and Scotland, while the United Kingdom extends the embrace to Northern Ireland. These cultural forms were recognized in an outline of administrative regionalism. For long this motivated little political feeling; only in Northern Ireland were separatist tensions felt. Nonetheless, during the 1980s, nationalist movements gathered speed in both Wales and Scotland; this sequentially generated some pressure towards English regionalism. Thus the state has been forced to concern itself with issues of territorial management and make some chief allowances to diversity (Thompson, 1997). Rooted in a history dating from the take-over of Ireland by the Tudors and re-conquest first by Cromwell and later by the Protestant William of Orange, Northern Ireland dwarfs all other territorial problems of UK Government. Coming to office in the year 1997, Tony Blairs first official journey was to Ulster and Sinn Fein was invited into new peace talks. After indirect negotiations, which included some mediation from US President Bill Clinton, an agreement was reached which included: A Northern Ireland assembly of 108 elected by PR with legislative powers under an all-party executive A North-South Ministerial Council to reflect on issues for instance cross-border co-operation The Irish Government to give up constitutional claims to Northern Ireland and Westminster to reinstate the Government of Ireland Act A Council of the Isles comprising members from the north and south of Ireland and the Scottish and Welsh assemblies There were also to be releases of prisoners in addition to a decommissioning of arms. The agreement was effectively put to referendums in Northern Ireland and the Republic in May 1998. Elections were held, but advancement began to slow down. Scotland and Wales In the UK mainland, Wales and Scotland had been governed as provinces from London, with Secretaries of State in the Cabinet and Grand Committees in Parliament. Public administration in the provinces came under Whitehall outposts, the Welsh and Scottish Offices. Nonetheless, from 1979 an extremely centralizing government heightened a mood of separatism, placing strains on the veracity of the state which were to go off in tectonic constitutional shifts in 1998. The configuration of the two new assemblies was intended to release a safety valve on the separatist pressure. On the other hand, opinion polls began to show rising support for the SNP and its objective of complete Scottish independence in the background of the EU. Comparable murmurings were heard in Wales, a country that had done very fine from its European involvement (Jones 1997). Labor’s central machine showed an enthusiastic concern to have its chosen men as the leaders of the provincial parties (and hence first ministers in the assemblies) representing a keen aspiration to keep the provinces under the Westminster wing. Nonetheless, when the elections by the additional member system (dHondt version) to the new assemblies were held on 6 May 1999, the Labour Party, with 28 of the 60 seats in the Welsh Senedd, and 59 of Scotlands 129-seat assembly, failed to win unconditional majorities in either province. A future of alliance government loomed. furthermore, with 17 seats in Wales and 35 in Scotland, the nationalists were second placed in both cases, possibly presaging further separatist pressure (Drewry, Butcher, 1991). England Devolution debate reverberated into England with requirements for regional independence. A political split was opening as from the early 1980s voting patterns gradually more revealed the Conservatives as a party of the southeast. past the ballot box an economic split yawned as huge deindustrialization and the collapse of mining confounded communities in the north. The economic forecasting organization, the Henley Centre, found per capita income in the south-east to be 20 per cent higher than in the rest of Britain (Wagstyl 1996). A European Commission report of November 1996 established that, while post-war economic revival had closed the poverty gaps between Western Europes states, wide dissimilarities remained between regions, the greatest being within the UK.   The British public sector, with numerous of its customs cast in the nineteenth century, has for long been criticized as managerially incompetent. The post-war era saw repeated efforts at reform all through the public sector, though few made any lasting notion before the 1980s. Ever since this time there has been something of a revolution as what was phrased a new public management movement became a familiar international influence (Hood 1991; Lowndes 1997). It was to send shivers to the very foundations of the state, reforming structures as well as practices. The nineteenth-century reforms recognized a custom of elitist generalism and social superiority in which Oxbridge graduates schooled in the classics were to lead the upper reaches of the state bureaucracy. This was to stimulate substantial post-war debate. The onset in office of a Labour Government in 1964 pledged revolution and the 1968 Fulton Committee set up by Harold Wilson criticized the cult of the amateur. It resulted in the formation of a Civil Service Department (CSD) in Whitehall to supervise managerial reforms all through the service, and the establishment of a Civil Service College to offer continuing operating training. One proposal which failed to stimulate was that entrants should hold relevant degrees: the place of the generalist administrator remained unassailed. In the 1990s, Richards (1996) initiated the generalists promotion prospects still significantly brighter than those of the specialist. In the interim, the Civil Service College had fallen well short of the determined position envisaged for it and the CSD had been ignominiously wipe out from the bureaucratic map. Not until Thatcher took the bit between her teeth did a grave breakthrough come. In her first year of office an Efficiency Unit was set up headed by Sir Derek Rayner of the retail giant Marks Spencer. He initiated a system of scrutinies in which competence teams studied recognized practices and suggested reforms, an initiative which achieved more than anything before (Hennessy 1990:619). Even so, the reforms did not go far enough for those of a fundamental bent. An even greater culture shock was to come when Robin Ibbs took over the Efficiency Unit and produced the 1988 report, Improving Management in Government: The Next Steps. This was the report which led to the recasting of the Civil Service as executive agencies. Despite its structural impact the intent in this initiative was essentially managerial (Elcock 1991:236-42). Once established, the new chief executives were given a free rein to introduce a wide range of management practices such as performance-related pay and short-term contracts in the quest for efficiency. A special unit was created in the Cabinet Office to maintain the reforming impetus. The government also assisted developments by abolishing the Northcote-Trevelyan model of centralized recruitment through the independent Civil Service Commission for some 95 per cent of appointments. Responsibility was to lie with the various departments and agencies themselves. A Recruitment and Assessment Service was created to offer central assistance if required although, amidst heated controversy, this itself was privatized in 1991. The result was a variety of terms and conditions of employment throughout the service. There were limits to the revolution. Government radicals had wanted the reforms to reach the senior mandarins, subjecting them to short-term contracts, market-testing and large-scale appointments from the private sector on the revolving-door principle. For most civil servants, anticipating a life insulated from the chill winds of the market economy, much of the managerial reform process was demoralizing. While academics in the right-wing think tanks applauded the changes, many other academic critics saw in the quest for efficiency serious threats to the fundamental public service ethos (Elcock 1991:188; Chapman and OToole 1995). There was some feeling that the reforms reflected governmental antagonism towards civil servants as much as a quest for improved management; the term deprivileging was sometimes heard. The Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee noted that in 1992/3,  £768 million worth of activities out of the  £1.119 billion subjected to market testing were contracted out without civil servants even being allowed to make in-house bids. The traditional management structure in local government entailed separate departments responsible for the provision of various services, each headed by a chief officer and responsible to a particular council committee. A legion of post-war critics saw this as slow, cumbersome and diffuse. A major debate in the 1960s concerned a corporate management model in which a powerful chief executive would displace the traditional town clerk to give strong leadership at the centre. Councilors, faced with a palpable loss of power, proved resistant and traditional practices persisted, although often under the camouflage of some changed nomenclature. New impetus came with the Thatcher regime and was elaborated under John Major (Kingdom 1999). Looking as always to the private sector, much was made of the concept of the enabling authority; the emphasis was not on the direct provision services but on contracting them out to the private and voluntary sectors. Such a practice was by no means new but, from the late 1980s, it became central to government policy, with compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) introduced for an ever-widening range of functions, from refuse collection to professional, legal and accounting responsibilities. A policy of care in the community, coming into force in April 1993, added impetus by requiring local authorities to make use of private and voluntary-sector residential homes for their widening community care responsibilities. In opposition Labour had poured scorn on the policy; in government it maintained the contracting out principle under the term Best Value. The managerial implications in CCT were profound. Although local responses varied with political complexion, few authorities could remain untouched by the culture shift. Even where there was no stomach for contracting out, teams of officials had to endure considerable stress in producing competitive in-house bids in order to keep their jobs. Colleagues found themselves in competitive relationships with each other, some becoming contractors and others providers (Audit Commission 1993). Moreover, the drawing up and monitoring of contracts required the skills of lawyers and accountants rather than elected councilors. Majors Environment Secretary Michael Heseltine produced a consultation document, The Internal Management of Local Authorities, stressing that the control and co-ordination of large workforces would no longer be the central management task. The paper looked for speedy decision-making and strong leadership, advocating local cabinets, appointed council managers or, most radically, directly elected US-style mayors with high public profiles. The latter had held little appeal to Heseltines party but, in a February 1998 consultation paper, Modernizing Local Government: Local Democracy and Community Leadership, the new Labour Government declared itself very attracted to the model of a strong directly elected mayor (para 5.14). The promised Greater London Authority was seen as a suitable flagship for innovation. Here the mayor, served by three or four deputies and a small bureaucracy of around 250, would set policy objectives and an annual budget (of some  £3.3 billion). The role of the councilors in the assembly would be approving rather than determining the budget. Responsibilities of the new mayor would include public transport, the fire brigade, strategic planning, trunk roads, traffic management, the ambulance service and possibly the arts. In addition, responsibility for the Metropolitan Police Force would be taken over from the Home Secretary. The potential power of the new office would be considerable, and both main parties showed alarm as the names of some of their more maverick members were canvassed. For Labour leader Tony Blair, the nightmare candidate appeared to be the left-wing Ken Livingstone, ex-leader of the old GLC and extremely popular with Londoners. The nightmare became reality in May 2000. There was an expectation that this model would be extended to other major cities. All 494 councils were asked to submit plans to central government showing how they would separate the decision-making role from that of representing constituents. Three options were offered: †¢ a leader elected by the council who would appoint a cabinet from the council A directly elected executive mayor who would appoint a cabinet from the council A directly elected mayor working with a full-time manager appointed by the council Conclusion The general election of May 1997 saw the end of an 18-year period of Conservative rule during which the administrative landscape of the state had been radically recast. Few corners of the public sector could be said to have escaped some aspect of the winds of change which included privatization, agencification, CCT, market-testing, public-private partnership ventures, the emergence by stealth of the new magistracy and the general spread of a private-sector managerial ethos. In opposition, the Labour Party had maintained a prolonged crusade against most of the reforms, and many supporters had looked forward to the advance of the political bulldozers to level the ground. In power the party kicked off with a number of significant constitutional moves over devolution, the electoral system, the ECHR, the House of Lords, the Bank of England and the reform of local government. However, the party in power termed itself New Labour and preservation orders appeared over the recently privatized sector; indeed further privatizations were soon mooted in the cases of the Royal Mint and Air Traffic Control, and the remodeled Civil Service and NHS. In local government grant-maintained schools remained under the term foundation schools, and the replacement of CCT with Best Value was, in the eyes of critics, little more than cosmetic (Theakston, Fry, 1998). Moreover, there remained something very much like a capping regime over local government expenditure. In managerial terms, the three Es of effectiveness, economy and efficiency continued as the holy trinity. As the millennium closed it was safe to say that, while the British public sector would remain in the state of flux allowed by its vague and unwritten constitution, the substructure had seen some tectonic shifts from which there would be little reversal.   Reference: Audit Commission (1993) Realising the Benefits of Competition: The Client Role forContracted Services, London: HMSO. Birkinshaw, P. (1997) Freedom of information, Parliamentary Affairs, 50, 1:164-81. Chapman, R.A. and Toole, B.J. (1995) The role of the civil service: a traditional view in a period of change, Public Policy and Administration, 10, 2:3-20. Elcock, H. (1991) Change and Decay: Public Administration in the 1990s, Harlow: Longman. Hennessy, P. (1990) Whitehall, London: Fontana.   Hood, C. (1991) A public management for all seasons, Public Administration, 69, 1: 3-19. Jones, B. (1997) Wales: a developing political economy, in M. Keating and J. Loughlin (eds), The Political Economy of Regionalism, London: Frank Cass. Kingdom, J. (1999) Centralisation and fragmentation: John Major and the reform of Local Government, in P. Dorey (ed.), The Major Premiership, Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp 45-7. Klug, F., Starmer, K. and Weir, S. (1996) Civil liberties and the parliamentary watchdog: the passage of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Parliamentary Affairs, 49, 4:536-49.   Lowndes, V. (1997) Change in public service management: new institutions and new managerial regimes, Local Government Studies, 23, 2:42-66.   Mandelson, P. and Liddle, R. (1996) The Blair Phenomenon: Can New Labour Deliver? London: Faber.    Nicholson, E. (1996) Secret Society, London: Indigo. Osborne, D. and Gaebler, T. (1992) Reinventing Government, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Rhodes, R.A.W. (1994) The hollowing out of the state: the changing nature of the public service in Britain, Political Quarterly, 65:138-51. Rhodes, R.A.W. (1997) Understanding Governance: Policy Networks, Governance,Reflexivity and Accountability, Buckingham: Open University Press.   Richards, D. (1996) Recruitment to the highest grades in the civil service-drawing the curtains Open, Public Administration, 74, 4:657-77. Wagstyl, S. (1996) Nice work if you can get it, The. Financial Times, 18 December, 23. Theakston, K. and Fry, G.K. (1998) Britains administrative elite: permanent secretaries 1900-1986, Public Administration, 67, 2:129-48.   Ã‚   Thompson, B. (1997) Conclusion: judges as trouble-shooters, Parliamentary Affairs, 50, 1:182-9.   Drewry, G. and Butcher, T. (1991) The Civil Service Today (2nd edn), Oxford: Blackwell.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Analysis of VP28 Gene in White Spot Syndrome Virus Infection

Analysis of VP28 Gene in White Spot Syndrome Virus Infection Temporal analysis of VP28 gene in White spot syndrome virus infected fresh water crabs Chiin Nei Chinga, Mansi Parihara, R. Sudhakaranb* aSchool of Bioscience and Technology, VIT University, Vellore – 632 014, Tamil Nadu, India. *bAssistant professor, SBST, VIT University, Vellore – 632 014, Tamil Nadu, India. ABSTRACT Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Disease emergence is a concern in wild fisheries due to environmental pressures, the direct impact of human activities and the risk of pathogens spread from aquaculture. Common viruses are Taura syndrome virus (TSV), white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), and the necrotizing hepato pancreatitis bacterium (NHP-B). The White Spot Syndrome Virus is the most economically devastating viral pathogen to global shrimp aquaculture production and has been proposed to be capable of infecting all decapod crustaceans. WSSV is an enveloped ellipsoid virus, which belongs to the genus Whispovirus of the family Nimaviridae. VP28 is one of its major envelope proteins, and plays a crucial role in viral infection. In this study, the proteins of the infected crab were purified using SDS page and then Western Blotting was performed to extract that particular protein. The VP28 protein will appear as specific bands in the blot. Keywords:Â  Aquaculture, White spot syndrome virus, VP28, SDS-Page, Western blotting. 1. INTRODUCTION White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is one of the major shrimp pathogen that causes a high mortality rate of 90-100% within 3-10 days of infection (Lightner, 1996). Natural WSSV infections have been found in captured and cultured specimens of the mud crab. WSSV is an enveloped ellipsoid virus, which belongs to the genus Whispovirus of the family Nimaviridae. In addition, WSSV can also infect a wide range of hosts including both decapod and non-decapod animals with more than hundred species described to date. So far, the genome from three different WSSV isolates has been sequenced. Sequence analysis showed that WSSV contains approximately 500 putative open reading frames (ORFs), most of which have no homology with any known genes or proteins in public databases. Till now, more than 50 structural and non-structural proteins were identified. Tools such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nested PCR, originally developed by Lo etal., have been widely used and recommended by the Office of International Epizootics (OIE) to be used as standard diagnostic methods for the detection of WSSV. Despite their excellence in specificity and sensitivity, these methods were not suited in some circumstances due to their complications, the requirement of thermal cycler, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. Moreover, the classical agarose gel electrophoresis with ethidium bromide staining, following the visualization under the ultraviolet (UV) transilluminator required to analyze the result of PCR products. Western blotting identifies with specific antibodies proteins that have been separated from one another according to their size by gel electrophoresis. The blot is a membrane of nitrocellulose or PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride). The gel is placed next to the membrane and application of an electrical current induces the proteins in the gel to move to the membrane where they adhere. The membrane is then a replica of the gel’s protein pattern, and is subsequently stained with an antibody. Therefore, these features could be limited their applications, particularly in the resource-limited areas and non-laboratory environments such as at the pond or station sites. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1. Tissue homogenate preparation: Gills, muscle, hepato pancreas and Head soft tissue from the crab infected with WSSV were homogenized in 1:10 suspension with NTE Buffer. It was then freeze and thaw for three times then centrifuged at 5000 rpm for 5min. The supernatant were collected separately in a tube and stored at -20Â °C. This supernatant was used for protein analysis. 2.2. Protein estimation: Lowry’s method was performed for the estimation of protein in order to know its concentrations (Lowry et al., 1951). 2% sodium carbonate in 0.1N sodium hydroxide (Reagent A) 0.5% copper sulphate in 1% potassium sodium tartrate (Reagent B) Alkaline copper solution: Mixed 50 ml of solution A and 1 ml of B prior to use (reagent C) Folin Ciocalteau reagent (Reagent D) Protein standard stock: 50 mg of bovine serum albumin (fraction V) was weighed and dissolved in distilled water and made up to 50 ml (1 mg/ml) Working standard- diluted 1ml of stock solution to 5 ml with distilled water. (200 Â µg of protein/ml). 2.3. SDS-PAGE: SDS-PAGE is currently used to determine the molecular masses, and also to investigate the subunit composition and the domain structure of proteins. TAE Buffer (1X) was poured in tank which maintain the temperature and pH of the gel. Gel was prepared and protein sample is mixed with bromophenol blue which act as a tracking dye. Then it was loaded into the well and electric current of 50V is applied into the tank which is later on increase to 100V when the dye contacts the resolving gel. When the dye reach the end of the resolving gel it was taken out and stain with the help of Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 (methanol-50 ml, distilled water 40 ml, glacial acetic acid 10 ml) for 1 hour and de-stain the gel by immersing in the de-staining solution (65 ml of distilled water, methanol 10 ml and 25 ml of glacial acetic acid). 2.4. Western blotting: Transferring of the protein into a membrane The membrane can be either nitrocellulose or PVDF. PVDF requires activation with methanol for one minute and is then rinsed with transfer buffer before preparing the stack. After stacking, the electro transfer is carried out for 90 minutes at a constant current of 150 mA set by maintaining the voltage at maximum. Transfer to the membrane and checked using Ponceau Red staining before the blocking step. (PVDF cannot be stained). After ponceau staining, wash the nitrocellulose membrane with TBST for 1 min at room temperature. Blocking and Antibody incubation Block the membrane for 1 hour at room temperature in blocking buffer (10 % milk in TBST). After blocking, incubate the membrane in primary antibody (1:1000 dilutions) in 2.5% milk in TBST overnight at 4Â °C. Wash the membrane for three washes using TBST for 5 minutes each. Incubate the membrane with secondary antibody (1:2000 dilutions) in 2.5% milk in TBST at room temperature for 1 hour. Wash the membrane in three washes of TBST, 5 minutes each. Add ECL reagent (Solution A and B in 1:1 ratio) on to the membrane and spread it thoroughly on to it using a pipette. Remove the excess reagent and place the membrane on to the x-ray cassette and expose to x ray film in the dark room. An initial 10 sec exposure should indicate the proper exposure time because due to the kinetics of the detection reaction, signal is most intense immediately following incubation and declines over the following 2 hrs. 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3.1. SDS-PAGE: Fig.1 SDS-PAGE which shows different bands under white light. Lane 1- Gill; Lane 2- HST; Lane 3- Muscle; Lane 4-Hepatopancreas. The polypeptides of purified virus were resolved by SDS-PAGE using discontinuous buffer system. In 12.5% acrylamide gel, the purified virus yielded different polypeptides base on their molecular mass in which lower molecular weight will elute faster as compared to those having higher molecular weight, which were Visualized on Coomassie brilliant blue R 250 staining. 3.2. Western blotting: Fig 2. Western blotting Viral polypeptides separated by SDS-PAGE were electrophoretically transferred to nitrocellulose membrane (0.22 ÃŽ ¼m) in transfer buffer (192 mM glycine, 25 mM Tris and 20% methanol, pH 8.3), at 0.8 mA/cm2for 1 h. it was later on view by using film to visualize the relative abundance of proteins Discussion By performing SDS-PAGE, (fig.1) we can determined the different molecular weight of polypeptide. The difference in the number of the polypeptide may be attributing due to the difference in concentration of the resolving and other physical conditions. The western blot analysis of proteins of semi-purified white spot syndrome virus separated on 12.5% gel (fig.2) showed different number of immunogenic proteins based on its molecular weight. Out of these, those proteins, which stained more intensely, were considered as major immunogenic proteins. However, further studies are needed to establish its immunogenic nature and feasibility for its use as vaccine. Because electrophoretic separation of proteins is always carried out under denaturing conditions, the problem of solublization, aggregation and co-precipitation of target proteins with adventitious proteins are eliminated. REFERENCES [1] Lowry, O. H., N. J. Rosebrough, A. L. Farr and R. J. Randall (1951): Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J. Biol. Chem., 193(1), 265-275. [2] van Hulten, M. C., J. Witteveldt, S. Peters, N. Kloosterboer, R. Tarchini, M. Fiers, H. Sandbrink, R. K. Lankhorst and J. M. Vlak (2001): The white spot syndrome virus DNA genome sequence. Virology, 286(1), 7-22. [3] Seetang-Nun Y, Jaroenram W, Sriurairatana S, Suebsing R, Kiatpathomchai W (2013)Â ­: Visual detection of white spot syndrome virus using DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles as probes combined with loop-mediated isothermal amplification. Mol Cell Probes, 27(2):71-9. [4] Maurice Pagano (1999): Application of electrophoresis and related methods, such as western blotting and zymography to the study of some proteins and enzymes. Analytica Chimica Acta, 83(1–2): 119–125. [4] Lightner, D. V. (1996): A Handbook of Shrimp Pathology and Diagnostic Procedures for Diseases of Cultured Penaeid Shrimp. World Aquaculture Society.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Optimization and Production of Siderophore

Optimization and Production of Siderophore Production and optimization of siderophore from plant growth promoting rhizobacteria Abstract The aim of this study was to optimize the production of siderophores by bacterial strains isolated from rhizosphere soil. Chrome azurol sulphonate assay confirms siderophore production by all 30 bacterial isolates. Maximum siderophore production was observed with strains S-6 and S-26 on standard succinic acid medium. Siderophore production was found to be influenced by different carbon, nitrogen and amino acid sources. Optimization of SM medium nutrient composition enhances siderophore production. The pot culture experiment clearly demonstrate the beneficial effect of strain S-6 and S-26 with significance increase in biometric parameters of soybean. Effect of rhizospheric bacterial isolates (S-6, S-26) on siderophore production was estimated by detecting the iron in soil as well as plant by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The iron concentration of soil was decreased after treatment from 38.32 ppm to 26.66 ppm and the iron concentration of plant was increased from 10.18 ppm to 36.05 ppm after treatment with S-6. Key words: Siderophore, Optimization, PGPR Introduction Iron plays a key role in electron transport, oxidation–reduction reactions, detoxification of oxygen radicals, synthesis of DNA precursors and in many other biochemical processes [1]. Being a transition element, iron gets rapidly oxidized from soluble ferrous (Fe2+) to insoluble ferric (Fe3+) state. In order to facilitate iron(III) acquisition, plants and microorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria, produce and excrete strong iron(III) chelators, i.e., siderophores [2]. Siderophores (Greek: iron carrier) are small, high-affinity iron chelating compounds secreted by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and grasses [3]. Microbes release siderophores to scavenge iron from these mineral phases by formation of soluble Fe3+ complexes that can be taken up by active transport mechanisms. Many siderophores are non-ribosomal peptides [3], although several are biosynthesised independently heterologous siderophores or its producer organism may bring about various responses in other targe t bacterial species that are present within the same niche. Growth of some species may be inhibited and this has been attributed to be one of the mechanisms by which biocontrol agents’ act in inhibiting the growth of pathogens in the rhizosphere [4]. PGPR produces extracellular siderophores (microbial iron transport agents) which efficiently complex environmental iron, making it less available to certain native microflora. Siderophore production by PGPR is influenced by source of C, N and minerals found. Plant growth benefits resulting from PGPR application include increases in germination rate, root and shoot weight, lateral root growth, leaf surface area, chlorophyll content, nitrogen content, and yield. In general, yield can be enhanced up to 10% for cereal crops and 15 to 50% for different vegetable crops with PGPR applications [5]. Ability to produce siderophores by an organism under iron limiting conditions can promote plant growth by directly supplying iron for plant u tilization and by removing iron from the environment for the growth of phytopathogens thereby reducing their competitiveness [6]. Materials and Methods Thirty isolates were isolated from rhizosphere soil of agricultural fields located in semi arid regions of India. Selected isolates were identified based on the biochemical analyses. Further 16S rRNA gene sequencing was carried out for identification of bacterial isolates. Amplification of the 16S rRNA gene was attempted by PCR using 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolate was submitted to NCBI and compared with related gene sequences. Selected sequences were aligned in Bio-Edit. Phylogeny was examined by neighbour-joining dendrogram using MEGA software. Screening for siderophore production For siderophore production, isolates were screened on iron depleted succinic acid medium. After incubation, the cell free supernatant (10,000 rpm for 15 min) was examined for siderophore production by FeCl3 test and CAS agar plate method. Nature of siderophore produced by the isolates was ascertained by Arnow’s [7], Csaky’s [8] and Shenker’s [9] assay. The amount of siderophore in the culture supernatant was quantified by Chrome azurol sulphonate (CAS) shuttle assay. Various physico-chemicals parameters were optimized for siderophore production [10]. Effect of Incubation time on siderophore production The selected isolates showing high siderophore production were inoculated in this SM broth and the flask was then incubated on shaker at 150 rpm Production of siderophore was estimated at regular time interval [11]. Effect of pH on siderophore production The effect of pH 4.0 to 10.0 on siderophore productions was studied in succinic acid medium by adjusting the pH before inoculating the strain with 1N HCl and 1N NaOH and keeping all other condition constant. Sample were harvested at 24 h, each set was subjected to siderophore quantification [12]. Effect of inoculum size on siderophore production To study the effect of inoculum size on siderophore production was studied in succinic acid medium by inoculating the strain S-6, S-26 with 0.5 %, 1.0 %, 1.5 %, 2 %. The production flasks were then incubated on shaker at 150 rpm, and maximum siderophore production was checked by harvesting the sample at 24 h [13]. Effect of different sugars on siderophore production To study the effect of different sugar on siderophore production was studied in succinic acid medium which was individually supplement with different sugar such as glucose (1gm/l), glycerol (1gm/l), sucrose (1gm/l), dextrose (1gm/l), mannitol (1gm/l), and keeping all other condition constant. Sample were harvested at 24 h, each set was subjected to siderophore quantification [14]. Effect of different organic acids on siderophore production To study the effect of different organic acids on siderophore production was studied in succinic acid medium which was individually supplement with different organic acid such as succinic acid (4 gm/l), oxalic acid (4 gm/l), malic acid (4 gm/l), citric acid (4 gm/l). Each set was separately inoculated with strain S-6 and S-26, incubated on shaker at 150 rpm for 24 h at room temperature. After incubation each set was subjected to siderophore production [15]. Effect of different amino acids on siderophore production To study the effect of different amino acid on siderophore production the succinic acid medium was individually supplemented with 0.05 gm per 50 ml of cystein, lysine, threonine, tyrosine, and serine. Each set was separately inoculated with strain S-6 and S-26 and incubated. After incubation of 24 h each set was subjected to siderophore quantification [12]. Effect of nitrogen source on siderophore production To study the effect of different nitrogen source on siderophore production the succinic acid medium was individually supplemented with 1 gm/l of ammonium sulphate, urea. Each set was separately inoculated with strain S-6 and S-26 and incubated. After incubation of 24 h each set was subjected to siderophore quantification [13]. Influence of iron on siderophore production In order to determined threshold level of iron at which siderophore biosynthesis repressed in organisms under study. Both the cultures were grown in the medium supplemented with 0-100 uM of iron. Reports showed increase in growth of Pseudomonas with increase in FeCl3 concentration revealing that presence of FeCl3 is vital for its growth [6]. Pot trials and measurement of biometric parameters of Glycine max L Two isolates were selected on basis of their high siderophore producing activity for pot study. The plant chosen was Glycine max L and cultures designated as S-6 and S-26 were used. Soybean seeds were soaked in 0.02% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min and washed five times with sterilized distilled water. Seeds were coated with 1% CMC as adhesive. Then seeds were treated with bacterial strain for 30 min. seeds were sown in each earthen pot filled with sterile sandy loam soil and watered regularly. For each treatment, three such pots were maintained. Uninoculated seeds were sown in pot served as control. After 30 days of plant growth, plant were carefully uprooted from sand. Intact root system was carefully uprooted to prevent breakage. The plant growth promoting parameters such as root length, shoot length, fresh weight, , dry weight, number of leaves, number of lateral root and chlorophyll content were recorded [10]. Detection of iron in soil as well as in plant by using AAS (Atomic absorption spectroscopy) Atomic absorption spectrophotometer with following accessories; HVG (Hydride vapor generator) GFA (Graphic furnace Atomizer) was used to determine the concentration of iron in soil and plants [16]. Results and Discussion Isolation and Screening Thirty isolates were isolated from rhizosphere soil of agricultural fields located in semi arid regions of India from Rajasthan and Gujarat and screened on iron depleted succinic acid medium. CAS assay based on the color change (colored halo) around the microbial colonies from blue to orange after chelation of the bound iron by siderophores produced by isolates [17]. 16 out of 30 isolates were positive for the siderophore production. The positive isolates were S-1, S-2, S-3, S-4, S-5, S-6, S-7, S-17, S-21, S-23, S-24, S-25, S-26, S-28, S-29, and S-30. The zone diameter was measure around positive isolates on CAS agar plates (Table 1). Quantitative determination of bacterial siderophore All Positive rhizospheric bacterial isolates produced moderate reaction with the hydroxamate assay [7] while S-6 and S-26 which showed higher siderophore production (36.5 ug/ml. 33 ug/ml respectively) as compare with other bacterial strain (Figure 1). However, any isolate did not show catecholate [8] and carboxylate [9] type of siderophore. Identification The two isolates showing maximum siderophore production- S-6 and S-26 were identified based on 16S rRNA assay.They were Rhizobium and Enterobacter respectively. The sequence was submitted to NCBI and compared with related gene sequences under the accession number KF984469 and KF984470 respectively. Selected sequences were aligned in Bio-Edit. Phylogeny was examined by neighbour-joining dendrogram using MEGA softwar. Optimization of the conditions for maximum siderophore production Optimization of various parameters and development of media are the most important criteria for the overproduction of siderophore. Various physical and chemical factors have been known to affect the production of siderophore such as incubation time, pH, inoculum size, different sugars, different organic acids, different amino acid, different nitrogen sources, different concentration of iron. Interactions of this parameter were reported to have a significant influence on the production of the siderophore. Hence several cultural parameters were studied to optimize the siderophore production from S-6 and S-26. Effect of different incubation time on siderophore production For the optimization of incubation time for maximum siderophore production sample was harvested at interval of every 24 h, 28 h, 48 h, and 52 h and centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 10 mins. Supernatant used for the siderophore production. The results obtained were shown in the graph for S-6, S-26 isolate (Figure 2). From the graph it was concluded that maximum siderophore production was observed at the end of 24 h and declined thereafter. However, overall trend of siderophore production level during time course study are similar in both the isolates. On the other hand in pseudomonas fluorescens the siderophore synthesis started after 12 h of incubation, which increased up to 28 h and declined thereafter [15]. Moreover, in case of strain MR-AI and WR-W2 highest accumulation of siderophore level was observed after 94 h of growth but both the strain demonstrate a significant decline in siderophore production level after 120 h of growth [18]. Effect of different pH on siderophore production pH plays an important role in  the solubility of iron  and thereby  availability  to the growing  organism in the medium. For that production media was set at different initial pH 4 to10 pH in  order to check the effect of pH on siderophore production by culture S-6 and S-26. The result  was shown in graph (Figure 3).

Love, Death and Transformation in Ginger Snaps Essay -- Film Movie Gi

Love, Death and Transformation in Ginger Snaps On the surface, Ginger Snaps can be easily dismissed by critics as a typical B-rated teen-turned-werewolf movie. What distinguishes this movie from other horror films, however, is its subversion of the traditional perspective of its genre. The transformation in the film is suffered by Ginger Fitzgerald, a sixteen-year-old girl. This lycanthropy coincides with Ginger's first menstrual period, making the subject matter metaphorical for the often fearful transition into the sexuality and identity formation of adulthood. Moreover, the relationship between Ginger and her sister Brigitte deteriorates in such a way that is also emblematic of the human psyche's conflicts. As their paths diverge in the film, each sister is confronted with the instincts of love and death or aggression; Eros and Thanatos in Freud's terms. The focus here will be to view these salient themes in Ginger Snaps through the lens of Freudian analysis. More specifically, this paper will analyze the psychical conflict du e to complications of the instinct toward love or aggression, as represented in the metaphorical transition into adolescence and the relationship between the two sisters. The Sisters Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald share a close relationship that becomes challenged as the narrative progresses. Ginger, who is a year older, is the more dominant, while Brigitte takes a more subordinate role. Both girls are late bloomers, and in Freudian terms, their outlooks and relationship with one another can be seen as the result of an extension of their latency periods. The girls do not deal well with their transition into adolescence—they recognize the budding sexuality of their peers and are th... ...emale sexuality or the "castration" undertones. Female viewers, on the other hand, could be angered by the characterization of female sexuality as being something monstrous and almost inhuman. This is the kind of response, however, that can bring into a dialogue contemporary society's prevailing notions of sexuality. BIBLIOGRAPHY Class Reader, Glossary. "Freud and the Literary Imagination." Compiled by Professor Richard Gray, 2006. Freud, Sigmund. The Ego and the Id. The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1989. Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its Discontents. The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1989. Ginger Snaps. Dir. John Fawcett. Story: Karen Walton & John Fawcett. Perf. Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle. Lions Gate International, 2000. Love, Death and Transformation in Ginger Snaps Essay -- Film Movie Gi Love, Death and Transformation in Ginger Snaps On the surface, Ginger Snaps can be easily dismissed by critics as a typical B-rated teen-turned-werewolf movie. What distinguishes this movie from other horror films, however, is its subversion of the traditional perspective of its genre. The transformation in the film is suffered by Ginger Fitzgerald, a sixteen-year-old girl. This lycanthropy coincides with Ginger's first menstrual period, making the subject matter metaphorical for the often fearful transition into the sexuality and identity formation of adulthood. Moreover, the relationship between Ginger and her sister Brigitte deteriorates in such a way that is also emblematic of the human psyche's conflicts. As their paths diverge in the film, each sister is confronted with the instincts of love and death or aggression; Eros and Thanatos in Freud's terms. The focus here will be to view these salient themes in Ginger Snaps through the lens of Freudian analysis. More specifically, this paper will analyze the psychical conflict du e to complications of the instinct toward love or aggression, as represented in the metaphorical transition into adolescence and the relationship between the two sisters. The Sisters Ginger and Brigitte Fitzgerald share a close relationship that becomes challenged as the narrative progresses. Ginger, who is a year older, is the more dominant, while Brigitte takes a more subordinate role. Both girls are late bloomers, and in Freudian terms, their outlooks and relationship with one another can be seen as the result of an extension of their latency periods. The girls do not deal well with their transition into adolescence—they recognize the budding sexuality of their peers and are th... ...emale sexuality or the "castration" undertones. Female viewers, on the other hand, could be angered by the characterization of female sexuality as being something monstrous and almost inhuman. This is the kind of response, however, that can bring into a dialogue contemporary society's prevailing notions of sexuality. BIBLIOGRAPHY Class Reader, Glossary. "Freud and the Literary Imagination." Compiled by Professor Richard Gray, 2006. Freud, Sigmund. The Ego and the Id. The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1989. Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its Discontents. The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1989. Ginger Snaps. Dir. John Fawcett. Story: Karen Walton & John Fawcett. Perf. Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle. Lions Gate International, 2000.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Willa Cather Describes Erotics of Place in her Novel, A Lost Lady Essay

Willa Cather Describes Erotics of Place in her Novel, A Lost Lady To discover an erotics of place in Willa Cather's A Lost Lady, takes little preparation. One begins by simply allowing Sweet Water marsh to seep into one's consciousness through Cather's exquisite prose. Two paragraphs from the middle of the novel beckon us to follow Neil Herbert, now 20 years old, into the marsh that lies on the Forrester property. This passage, rich in pastoral beauty, embraces the heart of the novel-appearing not only at the novel's center point but enfolding ideas central to the novel's theme: An impulse of affection and guardianship drew Niel up the poplar-bordered road in the early light [. . .] and on to the marsh. The sky was burning with the soft pink and silver of a cloudless summer dawn. The heavy, bowed grasses splashed him to the knees. All over the marsh, snow-on-the-mountain, globed with dew, made cool sheets of silver, and the swamp milk-weed spread its flat, raspberry-coloured clusters. There was an almost religious purity about the fresh morning air, the tender sky, the grass and flowers with the sheen of early dew upon them. There was in all living things something limpid and joyous-like the wet morning call of the birds, flying up through the unstained atmosphere. Out of the saffron east a thin, yellow, wine-like sunshine began to gild the fragrant meadows and the glistening tops of the grove. Neil wondered why he did not often come over like this, to see the day before men and their activities had spoiled it, while the morning star was still unsullied, lik e a gift handed down from the heroic ages. Under the bluffs that overhung the marsh he came upon thickets of wild roses, with flaming buds, just beginning to open.... ...arsh. A final glimpse of marsh turned wheat field comes in the fourth chapter of the novel's Part Two. Heavy rains have come to the Sweet Water valley, lifting the river over its banks and swelling the creeks. Cather reports that "the stubble of Ivy Peters' wheat fields lay under water," (121) raising the hope that Peters' intrusion upon the land is merely temporary, that given respite from human meddling, the marsh will reassert itself. I admit that this is my hope more than it is Cather's. But even if this is so, it is Cather who arouses the desire that invites me to hope. Works Cited Cather, Willa. A Lost Lady. Ed. Susan J. Rosowski with Kari Ronning, Charles W. Mignon and Frederick M. Link. The Willa Cather Scholarly Edition. Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 1997. Williams, Terry Tempest. An Unspoken Hunger: Stories from the Field. New York: Vintage, 1994.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Push and pull strategy of Motorola Essay

Push Examples of companies are a) For example, Motorola use a push strategy to make arrangements with large mobile phone providers, such as Sprint, Verizon and AT&T, who can advertise phones directly to consumers. Businesses can promote products to wholesalers and vendors through trade shows, contacting local retailers and providing attractive packaging and point of sale displays to convince consumers to buy. b) Second is Nokia, Nokia promote their products via retailers such as Carphone Warehouse. Personal selling and trade promotions are often the most effective promotional tools for companies like Nokia. For example, Nokia offering subsidies on the handsets to encourage retailers to sell higher volumes. Pros: 1. To develop this kind of positioning, all one has to do is look at the competition’s literature and come up with positioning that seems sufficiently different from the alternatives. Potentially saves time because it can be done without speaking to customers. Maybe a good first step in developing a go-to-market strategy. 2. Using a push strategy usually costs less money and draws more business, because companies negotiate with large vendors. For example, a producer selling a product to Walmart can receive most of its business from a single retail outlet, allowing the business to focus on its product manufacturing and supply chain while worrying less about its relationship with customers. Cons: 1. The competition may have it all wrong and have no idea about what customers really want, so trying to work around the competition’s messaging may be pointless, since they all have it wrong anyways-and company probably do too since the company haven’t spoken to any customers 2. Push strategies can rely too heavily upon large vendors, which limit a business’ pricing and flexibility when selling a product. For example, a large producer like Walmart may dictate the price at which the business can sell its products. Pull Examples of companies are a) A good example of a pull is the heavy advertising and promotion of children’s’ toys, Toyrus. Consumers will go to ToyRUs and ask for a toy that was advertised on the television, and then ToyRus will ask the wholesalers who will then ask the producers about the product and meet the demand. b) Second example is car manufacturing company, Ford Australia. Ford Australia only produces cars when they have been ordered by the customers. Applied to that portion of the supply chain where demand uncertainty is high production and distribution are demand driven no inventory, response to specific orders point of sale data comes in handy when shared with supply chain partners decrease in lead time difficult to implement Pros: 1. Removing Pressure. One of the primary attractions for pull marketing is to mitigate the pressure of conducting outbound marketing. Marketers do not need to actively persuade customers that they need the product; customers are naturally drawn to it. 2. A pull strategy can create large demand for products in a short time, especially if a new business has difficulty building up market share for its products. Businesses can easily solicit customer feedback on how to improve products. Also, dealing directly with customers enables businesses to cut out retailing middlemen. Cons: 1. Requires extensive customer interactions to identify the things that customers feel are the differentiated features of the product. It is difficult to done to get customer interaction. 2. Advertising expenses can be costly with a pull strategy, unless a business gets lucky with a viral marketing campaign. Building a brand can take years and cost millions before customers become loyal to a product line.