One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

In the decade of the 1960s there was a lot of complaints that came from the actors, directors and film enthusiasts. They clamour for a renaissance of Hollywood films. The movie industry was in a deplorable state, however, good fortune smiled on those who desperately wanted for change (Lev, 2000, p.5). In the 1960s up to the 1970s Hollywood went through a rebirth. It was known as the period of â€Å"great artistic achievement based on new freedom and widespread experimentation† (Kramer, 2005, p.1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the best example of â€Å"New Hollywood† is the blockbuster entitled One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This film exemplified â€Å"New Hollywood† based on unconventional techniques seen in the way the plot, theme, visual style and even the people that worked on the project such as the director, cinematographer and actor in the lead role. It is rare for a film to enjoy both critical and commercial success (Maltby, 2003, p.180). The Cuckoo’s Nest movie was embraced by the critics as one of the finest examples of Hollywood excellence. It won five major Oscar awards. But more importantly the masses gave their own feedback, giving the two thumbs up sign by voting with their money as they patiently brave the elements to stand in line to buy tickets and see the movie for the second and even the third time. This was not only beneficial to the studio but also on the main actor Jack Nicholson himself and according to one report, â€Å"By 1978, Jack’s share of the Cuckoo’s Nest windfall grew to $15 million, becoming the kind of annuity that just kept on giving †¦ completed on a $4.4 million budget, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest became the seventh-highest grossing movie ever† (McDougal, 2008, p.200). Jack Nicholson, Milos Forman an d Haskell Wexler came to Hollywood just at the right time when the movie industry in the United States was in the cusp of revolution. According to insiders, â€Å"The conditions for a revolution in Hollywood certainly seemed to be in place in the latter part of the sixties. There was the decaying regime: a studio system run by aging autocrats whose commitment to standardized technique and innocuous content seemed to make it impossible for genuine film artists to emerge in Hollywood† (Bernardino, 1991, p.1). Aside from that there was tremendous pressure to change. The bottomline is falling in most studios and this simply means that if it cannot produce a good movie that people will pay to watch then the golden days are over and they will have to learn how to file bankruptcy. According to film historians, â€Å"There was an external crisis: the initial challenge of television followed by the consolidation of its position as the mass medium, a situation which by the end of the sixties had led to truly alarming declines in the box office receipts of American movies† (Bernardino, 1991, p.1).Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Aside from that there were the discontented masses, the baby boomers and the educated young adults who are more than willing to break free from social restrictions (Bernardino, 1991, p.1). As a result some of the most spectacular films in Hollywood history were made such as films like The Godfather (1972); The Poseidon Adventure (1973); Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977) among others (King, 2002, p.46). Plot and Theme This film is a byproduct of â€Å"New Hollywood† as evidenced by the plot and theme. One writer even said, â€Å"With its narrative emphasis on institutional politics, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, reflects interestingly on the institutional structure of New Hollywood cinema itself† (Morrison, 1998, p.212). This is seen in the courageous use of material taken from a novel by Ken Kessey. It can be said that this is not the first time that a movie outfit dared to tell the story of mentally ill patients and the intriguing and sometimes frightening scenes inside a mental asylum. However, this is the firs time that a studio tackled the idea that the psychiatrists and the supposedly health experts are the villains and not the lunatics inside the mental institution. According to the author of the novel the book shows how the said institution was used not to help people but to separate those who are not willing to conform to social rules (Kesey, p.1). This was depicted so well at the end of the movie when the character played by Jack Nicholson was reduced to a â€Å"vegetable† reducing what was once a bubbly character into someone who could no longer resist the people bent to subdue him. The plot and theme of the movie is a perfect example of â€Å"New Hollywood† no t only because it experimented on visual style, cinematography and other elements of production but more so because the whole story of the movie talks about going against the grain. The whole film is an illustration of how Hollywood used to stifle creativity and ingenuity in the movie industry and how powerful individuals are pulling the string and everyone involved are mere puppets. â€Å"Old Hollywood† was defined using the character of nurse Ratched. The name itself is something that denotes the idea of a rat and a wretched place. A rat is understood to be a creature that cannot be trusted and can easily turn traitor because the â€Å"rat† is someone who cannot go against those in authority has to constantly obey rules and conventions. The story is a revelation of how destructive is a dictatorship and why absolute power corrupts. Movies that came out from â€Å"New Hollywood† is also a dagger aimed at the old methods enjoyed by giant studios and directors and producers who became too powerful for their own good.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The theme and plot of the story can be summarized in one statement: â€Å"McMurphy never lets rules – or even common sense – stand in the way of good fun† (Fish, 1984, p.10). It is this desire to experience happiness and fulfilment that has inspired the producers and creators of this film. Finally, the experimentation is also evident in the creation of the plot and theme of the movie. For instance, McMurphy was depicted as the suffering saviour. He seems to be portrayed as the Messiah but at the same time he is the worst example of what a Messiah should be, this is because he is uncouth, proud, and angry (Stone, 2000, p.92). But this ability to go against the conventional way of storytelling and film making sets this film apart. Visual Style Just like the other products of its time, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest can easily represent â€Å"New Hollywood† because of its striking visual style. If one will have an overview of the movies done in the 1950s there is a sense of predictability when it comes to how the director frames the shot and what are the things that are allowed to be within the frame. One example is the way the characters are framed in the scenes using tight shots. The camera focuses intently on the face of McMurphy and so the audience can feel and experience the nuances of his gestures and mannerisms. The same thing can be said with regards to the tight shot of Nurse Ratched. The visuals provided a complex character. She is soft-spoken and yet everyone is afraid of her. Even McMurphy at one point realized that he has met his match in Nurse Ratched. It must also be pointed out that use of colour or the absence of it intensifies the meaning of its scene. The first time the audience wer e acquainted with Nurse Ratched she came in wearing a black coat and then when she was ready to get to work she was transformed into this nurse wearing all white. This played well with the drab background of the mental institution and this is a good example of how directors in this particular era are not afraid to experiment on different techniques such as the different way they depicted violence. This can be seen in the way the main character was murdered, smothered by a pillow (Horwath, Elsaesser King, 2004, p.143).Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Director This film is an example of â€Å"New Hollywood† because of the director on the helm of film production. Milos Forman is not American-born. This is layered with complex implications. First, he is not tied to the conventional way of doing American films. Secondly, he brought with him the techniques that he had learned in Europe. Finally, he is used to experimentation and trying out new techniques. This is why the feel of the film was different as compared to other products that came out of â€Å"Old Hollywood.† Actor The actor that they brought in to play the part of Randall Patrick McMurphy is no ordinary actor. He is different in the sense that Nicholson exudes this aura of rebelliousness. He is a person who does not seem willing to conform to social norms. There are other actors that can play this part convincingly well but they are actors that are easily identified with the current system. But by bringing in Jack Nicholson as the actor in the lead role, the audience are immediately forewarned that this fellow will tend to break the rules instead of keeping them. Nicholson was not yet an established actor groomed by the studio. Nicholson is someone who is so talented and yet does not seem to fit in according to industry standards (Conner, 2002, p.6). Nicholson’s facial features, his mannerisms and his acting was just perfect for the part. It gave credibility to what he was trying to project on the silver screen. His character is desperately trying to go against traditions and norms and his superb acting allowed him to speak not only to the critiques watching the film but the ordinary people who felt that there is a need to experience freedom and not to be repressed by rules and traditions that has ensnared them for too long. Nicholson’s character is the personification of the challenge posed by those who are sick and tired of the â€Å"Old Hollywood† and are willing to stand up against institutional bullies. A comme ntary on the character of R.P. McMurphy clarified why this movie exemplify â€Å"New Hollywood† and it says: â€Å"McMurphy’s sanity takes the ward by storm: none of the patients have met anyone like him †¦ where the other patients were timid and quiet, McMurphy is cocky and loud; where they are unable to do more than snicker, his healthy laughter shakes the walls; where they are sexually repressed, he is self-proclaimed champion lover† (Fish, 1984, p.9). Cinematographer It was not only the actor and director that exemplify the new way of doing things in the â€Å"New Hollywood† it is also the cinematographers. The best example is Haskell Wexler who was the cinematographer of the said movie. Wexler typified the radical changes that were happening within the industry because he is a cinematographer who does not compromise easily when it comes to artistic freedom (Schaefer Salvato, 1984, p.247). His desire to experiment can be seen in the way he tried to capture the emotion of the scene using excellent camera work. One of the best example is the tight shot of Nurse Ratched as she lies on the floor after McMurphy tried to suffocate her. Uncertainty Before Success There was a tremendous degree of uncertainty when one is trying to do something for the first time. There was nothing like this movie in the history of Hollywood. If one will say that this is unprecedented, it would have been an understatement. A few days after the release here are some of the reactions from critics and moviegoers, â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest detonated like a nuclear revelation, touching a universal nerve and elevating Jack to superstardom in the process† (McDougal, 2008, p.198). The compliments kept coming and another commentary said, â€Å"Many theatres defied the usual one-week-in, next-week-out trend and extended the film for months †¦ the movie opened in Stockholm on February 26, 1976, and didn’t close until elev en months later† (McDougal, 2008, p.198). Conclusion It is rare for a film to enjoy both commercial and critical success. The movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was able to accomplish this rare feat. The reason given is that it is the by-product of â€Å"New Hollywood† and the proof also that the movie going public is looking for something new. This film exemplified â€Å"New Hollywood† because of the theme, visual styles, actor, director and cinematographer. Together they collaborated to create something unprecedented. The result was spectacular, it is one of the films that saved Hollywood and ushered in a new era in film making. References Bernardoni, J., 1991. New Hollywood. NC: McFarland Company, Inc. Conner, F., 2002. Hollywood’s Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Lucky Breaks,  Prima Donnas, Box Office Bombs and Other Oddities. VA: Brassey’s, Inc. Fish, P., 1984. Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. New York: Ba rron’s Educational Series, Inc. Horwath, A., Elsaesser, T. and King, N., 2004. The Last Great American Picture Show: New Hollywood Cinema. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. Kesey, K., 1962. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. New York: Penguin Books. King, G., 2002. New Hollywood Cinema: An Introduction. New York: I.B. Tauris. Kramer, P., 2005. The New Hollywood: From Bonnie and Clyde to Star Wars. UK: Wallflower Press. Lev, P., 2000. American Films of the 70s: Conflicting Visions. TX: University of Texas Press. Maltby, R., 2003. Hollywood Cinema. MA: Blackwell Publishing. Morrison, J., 1998. Passport to Hollywood: Hollywood Films, European Directors. New York: State University of New York Press. McDougal, D., 2008. Five Easy Decades: How Jack Nicholson Became the Biggest  Movie Star in Modern Times. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Schaefer, D. and Salvato, L. 1984. Masters of Light: Conversations with  Contemporary Cinematographers. CA: California Universit y Press. Stone, B., 2000. Faith and Film: Theological Themes at the Cinema. MA: Chalice Press. This essay on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was written and submitted by user Rodolfo Mays to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Introduction Written by Ken Kesey in 1962, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a masterpiece that became an immediate success after its publication.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is a story about a mental institution where mentally sick people are confined for easy management and treatment; nevertheless, at a closer look, the story deals with issues like insurrection against conformity among others that the United States of America was grappling with during this time. All the characters in this story have some mental defects; nevertheless, others like Chief Bromden claim to be normal but after scrutiny the reader realizes that he is suffering from a common psychological condition; paranoid schizophrenia characterized by hallucinations among others as explained later in this paper. This paper deals with the character, Chief Bromd en, his life, health, sickness and gives a diagnosis coupled with suggested treatment of his mental health condition. Bromden’s background gives insight to his possible mental health problem as exposited next. Background Chief Bromden is the longest serving patient in this Oregon mental institution where he has been confined for the last ten years. He says, â€Å"I’m the one been here on the ward the longest, since the Second World War† (Kesey 17). As the story opens up, Bromden is paranoid, hallucinated, and ever fearing the unknown. A fog that shields him from reality covers his life most of the time facilitated by humiliation he gets from other patients especially the â€Å"Black boys’ and Nurse Ratched popularly known as the Big Nurse. He loathes meeting the Black boys; he actually prefers to stay alone and play deaf and dumb. As aforementioned, fear of the unknown clogs Bromden’s mind and he cannot hide it, not from the Black boys for they, à ¢â‚¬Å"got special sensitive equipment that detects my fear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kesey 3). His daily life is accustomed to bullying from the Black boys whom have nicknamed him â€Å"Chief Broom† due to his duties of mopping the floor. To confirm his suffering he says, â€Å"One swats the backs of my legs with a broom handle to hurry me past† (Kesey 3).Advertising Looking for report on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bromden has every reason to be paranoid as he reveals the contents of the Big Nurse’s handbag, which she uses in her daily duties, â€Å"wheels, and gears, cogs, needles, forceps, watchmakers’ pliers, and rolls of copper wires† (Kesey 3). It is important to note that, this is a mental institution manned by the Big Nurse and the above-mentioned tools are to be used to torture patients including Chief Bromden. On the other side, Bromden has personal issues far from the mental institution. He sees himself as a weak and small person despite the fact that he is 6 ft 8† tall. He admits that he used to be big but that is no more. His ‘bigness’ has disappeared to where he knows not. His confidence has melted away and its place taken by unfounded fear; something that he openly admits. He tries to remember the past but it brings equal fears as the mental hospital especially when he remembers a machine he calls Combine-a dark imagination of society as a conglobation of oppressive forces. Oppression to Bromden has been around since childhood. He recalls a time back when he was ten and some government officials visited his father, Chief Tee Ah Millatoona to discuss a possibility of buying a tribe land. Unfortunately, Bromden was alone in the house and the government officers acted as if he did not exist and this traumatized him greatly. Moreover, Bromden is named after his mother, Mary Louise Bromden, despite the fact that he had a father and people are named after their fathers insinuating a possibility of family problems. His past has nothing to celebrate; actually, â€Å"†¦like always when I try to place my thoughts in the past and hide there, the fear close at hand seeps in through the memory† (Kesey 6). This is the day-to-day life of Bromden coupled with trauma from electroshock treatments he received from the Big Nurse rumored to be around 200. Diagnosis Based on the information gathered from the background of Bromden’s life, he is suffering from paranoia also known as paranoid schizophrenia in modern psychiatry. â€Å"Paranoia is a thought process heavily influenced by anxiety or fear sometimes to the point of irrationality and delusion† (Freeman Garety 49). Kantor adds that, â€Å"Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs concerning a perceived threat towards oneself† (96). From the background information about Bromden, it is evident that he suffers from paran oia. Bromden’s thought process is based on unfounded fears and anxiety.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is true at some point his fears are founded on threats and mistreatment from the Black boys and the Big Nurse; however, most of the time his fears are based on anxiety of uncertainty of events. Moreover, recent psychiatry has given important insight to this condition by indicating that it may result from ‘persecutory beliefs’. Bromden has every reason to belief in persecution. As aforementioned, oppression has been around Bromden since he was ten years old during that incidence when government officials visited their home only to behave as if Bromden was not around. As a small boy, Bromden was just like any other child and research indicates that children hardly forget traumatizing events in their lives. Therefore, there is a high probability that Bromden carried this experience into adulthood and that is how he became accustomed to persecutory beliefs. In another concealed indication, Bromden is named after his mother as opposed to the normal way of naming children after their fathers. This insinuates that there might have been family crisis with Bromden’s mother dominating over his father thus causing Bromden trauma as a child. This again, is a source of persecutory beliefs. The issue of fear leading to irrationality and delusion sets in here. Bromden admits that there is a cloud of fear that hovers over his head though he cannot say where it comes from. He says that whenever he tries to remember his past, the immediate fear clogs his mind (Kesey 6). These are unfounded fears. He fails to explain what he calls, ‘immediate’ fear and this aligns well with a paranoid person. Again, he admits to McMurphy that a ‘fog’ that shields him from reality covers his life. He says, â€Å"When the fog clears to where I can see, I am sitting in the day room (Kesey 8). This fog is only in his mind and that is why he realizes he is sitting in a day room after the fog in his mind clears – this is delusions. Moreover, he assumes that the society is made of conglobation of oppressive people and calls them the Combine. This is still delusions founded on one’s perception. The fact that the environment surrounding Bromden is hostile and oppressive, it does not mean the world is oppressive too. There are good people out there. Paranoid schizophrenia fits Bromden’s situation best compared to persecutory delusions and paranoid personality disorder. According to Kendler, Czajkowski and Tambs, â€Å"Paranoid personality disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis characterized by paranoia and a pervasive, long-standing suspiciousness and generalized mistrust of others† (1589). The fact that Bromden came to trust McMurphy later in the story disq ualifies this disorder together with persecutory delusions, which follows the same line.Advertising Looking for report on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Suggested Treatment Like any other psychological disorder, paranoid schizophrenia has no laboratory tests. Therefore, psychologists prefer symptom management to curing the same and this proves the old adage; prevention is better than cure, right. Nevertheless, several intervention measures have been put forward to counter this condition in cases where symptom management is not applicable. Parnas and Jorgensen note that antipsychotic medication is the first step towards paranoid schizophrenia treatment (625). This treatment counters the psychotic symptoms prevalent in individuals. The newest and better antipsychotic drug is perphenazine. However, this drug is expensive and Bromden would consider taking risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine or ziprasidone for a period of eighteen months to improve the negative psychosis symptoms. Alternatively, Bromden would use olanzapine or clozapine; however, full dosage takes longer time thus raising the issue of patient compliance to take the full dose. Nevertheless, as aforementioned, non-drug intervention is the best form of therapy in dealing with paranoid schizophrenia. The best therapeutic interventions include both psychological and social interventions. â€Å"Psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy is widely recommended and used in the treatment of paranoid schizophrenia† (Moran 24). Psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy improves self-esteem, self-believe, and insight. Given the nature of Bromden’s situation, he is only disillusioned and psychotherapy tackles all these problems. Another option is, â€Å"cognitive remediation, a technique aimed at remediating the neurocognitive deficits sometimes present in schizophrenia† (Wykes. Brammer Mellers 146). This remediation has proved effective in the past and it would work for Bromden as well. Family members are another source of social intervention in this situation. Family members offer moral support and in most cases, they understand an individual better. Alternatively, education on the issue may help greatly once an individual understands how his/her problems work. In other cases, where medication, psychological, and social intervention have failed, â€Å"electroconvulsive therapy may be used† (Greenhalgh, Knight, Hind, Beverly Walters 150). Individuals may also consider movements formed by people suffering from the same condition like Paranoia Network. Finally, regular exercise has proved to be an all-time ‘therapy’, which counters most health conditions and paranoid schizophrenia, is not excluded. Conclusion One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a masterpiece revealing secrets that happens in mental institutions that many people do not know. Chief Bromden is one of the central characters; actually, he is the narrator of the story. From the beginning of the story, he is paranoid with a fog covering his mind most of the times. Unfounded fears dominate his thoughts coupled with anxiety. O ppression has been around him since he was ten. Based on the evidence gathered in his background information, Bromden suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Fortunately, there are several measures to counter this condition. Among them is medication using antipsychotics, sociological and psychological interventions among others. Exercise can also play a big role towards dealing with this condition. Works Cited Greenhalgh, John, Knight, Cole, Hind, Dwight, Beverley, Charles Walters, Simon. â€Å"Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness of Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depressive Illness, Schizophrenia, Catatonia and Mania: Systematic Reviews and Economic Modeling Studies.† Health Technol Assess. 2005. 9 (9): 1–156 Freeman, David Garety, Paulson. â€Å"Paranoia: The Psychology of Persecutory Delusions.† Hove: Psychology Press, 2006. Kantor, Martin. â€Å"Understanding Paranoia: A Guide for Professionals, Families, And Sufferers.† Westport: Praeger Press, 2004. Kendle r, Kelly, Czajkowski, Nemaja Tambs, Knight. â€Å"Dimensional Representations Of DSM-IV Cluster a Personality Disorders in a Population-Based Sample Of Norwegian Twins: A Multivariate Study†. Psychological Medicine, 2004. 36 (11): 1583–91 Kesey, Ken. â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.† New York; Penguin Group, 1976. Moran, Missy. â€Å"Psychosocial Treatment Often Missing From Schizophrenia Regimens† Psychiatric News, 2005. 40 (22): 24 Parnas, Joel Jorgensen, Andrew. â€Å"Pre-Morbid Psychopathology in Schizophrenia Spectrum†. British Journal of Psychiatry, 1989. 115: 623–7 Wykes, Taylor, Brammer, Myles Mellers, John. â€Å"Effects on the Brain of A Psychological Treatment: Cognitive Remediation Therapy: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Schizophrenia†. British Journal of Psychiatry, 2002. 181: 144–52 This report on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was written and submitted by user Billy Romero to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The skills we learn in school to became a sales pe Essays - Economy

The skills we learn in school to became a sales pe Essays - Economy The skills we learn in school to became a sales person ? A sales person is who sells goods and services to other entities. The amount of sales usually measures the successfulness of a salesperson he can make during a given period and how good that person is in persuading to make a purchase. If a salesperson is employed by a company, in some cases compensation can be decreased or increased based on the amount of goods or services sold. Understand what the buyer wants Sell in a buyer-responsive manner Use psychology to engage the buyer Establish trust with the buyer Communicate succinctly Act on what the customer is saying Demonstrate subject matter expertise Help (as opposed to close) their prospects Tell really compelling stories Are great copywriters Sell effectively over the phone Are socially active with target buyers Personalize their interactions Use a variety of marketing skills Help prospects achieve next steps Are more productive because of sales technology Tie daily activities to quota achievement Manage their pipeline like a portfolio UNDERSTANDING THE BUYER The most important of today's sales skills is simply understanding the buyer. It's the foundation of effective selling. But it involves more than just understanding who the buyer is. As my partner Craig Rosenberg likes to say, "This isn't just about knowing what brand of coffee the buyer drinks". Instead, it's about identifying the experience that the buyer wants to have as they consider making a purchase in your market. You buyer has a set of expectations about that experience and your job as a salesperson is to exceed those expectations. You can't exceed them if you don't understand the experience that the buyer wants to have. BUYER-RESPONSIVE SELLING When a salesperson understands the buyer, they can engage in what's called buyer-responsive selling. The idea here is to provide the buyer with what they want, when they want it. For example, if your buyer needs a trial to evaluate your product but can't allocate more than 30 minutes to it, give them a free trial. But don't just give them any free trial. Give them a free trial that is easy to set up, easy to use, and really demonstrates the value of your product in five minutes or less. One other point - buyers like salespeople who have skills! ESTABLISHING TRUST WITH THE BUYER Buyers like to do business with people they trust. The stereotypical used car salesman just isn't relevant anymore. Good salespeople view their ability to establish trust with the buyer as a core sales skill. Helping the buyer goes a long way in this regard, as does understanding what the buyer wants. CONCISE COMMUNICATIONS Given how busy the average buyer is today, a critical sales skill is to make sure that you communicate succinctly. The days of the silver-tongued, overly verbose salesperson are coming to an end. Buyers value how information is presented more than the information itself. Today, the preferred form of presentation is conciseness. A good rule here is to never try to communicate more than three important points in a single conversation with a buyer. CUSTOMER-DRIVEN RESPONSIVENESS A lot of sales leaders and pundits like to talk about good salespeople are good listeners. We think that goes without saying and that the best salespeople take action based on what they hear from their customer. It's not good enough to just listen. You need to internalize what the buyer just said and then do something about it. SALES SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE Salespeople aren't just vacuous portals anymore. They actually need to be subject matter experts in two areas. First, they need to understand the buyer. This involves knowing about the pressing issues that the buyer is facing and what the buyer wants as they work their way to a purchase. Second, salespeople need to know a lot about their own product or service. ALWAYS BE HELPING Buyers don't want to be closed; they want to be helped. That's why always be helping is the new always be closing (we just published a post on Always Be Helping ). ABH is more of a mindset than a skill. A lot of salespeople struggle with this, but you should try to remember it

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Labor Market and Minimum Wage - Essay Example ns for their youth the disemployment effects are smaller, and in countries where labor market is regulated the minimum wage standards have the least impact on disemployment (Neumark & Wascher, 2003). Labor demand in the present era is determined by the rapid changes in technology which have placed more emphasis on increasing productivity by dependence on computerization and software rather than the human workforce. This might present an inference that the average labor requirement will decrease as the industries become increasingly technology driven. However this is not true as the change will only be in the quality and not the quantum of workforce, as human input will be needed to run such technologies. Any increase in minimum wage usually affects the employment pattern of a country in a negative manner. The most affected are the younger workforce who usually work on much less wages and therefore become unemployed. The usual analysis of the effects of fixing a minimum wage were usually done by using a ‘time-series’ method where the impacts were studied over a specific period. However the approach misses on some aspects like the relation of data to other contributing factors such as recession and other labor market policies. A cross sectional data analysis approach was therefore preferable to arrive at a more pertinent and accurate conclusion ((Neumark & Wascher, 2003). The authors’ analysis suggested that other factors contributed much more towards unemployment rather than the fixing of a higher minimum wage alone. Recession was cited as one of the prime factors affecting employment patterns. Any increase in the minimum wages makes employment seem more attractive than studies to those in late teens and thereby disturbs the equilibrium. However with the latest trend of changes in the labor market from traditional industries like production and manufacturing to more sophisticated ones like the service industry and those involving technical knowhow like

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VIDEO 2 - Assignment Example All my dreams and ambitions for the future have literally gone down into the drains. ME: I understand your fears but I would strongly urge that you put away all that negative emotion and embrace life in its fullest now more than ever. You are right to assert that AIDS still has no cure but the ART therapy is there to ensure that you continue to live a healthy and long life. I will give you a small booklet featuring stories of HIV victims like yourself from all across the globe who have managed to survive with the virus for as long as 45 years. And who is to decide that you can’t go past that? Who determines whether you achieve or not? There are numerous patients around who discovered their status and yet set out into achieving their goals and dreams, and because of their extra-ordinary drive, many of them have since time immemorial been recognized by prestigious institutions and awards such as the Nobel – feats that ‘healthy’ (gestures with fingers to mean word ‘healthy’ is in quotes) folk like us can only dream of. In additio n, the mere fact that you have acquired the virus does not mean that you will die before everyone. Death can come in any form, for anyone, and at anytime of the day. I silently know in my heart from my interactions with life that I can walk out of this meeting and meet an untimely road accident and die or be left in a vegetative state, for instance. But this uncertainty in mankind’s life does not imply that we should stop living and dreaming for a better life. No. That would be to miss the point of living in the first place. Every day is a new possibility and one that must be cherished. So soldier on and choose for yourself whether you want to spend the rest of your life wallowing in self-pity or whether you want your name etched in the books of history. ME: I have known you for quite awhile now. I know you are talented in a number of ways and I want to see you use

Homework Wk 2 FIN444 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homework Wk 2 FIN444 - Assignment Example The website also contains articles and blogs that an interested party can find the information they require regarding the industry. It is also a platform where different insurance companies can prospect for business through featured products and price quotes to lure customers. What is interesting about this site is that it has information that anyone seeking to know about the industry can get. This may include students, industry competitors and customers to name but a few. In future I can use the website for different reasons which might include but not limited to seeking of an insurance product, investment in the industry and learning information lawyers.com is a website on legal matters. It contains information about the law profession for those practicing and for the potential clients seeking representation. It is divided into different categories where clients and those in the legal profession can easily navigate to get information that might be of use to them. Those who might be seeking legal representation can get one and lawyers find clients when they are featured. An individual seeking clarity on a certain legal question can post a query and get a response. The website also contains legal documents on different matters of interest to different people seeking them for this or the other reason. In future I can use the website to get information I might require for the various different reasons from the blogs, articles and through queries. I can get important legal knowledge on matters touching on different aspects of my life and situations. This is because ignorance is no defense in law. There are seven main general principles of insurance. Among them is the principle of insurable interest. Insurable interest is found when a person who taking the insurance gets financial or other kind of benefit from the use or existence of the object that was insured. In this case if it is a person, their continued

Effect of WWII and Pearl Harbor on the US

Effect of WWII and Pearl Harbor on the US In David Halberstam’s book, The Powers that Be, he states the following quote about World War II and Edward R. Murrow: â€Å"WWII was special and he was special.† World War II was special because it established the United States of America as one of the world’s superpowers, while the events at Pearl Harbor provided an example of how isolationism and detachment can lead to ignorance and subsequently, vulnerability. Murrow was also special, as he united the nation by detailing his experiences in the war front and setting forth a shift towards public transparency and enlightenment. The significance of the World War II and Murrow was their inspiration to achieve a level of awareness of foreign affairs in order to avoid a repeat of the events at Pearl Harbor and the wars influence on the rise of the United States. The hope for the United States to not get involved with World War II was never a realistic option. The conflict between the Axis Powers (Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany, and Fascist Italy) and the Allied Powers (Great Britain and France) were as much ideological as it was territorial. While the ultimate goals of each of the Axis Powers were different, they agreed on the desire to expand and to stop capitalism and democracy. When the United States signed the Lend-Lease bill in 1941, this brought more motivation for the Axis Powers to attack the United States. Later that year, Imperial Japan conducted a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, leading to the United States’ entry into World War II and ending American Isolationism. Not only was the idea of isolationism foolish, but it left the United States unprepared and unwary of an attack by Imperial Japan. The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong military whether or not the United States were in war. The significance of the attack on Pearl Harbor is not the attack itself but that it was such a shock and that we were unprepared for it. â€Å"The Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor decisively shattered the illusion of invulnerability that Americans had enjoyed ever since the end of the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century.† (Chafe et al, A History of our Time, page 9). Two lessons military strategists took from this experience was that â€Å"the nation’s military power must never again be allowed to atrophy† and that â€Å"technology and air power had so contracted the globe that America’s vaunted two-ocean barrier no longer afforded sufficient protection from external assault.† (Chafe et al, A History of our Time, pages 9-10). This episode of World War II not only drew the United States into the war but al so serves as a reminder of how past impartiality and ignorance left the United States vulnerable. While World War II left all the other participating countries devastated financially, territorially and militarily, the United States emerged relatively unscathed and actually stronger. â€Å"Of the major wartime combatants, only the United States emerged from the war stronger than when it began. The United States was the most powerful nation in the world.† (Chafe et al, A History of our Time, page 1). The total war nature of the war had brought together the people and citizens of the United States for the sole goal of victory. There was no separation between men, women, and children. Preparation of war helped boost the economy and eventually lead us out of the Great Depression. â€Å"The nation’s gross domestic product doubled between 1941 and 1945, bestowing the wonders of a highly productive, full-employment economy on a citizenry that had become accustomed to the deprivations imposed by a decade-long depression.† (Chafe et al, A History of our Time, page 8-9) . World War II had caused a breakdown of the European Empires and had established the United States as one of the new superpowers of the world. During World War II, a reporter by the name of Edward R. Murrow was broadcasting his first-hand experiences to the people of the United States. Unprecedented in broadcast journalism, Murrow put him and his team on the front line and in the action of the war. When Murrow caught wind that Adolf Hitler was going to Vienna to proclaim Anschluss with Austria, he flew to Vienna personally to cover the reaction of the people of Vienna in a March 13th 1938 broadcast. Murrow was also right there in the action during the dangerous times, such as the London Blitz. â€Å"I’m standing on a rooftop looking out over London For reason of national as well as personal security, I’m unable to tell you the exact location from which I’m speaking. Off to my left†¦ I can see just the faint red angry snap of antiaircraft bursts against the steel-blue sky†¦ Now you’ll hear two bursts a little nearer in a moment. There they are! That hard, stony sound.† (Murrow | M atusow, The Evening Stars, page 53). Murrow’s innovative broadcasts allowed the people of the United States to become aware of what was going on in the war, such as the London Blitz in the United Kingdoms, while America continued to exercise isolationism. Murrow’s ability to captivate the attention of and unify the American people stems from his mastery with words and his keen eye for talent. Murrow prepared his scripts by dictating them, as opposed to writing them, which made listeners feel like he was having a conversation and not just reading something. The details in his reports were stunning and provided listeners with strong visual images. â€Å"He had a flair for those small details that make a scene come alive; once he illustrated the eerie silence between air raids by putting his microphone next a pierced can of peaches, catching the sound of the syrup falling drop by drop.† (Matusow, The Evening Stars, page 52). Murrow connected to the American people by talking about the people they can relate to, the little people. â€Å"But I found that one bombed house looks pretty much like another bombed house. It’s about the people I’d like to talk, the little people who live in those little houses, who ha ve uniforms and get no decorations for bravery.† (Murrow, August 18th 1940). In addition to his prowess as a reporter, Murrow was also an excellent scout who surrounded himself with a strong staff. â€Å"Besides his gifts as a writer, reporter, and dramatist, Murrow was a superb judge of talent in others†¦ He looked for university graduates with a good, solid, print background. He didn’t care much what his recruits sounded like; they had to be able to think, and they had to be able to write.† (Matusow, The Evening Stars, page 53). Through his reporting, the people of America were able to become aware of the events of World War II despite the United States’ initial lack of participation. Murrow understood that the role of the press was to raise the level of awareness in the United States. He believed that news broadcasting was supposed to inform, not to just entertain. â€Å"This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise its nothing but wires and lights in a box. There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful.† (Murrow, RTNDA Speech, 1985). Murrow was special because he knew the importance of being well informed and he made sure to do that throughout his career as a reporter. World War II and Edward R. Murrow were significant because they helped contribute to the rise of the United States while highlighting the need for awareness of foreign affairs. While the United States ended up benefiting the most and losing the least from the war, the surprise attack by Imperial Japan on Pearl Harbor is still disturbing. American insistence on isolationism should not have left the United States so vulnerable to the surprise military strike. However, this event will go on to remind us never to allow ourselves be that ignorant again and to always be aware of foreign affairs. Murrow’s role in reporting also inspired America to be more aware of foreign affairs. His ability to captivate his American audience and articulate the details of the war front allowed the people of the United States to know what was going on in the war and how brutal it was. Had it not been for Murrow’s radio reporting, the United States may have not understood how important it was f or the United States to enter the war and put an end to Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany and continue to exercise isolationism despite the attack on Pearl Harbor. Through World War II and Murrow, the United States not only established itself as a world’s superpower, but also provided the blueprint to maintaining this power.

Essay --

Carla Molina December 19th, 2013 Period.8 Judicial Review Research ‘ Case One: â€Å"Georgia .vs. Randolph† Summary This case is about Scott Randolph, who’s home was searched without a warrant. Due to this â€Å"corrupted† search, police ended up finding cocaine in his home. As a matter of fact both Randolph and his wife Janet Randolph were present during the search, it’s stated that Randolph’s wife gave permission to search the house. However Randolph denied to give that consistent, but police believed that the wife’s permission was all they needed. After the encounter with the drugs, Randolph was arrested for drug possession. This case was taken to trail and both the appellate court and Georgie Supreme court believed that the search of Randolph's home was unconstitutional. Key Details & Ideas Majority Opinion: Said by Justice David Souter â€Å" In the majority opinion, compared the reasonableness of such a search to a more casual interaction.† He believes that the co-occupants consent is not valid because their was the refusal of an other occupant. Beside on the Fourth Amendment it states that â€Å" a valid warrantless entry and search of a premises when the police obtain the voluntary consent of an occupant who shares, or is reasonably believed to share, common authority over the property, and no present co-tenant objects.† Dissenting Opinion Said by Justice Scalia â€Å" It is an act of responsible citi... .... Madison was applied to this decision because the actions committed were unconstitutional. According to the Supreme Court the 8th Amendment was broken because the District Court of Appeal was giving a cruel and unusual punishment to Graham. The 8th amendment claus does not allow a juvenile offender to be sentenced to life in jail without a parole for a non-homicidal crime. Therefore Terrance could not fall through with this punishment. Opinion In my opinion, I actually agree with the court decision because yes although he did committed a crime, to be sentenced for life at young age is pretty harsh. I do agree that he should pay for his consequences but not to that extreme. They should honestly come up with a plan that suits his crime. Plus he has the right of the 8th Amendment, to not condone a cruel punishment if it does not suit the crime in which he committed.

Investigation into customer service at Safeway Willerby Essay

On Monday the 17th of February my Business group went to the Safeway Superstore in Willerby to interview the customer services manager, Andy Bostock. This was good customer service for us as it is a busy store and he gave up time for us, and with also been customers it was good that he acknowledged us. While we was at the store we were going to carry out an overt and covert investigation (see appendix 1) which means that we was to ask Andy Bostock some questions and we where going to carry out several observations throughout the store. This is where Safeway, Willerby is located: The Safeway store tries to ensure that all customers wants and needs are catered for and they have such things as: * Toilets * Florists * Photo processing * Cafe * Home entertainment department- which sells such things as CDs and TVs * Kosher food * In store banking * Bakery * Meat * Fish * Fruit and Veg * The deli * Chilled * Italian * Beers, wine and spirits * Frozen Food * Health and beauty * Lottery * Organic food * Passport photos booth The importance of customer service to Safeway is that with the store dealing with 20-23 thousand people on a weekly basis it is important that they deal with each customers needs and expectations. If this does not happen it will mean that customers may go else where to a rival store. When new recruits start at Safeway they are given and induction talk which covers every aspects of the job description. They are given work books to fill in and the management will check them to make sure that they understand everything what is asked from them. They do not have off the job training as everything they need to know is within the store so there is no need for them to go anywhere else. The only off the job training is for managers and they may need training in a new aspect of customer service or need re-training for example. They do not re-train their staff which means that they may not gain as much knowledge as they may need. This could be that they do not want to spend any money on retrain ing them, which in the long run is bad because it will mean that employees will not know what they are doing and when customers have a problem may find it difficult to deal with them on the spot. Their training is from 12-16 weeks and they cover every aspect on what department that are going to work on. They only let their employees work on one department because it means that they know the department really well and can deal with every problem, which comes up. This is a good point because all of their staff will know everything about the department and will work hard on it and make sure that all the work is done correctly. The bad point of doing this is that if a customer comes up to a member of staff who does not know anything about the department which the customer wants information on it may annoy the customer cost they will want the problem dealt with quickly. Read more:  Customer Service Investigation Safeway deal with any problems quickly as the always make sure that their is a spare employee to deal with the problem. Also if a customers comes up and asks them where something is within the store, they are trained to ask the customer whether they want them to take them or tell them. This is because the customer may want to make some other purchases before they go to the item what they are looking for, and the thing what they are asking for may be at the other side of the store and it may annoy the customer if they are taken their before making other purchases because they will have to go back on them self’s. When customers pay for their goods they get a receipt and this has information which is relevant to their purchases, but on the Safeway receipt it has the following information: * The store opening times- this means that customer will be able to see the next time the store is open. * Who the customer services manager is- this means that if the customer has a problem they can contact Andy Bostock as quickly as possible. * Who the till operator is- if you have a problem with something then you can report to the customer services manager and they can then deal with the person or give them more training if needed. * Advertising the Safeway magazine- it is making customers aware of the magazine so that they can pick it up. It also has the date, time, address and telephone number at the bottom of the receipt. This is so customers know when they made the purchase and if their is a problem they can contact the store my mail or telephone. (See appendix 2). This related to customer service because if the service what they get is bad, the customer services manager will know who did this and if they have done this before they will be able to discipline them. The information what the customer gets on the receipt is important to only to them but to the customer service manager. If the machine breaks down it will mean that it will effect the customer-employee relations. The methods of payments what Safeway have are cash, card and cheque. So this means what ever the customer wishes to pay with Safeway can deal with it. So this is good because if they only expect cash for example it will mean that if Safeway are not catering for all customers they will start to go elsewhere. Safeway do not offer a home delivery whether it will be by people doing it through the phone or via the Internet. This is because Safeway have never been interested in it and would rather spend their money on investing in other things which will be more beneficial to the employees and customers. With other competing companies such as Sainsburys offering this service it may be wise if they did look into it and if they did not get many customers then stop doing it. It would make it easier for older people to order online or via the phone, this would also be beneficial for people that are in a wheelchair as it means that they do not have to leave their home. Safeway do not have any members of staff who are trained in dealing with foreign customers, as they do not usually get a lot of them. If Safeway did decide to train someone in this it will mean that it will give them a good reputation will foreign people for understanding their needs. When a disabled customer comes into the store, Safeway make sure that they have all the assistance they need. They ask them if they would like a member of staff to help them shop, which is like a personal shopper this is because for example if a wheelchair customer comes in and the can not reach the top shelf for an item the personal shopper will be along side them to get the item. The cater for disabled customers by offering: 1. 6 Disabled parking spaces at the front of the car park so it doesn’t mean that they have to travel far to get their. 2. Have wide isles so that it is comfortable for wheelchairs to get through. 3. They have special trolleys which are trolleys that can just fit into an electric wheelchair so it means that they can carry on shopping easily. They also offer smaller trolleys for their customer who have a disability. 4. They have a disabled toilet at the front of the store. Safeway have realized that a lot of disabled people do come into the store, so they have made it easier for them to shop by offering these types of services for the disabled customers to use. Safeway decided to no longer have the crà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½che and make way for the home entertainment department this is because the home entertainment department will effect everyone as the crà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½che will only effect people who are bringing in small children. The crà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½che also lost its popularity with customers and Safeway where losing money on it and it seemed the right place to put it because customers have to walk through the whole store to get to the department. At the tills at the front of the store each one has a change draw and this is easy for the staff to use as if they need change quickly they have access to it and it means that customers will not get distressed. Safeway make sure that they have adequate staffing levels at all times and they do this by knowing what they sold the same time last week and giving the employees the hours on the tills. For example on a Saturday morning they may take à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10,000 so they will need more people on the tills to cater for all the customers, but on a Monday morning they may only take à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1000 so they will not need to have all the tills on, they may only need about 4. When it was Christmas they gave their customers who where waiting in the cue free mince pies which meant that they where offering a good customer service to all of their customers. Every department in the store has its own employees so if they is a promotion on alcohol for example it will mean that they will need more staff to get all the alcohol out onto the shop floor. They also have a night shift who work 10-7 which means that they get all of the stock from the stock room out for the morning and to make room for the delivery the next morning. This is good for the customers as they are getting the freshest products at any given time because as soon as it arrives it will be put out. When we looked at the stock room it was untidy which meant that it might be difficult for everyone to know where everything goes. They did not have a stock room manager, which for a store of that size is a bad thing, as not every member of staff is doing their job correctly. If a stock room manager was introduced it will improve the amount of damaged goods as well as improving the quality of the stock room. With their being no stock room manager it will be made easier for the staff to steal products and whilst we was their he said that there were a lot of unsolved theft and that they lose a lot of money in the Willerby store, and this could be the reason for this. They have eight cameras in the store and one main one on the alcohol department this is because this is the most common theft. This means that it is giving the customers a lot of security and makes them feel more save when they are their and they also have a security guard who works six days a week. When they call code 50 over the tannoy all male members of staff go to the front of the store to stop the thief, this is because if their is more than one the security guard will not be able to deal with them. This is done to make the customers feel more safe when they are shopping at the store. Their health and safety procedures are gone through on the day they get their training. It is important that all staff know the health and safety procedure incase of an emergency such as a fire. When it was the firefighter strike they where given extra training which consisted of videos and leaflets what Safeway came up with to make sure that they where aware of everything what was going on. They also put posters up in the staff room and in the stock room to always keep them aware of the dangers. They made sure that everything was double-checked to cover their backs. This was excellent customer service as they knew that fire fighters may not be able to get to the store incase of a fire, so they make sure that everything is checked for the safety of the customers. When the fire alarm goes off they can detect where about it is in the store and they will then go and see if it was set of deliberately or it was just a prank, and if it was deliberately they will then evacuate the store. Safeway’s buildings are not insured so this means that with the money what they save they can invest into other things what will benefit the company. But if their is a fire within a store and it gets burnt down they will lose a lot of money and last year two stores went down with fire and it meant that they got no money. So they have to take money from elsewhere. They also have a hazard book which employees fill in if they think there is a problem and this is checked everyday. It means that if there is a problem the management can deal with them quickly to benefit the customers and keep them safe. They have 1st aiders in the store all the time which means that if a problem does arise with a customer been injured they can deal with it quickly and correctly. The 1st aid facilities what are in the store are mainly for the employees not the customers. Safeway communicate with their customers by having the following things: * Tannoys- if a child is lost for example they could tannoy the child’s parent or guardian to come and pick them up * Leaflets advertising their special offers- making the customers aware of what they have to offer. These usually come through the post box with the free supplement newspaper what residents get. (see appendix 3) * Walkie-talkies between employees- they can contact each other if a problem comes up and can be easily dealt with. * Notice board- this informs the customers of any events coming up and what they are for. The ways in which Safeway assess and monitor the quality of customer service are that they used to have an ABC card and this could recognize how much money a certain customer spends in Safeway over a period of time. It was a point scheme where if you spent over a amount of money you would get points which in the long run would mean that you will get offers and free things depending on how much money you have spent. They stopped doing this when a new board of director came in and said that it was a waste of money and that money could be spent elsewhere. When we asked Andy on what he thought of it he said the same, and the money what would be saved in producing the cards could be spent on more productive things, but why does store cards work for other supermarkets such as Sainsburys and Tesco? ABC Card: Safeway used to have mystery shoppers but then that stopped because a mystery shopper was not a true reflection on the store as they have two mystery shoppers a month and the Willerby store gets 20-23 thousand customers a week. So the stopped doing this because they started to realize that it was not working. Safeway carried out a survey to get some feed back on what the customers though on the store and what the good and bad points. (see appendix 4) They survey was done by 60 people on Friday 5th April to Sunday 7th April. The survey covers the following things: 1. Hygiene 2. Staff 3. Checkouts 4. Solutions to improving staff service 5. Best in fresh 6. Items which where of a poor quality 7. Product and price 8. Availability 9. Who the shoppers are 10. Where else they shop 11. Suggestions for improvement The survey is then analyzed by head office and the management team of the Willerby store and they will talk about the results and what they are going to do with them and how to make improvements. This is very good customer service because it is giving the customers a chance to express any opinions they may have of the store whether it is good or bad. Also if they do make a suggestion or say what they think and the next time they go in it is dealt with it will make the customers feel as if they have say on what goes on within the store. The customer services desk is at the front of the store as soon as you walk in, which means that it saves the customer walking through the store and hopefully the problem can be dealt with by the people at the customer services desk. Customer complaints are dealt with by either phone, letter of face to face. They do not offer an email service where they can directly email the store with any problems which may need looking at as email is one of the most common ways of communicating. If a customer does complain Any Bostock (customer services manager) will personally deal with the complaint this is because this time he will know that it is dealt with correctly and the other point is why has the customer complaint and what can be done for this customer complaint to come about again. If its a face to face problem he will go to the customer services desk and try and ask the customer what the situation is and come to some compromise. If its on the phone, the customer services desk will try and deal with it then but if its a major problem Andy will take the call and deal with it appropriately. Then finally he will reply to any letter, which is sent to him regarding a customer complaint. The most common complaint is that customers are cueing to long at the tills. They try and deal with this by having enough staff to cover if there is a rush on and this is worked out by using the week before figures. If all tills are on and customers are still complaining the only way you can deal with them is by apologizing to them because their is nothing more you can do at that moment in time. They also had a suggestion box where customers could put in any suggestions or how the felt it would work better, but they had to stop doing this because it turned into a customer complaint box and they did not want this. Safeway need to come up with a new suggestion scheme as it is important for Safeway to understand what the customer wants and the best way is through suggestion schemes because it is easy to do and cheap to operate. Whilst I was at the store I carried out my own observations and I came up with the following results. The car park was shared with Iceland, Focus, Poundstretcher, Jonathan James, Francios and wickes. This meant that by having the store on a retail park it meant that customers could do other types of shopping if they needed to. Safeway did have its owns trolley parks that where scattered around the car park, which meant that customers did not have to walk back with their trolley where ever they are parked because it if they are old, they will not want to be walking back to Safeway with their trolley if they are parked at the other side of the car park. Other benefits what the car park had where: * 16 Child and parent parking spaces- these where directly outside the store so it a parent comes with a small child, the child is not running around the car park, they can just go straight into the store * 6 disabled parking spaces- These where next to the child and parent parking which are directly outside the store. Disabled people may find it had to walk across a big car park but with these parking spaces been their it is making it easier for them to cope. I personally feel 6 spaces is not enough, this is because quite a lot of retired people may be classed as disabled and they have the most free time as they do not have to go to work, so with expanding the parking spaces for the disabled they may create a new customer segment. * 2 Zebra crossings- These where going towards the front of the store where the entrances where. This is good customer service because if their is a lot of traffic and you can not make it across the road with the zebra crossings been their, it will make it easier for the customer. Safeway provide a variety of different trolleys for every type of customer. This is because if they have different types of trolleys it means that if customers only want a small shop their is small trolleys. The advantage of Safeway trolleys are that you do not have to put a pound in, this is good because a customer may not have a pound coin in change and if they dint they would have to go and get it changed before they even started the shopping. With the trolleys not having a pound put in them it means that they could get stolen and this would mean a loss in profits for the company because each trolley costs about à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50 to make. Also around the surrounding area there is always trolleys just dumped because they is no need to return them back to Safeway. All the trolleys are kept under a shelter which means if it does rain the trolleys are still dry so the customers do not have to dry them down. Types of trolleys: * Large trolleys * Medium trolleys * Small trolleys * One seat baby trolleys * Two seat baby trolleys * One seat child trolleys * Two seat child trolleys * Wheelchair trolleys * Baskets They also have a post box which is outside the store with a stamp machine inside the store (which was out of order), but the customer can also buy stamps from the confectionery desk which is next to the customer service desk. With Safeway selling stamps it means that if a customer wished to send somebody a birthday card they could get the stamp and post it all within the store. The post box is emptied several times a day to make sure that the post is delivered on time. Along with stamp machine they where a phone card machine and a savings stamp machine. The phone card machine only sold BT Cellnet cards which meant that if customers wanted to get a different one they would have to go to the confectionery desk because they do not sell the cards at each till. This is bad customer service because they may just want to do all their shopping at once and if they have to go somewhere else in the store it may distress them. With the savings stamps this is a booklet what customers can get and they can collect them over a period of time, usually up to Christmas so when it comes to do their Christmas shopping they will have an amount of money what they will spend. A savings booklet is a good idea because if a customer is buying a stamp a week, you know that they are going to come back at Christmas and spend it and hopefully more to do their Christmas shopping. The toilets what Safeway have are: 1. Ladies 2. Men’s 3. Disabled 4. Baby Change The toilets are at the front of the store which means that you can go to toilets before you start your shopping or after it, but if you go after shopping it will mean that you will have to leave you shopping unattended because their is no secure place where you can leave your shopping. When I went into the toilets I was not impressed with the standard of them, this is because as soon as I walked into them their was a smell which was very of putting and meant that I wanted to be as quick as possible. This is bad customer service because their was nothing done about it, if their was some sort of air conditioning in their it would make it easier. The floor was also very dirty and their was water all over the floor underneath the sink, which meant that the toilets are very rarely checked by the employees because in some toilets there is a sheet up to say when it was last checked and if there where any damages. If the toilets are not checked regularly it may stop customers from using them because of the standard of them. When I went into the toilets their where a lot of damages like holes in the wall and their where no bins so people where just dropping their rubbish on the floor. This gave the toilets and overall tacky feel to it and I personally would not use them again. If the toilets are not improved it may put customers of from using the store all together. The music of the store was aimed at the more older people, this is because this is their main target audience because you hardly get children or teenagers shopping in supermarkets. The music is controlled my head office which means that Safeway Willerby have no control which if the majority of customers are different from other stores they may wish to change the music slightly to make them come back. The music what they do play is very upbeat music, this is so that customers are feeling happy when they are shopping their. Whilst we where we was looking in the Entertainment department and we across and adult video which was on the second to bottom shelf which is easy for a small child to get hold of it. On the back of it had sexual images on it which meant that the child would be seeing them. This is very bad customer service because it is of adult content and its easy for the child to get hold of. On Safeway’s Website, the opening page is filled with information regarding a certain thing what is happening so for example the thing what is happening this month is Mothers day, so the opening is filled with information regarding Mothers day. (see appendix 5). They also have special offers what is making the customers aware of, so that they can purchase them. This can be food related or just other items such as dry cleaning and photo processing. They also have a recipe of the week, which is described in great detail as well as all their other recipes what you can look at online. Their Website is excellent customer because it is giving potential customers a chance to see what is happening within Safeway, and it is offering advice on the recipes that the customers may wish to make. Their Website also includes: * Store guide- this shows you where the nearest store is and how many miles away it is from your house. * Everything what is included in their stores from their specialized food to their service, which is not food related. * Company information- from the history of the company to the activities at the moment. * Drinks guide- this covers all the drinks from fizzy drinks to alcohol and expert advice is given. Overall Safeway’s Website is excellent because it covers all the information what you will need. Analysis of customer service: I am now going to analyze what the advantage and disadvantages are of Safeway Willerby in terms of customer service: Advantages Disadvantages With Safeway doing a survey it means that they are getting customer feedback which in the long run will benefit the company because with the results of the survey will they can improve the things what has gone wrong. There is no incentive of doing this and it is quite time consuming so the customers may rush it just to get through it, so if an incentive was launched they may be able to get more accurate results. The majority of their staff where of a mature age which meant that they had more experience with customers so they would know what they want. Also with employing older people it means that the management team will know that they are not coming into work with a hangover and they know that they are going to work well and not let them down, with the experience they have with customers. The toilets where a major disadvantage to Safeway Willerby this is because of the overall standard of them was poor. This gives the impression that Safeway Willerby are unhygienic and care very little about the standard of their customer service. If an employee checked the toilets every morning and afternoon, it could improve the standard a bit and it would reassure the customers that something is been done about them. With the security guard working 6 days a week, customers will start to pick up on when he is not their and they might try and get away with things such as theft. With him also working 6 days he will start to get tired and may not do his job properly. If another security guard was introduced it will mean that their is always a security guard in the store, this will assure the customers that they are safe with these security guards in operation.

Trade Between the United States and Malaysia

Trade Between the United States and Malaysia Free Online Research Papers The United States and Malaysia trade many products since the 1960s. The US exported to Malaysia 93,000 dollars in soybeans, 108,184 dollars in dairy products and eggs, 525,602 dollars in steelmaking materials, 163,461 dollars in plastic materials, 131,230 dollars in organic chemicals, 245, 501 dollars in generators and accessories, and 111,964 dollars in medicinal equipment. Malaysia imports electronics, machinery, petroleum products, plastics, vehicles, iron and steel and iron and steel products, and chemicals. Malaysia was the United States 21st largest goods export market in 2008. U.S. goods exports to Malaysia in 2008 were $12.9 billion. U.S. goods and services trade with Malaysia totaled $48 billion in 2007. Exports totaled $14 billion. Imports totaled $34 billion. The U.S. goods and services trade deficit with Malaysia was $20 billion in 2007. Malaysia was the United States 15th largest supplier of goods imports in 2008. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Malaysia was $17.8 bil lion in 2008. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Malaysia accounted for 2.2% of the overall U.S. goods trade deficit in 2008. The United States and Malaysia initiated negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in June 2006. The original Trade and Investment Framework Agreement between Malaysia and the United States started in 2004. Several years after the plans were made, there is still no concrete trade agreement governing the business relations of the two parties. With this, several conflicts were encountered and the barriers raised a lot of concerns. Export subsidies, intellectual property rights, pharmaceutical matters and other services were the main issues which also needed to be settled. The reason for not coming up with a concrete Free Trade Agreement is intensified by several speculations on who will really benefit from the trade. Obviously, on the Malaysian side, critics have been intensifying issues saying that the US gains more if not most of the advantages of the FTA. Some of the issues presented were: Competition, since Malaysia is one of the expanding markets in Asia, there is that assumption that US is a bit threatened of its standing in world economy. This was even supported by facts of its rivalry with that of Europe, Japan and China. Some Malays felt that the Americans are doing trade with them to be able to maintain its leadership in the global economy scene. Negotiation, again, Malays think that Americans are favored while the negotiation is being pushed through. They feel that there are more representatives from the US who were working for their own interests in the trading market. They also think that the US community are updated and consulted while the Malays know nothing about what is going on behind the negotiations. While the US-Malaysia FTA and its objectives have not been realized yet, there is nothing that the two governments should be worried about. After all, their government officials are the ones dealing with each other hence they know very well what transpires during their discussions. Pushing through with the FTA is possible without thinking about what critics are saying. More trade opportunities for US in Malaysian markets can be concentrated on. One good thing that Americans should take advantage of is Malaysias hosting of the 2009 Global Outsourcing Conference. This is to be held to provide techniques on how to solve the global economic crisis which had affected a lot if not all of the nations in the world. This is a good way to start picking up the missing pieces of the puzzle. The closure of large financial institutions in the US during the current year (2008) had made its way to hamper businesses in a lot of countries. With Malaysias concern to the existing problem, the 2009 Global Outsourcing Conference will tackle issues that will lead to outsourcing opportunities. The conference opens chances for employment not only for the benefit of the Asian continent but for the entire world as well. Malaysia was chosen to handle the Asian leg because of the success of the Information Technology World Congress held last May 2008. It ranks as one of our top 15 trading partners, with two-way goods trade between us of more than $40 billion. Two-way trade in services adds another $3.3 billion. The accumulated stock of U.S. foreign direct investment in Malaysia is more than $13 billion, much of it in the manufacturing sector. We have a positive trade and investment dialogue on all fronts, and we are eager to continue working with Malaysia to broaden and deepen our economic relationship in the years ahead. Bibliography Malaysia. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. . Trade in Goods (Imports, Exports and Trade Balance) with Malaysia. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. . US-Malaysia Trade Relations: A Diverse and Expanding Partnership. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. . Background Note: Malaysia. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. . WTO Trade Policy Review of Malaysia. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. . Research Papers on Trade Between the United States and MalaysiaDefinition of Export QuotasTwilight of the UAWThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaHip-Hop is ArtAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2The Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paper

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Introduction Benjamin Temple Franklin was born on January 6, 1706 in Milk Street, Boston. His father was Josiah Franklin, a tallow chandler who married twice while his mother was Abia Folger. Benjamin was the youngest son of his father’s seventeen children. He stopped going to school at the age of ten, and at the age of twelve, he was already an apprentice to his brother, James. The latter was a printer who published The New England Courant.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Benjamin became a contributor to this magazine, later becoming its nominal editor. However, Benjamin and his brother James later quarreled. This forced Benjamin to escape to New York, and thence to Philadelphia. He arrived in Philadelphia in October 1723, where he became a printer (Franklin 2). Benjamin was coerced by Governor Keith to move to London after working as a p rinter for several months. However, he found Keith’s promises empty, and he again worked as a compositor until a merchant known as Denman brought him back to Philadelphia. Denman gave him work in his business. Following the death of Denman, Franklin returned to his initial printing career. After a short time, he set up his own printing house in which he published The Pennsylvania Gazette. Benjamin contributed many essays to this publication, through which he aired views for local reforms. In 1732, he began issuing his well-known ’Poor Richard’s Almanac’. This was for the enrichment of which he borrowed his terse speeches of experienced wisdom, which are the foundation of a larger portion of his popular reputation. In 1758, Benjamin stopped writing for the Almanac and printed in it â€Å"Father Abraham’s Sermon†. The sermon is considered the most renowned piece of literature produced in Colonial America (Franklin 5). In the meantime, Benjamin was busy in the public sphere. He established a scheme for an Academy, which was adopted latter and finally developed into the University of Pennsylvania. He also founded an American Philosophical Society. This was for enabling scientific men to communicate their discoveries to one another. Personally, he had already commenced his research on electrics coupled with other scientific endeavors, which abandoned in the intervals of business and politics until he died. He sold his business in 1748 in order to get time to study.Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This was after he had acquired comparative wealth. In politics, he was at ease with being an administrator and as a controversialist (Franklin 7). However, his term in office was characterized by nepotism-related cases of advancing his relatives. His most significant service in home politics was his reforms of the postal sy stem. Nevertheless, his fame as a diplomat rested mainly on his services linked to the dealings of the Colonies with Great Britain and later with France (Masur 3). Franklin was sent to England in 1757 to explain to the people and the ministry of England the Colonial conditions (Franklin 10). After his return to America, he was vocal in the Paxton affair, an endeavor that saw him lose his seat in the Assembly. Nevertheless, he was re-dispatched to England in 1767 as agent for the colony. Franklin crossed to France in 1767 where he was warmly received. However, before he returned home in 1775, he had lost his status as postmaster following his role in exposing to Massachusetts the famous letter of Hutchinson and Oliver. When he arrived at Philadelphia, Franklin was elected a member of the Continental Congress. Two years later, he was sent to France as representative for the United States. In France, he remained the French favorite until 1785. He successfully conducted the affairs of h is country such that when he returned home, his reputation can only be compared to that of Washington. He is among the champions of American independence. Benjamin Franklin died on April 17, 1790 (Franklin 13). What made Franklin rise to economic success? Going through the above overview of Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography leaves the reader with the mouth agape. This is at the discovery of the multifaceted nature of the Franklin. Simply put, he was an all-rounded personality. He was at ease in politics as he was in science and writing, not to mention printing. He was, in deed, a practical factotum. Franklin’s autobiography, thus, can be read as a sort of ‘How-to Succeed’ manual for other Americans of his day and after. Franklin worked from the presupposition that wealth and status are objectives that motivate human beings in suffering. He added that these evolutionary vital aims could be attained solely in a cultural framework. Franklin expounded his astu te utilization of existing environmental circumstances, showing the viability of cooperative tactics in creating both wealth and reputation. Constantly, he underscored the gains of mutual philanthropy and related pro-social behaviors. His self-belief in the efficiency of cooperation is a reflection of his compassionate conviction that self-interest and community interest inescapably overlap (Masur 11).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Franklin, he rose to economic success through various strategies. One of the key tactics that Franklin used to become affluent and reputable was through industry and frugality. In deed, Franklin devotes a large portion of his autobiography to show how his eagerness to work hand and reduce expenses in order to achieve financial security helped him climb the economic ladder. Franklin also became successfu l economically because he underscored the viability of long term planning. His industrious and thrifty character aided him to become prosperous. This is because, at every stage in his life, Franklin had clearly defined objectives. For instance, he purported to educate himself in order to become a good writer, and own his business. With time, his goals grow in various ways. They contributed largely to his scientific research. His well-defined goals also helped him to practice effective community leadership, to the extent of achieving moral perfection (Masur 13). In order to become affluent and reputable Franklin also used competence as a strategy. He demonstrated that industry and frugality are not enough. The two traits ought to be propped up by competence for maximum effectiveness. This is evident in Franklin’s high level of skill in various capacities as a press operator, compositor, and supervisor. He asserted that his competence was instrumental in his quick rise to the a cquiring of his own printing house. The exemplary exhibition of this high skill later brought in gainful jobs and boosts demand for his services. Franklin’s competence as a writer also added to his rise to affluence and reputation by ascertaining the recognition of his newspaper and almanac (Masur 16). Traits that Franklin identifies as leading to success and prosperity In order to be successful, Franklin, in his autobiography offered readers with a number of traits that they ought to possess. One of these is silence. He held that a talkative person might end up benefiting others or oneself. As such, although it is important to remain silent, at times, talking is not altogether bad because it is not possible to determine when it will be valuable to him or her. Another trait that Franklin identifies as important in order to success is frugality. He believed that frugality enables expense for doing well to others or oneself. Therefore, for one to be successful, it is important to minimize expenses. However, this does not imply that one should not spend even when doing well to others or oneself (Masur 21). In addition, Franklin identified sincerity as essential in being successful. Nevertheless, he added that this should not be confused with hurtful deceit, which is condemned by this virtue. Franklin also believed that one has to be just in order to succeed. This virtue entails avoiding injuries to others or omitting the gains that are one’s duty. Franklin advocates also advocates for industry as a trait necessary for one to be successful.Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This virtue emphasizes the vitality of working hard at a useful endeavor. In addition, moderation is also highlighted as crucial as it stresses the value of cooperation even in hostile conditions. Franklin added that it is not worthy using moral righteousness as a scapegoat for aggression (Masur 25). In conclusion, although Franklin may have devoted much of his life in amassing wealth, it is also clear that his multifaceted life did not revolve around acquiring wealth alone. It was also dedicated to gaining community reputation and status. This is clearly evidenced in the way he enjoyed contrasting the depiction of his initial runaway predisposition as a runaway boy with the famous man he later became (Masur 29). As such, Franklin tends to suggest that for one to achieve complete success; his or her good traits must be visible to others. Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New York: Arc Manor LLC, 2008. Print. Masur, Louis. The Autobiography of Benjamin Fran klin, with related documents, 2nd edition. Boston: Bedford, 2003. Print.

A good man is hard to find Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A good man is hard to find - Research Paper Example The different cultural practices are slowly fading away as people continue to adopt cross-cultural adaptability. This has also led to the slow disappearance of the geographical boundaries and people are coming together to form one global unit. For the structure and experience of the  families in America, the 20th century was a period of significant change and evolution. By the 21st century, the old ideas of the patriarchal family structure where the father is viewed as the head of the family broke down. People started practicing family planning due to the harsh economic conditions. After few generations, the birthrate decreased and family units became smaller. This was a result of decrease in the number of families living together. By the 21st century, the rights of women and children slowly became acceptable (Coontz, 79). In the story by O’Connor, family roles take center stage. The size of individual families has been reducing and the demographic shift in composition has changed the structure and look of  American families. In 1900, families with seven or more people were common. The average household size in the U.S has decreased tremendously in the 20th century (Haines, 419-420). The single parenthood that is characteristic of the current American families is eminent in the story, since Bailey is the only child in his family and was raised by grandmother. The current American families are experiencing a rise in single-parenthood households. For the majority of the populations, the extended families are progressively reducing (Klein, 27). The readers view of the family is one that illustrates the disrespect and dissension that characterizes the current American familys relationships with one another. The story commences with Bailey’s mother trying to persuade him not to take family on a road trip to Florida. She shows him a newspaper article that is has a serial killer by the name of

Cross culture management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cross culture management - Essay Example Essentially, the organisational culture followed at IKEA in Sweden was very different from the Spanish culture which was experienced to be more hierarchical, more rule bound, and more aware of status than the Swedish culture. While the company appears to be very aware of culture and even uses differences in cultures to its advantages as reflected by its advertising campaign for the British, it found itself in a bind when it tried to export its organisational culture to branch offices of the company in different countries. As per the case study, The culture at IKEA is essentially Swedish in nature where decisions are made with the consensus of others, mistakes are a part of the learning process and creative approaches to problem solving are rewarded. Red tape is frowned upon and status barriers are discouraged while managers like to work closely with co-workers. It is essentially a culture of equality when business cards do not carry titles and employees are supposed to work their way up the company without any formalised training. In fact, any education given to the employees is through discussion and explanations which explains the philosophy of IKEA. The company seeks employees with open minds, positive communication skills, a good work attitude more than it seeks employees who have degrees in sales and marketing. This particular organisational culture came into direct conflict with the national culture of Germany where hierarchical systems are important and personal initiative is discouraged. Even something as simple as using the managers’ first name created issues and risk assessments procedures showed that the German employees functioned differently when it came to making choices from a set of given options. Similarly, informality in France was seen as a sign of weakness and indecision which was taken to mean that the employees could do