Analysis Of Maya Angelous The Bluest Eye - 1315 Words

A basic human’s psychological need for approval from those around them is well-known and well-discussed in the psychiatric world. This is especially true of children and the parental figures in their lives, including teachers and guardian figures. Throughout the novel The Bluest Eye, Pecola and the other children, Frieda and Claudia are desperately seeking the approval of their parents. However not getting the love and approval that they are seeking out leads to a sense of hopelessness from all of the girls, and in Pecola’s case, insanity. This hopelessness experienced by Pecola is very similar to the hopelessness of the bird in Maya Angelou’s â€Å"Caged Bird.† Both the caged bird and Pecola are longing for something that is essentially†¦show more content†¦Freedom for the bird is the equivalent of the love and approval that Claudia, Pecola and Freida all long for throughout The Bluest Eye. By lashing out in their different ways, the three girls and the bird all place themselves further away from the freedom and love they are seeking to gain through their individual efforts. By denying the girls adequate love and acceptance and the bird the ability to fly, they are all denied a piece of their own humanity and the ability to live a normal life. Pecola and the caged bird range in the use of coping strategies, from singing to having virtually none, in order to manage their situations. Like the caged bird, Pecola also â€Å"stands on the grave of dreams,† symbolizing the hopelessness that has come over the two. After being kept in a cage for so long, the bird as well as Pecola, long â€Å"of things unknown† that are simply unattainable; freedom for the bird and acceptance in the form of blue eyes for Pecola. Throughout the Bluest Eye, Pecola is deeply infatuated with having blue eyes. She is convinced that beauty is directly associated with whiteness, specifically blue eyes. She believes that if she somehow gets b lue eyes she will suddenly be beautiful in the eyes of those around her, and therefore lovable. After her father rapes her and her innocence dies, Pecola’s last shred of hope, her baby, alsoShow MoreRelatedThe Effects of Scientific Racism on Black Women Essay5776 Words   |  24 Pageshow important controlling Black womens sexuality has been to the effective operation of domination overall. The words of Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, Barbara Smith, and Alice Walker provide a promising foundation for a comprehensive Black feminist analysis. The Sexual Politics Of Black Womanhood Patricia Hill Collins Even I found it almost impossible to let her say what had happened to her as she perceived it ... And why? Because once you strip away the lie that rape is pleasant, that children

The Selfish Sacrifice - 910 Words

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is an unforgettable, powerful and heartrending novel of two friends bonded by childhood and of the forces that tear them apart. Amir, the protagonist, is a young boy who is constantly faced with the challenge to stand up for what is right, however, he always fails to fight his own battles and constantly depends on his friend, Hassan, for aid. Amir is emotionally unstable due to deprivation of love from his father, who is his only source of affection. He yearns to be accepted and acknowledged by his father, and he is prepared to do whatever it takes to earn his affection. On the day of the kite tournament, Amir sacrifices his friend’s innocence for the blue kite, which he believes will earn him Baba’s respect. However, Amir’s sacrifice of Hassan’s innocence is not worth Baba’s endearment and this can be clearly seen through; the loss of his childhood, the guilt that eats him from inside and the love which only lasts him momentarily. With every action comes a cost and Amir’s betrayal towards Hassan, costs him the loss of his blissful childhood. In the book, The Kite Runner, due to his guilty conscience, Amir is unable to enjoy his childhood, as the following quote implies, â€Å"But, always, my mind returned to the alley. To Hassan’s brown corduroy pants lying on the bricks. To the droplets of blood staining the snow dark red, almost black.’’ (Hosseini 96). This statement shows how Amir was unable to enjoy his school life, because his thoughtsShow MoreRelatedSelfishness Essay648 Words   |  3 Pagesself-interest. Contrary to popular opinion, all healthy individuals are selfish. Choosing to pursue the career of your choice is selfish. Choosing to have children#8212;or not to have children#8212;is selfish. Insisting on freedom and individual rights, rather than living under a dictatorship, is selfish. Indeed, even ordinary behaviors such as breathing, eating and avoiding an oncoming c ar when crossing the street are selfish acts. Without selfishness, none o f us would survive the day#8212;muchRead MoreEssay on The Necessity of Selfishness 1054 Words   |  5 Pagesbefore their own. They expected their offspring to submissively sacrifice incongruent desires and wishes. Parents did not tolerate selfishness from anyone at anytime. Then came the millennials, also called the me generation. The typical millennial, concerned only with his or her own happiness, pursues self satisfaction relentlessly. They only reflect upon their fellow man’s needs when it benefits them. Millennials have been called lazy, selfish, and worthless by their peers. This leads one to ponder selfishness’Read MoreA Righteous Sacrifice: Worth It or Not1138 Words   |  5 PagesA Righteous Sacrifice: Worth It or Not Many people are willing to sacrifice for what they desire, whether out of selfish or selfless motives they are willing to sacrifice themselves or others. This sacrifice is a costly and even puzzling act. One must wonder, is this sacrifice for better or for worse? Here are two stories that will show two different sides to this query. In Future Primitive â€Å"Hogfoot Right and Bird-Hands,† there is an old woman who lives sometime in the future. Her pet cat had recentlyRead MoreCompare And Contrast Abigail And John Proctor In The Crucible1049 Words   |  5 Pagesperson while John Proctor is seen as the good and honest character; even though he made some bad decisions.Throughout the play the two characters Abigail and John Proctor show many differences in the characteristics of: lying/truthfulness, self-sacrifice/selfishness, and fear/courage. Through the characteristics lying/truthfulness Abigail is very easily seen as the liar, John is more honest and truthful. Abigail lies to cover up her affair and to prevent charges of witchcraft. Abigail is most toRead MoreReligion And Its Impact On The Environment1452 Words   |  6 Pagesjust pushing them off and believing they are justifiable by God. If they truly want to follow God and his teachings, they would take care of the environment that he created, and take responsibility for their actions. As a whole humans are very selfish creatures. According to many great philosophers the difference between humans and animals is the presence of self-consciousness. Humans can distinguish their own thoughts and feelings from others, and act differently on that knowledge. Humans alsoRead MoreEssay about The Illusion of Love in Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily512 Words   |  3 Pagesan â€Å"eyesore among eyesore† (Para.2), with â€Å"a smell of dust and disuse† (Para.4). What darkens the once well decorated house? The tarnish is fake love. None of Emily, her father and Homer grasps the true essence of love—sacrifice and giving. First, the father’s love is selfish. As written in the last paragraph of the second chapter, his father â€Å"drives away† all the pursuers, (Para.14, Chapter 2) showing his love is so overwhelming that it keeps Emily away from any men. In this way, he has isolatedRead MorePersuasive Essay : The Selfish Gene 1733 Words   |  7 Pagesabout success in the wrong way. According to Richard Dawkins’ ‘The Selfish Gene’, we are all born with inherently selfish genes, in-built for our survival: to self-preserve, to keep oneself safe from predators, to get what you need and keep it to survive. But this does not fit in our current society. As Dawkins states himself, â€Å"Let us try to teach generosity and altruism, because we are born selfish. Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to, because we may then at least have the chance toRead MoreAlive Nando Parrado808 Words   |  4 PagesAnyone whose goal is something higher must expect sacrificing something bigger to achieve that goal. In life we have to take our goals and expand them and by doing so there are many sacrifices you have to do in order to obtain those goals. Sacrifices are all around us, some are bigger than others, making the goal higher and harder to get, but with a positive outlook and no fear in failing everybody can accomplish anything. When your own life is your goal than the risks are all you can take. It isRead MoreThe Myth Of The Wasteland781 Words   |  4 PagesSacrifice. The Wasteland will try to tear you down, make you a monster or strip you of your will to fight. The Wasteland†¦ and to a lesser degree, life itself. Every day is a struggle against the forces that attempt to compromise and erode anything good in your heart. It helps to have a cause, a purpose; but I have seen too many who have put their faith in those alone and been lead grievously astray. Every pony has a virtue, whether they realize it or not. And it is your virtue and your friendsRead MoreSummary Of The Giving Tree 1706 Words   |  7 PagesSilverstein called the tree â€Å"her†. This gave the tree a gender. Another use of figurative language used in The Giving Tree, is narrative poetry. The Giving Tree had many different meanings, but there was the one that kids’ moms are willing to self-sacrifice for them and they take it for granted. The poem, The Giving Tree, could be used as preparation for the future, by telling kids around the world how much thei r moms do for them on a daily basis and how much it means for them to get a â€Å"thank you†

Best Practices of Mergers and Acquisitions Free Essays

Running head: BEST PRACTICES OF MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS Mergers and Acquisitions: Best Practices for Success Abstract Mergers and acquisitions have become a growing trend for companies to inorganically grow a business within its particular industry. There are many goals that companies may be looking to achieve by doing this, but the main reason is to guarantee long-term and profitable growth for their business. Companies have to keep up with a rapidly increasing global market and increased competition. We will write a custom essay sample on Best Practices of Mergers and Acquisitions or any similar topic only for you Order Now With the struggle for competitive advantage becoming stronger and stronger, it is almost essential to achieve these mergers. Through research I will attempt to dissect the best practices for achieving merger success. Mergers and Acquisitions: Best Practices for Success When companies are acquired or merged, people almost immediately start to focus on the differences in the companies. They also begin to pay attention to who are the winners and who are the losers. It is typical in an acquisition for the acquiring company to see itself as the winner, and the acquired company as the loser. The controlling company wants to impose changes and view those in the acquired company as highly resistant to change. It is clear that most mergers and acquisitions are primarily based on strategic, financial, or other objectives. However, ignoring a potential mismatch of people and cultures can lead to strategic and financial failure. In most mergers, serious consideration should be given to cultural and leadership style differences. The success of a merger or acquisition can be defined as the creation of synergy. But every merger and acquisition is a unique event, occurring in a unique environment that is subject to various influences. Analyzing a merger should begin by understanding the culture and core values of the business that is being acquired. Ashkenas, DeMonaco, and Francis (1998) observed that â€Å". . . it is increasingly important that executives learn how to manage the integration of acquisitions as a replicable process and not as a one time only event† (p. 166). DiGeorgio (2002) has researched this topic extensively through the mergers and acquisitions of Cisco and GE Capital. Cisco approaches mergers by â€Å". . . (a) doing [its] homework to select the right companies and (b) applying an effective reliable integration process once the deal is struck†(DiGeorgio, 2002, p. 138). Cisco has in the past turned down deals with companies which did not fit within its strategy. Cisco looks at deals from the following perspective (DiGeorgio, 2002): 1. Are our visions basically the same? 2. Can we produce quick wins for shareholders? 3. Can we produce long-term wins for all four constituencies – shareholders, customers, employees, and partners? 4. Is the chemistry right? 5. For large MA, is there geographic proximity? (p. 138) GE Capital, on the other hand takes a more process-based approach to handling mergers. Since GE has performed plenty of mergers and it learns and grows from each one. The crux of its process is â€Å"[g]etting the right integration leader [which] constitutes 95 per cent of the success of an integration† (DiGeorgio, 2003, p. 139). This study highlights the importance of being proactive in pre-merger planning and offers advice to help ensure that the merger process will be a success. Within this paper, I plan to discuss the best practices companies can use to ensure a successful merger. These practices include timely merger planning, choosing the right leadership, focusing on corporate culture, communicating effectively, and engaging the staff, human resources, and middle management. Timely Merger Planning There is a lot of time and effort spent on finding good merger candidates and courting them only to fall through on the follow-up integration activities. As soon as serious discussions begin with a potential merger candidate, the integration planning efforts should begin. It is essential that acquisitions be assimilated into the parent as quickly and as smoothly as possible to minimize any losses in productivity and maximize opportunities between the two organizations. â€Å"There is good agreement that the first 100 days after a merger change set the tone, signal the troops about the real direction of the organization and its vitality†(DiGeorgio, 2003,p. 266) A slow integration process can actually worsen problems. Merger integration should not be treated as an after-thought. It is something that needs to be addressed uring the merger search and negotiations phase while there is time to minimize any negative impacts. Choosing the Right Leadership Choosing the right leadership, not only for the merger integrations, but also for the new combined company is important in terms of vision, mission, culture, and expectations. A leader should focus on the larger design of the new corporation. A leader has to resist the temptation to take the easy way out. It is not pleasant to deliver bad news or to be a naysayer, but it is necessary at times. It is also important for a leader to promote and ensure good morale. This starts with treating people with respect and listening to their opinions, rather than telling them what to do. â€Å"Leaders set the tone for the culture and for how relationships are going to unfold in the combined organization† (DiGeorgio, 2003, p. 260). Effective working relationships and increased trust developed among the senior executives will carry throughout the organization as a model of how the newly integrated organization will work. Senior executives need to establish the cultural rules of engagement in the new entity quickly and effectively. Company leaders should strive to provide as much transparency as possible to decision making and address employee concerns such as changes to roles and responsibilities, compensation and employee benefits as promptly and practical as can be performed. â€Å"Integration management is a full-time job and needs to be recognized as a distinct business function. . . † (Ashkenas et al. , 1998, p. 169). The role of the transition merger leader cannot be taken lightly. This person must make critical personnel, process, and structural decisions quickly. This role requires the mental tenacity to endure long meetings, tough questions, and low morale. The G. E. Pathfinder model as presented by Stopper (1999) suggests that it find an integration leader to direct these merger activities and get the necessary results done to have a successful integration. Stopper (1999) also suggests a few other skills and qualifications necessary to look for in this person which include experience in project planning and management, communication planning and implementation, expertise specific to acquisitions, and corporate culture familiarity. Research by Ashkenas (1998), on the other hand, believes a merger leader should have ability to facilitate integration activities, to help the acquired business understand processes of the new company, and to help his or her company understand the business that is being acquired. Leadership also needs to be held accountable for the success of the merger (DiGeorgio, 2002). The leader should have a sense of purpose and responsibility not only for his or her job but also for the company as well as the employees who work there. When leaders don’t exhibit this accountability, they can take a nonchalant attitude which can hinder any progress which has been made. Ensuring the appropriate leadership is in place from the start will present a successful blueprint for the outcome of the merger or acquisition. Focusing on Corporate Culture When companies merge there can be a clash of cultures, conflicting beliefs, and different norms. Organizational culture is important because it has been shown to have a significant impact on organizational performance. Cultures that support the missions, goals, and strategies of an organization provide a means for dealing with change and conflicts when they arise. â€Å"Cultural integration is ignored in the majority of business combinations† (Pekala, 2001, p. 32). Research has shown that because of cultural aspects, mergers often encounter difficulties in achieving the goals of the merger. While due diligence is performed on all of the financial aspects of a merger, one major reason that so many mergers fail is a lack of â€Å"cultural fit† (DiGeorgio, 2003, p. 259). Understanding how things are seen in the other cultures, learning mutual respect, and being open to exploring different points of view are the keys to the people factor in any merger or acquisition. â€Å"A sound MA integration strategic plan is as cultural as it is structural and entails both the welding of hard assets and a delicate/neurosurgery of minds† (Brahy, 2006, p. 54). Corporate culture tends to be viewed as a company having casual Fridays or working alternate work schedules. However, it runs deeper than the external characteristics. Pekala (2001) suggests that â€Å"merger partners need to zero in on the basic ways that decisions get made in their companies and how different approaches can be combined in harmony† (p. 32). The organization’s culture is simply how things are done in the organization. It could be as simple as putting the customer first or driving for excellence in safety. The challenges encountered when merging two different cultures are that either one or the other (or both) needs to change. The issue, then, becomes not just culture awareness, but culture â€Å"change management† (LaMarsh, 2006, p. 9) during the integration period. Building a new culture that combines the best of both previous cultures makes the new organization better, stronger, and more competitive than either of the organizations can be on its own. One way to build a new culture is by having representatives from both companies or organizations list the principles that currently guide its behavior and attitu des. Once this has been captured, both groups can then combine their efforts into a discussion of what type of cultural behavior is necessary to ensure that the best of both worlds is fairly represented. Brahy (2006) even suggest the acquiring company learn another language to help the merging companies feel more at ease and are accepting of their individual culture and traditions. Top management, however, must support this new combined culture. Management cannot force people to work together to build a new culture. As DiGeorgio (2003) notes â€Å"leaders set the tone for the culture and for how relationships are going to unfold in the combined organization† (p. 260). Control over the new corporate culture is critical to the success of a merger. Achieving cultural synergy is possible, but it takes work and effort especially on the side of leadership. Communicating Effectively Communication plays a very critical role at the time of a merger. Communicating with the employees is very important as they should not feel that they have been kept in the dark. It should be remembered that they are the most important assets of an organization and also major stakeholders. Most people understand that mergers and acquisitions take place for business reasons. But it is important to communicate the specific reasons and benefits of the merger. People may not like it, but if they see that it has a legitimate purpose, and the benefits are clear, then there is less resentment and employees are more likely to accept it. Mergers and acquisitions breed uncertainty, ambiguity, and fear among employees. Rumors often begin in organizations before the announcement of any impending merger is formally announced. â€Å". . . Trying to hide bad news such as layoffs by not revealing further details . . can damage morale and lead to turnover† (Messmer, 2006, p. 15). A good communication plan can help avoid complications by ensuring that employees understand the reasons for the deal, the objectives the organization is trying to achieve, and the potential benefits for everyone involved. In mergers and acquisitions, employees typically want answers to the following basic questions: †¢Will I have a job in the new organization? †¢Will my pay, b enefits and work locations change? †¢Will this merger be good for my career? These and other questions must be addressed soon after an announcement is made since productivity can suffer the longer employees have uncertainty. Straightforward, concise, and timely communication assists in building employee commitment and focuses employees on the day-to-day operations of the organization. â€Å". . . Communication minimizes the negative reactions of the acquired employees† (Brahma, 2007, p. 8). The faster employees feel connected to the new organization, the faster they will begin working toward the business objectives and understand what is expected of them. Research shows that organizations using effective communication strategies achieve the best results in productivity and shareholder returns. A good communication strategy is critical to a successful merger or acquisition. A successful plan cannot be reactive but proactive and it has to be included as part of the original merger plans. Nikandrou, Papaleaxandris, and Bourantas (2000) assert that â€Å"frequent communication does not imply that management should communicate every little detail of the process . . . t rather means that management communicates its concerns about employees . . . † (p. 336). An effective communication plan must take into account many elements such as the unique needs of various stakeholders, such as managers, employees, investors, customers, suppliers, and surrounding communities, need to be identified and addressed. Successful mergers only happen when upper managers make themselves visible and accessible to all employees affected by the merger. All e mployees need to experience the buy-in and support of their leaders for the merger or acquisition. Leaders need to be prepared to communicate the answers they do have and be open to stating what answers they do not have yet (Terranova, 2006). For leaders and managers to maintain credibility and trust with employees, they must be open and honest in dealing with these problems rather than choosing not to communicate at all. Engaging Staff and Middle Management People issues are often the most sensitive but also overlooked aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Organizations fail to realize that people have the capability to make or break the deal. It is important for organizations to address the viability of the integration on the human resources front. There are key resources within the organization that can help in handling people issues namely the employees, human resources, and middle management. Frequently there are a lot of people who get overlooked in the acquisition process; specifically lower-level employees who may be able to offer valuable input. They are the people who produce the profits, represent the company, and, ultimately, are the ones that will make the combined company succeed. Proactively engaging the employees can cultivate change agents for the acquisition making the entire process more desirable for all parties involved. â€Å"Managing change is a systematic process that requires moving through a series of action steps to predict and address the risk caused by potential resistance† (LaMarsh, 2006, p. 59). The best way for leadership to actively involve employees is to engage in active feedback sessions. This could involve setting up meetings with key people from various groups in the organizations and soliciting feedback from them (Messmer, 2006). Another suggestion could be to set up a website answer board where employees can ask the integration team or top management questions anonymously and view answers to other questions that have been proposed. Retaining and motivating employees is a major challenge for the human resource department of organizations. Actively engaging human resources early in the process can ensure merger success. Human resource leaders can play a key role in helping senior management identify, involve, and assess the key executives and other critical talent who will be vital for the success of the new business. Human resources can help facilitate employee question and answer meetings and are the most knowledgeable about current policies and procedures. Human resource skills are essential for the facilitation and negotiation processes regarding combining pay and benefits. Human Resource skills are also needed for supporting, counseling, and coaching line managers, who have to supervise their functions during very difficult times. Middle management also plays an important role in ensuring the success of a merger or acquisition. Communications with the middle managers will help to not only alm their fears and concerns but also help them understand what is in store for them. If middle managers are not kept in the information loop, it can lead to false information getting out that could damage morale as well as increase turnover. They need to fully understand the benefits not only to the organization but also to them as individuals. Once concerns have been dealt with, middle managers should be h eld accountable for implementation of the change. Without this accountability, they ultimately will not have a desire to change their behavior. Middle managers should become a positive part of the change process and they should not feel as if it is another program or process that is being forced upon them. Middle managers are the leaders that lower-level employees will look to for timely, accurate information. If approval of the merger is given at this level, then those under them will more than likely not give their approval either. Conclusion Several important lessons have been learned from the merger research conducted throughout this paper. When a merging with another company, managers should be focused on uniting the two companies as quickly as possible. Management should also be aware of the importance of starting the integration planning as soon as a definitive merger candidate is determined. Another important aspect of the merger process is a commitment to change on the part of leadership. Management needs to assign appropriate leadership resources to complete the transition successfully. Communication is also very critical even when there is nothing new to say. It is impossible to over-communicate throughout the merger process. Employees have an almost insatiable desire for information, and misinterpretation of silence and rumors are very common. Mergers are seen as a way to solve problems but it also creates a new set of problems as well as opportunities. Success in mergers and acquisitions rests not only on good strategic and financial planning, but also in the analysis of people issues. Making mergers work successfully is a complicated process which involves not only combining two organizations together but also integrating the people of two organizations with different cultures, attitudes, and mindsets. To ensure success in mergers and acquisitions there needs to be timely merger planning, the right leadership, cultural integration, effective communication, and the involvement of staff and middle management. References Ashkenas, R. , DeMonaco, L. , Francis, S. (1998). Making the Deal Real: How GE Capital Integrates Acquisitions. Harvard Business Review, 76(1), 165-178. Badrtalei, J. , Bates, D. (2007). Effect of Organizational Cultures on Mergers and Acquisitions: The Case of Daimler Chrysler. International Journal of Management, 24(2), 303-317. Brahma, S. , Srivastava, K. (2007). Communication, Executive Retention, and Employee Stress as Predictors of Acquisition Performance: An Empirical Evidence. ICFAI Journal of Mergers Acquisitions, 4(4), 7-26. Brahy, S. (2006). Six solution pillars for successful cultural integration of international MAs. Journal of Organizational Excellence, 25(4), 53-63. DiGeorgio, R. (2002). Making mergers and acquisitions work: What we know and don’t know — Part I. Journal of Change Management, 3(2), 134. DiGeorgio, R. (2003). Making mergers and acquisitions ork: What we know and don’t know–Part II. Journal of Change Management, 3(3), 259. LaMarsh, J. (2006). What mergers miss. Journal of Corporate Accounting Finance (Wiley), 17(2), 59-62. Messmer, M. (2006). Leadership Strategies During Mergers and Acquisitions. Strategic Finance, 87(7), 15-16. Pekala, N. (2001). Merger They Wrote: Avoiding a Corporate Culture Collision. Journal of Property Management, 66(3), 32. Sto pper, W. (1999, July). Mergers and Acquisitions: Fulfilling the Promise. Human Resource Planning, 22(3), 6-7. How to cite Best Practices of Mergers and Acquisitions, Papers

Romanticism Essay Introduction Example For Students

Romanticism Essay Introduction Romanticism is an artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th century and is characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on an individuals expression of emotion and imagination, a departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions. Romantic writers usually involve one or more of 7 different ideas associated with Romanticism in their writings. These ideas are: a profound love of nature; focus on the self and the individual; stress on emotion and not reason; fascination with the supernatural, mysterious and gothic; yearning for the picturesque, the exotic, and the misty past; deep-rooted idealism; passionate nationalism, or love of country. The stories and poems of Poe, Irving, Cooper, and Bryant involve these characteristics. In The Fall of the House of Usher an example of one of the 7 ideas is the mysterious atmosphere of the house and the people inside of it. In Bryants Thanatopsis a profound love of nature is shown.The other stories focus on the individual, like in The Devil and Tom Walker. Tom is focused on his own personal gain no matter what it costs. He is faced with meeting the devil and you know the rest.These are just a few examples but through reading the stories you can find the rest. Category: English

7 Essential Excel Tricks Everyone Needs to Know [Infographic]

7 Essential Excel Tricks Everyone Needs to Know [Infographic] Excel is an incredibly valuable tool. If used properly, excel can make you incredibly productive. Here are 7 excel tricks that you can use in order to be more productive in your every day life. Source: [CreativeCommons]

THE CONCERT essays

THE CONCERT essays I got early just as the teacher had told us to do I thought it was going to be a concert with pianos and great orchestras, but to my surprise when I saw the plan and took a look at it the first thing that I saw was the name of theChamber Ensembles? being a little bit early to the concert that gave the extra time that I needed to prepare myself for the concert. I was a little bit nervous, because I have never in my life been in a concert I have been to a lot of battle of the bands and all that kind of concerts, the concert was about to start so I got my paper and pen ready to take notes. The first piece was RicercarFa? From motteta trium vocum just by looking at the time that this piece was wrote it came to my mind that it was going to be a Baroque concerto but then again it was a little bit early to be in the baroque era, so it had to be renaissance era. This was a piece that I thought I have heard before it reminded me of a movie that I don't recall the title but it was about some Irish person I don't remember well enough, the piece was over and the audience response to this interpretation was enthusiastic. Everything was going swell the music that was play by the trio was smooth this gave a sense of relaxation in the audience even me, being a little bit sick with cold but the sound of the music relax me. I remember that one of the girl left her flute on the stand and I was wandering what she was about to do she stands up and the next piece begins and she begins to sing along in like with a virtuosos voice and the response to the end of the piece was a big applau se from the audience to the performers. This was the en of the UTB/TSC Early Music Recorder Ensemble. It was the time for the guitars to take stage the audience was not so silent I saw two men putting seven chairs on the stage so I came to the conclusion that there were going to be seven guitarist playing together, I got excited being a guitar player myself. The Guitar...

Globalization and Business IT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Globalization and Business IT - Research Paper Example al., 2008). Information technology (IT) and the globalisation of business have made the global supply chain very efficient and contributed to large profits in the business. Both IT and globalisation are aspects of modernisation and growth. IT sector is one of the most booming sectors and the globalisation focuses on the overall development of a country, market, sector and industry among others. Fedex, as a company, strongly believes in globalisation and therefore manages to provide its services globally. The company operates a large range of branded companies which come under the main brand Fedex, and all these companies serve logistics services. With the incorporation of IT, FedEx has been able to leverage superior globalised service by entailing technologically upgraded features in its global operations such as wireless technology and shipping along with tracking system (Network World Fusion, 2002; Cisco Systems, 1999; Butcher & et. al., 2008). Title IT and globalisation’s c ontribution to business for improving the supply chain cycle in a global scale: An illustration of FedEx Research Question For completing the proposed research, it is required to find out the contributions that are made by IT and globalisation in business and the process through which IT and globalisation has made the overall supply chain cycle more effective and contributed to greater profits in the business of FedEx. Therefore, for the completion of the proposed research study, the main question that will be addressed upon will be: How did IT and globalisation managed to improve the overall supply chain process in a global scale which resulted in improved business and profits for FedEx? Specific Project Objectives The... This essay approves that a proper understanding of globalisation and its positive effects in the context of supply chain should be understood and found. Apart from this, it should also be analysed that whether FedEx has already achieved a sustainable amount of growth or not. Whether the company has reached the saturation level or not? If yes, then are there any future scope of development for the company or does the company has any kind of future expansion plans. It is also required to be studied about the competitor companies of FedEx who are delivering similar services like the company to its customers. This report makes a conclusion that IT and globalisation are indeed very important factors contributing to the growth of business and it has made many contributions in changing the supply chain cycle. FedEx prioritises upon the concept of supply chain in a very prospective manner. However, there are few factors that require certain amount of understanding. The aim of this proposal has been to follow a proper research methodology which includes all the basic techniques of research and analysis for obtaining certain conclusion regarding the future plans, present operations, competitors and market standing of the company. In order to complete this proposed research, a questionnaire has been prepared which will be filled by the actual respondents/employees of FedEx and informal interviews will also be conducted in the company wherein the respondents will be the interviewee. These procedures will help in successful completion of the research by providing a clear picture of the operations in the company as well as the supply chain process that is currently being followed by the company and the different supply chain processes that the company may follow in the future.

Dewey and the New Vocationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dewey and the New Vocationalism - Essay Example John Dewey argues that workers often become no more than "industrial fodder" in a society controlled by money interests. Denied access to information and accumulated wisdom, workers are disempowered and removed from the realm of decision-making. This reality holds dramatic implications for the health of a democratic society. One such issue in the early 1900s was the proposal that industrial education be provided for children leaving school at twelve or fourteen. The need for this education was manifest in the glaring unfitness of such boys and girls for the work into which nearly all of them went. Not being able to hold their jobs, they drifted from place to place where they learned nothing and where advance became impossible. Educators, social workers, parents, employers, and organizations such as the National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education had long advocated vocational education for these children; more recently some state legislatures had taken up the matter. Dewey, having long recognized the need of industrial education, was one of its strongest supporters. Dewey aligned himself with those who favored a single, integrated system of education. He agreed that the dual system would involve costly duplication; that it would nullify much of what had been done in enriching and revitalizing traditional academic education by taking out of the traditional system those manual, industrial, and vocational activities just recently put in; and that it would tend to promote social cleavages among both children and adults. For Dewey: a society in which every person shall be occupied in something which makes the lives of others worth living, and which makes the ties which bind people together more perceptible...It denotes a state of affairs in which the interest of each in his work is uncoerced and intelligent...[19] Another concern of Dewey was that a narrowly conceived approach to vocational education would perpetuate social divisions and in a hardened form, for both the employers and the employees would be intellectually limited. This could leave the employer class confined to issues of profit and power, and the employee class concerned only with monetary return from their labor. This would involve a limitation of intelligence to "technical and non-humane, non-liberal channels."[20] http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/EPS/PES-Yearbook/97_docs/marshall.html Dewey urged to adopt the integrated system already in use in some of the country's more progressive schools. The old time general, academic education is beginning to be vitalized by the introduction of manual, industrial and social activities; it is beginning to recognize its responsibility to train all the youth for useful citizenship, including a calling in which each may render useful service to society and make an honest and decent living. (1913, p. 144). (Morgan V. Lewis 2001) Everywhere the existing school system is beginning to be alive to the need of supplementary agencies to help it fulfill this purpose, and is taking tentative but

RESEARCH CRITIQUE Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CRITIQUE - Research Paper Example oned in the article is not the lack of hourly rounding taking place; in fact it is that as the staff shortage has worsened over the years, the patient satisfaction had decreased which causes hindrance in the patient outcomes. The author identifies the significance of the problem as he mentions the detailed study about the change in the hourly rounding pattern in nursing and how it affects the patients and the whole system. The background information provided by the author supports the problem fully as he explains why the patient satisfaction rates fell, how they could be improved and what role does hourly rounding play. The purpose of the study is to work out the challenges faced by nurses every day and to improve the patient satisfactory level. The authors used previous researchers and their articles to support the current analysis and changing trends. The references that were used from the past 10 years were Meade and co-authors (2006), Krauss and co-authors (2005), Amador and Loera (2007) and Olive and co-authors (2006). The references used from the last 5 years are Culley (2008), Assi, Wilson, Bodino, Bognar and Lemenski (2008), Healy, Oliver, Milne, and Connelly (2008), Coussement and co-authors (2008) and Roszell, Jones and Lynn (2009). The authors suggest that future qualitative research should be done focusing on discharged patients’ perceptions about how nurses treated them during their hospitalization. The study is based on a theoretical framework discussing the many kinds of variables that need to be considered. The studies analyzed discuss the various views and methods used to implement the hourly rounding. The overall article shows a theoretical perspective of why the hourly rounding is needed, is significant, is effective, improves the patient satisfaction, and how it should be managed to ensure the future results are effective too. The research hypotheses are the use of hourly rounding in the nursing profession to improve the quality of services

New Product Introduction Of Mcdonalds

New Product Introduction Of Mcdonalds McDonalds is among the leading brands operating in the whole is the UK Irish market when it comes to fast food and quick service restaurants. This gives the company a wide market area to cover and cater. McDonalds is counted among the huge chains all around the world with thousands of restaurants. In this report the plan is to introduce a new product from McDonald with the brand name Mc Tea and as we all know that McDonald is perusing a value strategy offering its products at relatively low prices and they differentiate their products through successful branding campaigns, this thing would be continued with the launch of the new product. The report is divided in many key parts such as introduction, mission statement, company outlook, market status, objectives and strategies, segmentation, target product, promotional program, sales plan, organization, financial. In all these key areas it is defined that through this new product a handsome chunk of revenue can be gained also keeping affects on the overall market share of the company. The company plans to introduce Mc Tea as a flavor tea. The aim is to get market share as much as possible covering the spent money on the overall product its advertising and launch. This new opportunity can help company further penetrate by this new product line extension. As McDonald is entering in an existing market with a new product so there is a handsome requirement for the publicity of the product and the company would be using conventional tools of promotion with sampling as an extra. For advertising the company plans to use both below the line and above line advertising and the company targets the giant media to capture the a good chunk of the market. INTRODUCTION McDonalds is probably the best-known franchised fast food restaurant chain in the world. When the first outlet was opened in the US in 1955 and even when the first UK restaurant appeared in 1974, it would have been hard to imagine a worldwide network of 30,000 outlets by 2002 and 1,200 outlets in the UK. McDonalds is easily the largest fast-food brand in the world and instantly recognizable in many countries. Across the global network, the majority of outlets are operated by franchisees but, in the UK, only a third are franchised although this percentage is increasing. McDonalds has been growing organically, with new sites located in smaller towns, roadside developments and food court concepts in leisure parks and shopping centers.  [1]   SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS STRENGTHS: Promotional strength: is what Mc Donald has in its main and something in which it has been good over the period of time. Market share: is the second strengthen factor where Mc Donald is preferred by people of all ages and they love the food taste and variety offer. Image of the company affects its sales and this plays a positive for McDonalds and the efforts towards green world and reduction of waste has given them a good public image. The company is rated among the top delivery business operators beating even Pizza Hut at many times. New product special promotional strategies have made McDonalds corporation leader of fast food industry. Home delivery has gained wide spread acceptance and has become competitive advantage for them. WEAKNESSES: McDonalds has been frustrated by rising wholesale food prices and labor force. Fast food outlets have to pay higher wages. Despite of providing a branded quality of flavored tea it is likely that the people might not be attracted towards the product because McDonalds does not have any past experience in this product. The company has not been very successful in the past to keep a strict check on the quality of food provided by its franchises. Not all new product launches have been a success. OPPORTUNITY: The company has the opportunity to still expand in many locations in which the company still has not looked towards development or keeping its food hold. The conventional competitors have not thought about a similar product so this would be an early mover advantage. Consumption ratios or hot drinks are increasing and specially a launch in the approaching winter and Christmas season can prove to be a treat. Moving in an alliance with new film releases and media has been an old tactic which has proved worthwhile 90 out of 100 times. A recent alliance during the release of the movie avatar is another proof of opportunity.  [2]   Promotion of the product towards young coffee drinkers through university, colleges and schools can be an added advantage for the company to score big time and earn. THREAT: Rejection of the product is one major threat the company faces and is afraid of to happen. The economy coming out of recession the expected revenues can be lower then what the company expects. Consumer perception might be difficult to change in terms of product selection as already there is an existing competition with Coffee Cafes. Taste preference figures show a lead towards coffee drinkers as compared with tea. Increasing tea leaf prices can affect the overall revenue and costing. MARKET STATUS INDUSTRY UK is the among the leading hot drinks consumer in the world. In fact, the consumption of tea is so widespread in UK that it possesses 2nd position in the tea importing countries of the world, and is only behind the Russian Federation. The already high tea consumption level may further increase in future due to urbanization and increase in per capita income. MARKET SHARE THE MARKET For Mc Tea the target market is entire UK and Irish market with franchises located all over the area giving a huge reach towards the market. KEY FACTORS: LEGAL FACTORS Recent disputes over the prices of tea leaves and prices of payments of farmers have been critical. For the development of the new product the company would require to find out sound suppliers that can be good for the business and can be permanent. Fair trading laws affect the business. Finally the remunerations paid are strictly under review by the EU and specially the UK legal authorities. SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS In UK the concept of flavored branded tea is not yet common among the quick service restaurants, tea is normally taken with milk but this will serve them at time of leisure. On the other hand the product that is being introduced is totally on the contrary. The product is a fruit flavored tea served in tea bags that can be taken anytime anywhere. Aside from this it also has a lot of nutritional values as compared to the conventional tea. However launching flavored tea is quite a challenge as people in UK are not only resistant to change but also have rigid views about the concept of tea itself. ECONOMIC FACTORS Keeping in mind the per capita income of the people of UK, which is good after the recovery from the recession, the company intends to launch Mc Tea, aiming at the lower and middle income groups who are willing to pay normal and medium price for such an innovative and distinct product. Mc Tea is considered to be a superior product as it is distinct from the conventional tea available by the competitors, in the sense of its form, taste and nutritional attributes people consuming Mc Tea should be well educated as to its usage in the form of tea bags since; there is a general misconception that they produce superior quality tea, which is not true. PURCHASE CRITERIA BRAND: The brand name of McDonald is the very important thing in grabbing customers because they have a trust on the products. STANDARD: The brand name of McDonald is itself a standard measure so it is for sure that no one can raise question on meeting the standards. Mc Donald carries a regular check on all franchises on the quality of food provided to the consumers. INGREDIENTS: The ingredients which we are using in Mc Tea are Plum, Strawberry, Double Apple, Grape, and Peach and these ingredients would be of high quality from the companys existing suppliers. PRESENTATION: McDonalds presentation is very unique for this tea as we plan to present all different flavors in their respective flavor colored glasses. PRICE ANALYSIS Name Price Mc Tea (Flavored) 1 Pound Pret a Manger (Plain) 1.5 Pounds Costa Coffee (Plain) 1.8 Pounds Nero Cafà © (Plain) 1.8 Pounds Starbucks (Plain) 2.25 Pounds Others (indirect) (Plain) 50 p COMPETITOR ANALYSIS DIRECT COMPETITOR: COSTA COFFEE/ NERO CAFÉ/ STARBUCKS/ PRET A MANGER Already competition for the products we sell and have started giving the service of tea in collaboration with their suppliers therefore for Mc tea would face direct competition. INDIRECT COMPETITORS: Brands by Unilever, PG have captured a fair amount of local market share hence it can be said to be an indirect competitor. They being among the favorite brands for local people hence competition can be really tough. THE MARKETING STRATEGY OBJECTIVES MARKET DESCRIPTION: Total population is in millions, 30 to 35 percent youth of which 65 to 70 percent are elders. The target of Mc Tea is the 20 to 25 percent of the total population of UK and Ireland. QSR industry is the one of the sources of handsome revenue for UK Irish economies in term of tariff and taxes. The objective is to increase the market share cover the cost and make a profit of million pounds in the first year. ACCORDING TO BCG MATRIX: The Product at the moment is in the question mark stage in BCG Matrix. Ultimately the plan is to make it a star product focusing on investment and market share. Upon maturity and growth Mc Tea will later become a cash cow. HIGH LOW Market Growth Rate HIGH STAR FUTURE OF Mc Tea QUESTION MARK ? CURRENT POSITION OF Mc Tea LOW CASH COW DOG Source  [3]   ACCORDING TO GRID EXPANSION Mc Tea is currently at product development stage. The company is launching new product in existing market. MARKETING MIX: PRODUCT Mc Tea the flavored tea is an instant flavored tea drink that can be taken in hot form, consisting of various nutrients and fresh flavored extracts. The way in which we aim to work this marketing variable is by providing enhanced features that include: a variety of flavors such as plum, strawberry, double apple, grape, and peach, which has been derived from natural fruit, including compositions. These distinct flavors satisfy different taste for different people in the target market. Apart from this, one of the distinct features is the enhanced nutritional value that caters to the health conscious people. The ingredients integrated in our tea include liquorices root, passion fruit pieces, hibiscus, rose hips apple pieces, calcium and proteins. As Mc Tea the flavored tea is made in such a way that allows it to be taken in hot form, this provides the benefit of convenience for many occasions in the cold weather of Ireland and UK. It can be taken as the substitute of local tea brands an d in the same way it can replace the flavored drinks that are available in the market. The company also aim to achieve high quality with a perfect cup of tea with out artificial flavors found in competition. A crucial part of the product is the packaging, which contains the product itself. The packaging of the Mc Tea the flavored tea is in the form of colored cups of the selected fruit flavors that are made using the environment friendly technology. Mc Teas packaging is enhanced appealing and attractive which will encourage impulse buying, and hence provide stimulation to our market share growth. Mc Teas flavored tea is blended and packaged in hygienic conditions untouched by human hands. PRICE Pricing is the significant factor of the marketing mix, which must be carefully administered in order to give consumers the greatest value for their money. The way Mc Tea the flavored tea is intended to price is by using the market survey. As the company is using differentiation as the grand strategy, the charge is low to medium price initially in order to capture uniqueness, innovativeness, high quality and convenience of our product. In this way the maximum sales revenue can be achieved. However the price that we will charge will not be way beyond the competitive prices otherwise we will lose out on sufficient market share. Mc Tea will be launched as a flavored with the market skimming strategy in mind which will attract health conscious people as well as status conscious people. However, when competition sets in future and more companies start launching flavored tea we can alter our price strategy according to our competitive situation and prevailing market demand and supply equilibrium. The pricing method for Mc Tea the flavored tea will be markup pricing. In this way after determining the costs we will add a relatively high markup in order to gain substantial profits and cover our investment costs. Thus, keeping in mind all these things, we will launch all Mc Tea categories at a price of 1 Pound per cup. PLACE Mc Tea aims to be a true company with a huge distribution network, which caters the entire UK and Irish market. The strategy follows to make the product easily available to customers is through huge distribution. PROMOTION This refers to the activity of bringing Mc Tea the flavored tea to the attention of the target market and persuading them to buy the product. Promotion for the Mc Tea will be done through advertising and sales promotion. SEGMENTATION GEOGRAPHIC UK Ireland Density All cities in the distribution network DEMOGRAPHIC Age General population over 12 Income 15000/- above per anum Social class Lower middle class, Middle class, middle-upper class, upper-upper class PSYCHOGRAPHICS Life style Value oriented, sociable and active, actualizers, Personality Sophisticated. BEHAVIORAL Occasion Regular occasion. Benefits Quality, economy, nutrition. User status Non user, potential user, first time user Usage rate Light and medium Loyalty status Tea lovers TARGET PRODUCT McDonald has very large experience of food industry all around the world. Here, the target product of McDonald is Mc Tea. The product is a combination of many fruit flavors and a simple plain tea. Following are the some feature of the Mc Tea: FEATURES FLAVORS: VARIETY OF FLAVORS AVAILABLE: Plum Double apple Grape Peach Strawberry BENEFITS: It has easy usage as the flavored tea can be taken in either form, it can be taken as a substitute of tea. The nutritional values our drink provides contents like vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iodine and folic acid. PROMOTIONAL PROGRAM ADVERTISING Advertising is a very crucial part of promotion as it is responsible for creating long term loyalty towards brands. As consumer choices increases, it becomes essential to stand out in the crowds of brand ad media clutter by building a good corporate image through advertising. And in this we have planned to use both below the line and above the line advertising techniques and list of all the elements are below: ABOVE THE LINE ADVERTISING Media name Selection Television Sky Network (Channels of SKY) RADIO Local Radio channels in the UK Ireland BELOW THE LINE ADVERTISING MEDIA NAME NAME NEWSPAPERS NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS MAGAZINES HERALD VISAGE BILLBOARDS Nowadays bill boards are almost every where we go for example shopping malls, airport, overhead bridges, you name the place and the billboard is there, provided the area being a commercial area. Billboards attract people of all ages. It has proved to be a very effective way to promote and create awareness of a product, there fore this strategy will be used by Mc Tea the flavored tea to promote itself. Mc Tea will occupied all billboards next to or near McDonalds outlets. SAMPLING The company has planned to do sampling of Mc tea at universities, colleges and shopping malls. TRADE SHOWS AND CONCERTS Trade shows and concerts are also one of the very tools of doing advertising. So the company have planned to hold a trade show in London and concerts in Manchester, London etc. ACTION PLAN OF PROMOTION SEPT 1st 2010- Television, newspapers, magazines advertisement. SEPT 1st 2010 Launch in all around UK and IRELAND. SEPT 15th 2010 Promotional trucks in UK and IRELAND. SEPT 20th 2010 free sampling of Mc Tea at all major shopping malls, universities and colleges in UK. OCT 1st 2010 discounted rates offer for all major products of McDonalds at major cities of UK Ireland at buying a minimum of 5 Mc Tea. OCT 15th 2010 Free mugs printed with Mc TEA will be distributed at all outlets. OCT 30th 2010 Free sampling of Mc Tea in universities of Ireland. NOV 15th 2010 Advertising campaign in all major planned areas. AUG 2010 Concert will be held. SALES PLAN FORECAST BY MARKET SEGMENT As a firm develops a target market strategy, it should forecast the short run and long run sales of its offering to that market. Sales forecast outlines expected company sales for a specific good or service to specific consumer group over a specific period of time under a well-defined marketing program. By accurately forecasting sales, Mc Tea will be better able to develop a marketing budget, allocate marketing resources, measure success, analyze sales productivity, monitor the external environment and competition, and modify marketing plans. Factors Sales forecast UK 2 m Ireland 1.3 m Total sales 3..3 m Total Sales 3.3 m Cost of goods sold 1 m - Gross profit 2.3 m Marketing expenses 1 m - Profit before tax 1.3 m Tax (17%) 0.21 m - Net profit 1.09 m === TARGET ACCOUNTS Our target account for the fiscal year is 1.09 m net profit. From these target account we have anticipated that UK people are the tea lover, there we will be able to grab many customers. In Ireland, the winter season is of 4 to 5 months so there we will grab a huge chunk of customers. DISTRIBUTION The channel of distribution of the product will be direct through company outlets. Because the network of distribution is through all outlets which cover the entire market throughout. FINANCIALS ADVERTISING BUDGET Mc Tea now needs to establish an advertising budget for allocating the advertising expenses over several media types. The marketing cost that has been estimated for the promotion and awareness of the product is Pounds 1 million. This cost will be efficiently allocated in the various types of promotional activities that will be taking place. The budget is allocated in the following activities. Electronic media 200,000 Print media 100,000 Billboards 200,000 Promotional trucks 100,000 Free sampling of mugs and tea 200,000 Concert 200,000 TOTAL 1 million CONCLUSION The company has planned to integrate the overall approach towards the launch of MC Tea with the current existing product the tea offered in MC Donald. Also the overall launch of this product is planned to be profitable venture and is aimed to increase the target market share and performance of the company. CRITICAL REFLECTION Selected Learning outcome: Appreciate the importance of the separate marketing functions, the management of these functions, and how each function affects other functions within and external to the marketing domain. The marketing function became a revolution with the beginning of the 19th century. The initial phase of the century did not realize the potential of marketing and its functions but as time progressed the marketing function became a crucial part of the running businesses. Then whether it maybe Henry fords concept of black colors or any other people slowly and gradually started understanding the concept. In todays world of the 20th century marketing acts as a center point for any new or existing product. Now whether may it be a pen or a car. It begins with creating awareness, then moving on to teaching the buyer (consumer OR customer) and then later on towards making sales for the company. The new approach is to quantify things that are in current use by companies and things in practice. Separating the marketing function was like providing a working heart to the company. In the past era there were companies and products about which the customers had to go and extract information out from paid sources themselves. Marketing has revolutionized the entire effort and with it came many other things such as personal selling, sales promotion, advertising, media etc. In todays world a revolutionized marketing looks something like this: Marketing Public Relations Advertising Above the line Sales Promotion Below the line Implementation planning Media Tactics Sales Effort Discounts Teaching Customers Market Budgeting Selling efforts Media Marketing now has its extension further towards complementing other departments of a company. Finance department particularly seeks advertising expenditure and then return revenues. All budgets allocated to the marketing department are now quantified. Human resource department seeks towards good people and assets addition to a company. People involved in operations look to gain money return on production by good sales and promotion, even if they wish to achieve high operational targets they need to keep the marketing department inline so to achieve things such as economies of scale and economies of scope. Now writing towards the amount of learning I have had from this module is phenomenal. I havent heard of many terms and approaches that were used in this course before. The best part was the experience which I had. The course has transformed the way I look at TV ads, hoardings etc. Now I tend to pickup products in the market and carefully analyze the packaging and the mentioned contents in it to find relevance with the theory I had studied. I did missed out on practical part in the course where I should have made more efforts towards learning how the media planning and budgeting actually is done in an original market plan. This was due to lack of resources that I could make myself available. Yet I have filled my desire to see an actual marketing plan by analyzing the ongoing campaigns quite deeply to look for problems and things where they went wrong. I also came to know of potential problems such as promise and delivery gap. My prior knowledge was way too less as compared to what I l earned in this module. What I further intend to do is to get my theory more strong and approach companies to understand the practical part of a marketing plan. Also try and practically see how a marketing effort can be improved and made better.

John Nash, A Beautiful Mind Essay -- Mental Health, Schizophrenia

WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA? The modern definition of schizophrenia describes it as a long-lasting psychotic disorder (involving a severe break with reality), in which there is an inability to distinguish what is real from fantasy as well as disturbances in thinking, emotions, behavior, and perception (Cicarelli, p. 557). SYMPTOMS Schizophrenia includes several symptoms. One common symptom is delusions, which are false beliefs that the person holds and that tend to remain fixed and unshakable even in the face of evidence that disproves the delusions (Cicarelli, p. 557). Other common symptoms include speech disturbances, in which people with schizophrenia make up words, repeat words or sentences persistently, string words together on the basis of sounds, and experience sudden interruptions in speech or thought. The thought patterns of those with schizophrenia are also significantly disturbed, as they have difficulty linking their thoughts together in logical ways (Cicarelli, p. 557). Individuals with schizophrenia may also experience hallucinations, in which they hear voices or see things or people who are not really there. Hearing voices and emotional disturbances are key symptoms in making a diagnosis of schizophrenia. An emotional disturbance known as flat effect is a condition in which the person shows little or no emotion. For example, emotions can be excessive and/or inappropriate - a person might laugh when it would be more appropriate to cry (Cicarelli, p. 557). A person with schizophrenia might also exhibit disorganized and extremely odd behavior. For example, some forms of schizophrenia are accompanied by periods of complete immobility, whereas others may involve weird facial grimaces and odd gesturing. Attention is al... ...nly suffered from auditory, not visual, hallucinations. There is also a seen in the film in which Nash is being presented with pens from faculty members. In reality, no such custom exits. â€Å"A Beautiful Mind† is a remarkable movie that sheds light on a complicated and debilitating disorder, in which the person seems to have no control over. It is enlightening and heart warming, I would highly recommend this movie. I must admit, the first time I watch the movie, I went into it not knowing anything about schizophrenia and when it was over, I still felt like I didn’t fully understand the disorder; however, the second time I watched with the knowledge of what schizophrenia is and all of the various symptoms and I find it astonishing that Nash was able to overcome the disorder by sheer willpower over his own mind, as he chose to ignore the voices in his head.

Filipino Voting Pattern

THE CAMPAIGN First World techniques, Third World setting The Philippines uses state-of-the-art campaign techniques, but its elections are taking place in a political culture that is pre-modern and oriented toward the family. BY LUZ RIMBAN SATURDAY, JANUARY 3RD, 2004 | Filipino politicians use the latest campaign techniques, but still look upon voters as mendicants. | | | ADVERTISING  guru Reli German tells the story of the time he was tapped to produce commercials and jingles for then candidate Ferdinand Marcos’s 1965 presidential bid.The campaign was more of a family venture with no less than Marcos’s wife Imelda herself directing the troops. She would drop by German’s office to look over campaign materials and listen to the jingles being prepared for her husband’s campaign. â€Å"It was more of Imelda that we were dealing with directly for the campaign in 1965,† German recalls. One night Imelda summoned German and his production team to the Marc os home in San Juan, where they were led to her bedroom, which had a closet full of shoeboxes.The group, a team of professional advertising people, did not know exactly what they were doing in Imelda’s boudoir, but the mystery was soon revealed. German remembers that â€Å"she took three shoeboxes and the boxes were offered to us, and they were full of money! † With that, the campaign production team was paid, and paid handsomely. German’s story does not only provide insights on the other uses Imelda made of her shoes (or, more precisely, the boxes they had come in).It also tells us that advertising professionals had been involved in Philippine election campaigns as far back as 1965, when radio was reaching its peak and television, just beginning to make a dent in Filipinos’ consciousness. Then and now, however, professionals like German are relegated to the background, hidden members of the campaign team who are traditionally composed of the candidateâ⠂¬â„¢s trusted family members. Campaign professionals, though, have actually been around longer than that.Soon after the United States introduced elections in the Philippines, the country’s former colonizer also exported to the islands U. S. -style campaigning. This included the use of the mass media to create and manipulate public images, the hiring of public relations and advertising professionals, and later, the employment of sophisticated tools like campaign research and polling. Candidates like Manuel Quezon, Ramon Magsaysay, and Ferdinand Marcos were sold to voters partly through images crafted by experts and peddled to the public through newspapers, radio, and later, television.At least in terms of elections, the Philippines is not the laggard of Asia, but perhaps the first country in the region that has mastered the use of first-world election techniques. | The first national-level Philippine elections were held in 1907. Photo shows voters reading campaign posters iss ued for that election. | | | But it isn’t easy applying first-world election know-how to a third-world political setting. Despite what appear to be advanced campaign methods, the Philippines is still basically a feudal society where the family lords over political life.And with the weakening of political parties — alongside the weakening of other institutions in society — the family has remained the country’s basic political organization. This feudal, family-oriented base is one of the factors that stunts the growth of political-campaign professionals. Four decades after Imelda Marcos successfully steered her husband to power, Philippine campaigns are still far from being well-oiled political projects run by professionals. In the Philippine setting, a political campaign machine — especially one designed for a presidential candidate — can be a complex structure with various compartmentalized sub-groupings.The professionals would be embedded s omewhere within, a silent and unknown minority who bow to tacticians and campaign operators. These tacticians and operators, in turn, are usually members and friends of a political clan. It isn’t altogether surprising that a campaign can still look like a mom-and-pop affair with the candidate’s wife as campaign manager, the husband a fundraiser, and all sorts of hangers-on filling the backroom. There is a difference in this year’s election, however. It is the first presidential election in decades in which political advertisements will be allowed.It is the first time that the power of media in general — and television in particular — may determine who wins. At no other time in the nation’s history will candidates be sold like soap and toothpaste because 40 million voters will be relying on little more than visibility and image to make their choices. More than ever before, candidates and their campaign machineries will now need to use the med ia specialists, campaign managers, and assorted professionals to make themselves known to the public, and through whatever means available.By passing the law lifting the ban on political advertisements, â€Å"Congress was in fact saying there’s another way of winning,† says political consultant Malou Tiquia. And part of the message to candidates may be that there could be more room for the pros. For some candidates, this may be a welcome development, since it may mean more effective campaigns, i. e. more votes. But it may not necessarily be good news for the public. As U. S. political scientist Dan Nimmo points out in his book,  The Political Persuaders, hiring professionals may just mean more sophisticated manipulation. Without question,† says Nimmo, â€Å"the new technology introduces not only the possibility but indeed the likelihood of systematic deception in electoral politics. † More and more, candidates will be seen in images and settings that do not really reflect who they really are and what they are going to do once elected to office. With more professional sleight of hand at work, the public may have a harder time distinguishing fact from fiction, especially when they remain unaware that experts now have more say in the show. IN THE  so-called mature democracies of the West, there are experts for every task in a campaign.In the United States, the election industry is huge, manned by a wide range of specialists including campaign managers, political consultants, public relations people, speechwriters, audio-visual experts, and fundraisers. They operate by a set of rules and design campaign strategies based on scientifically obtained data provided by another component of that growing industry: the profession of campaign research that includes not only pollsters but also psychologists and behavioral experts. | President Quezon addresses a crowd. | | | That is not the case in the Philippines. For starters, there are very f ew such professionals in the country.For example, there are only two or three reputable independent polling agencies in the Philippines. Image specialists, political consultants, and campaign managers are also hard to find. Two years ago, an organization called the Association of Political Consultants of Asia was formed, bringing together political technicians aiming to transform political consultancy and campaigning from craft to science. Still, quips one political consultant: â€Å"It’s easier to find a cardiologist who can do open heart surgery than to find a good spin master. † That is partly why families and friends remain the captains of Philippine political campaigns.Fernando Poe Jr. ’s campaign machinery, for instance, is packed with his siblings and supporters in the entertainment world. Brother Conrad Poe handles logistics, sister Elizabeth Poe is the official scheduler, while erstwhile comedian and Senator Tito Sotto is the campaign manager. Even acto rs Rez Cortes and Richard Gomez have been assigned parts to play in the campaign, as has Poe’s swarm of stuntmen-friends who dabble as spokespersons, rallyists, and even act as Poe’s security cordon. On that point, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo isn’t far behind. Her brother Diosdado ‘Buboy’ Macapagal Jr. s her campaign manager and fundraiser. First Gentleman Mike Arroyo is in the thick of her campaign, too, even if just last year, he had gotten embroiled in a scandal that portrayed him as using an alias to stash away millions of pesos of surplus campaign funds from his wife’s 1998 vice-presidential bid. Of course, a family-run campaign does not necessarily translate into an inefficient and ineffective venture. The most politically experienced clans have even elevated political campaigning to an art, and have over time mastered how to best maximize manpower, resources, and connections.Elite families are especially skilled at this, putting the charismatic and media-savvy members at the frontlines, assigning the crafty and the cunning to the management side, and mobilizing the clan and its network for other tasks in the campaign, including recruiting campaigners, poll watchers, goons, bodyguards — even hitmen, if need be. But with this election promising more pros, campaigns are bound to be slicker than ever. There is, for instance, the advertising agency Campaigns and Grey and its stable of image specialists working for presidential candidate Raul Roco.There will also be groups like Tiquia’s Publicus Ltd. , a political consultancy firm that provides campaign services to senatorial and local candidates. There is even the television production team TAPE Productions — which puts out programs like the noontime variety show â€Å"Eat Bulaga! † — acting as image makers for Fernando Poe Jr. Most of these professionals, though, remain in the background. â€Å"It’s an underground indu stry-most of these people don’t carry calling cards, don’t introduce themselves, don’t appear at press conferences, don’t advertise their services,† says a political consultant. They get hired by referral and by word of mouth. The really good ones are overloaded with clients and forced to turn down others. † For this article, they refused to be identified. â€Å"You let the spotlight fall only on your principal,† this political consultant adds. Another one says, â€Å"The pros are often relegated to the backroom, or they don’t have the stature to face the public. † â€Å"Undocumented experts,† is how yet another political consultant describes himself and his peers. The secrecy is understandable.Most of them have day jobs, either as reporters, columnists, businessmen, advertising executives, legislative staff, or civil servants. Elections and political campaigns don’t come that often and cannot be a stable sou rce of livelihood, which is why most political professionals consider themselves â€Å"political sacadas† or sharecroppers whose work is seasonal. Besides, in the professions where they officially belong, moonlighting for politicians is an ethical taboo. Journalists working as public relations practitioners or political consultants would be violating the rules on independence, impartiality, and conflict of interest.Some advertising agencies even insist that they have no history or record of involvement in political campaigns. Yet as far back as 1965, the presidential campaign was already a battle of the ad agency executives. | Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos display their affection for each other during their heyday. | | | For that particular campaign, adman Billy Esposo writes in a recent column, Marcos hired Proctor and Gamble’s creative team, which was composed of, among others, Miniong Ordonez, now of Jimenez Basic Advertising. Reli German was part of that team.On the other side of the fence, says Esposo, Diosdado Macapagal’s â€Å"image team was headed by the late Fenny Hechanova, himself a former adman from a pioneering agency called Philprom. † When Marcos ran for reelection four years later, Esposo continues, he got Greg Garcia, who eventually headed the prominent ad agency Hemisphere-Leo Burnett. Greg Garcia, now retired but still part owner of Leo Burnett, is the chief image handler of Senator Panfilo Lacson. The reticence of many professionals in admitting their political work stems from the stigma it apparently carries. Political campaigning is often viewed as an illicit undertaking.Players are perceived to ink deals and engage in dirty tricks and special operations that can go from wooing special interest groups and thinking up a candidate’s position on issues, to peddling propaganda, buying the media, and negotiating for votes with local party leaders. But much of the bad name suffered by political professionals has also been blamed on Marcos. After he declared martial law in 1972 and abolished elections, the political pros’ skills and talents were put to use only to promote his Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (the only active political party at that time) or push his New Society.It was a situation that didn’t allow skilled political organizers to thrive and develop a profession called campaign management or political consultancy. Although the Development Academy of the Philippines and the Department of Interior and Local Government became training grounds where political managers could hone their skills managing political organizations, all their work was still for Marcos’s benefit. The only other option was to escape the system and cross over to activist organizations or the underground Left, such as the National Democratic Front (NDF) or the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).Today’s top party and campaign people, in fact, trace their roots to these diverse beginni ngs: Lakas’s Gabriel Claudio and Ronaldo Puno were products of the DILG, while Horacio ‘Boy’ Morales and Rigoberto Tiglao, came from the leftist movement. PERHAPS  the unsuspecting public should be thankful that the country still has a relatively tiny community of campaign management experts, resulting in often-chaotic campaigns that either reveal more than the candidate wants the public to know, or reveal so little that the voters are left annoyed.In truth, present Philippine campaigns are quite like those in the United States were more than 100 years ago. In The Political Persuaders, which was published in 1970, Nimmo writes, â€Å"A century ago, candidates relied on their wits, their friends, and a few trusted allies to mount a campaign for office. Few men specialized in selling political advice. The campaign specialists of that day were primarily party politicians. † | Joseph Estrada is mobbed by adoring crowds during his 1998 campaign. | | |Accordin g to Nimmo, the campaign management industry is a â€Å"direct descendant of the public-relations profession† that became popular in the 1920s. That was when U. S. capitalists were under attack by consumers who were reading in newspapers about unsavory business practices. Countering such criticism required a specialist who could proclaim the good side of U. S. industry. Thus was born the PR agent. â€Å"In the process,† Nimmo continues, these PR people â€Å"made increasingly adroit use of the means of mass communication; the result was the burgeoning field of mass advertising. It would not be long before public relations and mass advertising would cross over to the world of politics, especially with the rise of television, and give birth to a profession that proclaims the good side of political candidates. Nimmo recounts that election campaigns soon became a battle for public exposure. That battle, however, hasn’t been easily fought and won. Many other things compete for the voters’ attention, and candidates need people who are masters not only at constructing the candidate’s message and image, but also at sending these in the most effective way that will make full use of manpower, time, and limited resources.In short, campaigns need strategies. The U. S. -trained Tiquia, formerly a legislative staff member in the Philippine and U. S. Congresses, defines the ingredients that make for a good campaign strategy. These are listed in a book entitled Campaign Politics: defining the voting population being targeted, creating the message to be communicated, managing resources, timing, and tactics. Tactics include direct voter contact such as campaign events, rallies, and even door-to-door campaigning, and indirect tactics like media advertisements, billboards, and campaign paraphernalia.Having a professional campaign team to implement the strategy is another necessity. The team is supposed to put order into the traditionally topsy- turvy exercises called campaigns. In this country, however, third-world realities can get in the way. For instance, Tiquia says, there are times when a candidate hires a professional campaign team that may find itself clashing with family members, or with yet another professional team working for the same politician. Problems like these only slow down the campaign.Campaign Politics also advises politicians to plot their moves way in advance, get their hands on the best people before the competition beats them to it, and plan carefully how resources are to be spent. But there’s that manana habit of the Filipino-his penchant for not planning ahead and waiting till the last minute-which can wreak havoc on the campaign in many ways. As examples, Tiquia cites candidates who are buying TV spots only now, and are finding out that there are none available because an enterprising agency had purchased all that was left months ago.It is now selling these â€Å"on the secondary marketâ €  at much higher rates. There were, however, a few who bought spots early, and at rates that were far, far cheaper. Among the more visible swift-footed ones are presidential candidate Raul Roco and Panfilo Lacson, whose ads had been airing regularly since the campaign started, and senatorial candidate Mar Roxas. As if operating in such a third-world conditions weren’t enough, political professionals in the Philippines also have to deal with obsessive-compulsive candidates who try to control the campaign every step of the way.Among the cardinal rules for campaigns, says one of the political consultants interviewed for this piece, is that â€Å"a candidate cannot think and campaign at the same time; a candidate shouldn’t handle his or her own campaign. † But most candidates refuse to leave things to the experts. Despite the enormity of her duties as president and candidate, Gloria Arroyo still decides where her campaigns sorties will go, political consultants say. Even members of her campaign still cannot fathom why she chose to launch her presidential bid in the hills of Cavinti, Laguna.Observers could only guess that  feng shui  might have had something to do with it; taking the team to high ground probably bodes good luck, they said. But after Cavinti, the president went north, leaving observers still trying to discern a pattern in her campaigning — if there was really any at all. One consultant, though, says, â€Å"Look at the route she has taken, and you’ll see that it’s like she’s drawing the number eight on the map-she goes up, she goes down, forward, then backward. † Poe is said to be no different, at least as far as his political rallies are concerned. Remember that he’s a movie director, so he wants to have a say in how his rallies are produced,† says a political professional. But the king of Philippine movies is also a political neophyte, which has unfortunately resulted in P oe being kept in an artificial world where everything is stage-managed. Hence, every interview, every appearance has to be scripted. And having written lines for scripts, Poe tends to have a say in how his campaign is managed. â€Å"The best candidate surrenders himself to his handlers,† says another political consultant. And if there was one who embodied this, it was Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada in 1998. Erap was a good follower in the sense that when you said the schedule was like this, even if it was so hot or he was already dead tired, he would still follow the schedule to the letter,† says Lito Banayo, who was on Estrada’s 1998 campaign team, and is now on Lacson’s. â€Å"That’s why he was a joy to handle. Perhaps because he was an actor, he was used to having a call time, he had to be on the set at this certain time. He (carried that) discipline in the campaign. † But another plus factor in the Estrada campaign was its near-perfec t machinery, which was due to a generous influx of funds.Ample funds and resources make a large part of a successful campaign. Reli German even says, â€Å"The three most important things (in a campaign) are money, money, and money. † The Estrada campaign in 1998 had that in huge quantities. Recalls Banayo: â€Å"There were really a lot of people who helped in that campaign by way of cash as well as material donations. † A feature of Estrada’s campaign sorties, for instance, were the motorcades and caravans where Estrada would appear beside his showbiz friends Poe and Nora Aunor, and they would then toss candies to the crowd.Banayo says they never ran out of candies because the supplies just kept coming. Banayo explains the â€Å"symbiotic relationship† of campaign elements: â€Å"Once the perception or image of a candidate improves, the survey results become stacked in his or her favor, the numbers go up, the resources will pour in accordingly. † Making the candidate more visible, his image more winnable, translates into more campaign contributors. Traditionally, political consultants say, donors such as Filipino-Chinese businesspeople who put in large sums of money into election campaign, initially give equal amounts to all candidates.The money reportedly starts getting bigger only by April, when donors have a clearer idea who among the candidates is pulling away from the pack, and likely to lead the race. But Tiquia laments how fundraising, like the other aspects, remains a hidden but very important facet of Philippine campaigns. Candidates do not, in the course of the campaign, reveal who their funders are, and methods for raising funds are not always above board. In the United States, Tiquia notes, fundraising is a profession.Professional fundraisers’ methods include organizing events or dinners, or sending out mail asking supporters to contribute to the campaign kitty. There are limits to the amounts supporters c an donate. In this country, it is the field of contributors that is limited. The money comes mostly from Filipino-Chinese businesspeople; the bigger players are the likes of Lucio Tan and Eduardo Cojuangco, whose hearts, minds, and pocket the candidates have to compete for. In exchange, candidates promise them the moon, the stars, and even a piece of the economy.And now to lure them — and the voters — candidates are tapping political professionals. The irony is that takes a lot of money as well. Nimmo notes, â€Å"The professionals are for hire, but at very high prices. Fewer and fewer politicians can afford the costs of candidacy†¦. In an age when less affluent members of society are already disillusioned with a political arrangement which they perceive are shutting them out, it will hardly produce harmony to request that they play by the rules of an electoral game they cannot afford to enter. Source: http://pcij. org/stories/first-world-techniques-third-world-s etting/ ‘Voters Harder To Fool With Empty Promises' by Kathleen A. Martin, ABS-CBNnews. com Posted at 01/17/2013 11:22 AM | Updated as of 01/17/2013 11:22 AM MANILA, Philippines – Aspiring politicians will need more than a catchy jingle and an empty promise to capture the hearts of Filipino masses, advertisers said. Yoly Ong, group chairperson at Campaigns and Grey, said that based on various focus group discussions, Filipinos are more selective when voting for candidates. They (the masses) actually say, ‘peke yan e,' because the promises are different from what the politicians actually do,† Ong told ANC's Inside Business. â€Å"In fact, I've come to the conclusion that it's harder to fool the masses today,† Ong continued. Ong is behind President Benigno Aquino III's successful campaign in 2010, and the brains behind the catchy â€Å"Pag walang corrupt, walang mahirap† slogan. â€Å"They (Filipino voters) have very different behaviors toward c andidates. For presidential candidates, they don't want the jingles. What they want to know is what the guy is going to do to improve their quality of life,† Ong said. But for the senatorial candidates, I guess it's more of remembering who to vote for because there's 12 people you need to choose,† Ong noted. Ong believes that for the national elections, the â€Å"air war† or the television and radio will be the primary venues for warring candidates. But local candidates such as congressmen and mayors will still need to battle it out â€Å"retail-elections† style, or going from house to house. Consultant Greg Garcia concurs with Ong, but stressed the role of television in political campaigns has â€Å"dramatically† changed over the years. If you're not on TV, don't even think about running for national office because the penetration of TV is just fantastic,† Garcia said. â€Å"I always advise clients that 80% of their money should go into media , and 80% of that 80% should go to television. Television is the only way to communicate to as many people as you can in the shortest amount of time,† he added. Garcia is the man behind Vice President Jejomar Binay's successful 2010 bid. Garcia said Binay's narrative of â€Å"Ganito kami sa Makati, sana ganito din sa buong bayan† was the secret behind the vice president's win. The campaign for the vice president was really right on†¦ and I think every candidate must have a narrative to win,† Garcia said. â€Å"It's not just about name recall, what's important is recalling the candidate's narrative,† he stressed. Source: http://www. abs-cbnnews. com/-depth/01/17/13/voters-harder-fool-empty-promises Philippine Elections Will Stop Being A Sham When Voters Wisen Up By: Ilda, November 9, 2012 Poor Filipinos. We can only stand back and watch in awe at how the Americans conduct their successful Presidential election.Less than a day after the US Presidential e lection, the winner could be declared without a hitch and without much contention from the losing candidate. Months of campaigning from both candidates come to an abrupt halt as soon as the winner is announced. It is back to work for everyone in the White House. The ease with which the US election sailed by so smoothly is not even because they have a computerized voting system. For many decades, US elections have always come and gone with hardly any drama. It’s just another walk in the park for people who follow a system that works.In relative terms, there’s hardly any cheating that would cause the sorts of delays that could put entire institutions in doubt. In contrast, even the Philippines’ very first computerized election in 2010 was fraught with allegations of fraudulent activities as reported by some of the members of the local and international community who participated and observed the election. As mentioned in my previous article immediately after the 2 010 election, foreign observers concluded that there was massive cheating involved in the first ever-automated Presidential election.Apart from the problems encountered with the machines, there were other elements whose presence was questionable considering they should not have been in the polling stations in the first place. Observers witnessed a chaotic scene with strong military presence and lots of instances of intimidation in and around the polling stations. One international observer who was assigned at the Pampanga and Tarlac region even specifically mentioned that intimidation was rampant in Hacienda Luisita, the hometown of President Benigno Simeon â€Å"BS† Aquino.These were observations made by outsiders who are completely unbiased. It is incomprehensible why our public officials allow these things to happen. This is why until now there are still some people who question the legitimacy of President BS Aquino’s win. The following is a summary of their observa tion all throughout the country: Serious and systematic irregularities: – Vote buying – People lining up outside the candidate’s house waiting to receive cash or goods – There was no privacy in the polling stations – People could see what the voter is writing The ballot sheet could not be folded to cover the information – There were voters who were not stamped with indelible ink – There were voters who were stamped with ink before voting – There were people taking pictures and videos of voters for intimidation purposes – Police and military presence was strong. Despite reports of massive election fraud, majority of Filipinos don’t seem inclined to do or don’t even want to know anything about them. The Commissions on Elections (Comelec) and President BS Aquino’s media cohorts were quick to declare the election a success.They wanted everyone to think that the first automated voting system delivered as expected and that Aquino’s win was a decisive one. Unfortunately, we will never know the truth. Filipinos will always be in the dark as to what truly happened because they chose to ignore boring details. Filipinos have this tendency to just listen to what the Philippine media is telling them. The Filipino people’s preference for turning a blind eye to impropriety is what’s preventing our country from moving forward. It is turning the Philippines into a nation of cheaters.The irony is that we cry foul after a bad deed is done but we ignore the deed as it transpires. It seems we don’t want the inconvenience of having to deal with the fallout of reporting a crime in progress. We don’t even have protection for whistleblowers. Instead of commending people for their bravery in coming forward, Filipinos turn against the whistleblowers, making them look like they are making mountains out of molehills. People who are seen supporting the whistleblowers are c onsidered â€Å"sore losers†. This discourages people from doing the right thing.Vigilance against crime is what will actually foster an environment of trust in our society. If we know that illegal activities are not tolerated, we can be assured that people will be honest with their day-to-day activities. Sadly, we shun people who go out on a limb to expose corruption or any form of malpractice, but what we need to do is to help promote a society in which it is possible to speak out without reprisal about corruption, dangers to the public and environment, and other vital social issues. Until we change the way we think and do things collectively as a people, we will never have a smooth election like the Americans.Here are some of the lessons I learned during the 2010 election that could help us in the 2013 Senatorial election and even the 2016 Presidential election: 1. Campaign platforms No one comes up with a credible platform during elections because voters don’t care about platforms. They cared about Noynoy’s love life and what he does in his spare time. Voters were also smitten with the â€Å"Aquino Legacy† and are convinced that Noynoy will continue whatever it is they think that Ninoy or Cory could have achieved but for whatever reason did not. The voters don’t even have a clue what a platform is.You have to wonder now how they plan to evaluate how Noynoy sticks to his campaign promises during his term of office. Lesson learned: Most Filipino voters are star-struck ignoramuses. If you want to run for the presidency in 2016, get an image makeover or try to appear â€Å"good† and â€Å"humble†. 2. Surveys and Polling firms Some Filipinos were dumb enough to think that if a candidate is popular, it means that he should be voted in as president. The fact of the matter is, candidates with a lot funds can hire polling firms and publish reports when it is favorable to them.It was also reported that polling firms c onducting the surveys in 2010 were closely linked to the presidential candidate leading the polls. Likewise, despite the number of candidates allowed to run, people were actually just choosing between two candidates. Lesson learned: Next election, call for more transparency around poll survey questionnaires; clamor for more polling firms to conduct surveys and be vigilant and critical of Media’s interpretation of the poll results. 3. Media Bias Noynoy Aquino was given more exposure by prominent media outlets like thePhilippine Daily Inquirer  during the campaign period.It didn’t matter how trivial the news was; Noynoy Aquino was always on the front page. Broadcast networks such as ABS-CBN also helped expose Noynoy to the masa through shows that flagged the â€Å"Aquino Legacy†. Lesson learned: Media outlets owned and operated by members of the Philippine oligarchy will give more exposure to whoever presidential candidate offers concessions they can benefit fro m. 4. Religious endorsements A week before Election Day, the leader of Iglesia ni Cristo announced that they will be endorsing presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino.It has been said that this religious group actually waits for the last minute before announcing their endorsement because they want to ensure that whoever they endorse actually wins — presumably with the aim of making a few deals with the president once in office. It was also said that Noynoy’s party was secretly courting that leader’s guarantee that the INC votes will be in their favor. Lesson learned: The endorsement of religious leaders depends on which candidate is popular; religious leaders can make or break a presidential aspirant; Filipinos will vote for whoever their religious leaders instruct them to vote for. . Election Day thugs and vote buying It seems that all of the above exercise with the possible exception of item number four will have no bearing on Election Day to the majority of vote rs because of the presence of thugs in the polling stations. As previously mentioned, police and military personnel who have no business being in polling stations and who are under the payroll of candidates, hang around to intimidate voters. If the Police and the military themselves are involved in this illegal behavior, to whom can the voters report the irregularity to?The illegal activity called vote buying involves the buyer and the seller. They both are accountable for their actions. In this case, both parties won’t be willing to report each other because they both benefit from the activity. Unfortunately, the voter who sells his vote will only benefit in the short term. Lesson learned: As long as irregularities like this happens on Election Day, any efforts at educating the voters will just go down the drain. 6. Automated Machines It turns out that automated machines are not foolproof.Reports abound of machines malfunctioning, machines found kept in someone’s shed , the discrepancies in time lapsed, and allegations of malicious software installed in the machine itself. Lesson learned: Filipinos cannot be trusted with both manual and automated election. Filipinos are very resourceful at finding a way to cheat. Lastly, here is the bottom-line: Filipinos are ultimately to blame for allowing fraudulent activities to happen. Politicians will keep trying to get away with cheating but it is up to us to decide if we will let them. Source: http://getrealphilippines. om/blog/2012/11/philippine-elections-will-stop-being-a-sham-when-voters-wisen-up/ 2013 Mix-And-Match Voting By  Ramon Casiple, Mon, Jan 7, 2013 The weak political party system in the Philippines can be seen in the way voters will vote in the 2013 national and local elections. A cursory study of the voting patterns in the past elections showed that voters vote for a candidate on various grounds, among them their personal relationship to the candidate, a candidate’s popularity (not necessarily in politics), endorsement by respected persons, and, of course, what the candidate stands for in relation to voters’ own.Nowhere in this list is a voter’s recognition of the candidate’s political party platform and program. The candidate, in this sense, sells himself, not the party. A tacit recognition of this can be seen in the way candidates and political parties present themselves to the voters. In streamers and billboards, the face and name of the candidate stands out compared to the party. Even in the party-list system—where the party-list groups are the ones to be elected–it has become more advantageous to present faces of their nominees in addition to the group names.The result is mix-and-match voting by individual voters. Rarely do they vote straight for a party’s candidates. Source: http://ph. news. yahoo. com/blogs/communityvoices/2013-mix-and-match-voting-130754846. html Everything I Need To Know About Improving The Ou tcome Of Philippine Elections I Learned In Kindergarten By: benign0, February 25, 2013 Campaign platforms You’d think that the call for platforms is so new this year considering how much of the mainstream has now taken up the cudgels of beating this concept into the tiny skulls of the Filipino voters.Yet only just four years ago, the idea of demanding platforms from candidates making their pitch to voters was so exotic. So exotic it was that I  wrote a piece  back in mid-2009 outlining the basic how-to’s of developing a campaign platform. As evident in what I wrote there, â€Å"If we are to expect Filipinos to courageously rally around a serious effort to become a better country in the foreseeable future, it would help to see a leader who has it clear in his or her mind how to get us from A to B. † it is obvious that the concept back then was quite new.The call for platforms rose to a crescendo as the presidential campaign leading to the 2010 elections march ed on. But as it became more apparent that the then front-running candidate, Benigno Simeon â€Å"BS† Aquino III lacked one, had no inclination of producing one, and was happy enough to run entirely on the back of his family pedigree, many folk who had by then drank enough of BS Aquino’s Yellowist Kool Aid were loudly extolling the irrelevance of revealing clear governance platforms during an election campaign.Instead, what to them was BS Aquino’s qualification to lead the country was his  perceived  honesty, integrity, and lack of a track record of corrupt practices. Funny how the most important lessons are learnt after the disaster had already wrought havoc. BS Aquino is now President of the Philippines and the very same bozos who thought platforms were not  that  important are now parroting what we had been saying back in 2009. Voter educationIn the lead up to and then in the aftermath of the 1986 EDSA people power â€Å"revolution†, the idea t hat in â€Å"freedom† lies the singular key to Philippine prosperity became deeply-ingrained in the Filipino psyche. It was all about freedom, and a blanket of demagoguery built around this simpleton’s message descended upon and enveloped the Philippine National â€Å"Debate† in the subsequent 27 years. The Vote — the â€Å"freedom† to choose one’s leaders — guaranteed that the  right  ones would be elevated to office as the prevailing thinking went.This was, the activists insisted, the â€Å"power† that the Filipino people â€Å"regained† after the 1986 â€Å"revolution†. But then as one bozo after another got elected into office since 1986, it became quite clear that the erstwhile thought leaders of the time simply gave Filipino voters too much credit. It turns out they were really not that smart after all. Freedom in the hands of the Filipino voter was like a blowtorch in the hands of a two-year-old. And so the idea of â€Å"educating† Filipino voters came about.The thing with â€Å"voter education† is that it is really not that complicated. It comes down to something most normal people learned in kindergarten — that we are ultimately all accountable to ourselves for the decisions we made in the past. In a society renowned for a collective faculty for thinking that is stunted by amnesia and voodoo logic, â€Å"voter education† should start with a re-visit of these kindergarten basics; that being accountable as a â€Å"voter† encompasses a system of three key acts of responsibility: (a) Select the right leaders; b) Use the system to hold them accountable; and, (c) Hold ourselves accountable for the quality of the leaders we choose using the system. A lot of the focus of this year’s â€Å"voter education† activist fad is on just the first one,  selecting the right leaders. The harder part of the equation — keeping politicians on their toes  in between elections  is where the  real  deal lies. Unfortunately Filipinos are simply not up to delivering their part of the deal in between fiestas. And so politicians gravitate to the same old buffoonery†¦ Grandstanding politiciansThe reason Filipino politicians are so at liberty to make big, lofty, colourful, noisy, but  hollow  promises during election campaigns is because the Filipino voter simply drops the ball once the fiesta is over. Because Filipino voters simply fail to  use the system to hold them accountable  as a matter of routine in between elections and utterly lack an ethic of  holding themselves accountable for the quality of the leaders they choose  during those fiestas, Philippine politics is a con man’s wet dream. You only need a lousy product and a million suckers to make a lot of money in business.And Philippine politics is, indeed, good business. And so we come to†¦ The role of social media in Philippine polit ics In a recently-concluded â€Å"convention† that saw one of the current crop of â€Å"thought leaders† after another pontificate about what such a  kewwwlllthing social media is, we learned that social media is unprecedented in the way it†¦ – breaks traditional commuinication barriers; – serves as a platform for unfiltered egalitarian â€Å"dialogue†; – elevates â€Å"political discourse† by; – providing a more â€Å"inclusive† discussion community; and, – prompts — and demands — quick response from its participants.Yadda, yadda, yadda. In short (cutting through all the fad jargon), social media  transmits  andamplifies  the â€Å"voice of the people† at an unprecedented scale and efficiency so that every schmoe and her dog has a crack at the proverbial bullhorn once wielded by only the most powerful and influential people. Sounds nice —  on paper. The thing with partic ipating in social media chatter is that it is really a form of high-tech Chinese whispers. The Twitter â€Å"retweet† and the Facebook â€Å"share† functions are the 21st Century facilitators of this game — and it is now a game played on a vast scale.Communication engineers will point out that the principle of signal degradation as data is transmitted, relayed, and re-amplified a number of times as transmission distance increases over a channel is the same as the way hearsay information is perverted in a typical Chinese whispers game. Human debate unfortunately remains  analog, so the advent of social media — the  digital intermediary  in the propagation of this â€Å"debate† — merely served as a more efficient way to  accurately  spread low-quality information.With every digital factoid passing through Filipino brains in between retweets, the signal progressively  degrades  into noise. We see this degradation in  signal-to-n oise  ratios everyday — when we make photocopies  of photocopies  and make photocopies of  those  photocopies, the quality of the copy worsens as the number of copies increase. Enlarge one of these nth-generation copies and you will come up with a really bad image. In the same way, amplify and transmit a bad signal over several iterations and all you get for your trouble is a louder and even noisier signal.That is essentially what social media is doing for the Philippine National â€Å"Debate†. * * * Indeed, everything essential to practicing democracy  properly  comprises stuff most well-bred people learned as little kids. Having a plan to get where one wants to go. Acquiring relevant information and applying it shrewdly. Regarding sales pitches with a critical mind. Being respectful and prudent when communicating with other people — regardless of the communication technology being used. You don’t really need a Masters Degree in political à ¢â‚¬Å"science† to really get all that.When one understands  fundamental  problems using  common sense, we tend to have a more practical regard for some of the silver-bullet â€Å"solutions† that the savviest spin-meisters around us build buzzes around. Source: http://getrealphilippines. com/blog/2013/02/everything-i-need-to-know-about-improving-the-outcome-of-philippine-elections-i-learned-in-kindergarten/ BLOG POSTS: Policy Dialogue Series 2004 Academe Meets the Political Parties It has often been said that political parties in the Philippines are based on personalities, not on platforms and ideologies.But individuals do not aggregate demands of sectoral interests. Ideally, parties become the key venues where policies and programs are shaped. In the end, it is still the parties who can be made accountable to their constituents and to the people come post-electoral politics. While it may be true that voting patterns in the Philippines have reflected preference for personalities rather than parties, the platforms of the political parties should still be subjected to public scrutiny. Source: http://twsc. upd. edu. ph/training_PDS1. html Date: March 01, 2004 Filipino Voting PatternsBy: Reynz According to some of the articles on the Internet about Filipino voting patterns, most Filipino voters choose their candidates based on the following: 1. ) Utang na loob (Debt of gratitude) 2. ) Winnability 3. ) Charisma 4. ) Media exposure 5. ) Eloquence 6. ) Pakikisama 7. ) Ka-ching! ka-ching! In other words, Filipino voters rarely vote on the basis of the following: 1. ) Capability 2. ) Leadership skills 3. ) Knowledge of the job 4. ) Moral upbringing and, 5. ) Fortitude Source: http://www. reynaelena. com/2013/02/03/filipino-voting-patterns/ Date: February 03, 2013