Monday, September 30, 2019

Analysis of Starbucks coffee company’ employees misunderstanding using organizational behaviour approach Essay

Analysis of Starbucks coffee company’ employees misunderstanding using organizational behaviour approach Introduction                   In every organization, organization behaviour is very important at all levels of employees from management to workers. Organizational behaviour deals the study of personality of individuals or characteristic of a group in an organization together with internal processes of an organization in order to determine the effectiveness of the organization or develop a solution (Hellriegel, & Slocum, 2010 p. 5). It helps people to interact, understand each other and find solution to behavioural problems, which culminate in improved working environment thus resulting to improved productivity. Therefore, it is important for management to ensure that effective employees accepted behaviour is maintained throughout the organization. It is important to understand organization behaviour so that decision making process and requirements of employees are addressed in the best ways that would not affect performance of a company (Mullins, 2013 p. 77). This paper will involve solving organization problem that faced Starbucks Coffee Company in 2005. The problem involved misunderstandings between employees and management resulting in communication problem in the company, which greatly affected its productivity in New Zealand (Mark, 2013 p. 10). The problem caused employees dissatisfaction and lack of motivation and thus giving poor services that in turn decreased production output and thus the company making losses. The misunderstanding between employees and management led to change of employees’ behaviour and so it was important to change their behaviour in order to realize the productivity of the company. Employees’ dissatisfaction and misunderstanding in an organization causes low commitment from employees thus affecting the performance of an organization (Hellriegel, & Slocum, 2010 p. 502). Although the problem could be addressed using various organizational techniques such as organizational development, organizational behaviour approach remained the best technique to find the solution of the matter so as to improve the effectiveness of the company.                   Starbucks coffee company is a multinational corporation (MNC) that was started in Seattle in 1971 (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2014 b Company Information. Starbucks Coffee Company). The company specialises in coffee and coffee products. It has its stores established across the six continents with most of the market being concentrated in America, Europe and Asia. The company has more than 15,000 stores in more than 50 countries in six continents. The company performance and productivity increased steadily over years becoming among the best coffee selling company in the world. It continued growth and development led to opening of a new store in New Zealand in 1998 (Starbucks coffee company, 2014 a Extends the Starbucks brand into grocery channels across the U.S. Launches Starbucks.com). In New Zealand, Starbucks has more than 29 stores and over 3,700 employees serving more than 60,000 customers every day operating under restaurant Brands franchise (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2014 c Starbucks Coffee Company New Zealand; Restaurant Brands, 2014 About Us-Restaurant brands). Similarly, the store in New Zealand has improved growth and development giving it advantage in the market. However, poor management in 2005 led to it making losses due to misunderstanding between employees and management. Communication barrier caused by misunderstandings were the major causes of its poor performance (Phillips, & Gully, 2012 p. 497).                   The company’s organization culture involves innovative products such as wifi coffee house and employees motivation through reward and attractive remunerations. Similarly, the company advocated for organizational culture where highly trained employees give high quality services to clients through exceptional performances that has rewards (Moncarz, Zhao, & Kay, 2009 p. 447). This culture has enabled the company to have competitive advantage and be able to command a large share of market in all its stores opened across the globe. New Zealand is one of the openings that has also had an exceptional growth and contributed to the growth of the company. However, the growth was halt in 2005 when the company suffered loss that was caused by misunderstanding between various levels of management. The misunderstanding was a result of a decision made by the management not to increase their wages to $ 12 per hour as employees had requested. The company has also been said to discriminate its employees by giving low wages as evidenced in Starbucks stores in New York (Bussing-Burks, 2009 p. 90). The decision affected the relationship between employees and management. Moreover, the performance of the employees was negatively affected and as a result the behaviour of the employees changed from the culture of exceptional performance and quality services to employees thus affecting the company’s performance.                   In every organization, employees and managements operate under a pre-established behaviour that ensures its effectiveness. A positive behaviour must be maintained or improved so as to improve the performance of the company (Luthans, & Youssef, 2007 p. 337). Therefore, the management must ensure an optimum business environment is highly maintained so as to maintain the behaviour of employees’ at the most effective and productive level. Consequently, management should try to maintain their management behaviour because their behaviour can influence that of the employees (Gelf, Erez, & Aycan, 2007 p. 494). The combination of this behaviour towards the effectiveness of an organization ensures that a positive culture is maintained and that the organization is able to maintain its productivity, growth and development. Similarly, solutions to crises are easily laid off.                   In order to address this problem, organizational behaviour models or theories were useful in encouraging the employees and management to change their behaviours and adapt their past or new behaviour that would ensure effectiveness in the company. Some theoretical approaches to this problem included systems, neo-human relations, decision-making, scientific leadership, human relations, and bureaucratic approach (Mullins, 2013 p. 43). The organizational behaviour models are important in addressing human behaviours and understandings their relations for effective implementation of changes that would ensure company’s productivity in maintained and improved.                   Neo-human relations approach entails how an organization is able to define structures of management in a way that it is able to motivate employees through satisfying their basic needs and giving attractive remunerations. The model helps in addressing employees’ dissatisfaction (Mawhinney, 2011 p. 313). In addition, the approach focuses on the needs to address to the employees’ issues such as salary increment and other needs. An organization that uses this approach is able to maintain it high predominance and growth. A solution to the problem at Starbucks coffee company required management adapt to neo-human approach by making sure that the needs of the employees could be attended. The solution could be realised if management could increase plan to increase the salary of the employees to $ 12. The increment could be promised to be done in phases so that the financial performance of the company would not be affected. Consequently, employeesâ €™ motivation could b e achieved that could results in increased productivity of the company. However, leaving the situation without a solution would result in strikes, which would further affect the reputation of the company in addition employees reduced performance. Organization that does not understand the behaviour of the employees fails to meet the needs of employees and this may cause passive participation and resistance in place of work (Bloisi, Cook, & Hunsaker, 2007  p. 113). Strikes coupled to employees’ underperformance could greatly affect the company and can cause its collapse if an immediate action could be delayed. From this approach, the responsibilities of leaders are to make sure that the goals of workers are achieved so that they can facilitate the achievement of the company’s goals (Bratton, 2010 p. 200).                   Decision making model would also be an important approach to address the problem with Starbucks coffee company. In decision making model, a decision that is arrived at is not a necessarily an optimal solution but a solution that benefits all the parties and enhance the performance of the company (Klein, 2008 p. 457). The decision making model optimise the change of behaviour that is goal oriented. The manner in which a decision is made is important in a company (Griffin, & Moorhead, 2013 p. 215). An organization that is able to make ethical decisions have high likely hood of succeeding and achieving high growth. Poor decision making results in poor management and misunderstanding between the management and employees and end up affecting the performance of the company negatively (Stein, 2010 p. 87). This is what was experienced in Starbucks Company in year 2005. The decision to decline to raise the payments of employees without a major reason or a proper communication caused the management to find themselves in a crisis of management and performance of the company. The problem can be addressed through ethical decision making process where all the stakeholders are involved in decision making (Punnett, 2009 p. 31). In ethical decision making, the views of the employees could have been addressed and that of the company ending up in a compromising situation where both parties issues are met in agreement.                   The figure 1 above showing a decision making problem that helps an organization to limit unethical decisions that could affect the performance of the company. The decision to decline wage increment was supposed to follow all the steps while involving stakeholders and thus the decision would not have affected the employees’ behaviour.                   The problem in Starbucks could also be addressed using scientific leadership model. In this model, the efficiency in work place can be monitored and adjusted accordingly using various leadership skills such as charisma (Nelson, & Quick, 2012 p. 443). The model is useful in understanding the objective and goals of the company so that every issue or problem is addressed in accordance to the goal of the company (Borkowski, 2011 p. 201). In this model, managers are the overall supervisors of the company and that they should make sure that the company does not lose for their mismanagement. For this reason, managers assign job to employees and monitor so that they are able to give an output of a quality work. Therefore, the management was responsible to manage the work of employees throughout so that they would have made sure that every employee was productive and thus preventing underperformances during the crisis period (Punnett, 2009). The approach makes su re that the goal of the company is always on the focus and so its growth is not compromised irrespective of the problem. Starbucks management had failed to utilize this approach and they left the company to be controlled by employees changed behaviour thus low performance. The model is important to every company that is facing employees’ performance crisis so that they performance of the company remain on focus.                   The figure 2 above shows the model for scientific leadership models. The decision that is made is focused on the outcome as shown in the figure above. All the other factors should be considered ensuring that goal of the company is not compromised.                   Human relations or organization behavioural theory is another model that is best for addressing the problem at Starbucks. It bias important for an organization to understand the behaviour of employees other than economic value such as wages (Netting, & O’Connor, 2013 human relations). How workers relate with each other in place of work determines their performance in places of work and known as â€Å"Hawthorne Effect† (Dalton, Hoyle, & Watts, 2011 P. 13). The model was found to be operational in both informal and formal organization. A good relation between employees and management allows smooth decision making resulting in quick and better solution. In addition, good interpersonal relation in an organization helps to improve the performance of employees and workers (Reece, 2014 p. 5). This model would have allowed the management to make appropriate decision on the workers pay and prevent misunderstanding thus maintaining the performance of the company.                   System model would also be important in addressing misunderstanding problem that led to poor performance of Starbucks coffee company. In this approach the company is able to measure the output in respect to internal operations. The management is able to monitor all the production processes and be able to evaluate the performance of the company on the basis of employees’ productivity (Mbanote, 2011 Models of organizational behaviour). Therefore, the management would have been able to realise that there was a problem before hand and employ various management skills before a problem could erupt. When productivity of employees decline, the management finds the immediate cause and addresses the problem giving an immediate and effective decision (Noble, 2014 p. 15). The problem of employees payment would have been addressed before the company could make losses through low productivity. Consequently, the employees would not have reached to the extent of dissatisfaction and reduced performance. Thereby, the performance of the company would not have been affected.                   Contingency model is another important organizational behaviour theory that was useful for Starbucks coffee company. In contingency model, a situation forces adaptation of the best leadership skills (Tushman, & Romanelli, 2008 p. 174). In other words, it is situational leadership skills that leader are capable of developing in order to adjust their leadership and relationship behaviour to address the situation at hand. The model was developed by a management theorist named Fred Fiedler in 1967 (Singh, 2010 p. 275). In Starbucks coffee company, the effectiveness of leaders in the prevailing situation was important in addressing employees’ dissatisfaction in their decision. The contingency models require leaders to adjust with the situation so that the performance of an organization is not affected. However, the management in Starbucks New Zealand Company compromised on the prevailing situation resulting in decreased performance of employees and pro ductivity of the company. The case required an immediate decision that would have maintained the motivation of employees and job satisfaction. An immediate meeting with employees’ union leaders and addressing the issue would have kept the hope of employees a live and they would have continued performing at their level best thus the growth and productivity of the company would have been maintained. Moreover, reverse of the decision and initiation of a new process to make an alternative decision that would involve all the employees’ representatives and other stakeholders would have calmed the situation. This would have prevented employees from changing their behaviour and focus on the goal of the company to improve its productivity. Contingency model of leadership is one of organizational behaviour that has been adapted by many corporations that have found themselves in crisis and needs to save the company (Zaccaro, 2007 P. 6).                   Bureaucracy model is one of the management models that is highly used in Starbucks coffee company. The level of management is divided in levels of management and this make it difficult for employees to interact with the top management directly. The high level of bureaucracy serves as an obstacle of employees to air their grievances and thus any decision or problem must be addressed through a hierarchical process making it to take a lot of time (Greenberg, 2013 bureaucratic model-ideal types). In the case that happened to Starbucks would have been solved in good time and minimized the effect that was caused by the situation. However, the decision had to follow a protocol that took a lot of time and some of the decisions were being objected at different levels. Therefore, employees got impatient and they started reiterating through low performance and low productivity that affected greatly the performance of the company. Bureaucratic model of organization management requires solution to situations that are not urgent and that may not affect the productivity and effectiveness of the company (Boin, & Hart, 2007 p. 43). An urgent situation requires quick decision making and action before an organization is affected negatively. Therefore, urgent solution was required in Starbuck and so bureaucratic model was not appropriate. Conclusion                   Organization behaviour is the study how individual and groups of people interact with the internal processes of an organization with respect to effectiveness of a company. Starbucks coffee company experienced a change in behaviour of employees in New Zealand after a misunderstanding on the increment of wages to $ 12 a day. The employees’ change of behaviour affected the effectiveness of the company resulting to poor economic performance. Therefore, it was necessary for the company to apply various organization behaviour models or theories in order to understand and address the change in behaviour so that the effectiveness of the company in providing services and products could be resumed. Some of the models included neo-human relations, which entailed an approach that ensured that management could be able to motivate employees through satisfying their basic needs and giving attractive remunerations that would result in change of behaviour and thus affectivity in the company. In addition, other models that were important in addressing the problem at Starbuck were human relations, contingency leadership model, system model, scientific leadership model, decision making model, and bureaucratic models. The models are important in shaping the management and employees behaviour towards effective performance of the organization. These models of organization behaviour did not come into play before the crisis and immediately after the crisis thus affecting the performance or the organization negatively. References Bloisi, W., Cook, C. W., & Hunsaker, P. L. 2007.  Management and organisational behaviour. London [u.a.: McGraw-Hill Education. Boin, A., & Hart, P. T. 2007. The crisis approach. In Handbook of disaster research (pp. 42-54). Springer New York. Borkowski, N. 2011.  Organizational behavior in health care. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Bratton, J. 2010.  Work and organizational behaviour. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Bussing-Burks, M. 2009.  Starbucks. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood Press. Dalton, M., Hoyle, D. G., & Watts, M. W. 2011.  Human relations. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning. Gelf, Erez, M., & Aycan, Z. 2007. Cross-cultural organizational behavior. Annu. Rev. Psychol., 58, 479–514. Greenberg, J. 2013. Organizational behaviour. Routledge. Griffin, R., & Moorhead, G. 2013. Managing People and Organizations. UK: Cengage Learning Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J. 2010. Organizational behaviour. Manson Cengage learning Klein, G. (2008). Naturalistic decision making. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 50(3), 456-460. Luthans, F., & Youssef, C. M. 2007. Emerging positive organizational behavior. Journal of management, 33(3), 321-349. Mark D. 2013. ‘Strikes and labour disputes – Legislation from the 1990s’, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, Mawhinney, T. C. 2011. Job Satisfaction: I/O Psychology and Organizational Behavior Management Perspectives. Journal Of Organizational Behavior Management, 31(4), 288-315. Mbanote,. 2011. Management: Model of Organizational Behavior. Mbanote-management.blogspot.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014, from http://mbanote-management.blogspot.com/2011/03/model-of-organizational-behavior_23.html Moncarz, E., Zhao, J., & Kay, C. 2009. An exploratory study of US lodging properties’ organizational practices on employee turnover and retention. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 21(4), 437-458. Mullins, L.J. 2013. Management & Organisational Behaviour. Pearson Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. 2012.  Organizational behavior: Science, the real world, and you. Mason, Ohio: South-Western. Netting, F. E., & O’Connor, M. K. 2013.  Organization practice: A guide to understanding human service organizations. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Noble, K. 2014. The M5 Model Building. Positive Intelligence in Organizations. OD Practitioner, 46(1), 12-17. Phillips, J., & Gully, S. M. 2012.  Organizational behavior: Tools for success. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Punnett, B. J. 2009.  International perspectives on organizational behavior and human resource management. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe. Reece, B. L. 2014.  Effective human relations: Interpersonal and organizational applications. Mason, OH: South-Western. Restaurant Brands,. 2014. About Us. Restaurantbrands.co.nz. Retrieved 15 May 2014, from http://www.restaurantbrands.co.nz/about-us/Singh, K. 2010.  Organizational behaviour: Text and cases. Chandigarh: Pearson. Starbucks coffee company, 2014 a. Starbucks Company timeline. Timeline Starbucks Coffee Company,. 2014 b. Company Information. Starbucks Coffee Company. Retrieved 14 May 2014, from http://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information Starbucks Coffee company,. 2014 c. FAQ Starbucks Coffee Company New Zealand. Starbucks.co.nz. Retrieved 15 May 2014, from http://www.starbucks.co.nz/about/faq/our-stores/ Stein, G. 2010. Managing people and organizations Bingley, UK: Emerald. Tushman, M. L., & Romanelli, E. 2008. Organizational evolution. Organization change: A comprehensive reader, 155, 2008:174. Zaccaro, S. J. 2007. Trait-based perspectives of leadership. American Psychologist, 62(1), 6. Source document

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Busienss Coach

Advance course on Logotherapy Logotask 1 (as specified in tutorial letter 103/2012) Name: Wessels, Nicolaas Johannes Student no: 7294-232-0 Course code: LOGO 01-8 Academic Qualifications: B Comm (Marketing) UP; B Comm (Marketing) (Hons) Unisa; MBL Unisa Occupation: Business Leadership Coach Postal address: PO Box 786411, Sandton, 2146 Tel: 011 783 4155 (H); 011 253 9919 (O); 082 554 4614 (M) e-mail: [email  protected] co. za â€Å"As much as it was a point of utter determination, it was also a point of surrender†. By reading Teria’s story one could also say that â€Å"it was a moment of truth†.She seemed to have reached new levels of self awareness and consciousness about what her life was like up to that point and what could be from there on. What we see here is a defining moment, a moment of truth and a moment of decisiveness. To take action and turn the focus on what is and what could be, not on what was. By all accounts she has reached a level of self aware ness to such an extent that she could transcend herself and connect to her spiritual dimension where a discovery was made of life changing proportions.We have here a very good example of how tension had played a role in directing someone towards her values and what is important to her. By transcending herself, Teria not only moved away from a needs driven focus on the past, she moved to a values directed focus on the future and all the possibilities it holds. â€Å"I was somehow missing to fully live my present life with an eye on the future that was â€Å"waiting† to be reached out to. My life seemed to lack vision – a dream to realize or ideals to be inspired by† (Shantall 2002: 13). The tension which brought on this state of realization is a health one.Without this meaning will not be found. â€Å"A sound amount of tension, such as that tension which is aroused by a meaning to fulfill, is inherent in being human and is indispensible for mental well-beingâ₠¬  (Frankl 1998: 48). By recognizing her own power to self transcend, Teria reached the â€Å"highest stage in human development† (Lucas 1998:34). In this turning point, three catalysts are particularly interesting. Firstly the death of her father presented not only the shock of losing a loved one, it also served as a stark reminder of the transitoriness of life. And how wasteful lost opportunities are.Sometimes this awareness of how life’s opportunities are passing us by comes easier with older people who have experienced the full granaries of life. With others the urgency to live life fully may need to be awakened by techniques such as the Socratic dialogue. Teria was aching for something different and experiencing the effects of an awakened consciousness prompting her towards action. As Frankl puts it â€Å"Thus, the transitoriness of our existence in no way makes it meaningless. But it does constitute our responsibleness; for everything hinges upon our realizing the essentially transitory possibilities†. Frankl 2004:124). Teria wanted more from life, more vision, more meaning and more significance. This moment in her life, this point of surrender suggests an awareness that now is the time to make a decision. And the application of transitoriness as a Logotherapeutic tool is testimony to Frankl’s observation â€Å"Logotherapy, keeping in mind the essential transitoriness of human existence, is not pessimistic but rather optimistic† (Frankl 2004:124). The second catalyst was the diary her father left her. It served as a powerful metaphor and last challenge from him to live life powerfully with authenticity. I felt that he expected me to fill up the yet empty pages of that diary with the events of my life that I would now undertake to life fully and with care† (Shantall 2002:14). Her will to meaning was triggered and she was challenged to be creative with her life and treat it with a responsibility becoming of her. Wi th this diary her father created a healthy tension between Teria and life, asking her to take up a commission to run her race. She was reminded of her own freedom of will by the blank pages staring at her.Freedom of will is one of the three fundamental tenet on which Logotherapy is built â€Å"Logotherapy’s concept of man is based on three pillars, the freedom of will, the will to menaing and the meaning of life†. (Frankl 1988:16). The diary played the role of visible canvass against which she could transcend and surrender the old and connect to a point beyond herself. The third catalyst was the physical distance between her and the rest of the family. By being far away, alone and not able to pay last respects, Teria was forced to deal with this traumatic incident herself and find her own defiant power to awaken her will to meaning.With no distraction or consolation she had to dig for courage to process the full implications of this experience. With this third catalyst she was put alone before life as if to be asked two questions: what are you going to give life and what is life asking from you? â€Å"This experience of a breakthrough of meaning in my own suffering, with the added feeling of greater sense of responsibility as I came to see my life as a gift which I could either use or abuse† (Shantall 2002:15).The morning after the death of her father, Teria experienced heightened levels of appreciation for what was important to her, what was possible and what was meaningful to her at that stage. The two dominant emotions presented to us in her quote: determination and surrender are also of interest. Determined to find some defined destination worth living for, she connected to her defiant power to overcome and knew that nothing else but a strong, clear, meaningful life would do. And by surrendering the old and the meaningless, she made way for new meaning to be discovered.Clearing the past and transcending onto a new level of possibilitie s. These two emotions or channels of energy go hand in hand like the critical chemicals without which the desired reaction would not be possible. Without determination, surrender could have been left alone to sulk and doubt. Without surrender, determination could have been a relentless energy with no direction, possible of destruction. Giving up on her self-centered way of living, she may also have given up on a hyper reflective ways of thinking. My own psychodynamics, which I have explored during my years of psychoanalysis began to fade in importance or, most surprisingly began to take on a refreshingly new and deeper meaning† (Shantall 2002: 14). With a state of hyper-reflection and hyper-intention, fulfillment and happiness will elude. She may also have been surrendering to faith that happiness and fulfillment will ensue â€Å"Attaining a goal constitute a reason to be happy. In other words, if there is a reason for happiness, happiness ensues, automatically and spontaneou sly, as it were.And that is why one need not pursue happiness, one need not care for it once there is a reason for it. But, even more, one cannot pursue it† (Frankl 1998:34). Aching for something more, something worthwhile, she transformed and became inspired to be present, take up the challenge and recognize her scope of free choice. I would contest that her life up to this point has not been wasted. True to the duality which life presents so frequently to us, her new sense of highs would not have been reached had it been for her perceived sense of lows.The discovery of a new powerful meaningful life is like the discovery of a secret garden in a fairy tale. Often it is protected by an angry dragon and we are tested by life on how badly do we want to be more, and live significantly. This experience in Teria’s life was clearly a turning point away from the meaningless, a new beginning of something profoundly powerful and a courageous change in direction. What is meaning all about? â€Å"Existence is not only intentional but also transcendent. Self transcendence is the essence of existence† (Frankl 1998:50).And what is there to live for if living is un-intentional and just for one self alone? In order to get a grasp on meaning, one could look at the various facets and characteristics it constitutes, yet even after having done so, it may still elude full comprehension. Meaning first and foremost has to be experienced. And it is something to be experienced personally. It is not something which could be passed on, taught or transferred. It may be illuminated or hinted at but is uniquely personal in its experiencing. â€Å"Meaning is relative in that it is related to a specific person who is entangled is a specific situation.One could say that meaning differs from man to man and from second from day to day, indeed from hour to hour† (Frankl 1998:54). On the question â€Å"what is meant by meaning? †, Frankl comments that â€Å"it i s absolutely down to earth inasmuch as it refers to that which a concrete situation means to a concrete person† (Frankl 1998:140). Whereas meaning may be hard to define conceptually, it is simple and clearly visible in its experiences. We will recognize meaning when we find it! And paradoxically â€Å"the more comprehensive the meaning, the less comprehensible it is†. (Frankl 2000:136).Semantically, meaning is both verb and noun. It is alive and reveals itself though action and activity. And it is discovered like a treasure hidden waiting for the right time and the right person to appear. Although we cannot observe it in itself like a concrete object, we can observe the powers it has on a subject. And it can appear at any time in any situation. â€Å"The perception of meaning as I see it, could be defined suddenly becoming aware of a possibility against a background of reality† (Frankl 1998: 140). Our inherent desire to find meaning is the most powerful energy we posses.In Nietzsche’s words, â€Å"He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How† (Frankl 2004:7). Without a reason to live for or to move towards, life will be empty and fragile. Meaning gives us the power to move forward and this will to meaning is one of the three pillars on which Logotherapy is built (Frankl 1988:16). Our will to meaning is expressed in a space of freedom to pursue whatever is meaningful to the individual. We are not free from, but free to do what is meaningful. â€Å"Man’s freedom is no freedom from conditions but rather a freedom to take a stand on whatever conditions might confront him† (Frankl 1998:16).We are constantly challenged by life to make it meaningful and called on our courage to do so. This strongly suggests there is a responsibility attached to meaning. A responsibility to live authentically and courageously – to do the right thing. This is emphasized by an Logotherapeatic imperative: â€Å"live as if yo u were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as you are about to act now† (Frankl 2004:114). Our lives are not something beyond our control – whereas we cannot control what happens to us, we can certainly control how we behave or respond.And it is here where our biggest responsibility presents itself. To act the right way, befitting of how we could be potentially. Living in a dimension of meaning means to live responsibly according to our governing values and conscious awareness. By connecting to our consciousness we will identify for ourselves what the right action is and there is ever only one right action. And conscience is essentially intuitive (Frankl 2000:40) and the only means for grasping the meaning of any moment. To quote Graber: â€Å"The human experience calls for an ability to make independent decisions at each moment in life.To live responsibly calls for listening to the thousands of commandments arising from the thousa nds of unique situations of which life consists. It is the intuitive conscience that guides us in the moment by moment experiences of life. It gives voice to the available resources of the spirit within† (Graber 2004:79). Consciousness and creativity are the most important facilitators to find meaning. It is in our noetic realm where we connect to our consciousness and a deeper desire to do the right thing. Paradoxically, by experiencing meaning we connect to our spiritual consciousness.In terms of Frankl’s dimensional ontology, our noetic dimension is what makes us human. And it is in this dimension where we have the faculty to identify meaning. â€Å"Freedom of choice, intentionality, creative and artistic interest, religious encounters, ethical sensitivity, conscience, understanding of values and love, the capacity to be awed by experiences, intuition and inspiration and the search for meaning are at home† (Graber: 2004:71). This is not to suggest that meaning is found inside ourselves. Our conscious is where meaning is interpreted.Meaning is found outside ourselves by connecting to something greater or beyond. By this statement I am not suggesting it is very far away. It may be very close indeed, but beyond and outside nevertheless, discovered by self-transcendence as Frankl calls it (Frankl 2000:138). And it resides in the future like a magnet to which we are drawn, pulling us out of our self absorbed existence and connecting us to life. With no real meaning there is no real connection to life. Experiencing meaning presents itself as a paradox.According to Frankl: â€Å"The more meaning is experienced as a reality of our lives, the more exercised and refined is our faith in the reality of its existence and the broader is our experience and awareness of the deeper meanings of life†. We only know it when we know it! Meaning is found by having uniquely personal encounters with life. It could be by way of what we do creatively or gi ve to the world; by what we get as an experience or take from life; or thirdly by the attitude we adopt towards what is presented to us. (Frankl 1988:70).Not only does meaning rewards us, it gives us strength it gives life sustained worth and defines our unique purpose. Whilst suggesting meaning is waiting to be discovered right in front of us in everyday life, one has to acknowledge that there may be a deeper meaning to life. Or as Frankl calls it â€Å"ultimate meaning† (Frankl 2000:143). This is meaning of the whole – of life as a whole or of our life as a whole. And the comprehension of this is beyond our mental faculties, which positions ultimate meaning in a realm inaccessible to reason or intellect (Frankl 2000:144).And as he puts it â€Å"but what is unknowable need not be unbelievable. In fact where knowledge gives up, the torch is passed on the faith† (Frankl 200:146). Or as Albert Einstain once said: â€Å"supra-meaning is no longer a matter of think ing but rather a matter of believing† (Ffankl 1998:145). To sum up, meaning is connected to purpose, to goals, a mission and linked to a cause beyond and outside ourselves. The key enabler to fining meaning is hidden in our conscious where we can awaken an element of tension and become aware of how things are now and how things could be.To attain meaning requires an open attitude and requires us to choose, to interact and engage with life. It shapes our life and makes everything worthwhile. In a logotherapeutic session, the following diagram could serve as a discussion guide: How meaningful life could be (what we do, experience of or the attitude we take) Indispensible noetic tension of what ought to be How things are now * Become aware of uniquely personal values, strengths, dreams, and existing characteristics of life. * Use these realities as guideposts towards what ought to be. What does meaning mean to me?Thinking about my own experience of meaning, I am aware of the many sources I have tapped into and could still tap into, in order to experience a more fulfilling and purposeful life. Within all the dimensions and facets of my life, meaning lurks. And by this I do not imply by any means that my life is ultimately fulfilling at the moment or that I have identified all the places and sources of finding meaning. It is rather a case of me having noticed the rays of meaning by what I did, experienced or by the stance I took in my journey through life up to now.It’s been said that if life’s purpose is to find your gift, your mission is to use it – and that makes life meaningful. I am aware happiness and sadness are emotions, and fulfillment is a state of being. Right and wrong are judgmental and when one operates from a higher level of consciousness, there is no judgment. And is in this higher level of being where I find my biggest growth and my most profound meaning. As Frankl states: â€Å"In no way are we justified in speaking of man as only a somatic-psychic whole. Body and psyche may form a unity- a psychophysical unity- but this unity does not yet represent the wholeness of man.Without the spiritual as its essential ground, this wholeness cannot exist† (Frankl 2000:34). If I have to highlight the most meaningful moments or areas of my life, it could be summarized in the meaning matrix below. Reflecting on my own dimensional ontology (Frankl 2000:34) my wholeness exist by recognizing all the dimension of my being. And I am aware of the meaning imbedded in fleeting moments and in longer passages of my life, on different levels. For me the most powerful awareness about meaning is the understanding of where it may be and how to look for it.I have found it in the seemingly most insignificant actions (by giving someone at work a spontaneous hug), and in epic sporting events like finishing 8 day cycle races where shear attitude and commitment got me to the finish line. My meaning matrix. Populating the rea lms of what makes me human according to Frankl’s dimensional ontology with the three principle ways to find meaning. (Frankl 1998:70). Where meaning is foundOntological dimension| What I do/give to life| What I get and experience from life| The attitude I take towards life| Noetic dimension| Acting out my values and setting examples. Being conscious of doing the right thing.Connecting to my consciousness and communicating with my soul. Behaving like it is my mission to make a difference (trying to! ). | Noticing synchronicities, finding peace though spiritual rituals of mediation and contemplation. Receiving feedback from life on the level of my soul. | Having faith in an ultimate meaning, trusting life to be unconditionally meaningful, knowing I have a unique purpose to fulfill no matter how challenging â€Å"this† moment may be. | Psychic dimension| Facilitating coaching conversations, mentoring and counseling people. Assisting people with their personal development and growth.Helping my family and loved ones wherever & however I can. | Meaningful moments with wife, kids and friends – Relationships. Coaching & mentoring someone and noticing the change in perception or awareness. Coaching & mentoring at the school in Soweto. | Resigning myself to what will be and to whatever life challenges me with. Treating challenges and emotional stress as signposts for personal growth. | Somatic dimension| Doing sport and adventure activities with friends (triathlons, cycle rides/races, mountain climbs). Cooking. | Sharing the experiences of bicycle rides, triathlons and mountain climbs with friends.Enjoying a great cup of coffee. | Gritting it out when I suffer physically, reminding me extreme sport is â€Å"what I do† and what gives me energy. | Reflecting on the role of my conscience and my awareness of responsible action, I recognize the healthy tension of what I want to be/have/do, and what ought to be/have/do. This tension is what unlocks meaning and protects me against psychic rigor mortis as Frankl puts it. Finding the balance between responsibility and dependence on something other than ourselves bring into the conversation the concept of authenticity.And the extent to which decisions are based on personal, right choice rather than inclination (as Teria phrased it). By taking full responsibility and not be dependent or rely on what others may say or think, a state of independence and interdependence will be reached. This responsibility also includes acceptance of what happens to one and the attitude with which someone embraces the cards dealt by life. Striking a balance between what is right, authentic and responsible action for me, and what am I inclined to do given the external, dependency based conditioning of conformism and totalitarianism, has shown itself in a number of instances.Whereas I had perceived meaning in some parts of my life, it was greatly lacking in my work environment. I was reveling in my â⠂¬Å"extra mural† sporting activities, had a great circle of friends and enjoyed wonderful times with my family. Yet, my work life was becoming increasingly grey. In 2005, I found myself stuck in a very successful, well paying corporate job at a company that has been my professional home for 25 years. Amidst all the success and trappings of corporate life was the feeling of time and potential being wasted. I was increasingly getting g more irritable with people around me, intolerant and short tempered.I was in an existential vacuum (Frankl 2004:110), and the only meaning I had was my sport where I lived my passion out by focusing on training for endurance events rather than making an effort to attend to my business challenges and responsibilities. I was displaying the classic characteristics of the neurotic triad with behavior of aggression (impatience with people around me), depression (boredom and feeling stuck) and addiction (excessive training). (Graber 2004:124). Over a pe riod of two years I contemplated my corporate life and finally reached the conclusion that my behavior at the time was not any different from that of a mercenary.I was not doing the job the company is paying me for to the fullest of my abilities neither was I free to express myself to my authentic calling. I was not living authentically and not according to my values and was becoming a cheat. â€Å"Man lives by ideals and values. Human existence is not authentic unless it is lived in terms of self-transcendence† (Frankl 1998:52). During this period my brother died of cancer at the relatively young age of 61 and my father passed away at the age of 93. The passing away of my father was in itself not a traumatic experience for me and by all accounts, not for him.As a Springbok track athlete he often referred to himself as â€Å"having run his last lap† and being ready to pass on. â€Å"For me the bell of the last lap has tolled. I am ready to die†, he often would t ell me. Maybe the death of my brother and father in the space of this time reminded me of the transitoriness of life. I was becoming acutely aware of the wealth in health and how important it is to do what my heart was telling me. I was increasingly questioning myself on what am I still doing here in a crude rendition of a Socratic dialogue.Confronting myself with questions like: * What is the worst that could happen? * Is this it? * Although I am successful, where to from here? * What advice will some of my mentors give me? * What if I was to get terminally ill – will I regret not having made the decision to leave? * But the most powerful question was a promise I made myself about 20 years earlier in my life, when as a 16 year old school boy, I likened myself to David Livingstone, the explorer. And I was not living this dream! I too wanted to explore one day. And this dream was slipping away from me.During the month of December 2006, I made the decision to resign. The tensio n I felt was text book existential vacuum but I had no idea and very little understanding on how to deal with it. although I was thinking about resigning constantly I am not sure exactly what made me do it that time and at the moment I did. A financial bonus had some effect on the timing of my public announcement but the final internal trigger escapes me. All I recall is one day standing alone in an office looking at the blue sky outside and thinking â€Å"there’s a sun shining outside, but not in here where I am! maybe this realization was final confirmation for me to get off my backside and step into the sun. This dynamic tension I experienced at the time can be graphically illustrated as follows: Consequences and possible outcomes of in-authentic actions What I want or must (selfish desire, conformism or totalitarianism) Dynamic tension within my conscience to do the right thing. The voice of reason with me which will guide me towards meaning. Consequences and possible ou tcomes of authentic right action Where am I nowWhat I ought (right action) Consequences of being responsible (and of being irresponsible) was particularly high on my agenda during this time. The consequences of staying in my current job felt to me like a bad compromise. I would have been untrue to myself, my company and my family by hanging around any longer. I felt torn between being responsible to a deep-felt desire to seek out a more purposeful life of meaning vs perpetuating lucrative mediocrity. Once the decision was taken and announced, I felt liberated, free and terribly alone.What I had to do here, is to look beyond my immediate circumstances to what might be. I had a dream and had to make some pretty uncomfortable decisions in order to get myself out of the headspace I was stuck in. Self transcendence, knowing that there is more waiting for me to be discovered covered my thinking. It was clear to me that the work has only just begun. As clear as I was that it’s time to go, as unclear was I on where to. It took me quite some time to get used to my new status as a free agent and many times felt anxious by my scope of free action.Too many choices and a deliberate action to seek out something new and meaningful lead me in many interesting directions – not all of them meaningful. Finally after almost 18 months of searching did I find a new rhythm and sense of energy. Like a snowball it gained momentum and with it, clarity of what I find meaningful as a vocation – helping people discover meaning in their own lives. My search for a new career had lead me to â€Å"adventure coaching† or what I would like to term â€Å"experiential logotherapy†. I have managed to manifest a ombination of two personal passions – physical adventure and helping people discover something unique about themselves best described by the personal development journeys to the slums of India and Everest Base Camp. This has become the signature pie ces of my new career – taking people on adventurous journeys mixing physical experience with contemplating matters of the mind and connecting to a deeper self. The EBC journey will be the subject of my research workshop and I will present more detail on this experience later in the year.Teaching in a Delhi slum school – I took people on a personal development journey in October 2011. At the moment I apply myself in 4 areas: Corporate Talent Management (businesses in Sandton) , Individual counseling and coaching (various types of people), Adventure coaching (journeys to India and Nepal) and Empowerment coaching (coaching disadvantaged black school kids). My empowerment coaching initiative is worth a mention. I do this at a school in Dobsonville, Soweto and this came about as follows: In 2010 I decided to climb Aconcagua in South America – the highest mountain in the world outside the Himalayas.I had taken the decision to do this expedition on my own, but was look ing for a cause that could benefit and hope to turn it into a fundraising campaign. A friend of mine was involved with a corporate social responsibility initiative called â€Å"one school at a time† and this fitted perfectly. He had identified Forte High school in Dobsonville as the first beneficiary of this CSI program and we turned my Aconcagua expedition into a fundraising campaign for the school. We managed to raise R530,000 through corporate contacts I had and the expedition was a huge success in financial terms.The climb itself was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and the lows I reached and internal change I experienced is food for another essay! Suffice to say I didn’t make it to the top as we were caught in a constant snow storm for 5 days at an altitude of 5,600m. Stuck for 5 days in a high altitude camp weakened us severely and when our food eventually ran out we pulled the plug and headed home. Some big logotherapy experiences! However, when I got bac k to SA I decided to do more at the school and offered to start group coaching conversations with some of the kids.Since then I have been working with groups of grade 10 and 11 kids facilitating structured conversations about whatever they choose to talk about – topics include confidence, fear, reaching dreams, relationships and doing picture dream boards. I am slowly working logotherapy into the conversations and the kids love it! Fundraising campaign in Johannesburg in October 2010 and carrying the flag on Aconcagua, South America (I’m on the right). In July this year, I will be taking a group of 15 high school kids to Dharamsala, India where the Dalai Lama lives, to â€Å"teach English to Tibetan monks†.This is part of their personal development program and aims to awaken gratitude, patience, understanding and strong sense of purpose with participants. We will go for 8 days and I am coordinating this journey directly with the office of the Tibetan People in C enturion. Responsibility is something I am acutely aware of. However, in the past couple of years I have become consciously aware of my responsibility to â€Å"be more† and not merely to â€Å"provide†. Life has so much to offer and if I can overcome my own self limiting beliefs and connect to my inner source of energy, I will be more.To make a difference and be of value are my governing intentions and I am constantly aware of the effort it takes to be authentic and responsible to the life that has been given to me. The opportunities and potentialities I encounter persistently remind me of what could be and pulls me towards living meaningfully. I am dependent on my own conscience and my faith in life, that meaning is all around me. I am also aware of the tasks and challenges life presents to me and believe that it is up to me to make it happen – not anyone else. Reference list: 1. Shantall, T 2002.Life’s meaning in the face of suffering. Testimonies of ho locaust survivors. Hebrew University Magnes Press. ISBN 965-493-142-7. 2. Frankl, V E 1988. The Will to Meaning. Foundations and Applications of Logotherapy. Expanded edition. First Meridian Printing. 3. Frankl, V E 2000. Man’s search for ultimate meaning. Perseus Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-0-7382-0354-6. 4. Graber, A V 2004. Victor Frankl’s Logotherapy: Method of Choice in Ecumenical Pastoral Psychotherapy. Wyndham Hall Press. ISBN 1-55605-364-9. 5. Lukas, E 1998. Logotherapy Textbook: Meaning centered Psychotherapy. Liberty Press. ISBN 0-9686496-1-0.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

National Rifle Association NonProfit Organization Research Paper Essay

National Rifle Association NonProfit Organization Research Paper - Essay Example Hence, the need to be responsible with regards this matter is an important issue to consider for everyone. For this particular reason, the NRA stands strong as an organization that believes of responsible gun handling from then until now. NRA primarily started out as an organization that is based on the views of two retired army who simply wanted to make the entire human society more knowledgeable about the wise handling of firearms. Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate started NRA in 1871 to be able to promote a sense of scientific process among all individuals whenever they handle firearms. As the US charter in the State of New York approved the existence of the said organization, the First President of the organization in the personification of former US Senator Gen. Ambrose Burnside took responsibility of the position. The first president tried his best to establish the organization's reputation in the society that they are most involved with. It could be observed that with the aim of making the society more responsible in the manner of handling guns for self-protection reasons. It is indeed from the primary aims of the founders of the organization that NRA actually started out to affect the entire human society. Hence, through the financial support provided by the Long Island and Creed Farm, the organization was able to establish a practice range round that would host to train numerous individuals who have their own guns for the purpose of self defense. The Credmor, NRA's first training grounds had then been established during the year 1872. It was the first venue for the first ever annual shooting matches that happened during those years. IT was the year 1906 when the organization began trying to influence the larger population in the human society and that is the youth. NRA began to campaign for having university-based programs that would allow young individuals to learn the right usage of guns. Through the promotion of shooting sports in America, NRA begins to affect a larger population in the American society. With the pursuance of NRA Secretary Albert Jones, the said program flourished to affect the entire American population during those years. Moreover, the growth of recognition that the society has upon these programs affected many among the populations staying within the area. As of today, the same program still makes a great effect on the process by which American Boy Scouts, American Legron and US Jaycees are being trained at present. Up to this day, the organization aims to educate everyone in the society about the need to be responsible and knowledgeable about the right usage of guns and other firearms as well. In an aim to educate everyone, the launching of the NRA Police Firearms Instructor Certification Program in 1960, the association holds a record of having 50,000 certified instructors who handle different courses of responsible gun handling. From this particular program, 750,000 gun owners are given certification every year and are then given the rightful knowledge that they need to acquire with regards the need to handle their firearms in a manner of responsibility and alertness to what is right and what is wrong in terns of using their gin authority or chance to hold a firearm for any reason there is

Friday, September 27, 2019

Government's Policies and Economic Development Essay

Government's Policies and Economic Development - Essay Example Problems faced by developing & transition economies, in which more markets are lacking, the markets that do exist may function less effectively, and information problems are more severe than in industrial countries simply because of the rapid change in the economic environment. While markets failures loom larger over this developing and transition economies, the capacity of the government to correct these market failures is often weaker. So the question arises is what should have been the role of the government in the past two decades. Assessing the appropriate role of the government requires the recognition of both the need for and the limitation of the government action. Successful governments have helped create markets such as bond and stock markets and long- term credit institution. They have established and enforced laws and regulations that have financial markets more stable and increased competition in all sectors. In many cases government has acted as a surrogate entrepreneur, encouraging the firms to enter the certain markets. Especially in export markets governments have provided firms with strong incentives. Some econometric evidences suggest that many of these interventions were quite effective. For instance, an analysis of the mild financial restraint evidenced in most East Asian economies suggest that it did lead to more rapid economic growth, but it can not be inferred that all governments are infallible. Even in the East Asian economies governments have made mistakes. The Japanese government for example initially prevented Honda from entering the automobile industry. Government cannot fix every problem. Government definitely has a plac e, but it should know its place. Economic growth in the last 20 years has shown a very clear decline in progress for some countries as compared with the previous two decades (1960 - 1980). The poorest group of countries went from a per capita GDP growth rate of 1.9 percent annually in 1960-80, to a decline of 0.5 percent per year (1980-2000). For the middle group (which includes mostly poor countries), there was a sharp decline from an annual per capita growth rate of 3.6 percent to just less than 1 percent Progress in education also slowed in the last two decades. The rate of growth of primary, secondary, and tertiary (post-secondary) school enrollment was slower for most groups of countries. There are some exceptions, but these tend to be concentrated among the better performing groups of countries. By almost every measure of education, including literacy rates, the middle and poorer performing groups saw less rapid progress in the period of globalization than in the prior two decades. The rate of growth of public spending on education, as a share of GDP, also slowed across many countries. Over the past few years the persistent economic crisis in Asia has called into question much of the received wisdom that liberalization has enhanced the economic contribution of international capital markets. The Asian crisis is but the most recent example of other similar episodes: the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Dunkin Donuts Exam2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dunkin Donuts Exam2 - Research Paper Example The customers are also allowed to make decisions and give opinions on the same. The group has also developed a strategy to offer information about nutrition, and avail a wide selection of items on their menus. The group has also introduced great tasting fast foods that take into consideration the kind of lifestyle as well as meeting crucial dietary needs. Dunkin’ Group was among the first to introduce donuts with zero grams Trans fat. Later, they modified their ice cream to be the same. The group also established a board that would help address nutritional matters. The board comprised of experts on nutrition, wellness and health (Dunkin, 2014). They were to help with the development and regeneration of products that would take into consideration the rising needs of the customers. The research helps the company to anticipate and understand wellness and health trends and instils modern nutritional science in the development of the menu. The group has also a strategy to provide h ealth-related information to the public. The group ensures that information on calories is brought out in an easily comprehendible manner. The group has also started using foam cups to serve their coffee. The cup has benefits such as keeping the coffee hotter for longer hours. The group has also resolved to use recycled napkins to reduce waste of napkins. The company has set an objective to concentrate its efforts on making healthier food substances from the items they bake. They do this while focussing on the opportunities the market presents. It is also among the long-term objectives by Dunkin’ Donuts Group to expand their menus so that they can offer non-traditional items such as iced-coffee. The company aims at providing speedy services. They also aim at making products that are of a constant quality and at affordable prices. These are crucial for the company to earn consumer loyalty (Dunkin, 2013). The company is set to go for production methods that are

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Team and Team Processes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team and Team Processes - Essay Example Every staff in a medical institution regardless of their role should have an ethical responsibility of pointing out errors when they detect one (Grant, 2011). The experience in the case of Nurse B is caused by acts of neglect and imperfection. In the medical field, the level of imperfection should be close to nil to avoid exposing patients to risks. In the work compiled by Marshall (2010), the act of regret in a medical institution may be caused by a fatal of occurrence in the practice. To avoid such scenarios, nurses are called upon to be vigilant in pointing out problem and errors whenever they detect one. According to Grant (2011) nurse should make sure that medical practices are well mitigated from risks. This can be done by reporting any medical change in patients to the appropriate doctor, asking for assistance in case of doubt when administering medical services and following the instructions provided by the doctors almost perfectly (Marshall, 2010). At this point the importan ce of teamwork and processes are important. Each member of a specific team should ensure that every other member of the group is operating on the required and appropriate instructions (Marshall, 2010). Nurse B raised concerns about the responsibility of nurses and their reaction to problems and errors. From the complaints, one could easily argue that some nurses feel not obligated to point out errors committed by the senior staff or the doctors. In creating awareness on this issue, the nurse should be equipped with the responsibility of effectively pointing out an error regardless of the position of the staff involved. This can be done by effectively increasing the level at which doctors and health instructors value the concerns of the nurses. Another intervention may be creating working groups in an institution comprising on one senior staff who could speak n behalf of the other nurses. As seen in the work of Marthaler & Kelly (2010) nurses feel more comfortable to report to a respondent.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

M6A1-Question 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M6A1-Question 2 - Essay Example sition to identify the three needs that prevails among the organizational employees, then it would give the leaders a perfect opportunity to determine various ways in which the organizational employees can be motivated. In most cases, organizational employees tend to look upon their organizational leaders in order to depict what they best see. This means that the effective leaders should at least empower other organizational members who will be in a position to make use of the power given to them by furthering the vision of the leaders (McClelland, 2008). Leaders who tend to be driven by the urge of power in most cases they fail to misinterpret it for egoism. This aspect is seen as a positive move because in most cases, they still have the ability of maintaining social relationships in their organizations and with their workers (Passmore, 2010). Alternatively, the aspect of ignoring power related concerns when it comes to organizational operations and activities might end up being negative for both the organizational employees and the organizational leaders. In most cases, ignorance of power related concerns especially in the organization mostly leads to tension and bad blood between organizational employees and the leaders. Advising these types of leaders on how best they can handle their power would be one of the cautions to offer to such leaders. Alternatively, engaging in leadership seminars is also important in such cases. During the seminars, the leaders would be given the best advice on how to control their organizational powe rs (Schemerhon, 2011). Very few aspects tend to be more important when it comes to human activities as compared to the aspect of power and leadership in the organization. In as much as power tends to be important generally, the main risk that comes with it is the increased or the excessive power, which a person has. The importance of power is when the leaders can bring out a success story from a weak business plan. This implies that

Monday, September 23, 2019

H.R. and line managers interaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

H.R. and line managers interaction - Essay Example This suggests that the line managers should be aware of the link between the management of human resources and the strategic direction designed by the top management. However, the contribution of the line managers in playing the role of HR functions has been challenged. The middle managers or the line managers interact most frequently with the employees and hence play a vital role in any organization. The top management is busy formulating the strategies, goals and objectives and plays the role of transformational leaders (Thornhill & Saunders). Under the circumstances the line managers are expected to have the ability to inspire, motivate, direct and facilitate change by encouraging the employees to become committed to the organization. Bond and McCracken (2006) contend that the line managers should become more involved in HR functions at the operational level. A study at the NHS revealed that the middle managers did use their discretion on a number of issues which implies that the HR strategy is operationalized at the NHS. Line managers are definitely in a position to translate the HRM policies in an organization at the operational level. However, line managers may not be able to cope with the additional responsibilities given to them. They may feel stressed or may be unable to handle the HR functions (Renwick, 2003) and doubts have also been expressed whether they possess the necessary skills and knowledge (Whittaker & Marchington, 2003). This situation, according to Bond and McCracken, can arise when the line managers are not adequately trained and hence lack discretion and maturity. When a subordinate asks for leave the line managers are between positioned to ascertain how this leave would impact the work at the organization. The line manager must also have the ability to motivate the leave applicant to work extra hours in case of emergencies. This requires the use of discretion and calls for maturity on the part of the line managers. When line managers ar e not adequately trained they are not competent enough to make the right decisions and this situation may not be fair to the staff. At the same time, the line managers may be unable to embrace HR functions as they remain preoccupied with their primary responsibilities and the HR duties remain low on priority, emphasize Brandl et al (2009). Thus, the HR personnel must know the areas of priorities of the line managers before assigning responsibilities so that the right functions are delegated to them. Brandl et al also find that the line managers are keen to handle HR functions such as motivation and staff welfare but they are not keen to take on responsibilities of team building and coaching or in managing conflicts. The purpose of involving the line managers is to free the HR personnel for policy matters, to reduce costs and to enhance employee motivation. This is in view of the belief that direct interaction with the employees enhances competitiveness and production (Larsen & Brews ter, 2003). The input from the line managers is significant as it enables the HR to institute and frame the rewards policies. Moreover, certain issues may be too complex for the HR personnel to manage. Since the line managers are in direct contact it may be easier for them as it enhances the decision-making process which according to Budhwar (2000) is one of the most effective tools for employee motivation. For best results the line managers have to work in conjunction with the HR practitioners as it could lead to greater achievement of corporate

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Combining Nurse Leader with Advocacy Personal Statement

Combining Nurse Leader with Advocacy - Personal Statement Example This enables me to work with any medical organization in any part of America. However, due to the short duration that in the nursing profession, I have not managed to be a member of many professional associations, except in the Nursing Association of America, but am aspiring to be involved more and more in nursing and other professional associations (Manco-Herrman, 2006). Regarding career planning, I can say that I fully understand my role as a nurse, and know the requirements and description of my nursing profession. I understand that my greatest service is to the people, especially among the patients without showing any partiality. I am a goal driven individual, and my dream to become a renowned nurse in the nursing field driven my career. I would wish for a nursing profession where the nurses, particularly starting from me, will be able to deliver services to the customer, not just because they are in the profession, but because it is ethical to do so regardless of the money paid. I believe that this future career path can be achieved through determination and willingness to growth. Though career development might seem expensive, there have been sponsoring that offer training and financial support to nursing professionals who wish to grow and develop their careers. This enhances flexibility and gives the capacity of nurses to adapt to the future scenarios (Massella, 2005). As concerning the personal journey disciplines, I can rate myself as good, aiming to become excellent. During the short duration that I have been in the nursing field, I have been able to take part in action learning. This has enabled me integrate the problem solving techniques with the already acquired skills to enhance the delivery of services to customers. Normally, when left to make decisions regarding the welfare of the patients, I personally evaluate the condition or the situation, make decisions, decide on the most appropriate decision and personally reflect on those decisions to de termine their feasibility. However, I have not been fully involved in council planning, but I have participated in leadership trainings where I have acquired skills regarding leadership. Nevertheless, through the reflective practice, I have been able to assess my leadership development plan and determine my progress in active leadership behaviors. This has enabled me rate myself as far as leadership is concerned and enable me determine the most appropriate methods and practices in leadership to enhance my development as a leader (McClure, 2005). Rating myself in terms of reflective practice reference and behaviors, I always use the guidelines that facilitate my evaluation and reflection of involvement in nursing career. These include the skills acquired, identification of my role as nursing professionals, identification of the discrepancy in nursing and also I have been able to propose the most flexible means to enhance growth of the nursing profession in the future. I normally hold integrity as the key factor in my nursing profession and a leader, and to appreciate ambiguity since it acts as a driving force encouraging my advancement in nursing career. Whenever I feel inadequate in a certain area, I always seek clarification from higher professionals or through research. People in the nursing

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Effectiveness of Online Advertising Essay Example for Free

Effectiveness of Online Advertising Essay Growing internet user base, increasing time spent on the internet, broadband penetration into the households and fragmented media consumption of consumers are driving advertisers towards the field of online advertising. But there are a few limitations to this sector as well, the primary one being low broadband penetration in the country. Thus, the field of online advertising promises growth as it is interactive, targets specific consumers and has no geographical or time boundaries. With the help of all the primary and secondary data collected and analyzed, certain trends and conclusions came forth. The first and foremost thing in this project was to understand the influencers (online advertising agencies). Why various sectors are getting into the field of online understanding, what are the features of an online advertisement, what are the advantages of internet as a medium over other forms of media, objectives of an online campaign, which sectors are investing in this field and what are the limitations of internet as a medium of advertising – all these are listed under the major findings. The next thing was to understand the average consumers who had to be users of internet. Why they use internet, do they notice these advertisements, if yes do they take any action, if no then what is the reason for the same, do they think that online advertising is more engaging, if not what is their preferred medium for advertising, whether they have been pursued to take any action regarding the product/service after watching the online advertising and whether they think that online advertising has any limitations or not – all these are listed in detail under major findings. For this, students studying across Delhi, pursuing graduate/post-graduate and various professional courses were among the target audience. The reason behind this was that students these days spend a lot of time on the internet whether it is for acquiring information or social networking sites. They are present their on the medium and notice these advertisements. The Young Working Professionals are the other target segments as they are also heavy users of internet using it for acquiring information or sending e-mails or social networking sites. Online advertising as a medium is emerging and holds a promising future for brands to build consumer relationships as these advertisements act as a reminder as well as a channel of sales. Online Advertising provides brands with the opportunity to exist alongside their competition and yet be relevant. Presently BFSI and IT sectors are the major investors in online advertising as their target audience (corporate) is present online most of the time. So, internet acts as a medium of influencing the target consumer as well as a channel of sales for them. But FMCG sectors are also catching up. Because of the advent of social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut and Twitter, it has become easier for FMCG brands to advertise online as these advertisements act as a reminder for the consumers and directs the interested consumers to the main sites. This helps them in building their brand image as well as the consumer database as it gives them the opportunity to interact with the consumers and get feedback. The most important feature of Online Advertising is that is measurable i. e. consumer reactions can be monitored. This feature of online advertising makes it an efficient medium for advertising as results can be easily monitored. The major limitation to this medium is the low broadband penetration in the country and although the internet user base is on a rise but the ratio when compared to the total population is very low. Thus, Online Advertising is an effective medium of advertising owing to its interactive and measurable nature. With the growing possibilities of sectors investing in this medium we can expect more creative content to be available on the online space. This would make the medium of online advertising more creative, more interactive and in tune with all the other mediums of advertising. INTRODUCTION BACKGROUNDER The Indian advertising industry is in a phase of transition. Rapid advances in technology and an ever growing base of empowered customers have redefined how advertising is created, sold, consumed and evaluated. At this juncture advertisers are experimenting with a number of emerging platforms including Internet which has been globally acknowledged as an interactive medium with a lot of advertising potential. Internet is the most powerful communication medium known to humankind but there is still a debate on as to how powerful it as a communication tool. It is a way of directly communicating to consumers in cyberspace. It is unique as there is more of narrow focus on e-commerce. It has opened up a lot of opportunities for marketers for targeting customers in an interactive and measurable ways. Online advertising is an effective way of advertising that uses the power of Internet and World Wide Web in order to deliver marketing messages and attract consumers. It helps to target specific customer segments and gather information across geographical boundaries in a cost effective manner. Online advertising helps in not only leading visitor to a publisher’s site but also creating awareness which potentially could result in gradual brand building. With online advertising you get instant results. It is growing faster than other segments due to fundamental drivers such as †¢ Low input costs for advertisers †¢ Increasing awareness of online usage in India amongst advertisers and marketers †¢ Growth in online user/audience base The number of net surfers in India is increasing at a rapid rate and studies have shown that people are spending more and more time on the web. Buying products online is convenient, hassle-free and easy. Online market places allow buyers to see the best deals available without moving from their desks and choose the products they want which they could not find at the local supermarket. For a company putting an advertisement online gives a benefit of being present right next to your competition when people are looking for products or services. Online Advertisement in India is a fast growing market and media buying is becoming a very important decision for all online spenders. The biggest advantage of Online Advertisement is it helps you to track your user online and understand online consumer behaviour. Recognizing the possibility of using Internet as an effective tool for targeting niche audiences, innovative perspectives are being practiced by established and traditional institutions. According to a study1, in the recent general elections in India (early 2009), many Indian politicians considered Internet as a useful platform for interactive political communication especially with youth. Indian National Congress party used sites like YouTube and Facebook to execute web-based social marketing campaigns. With 50 Million Internet users in Urban India and majority of them in the age group of 18-24 years, Internet was found to be an effective tool to engage with them. 1 Study on Online Display Advertising in India by IMRB (December 2009) Growing Internet user base, increasing time spent on the Internet, broadband penetration into households and fragmented media consumption habits of consumers are driving advertisers towards the online medium.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Adidas Product Innovation

Adidas Product Innovation Introduction: Adidas is German Company and was named after its founder Adolf Dassler and his brother Rudolf Dassler in 1948. Adidas is one of the most popular sports manufacturers as Mr Adolf Dassler understands the need of athletes’. He had simple vision for his company to provide athletes best products with three guiding principles: produce the best shoe with sport requirement, protect the athlete from injury and make the product durable. There more than 700 products related with sports and this has created Adidas Kingdom of the sporting goods. A part of Adidas Group is Reebok sportswear. The company also produces eyewear, watches, shirts, bags and clothing related to sports. Adidas’s current official logo consists of three parallel bars. The three stripes become a brand name in 1949 and with the help of Olympics held in 1952 where more sportsperson wore Adidas than another shoe, the company began to grow. Adidas has contributed to the development of the Olympic Games. Adidas main aim is to continuously progress their quality and image of their product in order to exceed consumer expectations and to provide them with the highest value of satisfaction. Hermann Deininger, CMO of Adidas comments on Originals by Originals that â€Å"when we enter into any new partnership for Adidas Originals, It is essential to offer something truly unique and new for our consumer† (www.press.adidas.com) Based on Adidas objectives of innovation and design leader I have been asked to devise a new product for Adidas and develop a marketing strategy. The product which I would like to introduce is called ADIPATCH to be launched and sold in Pakistan after the successful business and environmental analysis. Description of ‘ADIPATCH’: Adipatch is a pain reliever that uses heat therapy for the relief of stiffness and muscular pains. It is been developed for Adidas for players and for the people who uses gym regularly and suffer muscular pains. The warming effect of Adipatch heat penetrates into muscle helping to stimulate blood circulation. This patch last for up to eight hours and can be used for the relief of backache, sprains, and joints stiffness. It is easy and cost-effective way to get back o your active lifestyle. Adipatch is designed to be used on the skin where athlete wants the heat to be applied. Our Adipatch standard size is 3.55 inches. It is easy and cost-effective way to get back o your active lifestyle. Recommended use of ADIPATCH: To relieve joint and back pain To relieve shoulder and neck pain To relieve sore and aching muscles, To relieve knee pain For long hours office work, long haul flights and long driving Marketing Objective for ADIPATCH: Launch a new product and it development Earn the market share and increase in sales Allow Adidas to gain greater recognition Market development Business and Environmental Analysis: Market oriented firms’ looks outward to the environment in which it operates adapting to take advantage of emerging opportunities and to minimize potential threats (Jobber 1995). I decided to launch ADIPATCH in Pakistan and I would like to do two analyses. First to launch our product we need to do Pest analysis to know the political, economical, sociological and technological conditions of Pakistan to know whether it’s feasible to launch Adipatch in Pakistan or not. Pakistan is located in south Asia. Pakistan is sixth most populous country in the world. Pakistan’s approximate population by July 2009 is 174,579,000. Karachi is the biggest city of Pakistan in population size and then Lahore. National sport of Pakistan is hockey but cricket is more popular. Pakistan economically and politically is not stable. Fiscal deficit as targeted in 2009 is 5.5 percent of GDP, which was 7.4 percent in 2008 fiscal but still enjoy sports.Pakistan is rapidly developing country. The second deals with the issues analysed in the area were we have to look into market, competitors, customer’s needs and wants, buying behaviour, brand loyalty and segmentation. Michael Porter’s five force model is used to critically analyse this part and results showed that Adidas has opportunity to launch its new product ADIPATCH in Pakistan. An environmental scanning was carried out and results showed that Adidas is more responsive to the customer’s needs and opportunities identified could help Adidas lip frog competitors. Growth Objectives: Guzman (2005) quoted Yogi Berra in his book â€Å"if you don’t know where you are going you will end up somewhere else.† Asnoff provided a framework to identify growth opportunities, determination of scope (Croft 1998). He has identified four generic growth strategies such as market penetration, market development, product development and diversification. Asnoff pointed that diversification strategy stands apart from three strategies. It is a form of growth strategy which helps to increase profitability through new products and markets. In current circumstances, Adidas objective is to develop new product of potential interest to its current market. It is well known that Adidas is an international company with market all over the world including Pakistan. The important issue for success in going down this road is the profitability of the customer group for which the product is being developed. Secondly Adidas has a strong brand that can be comfortably applied to the product. Market segmentation, Target Market, Positioning: Market segmentation provides the basis for the selection of target markets. A target market is chosen segment of market which a company has decided to serve. As customers in the target market segments have similar characteristic, a single marketing mix strategy can developed to match those requirements. Creative segmentation may result in identification of new segments that have not been served adequately. Market segmentation refers to subdividing a market along some commonality, similararity or kinship. Adidas as an international company, we can segment Pakistani market on following basis: Size: Pakistan’s population is approx hundred and seventy four million and 45% are of the age of 25-45 years old and interested in sports. Identification: Through the survey it was identified that the 50% people of the above group age 28-40 are involve in sports activities. This age group have healthy routine. Age 28-40 are involved in some sports such as cricket, hockey and badminton and 40-45 enjoy long walks in the park to keep themselves fit and suffer from muscular pains. Importance: by market research I have found out that Adipatch features are important for the age group 28-40 because this group suffer more from muscular pains and to the doctors for treatment. Adipatch can help them to get relieve of the pain or sore. Accessibility: during my research I found out there are good channel of communication that can be use to make the customers aware such as sports magazines, TV, health clubs. After segmenting the market, the next step to move on is positioning in the mind of customers of new product. The objective is to create and maintain a distinctive place in the market for company or for its products (Sampson, 1981). In Pakistan age group 28-40 meet these characteristics. Positioning describes how the target market is selected and evaluation by customers in comparison with competitors such as ‘deep heat’ and nurofen back pain heat patch sold in Pakistan. Adidas chose a positioning strategy that seeks to differentiation from competitors with regards of product characteristics to increase sales. This will facilitate Adidas to maintain market stand and charge premium prices. Product Development Process: Organisations do not operate in static environment but they are constantly facing the consequences of changing technology, changing customer’s taste and preferences and changing competitor’s products. Any organization that is positively managing its product portfolio will recognise that its existing products are in different stages of their lifecycle and can be modified to maximise its potential. It is important part of product strategy new product development can be very risky business. The foundation of for successful new product development is the creation of corporate culture that promotes and rewards innovation. Effective new product development is based upon creating and nurturing an innovation culture, organizing effectively for new product development, and managing the new product development process. Development of Adipatch follow consists of following steps: Idea generation: Any new product has to start from somewhere as a germ of an idea. Adipatch is a new product. The objective is to motivate the search for ideas so that salespeople are aware of this product Screening: having developed new product ideas need to be screened to evaluate their commercial worth. After screening of a range of ideas it was found that Adipatch will be worth if produced with an early pay back. The calculation of the payback is found in the capital investment section of this assignment. Concept testing: once the product idea has been accepted, it can be framed into specific concept for testing with potential. Product testing is focuses on the practical aspect of the product. At this survey was conducted to get the views of the customers. Business analysis: based upon the results of concept test estimate of sales, cost and profit will be made. After budgeting Adipatch has identified the target market, its size and projected product acceptance over number of years. Product development: at this stage the new product concept is developed into a physical product. Adipatch is developed into a physical product through the research and manufacturing unit, Market testing: market testing takes measurement of customer acceptance .The main idea is to launch Adipatch in a limited way so the customer’s responses in the market can be assessed. Commercialization: this stage relies on marketing management making clear choice regarding targeting market and development of marketing strategy. This is final stage of Adipatch where it can be brought to market. Adidas will need to decide when and where to launch Adipatch and its launching plan. Market mix for Adipatch: Based upon understanding of customers, a company develops its marketing mix. The marketing mix consists of four major elements: product, price, promotion and place. These 4Ps are the four key decisions are that company must manage so that they satisfy customers needs better (Kotler, 2005) According to Adidas website their marketing strategy is based on 4Ps which is also called the marketing mix. We can use market mix for Adipatch as follows: Product: Adipatch is a new product introduced in Pakistan for people who are into sports. It alleviates muscular pain and regulates blood circulation using heat therapy. Price: Price is a vital element of the marketing mix as it represents on a unit basis what the company receives for the product which is being marketed (Parry, 2005). The product will be charge at same price compared to Deep heat and Nurofen heat patch. This will help Adidas to maintain standards and to compete in the market with existing products. The price per box of Adipatch will cost 300 Pakistani rupees Promotion: Customers need to be aware of the new product. Means of communication to be use such as to advertise on TV, magazines and in radio. Place: Involves the decision with reference to supply of Adipatch to the target market. This will concentrate on more using retailer and sport shops, Adidas outlets, health clubs, doctor’s clinic. Costing For Adipatch: Investment in Pakistani Rupees Package design 29,000,000 Test Marketing 8,800,000 Product Manufacturing 100,000,000 Distribution Cost 21,000,000 Storage Cost 9,000,000 Press Release 6,800,000 Raw Material 18,000,000 Handling Cost 9,000,000 Total 201,600,800 Adipatch per unit price is 300pkr with the variable cost of 130pkr. The contribution expected to be 280pkr. The number of units of Adipatch expected to be sold each year for next 5 years is as follows: Years Units Year one 200,000 Year two 230,000 Year three 280,000 Year four 300,000 Year five 290,000 The contributions for the next five years are expected to be as follows: Year Revenue Investment Cumulative Profit (Millions) (Millions) (Millions) 0 201,600,800 1 57,000,000 57,000,000 2 65,550,000 122,550,000 3 79,800,000 202,350,000 4 85,500,000 287,850,000 5 82,650,000 350,500,000 According to the analysis Adidas will get their investment back within approximately in three year time.However, Adidas should introduce more features to Adipatch because of changing environment and trends to sports and injuries to sports people References: Barand Strategy (2004), Dasani Withdrawn, Brand Strategy, 6Apr, p.7 Cramb,C (1999), ‘Grolsch Targets Mature Markets’, Financial Times 10Febrary, p.35 Croft, M(1998), Time to Nurture Creativity, Marketing week, pp40-1 Guzman, D(2005), â€Å"Innovative Products Deliver Fresh Growth for Oral Care† Chemical Market Reporter , 9-15 May pp.34-5 Kotler .P (2005), Marketing Management, Prentice Hall. Jobber David (1995), Principles and Practice of Marketing, McGraw-hill. Mitchell, A. (2005), ‘After Some Innovation? Maybe You Just Need to Ask Around’, Marketing Week, 16june, p.28 Parry .(2005), ‘New Production Development: There’s Many Slip’, Marketing Week, 02june,p.24 Sampson. ( 1992), People are People the World Over: The Case for the Psychological Marketing Segmentation, Market and Research Today. Watts. G (1998) Asnoff’s matrix, pain and gain: Growth Strategies and Adaptive, International journal of entrepreneurial behaviour and research, vol4, pp101-111 www.press.adidas.com.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Tragic Heroes in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman and Henrik Ibsens

Tragic Heroes in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House Dramatists such as Aristotle started to write a series of plays called tragedies. They were as follows: the play revolved around a great man such as a king or war hero, who possessed a tragic flaw. This flaw or discrepancy would eventually become his downfall. These types of plays are still written today, for example, Arthur Millers "Death of Salesman" and Henrik Ibsens "A Dolls House." "Death of Salesman" shows the downfall of the modern tragic hero, Willy Loman, a middle class working man. Nora, in "A Doll's House" displays that characteristics of a tragic hero, in that she shows potential for greatness, but is stifled by her society. Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" and Nora in "A Dolls House" are two perfect examples that illustrate a tragic hero. In "Tragedy and the Common Man", Arthur Miller discusses different criteria and definitions for tragedy as they apply to the common man. Miller's ideal tragic hero is one who "is intent upon claiming his whole due as a personality," and when approached with a struggle, "demonstrating the indestructible will of man to achieve his humanity." A tragic hero is willing to takes on the role of what makes the audience accept him as a hero when by his own virtue is worthy of their attention and perhaps respect. Miller's common man, Willy, fought the battle of life, by trying to make the best of what he was given, and by living life the only way he knows how, being a traveling salesman. Being prideful, and at times stubborn man, he loses some opportunities to better his life along the way, partly because of his pride, and partly because of the American lifestyle, Willy is still attempting to support his family, even at age sixty. Though we think of Willy as a classic tragic hero, his life is more pathetic and saddening than inspiring. His name implies he is a "low man", an ordinary man, whose dreams and expectations have been shattered by the false values of society he has put his faith in. His problems stem from his own delusions which result of his failure to succeed in life. Willy's obsession and lack of insight thwart all his relationships and cause him to betray his own set of values. His loyal wife supports him in both his fantasies and failures and her life seems to be entirely absorbed into his. Unable to achie... ...n his world" (Para 14, Miller). Finally in the end, she begins to realize that her whole life has been a lie. Nora's rebellion was deliberate and well planned. She knew what was expected of her and she still did what she thought was right in her own mind. These qualities lie at the heart of Nora's heroic character. For Nora's heroically brave personality shows her confidence in herself and her absolute refusal to live a life where she is not in control of her actions. She flouted society's laws, worked hard, and is now about to reap the success of the action by handing over the final payment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, Willy Loman and Nora are two ideal examples of tragic heros. Both Ibsen and Miller have showed how the common man such as Nora in 'A Dolls House' and Willy Loman in 'Death of Salesman' have emerged as a tragic heroes. Works Cited: Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll's House. In Four Major Plays. Trans. James McFarlane and Jens Arup. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981 Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Seventh Edition. X.J. Kennedy, and Dana Gioia. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1636-1707 Tragic Heroes in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Henrik Ibsen's Tragic Heroes in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House Dramatists such as Aristotle started to write a series of plays called tragedies. They were as follows: the play revolved around a great man such as a king or war hero, who possessed a tragic flaw. This flaw or discrepancy would eventually become his downfall. These types of plays are still written today, for example, Arthur Millers "Death of Salesman" and Henrik Ibsens "A Dolls House." "Death of Salesman" shows the downfall of the modern tragic hero, Willy Loman, a middle class working man. Nora, in "A Doll's House" displays that characteristics of a tragic hero, in that she shows potential for greatness, but is stifled by her society. Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" and Nora in "A Dolls House" are two perfect examples that illustrate a tragic hero. In "Tragedy and the Common Man", Arthur Miller discusses different criteria and definitions for tragedy as they apply to the common man. Miller's ideal tragic hero is one who "is intent upon claiming his whole due as a personality," and when approached with a struggle, "demonstrating the indestructible will of man to achieve his humanity." A tragic hero is willing to takes on the role of what makes the audience accept him as a hero when by his own virtue is worthy of their attention and perhaps respect. Miller's common man, Willy, fought the battle of life, by trying to make the best of what he was given, and by living life the only way he knows how, being a traveling salesman. Being prideful, and at times stubborn man, he loses some opportunities to better his life along the way, partly because of his pride, and partly because of the American lifestyle, Willy is still attempting to support his family, even at age sixty. Though we think of Willy as a classic tragic hero, his life is more pathetic and saddening than inspiring. His name implies he is a "low man", an ordinary man, whose dreams and expectations have been shattered by the false values of society he has put his faith in. His problems stem from his own delusions which result of his failure to succeed in life. Willy's obsession and lack of insight thwart all his relationships and cause him to betray his own set of values. His loyal wife supports him in both his fantasies and failures and her life seems to be entirely absorbed into his. Unable to achie... ...n his world" (Para 14, Miller). Finally in the end, she begins to realize that her whole life has been a lie. Nora's rebellion was deliberate and well planned. She knew what was expected of her and she still did what she thought was right in her own mind. These qualities lie at the heart of Nora's heroic character. For Nora's heroically brave personality shows her confidence in herself and her absolute refusal to live a life where she is not in control of her actions. She flouted society's laws, worked hard, and is now about to reap the success of the action by handing over the final payment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, Willy Loman and Nora are two ideal examples of tragic heros. Both Ibsen and Miller have showed how the common man such as Nora in 'A Dolls House' and Willy Loman in 'Death of Salesman' have emerged as a tragic heroes. Works Cited: Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll's House. In Four Major Plays. Trans. James McFarlane and Jens Arup. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1981 Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Seventh Edition. X.J. Kennedy, and Dana Gioia. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 1999. 1636-1707