Radioshacks Woes free essay sample

This paper explores the recent difficulties RadioShack Corp. (RadioShack) has experienced pertaining to organizational culture, job design, job satisfaction, and employee policies. RadioShack’s difficulties were gathered from current and former company employees that were questioned about their experiences. In addition to discussing the trials that RadioShack has experienced, the paper will suggest a solution to get the company’s culture back in line with their mission statement as well as the corporate vision. Topics including employee motivation, supervisory leadership training, and workplace enhancement will be examined. The conclusion will analyze the steps that RadioShack needs to make improvements and ultimately how successful they could be. The analysis will be based on financial reports and independent employee interviews performed by the author on location at several local RadioShack locations. The opinions of the employees varied on many of the different topics but the overall opinion of the company’s culture and practices was very poor. We will write a custom essay sample on Radioshacks Woes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page RadioShack’s Woes RadioShack is a familiar name in the American electronics retailing industry. They operate nearly 5000 stores across the country and deal in the highly competitive consumer electronics segment. The brick and mortar based retailer has experienced limited success in battling their â€Å"big box† competitors like Best Buy, H. H. Gregg, Target, and Wal-Mart to name a few. The emerging online battlefield has left them reasonably behind as well. Their well documented financial distress is tearing at the foundation that holds this company together and is threatening to destroy it from the inside out. The problem is escalating quickly and changing the behaviors of the people within the organization. Problems within the Organization RadioShack’s admits that the staying power of the company which has been in business for over ninety years is their customer oriented approach (RadioShack Corp. , 2012). The company website harps on the company’s diversity and commitment to sound corporate governance. These are very important factors in any business to say the least, but the biggest problem in the RadioShack equation is their lack of interest in their own employees. The employees are the ones that are task with engaging, educating, and serving the customers that are the key to the staying power motto. Yet these same employees face many challenges that limit their ability to perform this invaluable task. The employees complain about long hours, unfair commission structures, and unattainable rewards standards issued by the company. Organizational Culture The cognitive framework consisting of assumptions and values shared by organization members is the scientific definition of organizational culture (Greenburg, 2010). Having a healthy organizational culture is something that is the mark of a strong company. Companies where the employees do not feel valued are said to have toxic organizational cultures and that is where RadioShack will find themselves if they do not take steps to improve the culture from its current state. Organizational culture shapes, influences, and redefines training programs which in turn shape, influence, and redefine the organizational culture (Kissack, 2010). The function of organizational culture. There are three vital functions that organizational culture serves within an organization. The first is to provide a sense of identity for the members, give them something to relate to as well as a sense of purpose. Secondly, generating commitment to the organization’s mission will make employees rally around the ideals of the company. Lastly, clarifying and reinforcing the standards of behavior or stabilizing the behaviors or the organization’s members. Competing values framework. This tool utilizes two sets of opposite values to analyze the driving forces in an organizations culture. These two sets are flexibility and discretion versus stability and control; then, internal focus versus external focus. Using this framework in tabular form allows for the definition of four different types of cultures. Hierarchy implies companies that have an internal focus and emphasize stability and control. Market cultures are concerned with stability and control but they have an external focus. Clan culture is described by companies that have a strong internal focus while being flexible and discreet. Finally, adhocracy cultures are externally focused while being extremely flexible. RadioShack’s current culture is an attempt at market style; unfortunately it is not being properly maintained, ruining its effectiveness. The method has been unsustainable for the current management and is showing no immediate signs improving. To transmit a fresh an appealing organizational culture RadioShack needs to utilize tools such as symbols, stories, jargon, ceremonies, and principal statements. Utilization of these tools is not currently being pushed to the organization’s members. Job Design For more than two decades, research and practice in the field of  job design  has been dominated by two theoretical frameworks, exhibiting strong convergence in terms of the characteristics of individual  jobs  likely to impact on employee  job  performance and  job  satisfaction and the underlying mechanisms that lead to these relationships (Rehman, 2011). In RadioShack’s case, the job design is mandated by the size of the stores, products available for sale, and hours of operation. These are the boundaries that are set for retailers of all sorts. The main problem is the immense level of responsibility bestowed upon the store associates with the limited compensation that they receive. It is the equivalent of having the responsibilities of a sole proprietor with the compensation of an hourly worker. This job design instills a level of resentment in the employees from the start. This resentment caused job performance to suffer which yields lower productivity and sales for the organization as a whole. This poor job design also significantly inflates the turnover of the store level positions. Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction cannot be directly linked to the quality of service an employee provides (Makiko, 2008). However, the correlation is something that yields interesting results in practical applications. A hard day’s work, for fair day’s pay in the principal that goes hand and hand with job satisfaction. Even before getting into the issue of employee growth and retention, RadioShack has a problem with the compensation structure for the employees and it has made it very difficult for them to secure and retain key personnel in many levels of the organization. Without prematurely going into the detail of the policies and procedures that are in place for the employees the overall sentiment of current employees from a brief interview conducted at a few of my local RadioShack retail locations revealed three significant findings. First, 4 out of 5 of the group would take a new position at another retailer if it were available. Second, 5 out of 5 felt that they were under compensated for their current position. Third, 1 out of 5 felt that the organization truly cares about the store level associates. This study though limited in scope allowed me to get an idea of what the basic RadioShack employee thinks about their company and their job. Employee Policies The policies and procedures that govern a workforce are the most important tools when looking at the reason for particular employee behaviors. This is the biggest problem facing RadioShack currently. The policies regarding scheduling, compensation, training, and engagement are far below levels sufficient to build and maintain a dependable, reliable, and efficient workforce. Scheduling. A major concern for many employees is the long and unusual shifts that are scheduled weekly. The lack of consistency is frowned upon and leads to many conflicts with personal scheduling for the store employees. Compensation. A very low base pay is offered with a commission bases supplement. However, a large number of employees are not able to reach the sales goals required to benefit from the commission structure. The fact that the rates for the commission recently was downgraded also is problematic for employees since future achievements are not harder to obtain and worth less at the same time. Training. As in many retail based jobs the average employee requires training prior to being able to perform on the sales floor. At RadioShack, associates are trained superficially and then told what products to push to the customers. This lack of product knowledge limits the amount of value that the associates can impart to the customers. Engagement. Organizations with a health culture have many different ways to communicate, inform, and engage with their employees. In the case of RadioShack, employee feel that the only communication that comes from superiors is sell more cellular telephones. This unidirectional communication path does not allow the free flow of ideas that is so important in many of the world’s most successful operations. RadioShack has to fix the segmentation that exists in their organization that prevents the company from making a unified effort to achieve corporate goals. Solving the Dilemma In order to fix RadioShack’s organizational culture, an understanding of its effects and capacity to change is needed. The importance cannot be understated; however the strength of corporate culture shapes the organizations performance. That organization performance in turn aids the financial performance of the firm. Finance is something that each and every company is concerned about. RadioShack needs to change perceptions across the board. They need to make sure the mission and philosophy is clear. Spend more time communicating values and beliefs and be sure to hire people based on those beliefs. Start celebrating company traditions and milestone accomplishments. Form a standard set of values and tendencies that are shared by all members of the organization. Once the company has fixed the foundation, they can look to change the culture for the better. The tools of change for an organization of this size are few, but in this case the limited number of tools only makes the solution easier for RadioShack to select. To change the culture they need to make a significant change to the composition of the workforce. Changing the people that make up the working environment is a surefire way to enhance the culture of the overall organization. Bringing the skill level and education of the employees to a higher level will infuse new confidence into the culture. Becoming a leader in the marketplace and not just another face in the crowd will build loyalty and commitment in the organization and the mission of the company. This method can be supported by planned organizational change. My recommendation would be to implement both of the methods simultaneously. This would require bringing in a new CEO and working from the top down as well as the bottom up the completely overhaul the organizational culture using and interior focus to further elevate member loyalty and commitment. Employee Motivation To motivate the employees, the management will first need to revise the policies and procedures that govern them. It is imperative to address the negative feedback on the compensation structure, the high turnover rate, the unconventional hours, and the lack of training and education available. Compensation. The low base and unrealistic bonus schedule is hindering the efforts currently at the store level. Switching to a plan where the base is elevated and the bonus is based on the overall store performance would be more of an incentive for better teamwork, more concerned management, and enhanced training and communication between associates. This would allow stores, and not individuals to win or lose as a team instead of creating an environment for commission theft and pushy tactics. Employee turnover. This problem needs to be quickly and abruptly halted. Investing more in your employees means that you want them to be with the company longer to reap the benefits of their growing skillsets. Offering benefits that suit the composition of the workforce will make the job more than just a paycheck. Scholarships, internships, and advanced training will make the workplace somewhere that employees treasure and long to be a part of. Recognition of associates that have gone above and beyond with their service will also encourage higher retention rates. Scheduling. Creating a format for scheduling that better suits the store hours an allocated payroll budgets will create a better work-life balance (Colley, 2010). Stringing together a series of shifts that no one wants to work is not a good way to maintain a workforce. This is the current practice exercise my RadioShack management. Proper scheduling with adequate coverage for seasonal and temporary requirements will cover the complaint very easily. Education and training. In the retail setting, knowledge is king to the customer. An associate that can explain the use, benefits, construction, and features of products is good; but one that is intelligent, knowledgeable, and confident is far better. When the customer can be educated about a product by the employee this builds loyalty and commitment with the customer. That will make that person frequent RadioShack instead of the other retailers due to the product knowledge and security available. Not only will this differentiate RadioShack from other retailers in the marketplace, it will take advantage of the investment in the human resources of the company. Supervisory Leadership Training I would also recommend special training for the store level leaders. This advanced training would prepare the supervisors to instill the mission and objectives into each and every new hire. Training would include how to hire people that fit the organizational culture, how to lead by example, how to train others to deal with customers and ultimately schedule and manage their associates. Workplace Enhancement This suggestion would require significant capital expenditure but I feel that it is needed to complete the over organization culture change. The layout and finishes of the stores need to be reworked. The ambiance and engagement within a RadioShack location is not well suited to today’s hands on consumer. With so many display cases and products that are inaccessible to customers hinders the sell through rates at the company which in turn hurts the associates and management. Creating an environment where the associates and customers can get acquainted with the products via display models and working units will make the job more enjoyable and the shopping experience better at the same time. RadioShack Today In conclusion, RadioShack has tried to create a spark with new marketing and more targeting product offerings. This approach cannot fully work until the core of the organization is changed. The recommendations within this paper are internally focus on making the foundation of the company more stable and transparent. To turn their focus from external perception and reflect on the element of their business that has the biggest impact on their bottom line. Taking my advice and ushering in a more employee bases operation will return RadioShack back to its place and one of the premiere consumer electronics retailers in the country. Motivating not only the hourly associates but the managers all the way up he line will build new loyalty and make organizational member want to be with the company for extended periods of time (Meyer, 2004). The recommendations will completely change the job design and transform the positions into more than just a paycheck. This will make working with RadioShack a journey into the world of consumer electronic retailing; a gateway where associates can ascend to well-payi ng salaried positions that demand more education and more training. This means that the overall job satisfaction will be significantly higher. Promoting a more comfortable and efficient work environment will simply become part of the strategic plan. In closing, RadioShack is at a crossroads where they can continue their current path which leads to an imminent merger or bankruptcy; or they can invest in building a better organization starting with the core corporate culture. This will be a sustainable, well planned change that will increase the intrinsic value of the firm and provide the organization with a responsive market for years to come.

How to Get an ISBN in 10 Minutes (or Less!) the Master Guide for 2019

How to Get an ISBN in 10 Minutes (or Less!) the Master Guide for 2019 ISBN for Self-Publishers: The Complete Guide When it comes to discussions around books and publishing, we all know the most exciting topic at the table: how to get an ISBN.We know not everyone is thrilled by the idea of obtaining a serial number but, just like editing and design, they're a  pretty critical part of self-publishing. Luckily, we’re here to answer all of your questions on the subject. How to get an ISBN: the complete guide for self-publishers #pubtips What is an ISBN number?An International Standard Book Number, or ISBN, is a 13-digit code used as a unique identifier for books. An ISBN is assigned to each edition of a publication, enabling publishers, bookstores, libraries, and readers to quickly find titles.An ISBN number never expires. Even very old numbers with only 10 digits can be converted into a 13-digit code with this conversion tool from Bowker.How to read an ISBNAll standard ISBNs comprise of five parts that tell us the following:The number 978 or 979 indicates that the digits are a book codeThe country or language group of the publicationThe publisherThe title of the publicationThe check digit - which, in a non-technical nutshell, indicates that the number has been verifiedAs they are used by retailers for inventory reasons, only authors who are planning to print and distribute hard copies of their titles need to obtain a barcode.Is it the same as an ASIN number?It's similar, but not the exact same. ASIN number are 10- digit codes generated by Amazon to identify the products on their page - so it's similar to an ISBN in that respect. However, while ISBNs can be used across various bookstores, ASINs on apply on the Amazon store.Additional ISBN resourcesFor more information regarding the topics covered, here are some links to check out:International ISBN AgencyFrequently Asked Questions (answered by Bowker)Bowker’s Set-Up GuideNielsen InformationThere’s no wrong or right answer provided that you think ahead. If you have a lightbulb moment one day and decide to write and publish a book as a passion project, you can probably eschew this whole process and rest easy. If you’re looking to start your own publishing business, then carefully weigh your options. Investing in an ISBN might be the smart bet or an unnecessary one, depending on your goals.

EFL Learners

Fun Survey for ESL/EFL Learners A common comment made by new English students is that they want to improve their conversational skills. In fact, many students complain that their grammar is OK, but, when it comes to conversing, they feel they are still beginners. This makes sense - especially in academic settings where the emphasis often tends towards structural knowledge. As a first year, enthusiastic ESL/EFL teacher, I can remember striding into class ready to help students converse - only to find out that what I had chosen was of little or no interest to my students. I stammered through the lesson, trying to cajole my students into talking - and, in the end, doing most of the talking myself. Does this scenario sound slightly familiar? Even the most experienced teacher runs into this problem: A student wants to improve his/her speaking ability, but getting them to state an opinion is like pulling teeth. There are many reasons for this common problem: pronunciation problems, cultural tabus, lack of vocabulary for a given topic, etc. In order to combat this tendency, its good to gather a little background information on your students before you begin your conversation lessons. Finding out about your students well ahead of time can also assist in: planning out longer arcs of learning topicsunderstanding the personality of your classgrouping students for activitiesfinding the right authentic materials that will hold your classs attention through the tough bitssuggesting individual research topics for class presentations Its best to distribute this type of fun survey during the first week of class. Feel free to distribute the activity as homework. Once you understand the reading and study habits, as well as the general interests of your class, you will be well on your way to providing engaging materials that will actually encourage your students to say more than yes or no the next time you ask them to make a comment. Fun Survey for Adult ESL/EFL Learners Imagine you are having dinner with your best friend. What topics do you discuss?Imagine you are having a work lunch with colleagues. What topics do you discuss that are non-work related?What do you like best about your profession?What do you like least about your profession?What do you like to read? (circle items)FictionAdventure storiesHistorical fictionScience fictionComic booksThrillersShort StoriesRomance novelsOther (please list)NonfictionBiographyScienceHistoryCookbooksSociologyComputer manualsOther (please list)Do you read any magazines or newspapers? (please list titles)What are your hobbies?What places have you visited?What type of things do you like: (circle items)GardeningGoing to museumsListening to music (please list type of music)MoviesWorking with Computers / Surfing the InternetVideo gamesWatching TV (please list programs)Playing sports (please list sports)Playing an instrument (please list instrument)Other (please list)Think about your best friend, husband or wife fo r a minute. What do you have in common with him/her? Fun Survey for Student ESL/EFL Learners Imagine you are having dinner with your best friend. What topics do you discuss?Imagine you are having lunch with classmates. What topics do you discuss that are school related?Which courses do you most enjoy?Which courses do you least enjoy?What do you like to read?  (circle items)FictionAdventure storiesHistorical fictionScience fictionComic booksThrillersShort StoriesRomance novelsOther  (please list)NonfictionBiographyScienceHistoryCookbooksSociologyComputer manualsOther  (please list)Do you read any magazines or newspapers?  (please list titles)What are your hobbies?What places have you visited?What type of things do you like:  (circle items)GardeningGoing to museumsListening to music  (please list type of music)MoviesWorking with Computers / Surfing the InternetVideo gamesWatching TV  (please list programs)Playing sports  (please list sports)Playing an instrument  (please list instrument)Other  (please list)Think about your best friend for a minute. What do you have in common with him/her

CSR initiative and its correct perspective Essay

CSR initiative and its correct perspective - Essay Example He has the reputation of being a tough official to deal with and the one who gives quick decisions, if convinced about the merit of the proposal. My project related to the grant of $100000 to a NGO that managed a half-way-home for women inmates released from prisons. The NGO supported them for one year from the date of release or till such time they were assimilated in the society, by assisting them to get proper employment, whichever was earlier. â€Å"I have just one question,† the HRD Manager asked in a firm tone, â€Å"Why should we help the criminals? They were put behind the bars after the due process of law, for having committed crimes. They do not deserve sympathy.† I had anticipated the question. I said, â€Å"Sir, no one is a born criminal. By helping a woman to lead a normal life, we not only help one individual, but save a generation. Dire circumstances make one a criminal and many crimes are committed on the spur of the moment. Crime-free world is in the i nterest of the business establishments.† My project caught his imagination and he sanctioned the grant saying, â€Å"Alright boy, you’re up.† 2. What you do is important in business, but how you do what you do is more important: The showroom of this distributor and the premises where he kept stocks stood devastated.

COMMERCIAL AWARENESS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS Essay

COMMERCIAL AWARENESS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS - Essay Example that professional ethics is a constant feature in the legal profession, modern legal practice has attracted renewed attention to how professional ethics applies to the profession. For example, while discourse on professional ethics in legal practice tended to focus more on sensational cases such as lawyers knowingly keeping a secret that is life-threatening, some modern scholars are advocating for an interpretive approach that focuses on ordinary cases. According to Markovits, using sensational cases to analyze or evaluate professional ethics in the legal practice is contrary to the principle that ‘great cases make bad laws’.1 The purpose of this paper is to assess the content and role of ethics in modern legal practice. Ethics is a broad topic. Even within the legal practice, the subject of ethics covers a wide range of issues and areas. There are volumes of books, articles, and publications on professional ethics as it applies to the legal practice. However, to understand the general content of ethics in the modern legal practice, it is important to focus narrowly on some of the most recent discourses on ethics. In this respect, the paper will focus on the Model Code developed and administered by the American Bar Association (ABA). Some of the main ethical issues contain the Model Code of client-lawyer relationship, professional integrity, and information management. It is worth noting that the Model Code has undergone various revisions to fit the modern legal practice because the original canons were specifically meant for the legal practice in the past.2 Under professional ethics for practicing lawyers, one of the fundamental principles is the need for a professional and confidential relationship between the lawyer and the client. Under this ethical principle, several issues are covered including confidentiality, fees, conflicts of interest, and professionalism. For instance, it would be considered unethical for a lawyer to engage with a client with whom

Political philosophy Essay Example for Free

Political philosophy Essay John Locke, an English philosopher, used the idea of natural laws to make vital contributions to society. He worked his way up through Westminster School and Oxford and enrolled in the Church of England. He was interested in science and became one of the best practitioners of his time. With Locke’s connections, he met men of England but was also suspected for being disloyal. He went to Holland and returned in 1688, after the revolution. Locke made an influence on political philosophy including modern liberalism. Two Treatises of Government was his most powerful writing where he claims to tell the story of politics. But he did not present that he was the author until near his death. In his writing, Locke explains the difference between political power and paternal power. He wanted people to be comfortable with independent political thought, or in other words take the road less traveled. Also, Locke believed that first you must understand that politics come from the state of nature and natural law in order to understand political power. Locke’s natural law says that individuals take care of others. Locke wanted to create a better government that would consider all people, not a government with kings and nobles. He believed that there should be no one to enforce laws and that neither good nor evil existed in nature. Locke also believed that the people of nature are created equal and have rights to all things. Because of this, a constant state of war exists. Locke wanted people to act more responsible and morally and face their consequences if there were any. His influence on organizational behavior and theory impacted the founders of the United States’ principles. Locke was a creator of the idea of the separation of powers. He also influenced the modern educational theory. His theories are strong when it comes to prosperity, scarcity, money, and property. He claims the government must protect and individual’s private business and property. He believed that if there was a general increase in wealth it would lead to the increase for common good. Locke’s liberalism influenced the United States of America with the Declaration of Independence. He will always be known as the Father of Liberalism. He distrusted government power and proved a statement. He believed that an individual’s right is more important than just a king democracy. He left a legacy of theories for religion, economics, human understanding, and politics. Works Cited Griffith, F, Mark.. â€Å"John Locke’s Major Works. † International Journal of Organization Theory and behavior. 01 July. 2003: 227 elibrary. Web. 16. Feb. 2012.

Present the way in which imprisonment is presented in The Bell Jar Essa

Present the way in which imprisonment is presented in The Bell Jar The bell jar is an inverted glass jar, generally used to display an object of scientific curiosity. Present the way in which imprisonment is presented in ‘The Bell Jar’ The bell jar is an inverted glass jar, generally used to display an object of scientific curiosity, contain a certain kind of gas, or maintain a vacuum. For Esther, the bell jar symbolizes madness. When gripped by insanity, she feels as if she is inside an airless jar that distorts her perspective on the world and prevents her from connecting with the people around her. At the end of the novel, the bell jar has lifted, but she can sense that it still hovers over her, waiting to drop at any moment. The narrative technique used in The Bell Jar is a first person narrative. Straight away we get the idea of imprisonment through elements of the unhappy narrative voice in the early chapters. The first sentence of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar alerts the reader to the conflicts that will be dealt with in this semi-autobiographical novel: "It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenberg’s, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York." The speaker will tell us in the next few sentences that she is "stupid" and that she feels "sick," and that she is preoccupied with death. Like Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye, this young, college age, girl-woman is experiencing an adolescent crisis. When Esther Greenwood tells us in the first sentence that this is "the summer they electrocuted the Rosenberg’s," we get a picture not only of that summer's being nauseating, sultry, and death-oriented, but that this young girl's attitudes and life experiences are ... ...e Plath uses characters such as buddy Willard, using a clever writing technique to show his relationship with others, how people viewed him, his actions and physical description. Through Buddy we can have a better understanding of Esther’s situation. Plath uses the technique of flashback for suspense and to delay the plot. A lot of similes and metaphors are used to contribute to imprisonment. For example similes reflecting the 1950’s ‘yellow as cinnamon’. Overall, I think that Plath is trying to convey the idea that women were being placed in a constricted role in society live as if in a bell jar, able to see the outside world of exciting work and self-determined men, but unable to live it. People suffering from emotional illness are also living as if under a bell jar, isolated from others and unable to escape the distortions of their view of the world.

The Negative and Positive Effects of Cosmetic Surgery

Are you considering cosmetic surgery? The numbers of individuals electing these surgeries are growing rapidly each year. Much of this rapid growth is because of advances in technology that have made plastic surgery techniques both safer and more affordable, as well as cutting down on recovery time. Cosmetic surgery improves body image and self-esteem and reconstructive surgery fixes irregularities such as hereditary disorders, birth defects, or other health issues. These surgeries are an extremely popular method to enhance self-esteem but there are risks an individual should know before having a surgical procedure.Although these surgeries have been practiced for years, they can be harmful and many individuals may expose themselves to an expensive addiction if they are not satisfied with the original results. However, these surgeries can be beneficial by positively shaping many aspects of patient’s lives especially if no complications arise. Although most individuals are largel y unaffected by the risks and eager to obtain surgery, it is important to emphasize the negative and positive effect when considering surgery.Although all surgeries have certain risk factors, individuals considering surgery electively subject themselves to be at risk of certain medical and appearance conditions. It is important to be aware of any complications that may occur such as an adverse effect to anesthesia. For example, complications or risks of anesthesia include blood clots, stroke, and heart palpitations. Even though a certified surgeon will do their best to minimize any complications, patients should be aware of medical and appearance conditions that have the potential to occur.Since surgery involves altering the physical appearance, the surgeon will need to make alterations to the skin that may cause unwanted effects such as asymmetry or other irregularities. With any surgery risk scarring is expected but the surgeon will be able to minimize that risk after the procedur e. However, there are ways to help reduce the risks and complications of surgery. First, the potential patient should choose an appropriate surgeon. The patient will need to locate a surgeon who specializes in cosmetic or reconstructive surgery procedures.When conducting research on appropriate surgeons, ensure recognition by the American Board of Medical Specialties. The American Board of Medical Specialties includes the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Second, when the patient has located a potential surgeon they deem suitable, the patient should request proof of their certifications and successful surgeries. Third, the patient and surgeon should have a consultation.If the patient establishes reachable goals prior to surgery, he or she will be please with the end results. Finally, if the potential surgeon deems the patient acceptable for surgery, the patient can schedule an appointment. After surgery, the patient should follow the instruction of the surgeon to have a safe and healthy recovery process without negative effects. Thus, the negative effects of surgery are an important part of the decision process. The patients should be attentive of the importance to have realistic expectations when having a surgical procedure done.The website WebMD (2011) explains that if an individual is unhappy with their general appearance, cosmetic surgery is not right for the individual because they would want to obtain more than one procedure. Patients expecting dramatic results have the potential to go through periods of depression or anxiety. A surgery such as rhinoplasty is worthwhile for individuals that were teased and unaccepted because of a larger or wider nose. Another example would be an individual who has large breasts and would want to reduce the size because of severe back pain.In comparison, an individual who has smaller breasts but would want to dramatically enlarge them, this may cause people to stare or have a negative perception of the individual. It is important for the patient not to assume or expect people to be pleased with the new image. Patients may experience unwanted attention or disappointment when changing their appearance from close friends, family and the workplace. The changes to physical appearance may cause social challenges involving disapproving looks; it may cause the patient to feel isolated or bitter towards others.Challenges such as these may be hard to manage emotionally and mentally for several reasons. One reason is that surgery results may not appear until days or weeks after the surgery. Patients should realize their appearance will be worse before a significant difference is seen. Another reason is postoperative depression which can be common with surgery. Although surgeons are confident that a surgery is successful, some patients endure feelings of misery and despair that may last weeks after the surgery.Depression can have many causes and it is unknown why it occurs in patients who have cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. Some specific symptoms of post operative depression include loss of energy, appetite and lack of interest in recovering that can interfere with recuperation. During the recovery process, patients may isolate themselves because the results of the surgery are not automatically seen. Patients should also be aware that all procedures are not everlasting and may require follow-up procedures thus causing a financial strain.On the other hand, there are positive effects of cosmetic surgery such as an enhanced quality of life. An enhanced quality of life represents the improvement of an individual’s emotional, physical, psychological and social well-being. According to The Consumer Guide to Plastic Surgery (2011) website, in 2005 the American Society of Plastic Surgeons performed a study that found 75 percent of the patients chose cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance and have a more active lifestyle.Seventy percent of the patients expressed emotional and mental rewards post surgery. They were happier and had a renewed confidence and higher self-esteem. Forty-five percent have enjoyed the benefit of being more attractive. While there are many reasons why individuals obtain cosmetic surgery; one of the major reasons is to enhance their individual appearance to improve their self-image. Countless adults suffered emotional distress as children and countless children suffer currently because of the heartlessness of their peers.Surgery may be beneficial in these cases because an individual may have developed a negative perception regarding their looks because of their peers. Individuals suffering from scarred tissue due to burns or other deformities can benefit from surgery. In addition, women who lost their breasts due to cancer may choose breast augmentation as a method to regain their confidence. For these types of individuals, the benefits may outweig h the risks. Of course, patients should be realistic by learning about procedures and how they will benefit from them.Patients should be aware that the surgery should be completed by a qualified surgeon. It is critical for the patient to thoroughly research surgeons to increase the possibility of having positive results. A patient should know the length of recovery and how long it will be to see the final results. If the potential patient has a realistic outlook regarding cosmetic surgery, is psychologically competent, and is aware of the negative and positive effects, then he or she is ready to have the selected procedure.References Consumer Guide to Plastic Surgery.  (2011).  Emotional changes after plastic surgery: What you need to know.  Retrieved from http://www.yourplasticsurgeryguide.com/checklists/emotional-changes.htm Mayo Clinic.  (2011).  Cosmetic surgery: What to know beforehand.  Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cosmetic-surgery/SN00006/NSECTIONGROUP=2 WedMD.  (2011).  Cosmetic surgery and procedures – Overview (continued).  Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/skin-beauty/tc/cosmetic-surgery-and-procedures-overview?page=2

Secret Window

Abstract This paper explores the review of the movie – Secret Window. It talks about in detail on how the movie shows the two side of a human behavior – the good and the evil and how things can go if one cannot have a control over its mind. It clearly shows the aftermath of it and sends a message to the viewer’s as well. Based on Stephen king’s novella â€Å"Secret Window, Secret Garden† (1990) , this movie inspires people to take a look at themselves and decide what is good and bad.The movie was released in 2004, and was mentioned as one of the best work of Stephen King by all the film viewer’s and the critics. In this paper, the history, thesis, story, moral and a conclusion is given about the movie. The movie is a drama thriller and it keeps audience at the edge of their seats for the entire 106 minutes. The movie explains about the life of a writer who is in a state of depression after a divorce from his wife and how this incident changes his whole life. The suspense and thrillers in this movie will definitely make this movie very enjoyable.The purpose of this paper is to review the movie and explain how this movie can become a huge factor in the lives of the people. The goal of this paper is to show what it has given to its viewers and how this can affect them. Secret Window Secret Window is a psychological thriller released in 2004 and adapted from a Stephen King novel,† Secret Window, Secret Garden†. It stars Johnny Depp as Mort Rainey, a Successful mystery writer who is suffering from a serious case of writer’s block primarily caused by an unfortunate divorce from his wife Amy.Whom he caught cheating with her new boyfriend Ted Milner. Mort retreats to a lakeside cabin trying to finish a novel despite his lack of inspiration and growing resentment for his wife. Mort’s solitary life in the woods is disturbed when a mysterious man named John Shooter appears on his doorstep accusing him of plagiarism by claiming that Mort has word-for-word had stolen a story he had written years before, and published it in the Ellery Queen Street Magazine. The identical stories were Mort’s â€Å"Secret Window† and Shooter’s â€Å"Sowing Season†.Shooter demands to Mort,† Fix it. Make it Right! † in a southern accent and proposed to re work the ending of the story. The intruder Sends increasingly persuasive signals that he means business, first putting a screwdriver through Mort’s Dog, then burning down the New York home where Amy lives with her new partner before progressing to brutal murder. The movie ends when Mort realizes that Shooter is only a figment of his imagination, reveals this to his wife, and later kills her and her lover with a shovel and buries them in a garden where he later plants a crop of corn.By nature writers are quirky people. While they may pay attention to the mundane details of life in a painful manner, they are of ten unaware of their own behavior. While in the pursuit of a story they may pace around as the rough idea of pages come to them, or sit for hours staring at the screen thinking of the next precise word. They have a tendency to snack constantly rather than break for a meal and to remain in the same dirty clothes rather than break for a shower. I know this behavior because as a writer I’ve done all of it at some point or another.That’s the first part of the psychological thriller â€Å"Secret Window† that made me sits up and takes notice – a writer named Mort Rainey. In the film â€Å"Secret Window†, directed by David Koepp, the theme of the double is used to represent the protagonist’s â€Å"dark side†. This was realized through the portrayal of Shooter as Stalker and the use of two different kinds of hats, Mort’s depression from the divorce, and the ending in Mort’s story â€Å"Secret Window†. Rooney claimed that â€Å"the story is a chronicle of a man becoming steadily disturbed, engaged in a bickering dialogue with himself and increasingly ruled by the demons in his head†.Mort’s emotional trauma from the divorce robbed him off his inspiration and put him in a state of worst writer’s block. His negative feeling’s formed an evil-like alter-ego, in the person of Shooter, which overshadowed his real persona. Shooter was part of himself as displayed by his behaviors in the movie. First, Shooter seemed to appear at bad times, to know everything about Mort’s life and to make his quest for the magazine harder. Shooter accused that Mort copied a story he has written a few years back and demanded that Mort fixed it. Mort promised to get a copy of the magazine where the story was published to know his innocence.However, Shooter was a violent, impatient man, stalking Mort and making increasingly worse things happen as the magazine failed to arrive. Mort eventually lo cated the magazine that would have proven he published â€Å"Secret Window† before Shooter wrote â€Å"Sowing Season† but the story had been cut out. Second, there were two hats used in the film. One was Mort’s Knit hat and the other was Shooter’s tall brimmed hat. The hat represented two different personas. Whenever Mort got up from his couch of depression to do something he put on his going-out knit hat.Shooter’s hat was kept at a distance at first but began to close in on Mort as the story progressed. When he actually placed the hat on his own head, the dark inner workings of his soul were revealed. The use of Shooter also demonstrated the high cost of marital infidelity and the kind of evil that can be unleashed when one person chooses to follow his sinful desires. It presented the aftermath of divorce and the kind of nightmare that it brings. Mort’s fascination with unending naps and liquors, as well as his tendency to walk around in hi s wife’s tattered bathrobe and sport a weird hairdo revealed longing for his wife.Also, Mort’s work â€Å"Secret Window† which Shooter claimed as plagiarized narrated the experience of a man who is betrayed by his wife, and decides to kill her and bury her in her beloved garden. When Mort finally realized that Shooter was only a fabrication of his imagination brought so vividly to life through undetected dissociative identity disorder to commit acts that Mort himself felt he could not commit, his concerned ex-wife tried to help him out but Mort was already overpowered by Shooter. He killed his wife and lover with a shovel and buried them in a garden where he later planted with corn.The movie’s ending was highlighted with Mort’s line â€Å"The Only thing that matters is the ending†¦and this one’s perfect†. The finale showed that the evil has won. The local sheriff told Mort that he knew about the murder and as soon as the bodies w ere found, Mort would pay for the crime. Mort nonchalantly ignored the threat because he knew that the ending of his story would be an impeccable culmination. His decision to plant, grow and consume corn from the garden where his ex-wife and her lover were buried meant that he was actually destroying all the evidence needed to implicate him with the crime.In my opinion, Depp is definitely the highlight of the movie, which is good since he’s the character the movie revolves around. In interacting with his ex-wife (Maria Bello) we can see the pain and the love he still holds for her. Rainey’s spats with her boyfriend Ted (Timothy Hutton) show his anger. Yet none of that holds a candle to his conversations with himself. Rainey spends at least a third of the film alone, but we never feel that he’s isolated. Out-of-nowhere quips and commentary about the situations Rainey finds himself in provide real depth to Rainey as a struggling writer.That is where the real geniu s of Depp’s work on this character comes from. I think the director David Koepp does an excellent job of bringing â€Å"Secret Window† to the screen. On the writing side he has taken a short story by Stephen King and created a strong and suspenseful plot, highlighted by complete and memorable characters as a solid base for his actors to work with. On the directorial side, he understands how a psychological thriller should work and makes his movie follow those rules. The movie builds just as a story of this type should and the audience is never ahead of the movie.But Perhaps, I think that the biggest problem with the movie is Turturro's awful turn as Mississippi hick John Shooter. There is nothing menacing or threatening about this guy, even after he starts taking revenge on Rainey. He is simply annoying. The scenes between Shooter and Rainey are excruciating because the novelist is so obviously unimpressed by the threats that there is no tension built between the two. The rest of the cast, including Charles S. Dutton, as a private investigator, and Timothy Hutton as Amy's lover, are completely wasted and seem to be just going through the motions of this flat thriller.The biggest problem, however, is that because there is no menace or tension built up throughout the picture, the ending, for all its obviousness, seems rather abrupt and wholly unmotivated and without cause. All in all, this movie is a great movie to watch and is sure to have the audiences at the edge of their seats. There’s always something going on in the movie which will have the audience glued at their screens. The Movie was a creation that aspired to arouse psychological enquiry as well as portray the dilemma within human nature which is the battle between good and evil.The plot of the movie was a subtle journey from the lead character’s emotional and psychological stresses caused by the two most common traumas in human experience – infidelity and betrayal. Mort’s hatred towards his wife’s cheating consumed his creativity and left him in a state of severe incapability to even come up with a single line for a story. These negative emotional factors brought into life a dark alter-ego Shooter, who became his companion in a sinister of events that led him to realizing that his stalker was actually a fiction of his mind.Koepp’s movie was helpful in portraying that a person’s self can actually be his greatest enemy. As human’s experience life and it’s varying degrees of complexities and stresses, a person has to deal with letting go off the past and moving on with the present to have a renewed view of the future. It is narration of how a person writes his personal story by making important decisions. Mort had a hard time doing this. The book of his life started with chaos and he ended it by choosing evil, which was basically more chaotic. Hence, this movie is sure to have the audience interested and I personally enjoyed watching this movie.

Battle of Badajoz - Peninsular War

Battle of Badajoz - Peninsular War Battle of Badajoz - Conflict: The Battle of Badajoz was fought from March 16 to April 6, 1812 as part of the Peninsular War, which was in turn part of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). Armies Commanders: British Earl of Wellington25,000 men French Major General Armand Philippon4,742 men Battle of Badajoz - Background: Following his victories at Almeida and Ciudad Rodrigo, the Earl of Wellington moved south towards Badajoz with the goal of securing the Spanish-Portuguese frontier and improving his lines of communication with his base at Lisbon. Arriving at the city on March 16, 1812, Wellington found it held by 5,000 French troops under the command of Major General Armand Philippon. Long aware of Wellingtons approach, Philippon had significantly improved the Badajozs defenses and had laid in large supplies of provisions. Battle of Badajoz - The Siege Begins: Outnumbering the French nearly 5-to-1, Wellington invested the city and began construction of siege trenches. As his troops pushed their earthworks towards Badajozs walls, Wellington brought up his heavy guns and howitzers. Knowing that it was only a matter of time until the British reached and breached the citys walls, Philippons men launched several sorties in an attempt to destroy the siege trenches. These were repeatedly beaten back by British riflemen and infantry. On March 25, General Thomas Pictons 3rd Division stormed and captured an outer bastion know as the Picurina. The capture of the Picurina allowed Wellingtons men to expand their siege works as his guns pounded away at the walls. By March 30, breaching batteries were in place and over the next week three openings were made in the citys defenses. On March 6, rumors began to arrive in the British camp that Marshal Jean-de-Dieu Soult was marching to relieve the beleaguered garrison. Wishing to take the city before reinforcements could arrive, Wellington ordered the assault to commence at 10:00 PM that night. Moving into position near the breaches, the British waited for the signal to attack. Battle of Badajoz - The British Assault: Wellingtons plan called for the main assault to be made by the 4th Division and Craufurds Light Division, with supporting attacks from the Portuguese and British soldiers of the 3rd and 5th Divisions. As the 3rd Division moved into place, it was spotted by a French sentry who raised the alarm. With the British moving to attack, the French rushed to the walls and unleashed a barrage of musket and cannon fire into the breaches inflicting heavy casualties. As the gaps in the walls filled with British dead and wounded, they became increasingly impassable. Despite this, the British kept swarming forward pressing the attack. In the first two hours of fighting, they suffered around 2,000 casualties at the main breach alone. Elsewhere, the secondary attacks were meeting a similar fate. With his forces halted, Wellington debated calling off the assault and ordering his men to fall back. Before the decision could be made, news reached his headquarters that Pictons 3rd Division had secured a foothold on the city walls. Connecting with the 5th Division which had also managed to scale the walls, Pictons men began pushing into the city. With his defenses broken, Philippon realized that it was only a matter of time before British numbers destroyed his garrison. As the redcoats poured into Badajoz, the French conducted a fighting retreat and took refuge in Fort San Christoval just north of the city. Understanding that his situation was hopeless, Philippon surrendered the following morning. In the city, British troops went wild looting and committed a wide array of atrocities. It took nearly 72 hours for order to be completely restored. Battle of Badajoz - Aftermath: The Battle of Badajoz cost Wellington 4,800 killed and wounded, 3,500 of which were incurred during the assault. Philippon lost 1,500 dead and wounded as well as the remainder of his command as prisoners. Upon seeing the piles of British dead in the trenches and breaches, Wellington wept for the loss of his men. The victory at Badajoz secured the border between Portugal and Spain and allowed Wellington to begin advancing against the forces of Marshal Auguste Marmont in Salamanca.

Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland. It is headquartered at Dublin Airport, Ireland. †¢The airline operates 43 aircraft and carries on average 10 million passengers per annum. †¢The airlines primary mission is to connect Ireland with the world and the world to Ireland by offering its customers the best product in the Irish airline market at a competitive price. The airline’s primary markets are Ireland, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. The Irish people typically undertake several overseas flights a year. This is partly driven by Ireland’s status as an island nation but also reflects the inherent propensity among the Irish to travel to visit overseas destinations. tgp2012 1 Marketing orientation Marketing orientation In 2001 after the 9/11 effect on the airline industry Aer Lingus introduces their first model of low fares to compete with other low fare In 2001 after the 9/11 effect on the airline industry Aer Lingus introduces their first model of low fares to compete with other low fare airlines. The airline was close to bankruptcy and they had to find new waysairlines. how to keep the company afloat. They carried out numerous to see The airline was close tosurveys within the industry to find new what was needed/wantedtheorder to prosper. They carried out numerous bankruptcy and they had to identify ways to see how to keep in company afloat. So after the initial surveys they lowered their fares and altered/removed/added new destinations. Since prosper. ompany’s marketing surveys within the industry to identify what was needed/wanted in order to then the So after the initial surveys they loweredupdated/upgraded many times putting the customer in theSince then the company’s marketing orientation has been their fares and altered/removed/added new destinations. driving seat. orientation has been updated/upgraded many times putting the customer in the driving seat. Marketing mix Marketing mix

Literacy and ESOL Theories and Frameworks Essay - 1

Literacy and ESOL Theories and Frameworks - Essay Example those delivered by literacy and numeracy curricula, which following advancement of technology have extended from being preserved in the classroom setting to being part of everyday discourse. Literacy and numeracy have been attributed to practical application of knowledge and skills for tasks that are undertaken everyday and for effective participation in places of work and in civic life, though their destinations are not clear. ESOL therefore is mainly delivered to adults studying in adult communities, in order to improve their written reading and spoken English skills. ESOL, numeracy and literacy share a number of established features, which include methods and tools for assessment of skills standards and subjects, and a national assessment system. This assessment is important and provides an access to other subjects in the curriculum, as well as providing a wide social context participation. Criticisms are focused on the narrow scope in terms of its methods of testing and curriculu m. Therefore, like in any language, there are four basic skills in ESOL, which are classified into two, productive and receptive skills. Reading is a receptive skill and will be discussed in relation to ESOL (Spratt et al 2006). According to Davies, and Pearse (2000), any teaching process involves understanding how the students learn, and from the cognitive to the behaviorist view, it can be generalized that teaching provides students with a chance of connecting with the teacher’s content, a way through which the teacher gets to know the conceptions and what the students have learned through tests. The teacher is able to support the understanding of the students also using various concepts such as using charts to make the knowledge structure clear and can use other learning strategies that are cooperative to improve the social aspect. Teaching can also incorporate learning that is based on problems to familiarize the learning environment to the real world. An ESOL lesson therefore