Evaluation of Subway’s Branding and its SWOT analysis Essay

NAMEA brand is a combination of name, term, sign, symbol and design intended to identify the goods or services of one seller, which helps him/her to differentiate from those of competitors (Kotler 2006, 269). Subway is first known as Pete’s Super Submarine in 1965. The name was shortened to Subway and it is also then, the first franchised unit was opened in 1974 in Connecticut (Subway 2008). Perhaps, the founder of subway – Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck – realized the importance of developing a good brand name. There are several desirable qualities for a brand name. It should (i) suggest about the product’s benefits and qualities, (ii) be easy to pronounce, recognize and remember, and (iii) distinctive. Subway has fulfilled all these qualities. Its slogan ‘Eat Fresh† suggests the freshness of the ingredients used for the submarine sandwiches. Also, as Subway offers a wide assortment of products like sandwiches, salads, cookies, potato chips etc, making every visit a fresh one for its consumers. The colour green and the use of tomatoes in the logo symbolize the healthier aspect of Subway’s food products. Subway has a high degree of brand awareness; consumers are able to associate Subway with its submarine sandwiches that are filled with fresh vegetables. The brand name is not offensive; it did not create any inappropriate excitement like French Connection’s provocative slogan – FCUK, which has resulted in many controversies in countries including Singapore. Brand name is very important as a good one can add greatly to a product’s success (Kotler 2006, 273). SUBWAY’S OVERALL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES StrengthsSubway has successfully market itself as a healthier alternative to traditional greasy fast food. In the press release on 18 November 1999, Subway has listed the seven low-fat subs with 6 grams of fat or less menu offering convenience and good nutrition food products for consumers’ fast-paced lives. This has made Subway as the best fast food choice for consumers who are concerned about eating right; counting calories or trying to eat healthy. Also, according to the press release, Subway is conscious of the dietary needs of vegetarian consumers and offer options for them – Veggie Delite, which is simply a salad sandwich. At Subway, consumers are able to personalize their own submarine sandwich by choosing the type of ingredients, condiments and salad  dressing they wish to have for their sandwiches. The choice of getting the sandwich toasted is available too. This personalized service is not common in most of the fast food restaurants. Besides, unique sides like freshly baked cookies and potato chips are offered instead of the usual mash potatoes, French fries or coleslaw. Generally, the portion served is relatively in comparison to normal burgers. Overall, Subway’s sandwiches are loaded with fresh ingredients that differentiate Subway from its competitors. WeaknessesSubway’s sandwiches tend to become soggy after kept for a period of time without consuming. This will affect the overall tastiness of the sandwich. Such situation happens most frequently to people who do take-away. In addition, Subway’s sandwiches only come in Six-inch or foot-long sizes. This may be considered a relatively large portion to consumers whom may have smaller appetites, especially for the tweens and those younger. Also, Subway’s sandwiches are not Halal Certified. ‘Halal’ is an Arabic word which means lawful or allowable. Any food or drink that falls under this category is permitted for consumption. (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore 2008) Since subway’s products are not Halal Certified, the affected people would mainly be the Muslims. As a result, Subway may lose such potential consumers, where actually there could be opportunities to tap a global Halal food market of about 1.4 billion people. Hence, stalls with Halal Certification will have a competitive advantage over Subway. (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore 2008) RECOMMENDATIONS 1.To prevent Sandwiches from becoming soggy easily, Subway can separate Sandwich’s dressing for take-away orders. Thus, the taste of the Sandwiches will not be affected. 2.To overcome the weakness of Sandwiches being a relatively big portion to people with smaller appetites, Subway can introduce smaller sizes of sandwich. Also, even though Subway Singapore does provide kids meal to cater to the tweens and younger crowd, known as â€Å"Kids’ Pak†, when compared to kids meal available in McDonald’s and Burger King, Kids’ Pak is relatively unknown. The image of Kids’ Pak. (Official SUBWAY Restaurants’ Web Site 2008)Kids’ Pak ®, a specially designed meal package for children that includes a  sandwich prepared on a 4-inch round deli-style roll, a fruit roll fruit snack, a 100% juice box and a toy premium. (Subway Singapore 2008) (Is it possible for this paragraph to shift to beside the above pic?)Hence, Subway Singapore should widely advertise on the availability of such kids meal to gain more consumer awareness of the product. This can be done through posters and TV advertising, especially on Kids Central – Singapore’s local channel for kids, where children are the main viewers. This way, it will appeal greatly to them and parents will see the meal as a great option for a healthier meal as fats contained within the Subway’s Kids’ Pak – similar to Subway Fresh Fit for Kids is much lesser than in Kids’ Meal offered by McDonald’s and Burger King. (Subway Fres h Fit n.d.) The Image of Halal Certification (Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore 2008)However, presently, Subway is not able to obtain Halal Certification due to various market, regulatory and business issues. However, Subway still does cater to customers who need a non-pork menu. Subway obliges by recommending them what is suitable in the menu and would change to a fresh pair of gloves to prepare the sandwiches. (Subway Singapore 2008) IN GENERAL, GIVE 5 EXAMPLES OF PACKAGING OR BRANDING WHICH SERVES A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR A FIRM Coke: The packaging of coke not only offers convenience to consumers, but also helps consumer to identify the product easily through its shape and colour – red and white, of the bottle. In addition, the branding of Coke has facilitated the promotion of all same-brand products. Examples are Coke Zero, Coke Light and Vanilla Coke. McDonalds’: The logo ‘M’ is well recognized worldwide which helps speed consumer purchases by identifying the firms’ product. The colour combination of the logo – red and yellow also acts as a tool in identifying its product. Apple: The logo of Apple denotes product quality and a form as status and self-expresion as apple has successfully brand and market itself. According to Gobe, M., â€Å"The power of their branding (Apple) is all that keeps them alive†, where brands have established deep, lasting bonds with their customers. (Kahney 2002) This foster of brand loyalty serves as a competitive advantage over rival firms. KFC: The acronym of Kentucky Fried Chicken makes it easier for consumer to say and spell. It also denotes the product that it’s selling and differentiates the quality of it chicken sold from competing firms. Moreover, the use of ‘Colonel Sanders’ as a mascot/logo further helps in identifying KFC’s product. (Armin. 2006)Nike: Nike has effectively brand itself using a ‘tick’ as its logo. The incorporating of the simple ‘tick’ onto the design of its products makes it distinctive from rival firms. In general, all these brands are widely recognized, where consumers are simply able to relate the brand name and its products. (Need to write conclusion?)Reference List1.Kotler, P., S. Adam, L. Brown, and G. Armstrong. 2006. Principles of Marketing. Australia. Pearson Education Australia. 2.Subway 2008. n.d. About Subway : History. http://www.subway.com.sg/exec/sam/view/id=540/node=206/ (accessed October 2, 2008). 3.Singapore. Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore. 2008. Halal Main Page: Basic Principles. Islamic Religious Council of Singapore. http://www.muis.gov.sg/cms/services/hal.aspx?id=1706 (accessed October 5, 2008)4.Singapore. Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore. 2008. Halal Certification: Halal Certification Benefits. Islamic Religious Council of Singapore. http://www.muis.gov.sg/cms/services/hal.aspx?id=1704 (accessed October 5, 2008)5.Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore [Image]. 2008. http://www.muis.gov.sg/cms/services/hal.aspx?id=1704 (accessed October 5, 2008)6.Subway Singapore. 2008. About us: Subway FAQ’s. http://www.subs.sg/aboutus/aboutus_faq.html7.Subway Singapore. 2008. Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.subway.com.sg/exec/sam/view/id=544/node=294/8.Official SUBWAY Restaurants’ Web Site [Image]. 2008. http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/menunutrition/menu/menu_kidspak.aspx9.Subway Fresh Fit. n.d. Fit Kids: Nutritional Information.

Creativity, Critical Thinking and Change Essay

1.1. Throughout this century, a famous painting entitled The Man with the Golden Helmet was believed to be the work of the Dutch master Rembrandt. Some years ago it was proved to have been painted by someone else. Some people would say that the truth about this painting changed. Do you agree? Explain. The book tells us that truth is the accurate representation of objective reality, and that our assumptions, and wishes do not affect the reality of the facts. With that being said; I would say yes the truth about the painting changed. Since there is hard evidence that proves it was not the work of Rembrandt then, the truth has changed. 1.2. Examine each of the following cases in light of what you’ve learned about truth in this chapter. State your view and explain why you hold it. a. Ira is a journalist. Will the belief that he can create his own truth make him more or less likely to value accuracy in his reporting? If Will believes he can make his own truth it will make him less likely to value accuracy in his reporting. The news is one thing and opinions are another. By creating his own truth he is interjecting his opinions, and ignoring the facts of the news. b. Bruce is prejudiced against minorities and women. Which of the following beliefs would be more helpful in overcoming his prejudice; the belief that truth is subjective and created; or the belief that truth is objective and discovered? Explain your reasoning. I would say that belief that truth is objective and discovered would help Bruce in overcoming his prejudice in minorities and women. This way of thinking about truth relies on facts, and historical truth; where Bruce could look back at history and find instances where women and minorities have excelled. If Bruce continues to believe that he can create his own truth, it is likely he will continue to not look at the facts and continue to judge people based on race and gender. c. Most students can use additional motivation to learn. Will the belief that they can create their own truth help or hinder their motivation? Explain. The book tells us that this belief can stifle success because it leads one to believe that just the belief – not talent or hard work will guarantee success. This will hinder motivation because belief in oneself is just part of the equation for success. If they believe that truth is discovered this will help motivate them to study hard and be successful. 1.3. Classify each of the following exchanges as (a) an actual contradiction or (b) a near contradiction. Briefly explain each choice. MAVIS: Big time college sports are corrupt. Near contradiction. The statement can be both true and false in the same way at the same time. Not all big time college sports or corrupt, but some are. CORA: You’re absolutely wrong, Mavis. Â  Actual contradiction. The statement cannot be true and false in the same way at the same time. Mavis is wrong or right. KAREN: There are very few real heroes today. Â  Near contradiction. This is an opinion so it can both be true and false in the same way at the same time. HANNA: I think there are more today than there have ever been. Actual contradiction. This statement cannot be true and false in the same way at the same time. BRAD: Look at that new Lincoln across the street. Actual contradiction. This statement cannot be true and false in the same way at the same time. CLARA: That isn’t a Lincoln – it’s a Mercury. Â  Actual contradiction. This statement cannot be true and false in the same way at the same time.

Solar Oven Written Report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Solar Oven Written - Lab Report Example Internal temperature of the oven cavity normally starts to rise as soon as it is placed in the sun and afterwards reach a constant value known as thermal equilibrium. Consequently, an important activity is to vary the input parameters for the solar oven project and to predict the maximum oven temperature which gives thermal equilibrium. To the developing world, solar oven is an appealing concept given the nature of the energy source. The popularity is attributed to the way energy is harnessed without involving in burning fuels because of it is a renewable source. it’s safe, smoke free which means its eco-friendly, and costs nothing. This makes solar even more reliable because it is plenty in nature and does not require long procedures for obtaining. At thermal equilibrium, basic thermodynamics states that the energy flowing into the oven must be equally balanced by the energy that flows out of the oven and that the power absorbed by the oven equals the power that leaves out of the oven (Sage, 237). This is as illustrated by the following: Goal is to write down equations for both Pout and Pabsorbed, as a function of the design and material properties of our actual oven. Setting these equations equal, we will be able to solve for the internal temperature of the oven in terms of all of these material properties. An equation that is more suitable for our solar oven includes two separate heat-loss terms: a term describing how much heat flows out of the sides and bottom of the oven, and a term that describes how much heat is lost out of the window In this case, a proper design is the use of reflectors, which can perform in increasing the internal temperature of the oven. The reflector increases the temperature through delivering more sunlight to the window and into the cavity of the oven. The significant design constraint considered for the design is that the used reflectors should have flat surfaces and not, in any way, curved surfaces. This is because curved

120 Introduction to Political Science Assignment

120 Introduction to Political Science - Assignment Example For instance, in some countries the voting process is flared due to political interference with the body in charge of the elections. The current political leaders in such countries might not be willing to relinquish power even after being defeated hence rigging their opponents out. Therefore, the results of the voting process might not reflect the true value of the voting process hence an individual’s vote might not count nor add to the change process. In contrast, participation in a group gives that sense of satisfaction and the motivation to push on even if you fail. As much as it is a risky and demanding process-especially in a heated political society-There are several groups that have succeeded in bringing changes in their communities. For instance, Martin Luther King was active in fighting against racial discrimination in the US and he died for what he believed in. It is worth noting that some countries with stable election structures experience the true value of the voting process. Corporatism is the socio-political organization of a society by major interest groups or corporate groups such as agricultural, business, ethnic, labor, scientific affiliation or military on the basis of common interests. It is theoretically based upon the interpretation of a community as an organic body. Corporatism is an economic ideology developed mostly in Europe where the influence of the Catholic Church and of the authoritarian conservative state was strongest. However, this political and economic ideology has experienced decline in many European countries and as a result, capitalism and communism has taken center stage. This is because, corporatism maintains and reinforces social cleavages in addition to the fact that it is very sensitive to employment conditions and demographics. Most economies that have adapted corporatism are characterized by high labor

Market Research and Analysis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Market and Analysis - Research Proposal Example The paper will define the threats and opportunities within the company through the service quality that is offered. These will be combined with different components which can be used to assist with the growth and development of the company. Through this research, it was defined that restructuring the organizational environment to fit the needs of consumers in different regions will help to set the company apart from the continuously changing trends while allowing the company to continue to grow into a different level of recognition within the community. The competition that is within the oil, gas and petroleum market is one which continue to fluctuate according to the needs of consumers and the approach which is taken with those who are demanding different formats for the gas that is consumed. A gas station that is known in the UK for carrying a specific reputation among consumers is Tesco. Tesco gas stations in the UK are known for the main mission of the company, which is based on offering convenience of gas at a lower price. This is combined with the smaller convenience stores that are inside of the station and which have created a different approach to the gas that is offered. The approach which Tesco is using is based on having diverse payment alternatives, such as using fuel and club cards and saving objectives that are available for the petrol. This is combined with concepts such as premium petrol and other alternatives to offer different forms of quality with the gas that is available (Tesco, 2011). Despite the main components of Tesco, there is a sense of difficulty with remaining ahead because of the service quality that is provided by the company. Even though Tesco is able to provide competitive prices and convenience stores, there is a question of the service quality on a variety of levels. This is based on the level of

ISO Standards and Excellence - reflection ( CLO 3 ) Essay

ISO Standards and Excellence - reflection ( CLO 3 ) - Essay Example This certification is so objective (making it more credible and reliable) that ISO itself does not do the certification but a third party certification body that cannot be certified by ISO. This removes conflict of interest and undue influence. This certification process involves an audit in evaluating the company’s standards vis-Ã  -vis audit criterial established. This is a continuous process to ensure that quality and improvement is maintained. The benefits of having ISO certified are many. Having quality as a standard obviously meets if not exceed customer’s requirements and this means increased customer satisfaction leading to more business and more profit for the company and able to articulate its processes. Getting an ISO certification is not easy when I did a review on the audit process. But considering the benefits of the certification to the company and its long-term viability as a business organization, ISO is no longer just a quality certificate that a company may opt but an imperative in today’s very competitive environment because it wears the badge of credibility and

Holocaust and the effects on the prisoners Research Paper

Holocaust and the effects on the prisoners - Research Paper Example In concentration and labor camps, innocent people suffered with physical pressures, such as intense hunger, crowded quarters, disease, exposure to severe punishment and bodily torture, and heavy labor. Prisoners were often humiliated by soldiers to the point of dehumanization. Their heads were shaved, they were forced to wear prisoner uniforms, and their identities were replaced by a number on their arm. Those individuals in hiding, faced constant concerns of being caught. Mental pressures experienced by all victims during this horrific period included painful separation from family and friends, a lack of knowledge as to what fate would bear upon loved ones, and uncertainty about one's own existence. With their own eyes, they witnessed the destruction of families and communities. The values and social norms by which these individuals had led their lives were completely destroyed. For most survivors, the events of the Holocaust were ongoing, uncontrollable, and unexpected. Many were proximally close to the traumatic events, witnessing terror and horror brought upon them by other human beings. The experiences involved separation from family and friends and long lasting consequences which in many cases could not be reversed. It is a prevalent concept that all Holocaust survivors suffer from enduring psychological and physical distress as a result of their earlier trauma experiences. In this paper I will assert that all Holocaust survivors cannot be considered a homogenous group with the same patterns of symptoms and characteristics. They not only managed to resume their lives after the war but actually had rich and varied lives, were vital contributors to their communities, and maintained stable family and work patterns. Holocaust and the effects on the prisoners For a long time, discussion of the Holocaust was considered a taboo subject. Survivors spoke little about it and others did not seem to want to hear. A deep curtain of silence hung over one of the most horrendous events in human history. A number of reasons contributed to this circumstance. For years following the war, survivors were busy reestablishing their lives and homes and tried hard not to remember the past. It was not until the 1960s that interest in the Holocaust became more fully developed. It was at that time that the mental health community first became involved in dealing systematically with the after-effects of Holocaust traumatization. This was partially due to the political-moral decision of the Federal Republic of Germany to provide indemnification to individual victims of the Nazi regime for the hardships that they had suffered. In order to claim restitution, it was necessary to prove the existence of a causal link between Nazi persecution and health status, including mental health status. It became evident at that time to many of the medical professionals workin g with the survivors, that a host of symptoms, seemingly without organic cause, existed among their clients. These symptoms experienced were often linked to atrocities committed against the survivors. It became essential to conceptualize clinically the symptoms and conditions that appeared quite regularly in a great number of the survivors. The Concentration Camp Syndrome/ Survivor Syndrome, as discussed by Krystal (1968), and many others became known nosologically as a relatively fixed, lifelong condition characterized by a broad range of symptoms that could be traced to the Holocaust experience. Holocaust Survivors The Concentration Camp Syndrome Symptoms of the Concentration Camp Syndrome included (1) lasting depression with features of vigilant insomnia,

Training and development is said to be beneficial for both firms and Research Paper

Training and development is said to be beneficial for both firms and employees. Why then are some organisations and individuals reluctant to invest in training - Research Paper Example he essay will develop into an analysis of various factors that characterise training and development such as human resources development as well as mentoring and coaching. This section will also attempt to investigate why other organisations and individuals are reluctant to invest in this noble initiative that is beneficial to both parties involved. A conclusion will be drawn at the end on the basis of the main ideas that are going to be raised in the main part of the discussion which is centred on training and development. During the contemporary period, it can be noted that organisations operate in a dynamic environment which is characterised by different changes. In most cases, these changes are necessitated by various factors which include the following: economic, political, social as well as cultural and demographic among others (Schultz et al 2003). In order for the organisation to remain viable as well keep pace with the changes taking place in the environment, it is imperative for them to put measures that the employees are developed and trained to know the changes that may take place in their operations so as to be prepared to face the consequences that may affect their day to day dispensation of duties. Workers’ skills ought to be upgraded to meet the dictates of the constantly changing environment in which they will be operating. It is imperative to provide basic training to the employees so that they are equipped with the required knowledge to undertake the challenging tasks that can arise as a result of change in the operations of the organisation that can be encountered. Basically, employee training is job related learning that is provided by the employers for their employers and the aim is improvement of the employees’ skills, knowledge and attitude so that they can perform their duties according to the set standards (Swanepoel et al 1998). More often than not, successful training begins with the needs assessment to determine which employees

Critical reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Critical reflection paper - Essay Example It is imperative to note that thoughts are also subject to past experiences; for instance, educators may be against the learning of a new reading approach that is promoted by the government because they have the belief that the approach is not effective based in successful experiences they have working with a different approach. I believe that emotional intelligence of the educator has a profound influence on motivation and self-concepts of students, regardless of the fact that teaching is associated with a lot of emotion. The willingness of a school to change is affected by the psychological state of the teachers and if they disregard the psychological and inter-personal processes, they might end up behaving in a defensive manner in order to safeguard themselves from innovations that will reveal their shortfalls (Strike, 2010). On the other hand, if teachers value individuals as people, while at the same time valuing what they contribute, their self-esteem will increase and trust will be fostered. I believe the starting point for learning is motivation, and for an overworked and busy educator to be devoted in terms of effort towards change and new learning approaches, there should be adequate reasons for change or something that will make the teacher understand that what they are doing is not working. Additionally, when faced with newer approaches to teaching, the teachers should have an awareness of whether it is useful and practical, which implies relevance in the classroom to the students(Parker, 2010). Further, I believe if a teacher is not confident on the possibility of achieving success, then motivation will not be enough and there are cases where teachers do not believe that all students can be successful. Some teachers deeply believe that regardless of what they do, they cannot make a lot of difference as a result of the disadvantaged social situations of the students as

Hope Leslie Essay Example for Free

Hope Leslie Essay In the novel, Hope Leslie, Catherine Maria Sedgwick uses personal analysis as well as historical information to create an uncannily realistic tale of romance, racial prejudice and religion. Throughout the book, Sedgwick emphasizes relations between the Native American peoples and the European Americans living in Massachusetts in the 1640’s. She is able to do this specifically with the characters of Magawisca, the Native American slave with the will of a lioness, Everell Fletcher, the handsome much wanted white male protagonist, Hope Leslie, a strong headed young woman who symbolizes modernism in the piece and Esther Downing, Hope Leslie’s literary foil. Through the relationships between Everell and each of the three female protagonists, Magawisca, Esther and Hope, Sedgwick stresses that the relations between Native Americans and Americans will never be fully amiable due to religious, societal, natural influences. The first relationship of the three relationships that are mentioned in the writing is that of Everell and Magawisca. Sedgwick uses the mother, Mrs. Fletcher, to introduce this young love between the white boy and his Native American acquaintance in a letter to Mr. Everell while he is away from their home at Bethel. â€Å"The boy doth greatly affect the company of the Pequod girl, Magawisca†, she writes,† He hath taught her how to read† (32). This action between the two children shows Magawisca gradually assimilating into the American society and thus, becoming more Americanized and less â€Å"savage† as literacy is considered a civilized ability. As Magawisca dismisses the basic principles of Puritanism, however, it is clear that there is a definitive divide between the Native American and her new family’s beliefs. As religious tenets are defining features of a person and his or her background, Magawisca can never completely assume the American ways without acknowledging the religion. Thus, the relations between her and Everell will not be able to last due to their difference in. Thus, religious differences create adversities in the relationship and ultimately attribute its failure. Mrs. Fletcher directly highlights the fact that the relationship will inevitably fail when she compares the two adolescents to plants: â€Å"Two young plants that have sprung up in close neighborhood, may be separated while young; but if disjoined after their fibers are all intertwined, one, or perchance both, may perish† (33). This statement implies that nature will undoubtedly separate the Everell and Magawisca in the future and the longer they stay together, the more difficult it will be for each of them to survive when they are torn apart. The emphasis on the fact that nature will tear the Native American and the white boy apart is particularly interesting because towards the end of the book Sedgwick brings up the relation between nature and love when speaking about Everell and Hope. In the later case, however, Sedgwick writes, â€Å"Nature will rejoice in reciprocated love, under whatever adversities it comes† (351). This contradictory statement brings to light the idea that reciprocal love between and American and Native Indian will never last no matter how strong the connection is, yet reciprocal love between two Americans will last no matter how many hardships the couple face. Based on Sedgwick’s blatant double-standards, it is clear that relations between the same races are favored, creating yet another issue between Native American and White relations. As the novel progresses, Everell encounters another relationship except this time with Esther Downing. Though this kinship does not directly involve a Native American counterpart, the future diminishment of this bond is directly based on Native American-white relations specifically concerning Magawisca. When Magawisca is apprehended after meeting with Hope Leslie, she is captured on the grounds that she is â€Å"suspected of being an active agent in brewing the conspiracy forming against [the white people] among the Indian tribes†(245). Therefore she is solely arrested on the basis of suspicion, not proof, and only because of her racial affiliations and the skepticism surrounding the Native American peoples at the time. It is this imprisonment of Magawisca that proceeds to highlight the differences between Everell and Esther and future accentuates the fact that relations between the two races will never be completely peaceful. The reactions both Everell and Esther have towards the situation seem to be the same, however the way each of them handle it show that no matter how much the Americans want to have loyal relations with the Natives it will not work. Once Magawisca is imprisoned Everell tried to enlist the help of Esther to free her however, Esther believes that they â€Å"had not scripture warrant for interfering between the prisoner and the magistrates† (292) implying, that she was too morally and religiously strict to free Magawisca without consent to do so. It wasn’t that Esther disliked Magawisca, in fact, she plainly stated that â€Å"those who love [Everell] need no know this maiden to feel that they would save her life at the expense of their own, if they might do it† (293). The restriction on the loyal and amicable friendship both Esther and Magawisca could share was not hindered by distaste for one another, but instead because of strict religious views and moral conduct. This dissent between Everell’s wishes and Esther’s duty brings about the notion â€Å"that there was a painful discord between them† (293) and they are evidently not compatible. The final relationship, between Everell and Hope, shed a positive light the fact that white relations with Native Americans could in fact be successful. Magawisca’s freedom gave both Everell and Hope a mutual cause to fight for and finally allowed them to express the feelings they had suppressed for so long. She pushed both parties to reveal their true love for each other. â€Å"Ask you own heart, Hope Leslie, if any charm could win your affections from Everell Fletcher? † (350). These lines not only instigated a relationship between two soul mates but also affirmed a very close relationship between Hope and Magawisca. This gesture paralleled what Hope did to Esther when she let Esther have a relationship with Everell even though she loved him. It is evident that Magawisca still has feelings for Everell by her reactions to seeing him: â€Å"An involuntary exclamation burst from her lips; and then shuddering at this exposure of her feelings, she hastily gathered together the moccasins that were strewn over the floor, dropped a pair at Hope’s feet, and darted away† (193). Her burst of emotions and flustered actions prove she had feelings for Everell and by sacrificing those feelings for Hope’s happiness, she is delineating that she is in fact, just as good of a friend to Hope as Hope is to Esther. Thus, the relations between Indians and Americans can in fact occur with the upmost loyalty and respect. Though Hope and Everell’s relationship does indicate that the two races can coexist in harmony, Magawisca still makes it clear that thought the individuals may be on good terms, their society as a whole is not by dutifully stating â€Å"the law of vengeance is written on our hearts†¦ the Indian and the white man can no more mingle, and become one, than day and night† (349). The revengeful nature the Native Americans still associate with the white peoples of Massachusetts still trumps any possible platonic or affable relations between the two races. Thus, societal influence once again hinders harmony. Through each of the three relationships it is evident that good relations between the Indians and the Americans may only exist if the mindset of all parties involved is modernist and accepting of all races. In addition, Sedgwick also determines, with the relationship of Faith, Hope’s sister, and Oneco, Magawisca’s brother, that if one of the lovers in the relationship completely assimilates into the culture of the other, a healthy, loving kinship may blossom. Though Sedgwick does portray Native American people in relatively positive light throughout the novel, through her delineation of forbidden and accepted love, she makes it evident that the cultural and ideological barriers between Americans and the American Indians cannot ever be completely lifted.

Effect of Communication on Practitioners and Service Users

Effect of Communication on Practitioners and Service Users Standing still enough to absorb the emotional impact of (service users) experiences is something that allows the movement hidden beneath the frozen state of psychological hypothermia to emerge in a tolerable way at the right time.† (Kohli, 2007, p. 180). This paper will address the relevance of Kohli’s statement above to the discussion on the effective communication with accompanied minors. The paper will first define the term â€Å"unaccompanied minors†. It will then provide a definition of communication, then identify and examine its main theoretical perspectives. The paper will unpack the meaning of Kholi’s quotation by advancing a discussion of the importance of timing when working with unaccompanied minors and the intricacies involved in navigating the sometimes harrowing and emotional experiences of unaccompanied minors. The paper will also examine the issue of silence and how this reflects a state of being frozen in time with unaccompanied minors and will interrogate methodologies for delving below these issues, in a timely manner while ensuring that the service feels safe revealing their often locked away emotions. All these factors will be examined in the context of how communication can impact both the practitioner and the service user and how managing each factor effectively is essential to unlocking hidden feelings, emotions and trauma from which unaccompanied minors may suffer. The paper will draw on contemporary literature to empirically ground its arguments. Both the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) defines unaccompanied as: â€Å"under 18 years of age or under a countrys legal age of majority, are separated from both parents, and are not with and being cared for by a guardian or other adult who by law or custom is responsible for them. This includes minors who are without any adult care, minors who are entirely on their own, minors who are with minor siblings but who, as a group, are unsupported by any adult responsible for them, and minors who are with informal foster families.† (United Nations: 2007) More recently, there have been a plethora of studies examining the psychosocial and day to day needs after they arrive in Western countries. Communication is said to be a difficult concept to pin down by way of definition because of its many complexities, forms and application to everything. For the purposes of this paper, the definition provided by Fiske (1990:2) that communication is â€Å"social interaction through messages†, provides a good starting point to examine the concept in relation to unaccompanied minors. Thompson (2003) contends that the social aspect of communication is vital to consider because individuals interact within a social space and the nature of this communication dictates the nature of a relationship or how that relationship develops or breaks down. Thompson (2003) navigates various theoretical model of communication by drawing on the work of other scholars. He identifies Shannon and Weaver’s 1949 definition of communication which locates 3 elements: The transmitter (person who starts communication), noise (the actual message communicated, and the receiver (the person who the message is communicated to). This definition has received ample criticism for oversimplifying a difficult concept wherein communication is not always transmitted by noise but also through silence and body language. In addressing these omissions, the semiotics model was advanced as an alternative. In this model, communication is described by Cobley (2001) as a form of semiosis which is concerned with the exchange of any messages whatsoever: from the molecular code and the immunological properties of cells all the way through to vocal sentences.† This definition introduces other aspects rather than the spoken word into the communication discourse and Miller (1973) articulates that â€Å"communication includes not only the study of spoken communication between people, but also the many kinds of unspoken communication that go on constantly when people interact.† In this respect, communication also encompasses culture, because culture determines shared norms and values, language and ultimately these norms affect how information is communicated or transmitted. Thompson (2003) draws on Pierre Bordieau’s concept of cultural capital based on the strength of power bases, to explain ho w culture and power can interact to determine how information is understood and communicated, because it informs the semantics of language and the formation of identity. The identification of language as a prominent variable in any communication discourse is inescapable because as Thompson (2003) states, language does not only reflect reality, but it also constructs reality. This fact is elucidated when certain words or actions communicate a task, or certain actions communicate joy, distress or uncertainty, as is postulated by the speech act theory. Similarly, identity is informed by cultural norms and values, and determines how individuals view themselves and how they relate to others. It is this connection between culture, identity, language and power which informs the foundations of the discussion on how practitioners can cut through the difficulties of intercultural communication barriers to assist usually traumatized unaccompanied minors. Intercultural communication skills in the social work discipline, is fraught with difficulties. Husbands (2000) maintains that the various biographical routes and stories of practitioners does interact in the social space of service users and can affect how information is communication based on how trust is fostered when communicating to service users that difference will be accepted and not judged. Kohli (2006) deftly describes the vulnerable unaccompanied child who arrives in a new country and who is reticent about divulging details to practitioners. He, alongside other scholars (Kohli and Mather: 2003; Beek and Schofield: 2004) observes that unaccompanied children often remain silent, or emotionally closed about their past. He writes that such children have usually been told over and over by others to remain quiet about themselves in order to keep safe. Kohli (2001, 2006, 2007) insists that it is imperative that social work practitioners gain skills that enable them to probe the past of unaccompanied asylum children, in order to truly understand their needs. Kohli recognizes that demands to meet targets faced by modern day practitioners, may interfere with the time they need to build trust and safely pry open the thoughts of unaccompanied minors. In light of this, the nature of their silence and the impact their experiences may have had on them must be explored, before addressing how social workers should â€Å"time† their intervention to open communication and prompt life histories from unaccompanied minors. The silence displayed by unaccompanied minors should not be immediately adjudged to be because they are hiding harmful secrets. In fact, scholars such as Finkenauer et al (2001), argues that the keeping of secrets are normal adolescence developmental characteristics. However, the literature on silences among refugee children often points to explanations of fear and the silencing effects of war on children. Psychological studies (Melzak: 1992) contend that children often bury extreme hurt, pain or loss in order to survive, some to the extent that they can forget some events or the sequence of events as a defense mechanism. The risk of acting out buried emotions in a harmful way, compels many practitioners and scholars to argue for methodologies to unlock these stories which according to Kohler’s quotation, presented at the beginning of this paper, may be in a â€Å"frozen state of psychological hypothermia†, wherein they are unable to communicate their hidden pain. Papad oupolos (2002) posits that this frozen state could be purposely imposed to assist in healing and may be necessary to allow affected children the space to reflect, make sense of and accept before being able to move on successfully. Kohli (2006) therefore views this silence as both â€Å"burdensome and protective†, and it requires a skillful practitioner to know when to encourage unaccompanied minors to open up. Krause (1997) and Rashid (1996) both warn against social workers rushing to conclusions about unaccompanied minors based on their cultural backgrounds and what is known about their country of origin. Focusing on organizational targets and not the clients needs first, may result in the practitioner missing the cultural contexts of the minors’ experiences, within specific times and risks simplifying complex information that may be transmitted without adequate reflection on the communication experience overtime. In order to determine when it is appropriate to prompt for hidden information or stories from unaccompanied minors, social workers must recognize that such children may be trying to be accepted within a new culture while suffering a loss from their own (Kohli and Mather: 2003). Therefore, social workers must be observant and reflective (Schà ¶n: 1987, 1983) to determine when a child is assimilated enough and trusting of the practitioner service user relationship to revea l any hidden stories of their past lives. Richman (1989) also reminds that many unaccompanied children are very resilient because of their experiences and they may be busy trying to figure out their next move, or how to survive within a new environment and culture, or thinking about their asylum status, than they are interested in reliving past experiences which do not in their estimation contribute to their present survival. Consequently, practitioners are encouraged to engage in â€Å"therapeutic witnessing† (Kohli and Mather: 2003) rather than feeling the need to wring past experiences from unaccompanied minors. In drawing on Blackwell and Melzak (2000), Kohli and Mather (2003: 206) states: â€Å"In essence, workers are asked not to become action orientated helpers in the face of ‘muck and bullets’, but stay still enough to bear the pain of listening to stories of great loss as they emerge at a pace manageable for the refugee.† While Kohli acknowledges that it is difficult for a practitioner to remain still and allow a â€Å"discovery by drip† process to unfold with the refugee, he maintains that it allows refugees to â€Å"exorcise their demons and ghosts in the process of self-recovery† (Kholi and Mathers: 2003). This does not diminish the level of practical support that workers should offer to refugees, in fact it is through assisting to order their lives, that they will also make sense of their past and be more willing or open to sharing information about themselves. However, if and when refugees begin to share their experiences, practitioners must be versed on skills to encourage such interaction and should also be cognizant of their own reactions and judgement which can also be communicated to the client nonverbally and affect the â€Å"drip† method of divulging information. It is to these issues which this paper now turns. Relationship based interaction between service users and practitioners remain central to the core value of social work and reflect its best practice. Holloway (2003) concurs with this view by asserting that conversations between practitioner and client dictate how the trust relationship is formed and how the worker is emboldened to assist the client. In this context, a discussion on emotional intelligence (EI) and its importance to the communication process is relevant. Morrison (2007) quotes Goleman’s 1996 definition of EI as â€Å"Being able to motivate oneself and persist in the face of frustrations; to control impulse and delay gratification; to regulate one’s moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to think; to empathize and to hope.† This delayed gratification is applicable to the need for social workers to allow unaccompanied minors the space to understand themselves and their new realities while making sense of their past. It requires great empa thy and being able to perceive and identifying feelings in the self and others. Morrison (2007) links emotional intelligence and successful social work as being able to be conscious of the self while establishing good communication channels with the refugee. Morrison advises that social workers must be in tuned with their own prejudices and assumptions because many vulnerable clients such as unaccompanied minors are used to reading body language and silent communication signs to determine whether they should trust individuals. Therefore practitioners must ensure that their methods of practice reinforce good communication values rather than downplay them. One of the first methodologies used by the social work practitioner is that of assessment. Assessment frameworks in the UK give little space for the exploration of histories (Morrison: 2007). Consequently, the emotions which compel youth behaviour is often not deeply understood from unaccompanied minors, especially since they may be silent and initially provide minimal normative sketches of their past. Accurate observation during assessment will take note of feelings which may hide deeper emotions and record the moments when these windows into the past were glimpsed or sensed. Much can also be gain by the observation that expression is void of emotion, as this may also be an indicator that the unaccompanied minor realize that communication certain emotions in their language may give the practitioner space to questions their past and they may be skilled at hiding such feelings in their language and tone. If information from the refugee is sparse and void of emotion, the practitioner s hould make extra effort to be reflective in practice to ensure that their own perceptions or impressions are not being transmitted to the client. Goleman et al (2002) articulates that there is a situation of dissonance when one party feels like the other is out of touch with their feelings. The Audit Commission’s 2006 report (p.66) into the treatment of unaccompanied children, demonstrates how practitioner bias can affect the level of treatment given to refugee children: â€Å"Many unaccompanied children have multiple needs because of their experiences of separation, loss and social dislocation . . . Yet in many cases they do not receive the same standard of care routinely afforded to indigenous children in need, even though their legal rights are identical.† Practitioners must therefore guard against treating unaccompanied minors as â€Å"another client†, because the literature identifies them as being particularly in tune to all forms of communication within the interaction process, and they use this as a guide on who, when and how to trust. A vital part of the assessment is the interviewing of the unaccompanied minor. Wilson and Powell (2001: 1) maintain that â€Å"a childs thinking is dependent on a number of factors including memory, conceptual development, emotional development and language formation.† They further assert that there are three aspects to remembering information: knowledge, sequencing and prioritizing. They contend that practitioners must seek to gain all three trough safe methods when interviewing and practice patience. It is important to note their guidance that a memory may not always be told in the right sequence, and be prioritized according to the present needs of the child or in the case of this paper – the unaccompanied minor. Furthermore, they remind us that a child’s memory may not be accurate, this could be deliberately so (as already explored by Kohli: 2006), and they argue that it is up to the interviewer to use a method of questioning when appropriate to maximize the accuracy of responses. The Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings (2007) document which provided information on interviewing children stated that interviewers must approach the interview with an open mind and that enquiries should not increase the distress of a child by allowing them to reluctantly relive bad experiences. Similarly, the 1998 Cleveland Inquiry Report suggests that: All interviews should be conducted by a professional with child interview training; Interview questions should be open-ended; There should be one and no more than two interviews for the purpose of assessment and it should not be too long; the interview should be paced by the child not the adult among others and it is recommended that the both the police and the social worker (if necessary) interview the child at the same time. These guidelines ensure that the interview adopts a child-centered approach. Another method that is advised with unaccompanied children is the phased interview approach. The phased interview approach is structured in three parts: the introduction and initial rapport establishment, the free narrative section and questioning section where the child is given space to communicate, alongside being questioned, and the closure of the interview. It is important to prepare children for the interview, through pre-interview contact to lessen any stress which may arise from being fearful of the process. Children should get ample time to consider whether they wish to share their stories or keep them locked away. Furthermore, the skill to actively listen is paramount to a social work practitioner as it not only assists with accurately observing, but it assures the child that what they are saying is being heard (Wilson and Powell: 2001). To assist in accuracy, the interviewer should reflect back the child’s responses to them for affirmation of clarification paying particular attention to maintaining neutral body language and tone while doing so (Thompson: 20 02). However, Wilson and Powell (2001) maintain that if a term is not familiar to the interviewer or seems like slang, the interviewer should make every effort to clarify its meaning with the child in order to maximize accuracy and assist in avoiding possibilities of intercultural communication. Bradford (1994) further posits that the interviewer has the responsibility to ensure the validity of the communication process by pursuing the statement validity analysis (SVA). The SVA checks that the testimony contains no contradictions or logical inconsistencies, the abundance of details, the accuracy of contextual evidence which may be verifiable, the ability to reproduce conversations and interactions and the presence of complicated obstacles. However, Davies (2006) warns that while this tool may be useful, it is not a accurate fix, particularly in the case of silent children who may choose to withhold traumatic information (Kohli: 2006). Wilhelmy and Bull (1999) argues that the use of drawings within interviews with child by practitioners should be encouraged where appropriate because it also provides assurance to the child that the interviewer is child centered. If this method is used, the interviewer must be very observant that this method does not make the child uneasy. While drawing may presents many opportunities to further question the child, the practitioner must as Kholi’s quotation suggests be extremely patient to unlock information and allow the interview to be paced by the child, thereby giving them space to trust the interviewing process. A child’s comfort with drawing, ay actually provide an opening to more difficult or painful areas and care should be taken to note and protect the child’s wellbeing and level of distress when painful information is disclosed. The use of role play and storytelling also offers unique methodologies to social workers to assist children in disclosing pain ful information. Outside of the interview process, Chamberlain (2007) recounts the use of storytelling by the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture to assist refugee children from war torn countries to unlock their deeply buried painful memories when they are ready. He quotes Sheila Melzack the centers consultant child and adolescent psychotherapist as saying: â€Å"Many are in a state of suspended animation because they do not know whether they will be forced to return home. We are trying to give them coping strategies to deal with all these issues. But instead of saying directly what they saw or did we deal with it through displacement. They can be extracted through stories which create safe arenas to talk about these issues.† Therefore, Chamberlain (2007) and Davis (1990) asserts that stories can be utilized as a therapeutic intervention method to assist unaccompanied children to recall incidents, not necessarily airing them, but developing coping strategies that assist in building resilience in a new environment. There are however, instances where unaccompanied children come from countries whose language differ from that of the receiving country. Gregory and Holloway (2005) maintain that language is used both to grant and restrict access to a society or organization. Chand (2005) identifies the lack of adequate interpreting and translation services within the UK social work sector. Chand’s research located many instance where the services of interpreters and translators were needed but they did not show, usually because of lack of resources, so they prioritise which cases they believe are more important such as more formal case conferences. Humphreys et al (1999) found that many interpreters left case conferences and assessment early, or that interviews or conferences may be rushed because of lack of resources. In light of the previous discussion on the need for social workers to be patient and allow unaccompanied minors to work through past recollections until they are in a space to s hare, this practice of rushing sessions to facilitate interpreters, is detrimental to the communication process between practitioner and the unaccompanied child and could discourage disclosure and engender trust issues. As was discussed earlier in the theoretical section of this paper, language is closely related to power and can be used to control and regulate discourses and effect social control, based on its ability to include or exclude. The client-practitioner relationship is one in which the practitioner asserts their professionalism and therefore must take great care that such imbalance of power is not misunderstood by the client or imposed on them to hinder effective communication (Gregory and Holloway: 2005). Unaccompanied children, who have suffered trauma are usually used to being victimized by relationships of power imbalances, and therefore the social worker must always recognize that the relationship with such individuals is aimed at building their resilience and capacity :to adjust to all or any part of their new environment. While keeping practice client focused, recent years have seen the introduction of numerous guidelines, new legislation and policy changes which require the adherence and commitment of the social work practitioner. Some critics (Young: 1999; Malin: 2000), debate that social work has become mediatory and managerial under modern day guidelines and stipulations which risk the developing of solid client-practitioner relationships and the development of trust. While Gregory and Holloway (2005) argue that the language of such guidelines can be interpreted as the social control of the social work profession which ultimately seeks to â€Å"fix† the meanings of grounded work with vulnerable clients to suit political agendas. Social workers must remain committed to the ethic of the profession and promote good social work values by ensuring that such language of control is not transferred from the managerial spheres to what Schà ¶n (1983) terms as the trenches of social work, that is, th e interpersonal communication with clients. It is this regard that social workers must be aware of the power of language in working with unaccompanied minors, and ensure that the practice language is not dominated by a controlling or power induced thrust, but recognizes the vulnerability of clients and their need to slowly build trust and thaw their emotions (Kohli: 2006, 2007). As with language, the relations between social work practitioners and other services, can directly affect relationship with unaccompanied minors and how they trust the professionalism of those who communicate to them that they care. The death of eight year-old Victoria Climbie presents an example of how the lack of effective communication between professional practitioners can result in harm, especially to children from foreign cultures. The Laming Report of 2003, an inquiry into Victoria’s death concluded that the young girl’s death could have been avoided if individual social workers, police officers, doctors and nurses who came into contact with the girl, had effectively responded to Victorias needs. The National Service Framework for Children and Young People (NSF) and the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), both strive to ensure the effective communication between service providers across sectors. Glenny (2005) states that: â€Å"a lot of inter-agency collaboration is not about collaborative activity as such, but about communicating effectively with regard to individual pieces of work , ensuring patchwork of individual effort in relation to a particular [case], made sense†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ensuring proper communication between agencies when dealing with unaccompanied minors, is therefore essential to build trust in the client-practitioner relationship (Cross:2004) and to remove any doubts the minor may have that the capillaries of power that agencies appear to be, will work for their benefit and well being and not contribute to any further victimization they may have suffered. It is therefore conclusive to say that the issue of managing effective communication is absolutely essential to successful social work practice with unaccompanied minors. The paper navigated the theoretical intricacies of the concept of communication to highlight its broad nature and how culture, language, body language and even silence are powerful communication tools tapped into by both practitioner and the unaccompanied minor in establishing boundaries of trust. One of the most evident revelations of this paper, is the need for practitioners to practice patience to allow unaccompanied minors the space to unlock their hidden stories, while providing them with support for their daily needs. Furthermore, the issue of intercultural communication difficulties that lack of interpreting and translation resources can cause in fostering best practice with accompanied minors was explored and it was identified that despite the lack of resources, unaccompanied minors are better served when th ey are not rushed for their hidden experiences. Finally, the paper identified the how the language of managerial control within social work can hinder best practice, if control of power imbalance is communicated even non-verbally to unaccompanied minors, who are very attuned to detecting such relations in order to protect themselves. References Beek, M., Schofield, G. (2004) Providing a Secure Base in Long-term Foster Care. London, British Association for Adoption and Fostering. Bradford, R. (1994) developing an Objective Approach to Assessing Allegations of Sexual Abuse. Child Abuse Review, Vol. 3 (2), 93-106. Chamberlain, P. (2007) Tell it like it was. Young People Traumatised by Violence are Confronting their Past through Storytelling. Community Care, 5-11th April. Chand, A. (2005) Do You Speak English? Language Barriers in Child Protection Social Work with Minority Ethnic Families. British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 35, 807-821. Criminal Justice System (2007) Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings. London: The Stationery Office. Cobley, P. (2001) The Routledge Companion to Semiotics and Linguistics. London: Routledge. Cross M. (2004) Children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. London: Jessica Kingsley. Davis, N. (1990) Once Upon a Time: Therapeutic Stories. Nancy Davis Publications. Davis, G. (2006) Statement Validity Analysis: An Art or a Science? Commentary on Bradford. Child Abuse Review, Vol. 3 (2), 104-106. Finkenauer, C., Engels, R., Meeus, W. (2002) Keeping Secrets from Parents: Advantages and Disadvantages of Secrecy in Adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 31 (2), 123–136. Fiske, J. (1990) Introduction to Communication Studies. (2nd Edition). London: Routledge. Glenny, G. (2005) Riding the Dragon: Developing Inter-Agency Systems for Supporting Systems. Support for Learning, Vol. 20 (4), 167-175. Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. and McKee, A. (2002) Primal Leadership, Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Gregory, M., Holloway, M. (2005) Language and the Shaping of Social Work. British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 35 (1), 37-53. Husbands, C. (2000) Recognising Diversity and Developing Skills: The Proper Role of Transcultural Communication. European Journal of Social Work, Vol. 3 (3), 225-234. Humphreys, C., Atkar, S., Baldwin, N. (1999) Discrimination in Child Protection Work: Recurring Themes in Work with Asian Families. Child and Family Social Work, Vol. 4, 283-291. Kohli, R.K.S. (2006) The Sound of Silence; Listening to What Asylum-seeking Children Say and do not Say. British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 36 (5), 707-721. Kohli, R. (2001) Social Work with Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Young People. Forced Migration Review, Vol. 12 (1), 31–33. Kohli, R. (2000) Breaking the Silence. Professional Social Work, June 2002, 6–9. Krause, I.B. (1997) Therapy Across Cultures. London: Sage. Laming WH. (2003) The Victoria Climbià © Report. London: Stationery Office. Accessed on January 10, 2008 at: www.victoria-climbie-inquiry.org.uk/finreport/finreport.htm. Malin, N. (2000) Professional Boundaries and the Workplace. London: Routledge. Melzak, S. (1992) Secrecy, Privacy, Survival, Repressive Regimes, and Growing Up. London: Anna Freud Centre. Miller, G. (1973) Communication, Language and Meaning: Psychological Perspectives. New York: Basic Books. Morrison, T. (2007) Emotional Intelligence, Emotion and Social Work: Context, Characteristics, Complications and Contributions. British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 37 (2), 245-263. Papadopoulos, R. K. (ed.) (2002) Therapeutic Care for Refugees. No Place like Home, London: Karnac. Richman, N. (1998b) Looking Before and After: Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the West. In: P.J. Bracken C. Petty (Eds.) Rethinking the Trauma of War. London: Save the Children. Schà ¶n, D. (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Schà ¶n, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner. New York: Basic Books. Thompson, N. (2003) Communication and Language. Hampshire: Palgrave. United Nations (2007), Report No. A/52/273. Report of the United High Commission for Refugees, Questions Relating to Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons and Humanitarian Questions: Assistance to Unaccompanied Refugee Minors. Accessed at: http://www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/52/plenary/a52-273.htm. Wilhelmy, R., Bull, R. (1999). Drawing to Remember: The Use of Visual Aids to Interview Child Witnesses. Practitioners’ Child Law Bulletin, 12, 66-69. Wilson C and Powell M (2001) A Guide to Interviewing Children. London: Routledge. Young, J. (1999) The Exclusive Society. London: Sage.

The Possibilities of Expanding the Business into New Overseas Markets E

The Possibilities of Expanding the Business into New Overseas Markets As international marketing consultant of Mackie’s of Scotland, the ice cream maker, it is my duty to consider the possibilities of expanding the business into new overseas markets, successfully. The Scottish ice cream market will be researched thoroughly. The UK target market of Mackie’s will be analysed. Finally a suitable country will be chosen to market the product to. The countries that will be selected from will be Saudi Arabia, Germany or Ireland. The UK ice cream market is estimated to be worth  £1.25 billion. Mackie’s of Scotland have been making ice cream in Aberdeenshire since the 1960’s, although they have been farming since before the turn of the century. Ice cream has been in existence since 618A.D but is rumoured to have been invented in 200B.C in China. The first documentation of ice cream in Britain is dated in 1672 during the reign of Charles II. The uniqueness of Mackie’s ice cream is that firstly it is made in Scotland, it is made with the help of Jersey and Angus cows, it is run by a Scottish family/workforce, Mackie’s is the market leader in Scotland with 45% of the market and has an 11% UK wide market. Mackie’s aim is to strengthen its UK market position and then look into potential export opportunities. These factors mean that the company and product are idea and ripe for expansion into foreign markets. Mackie’s trademark symbol is a milkmaid milking a cow in a field. The traditional flavour of the ice cream is represented by blue packaging. It is not called vanilla but simply traditional. No flavours are added to Mackie’s Traditional. Other flavours in the range include Honeycomb Harvest, Strawberry and Cream, Caramel Choc Mint, Absolutely Chocolate as well as Organic Ice Cream. Traditional is available in 120ml tubs, 500ml, 1 litre, 2 litre, 5 litre and 10 litre tubs. Honeycomb Harvest, which has orange, blue and white packaging, is available in all sizes except 2 and 10 litre tubs. Strawberry and Cream, which has red, blue and white packaging, is available in all sizes except 500ml, 2 and 10 litre tubs. Caramel Choc Mint, which has green, blue and white packaging, is available in 1 and 5 litre tubs. Absolutely Chocolate, which has brown, blue and white packaging, is available in all sizes except 500ml, 2 and 10 litre tubs. O... ...he market. The Saudis use Riyals the Germans and Irish operate on Euros. The country that I would choose to market the ice cream to would be Ireland. Politically Scotland and Ireland use similar techniques, they trade with similar countries, agriculture and industry are the main sources of income. Economically Ireland is stable. The amount of tourists that visit Ireland is quite phenomenal and it would be an opportunity wasted if Mackie’s don’t enter the market there. Ireland has a low population which could be seen as a good attribute, this is because Mackie’s are already market leader in Scotland, which has a population of 5 million. Therefore 2.8 million people to target would be relatively cheap, and another market could belong to Mackie’s. Technologically Ireland is advancing. However only ice cream giants like Wall’s will have far superior ice cream making equipment than Mackie’s. Technology advances in the country could help Mackie’s in Scotland. I feel that Saudi Arabia would not accept the product with specific Scottish branding. Germany being a very nationalistic country would also reject the ice cream as they would favour German brands of ice cream.

Summary of Cinderella Essay -- essays research papers

As children most of our life lessons were acquired through the simplicity of fairy tales. Subliminal messages taught us to always believe in true love and that good wins out over evil. Young and naà ¯ve, as children, all we desired was a good story and a nap, but the lessons we learned lasted a lifetime. Growing up my beloved fairy tale was Cinderella, not only does true love win but good wins over evil and eventually the world is set right. Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, lived a beautiful girl and her frail father. Fearing he would leave his young daughter an orphan he married a young widow, soon after he brought his bride and two daughters to live with him on his manor. Almost exactly a year later, he past away in his sleep leaving his entire household behind. His young daughter Cinderella wept for three years without delay and when she wiped her tears away she found herself a sixteen year old servant in her own home. Daily life was much the same she waited on Heather and Kim, her stepsisters, and satisfied her stepmothers every whim. Mundane and downright boring, Cinderella had amazingly evolved into a beautiful and charming young woman. Being as meek as a mouse and having a voice as sweet as honey Cinderella was loved by everyone she encountered except her own family, who is envy, leaked from their pores. One dazzling spring morning, Cinderella awoke to a great commotion. ?The prince is having a ball, the prince is having a ball,? Heather screeched and they all squealed with delight. Quietly standing in the shadows Cinderella timidly asked, ?Stepmother may I go to the ball ?Well I suppose, if you get this house immaculately clean and mind... ...s her carriage galloped away. Scouring the countryside the Prince fitted the slipper to every woman he saw but his search seemed fruitless. The last house he came to was a midsize manor in great-disrepair, inside he found four women. Shoving and scratching to go first Heather tried on the slipper, to small. Then Kim tried but her fat feet were much too wide. Next Stepmother insisted she be fitted with the shoe fortunately it was too large. Finally Cinderella got her long awaited turn, she gingerly sat down and tried on the shoe. Perfect fit! Taking her in his arms the Prince proposed and Cinderella accepted. They were married shortly after in a small private ceremony. Cruel and unfair the stepfamily cleaned up after the royal hounds for the rest of their days. As for Cinderella and her prince of course they lived happily ever after.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Essay -- Biography

On January 30, 1882, the world welcomed a new born boy by the name of Franklin Delano Roosevelt that would help America countless times recover from the depths of harm and danger and bring her to the shores of safety. He married his wife and distant cousin by the name of Eleanor Roosevelt and she did many good deeds of her own. Through his education, remarkable three terms of Presidency, triumph in a war, endeavor for peace, and struggling through a vicious disease know as polio, former President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the greatest President ever. Franklin Roosevelt learned many vital and crucial lessons throughout his education. Lessons and concepts that would be carried with him everywhere. One of Roosevelt's first lessons was from the founder of the Groton School, Endicott Peabody. As this school was mostly for the rich, the lesson entailed that government service was an excellent method to help those poorer and less privileged than the students attending the school. This moral really appealed to Roosevelt before he graduated from Groton school and went on to Harvard University (Uschan 21). Whenever FDR's name is mentioned, not too many people realize that this notable man went to Harvard. While he attended Harvard, he studied about many different views about government that would help FDR develop his political philosophy (Uschan 22). Education played a minor but imperative role for Franklin on the mission to becoming the greatest President so far. The road for FDR to become President was not harsh or smooth, but it is was he did during those three astonishing terms that really makes this former president outstanding. FDR first term officially started on March 4, 1933, and he entered term faced with the burden o... ... second term, FDR created the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. He also created the March of Dimes, which brought in money for babies with birth defects. He did not life to see the vaccine for polio as Roosevelt died in 1945. However, the U.S congress gave FDR the privileged honor of having his face on the dime since he and the dime were so closely related ("FDR and Polio: Public Life, Private Pain"). FDR was the greatest president ever through his education, incredible three terms of Presidency, victory in a war, endeavor for peace, and for battling through polio. I think about all the things he has done for Americans every day, and people don't realize that he substantially changed the whole country for the better. I hope that I have conveyed to you that FDR is the best president that has ever existed on this planet.

Manager: Automobiles and Service Department Essay

Question #1 – Suppose the new-car deal is consummated, with the repaired used car being retailed for $7,100, the repairs costing Shuman $1,594. Assume that all sales personnel are on salary (no commissions) and that general overhead costs are fixed. What is the dealership incremental gross profit on the total transaction (i. e. , new and repaired-used cars sold)? Answer |Sales Revenue | | | Sales of new car |$14,400 | | Sales of repaired-used car |$7,100 | | Total |$21,500 | |Cost of Sales | | | Cost of new car |$12,240 | | Trade in value on used car |$6,500 | | Cost of reconditioning |$1,594 | | Total |$20,334 | |Gross Profit |$1,166 |. Question #2 – Assume each department (new, used, service) is treated as profit center, as described in the case. Also assume in a-c that it is known with certainty beforehand that the repairs will cost $1,594. a. In your opinion, at what value should this trade-in (unrepaired) be transferred from the new-car department to the used-car department? Why? b. In your opinion, how much should the service department be able to charge the used-car department for the repairs on this trade-in car? c. Given your responses to a and b, what will be each department’s incremental gross profit on this deal? Answer 2-a: i) If Paul should take responsibility that he failed to find the rear axle crack. The value of this trade-in should be at least $5,000, which is the number Paul think he could buy from used car auction. If Paul should not take the responsibility Reconditioning charge from Service department =Cost of repairs * Service Department gross profit mark-up = $1594 * ($2,000/$1,480) =$2,154 Value of Trade-in to used-car department =Wholesales price – Reconditioning charge =$6,100 – 2,154 =$3,946 Answer 2-b: As calculation of reconditioning charge from Service department above Answer 2-a. The Service department should charge the repair to used-car department by $2,154 Answer 2-c: i) Use the accounting rule which is done by Brunner for internal transfer cost, it comes out the table of â€Å"Current Split† below to show gross profit of Shuman and all three departments ii) If we let Paul take the responsibility for costing error on used car appraisal, and allow Service department to charge the internal job the same as they would do for external customer. The gross profit would be as shown in the table of â€Å"suggestion for split† below. iii) |[pic] | | |[pic] | | Question #3 -Is there a strategy in this instance that would give the dealership more profit than the one assumed above (i. e. , repairing and retailing this trade-in used car)? Explain. In answering this question, assume the service department operates at capacity. Answer 3: a) Should have Service department do a quick inspection of the used car and find the problem as many as possible, so sales department could have better position and knowledge to negotiate at lower used car allowance. b) Assume the service department operate at capacity, the incremental gross profit on the total transaction should be only counted by $660 (earned by Moyer) – $54 (loss by Fiedler) = $606. If Moyer could sell the new card at less than 10% discount (8% is competitive already) without using used car allowance. The gross profit for the dealership could be more. (10% discount, gross profit = $720 still higher than $606) c) Fiedler could try if the customer is interested to commission his department to sell his card at very minimal charge in addition to the sales result described above in answer 3-b. d) Bianci could quote $2,154 or above if the customer is interested to repair his car in his department. Question #4 Do you feel the three-profit-center approach is appropriate for Shuman? If so, explain why, including an explanation of how this is better than other specific alternatives. If not, propose a better alternative and explain why it is better than three profit centers and any other alternatives you have considered. Answer 4: Yes, we think the three-profit-center approach is appropriate for Shuman because all three departments could run business independently to service both external and internal customers. However, the internal cost transfer should be reviewed and revised to match market bench mark. It would help Shuman Automobiles a) Both new-car and used-car department could have more accurate cost base to make the decision for a sales deal. b) The service department could be motivated to reduce their cost and increase revenue. However, the approach might reduce the level of cooperation among the department and decrease customer benefit of â€Å"one stop shopping† in Shuman. In order to address this potential issue of conflict interest among the department, we suggest the other program could be implemented (1) The entire dealership profit should be also factor in as part of manager’s remuneration. . (2) Service department should give internal job at priority while they operate at capacity, and offer discount charge while they operates over capacity.

Employee Motivation †A Short Case Study Essay

Rohit Narang joined Apex Computers (Apex) in November after a successful stint at Zen Computers (Zen), where he had worked as an assistant programmer. Rohit felt that Apex offered better career prospects, as it was growing much faster than Zen, which was a relatively small company. Although Rohit had enjoyed working there, he realized that to grow further in his field, he would have to join a bigger company, and preferable one that handled international projects. He was sure he would excel in his position at Apex, just as he had done in his old job at Zen. Rohit joined as a Senior Programmer at Apex, with a handsome pay hike. Apex had international operations and there was more than a slim chance that he would be sent to USA or the UK on a project. Knowing that this would give him a lot of exposure, besides looking good on his resume, Rohit was quite excited about his new job. Rohit joined Aparna Mehta’s five-member team at Apex. He had met Aparna during the orientation sessions, and was looking forward to working under her. His team members seemed warm and friendly, and comfortable with their work. He introduced himself to the team members and got to know more about each of them. Wanting to know more about his boss, he casually asked Dipti, one of the team members, about Aparna. Dipti said, â€Å"Aparna does not interfere with our work. In fact, you could even say that she tries to ignore us as much as she can.† Rohit was surprised by the comment but decided that Aparna was probably leaving them alone to do their work without any guidance, in order to allow them to realize their full potential. At Zen, Rohit had worked under Suresh Reddy and had looked up to him as a guide and mentor – always guiding, but never interfering. Suresh had let Rohit make his own mistakes and learn from them. He had always encouraged individual ideas, and let the team dicover the flaws, if any, through discussion and experience. He rarely held an individual member of his team responsible if the team as a whole failed to deliver – for him the responsibility for any failure was collective. Rohit remembered telling his colleagues at Zen that the ideal boss would be someone who did not interfere with his/her subordinate’s work. Rohit wanted to believe that Aparna too was the non-interfering type. It that was the case, surely her non-interference would only help him t grow. In his first week at work, Rohit found the atmosphere at the office a bit dull. However, he was quite excited. His team had been assigned a new project and was facing a few glitches with the new software. He had thought about the problem till late in the night and had come up with several possible solutions. He could not wait to discuss them with his team and Aparna. He smiled to himself when he thought of how Aparna would react when he told her that he had come up with several possible solutions to the problem. He was sure she would be happy with his having put in so much effort into the project, right from day one. He was daydreaming about all the praise that he was going to get when Aparna walked into the office. Rohit waited for her to go into her cabin, and after five minutes, called her up, asking to see her. She asked him to come in after tem minutes. When he went in, she looked at him blankly and asked, â€Å"Yes?† Not sure whether she had recognized him, Rohit introduced himself. She said, â€Å"Ok, but why did you want to meet me?† Rohit started to tell her about the problems they were having with the software. But before he could even finish, she told him that she was busy with other things, and that she would send an email with the solution to all the members of the team by the end of the day, and that they could then implement it immediately. Rohit was somewhat taken aback. However, ever the optimist, he thought that she had perhaps already discussed the matter with the team. Rohit came out of Aparna’s cabin and went straight to where his team members sat. he thought it would still be nice to bounce ideas off them and also to see what solutions others might come up with. He told them of all the solutions he  had in mind. He waited for the others to come up with their suggestions but not one of them spoke up. He was surprised, and asked them point-blank why they were so disinterested.  Sanjay, one of the team members, said, â€Å"What is the point in our discussing these things? Aparna is not going to have time to listen to us on discuss anything. She will just give us the solution she thinks is best, and we will just do what she tells us to do; why waste everyone’s time?† Rohit felt his heart sink. Was this the way things worked over here? However, he refused to lose heart and thought that maybe, he could change things a little.  But as the days went by, Rohit realized that Aparna was the complete opposite of his old boss. While she was efficient at what she did and extremely intelligent, she had neither the time nor the inclination to groom her subordinates. Her solutions to problem were always correct, but she was not willing to discuss or debate the merits of any other ideas that her team might have. She did not hold the team down to their deadlines not did she ever interfere. In fact, she rarely said anything at all! If work did not get finished on time, she would just blame her team, and totally disassociate herself from them. Time and again, Rohit found himself thinking of Sureshm his old boss, and of how he had been such a positive influence. Aparan, on the other hand, even without actively doing anything, had managed to significantly lower his motivation levels. Rohit gradually began to lose interest in his work – it had become too mechanical for his taste. He didn’t really need to think; his boss had all the answers.  He was learning nothing new, and he felt his career was going nowhere. As he became more and more discouraged, his performance suffered. From being someone with immense promise and potential Rohit was now in danger of becoming just another mediocre techie. Questions for Discussion 1.  What, according to you, were the reasons for Rohit’s  disillusionment? Answer the question using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. 2.  What should Rohit do to resolve his situation? What can a team leader do to ensure high levels of motivation among his/her team members?

Dakota Territory and Tool Box Enhancing

The only thing that's holding them back is the right group Of people. â€Å"Okay. So w?al need a scientist or two in case conditions are too harsh, too hot, or too dangerous. We need a strong body builder in case there really is life on Venus. We should bring some friends too so they can experience this incredible opportunity. And last but not least, the person who is willing to stay back, in case we†¦ -Dakota gulped. Never come back†¦ They will come looking for us. Dakota says sternly and seriously.Duke brings back his pro wrestler friend, Jack, who is willing to tag along. Dakota calls her old science teacher, Mr.. Seemlier and explains everything. He brings two more scientists because of how ecstatic they are to do this. Jake, Kelly and Viper are down to go as well. â€Å"Now are you guys still on board? Says duke. The whole gang simultaneously says yes and nods their heads. â€Å"Now. We need supplies. Jack, you get the cameras, video tapes, audio recorders, everythi ng. † † Mr.. Seemlier, you and your scientists will get the dried astronaut food.Two weeks' worth. † â€Å"Jake, Kelly, Viper. You guys will need to bring gallons of water, first aid supplies, and anything else you may need. † â€Å"Duke and I will handle the pillows, blankets and clothes. We will also make sure our space craft is ready for takeoff. † â€Å"Wait! Who's guan be the person to stay back in case something happens? † says Duke. â€Å"Crap I forgot! Molly will! Know she will. I'll call her. † Dakota repels. â€Å"So we all meet here. Tomorrow. With all supplies. No later than sunset.We don't want it to be too hot. † 1 . The words highlighted in blue are the sentences that use the repetition of words. The words highlighted in yellow are the short phrases separated by commas. The words highlighted in purple are the short sentences to provoke a fast paced tone. 2. Used dialogue to show that they like each other a lot and t o show how serious they were about this conspiracy. I feel I choose appropriate words for the situation such as â€Å"l was born ready. † And â€Å"Now are you guys still on board? †

Science Report on Spinosaurs

DATE: January 24, 2013 NAME: Carl Kallies SCIENCE REPORT: Dinosaurs – Spinosaurus The Spinosaurus is my favorite of all the dinosaurs. It was made famous in the movie Jurassic Park 3, one of my favorite movies. Scientists estimate Spinosaurus to be 40 to 56 feet or 12 to 17 meters from head to tail. Spinosaurus’ body looks a lot like that of T-Rex, but there are a couple of obvious differences. Of course, T-Rex didn’t carry that large sail-like fins made of 6-foot spines.And the front arms of the Spinosaurus are heavier and longer than T-Rex’s arms. Some scientists think this means that Spinosaurus used them for walking, while others say these strong front arms could really get a grip on dinner. The head of Spinosaurus was longer, more narrow, and not as heavily built as that of T-Rex. Whoever named this beast wasn’t having the most creative day. Spinosaurus means â€Å"spiny lizard. † There were large spines extending from the vertebrae alon g its back.And when I say large, I mean they could grow up to 6 feet long! Most researchers believe that the spines were covered with a membrane of skin that filled in the spaces between the spines, sort of the way webbing fills in the spaces between the â€Å"toes† of a duck This made a sail-like fin that could have helped control body heat. Some researchers think that the sail could have been extended or collapsed at least to some extent. Perhaps then the sail could be used to get some other dino’s attention.Spinosaurus was discovered in 1912 by a German paleontologist. Ernst Stromer found the first and most complete specimen in Egypt. Sadly, this specimen was destroyed during the bombing of Munich in WWII. No Spinosaurus since Stromer’s first find have been as complete. The long narrow snout of Spinosaurus contained jaws full of sharply pointed teeth. Unlike the steak knife serrations of T-rex teeth, Spinosaurus teeth were smooth and round.Because of the rese mblance to the bite of crocodiles, where the upper teeth of the Spinosaurus interlock with the lower teeth, scientists think Spinosaurus might have had a diet consisting primarily of fish. To add weight to the fish diet theory, acid etched Fish scales have been found in Spinosaurus stomachs. While their bodies are well-adapted for meat, their particular variety may have been of the swimming type. I think that the Spinosaurus is one of the best dinosaurs ever discovered.

T-test and Correlation Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

T-test and Correlation - Statistics Project Example This paper will analyze difference in the percentage usage of prepositions in writing between native and non native speaker of English in their texts. For this, 10 texts written by a native speaker of English and another 10 texts written by a non-native speaker of English (Arab writer) in the usage (percentage) of prepositions were collected (table 1). The research hypothesis is â€Å"Is there a difference in the use of prepositions in writing between native and non native speaker of English?† The null and alternate hypotheses are H0: µnative =  µnon-native H1: µnative ≠   µnon-native The selected level of significance, ÃŽ ± is 0.05. The test selected is two-tailed t-test for independent samples (Independent Samples Test) because alternate hypothesis involves not equal to sign (≠ ). The average percentage use of prepositions in writing for non-native speaker of English in their text is 38.50 (SD = 6.35). The average percentage use of prepositions in writing for native speaker of English in their text is 38.30 (SD = 4.64). From figure 1, it appears that there is no difference in the use of prepositions in writing between native and non-native speaker of English. The Levene’s test for equality of variance is not significant, F(1, 18) = 1.90, p = .19 (>.05). Therefore, equal variance can be assumed for t-test. The null hypothesis H0 is retained. Therefore, there is no difference in the use of prepositions in writing between native and non native speaker of English, t(18) = 0.08, p = .94 (>.05). Both data set (data set 1 and data set 2) shows no correlation, r(8) = .06, p = .87 (>.05). In conclusion, data suggest that there is no difference in the usage of prepositions in writing between native and non native speaker of English.

Synthesis of Educational Theory Domain Research Paper

Synthesis of Educational Theory Domain - Research Paper Example ivity existing in the private sector so as to develop the schools in America, enabling them produce quality graduates to propel the economy of the nation. This will also help the graduates adapt well to the constant changing technological environment. The 21st century labor force should not have to work with an educational system of the 20th century if the nation is to achieve economic prosperity. Although, transforming the education system to be in line with the changing environment, needs an elementary shift in the education system starting with pre-K up to the higher education level. Up to now, people have lacked the audacity and flexibility to implement the necessary changes in the education sector. People need to re-evaluate themselves, and ask themselves if this is the time to bring the necessary change that is going to transform the education sector for the benefit of the future generation. This is irrespective of the uneasiness people may feel now. To address these changes, the following are essential factors to consider (Bushaw & Lopez, 2012). Redesigning the way the school system is formulated is essential. This will enable students use less time in pursuing their dreams and at the same time be successful. The old system might not be easily altered or adopted in today’s high-tech environment, and the grading system (diplomas and grade level) seems to limit success. For instance, let’s visualize a system where students do not have to be categorized according to the level of grade reached but on the basis of their skills and knowledge levels. This system might be efficient in rewarding talent and hard work. However, implementation of such measures will necessitate the handling of very difficult questions. If football clubs can enroll stars directly from high school, why can not ICT corporations like IBM do the same? Also, it is necessary to identify the future implications of embracing technology in the education system. This seems not to be a

Evaluating My Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluating My Marriage - Essay Example Thus, it was both interesting and exciting to answer the self-test since it will help me understand what style do we have as a couple. The result yielded that we have a validating marriage style. Although, there also moments that we both adopt the conflict-avoiding mode ( especially my spouse) since his upbringing is used to a passive-submissive environment. My marriage like any other marriage has its own high and low points. At times, things can be so routine that one would not even notice a partner’s new haircut especially if both are preoccupied with busy careers. Sometimes, it is laced with excitement as special occasions are celebrated and simple acts of endearment are sent by one partner by calling and asking : how’s your day?†. These experiences makes me agree with Gottman when he argued that : funny recalling that I was the one who mostly start a fight especially when I become very jealous. I am jealous when he spends more time with his friends, his work or even with his parents. When this happens, my spouse and I sit down together and discuss the roots of my jealousy ( most are invalid, however). Nevertheless, the important thing about this sensitive issue is that our willingness as a couple to calmly sort out an issue that affects us. Aside from jealousy, there are also other important issues like money, sex, and values that my spouse and I should agree on. It must be remembered that two people in a marriage come from very different backgrounds that could really intensify a conflict, much like diversity in a working environment. The only difference is that one must not quit since marriage is a commitment. In order for that commitment to be maintained, we came up with a plan that would pave way for a more intense marital relationship. Some contents of these plan were lea rned from experience while others are from advice of fellow couples. 1. The first important thing to do is involve God in your relationship. Having the

Emotional Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Emotional Intelligence - Essay Example a conclusion through rational logic, rather than a highly driven emotional state that could lead towards a heightened sense of mental capacity that would be erratically charged. In the changing business climate, owners are faced with the task of initiating business practices that seek to maximize capabilities of staff to reaching the overall goals to be met by the corporation itself. Enabling stakeholders in the group process to work together in such a manner that they are able to perform the necessary tasks involved for proper management and production decisions. When it comes to such things, â€Å"As thinking human beings, we value our rationality and cognitive powers that set us apart from the animal kingdom. The neo-cortex, the center for rational thinking and decision-making, is the newer part of the brain that is highly developed in humans. The emotional parts of the brain are located in the more ancient, central parts of the brain called the limbic system, including the amygdala, the center active during anger,† Going on to say that, â€Å"All emotions are in essence impulses to act. The very root of the word is from the Latin verb to move. That emotions lead to actions is obvious from watching animals or children. Only in civilized adults do we expect actions to be divorced from emotional reactions. But even as highly intelligent and civilized adults, we can never disengage our emotional brain ¾ it is always there, sending emotional signals to act and react, even when there is no logic. Most people believe that emotions are caused by events. They are in fact caused by our interpretations of events, sometimes so fleeting and fast as to be beneath the level of consciousness. Our pre-conscious, split-second thoughts give rise to automatic emotional reactions. We then have a choice as to how we behave, what we say, and how we handle a situation. The appropriateness of our actions and the effectiveness of our communications make up our emotional intelligence. A