The Knight and the Prologue of the Canterbury Tales Essay Example for Free

The Knight and the Prologue of the Canterbury Tales Essay The Prologue in Chaucer’s CANTERBURY TALES is unique in the manner in which it introduces its unique cast of characters. Lines 43 to 80 are among the more interesting parts of the Prologue. Lines 43 – 44 The tale starts with the Knight and he was a worthy man Lines 45 – 46 From his earliest days he embodied chivalry Lines 47 – 48 He served his lord well in many wars. Lines 48 – 49 Much of the combat he saw was in the Crusades Lines 50 – 51 He fought a huge battle in Alexandria Lines 52 – 53 He fought in Latvia, Prussia and Russia Lines 54 – 55 His alliances were with powerful forces Lines 55 -56 He was a powerful and honored warrior and even fought in Grenada Lines 56 – 57 He fought in strange lands such as Algiers among others Lines 58 – 60 Not only were his successes on land, but also on the high seas Lines 61 -62 he fought fifteen battles in the Crusades Lines 63 – 64 He slew all who he faced Lines 65 -66 Allying with another nation to defeat the Turks Lines 67 -68 He amassed great fame, but he was not an egoist Lines 69 – 70 He was an honest man who always remained humble. Lines 71 – 72 He never said a foul word not acted without virtue Lines 72 -73 He was a great man, but not without personal problems Lines 74 – 75 he had a great team of horses, but was not happy and wore a frown. Lines 75 – 76 It was impossible for him to hide his feelings. Lines 77 – 78 Deciding he needed a vacation, he opted to tale a pilgrimage Lines 79 – 80 Taking his son with him, a lustful free spirit.

Nestle Company Analysis Marketing Essay

Nestle Company Analysis Marketing Essay Introduction The marketing communication these days have changed like never before with more emphasis on the non conventional media rather than just relying on the mass media. Companies are no longer looking at the mass media as their saviour to reach out to the masses and convince them; on the contrary many of them find these mass media advertising as intrusive and the messages carried through them does not create the impact as much as they want it to be. Integrated marketing communication is the order of the day with multiple mediums used by the companies ensuring that they reach out to the customers in a more effective and efficient manner. By having the messages communicated through various channels they make sure that these companies are able to create a complete brand experience. IMC tries to integrate various marketing communication channels such as PR, online and social media, mass media advertising etc into one singular entity conveying a compelling simple theme that can get the customer s for the company. The main factor that these companies have to make sure is that they convey a unified message in all the mediums. There are several examples where companies in an attempt to woo the customers tried to pass on conflicting messages thus driving the customers away from them. Synergy between various mediums and the compatibility of the messages in all the mediums thus plays a very important role in this case (Fall C, 2002). NESTLE In UK In a recent media statement, the Swiss food giant Nestle said that they are well placed to cope up with the changing demographics and cost pressures and they are all set to rule the UK market. This statement came in view of the rise in the input prices by almost 10 % which has made other major corporations found wanting. Nestle still believes that they can be a market leader in confectionaries after the huge success of their brand Kit Kat which was well established. But the company has been under severe pressure to streamline its processes due to the fact that there has been an increase in the price of raw materials and that too the customer base in UK is more or less saturating leaving no room for further expansion. Major supplier of cocoa, Ivory Coast going through a rough political phase has been the reason for worry in UK confectionary industry. This leads to changes in prices even though Nestle claims that the pricing wont vary much and would be decided upon based on various segments that they are catering to (Ellwood, I. 2002). All these factors lead to the importance of having a loyal customer base and increased frequency of use by the existing customer base. In order to reach to your customer and get a share of their mind, especially in the FMCG segment it is essential that you have to reinforce the message again and again so as to get a top of the mind recall. In this age when one is bombarded with thousands of advertisements every day, unless and until you try out something different the customers are not really going to pay attention to you. One way to overcome this problem is using an integrated marketing communication approach, wherein the messages are passed on to the customers by means of various channels and thus reinforcing the message. By using various media options that are seen as non intrusive you are actually talking to the customers in a more conducive environment and hence they are more likely to listen to you (Davies, M. 1998). When y ou run a campaign it is essential to monitor the campaign and then guide it at each and every stage so that the money that is spent on advertising is not wasted. This is also possible by the use of various media options like Social and interactive media where the customers essentially form a part of the campaign thus giving them a feeling that they have an involvement in the whole process and thus they feel like owning the product. Integrated Marketing Campaign by NESTLE Nestle has been using Integrated marketing campaigns to good effect in almost all the countries they are into. They have been using non conventional media options to good effect so as to maintain the brand image that they have developed at the same time ensure a top of the mind recall in the minds of the customers. They have been into event marketing which is a very effective mode of communicating with your customers, as they are in a framework of mind to listen to you. C:UsersSharonDesktopAIM-path-to-purchase-generic.jpg For example their recent family days campaign as a part of the Minor league basketball sponsorship. They are using all the available media options for this purpose and have made an interactive website which has already attracted many hits in the initial days of the campaign itself. Thus by making the product a part of the events the company is trying to make it an essential part in the lives of those who love baseball and the customers start associating themselves with the brand more. This gives them immense opportunities to piggy-back on those events and thus creates a hype and excitement around the brand (Brassington, F and Pettitt, S, 2000). They can even analyse the current brand health and these events gives you the best platform to relaunch or reinforce the position in the market. By linking a campaign to loyalty and frequency programs the company can actually get more of repeat purchases thus ensuring that they are getting most out of a profitable customer by maintaining a lon g term relationship with them. Let us now look at various media options that are available, the pros and cons of them with respect to Nestle and then analyse whether they should go ahead with such an option or not. Mass Media Nestle being in FMCG category it is essential for them to advertise and remain in the minds of the customers and hence they have to use mass media. This is the cheapest option in terms of the cost per customer is concerned but the main worrying factor is that most of the developed nations have already admitted the famous death of mass media marketing as there are so many messages bombarded to the customers and they started ignoring the messages or is selectively paying attention to these channels. Another main factor that repels customer attention towards these channels are that the messages which are communicated are not distinctive or refreshing. For example when two companies Nestle and Cadbury comes up with a TV commercial about similar products, the customers dont find any major difference between the two and hence they tend to ignore both and the purchase is often impulsive. By Have a break Have a Kit Kat campaign the company tried to project the chocolate as a thing that can b e used whenever there is a break. The marketing teams often fall into this trap, they cannot survive the competition without getting a share of mind and voice which is possible only with mass media channels, but they themselves know that the message that they communicate is not targeted at the population that they are selling to or the majority does not care to buy the product. But in an FMCG industry in order to ensure parity with others in the market, companies are forced to make media expenditure on the product. The company thus have to ensure that they get the right TV spots whenever they are advertising rather than just extravagantly spending on Television advertising. In case of print media the life of ad is even longer and one can actually target the customers in a more effective manner. They can communicate their brand positioning in a more effective manner and the shelf value of such ads are much more than that of a radio or a TV commercial. Nestle has been not utilising this medium effectively, rather than just concentrating heavily on the TV commercials (Aaker, D and Joachimsthaler, E 2000). They should come out with effective Print ads in various national dailies and magazines that are meant for fun since their target group essentially reads these magazines and dailies. By means of print media, company can give more information to the customers and they can even invite them to be a part of various contests that they are planning in any campaign. Mobile Applications With widespread adoption of mobile phones, this is one of the important areas which can be effectively used by the Nestle. Most of the customers find mobile marketing as non intrusive and hence they welcome it if done in moderation. Again being an FMCG product Nestle have to combine this mobile marketing with any other sort of marketing such as event related or contests. They can give personalised information to individual customers on various product information and event sponsorships like that of Minor League Football Sponsorship. This medium is very effective because of the fact that the company can target its customers in a more effective manner. Unlike mass media which appeals to all sections of the population, in this case only the profitable customers can be targeted by effective use of CRM and database solutions. The messages are passed on to only those who have a good customer life time value according to the company statistics. This medium can also be used to lure those cus tomers who are likely to switch by offering them better deals and better variety of options. Given the tie up of Nestle with major retail stores in UK, it can be stated that they have good information about its customers preferences and they can utilise them to attract the customers into their fold. Online Media Marketers have realised the power of online media and almost every other company is trying hard to use the online media space to communicate their message to the customers. The customers on the other hand prefer this media much more than that of any other media channel because of the fact that this media channel gives them the option of a two way dialogue. Nestle can come up with initiatives to make customers a part of their marketing campaigns by means of suggestions and contests. Online media can be a double edged sword; it can create negative word of mouth which can affect the brand equity. No one realises it better than Nestle as they have already faced the brunt of Milk product campaign which gave them bad word of mouth and the news got spread all across the world in no time because of online media. There were several Boycott Nestle campaigns run across the world. So it has to be handled effectively. Online media also gives in-depth product information that the customers need. O ne of the main challenges that Nestle faces while addressing such an issue is that they have attract the customers to their website, which is difficult in case of an FMCG product. This can be done by having interactive sections, games and contests on the website which will draw the public towards these websites. The company can also go in for advertorials and expert comments which are taken with more credibility by the public. They develop a sense of trust in the brand when the products are endorsed by the domain experts and celebrities. Social networking is one major tool which is being increasingly used by many companies. People who are their target segment are internet savvy and spend most of their time in social networking sites like facebook. The company can promote their products through these sites and get a customer feedback directly from them (Assael, H. 1992). By placing the product promotions within various games and other applications that can help them in making the brand memorable in the minds of the people. One of the important factors why marketers prefer this media option is that they get a direct feedback over a specific marketing campaign that they run and hence they are able to mould it accordingly based on the needs and requirements of the company. Moreover internet offe rs them immense opportunities to promote the product at a very less cost and thus direct the expenses in a more effective manner. Out of the Home Advertising Out of the home advertising has moved on from the ages of static bill boards which occupied the advertising history for so long. Emergence of 3D sign-boards and likes has made the arena more compelling and attractive for the customer to take a note while he is on transit. There are several examples where companies engage in direct battles with the competitors through out of the home media (Baker, M. 2000). The industry is focusing more on OOH as it provides a cheaper substitute to the mass media at the same time helps them in making aware about the product. Nestle even though have been involved in a certain degree of Out of the home mode of advertising, they havent made any real breakthrough as afar as out of the home media is concerned (Booms, B.H. and Bitner, M.J. 1981). They heavily rely on 2D ordinary bill boards still. They have to move out of the conventional methods and try out something new like a 3D billboard. If the company has to target the rural segment then they have to effectively use it. Given the fact that the urban customer base are already on a saturation , Nestle has to concentrate more on its rural population and this can be done effectively with the help of Out of the home media channels. Direct and E-mail Marketing FMCG companies use less of direct and email marketing, as they have very little information as compared to that of many high involvement products. The company have not been using this media option that much. Nestle can still use direct mailers and e mails to its profitable customers. But still they wont have much of an option when they consider such an option. This can be used while they run any particular contests or to attract the customers to their websites. Nestle can use this mode of option to direct the traffic to the website and then promote the products through the website. Marketers can measure the response rate of the direct mailer campaigns and hence can monitor the same very easily. Many companies ignore this route but Nestle can make use of this mode so that it can complement other methods of marketing (David Sebastan, 1959). PROS CONS of IMC: Why it should be Used? One of the main advantages of using an IMC approach in case of an FMCG is that it helps in effective cross functional merging of various media channels rather than just depending on the mass media to deliver. With an integrated marketing approach communication with the customers improves and it ensures that customers voice is also heard and at the same time gives them a sense of involvement in the whole process. By profiling the customers based on demographics and psychographics, Nestle can actually target only those who are actually a part of the target group rather than just communicating with anyone and everyone who is not a part of companies target group (John Gullivan, 1998). By applying strategic segmentation of customers, the company would be clear with respect to the communication objectives that they are upto and they help them in simplifying the whole process as they get an idea about how much to spend on each channel based on the effectiveness of the medium. Integrated mar keting communications approach also makes sure that many offline and online mediums which have high potential but rarely used are also used in the process to ensure that the customers are attacked from all the sides and they essentially develop a sort of bonding with the customers (Hoyer, W.D. and MacInnis, D.J. 2001). With the advent of online and internet marketing numerous ways to woo the customers such as Search engine optimisation e marketing campaigns pay per click, blogs, RSS podcasts etc are used which have proved to be non intrusive and very effective in reaching the customers. One of the main advantages of such a campaign is that Nestle would be able to customise the marketing communications based on the time budget and resources of the customers. This helps in streamlining the available resources with the company in a efficient manner. Nestle being a large corporation has the financial muscle power to utilise various channels to reach out to the customer and thus create a visible difference in their current campaign. The main disadvantages of such a campaign are that there need to be simple message that needs to be communicated through various mediums. If the messages in various mediums are contrasting then it is never going to work in favour of the company. It also depends excessively on the database that the company have and the profiling that they do with the data. If not done in a proper manner then all the money that one spends on it is going to be wasted (Glynn Mangold, David J. Faulds, 1992). The benefits of such campaigns are that it helps the company is maximising the use of money that they spend on marketing communications and it has been seen in many examples that the net results out of such campaigns per dollar is much more than that of normal mass media communications. It helps in interacting with the customers at an individual basis which is more effective and when you have a simple compelling story to tell through various media channels it is going to be a success for sure.

Developing leadership after change in management

Developing leadership after change in management Explain in detail what you believe are the possible consequences of Sir Terry Learys Resignation from Tesco. Mr. Leahy stands out from other great CEOs in Europe because he has taken a business that was stalling and made it consistently outperform the entire sector. Hes done that while never being a celebrity. Hes always kept his feet on the ground.- George Cox, Former CEO and Chairman, Unisys Corporation (UK). The first thing you notice is that Terry has a completely different character to anyone else you know. That tells you that people who are successful dont have the same makeup as everybody else. In Terrys case, his approach is low key. He is sharp and much focused: he is very close to his people and he doesnt spread himself too thin. Above all else hes a very good leader.- Allen Leighton, Chairman of the Royal Mail Group. Introduction Background Sir Terry Leahy was born on the 28th of February 1956, in Liverpool. He grew up in the Belle Vale district in Liverpool where he studied at St. Edwards College and earned a management science degree (an Upper Second Class honours in Management Sciences) at the University of Manchesters Institute of Science and Technology in 1977. In his early life, Leahy briefly worked stacking shelves and washing floors in the London branch of Tesco during his school holidays, which could have played an important part in his decision to join Tesco after his graduation. Having lost to another candidate in his first application in Tesco, Leahy applied again and became a marketing executive in 1979. From the time when he joined Tesco, Leahy was identified as a capable and prospective employee who if developed could benefit the organisation. He was promoted 1981 as a marketing manager and from 1984 to 1986 held the position of marketing director for Tesco Stores Limited. He was later appointed as the commercial director of fresh foods in 1986; in 1992 Leahy was appointed to the board and finally became chief executive (CEO) in 1997 on the retirement of his mentor Lord MacLaurin (then CEO) who sought after appointing a successor to lead Tesco into the international market and increased its market share. Tesco was a follower of Marks Spencer and Sainsbury in terms of strategic market decisions but that changed when Leahy decided it is time to stop playing catch-up and start leading the UK grocery market through market knowledge and devising effective strategic plans. This change in focus led to the birth the Tesco Clubcard (loyalty program) and the Tesco Value lines both of which was a successful strategic plan and has been a key to the success of Tesco in the UK. During his era, Tesco has tightened its lead as the UKs largest retailer and has grown considerably locally and internationally with opening of stores in USA and China. In April 2005, Tesco announced a pre tax profit of  £2 billion with over  £37 billion in revenue. This proved that Tesco under his administration was too successful and growing too fast. Following his appointment to the Tesco board, Leahy has been awarded and recognised locally and internationally. In 2003, he was award Britains Business Leader of the Year and the Fortune European Businessman of the Year for 2004. In 2005, Management Today recognised him as Britains most admired business leader and was finally honoured with a Doctor of Science from Cranfield University on the 7th June 2007. Despite the fact that Tescos financial performance under Leahys administration had been exceptional, he was criticised on numerous counts, especially for the companys Human resource policies. The average wages paid by Tesco were among the lowest compared to others (Sainsbury and Marks Spencer) in the retailing industry in the UK. In addition, the wages were paid on an hourly basis and the time taken off for tea breaks was not included while calculating the total working hours. The company was also criticised for its radical policy on sick leaves, for examples, it refused sick pay to workers on their first three days absent from work. Regardless of the criticism, Tesco claimed that their worker were in support of such scheme because most were tired of covering for those who called sick. Furthermore, the company claims to have already seen a reduction in the amount of days taken off sick in the stores using the schemes, which were first introduced in Ireland. Another radical scheme is to offer more holiday allowance to workers but reduce it every time a worker takes a day off sick. Tesco believes that such scheme would discourage workers from taking more sick leaves, hence improve their performance and contribution to the company. However, many workers union association condemned these schemes, claiming that it does not motivate or improve employee morale. The company was also criticised for its planned movement into the organic food market. Many organic food watchdogs question whether the supermarkets policy of sourcing their organic products from large industrial-style farms, who are only attracted to organics because of higher profit margins rather than ethics, as well as importing from poor countries in Africa who can barely feed themselves such as Zimbabwe, is really true to the original social and environmental aims of the organic movement. Very few of Tescos organic products are locally sourced from local farmers. Tescos stance on competition in the UK retail industry is less favourable to its rivals; the company already has 32% of the retail market share and is gunning for more. Many of its competitors have complained that the company does not play fair but instead is aiming to totally get rid of them. The entry of Tesco into the pharmacy and health products markets has severely affected stores like boots and other pharmacy outlets with analyst claiming that some of these stores would have to close down due to fierce competition and jobs would be lost. The company was also accused of practising predatory pricing, many off-licence and small grocery shops claimed Tesco intentionally reduces some of its products below the production cost and increase others so as to lure more customers. Presently, Tesco has 2482 stores in the UK, approximately five times the number it had 13 years ago. This has led to complaints by small retailers about its impact on local shops and the creation of Tesco towns w here shoppers have little choice in deciding where to go shopping. Furthermore, there are also accusations that as the leading grocery company, it has too much power over the supply chain and influence prices by driving down prices for the likes of farmers. Effects After the exit of Sir Terry Leahy in March 2011 he will be only 55. Philip Clarke who currently is in-charge of Tescos international operations in Asia and Europe and oversees group information technology will be taking over. Shares, Market share and profits The first effect of Leahy exit was felt few weeks after he announced his resignation with Tescos shares falling 9.7p or 2.4% to 397.4p, its lowest close value since October. Many of Tescos investors have developed full believe in Leahy during his era and have trusted his strategic plans due to their successful outcomes. This I believe will change after he retires. There is now uncertainties on how Philip Clarke would perform or if he is the best man for the job. According to David McCarthy, an analyst of Evolution Securities, said: We are not surprised by Phils appointment or the restructure, but we are surprised Terry is going early, we had expected an announcement saying he would step down in 2013, not 2011. This confirms that the news of his early resignation from Tesco came to most as a shock and unexpectedly. He went further saying that: In losing Terry, Tesco is losing its best player and therefore the team is weakened. The competition will be happy. This I believe is true beca use his track record as Tescos CEO has been exceptional. For example, when Leahy took over from his mentor, Tescos UK market share was just 14.5% but 10 years later the company is well above its rivals (Asda, 16.8%) with 30.6% market share. If Tescos share prices continue to fall, some investors might be forced to sell off their shares which would not be favourable to the company. The possibility of this happening cannot be ruled out because since Leahy took over as CEO, many investors have invested in Tesco because they believe in his strategic plans which have been successful and now that he is leaving scepticism would arise if Philip Clarke is able to deliver as he did. After Leahys exit, Tesco financial performance would be affected in terms of revenue and profits. During his term, Leahy achieved revenue income of over  £30 billion and profits of over  £1 billion, which most believe was only possible due to his early strategic plans and continuous development. When he leaves, the realisation of such abnormal profits would take time to achieve. Hence, a more realistic revenue and profits target would be set which most believe would be far less than what Leahy achieved during his tenure. Sir Terry Leahy has done most of the job, as some market analyst would say; therefore, Philip Clarke should have an easy take ahead of him. However, this might be totally wrong because the management of Leahys success might be more difficult than him achieving his own. Every new chairman would always want to leave their mark or boast of their accomplishment and if care is not taken, focus might be lost. Philip Clarke is presently less popular and well known by Tescos investors, but given his already long career at Tesco and success in developing the international business, many market analysts consider his appointment as the new CEO to take-over from Leahy to be a good one. Furthermore, many analysts believe his strategic approach as the new CEO would be evolutionary but would not make any radical departures from the current organisational strategy executed by Leahy. Market analyst forecast that UK like-for-like sales growth is likely to remain downcast in the medium term due to low level of food price inflation rather than due to the leadership change. According to market analysts, Trading in international markets is expected to gradually improve as economic recovery slowly comes through. Long-term earnings growth prospects remain good, with international and Tesco Bank likely to be key drivers. Given our expectation that the group will deliver at least low double-digit growth in underlying earnings per share and dividends in each of the next three years, we consider the valuation attractive. The recommendation remains accumulate. (Guardian, 2010) In summary, regardless of the fall in share prices, no severe effect is expected when Leahy resigns as Tescos CEO. Organisational Culture According to Pettinger, 2007, the culture of an organisation is the basis for its management style, and individual and collective attitudes, values, behaviours and beliefs. It is therefore essential that the ways in which things are required to be done are clearly established, understood, and accepted by all concerned. During Leahys regime, he introduced a culture that focussed on raising standards and providing value to its customers. The change of such culture might be disastrous to the business operations of Tesco. Organisational culture could posses both strong and weak attributes on the organisation itself and these could determine its working relationships with employees or stakeholders, conditions and productivity. For instance, Strong culture is said to exist where staff respond to stimulus because of their alignment to organisational values. In such environments, strong cultures help firms operate like well-oiled machines, cruising along with outstanding execution and perhaps minor tweaking of existing procedures here and there. Conversely, there is weak culture where there is little alignment with organizational values and control must be exercised through extensive procedures and bureaucracy. Leahy emphasises the importance of vision, value and culture in his 10 business commandment. In his words, Visions, values and culture are critical to the success of Tesco. According to Leahy, Tescos vision is to create an environment where customers could benefit in order to earn their lifetime loyalty. This is the vision that gave birth to Tesco Clubcard which has proven to be an effective customer loyalty or retention scheme. The continuation of this vision by the future CEO is important and any attempt to quickly introduce a new one might have negative effects on the company. It is particularly important that culture is designed, shaped and reinforced by those in top and senior positions, Pettinger, 2007. In order to do this, standards of attitudes, values, behaviours and performance much be set by those in charge in an organisation and employees must be required to follow these standards. (Pettinger, 2007, p.342), went further to argue that, if organisation culture is allowed to emerge, the result is that people or employees think, believe, behave and act according to their own priorities and the process of their peers; and this leads to the tendency to pursue their own agenda. Evidently, according to Pettingers argument, Leahy resignation will trigger a change in the organisational culture of Tesco. The new CEO (Philip Clarke) might attempt to introduce his own working culture but it is vital that he understands the existing culture at first before any attempt to change it. This process might be costly and lead to waste of resources because he would prefer to bring in his own team or hire new one rather than working with the old players in the executive level. Also, those who are loyal to Sir Terry Leahy might end up resigning, seek employment elsewhere or go with him, which means that talent would be lost during and after his resignation. A major re-organisation at the top level will see half the board members change their responsibilities to reflect the companys increasingly international nature. However, some market analysts are worried that this will cause disruption further down the organisation which is not favourable to the whole change process. Organisational culture is a powerful and effective way of life that organisations adopt in order to run their business, however, according to Pettinger, 2007; culture should be changed and developed. The continuous changes in technology, markets and customers needs means that organisations must be prepared to develop new working culture to meet this. Some leaders or managers who were successful in one organisation might fail in another because of their organisational culture. Therefore, it is very important for new leaders to learn, change or accept an existing culture in the organisation. However, culture change can be long and costly, especially where people resist, Pettinger, 2007, p.359. In any case, it is vital that any culture an organisation adopts must create a strong and positive relationship with its employees because this encourages positive view of the organisation and its works. Leadership In the present business environment, the term leadership becomes increasingly important to the organisational development and success of organisations (Eisenbach et al. 1999). This is due to the uncertainty of the business environment of all industries which are globally connected. For this reason, many organisations now depend on the skills, knowledge and experiences of their leaders in order to be successful and competitive. The aptitudes of leadership and management are clearly the most important factors to consider when the organisations are experiencing market downfall (Graetz 2000). In such a situation, the skills and experience of the leader and management would be put to test in devising the best strategy that could be adopted to overcome the troubled times. Besides, where faith exists in the abilities and capabilities of leaders, employees or workers would have high expectations from the leaders and management. Employees will expect to see an effective and reasonable strategy, as well as good communication skills from the leaders during the critical period of the organisation.   According to Adair, 2004, a leader must demonstrate certain attributes in order to effectively exercise his or her leadership functions. These characteristics are: Group Influence a leader must be able to generate the willingness to achieve a desired goal or objective. Command a leader must be able to make quick and effective decisions whenever a situation demands it and must be able to stand by this decisions Coolness a leader must always remain composed under criticism. Judgment a leader must possess the ability to utilise available resources and information in a logical and reasonable way to produce effective results. Responsibility a leader must exhibit continued effort combined with a degree of reliability in order to complete a task or achieve an objective (Kermally 2005).   Even though leadership trait theories are popular, it is viewed by many academics as a very one-dimensional hypothesis. Some academics argue that theories attribute the success of leadership solely to his or her personality and physical traits or characteristics without regard to the situational context. Hence, the trait approach is considered too simplistic as a justification of the complex leadership phenomenon. During Leahys era, he has exhibited the above attributes and proven to be a true leader. His resignation would mean that his successor must also be able to portray such attributes which some think would bring about unnecessary pressure. In addition, some analyst argue that for Philip Clarke to be successful, he has to prove Leahy is second best and he can do a better job which most believe is a tough job to do. Leahy exit signifies a leadership change and organisational re-structure, his 13 years tenure as CEO would have created a rigid leadership style which most is used to hence might be difficult for existing team to adapt to the new CEOs (Philip Clarke) leadership style. Tesco is considered as the most successful retail business in the United Kingdom with a market share of over 30%. The success of Tesco was fast-tracked by the appointment of Terry Leahy as the companys Chief Executive Officer. Leahy is considered by many as a visionary leader who led the company into a series of organisational changes that aimed for the company to become more customer-focused and to develop the companys workforce. Leahy believes that the success of a leader depends upon maintaining a happy workforce and earning the support of the workforce. According to him, there are four things that a leader must be able provide his workers and followers in order to satisfy and motivate them. These are: A job that is interesting to do A chance to get on in life To be treated with respect A boss who helps and cares After Leahys exit, his successors principles might be contrary to his, hence a clear organisational vision would not be sent out to the entire Tesco workforce. The fear of the Unknown might de-motivate Tescos employees and make them less engaged, although, few of these employees are aware of how the new CEOs leadership style might affect them. Impacts of Leadership Styles on the Organization According to Rosen (1989), leadership style refers to the trait pattern exhibited by a leader on the process of decision-making and exercising authority. There are different types of leadership styles, for example, there are autocratic and participative leaderships. Under an autocratic leadership style, the group or organisation is managed under an authoritarian leader who leads by force or with fear. A participative leader in contrast, possesses the same power as the autocratic one; however, he chooses to exercise his power differently during the decision, policy-making and work-role assignment. He is more diplomatic and engaging when making decisions. Leahy adapted a participative style of leadership in which the employees are given voice in the decision-making process. The CEO also gives emphasis on the importance of appointing many leaders to handle organisational process. The organisational structure therefore became more flat where the roles and responsibilities of everyone are clearly stated. Leahy delegates leadership roles to individuals in the organization in order to ensure that the company, with more than 300,000 employees, operates effectively. The leadership style that is manifested by Terry Leahy and is imitated by the leaders in the company has changed the structure of the company. The company has adapted an organic form of organization. An organic system is characterized by low to moderate use of formal rules and regulations, decentralized and shared decision making, broadly defined job responsibilities, and a flexible authority structure with fewer levels in the hierarchy. An organic structure is more appropriate t o those organizations where there is a need to be innovative. The pressure of innovation suggests a structure that can respond to environmental variations rapidly so it is necessarily loosely defined and flexible. The organization tends not to be formalized nor are roles too closely structured (Salaman 2001, p.106). Organic organizations are stratified primarily in terms of expertise, and leadership accrues to those who are the best informed and capable. There is much more commitment to the organization, with the result that formal and informal systems become indistinguishable. A framework of values and beliefs, much like those characterizing a profession, develops that becomes an effective substitute for formal hierarchy (Miner 2002, p. 449). The company has adapted a simpler and flatter organizational structure. Recommendations In order to remain successful in todays highly competitive business environment, many organizations are coming up with strategies to tap the full potential of their human resources. A companys people can be a source of competitive advantage. This is philosophy behind employee empowerment and participative management. Employees are now seen as partners. Because of this, organizations are giving more power and responsibilities to their people. Employee empowerment and participative management will increase productivity, give rise to better decisions, improve employee morale and job satisfaction, elicit greater commitment among employees, encourage flexibility, make employees adapt to changes faster, improve communication and increase employee trust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the current requirements of leadership in Tesco is the development of participative management skills in leaders. The leaders at Tesco need to possess the necessary skills in order for them to practice participative leadership properly. The skills that the leaders must possess are: 1. Interest and concern 2. Communication 3. Conflict resolution 4. Negotiation 5. Compromise 6. Synergy 7. Flexibility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Participative leadership is a leadership style which involves members of a group, sub-unit or organization identifying essential goals and developing procedures or strategies to reach those goals. Implementing participative management will also help the company to develop people in the organization to become leaders. Through participative management, people in the organization are encouraged to take part in decision-making, express their ideas and to showcase their talents and skills. The discovery of hidden talents and skills will not only help the group, sub-unit or organization reach their goals it will also alert the organization to people within the organization who have the potential to become leaders. Future Requirements   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One famous contemporary writer on leadership is Warren Bennis (1994). He believes that a leader must have a direction, he must earn the trust of his followers, he must kindle hope and optimism, and he must be results-driven. On the other hand, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner (1987) believes that a leader must   seek to challenge and improve the process, inspire a share vision, enable other to act, act as s role-model, and encourage the heart of the followers. The future leader must not only focus of achieving the task. He must also learn to develop his people. He needs to learn the value of motivation. The future leader must know how to motivate using monetary rewards and he must also use psychological and emotional rewards to motivate his people. The future leader must find the balance between task-orientation and relationship-orientation. On the one hand, he needs to lead his people in achieving their shared goals and objectives an d on the other hand, he must be able to build strong relationships with the people around him. The importance of emotions must also be recognized.   Proposals for the Development of Leadership 1. On-the-Job Learning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company must recognize that the primary place for leaders to learn is on the job and on the line. In order to the company to help leaders learn within the organization, educational facilities must be established inside the organization. The company needs to appoint educators that will educate and develop leaders in various countries and places where Tesco is operating. The organization must institute a Corporate Education department that will be under the HRM department. Within the Corporate Education, a Business Leadership Development (BLD) must be established. This group will focus on executive development and overall leadership development, and it will also be responsible for all training specific to leadership. Business Leadership Development should be used to come up with systematic ways to build the capabilities of Tescos business leaders. The emphasis of the BLD process must be to provide development opportunities at key transit ion points in individuals careers. To accomplish this goal, a curriculum must be designed and must be operate under the following principles: Based on real problems and strategic initiatives Linked to business objectives and company values Segmented by customer needs Sponsored by CEO and senior executives Comprised of global content and delivered worldwide Based on validated competencies for success 2. Leader Sponsorship   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another strategy to effectively develop leaders is through sponsorship. Through sponsorship, senior executives in Tesco will sponsor and will actively participate in leadership development. Example of leader sponsorship activities are involvement of senior executives in management conferences and facilitating dialogue sessions after a leadership development program. Senior executives can also facilitate panel discussions. Through sponsorship, Tescos successful leaders will be able to share and to instil the characteristics, skills and attributes of effective leaders to the future generation of leaders. 3. Leadership Development and Review   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to identify, evaluate, and develop future leaders, Tesco needs to come up with a list of competencies that is needed to become an effective Tesco leader. These competencies can be used as criteria in leadership development. These criteria will also be helpful in providing content for the leadership and management assessment processes, through activities like self-assessment, multi-score feedback, and assessment simulations. They will help identify and qualify external executive development resources. 4. Corporate Universities   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important for Tesco to realize that their most important assets are human capital and the know-how that reside in the minds of the employees. With this realization, the company needs to establish a corporate university. A corporate university links employee learning to overall company strategy, and as a result a corporate university will become a connective tissue for the organization. 5. Developing Emotional Intelligence among Leaders   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One important development area which must be focused on is emotional intelligence. Future successful leaders need to recognize and learn to influence the emotions of the people around them. An effective leader must have a high level of Emotional Intelligence. Dubrin et al (2006) identifies five factors of emotional intelligence. These are: 1. Self-awareness the leader of the future must be able to understand his or her emotions and how these affect other people. 2. Self-regulation the leader of the future must be able control his emotions and react with appropriate emotion in every given situation. 3. Motivation money or status is not the only motivating factor for a successful leader in the future. He finds fulfilment and satisfaction in performing his tasks. 4. Empathy the leader of the future responds to the unspoken feelings of others. 5. Social skills having effective social skills is important. The leader of the future must build relationships and networks of support. He must build positive relationships with the people around him or her. In summary organisations should consider adopting leadership styles that best fit their aim and objectives, and organisational culture. No best leadership style can be easily devised; hence what works best in one organisation might be disastrous in another. Management Role Beardwell and Claydon (2007) argued that the roles of management include the following: Planning: The managers have to set objectives and target, make predictions and in general make plans. It is important for managers to set objective and what they expect in order to know what sort of outcome they are looking to get from employees and what they have to do to achieve such objectives. Organising: The managers have to decide what activities employee department or workers should undertake and organise their activities. This can involve delegating authority, co-ordinating the work of others, and establishing communication channels and authority (Beardwell Claydon, 2007). Leading: Managers must ensure they provide the required leadership and guidance for their employees by setting good examples (Using themselves as the examples). Controlling: It is essential for the managers to control employee activities. This can be done by comparing daily or weekly employee performance with the planned or expected outcomes. Motivating: Motivation is an important factor managers could employ in order to increase employee performance, morale and influence them to put their best effort toward work.

Iagos Character Exposed Through Language and Diction in Othello Essay

Iago's Character Exposed Through Language and Diction in Othello Everyone at some point in their lives attempts to convince someone to behave certain ways and to do specific things that ultimately will only benefit the person doing the convincing. Throughout the entire book, Othello, Iago attempts to convince numerous people in order to in the end only benefit and help himself. In this scene, Roderigo is explaining to Iago how he no longer wants to love because he is without Desdemona’s love. Iago then focuses on convincing Roderigo not only out of suicide, but also into getting Desdemona back. If Iago was unable to encourage Roderigo to go back after Desdemona, his plans would have been ruined. In lines 296-395, Iago uses many different uses of language in order to convince Roderigo to do what he wants him to do. One of the ways that Iago appeals to Roderigo through language is with the use of flattery. It is very apparent even from the beginning that Iago is trying to flatter Roderigo. A strong example of this flattery is seen in line 297, â€Å"What say’st thou, noble heart....

The Scarlet Letter 10 :: essays research papers

'Among many morals which press upon us from the poor minister's miserable experience, we put only this into a sentence: Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!';(Ch.24: 236) Hawthorne expresses the purpose of writing this novel in that short sentence. He creates characters who have sin and disguise these sins for their own salvation. Slowly these sins evolve the characters, it strengthens Hester, humanizes Dimmesdale, and turns Chillingworth into a demon. The story is Hawthorne's depiction of the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of humanity during the Puritan society through the characters Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Hester's sin is that her passion and love were of more importance to her than the Puritan moral code, but she learns the error of her ways and slowly regains the adoration of the community. For instance, 'What we did had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said so to each other! Hast thou forgotten it?';(Ch.17: 179). Hester fully acknowledges her guilt and displays it with pride to the world. This was obvious by the way she displays the scarlet letter with elaborate designs showing that she is proud. Furthermore, she does not want to live a life of lies anymore when she states 'forgive me! In all things else, I have striven to be true! Truth was the one virtue which I might have held fast, and did hold fast, through all extremity save when thy good--the life--they fame--were put in question! Then I consented a deception. But a lie is never good, even though death threaten the other side!';(Ch.17: 177). Hester learns from her sin, and grows strong, a direct result from her pu nishment. The scarlet letter 'A' was as if a blessing to Hester changing her into an honest person with good virtues. Fittingly, she chooses to stay in Boston with Pearl although Hawthorne admits, ';…that this woman should still call that place her home, where, and where only, she must needs be the type of shame';(Ch.5: 73). She is trying to stay and face her consequences instead of running in the other direction. Most people would leave a town where they are looked upon as trash the scum of society. Finally, the colonists come to think of the scarlet letter as '…the cross on a nun's bosom';(Ch.

City of Glass Essay

At the close of the world’s first international conflict, society grappled for understanding in a world that no longer made sense. This desire for order and reason, led to the development of the detective fiction genre and the transformation of â€Å"dime novels† into true literary works. Paul Auster takes the conventional elements of the mystery genre, and inverts them completely in his post-modern novel, City of Glass. In this way, Auster uses his work to satirize the conventions of the past and draw attention to the ever-increasing chaos of the modern day. Daniel Quinn, is simply a hermit in a vibrant city, trying to erase all aspects of his previous life. He writes mystery novels for the same reason they were written in the 20’s, because they represent a figment of order that is lacking in the world. Especially in a world that takes the life a young boy who hasn’t seen much. Quinn’s desire to separate himself from who he was before he lost his family, leads him to adopt fragments of his character Max Work into his own personality. The detective is one who looks, who listens, who moves through the morass of objects and evens in search of the thought, the idea that will pull all these things together and make sense of them. In effect, the writer and the detective are interchangeable† (8). This connection to the fictional world he created, entraps Quinn in the world of the private investigator, as if he willed himself onto the ontological level Work inhabits. His inability to separate his personal life from his â€Å"Work† fostered the parasite that sucked the very life out of Quinn, forcing him to find host in a new identity. The traditional private eye embodied in Work is the hard-boiled â€Å"tough guy† who has all the keys to solving our problems. Leaving Quinn to be the ultimate puzzle that needs solving. By distorting the traditional convention of the problem solver and turning him into the problem, Auster begins to suggest that nothing in this world is actually certain or concrete. And that identity is really just a figment of imagination, and the more your indulge your mind, the more your body begins to give way until, â€Å" the more Quinn seemed to vanish, the more persistent Work’s presence in that world became† (9). The mystery novel represents a world where the truth always conquers, Quinn’s attachment to this genre stems from his loss, and the more he re-focalizes his life, the less he has to deal with the reality of grief. Auster depicts mystery this way because it demonstrates the grand delusion of the human race, the belief that there is reason in this world. Quinn as a detective does not represent order as many of his predecessors did, instead he embodies the chaos that is this world, and the lack of understanding that heightens with every new discovery and every interaction. By inverting the traditional private eye, Auster successfully shows the plight of man, the struggle to piece together the puzzle that creates ones identity. Quinn is not a detective trying to finding meaning in the Stillman case, rather he is searching for understanding in his own life, a search that has no answers and leads no where, but to insanity. Legendary crime writer, Richard Knox, established a set of parameters for the detective genre, stating that such a novel â€Å"must have as its main interest the unraveling of a mystery; a mystery whose elements are clearly presented to the reader at an early stage in the proceedings, and whose nature is such as to arouse curiosity, a curiosity which is gratified at the end. † In every way, City of Glass contradicts this statement, and yet it is still considered to be a mystery fiction, which begs the question: what are the post-modern parameters for this genre? City of Glass is a novel that opens with a mystery; however, the more that is discovered and uncovered, the more the endpoint is obscured, until the conclusion is even more perplexing than any other part of the story. Auster uses uncertainty and chance to disrupt the conventional ways of detective fiction. When Quinn is caught between the two potential Stillman’s in station, there was no way to know for certain which one was the right one, and it is not until late in the story that the question is answered, but by that time, its not even a question. Quinn had accepted what he saw and did as fact, which goes against the key detail he expresses in a detective story. â€Å"In a good mystery there is nothing wasted, no sentence, no word that is not significant† (9). This type of detail-orientated thinking is the first thing that goes in Auster’s novel. Although every sentence may hold the key to the mystery, Quinn and the reader begin to overlook these minor details, accepting that nothing in life is ever certain, and that the traditional fluidity of this genre no longer holds stock in this story. Auster is constantly using his own plot twists and minor details to prove that in the end, nothing exists but chance. Auster purposefully leaves pieces of the story open, to contradict Knox’s definition of mystery. The lack of conclusion with regards to how the Stillman’s got Quinn’s number, what happened to Peter and Virginia, the connection to Auster (character and author), and the narrator’s role in the whole novel, is unsatisfactory and rather uncharacteristic of a mystery. There were moments when the text was difficult to decipher, but I have done my best with it and have refrained from any interpretation. The red notebook, of course, is only half the story, as any sensitive reader will understand† (158). We never get the other half of the story though, which leaves the possibility that Quinn/Wilson/Work/Auster/Dark is just a crazy man who loses himself in a quest to find rational explaination, but for the sake for faith in the narrative, its better to believe that the story is not just some random man’s mumblings. However taking into account Quinn’s role in the novel, and the role his notebook plays, the inability to separate the informational source from this deluded main character unravels the reliability that should be present in a crime fiction. Auster’s intentions were to challenge convention, to prove that no world is as open and shut as a Phillip Marlowe case, to prove that in reality, life is a series of chance happenings that shape identity and action, down to the very last word. Auster’s depictions of the neo-detective fiction are all in an attempt to change the perception of the need for a restoring order. He uses a character that contradicts the traditional private eye, to demonstrate how the search for understanding is one that leads to insanity. The human world is naturally in state of entropy and Auster’s novel uses the conventions of mystery writing to satirize the search for greater reason.

Ayala Museum

Little did we know, when we were sent on a field trip to the Loyal Museum, what we would see there. All that we were told was that It was an â€Å"educational field trip† and something to do with Flanagan. Net's advocacy of anything and everything Filipino. So, we were really in for a treat when we set foot on the fourth floor of the museum and a short film started to play the moment we stepped inside the sliding doors. â€Å"Gold of Ancestors: Crossroads of Civilization†, it began, and went on to show some gold artifacts that had been found on archaeological digs all over the country.We were mesmerism's from the very first one. Then, Just beyond the small chamber where we were viewing the film, we caught sight of the display cases containing the very artifacts that were now flashing on the screen. After that, we could hardly Walt to go and see them up close We saw golden bangles, rings, and necklaces, earrings, tiaras and studs, belts, bowls, cups and hilts of weapons. I was fascinated when I saw the burial masks, with stylized features engraved In the gold. I thought: forget ancient Egypt, It turns out the Philippines has its own!Aside from the burial masks, there were also â€Å"orifice coverings†, shaped like the eyes, the nose and the mouth. I guess If the dead couldn't afford a whole mask, they could just go for the important parts! Whew! Move over, King -rut! Aside from the burial masks, I was also fascinated with the Kina, a small vessel shaped like a mythical woman-bird, who appeared to be holding some kind of Jug. Her eyes looked serenely out at the people who had come to see her. There was also the bluntly, an anthropomorphic plaque depleting the head of a lady with what seemed like an elaborate hairdo or headdress.I also drooled over a cuff or wrist ornament, as wide as a sleeve and intricately worked, so that the gold mesh was like lace. The information on it said it weighed 204 grams. Heavy! There were also earrings so big and so heavy that we all wondered how the owner could possibly have worn It without getting his or her ears torn. My personal favorite, however, was a beautiful belt (l know someone's snickering while reading TLS! ). Catalog No. 81. 5175, weighing 575. 1 g, measuring 68. Xx CM. Circa 10th 13th century.It was made of fine mesh, with a zigzag design running along its length, and two golden plaques ornamented with granules of gold painstakingly arranged into stylized designs. Oh, I could have stood there and stared at it forever! Then, there was the piece De resistance: the UAPITA or Sacred Thread, weighing almost 4 kilos (yeah- peeve! ), strikingly similar to one depicted In the 16th century Boxer Codex, said to be the earliest description of the people of the Philippines In a Western language. Copy of which can be found in the exhibit. The UAPITA was supposed to be draped around the neck then attached to the wrist. Wow, the person who wore that must've been pretty strong! What was strik ing about these artifacts was that they seemed so Pinto to me. There were at least two necklaces or bracelets that were woven banging- Tyler: take four flat strips of gold and weave a fifth one back and forth across it, the reminded me of the legs of a modern armchair made of into because it had the same basket-weave technique.Some of the other items were decorated simply by poking holes in the gold to create a lacy pattern. The tiaras were created by cutting a sort of fringe in a strip of gold, then bending them back and forth to make a crown-like design. Seeing the exhibit made all of us walk a little taller and prouder. We had always read about the treasures of other lands, like Egypt and Troy; now we know that we have our own! Mayhap nag Philippians!