Bussiness plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bussiness plan - Essay Example Diamond B will receive start-up funding from a Colorado lending institution, namely a commercial bank, requesting a loan for $50,000 to cover start-up and miscellaneous expenses. The following represents the start-up needs for Diamond B: Diamond B will operate inside of lower-cost strip mall space, in a centralized location, with over 1,200 square feet of retail space. This was chosen to avoid the high start-up costs of building new constructions so that more money could be devoted to product variety. This will give Diamond B more flexibility by being in the strip mall and allow the company to expand without concern over the expenses of real estate agents. Diamond B can simply work on a contracted lease that allows for easy exit if the business ever decides to move or expand. On the start-up chart, frozen foods represent the different ice cream bars, sandwich cookies, and fresh frozen pizzas that will be available to customers. Refrigerated items include a variety of sodas, energy drinks, and other dairy products such as milk and cheese that customers of all varieties will require. Non-perishable foods include magazines, cigarette lighters, and other basic convenience products found commonly in this type of store model. Promotions are a high expense on the start-up list as it is necessary for Diamond B to set up a strong brand immediately after launch. The company will use the logo strongly in its promotional materials so that customers have awareness of Diamond B and can recognize it on sight. The Diamond logo will be trademarked for intellectual property reasons and for building a better competitive image. These materials include in-store displays, posters, direct mailing literature sent to random customer households, and other needed advertisements for pre- and post-launch of Diamond B. Computer systems on the start-up list include the different credit card machines that will be needed to perform basic transactions, along with inventory monitoring

Advantages of the balance scorecard system Essay Example for Free

Advantages of the balance scorecard system Essay As a non financial measure BSC has significant advantages over the financially focused performance based measurement systems. BSC makes it possible for organizations to develop long term strategies. Because the focus is not only on finances, companies can focus on the business elements the would allow them to create a sustained long term perspective, and therefore assure a longer term financial health. Short term financial yardsticks relies more on accounting, so it runs the risk of neglecting other important areas, such as customer satisfaction. The BSC sees emphasize on better quality and the advantage of  competitive edge provided by its inclusive measurement as equally important, because it is a better forecaster of future financial success. ( Ittner Larcker 2000). Short term forecasting does not consider such elements as new product development non does it encourage innovation. The other advantage is that BSC offers organization the opportunity to announce its objectives and its long term based incentives to the rest of the team. Also it recognizes the importance of intangible assets such human intellects as well as customer loyalty, it recognizes managerial abilities, and the benefits that can accrue  when employees share good relationship with each other. There is no doubt that a lot of organizations are paying attention to their intangible assets. (Ittner larcker 2000). The other important advantage is that it is becoming clearer that BSC could actually be do a better job of forecasting the financial future of an organization. ( Ittner larcker 2000). When companies make investment on customer satisfaction, it has been found to raise financial intake, as well as customer loyalty. This cannot be predicted by a system that focuses only on financial calculations. The BSC helps the organization to bring many corporate programs that are usually disjointed into a single manageable roof. Kaplan and Norton also pointed out that by merely participating in the process of BSC development organizations give themselves an advantage, because they gain a better understanding of the strategy they want to implement. It transforms strategy into performance measures or targets. It helps the company to focus on what it has to do in order to achieve its performance goal. Although the BSC aims to establish a long term strategic process, it is actually brief and  direct to the point because it uses the four perspective to cover essentially all its system. It helps the team to learn because the strategies are regularly discussed. Also BSC is not limited to corporate offices, Kaplan and Norton cited the example of Exxon Mobile, it extended its BSC to all its stations, and they reported significant rise in customer satisfaction. It is important to be able to transfer the strategy to local outlets. And BSC does that. ( Kaplan Norton 2002). As has been discussed on this discourse, there are some disadvantages associated with BSC. For one it is expensive to implement, and it can take a lot of time. Considering the fact that financial measurement only system is measured based on finances only, the BSC does not have a common denominator measurement, and it does not have causal links with the rest of the measuring strategies. The facts are that most companies now report that using financially based measurement system is no longer adequate to formulate their true long term strategy. Emphasis on earnings and accounting returns are no longer persuasive enough in providing the complete picture to organizations. (Ittner Larcker 2000).

The Devil Wears Prada Commerce Essay

The Devil Wears Prada Commerce Essay This reports investigates the management style, organisational culture, power and politics and employee support lessons of Runway. A conclusion is made in the fifth chapter. It is important to note that the movie is a caricature on organisational level. Quotes from the movie are referenced with the first name of the character. Many authors developed many models to analyse the above fields. In this report however, a very brief selection was made due to the limited word count. The sixth chapter reflects how this relates to Duo2, the organisation I worked in. The last chapter offers recommendations. Management style The management style in runway fits the most the contingency approach. Different theories also identify the behavioural leadership. Contingency approach Scott states the essence of contingency theory: the best way to organise depends on the nature of the environment to which the organisation relates (Scott 1998: 96). The fashion industry is very dependent on their environment, which is very fluctuating. This means that Runways best way in constantly changing as well, answering the trends in the industry. Miranda often does last-minute changes such as rescheduling meetings or changing promotions due to external factors. Team working stimulates the spread of new ideas, which are vital for change (Burns and Stalker 1966). Moreover, this change or innovation is vital for most companies, especially in the fashion industry. Runway uses teamwork in order to get new fresh ideas. Miranda lets her team make suggestions to develop a new outfit for Runway-cover. Lawrence and Lorsch (1968) state the importance of balancing differentiation and integration of those teams, enabling them to be best equipped to adapt to environmental changes. The balance in Runway tends more to be towards integration instead of differentiation, due to Mirandas tight control and the strong organisational culture (see next chapter). Taylor (scientific management) did already emphasize the importance of choosing the general type of management best suited to a particular case (Bizcovering 2009). Follet (human relations approach) formulated the law of the situation: the necessity of acting in accordance with the specific requirements of a given situation (Bizcovering 2009). As Andy develops and improves, Mirandas approach and attitude to her changes as well. The contingency approach is criticised because of its lack of theoretical foundation and being basically intuitive (Bizcovering 2009). Miranda has absolute power and controls whole Runway. This enables her to act in accordance with the specific requirements of a given situation. A more democratic approach would lack the flexibility needed to fully benefit the contingency approach. However, Mirandas decisions are indeed basically intuitive. Behavioural leadership The character of Miranda is autocratic. She uses direct control over her employees. It could be argued that creative jobs need more responsible autonomy. However, at Runway the direct control seems to work for most of the employees. On Tannebaum and Schmidts continuum, she scores highest on use of authority by the manager and lowest on area of freedom for subordinates. Andy literally sold her freedom to her. She does not have any private life anymore, illustrated by the loss of her friends and boyfriend. Tannebaum and Schmidt describe Mirandas behaviour as the manager decides and announces the decision. (Businessballs 2009). Purcell and Sisson (1983) identify her as a traditionalist, having little attention to the employee needs. Traditionalists oppose trade unions. For the size of a company such as Runway, it is however likely that there is trade union presence. The management style fits the business. The high autocratic behaviour exploits fully all opportunities the contingency approach offers. Moreover, it is one of the roots of the organisational culture, discussed in the next chapter. Organisational culture Runway has a strong organisational culture. This is because of the employees alignment to the organisational values. The best performing organisations are those with a strong culture (Deal and Kennedy 1999). Moreover, Peters and Waterman (1982) argue that excellent organisations have a strong cooperate culture. However, despite all the attributed excellence there is major risk in strong cultural organisation: groupthink. This name was given by Janis as a quick and easy way to refer to a mode of thinking that people engage when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in group, when members strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternatives of action. (Janis 1982: 9). This means that employees do not challenge the current organisational ideas, resulting in very poor innovation and low flexibility. Johnsons cultural web Johnsons et al (2002) cultural web consists out of six interrelated elements. Together they form the paradigm of the organisation. These six factors are described below. Stories Stories can be about people as well as events. On Andys first day, she hears from Emily that her precedents only lasted a few weeks. Moreover, Andy became a story herself because of her unfashionable taste in the beginning (Rebecca and Emily talking), and at the end because of her achievements (Emily talking to the new girl and Mirandas recommendation fax). One event clearly stands out as well: the fashion week in Paris. Paris is fabulous. Its the best thing that could ever happen to a person (Emily). Miranda confesses she lives towards this week during the whole year. These stories show how much Runway values the fashion week in Paris. Rituals and routines When Miranda arrives at Runway in the morning, the morning-routine can be clearly observed. Everything is prepared in a fashionable way before her arrival. When she arrives, people avoid her at any cost: a girl gets out of the lift for her and apologises, people in the corridor turn back the way they came from, etc. Dealing with Miranda requires some rituals. The most important one is to never ask her anything. When Andy goes to deliver the book to Mirandas house, Emily informs her about the strict book-ritual, described in appendix 1. Symbols Runway is fashion. This symbol can be found in the clothing style and even the eating habits of the staff, the design of the offices. Its product, the magazine, became a clear symbol in the fashion industry. Organizational structure The entire organisation is built around Miranda. Hierarchical structure at lower levels is not shown in the film. It is for example unclear how Nigel leads his department. Control systems There is no information about financial, quality or reward systems. Miranda exercises all control by making all employees fear her. This pushed the staff into certain rituals and routines, all in function to please Miranda. Power structures Miranda has all the real power. During the film this is obvious in the way she leads Runway. Even in the end, when they try to replace her, she has a list of people who will go with her if she goes. This proves her power. This topic will be further specified in the next chapter. In addition to Johnsons cultural web, an analysis according to Schein (1985), who argued culture could be analyzed at several different levels, is included in appendix 2. Handys four cultures Handy (1985) identifies the following four cultures. Trompenaars et al (2003) also distinguishes four corporate cultures, showing similarities with Handys model (appendix 3). Power culture Power cultures give complete power to a few who control everything. This allows them to make fast decisions and does not require much rules or bureaucracy. Miranda enjoys absolute power, which indeed enables here to make swift decisions. She makes the whole company run for her by constantly advancing deadlines. She is famous for being unpredictable because her position allows her to be unpredictable (Doug). Role culture A role culture has a highly defined structure, where everybody has its own role. These are usual hierarchical bureaucracies. At Runway, people do not seem to have a clearly defined role, especially Andy: she is Mirandas secretary, but also makes her childrens science-project, goes to pick up orders, buys food and drinks for Miranda and arranges the unpublished Harry Potter book for Mirandas children. Task culture In tasks cultures, employees work as teams to focus on a particular problem. Expertise is power. There is not much proof of teamwork at Runway, unless initiated by Miranda. Everybody does what Miranda wishes, despite their expertise. Person culture Person cultures all build on egalitarian individuals. Andy however does not have the same power as Miranda has. Whole Runway is just built on one individual: Miranda. Organisational power and politics French and Raven French and Raven (1959) argued that power is based on the following five categories: Coercive power This is the power of dictators such as Miranda. Though often identified as being physical, this is not the case here. The use of threats characterises coercive power. The fear of losing their job is the biggest threat for Runways employees. Employees only want to survive. Reward power As a single decision maker, Miranda can decide who gets promoted, or who joins her to celebrations. For example: the famous Paris week was taken away from Emily and given to Andy. However, employees are not rewarded for their compliance. Nigel explains Andy: Dont be surprised Miranda does not give you a kiss on the forehead and a golden star on your homework. Later on, he, one of the most loyal employees, did not receive a promised promotion because of Mirandas self-interest. Legitimate power Most people believe Miranda can make any demands, just because she is famous. As a leader of Runway she has legitimate power. However, this power is not only from her position: even when she would lose that position she has a group of people who would obey her. Referent power As being famous, Miranda enjoys a lot of referent power. A million girls would kill for that job [which Andy has] (Dough) or people are dying to work here (Nigel). Some employees perform beyond their capacity, because it is for Miranda. Emily for example comes to work when she is ill, telling herself I love my job, I love my job. Miranda uses her referent power as coercion. Maybe Emily did not come to work for Miranda (only) but out of fear of Miranda. Expert power In this category Miranda has a power base as well. Her expertise made her famous, which gave her referent power. Therefore she was given legitimate power as well. Miranda turned all powers into coercion, to have maximum control to do what she considers to be best for the magazine. Amitai Etzioni Etzioni (1968) discovered an association between the kind of power mix typically used by an organization and the modal involvement of its lower participant. Highly coercive mixes tend to be met with intensive negative involvement, normative mixes with intense positive involvement, and remunerative mixes with less intense positive or negative involvement, depending on the mix. (Etzioni 1968: 103). Coercive power Coercive power, typified by prisons, is discussed previously (3.1.1). Remunerative power Remunerative power, typical in factories, is discussed previously as well (3.1.4). Normative power Normative power relies on the power of symbols, typified by churches. The Runway magazine can be seen as a symbol of fashion. Nigel tells Andy the magazine represented hope for him when he was a little boy. Alientive involvement Alientive involvement describes Andys attitude, as an answer to Mirandas coercive power. She is pushed to do things against her will, such as helping on the science project of the twins. Calculative/pecuniary involvement Calculative involvement is based on extrinsic reward. This kind of involvement comes forth out of remunerative power. Emily is calculative involved because of the Paris week and all the clothes she would receive. Moral involvement Moral involvement is based on individual beliefs. At Runway, most employees are moral involved because they believe in Miranda for what she represents or symbolises, answering her normative power. Employee support lessons It is important to define the psychological contract first to understand what goes on in the workplace. It is defined as the expectations or perceptions of the two parties, employee and employer, of what their mutual obligations are towards each other. (Guest and Conway 2001). Andys and Mirandas expectations are different. The table in appendix 4 illustrates some of the differences. The psychological contract is based on employees sense of fairness and trust and their belief that the employer is honouring the deal between them. (CIPD 2008). Andy does not have this sense of fairness, she has feels as Mirandas slave, resulting in alientive involvement. However, this psychological contract does work for other employees, as they do not expect any fairness and believe that Miranda is doing what is best. Nigel plays a big role in Andys support lessons. Paternalistically he takes care of her appearance: giving her shoes, choosing clothes for her, taking her to the beauty department, etc. Emily tells her what she has to do practically: taking Mirandas coat, how to deliver the book to Miranda, not talking to Miranda, studying all guests names of the party, etc. Nigel and Emily helped Andy to fit into Runways organisational culture. Moreover, they explained the employers side of the psychological contract. There is a clear evolution in Andys behaviour and attitude, as she learns about Runways psychological contract. Being stressed out after Mirandas first demanding request, she is able to execute her later even more demanding tasks perfectly, as she learnt what Miranda expects. Not only did she find the unpublished Harry Potter script, she also knew that Miranda expected two copies, and made sure these copies were delivered to the twins before they went to their grandmother. In the end, even Miranda helps Andy understand that she expects the job to be more important than her personal life, because that is what it takes to do this job (Miranda). Andy evolutes into this kind of person, accepting Runways psychological contract. However, eventually she decides that she does not want to be like this, and quits her job. Conclusion Miranda is an autocratic dictator, using her own best practise way. This contingency approach gives her a lot of freedom. She is the base of Runways strong organisational culture. Johnsons et al (2002) cultural web and Scheins (1985) three levels describe this culture. Runway is typified by a power culture, giving Miranda maximum control and flexibility (Handy 1985). This power is based in all the categories identified by French and Raven (1959). Mirandas personal power sources (expert and referent power) gave her positional power sources (legitimate, reward and coercive power). She (ab)uses coercive power the most. Unlike Etzioni (1968) suggests, employees are mostly moral involved instead of alientive involved. Andy is the exception, not sharing the organisational beliefs in fashion, resulting in alientive involvement. The problem with the psychological contract is that it is unwritten, and thus difficult to find out (Guest and Conway 2001). Andy has the help from Nigel, Emily and even Miranda in understanding the psychological contract at Runways. As she becomes aware of Mirandas expectations, she adapts herself (and her expectations) to fulfil Mirandas. However, eventually she decides that her job does not come before her personal life. This difference in expectations makes her quit her job. Application to the organisation Duo2 Duo2 was a sustainable marketing and communication agency founded by me and five other students for two months, as part of our degree in marketing. A modern management style was used. Duo2 was a learning organisation (Garvin and Cizik 1991), acquiring knowledge to fulfil certain tasks. We developed a course book for entrepreneurship in the tourism industry, though none of us was familiar with tourism. Consequence: learning about tourism. Our CEO adapted a laissez-faire approach, giving us maximum freedom and responsible autonomy. We could chose our hours and place of work. Further it can be described as a manager who joins (Tannebaum and Schmidt cited in Businessballs 2009) as we made all decisions together. Purcell and Sisson (1983) identify this as sophisticated constitutionalists moderns. We had a very weak organisational culture, with no organisational- or power structure, no control systems and no rituals. Stories were limited to gossips about lectors. The only symbol was our logo (Johnson et al 2002). Our mission and vision captured our underlying values and beliefs (Schein 1985). We worked in teams focussing on different tasks (task culture) in an egalitarian and informal style (incubator culture) (Handy 1985 and Trompenaars et al 2003). Some people worked on the tourism course book, others focussed on other clients or other tasks such as creating the website, searching clients, etc. Power was based on expertise (French and Raven 1959). Somebody with superior writing skills was leading the writing team. Creative talents had authority over the website. Our involvement was calculative: we worked only hard enough to pass and for the money, which was equally divided. With no different positional power sources and equity there was a perfect psychological contract: We did not have different expectations for ourselves than for others. Though some had different levels perceptions of qualitative work, generally we all expected the same from each other. Appendix 5 compares the discussed topics of Runways with Duo2s Recommendations (if Duo2 would still exist) The management style, organisational culture and equity provided a lot of freedom in Duo2. To sustain this freedom, a lot of communication is needed (who works where on what?). Therefore I recommend the implication of a better communication system. Weekly office meetings at the same time would help. Especially a personal logbook/task plan available to everybody would be useful. This means that everybody can see who did, is doing, or going to do certain tasks at which location. This would enhance the current task culture and create more efficiency. Moreover, the personal logbook can also be used as a way of performance management. We had a lot of freedom which made us happy and generally performed well. Though for some individuals it is good to have some kind of control system in place, to make sure they perform equally well and to communicate performances of everybody (which cannot always be noticed). This would make sure that everybody works the same hard, supporting our egalitarian culture and Adams equity theory. At the weekly office meetings everybody could present their logbook, the work they did, and their task plan, the work they plan doing the next week. This control system makes the employees freedom justifiable and does not undermine it. It is important to state that the freedom was very important for our motivation and inspiration, as most tasks were creative. Moreover, this allowed us to get the maximum out of ourselves. The freedom needs to be kept, however I recommend the above control system to be implemented in order to guarantee and check upon the productivity of that freedom. List of References Bizcovering (2009) Contingency Approach to Management [online] available from [20 March 2007] Burns, T. and Stalker, G., M. (1966) The Management of Innovation. London: Tavistock Publ. Businessballs (2009) Tannenbaum and Schmidt continuum [online] available from [8 April 2009] Changing Minds (2009) Trompenaars four diversity cultures [online] available from [22 February 2009] CIPD (2008) The psychological contract [online] available from [12 April 2008] Deal, T., E. and Kennedy, A., A. (1999) The New Corporate Cultures. New York: Perseus Publishing Etzioni, A. (1968) Organizational Dimensions and their Interrelationships: A Theory of Compliance. Indik, B. and Berrien, K. (eds.) People, Groups, and Organizations, 94-109 Frankel, D. (2006) The Devil Wears Prada [online] available from [21 February 2009] French, J.R.P. and Raven, B. (1959) The bases of social power. Studies in Social Power Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Garvin, D. (2003) Learning in Action: A Guide to Putting the Learning Organization to Work. Harvard : Harvard Business Press Guest, D.E. and Conway, N. (2001) Organisational Change and the Psychological Contract. London: CIPD Handy, C., B. (1985) 3rd edn. Understanding Organizations. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Hedges, P. (2005) The Devil Wears Prada [online] available from [19 February 2009] Janis, I., L. (1982) 2nd edn. Groupthink: Psychological Studies of Policy Decisions and Fiascoes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Johnson, G., K., Scholes and R., Whittington (2002) 8th edn. Exploring corporate strategy. London: Prentice Hall Lawrence, P. and Lorsch, J. (1968) Differentiation and Integrations in Complex Organisations. Administrative Science Quarterly 12, 1-30 Peters, T., J. and Waterman, R., H (1982) In search of excellence: Lessons from Americas best-run companies. New York: Harper Row. Purcell, J. and Sisson, K. (1983) Strategies and practice in the management of industrial relations. Bain, G. (editor) Industrial Relations in Britain. Oxford: Blackwell Schein, E.,H. (1985) 3rd edn. Organizational Culture and Leadership. Chichester: Wiley Scott, W., R. (1998) 4th edn. Organisations: rational, natural, and open systems. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Trompenaars, F. and Woolliams, P. (2003) Business Across Cultures. Chichester: Wiley

Colonial Representations of Natives - the Indian :: Essays Papers

Colonial Representations of Natives - the "Indian" At the outset, it should be noted here that the use of the term "Indian" to describe the aboriginal peoples of North America is somewhat contentious. As is well known, its use derives from Columbus's mistaken belief that he had arrived in the East Indies; and this situating of Natives within an already existent European discourse is in many ways paradigmatic of what was to follow during the centuries of colonisation and settlement. For it should be made clear that the "Indian" is a European invention, and that there has always been a great deal of slippage between the representations of this figure and the realities of the lives of Native North Americans. In fact, the Indian has always represented as much about European fears and concerns as it has about actual Natives. Add to this the fact that the popular image of the Indian has in large part been shaped by commercial considerations - give the audience what it wants to see - and it becomes clear that we are dealing with a very comp lex set of relationships. For this reason, the purpose of this page is principally to outline some of the characteristics of the Indian as he has been created by Europeans, and not to consider the lives of real Natives. Now, the most obvious problem with the term should be that it lumps together all the various nations, ignoring the wide differences which exist between the diverse cultures which originally inhabited the continent. But the masking effect of the stereotype runs deeper than this. As is often the case with Western encounters with alien peoples, the representation bifurcates. What we tend to find is either the "noble savage" or the barbarous, bloodthirsty primitive. The first term here was coined by John Dryden, and conveys the idea of man in a state of nature, untainted by the perceived evils of civilisation, such as avarice or ambition. It is a projection of the fear that somehow the Western way of life has become corrupt, and is in need of redemption. Traces of this view of the Indian are still apparent in the twentieth century, when many people believe Natives to have a kind of spirituality connected to a universal harmony and a balance with the natural world. In the nineteenth centu ry the Canadian poet Charles Mair wrote a long poem called Tecumseh, which included the lines:

My Dog, Romeo

My dog, Romeo My dog, Romeo, is the best pet anyone could have. He is beautiful and easy to care for. Playing with him is lots of fun. He always takes care of me. There isn't a better pet anywhere. Romeo is a beautiful tricolor Sheltie. He is mostly black with white and a bit of brown. Caring for him is easy because I simply have to make sure he has fresh water and food every day. I exercise him by throwing his toys. Romeo is a good pet because he is nice looking and doesn't require much care. Romeo is lots of fun to play with. He loves to play catch. He follows me around the house with a toy and drops it on my foot so I will kick it. He can catch just about anything, but his favorite is chasing a Frisbee. I really have fun playing with Romeo. Romeo takes care of me. He always follows me when I leave a room. When I am sitting on the couch he plops down right beside me. When we are outside in the woods he always makes sure that I keep up with the rest of the family. He always watches out for me. As you can see, Romeo is a great pet. I am proud of him and he doesn't require much care. Playing with him is always enjoyable. He watches over me and keeps me safe. Romeo is absolutely the best pet anyone could even have!

Part Two Chapter VI

VI ‘The fuck have you done to your face? Come off the bike again?' asked Fats. ‘No,' said Andrew. ‘Si-Pie hit me. I was trying to tell the stupid cunt he'd got it wrong about Fairbrother.' He and his father had been in the woodshed, filling the baskets that sat on either side of the wood-burner in the sitting room. Simon had hit Andrew around the head with a log, knocking him into the pile of wood, grazing his acne-covered cheek. D'you think you know more about what goes on than I do, you spotty little shit? If I hear you've breathed a word of what goes on in this house – I haven't – I'll fucking skin you alive, d'you hear me? How do you know Fairbrother wasn't on the fiddle too, eh? And the other fucker was the only one dumb enough to get caught? And then, whether out of pride or defiance, or because his fantasies of easy money had taken too strong a hold on his imagination to become dislodged by facts, Simon had sent in his application forms. Humiliation, for which the whole family would surely pay, was a certainty. Sabotage. Andrew brooded on the word. He wanted to bring his father crashing down from the heights to which his dreams of easy money had raised him, and he wanted to do it, if at all possible (for he preferred glory without death), in such a way that Simon would never know whose manoeuvrings had brought his ambitions to rubble. He confided in nobody, not even Fats. He told Fats nearly everything, but the few omissions were the vast topics, the ones that occupied nearly all his interior space. It was one thing to sit in Fats' room with hard-ons and look up ‘girl-on-girl action' on the internet: quite another to confess how obsessively he pondered ways of engaging Gaia Bawden in conversation. Likewise, it was easy to sit in the Cubby Hole and call his father a cunt, but never would he have told how Simon's rages turned his hands cold and his stomach queasy. But then came the hour that changed everything. It started with nothing more than a yearning for nicotine and beauty. The rain had passed off at last, and the pale spring sun shone brightly on the fish-scale dirt on the school-bus windows as it jerked and lurched through the narrow streets of Pagford. Andrew was sitting near the back, unable to see Gaia, who was hemmed in at the front by Sukhvinder and the fatherless Fairbrother girls, newly returned to school. He had barely seen Gaia all day and faced a barren evening with only stale Facebook pictures to console him. As the bus approached Hope Street, it struck Andrew that neither of his parents was at home to notice his absence. Three cigarettes that Fats had given him resided in his inside pocket; and Gaia was getting up, holding tightly to the bar on the back of the seat, readying herself to descend, still talking to Sukhvinder Jawanda. Why not? Why not? So he got up too, swung his bag over his shoulder, and when the bus stopped walked briskly up the aisle after the two girls as they got out. ‘See you at home,' he threw out to a startled Paul as he passed. He reached the sunny pavement and the bus rumbled away. Lighting up, he watched Gaia and Sukhvinder over the top of his cupped hands. They were not heading towards Gaia's house in Hope Street, but ambling up towards the Square. Smoking and scowling slightly in unconscious imitation of the most unself-conscious person he knew – Fats – Andrew followed them, his eyes feasting on Gaia's copper-brown hair as it bounced on her shoulder blades, the swing of her skirt as her hips swayed beneath it. The two girls slowed down as they approached the Square, advancing towards Mollison and Lowe, which had the most impressive fa;ade of them all: blue and gold lettering across the front and four hanging baskets. Andrew hung back. The girls paused to examine a small white sign pasted to the window of the new cafe, then disappeared into the delicatessen. Andrew walked once around the Square, past the Black Canon and the George Hotel, and stopped at the sign. It was a hand-lettered advertisement for weekend staff. Hyperconscious of his acne, which was particularly virulent at the moment, he knocked out the end of his cigarette, put the long stub back into his pocket and followed Gaia and Sukhvinder inside. The girls were standing beside a little table piled high with boxed oatcakes and crackers, watching the enormous man in the deerstalker behind the counter talking to an elderly customer. Gaia looked around when the bell over the door tinkled. ‘Hi,' Andrew said, his mouth dry. ‘Hi,' she replied. Blinded by his own daring, Andrew walked nearer, and the school bag over his shoulder bumped into the revolving stand of guides to Pagford and Traditional West Country Cooking. He seized the stand and steadied it, then hastily lowered his bag. ‘You after a job?' Gaia asked him quietly, in her miraculous London accent. ‘Yeah,' he said. ‘You?' She nodded. ‘Flag it up on the suggestion page, Eddie,' Howard was booming at the customer. ‘Post it on the website, and I'll get it on the agenda for you. Pagford Parish Council – all one word – dot co, dot UK, slash, Suggestion Page. Or follow the link. Pagford †¦' He reiterated slowly, as the man pulled out paper and a pen with a quivering hand ‘†¦ Parish †¦' Howard's eyes flicked over the three teenagers waiting quietly beside the savoury biscuits. They were wearing the half-hearted uniform of Winterdown, which permitted so much laxity and variation that it was barely a uniform at all (unlike that of St Anne's, which comprised a neat tartan skirt and a blazer). For all that, the white girl was stunning; a precision-cut diamond set off by the plain Jawanda daughter, whose name Howard did not know, and a mouse-haired boy with violently erupted skin. The customer creaked out of the shop, the bell tinkled. ‘Can I help you?' Howard asked, his eyes on Gaia. ‘Yeah,' she said, moving forwards. ‘Um. About the jobs.' She pointed at the small sign in the window. ‘Ah, yes,' said Howard, beaming. His new weekend waiter had let him down a few days previously; thrown over the cafe for Yarvil and a supermarket job. ‘Yes, yes. Fancy waitressing, do you? We're offering minimum wage – nine to half-past five, Saturdays – twelve to half-past five, Sundays. Opening two weeks from today; training provided. How old are you, my love?' She was perfect, perfect, exactly what he had been imagining: fresh-faced and curvy; he could just imagine her in a figure-hugging black dress with a lace-edged white apron. He would teach her to use the till, and show her around the stockroom; there would be a bit of banter, and perhaps a little bonus on days when the takings were up. Howard sidled out from behind the counter and, ignoring Sukhvinder and Andrew, took Gaia by the upper arm, and led her through the arch in the dividing wall. There were no tables and chairs there yet, but the counter had been installed and so had a tiled black and cream mural on the wall behind it, which showed the Square in Yesteryear. Crinolined women and men in top hats swarmed everywhere; a brougham carriage had drawn up outside a clearly marked Mollison and Lowe, and beside it was the little cafe, The Copper Kettle. The artist had improvised an ornamental pump instead of the war memorial. Andrew and Sukhvinder were left behind, awkward and vaguely antagonistic to each other. ‘Yes? Can I help you?' A stooping woman with a jet-black bouffant had emerged from out of a back room. Andrew and Sukhvinder muttered that they were waiting, and then Howard and Gaia reappeared in the archway. When he saw Maureen, Howard dropped Gaia's arm, which he had been holding absent-mindedly while he explained to her what a waitress's duties would be. ‘I might have found us some more help for the Kettle, Mo,' he said. ‘Oh, yes?' said Maureen, switching her hungry gaze to Gaia. ‘Have you got experience?' But Howard boomed over her, telling Gaia all about the delicatessen and how he liked to think it was a bit of a Pagford institution, a bit of a landmark. ‘Thirty-five years, it's been,' said Howard, with a majestic disdain of his own mural. ‘The young lady's new to town, Mo,' he added. ‘And you two are after jobs as well, are you?' Maureen asked Sukhvinder and Andrew. Sukhvinder shook her head; Andrew made an equivocal movement with his shoulders; but Gaia said, with her eyes on the girl, ‘Go on. You said you might.' Howard considered Sukhvinder, who would most certainly not appear to advantage in a tight black dress and frilly apron; but his fertile and flexible mind was firing in all directions. A compliment to her father – something of a hold over her mother – an unasked favour granted; there were matters beyond the purely aesthetic that ought, perhaps, to be considered here. ‘Well, if we get the business we're expecting, we could probably do with two,' he said, scratching his chins with his eyes on Sukhvinder, who had blushed unattractively. ‘I don't †¦' she said, but Gaia urged her. ‘Go on. Together.' Sukhvinder was flushed, and her eyes were watering. ‘I †¦' ‘Go on,' whispered Gaia. ‘I †¦ all right.' ‘We'll give you a trial, then, Miss Jawanda,' said Howard. Doused in fear, Sukhvinder could hardly breathe. What would her mother say? ‘And I suppose you're wanting to be potboy, are you?' Howard boomed at Andrew. Potboy? ‘It's heavy lifting we need, my friend,' said Howard, while Andrew blinked at him nonplussed: he had only read the large type at the top of the sign. ‘Pallets into the stockroom, crates of milk up from the cellar and rubbish bagged up at the back. Proper manual labour. Do you think you can handle that?' ‘Yeah,' said Andrew. Would he be there when Gaia was there? That was all that mattered. ‘We'll need you early. Eight o'clock, probably. We'll say eight till three, and see how it goes. Trial period of two weeks.' ‘Yeah, fine,' said Andrew. ‘What's your name?' When Howard heard it, he raised his eyebrows. ‘Is your father Simon? Simon Price?' ‘Yeah.' Andrew was unnerved. Nobody knew who his father was, usually. Howard told the two girls to come back on Sunday afternoon, when the till was to be delivered, and he would be at liberty to instruct them; then, though he showed an inclination to keep Gaia in conversation, a customer entered, and the teenagers took their chance to slip outside. Andrew could think of nothing to say once they found themselves on the other side of the tinkling glass door; but before he could marshal his thoughts, Gaia threw him a careless ‘bye', and walked away with Sukhvinder. Andrew lit up the second of Fats' three fags (this was no time for a half-smoked stub), which gave him an excuse to remain stationary while he watched her walk away into the lengthening shadows. ‘Why do they call him â€Å"Peanut†, that boy?' Gaia asked Sukhvinder, once they were out of earshot of Andrew. ‘He's allergic,' said Sukhvinder. She was horrified at the prospect of telling Parminder what she had done. Her voice sounded like somebody else's. ‘He nearly died at St Thomas's; somebody gave him one hidden in a marshmallow.' ‘Oh,' said Gaia. ‘I thought it might be because he had a tiny dick.' She laughed, and so did Sukhvinder, forcing herself, as though jokes about penises were all she heard, day in, day out. Andrew saw them both glance back at him as they laughed, and knew that they were talking about him. The giggling might be a hopeful sign; he knew that much about girls, anyway. Grinning at nothing but the cooling air, he walked off, school bag over his shoulder, cigarette in his hand, across the Square towards Church Row, and thence to forty minutes of steep climbing up out of town to Hilltop House. The hedgerows were ghostly pale with white blossom in the dusk, blackthorn blooming on either side of him, celandine fringing the lane with tiny, glossy heart-shaped leaves. The smell of the flowers, the deep pleasure of the cigarette and the promise of weekends with Gaia; everything blended together into a glorious symphony of elation and beauty as Andrew puffed up the hill. The next time Simon said ‘got a job, Pizza Face?' he would be able to say ‘yes'. He was going to be Gaia Bawden's weekend workmate. And, to cap it all, he knew at last exactly how he might plunge an anonymous dagger straight between his father's shoulder blades.

Research on PIMCO Essays

Research on PIMCO Essays Research on PIMCO Essay Research on PIMCO Essay PIMPS currently headed by the co-founder and CIO, Bill Gross (who Is considered as the top fixed-income money manager In the last two decades by the market). PIMPS has over 2400 employees worldwide and has offices In 12 countries. As of 30th June, 2014 PIMPS was managing assets to the tune focuses mainly on fixed income, mutual funds, bonds, equity and retirement funds. It is known as the Bond King because of its huge specialization in that sector. Pompoms core competitors both market segment wise and locations would be Black Rock and Fidelity. PIMPS had sales of $78 million last year and consistently growing. The company was recently faced with a bit of media turmoil because of the unexpected assignation of the CEO, Muhammad El Rain. But Bill Gross stepped up and the company is on track to meet its 2014 targets. As far as hiring is concerned, Insiders say PIMPS is looking for those who are intellectually curious, extremely driven and interested in long-term careers in investment management. PIMPS recruits both at undergraduate level and Mambas. It conducts on-campus interviews at all the top schools in the country including USC. PIMPS also has summer internships for the MBA for 12 weeks and is a great way to gain an in-depth knowledge of the company and culture. The hiring process is quite competitive and an in-depth knowledge of finance and investments is required. MBA are typically hired as Associates and growth is highly dependent on performance. PIMPS is a challenging place to work for one should not be expecting a great work/life balance as Associates put in 60-70 hrs per week on the average. Moreover, PIMPS has a very academic culture will a lot of focus on trainings and all. The average compensation of Associates for 2013 was $103,000 before bonus, and the bonus usually ranges between 20-50% depending on the performance. I would highly recommend PIMPS to everyone whose looking to ark In Finance in California, Europe or Asia. Accounting and Corporate Finance would be the core subjects that the person should focus now. If you want to apply to PIMPS, I would suggest Joining the Marshall American Finance Association, as It will provide a great platform finance discussions and Interview tips. PIMPS comes on campus for Interview for summer Internships next year early December, so I will recommend to start preparing soon. Industry. However, I can assure you that through proper research, focused networking and a Marshall MBA getting a Job in Finance is definitely possible. I will for a while, called PIMPS I. . Pacific Investment Management Company. It is world- renowned investment Management Company and is headquartered nearby at is considered as the top fixed-income money manager in the last two decades by the market). PIMPS has over 2400 employees worldwide and has offices in 12 countries. $ trillion and work in Finance in California, Europe or Asia. Accounting and Corporate Finance PIMPS, I would suggest Joining the Marshall American Finance Association, as it will provide a great platform finance discussions and interview tips. PIMPS comes on campus for interview for summer internships next year early December.

Free Essays on NBA Market Entry To China

Since its inception in 1946, the National Basketball Association has transformed itself from an 11 team league to a global phenomenon that transcends national borders. The league is composed of 29 teams, divided into Eastern and Western conferences, and includes one Canadian team. The league also operates and manages the recently established Women’s National Basketball Association, WNBA, in addition to a six team developmental league, the NBDL. NBA games and programming are shown in 212 countries in 42 different languages. The most recent NBA season featured 67 international players from 33 countries and territories on team rosters, resulting in global media coverage and increasing fan interest from across the globe. The NBA is a recognized leader in global sports with 13 offices located worldwide, and annual sales revenues of over $2 billion. Through NBA Entertainment, the league operates a 24 hour NBA television network, weekly programming, as well as the official websites, NBA.com, WNBA.com, and NBDL.com, which is readily available to fans across the world. Further exhibiting the NBA’s global influence and impact overseas sales account for approximately 30 percent of all NBA merchandise sales. In addition, 51 percent of Internet traffic on the leagues official website, NBA.com, comes from outside the United States. In 1898 basketball was introduced to China by U.S. Christian missionaries in the city of Tianjin, a couple years later after it was invented in the United States. Mainland China’s population is 1.3 billion with 210 million involved in basketball either in coaching, playing, or basketball activities. China has a huge basketball following especially with the younger generation who has a greater â€Å"western† following. The sports industry that our venture will be competing in is the Professional Sports teams in China; soccer, ping pong, badminton, Canada Basketball Association, or any other U.S. profession... Free Essays on NBA Market Entry To China Free Essays on NBA Market Entry To China Since its inception in 1946, the National Basketball Association has transformed itself from an 11 team league to a global phenomenon that transcends national borders. The league is composed of 29 teams, divided into Eastern and Western conferences, and includes one Canadian team. The league also operates and manages the recently established Women’s National Basketball Association, WNBA, in addition to a six team developmental league, the NBDL. NBA games and programming are shown in 212 countries in 42 different languages. The most recent NBA season featured 67 international players from 33 countries and territories on team rosters, resulting in global media coverage and increasing fan interest from across the globe. The NBA is a recognized leader in global sports with 13 offices located worldwide, and annual sales revenues of over $2 billion. Through NBA Entertainment, the league operates a 24 hour NBA television network, weekly programming, as well as the official websites, NBA.com, WNBA.com, and NBDL.com, which is readily available to fans across the world. Further exhibiting the NBA’s global influence and impact overseas sales account for approximately 30 percent of all NBA merchandise sales. In addition, 51 percent of Internet traffic on the leagues official website, NBA.com, comes from outside the United States. In 1898 basketball was introduced to China by U.S. Christian missionaries in the city of Tianjin, a couple years later after it was invented in the United States. Mainland China’s population is 1.3 billion with 210 million involved in basketball either in coaching, playing, or basketball activities. China has a huge basketball following especially with the younger generation who has a greater â€Å"western† following. The sports industry that our venture will be competing in is the Professional Sports teams in China; soccer, ping pong, badminton, Canada Basketball Association, or any other U.S. profession...

War in Vietnam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

War in Vietnam - Essay Example The American government perceived the French defeat as a defeat of its economic ideology (Oberdorfer 2001, p. 45). The North Vietnamese rebels adhered to communism. Their win in this conflict showed that this region would assume communism. This occurred at the height of the cold war in which the Soviet Union and America were seeking to propagate their economic models. America’s refusal to admit the defeat of France in this conflict aggravated the conflict. The strategy relating to the conflict changed significantly with changes in regimes. The write-up will examine the factors, which resulted in the involvement of America in this conflict. This conflict generated massive controversy in the America owing to fatalities. This conflict lasted over two decades. This reveals that America was not ready to lose since it would signify weakness in its ability to dominate the globe politically. American was embroiled in this conflict due to several reasons. The reason varied from economi c to political reasons. However, they all culminated in the aggravation of the conflict (Kissinger 2003, p. 32). Reasons from America’s involvement in the conflict At the time of the conflict, the Soviet Union and America were locked in a cold war. The cold war entailed each nation sabotaging its enemy indirectly. The cold war erupted as the two dominant nations in the globe embarked on a campaign to increase adoption of their economic models. The American government was popularising capitalism while the Soviet Union sought to popularize communism. The economic model, which would prevail, would make its source nation an economic powerhouse. The Northern Vietnamese were supported by a communism nation (Lawrence 2008, p. 124). Therefore, American viewed this as the spread of communism. The defeat of French forces in this nation meant that Vietnam would become a communist nation. Additionally, it meant that the capitalist world represented by France had failed. America viewed it as its responsibility to ensure that the rebels do not prevail. The need to ensure that Vietnam does not become a communist nation resulted in this conflict since the French had already negotiated a pact that would ensure peace in the nation. However, the Americans felt that conceding defeat meant that capitalism had lost. Subsequently, communism would become the dominant economic model. The Soviet Union had prevailed in this region of the Asia, which was dominantly communism. Vietnam was in a strategic position in relation to the communist world. Therefore, the loss of this nation to communism policies would weaken America’s quest to spread its economic model to this part of the globe. This conflict ensured that America was able to contain the spread of communism to this part of the Vietnam (Brigham 2012). During this time, the Soviet Union and America were the world dominant nations. Each nation sought to surpass the other by becoming the dominant nation both politically a nd economically. These nations could not fight directly. Therefore, they opted for sabotaging tactics. These tactics entailed America supporting Soviet Union’s foes. Similarly, the Soviet Union would support America’s foes. This resulted in an ongoing conflict where the two nations did not take direct military action against each other. The Vietnamese conflict provided the perfect situation for the two nations to implement their tactics (Burgan 2006, p. 238). The Northern Vie

Strategy and Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategy and Marketing - Essay Example Economic conditions as well as lifestyle needs demand that consumers invest in their housing to ensure asset value growth and require adequate transportation and computer systems to facilitate effective and demanded lifestyle quality. Many of these industries do not require a strong market-oriented strategy, since the competitive environment does not mandate being ultra-sensitive to buyer needs (Walker & Mullins, 2011). Companies such as The Home Depot and Lowe’s offer rather standardized products that are in demand due to economic conditions and widespread consumer need for asset protection. In this oligopoly market structure where there are limited competitors, the business can avoid high costs associated with customer relationship management systems and other market-oriented models of doing business. The mid- and long-term factors of high performance are credit availability, limited competition in certain high-performing industries, pricing structures, and high consumer dem and. No, it would be difficult to make the assumption that some industries are inherently more profitable than others. Some have operational models that consume a great deal of cash or credit that are not widely understood without examining annual reports or market studies on business strategy and growth. They may offer higher prices, however the cost of goods sold in these industries could be substantially higher than other competitors that have leaner models of production. There are many factors associated with promotions, brand positioning, or even expensive information technology and support that could erode profitability. Walker & Mullins (2011) identifies that market success requires examination of external trends that impact the industry long-term. Ineffective market research, either qualitative or quantitative, as well as a poorly-developed promotional strategy could greatly undercut profitability as compared to more efficient competitors at these activities. Automobile Manu facturing Performance Automobile manufacturer sales volumes are strongly influenced by consumer demand and also short-term economic conditions in key target markets in their desired segments. Morningstar (2012) identifies rather poor mid- to long-term performance at Nissan, but rather high performance at General Motors. Both of these companies offer mid-sized to larger-sized vehicles and operate in generally the same socio-economic market segments. Walker & Mullins (2011) identifies the importance of positioning, which is establishing a product that will emphasize consumer needs and help to differentiate the brand from other competition. General Motors conducts considerable market research on consumer attitudes, behaviors and needs which assists this business in gaining more customers. Psychographics is only one method of establishing connections with buyers. Nissan, on the other hand, might have less developed promotional and advertising strategies that do not stand out from compet ition. While GM would be positioned as a lifestyle-relevant product line, Nissan might be ineffective at successfully differentiating the product. Though this is only one factor, it does indicate why some companies perform better financially than others due to the importance of successful marketing strategy implementation and control. The automotive industry is also reliant on consumers that conduct a great deal of

Comprehensive analysis of yourself as a reader and writer Essay

Comprehensive analysis of yourself as a reader and writer - Essay Example After going through ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, I would consider myself more open minded to reading and types of reading because I am now able to approach reading objectively. Through the skills acquired in ENGL 101, I am now able to effectively respond to essays and from ENGL 102 I am able to develop research papers. I am able to confidently assert that I developed structure and exposition skills that I can use to systematically include evidence in research projects. From the experiences of both ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, I would define a good reader as one who exhibits the capacity to pay attention, memorize, sequence and process the content being read fast, accurately and efficiently. According to Berninger (186), reading may wrongly be thought of as a visual skill that builds on associating letters to sound. However, the definition I have of a good reader now differs from what I had before of the English courses because I consider the ability to read to be the foundation of reading to lea rn. Essentially, the English courses have developed in me an analytical and critical reading culture. On one hand, ENGL 101 taught me the application of strategies to generate writing ideas by basically organizing and planning material as well as identifying and considering the audience and purpose of writing. More significantly was the acquisition of intentional revising skills. Through ENGL 102, I now understand academic reading as a continuous inquiry process. However, on the other hand, some occasions bought out my worst and also best writing. On my worst writing, one of them was Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy mainly because it was from a genre I am unfamiliar with. Essentially, I could not relate most of the content of the poem to my personal experience, which resulted in numerous mistakes. My best writing experience was A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner in which I could predict the end. Therefore, through a comprehensive analysis

Benito Mussolini Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benito Mussolini - Research Paper Example While going to school, Benito rebelled against various issues. Rosa, his mother had insisted he go to this school which was operated by Catholic Monks. However, Benito’s behavior ridiculed the school’s rules and as such he was expelled. Benito’s father believed that the Roman Catholic Church was Italy’s biggest enemy, and he embedded this belief into his son which he solely agreed with. Benito showed improvements at his other school and continued on this pathway and became a teacher. Despite this, Benito’s passion was in politics. At the tender age of 19, Benito fled Italy for Switzerland to avoid military service. There in Switzerland, he met other Italian socialists and gained employment as a bricklayer and became a member of the Trade Union. Just one year later, at the age of 20, in 1903, Benito was expelled from Switzerland for suggesting a general strike. Benito then travelled to France but eventually went back to Italy to complete his military service. To be more precise, he went to Trentino north of Italy which was ruled by the Austrians. However, sooner than later, Benito’s beliefs caused him to be kicked out of Trentino in 1909. Austrian authorities described him as a trouble maker because he encouraged trade unions and launched attacks on the Catholic Church. Afterwards, Mussolini travelled south to Po Valley, where he advocated for farmers to get better salaries. He was appointed Secretary of the local Socialist Party in Forli and Editor of the socialist newspaper â€Å"La Lotta di Classe†. Since his return from Switzerland, Mussolini worked extensively as a journalist and a social activist at the same time. Later he became an Editor for the Avanti. Mussolini resigned his post as Secretary for the Socialist Party in Forli because they advocated support for the allies in World War I. Benito served in the Italian Military when Italy entered the First World War and Benito held the rank of Corporal in the Army. Mussolini was injured during the war and immediately upon his return to Milan; he decided to edit the right-wing â€Å"Popolo d’Italia†. It is probably safe to assume that the effects of the war transformed him from a socialist to a ruthless fascist. He was hungry for power and he was going to get by freewill or by force. Following the war, Mussolini carried out a myriad of activities influenced by Fascism and his many other beliefs. â€Å"The defining features of fascism are nationalism (including economic nationalism), corporatism (including economic planning), totalitarianism (including dictatorship and social interventionism), and militarism†. 1 He attacked Vittorio Orlando (Italy’s Prime Minister at the end of World War I) for his futile efforts in pursuing Italy’s objectives at Versailles Peace Treaty and aided in the compilation of the right-winged groups into the Fascist Party. Right-winged political individuals are a form of governme nt who believe that the individuals are more important than the country. â€Å"Right wingers believe in formal equality. They believe that everyone should be treated equally under the law and should be treated equally by government. Examples of right wing formal equality include equal pay for equal work and civil and political rights.† 2 Out of fear for more bloodshed, he was appointed Prime Minister by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1922 after the â€Å"March on Rome†. Mussolini’s fascist party â€Å"Black Shirts† made his rise to power rapid. By the time of Hitler’

If you agree or disagree that the company is paying too much for their Assignment

If you agree or disagree that the company is paying too much for their CEOs. Is it justify or not justify for the large companies - Assignment Example The hard work is carried out by junior employees or other managers such as the human resource manager, the finance manager and others. They then take the finished work to the CEO for approval which is in the form of a mere signature after every detail of the work being explained to them. They also just make appearances in public as the face behind the success of the company while they truly are not. Most of these CEOs are actually just puppet leaders in the company and especially in those companies where there is a board of directors. The board of directors makes the final decision which the CEO then signs and disseminates to the rest of the staff. This is a clear indication of the lack of work they carry out and hence do not deserve such a large salary. It does not matter whether the company is large or not like the 21st Century Fox. If the company is making too much money to the extent of awarding its CEO such a large salary and on top of it all gets awarded other multiple benefits, then they should distribute some of these profits to the best performing employees as a motivation to the rest. It can also be put into corporate social responsibility to assist the rest of the society. If this decision cannot be made by the CEO himself, to refuse to accept such a large salary, then the CEO is selfish. It is understandable that the CEO has worked hard to reach that position and hence deserves the high pay as a reward for the past efforts but the pay should still not be ridiculously high. There are many people that are suffering in the world and can use a little financial assistance from the corporates. The maximum salary should be an average of $2 million in addition to the other fringe benefits and the extra money be used to provide the assistance to those in need in the society. True CEOs who are true and genuine leaders should take a pay cut otherwise they will be classified with the

Brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brand - Essay Example Now it belongs to Goga Ashkenazi, a Kazak former oil and gas tycoon, whose attraction to fashion industry and to Vionnet brand in particular was dictated by a belief in heritage and history of brand (Haritela, 2013). Despite the entire couture industry is directed toward meeting the desires of those customers who can afford luxury clothes, in terms of affordability, the creative director of Vionnet and its owner Goga Ashkenazi is striving to capture more consumers by creating the same couture in a more accessible way (Karmali, 2013). While clothes of couture range sometimes from tens to hundreds of thousands of pounds for the dress, it becomes less possible to all most women to purchase such dress and under such tough economic conditions, it is practically impossible. For that reason, Vionnet offers demi-couture gowns that is full of beauty and captures the couture creation, however, is more affordable for the customers. In addition, couture dresses are usually one-time event clothes, while Vionnet wants to provide its consumers those dresses that will be suitable to wear in more ways than one. Thus, a dress from Vionnet for  £2,000 is considered as affordable couture unit available in differe nt colours, prints and material, and which at the same time does not also lose it exclusivity and unique feature of haute couture. The successful revitalization of Vionnet brand has is also influenced by its designer Chalayan, who is more known for the visionary magician. In U.S. the first new Vionnet collection became available in the house atelier within Barneys New York flagship stores. In Milano the first modern boutique of Vionnet brand was presented in 2011. Today the brand is present in more than hundred and eighty stores worldwide. According to Vogue (Karmali, 2013), the modern collection for Vionnet became also available to order in-store at Harrods. In addition, one can make a purchase through online

Benito Mussolini Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benito Mussolini - Research Paper Example While going to school, Benito rebelled against various issues. Rosa, his mother had insisted he go to this school which was operated by Catholic Monks. However, Benito’s behavior ridiculed the school’s rules and as such he was expelled. Benito’s father believed that the Roman Catholic Church was Italy’s biggest enemy, and he embedded this belief into his son which he solely agreed with. Benito showed improvements at his other school and continued on this pathway and became a teacher. Despite this, Benito’s passion was in politics. At the tender age of 19, Benito fled Italy for Switzerland to avoid military service. There in Switzerland, he met other Italian socialists and gained employment as a bricklayer and became a member of the Trade Union. Just one year later, at the age of 20, in 1903, Benito was expelled from Switzerland for suggesting a general strike. Benito then travelled to France but eventually went back to Italy to complete his military service. To be more precise, he went to Trentino north of Italy which was ruled by the Austrians. However, sooner than later, Benito’s beliefs caused him to be kicked out of Trentino in 1909. Austrian authorities described him as a trouble maker because he encouraged trade unions and launched attacks on the Catholic Church. Afterwards, Mussolini travelled south to Po Valley, where he advocated for farmers to get better salaries. He was appointed Secretary of the local Socialist Party in Forli and Editor of the socialist newspaper â€Å"La Lotta di Classe†. Since his return from Switzerland, Mussolini worked extensively as a journalist and a social activist at the same time. Later he became an Editor for the Avanti. Mussolini resigned his post as Secretary for the Socialist Party in Forli because they advocated support for the allies in World War I. Benito served in the Italian Military when Italy entered the First World War and Benito held the rank of Corporal in the Army. Mussolini was injured during the war and immediately upon his return to Milan; he decided to edit the right-wing â€Å"Popolo d’Italia†. It is probably safe to assume that the effects of the war transformed him from a socialist to a ruthless fascist. He was hungry for power and he was going to get by freewill or by force. Following the war, Mussolini carried out a myriad of activities influenced by Fascism and his many other beliefs. â€Å"The defining features of fascism are nationalism (including economic nationalism), corporatism (including economic planning), totalitarianism (including dictatorship and social interventionism), and militarism†. 1 He attacked Vittorio Orlando (Italy’s Prime Minister at the end of World War I) for his futile efforts in pursuing Italy’s objectives at Versailles Peace Treaty and aided in the compilation of the right-winged groups into the Fascist Party. Right-winged political individuals are a form of governme nt who believe that the individuals are more important than the country. â€Å"Right wingers believe in formal equality. They believe that everyone should be treated equally under the law and should be treated equally by government. Examples of right wing formal equality include equal pay for equal work and civil and political rights.† 2 Out of fear for more bloodshed, he was appointed Prime Minister by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1922 after the â€Å"March on Rome†. Mussolini’s fascist party â€Å"Black Shirts† made his rise to power rapid. By the time of Hitler’

Brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brand - Essay Example Now it belongs to Goga Ashkenazi, a Kazak former oil and gas tycoon, whose attraction to fashion industry and to Vionnet brand in particular was dictated by a belief in heritage and history of brand (Haritela, 2013). Despite the entire couture industry is directed toward meeting the desires of those customers who can afford luxury clothes, in terms of affordability, the creative director of Vionnet and its owner Goga Ashkenazi is striving to capture more consumers by creating the same couture in a more accessible way (Karmali, 2013). While clothes of couture range sometimes from tens to hundreds of thousands of pounds for the dress, it becomes less possible to all most women to purchase such dress and under such tough economic conditions, it is practically impossible. For that reason, Vionnet offers demi-couture gowns that is full of beauty and captures the couture creation, however, is more affordable for the customers. In addition, couture dresses are usually one-time event clothes, while Vionnet wants to provide its consumers those dresses that will be suitable to wear in more ways than one. Thus, a dress from Vionnet for  £2,000 is considered as affordable couture unit available in differe nt colours, prints and material, and which at the same time does not also lose it exclusivity and unique feature of haute couture. The successful revitalization of Vionnet brand has is also influenced by its designer Chalayan, who is more known for the visionary magician. In U.S. the first new Vionnet collection became available in the house atelier within Barneys New York flagship stores. In Milano the first modern boutique of Vionnet brand was presented in 2011. Today the brand is present in more than hundred and eighty stores worldwide. According to Vogue (Karmali, 2013), the modern collection for Vionnet became also available to order in-store at Harrods. In addition, one can make a purchase through online

On Becoming a Leader Essay Example for Free

On Becoming a Leader Essay The book I chose to review is â€Å"On Becoming a Leader† by Warren Bennis. At the crux of this book is a search to understand how leaders are made. Throughout the book, the author tries to prove through polls and observations, that leaders are not born but are made through a combination of nature and nurture. Leaders who excel tend to have similar characteristics which have been developed by a series of experiences in their lives (these include embracing mistakes, taking risks and learning from adversity). Another idea discussed in the book is that of the role of education in making leaders. Bennis notes a number of qualities and abilities that are common amongst the leaders he interacts with. Some of those are relating well to others, trusting others and in turn being trustworthy, the ability to motivate people and to not give up, inspiration and competence in the job. However, he claims that a major problem in business leadership is the â€Å"societal disease of our time† (as said by Norman Lear to him) short term thinking. He highlights throughout the book that this form of thinking is not beneficial to organizations and that a good leader should be able to look further and not give the short term too much importance. At one point he claims that short term thinking is what kills one of the most important attributes a leader must have innovation. The author mentions that leaders are important to an organization since they are of paramount importance to the operational performance, stability and integrity of the organization. To this end, Warren Bennis presents in a systematic manner various attributes that are required of a leader to be able to perform well. The first attribute discussed is the ability to â€Å"Master the context†. In this chapter, the author discusses the fact that a leader must be able to understand the reasons and outcomes of different situations. Only once he has managed this, will he be able to act in the best possible way for his organization. This is in line with what we have learned throughout our course regarding improving one’s self-awareness as well as the 4 perspectives of organizational effectiveness. A leader must be able to understand the context of work and respond by being aware that he needs to look after different perspectives of people and systems related to the organization. The second thing discussed is â€Å"understanding the basics†, which is quite similar to mastering the context. In this, Warren Bennis explains that leaders need to understand the underlying concepts at work before making decisions. He lists a series of attributes that can be found in most leaders including self-knowledge, passion, vision and trust. He argues that most of the leaders are not born with these attributes but life experiences and a desire to lead people enables them to develop a good understanding of this. Their drive to acquire and learn are much higher than on average and they actively pursue these drives while taking risks and placing lesser importance on their drive for safety. In this he also discusses the difference between managing people and leading them. We have gone through various topics related directly to this effect in class. According to me, one of the strongest drives an individual has is the drive to safety. An individual would be much more comfortable if they can trust their leader. The ability to understand the thought process of their leader and their belief/trust in him helps shore up their drive for safety. Across cultures, people tend to avoid uncertainty and if a leader is able to, through knowledge and an understanding, provide people with an image of consistency; it goes a long way in settling people and reducing stress. The third lesson is â€Å"knowing yourself†. Warren Bennis argues that in order to lead others, one must fully understand themselves. To be able to trust your decisions/inner feelings is extremely important for leading people and making correct choices. The author goes on to highlight 4 lessons that enable an individual to understand themselves. They are â€Å"you are your own best teacher†, â€Å"accept responsibility†, â€Å"you can learn anything you want to learn† and â€Å"true understanding comes from reflecting on your own experience†. All these lessons are at the core of organizational behavior as we have learnt. These 4 lessons can apply even to organizations as well as being useful for individuals. Self-concept is an important part of an individual’s make up and to feed that we must be able to reflect on our past experiences to learn from them. Social learning, learning through reinforcement and learning through experience are discussed as important factors of learning in organizations in our course. I believe this same applies to individuals as they are able to develop their social identity and self-concept through these lessons. Next, the author discusses â€Å"Knowing the world†. This takes a similar route to the previous subject of knowing yourself, while developing a greater scope to the understanding. Cultural understanding is an extremely important attribute in a leader. In an increasingly diverse workforce coupled with increasing globalization, a leader must have the ability to and desire to understand various cultures and behaviors. Values and behavior are very different for different cultures, and a lot of organizations have failed due to the incompatible understanding of their leaders. The HP-Compaq merger was a major case where while it was beneficial financially and operationally for the companies to merge, their leaders were not able to fully adapt the two company’s cultures properly, causing the merger to have not performed anywhere near expectations. One point that I found particularly interesting and felt that was very important was the need for a person to find a mentor who can help them enhance and shape their cultural understanding. The social learning aspect discusses similar concepts, where a person learns from someone whom they aspire to be. Being able to find a mentor who has an in depth understanding of cultures, or at least has a desire to learn cultural differences can help an individual become a more complete leader. The next thought discussed by the author is â€Å"Operating on instinct†. This discussion focuses on the fact that a good leader should be able to believe in himself and should be able to take decisions from his gut feeling. More often than not a leader and even individuals will have to make decisions without knowing all the details they would like to know. The presence of incomplete information should not make the leader less likely to make a decision. A good leader will have developed enough self-awareness and through self-evaluation and verification be able to rely on his instinct to make the right choice. This enables the leader to be able to quickly and decisively contemplate and decide issues. The next discussion is based on †Deploying yourself†. In this the author talks about the fact that a successful leader is a person who is willing to take on challenges even though he might have failed in earlier challenges. The drive to learn and acquire are, I feel, major contributors to this topic. A good leader will be able to reflect on his past experiences and learn from them; and this gives them confidence to continually drive for newer challenges and tasks. Another topic discussed is â€Å"Moving through chaos†. In this chapter, Warren Bennis describes the difference between all individuals and leaders. He points out that everyone faces problems and issues in their career, but that leaders analyze these problems and tend to learn from these. Conflict resolution can take many forms through third-party conflict resolution or negotiation. Leaders reflect on their conflicts and develop an understanding of how to overcome those challenges. â€Å"Getting people on your side† is the next topic covered. The main point of this discussion, and a very important learning for me personally, is the ability of the leader to be trustworthy. To be trusted, a leader must display consistency in his actions, congruity meaning what they say, reliable to their followers and have a strong integrity. This once again gravitates towards the drive for safety individuals have. To be lead by someone, an individual must trust them to act on their behalf and be able to predict to a certain extent what their leaders will do for them. The concept of romanticizing leadership is down to this ability of leaders. If a leader is able to bring their employees/followers on their side, the leader’s ability to work through tasks and challenges is increased. Even mistakes made by them will be viewed in a positive light, enabling them to continue taking risks. â€Å"Organizations can help or hinder† is the next topic that is discussed. This focuses on the fact different organizations will have different expectations from their leaders. The culture at an organization will dictate how well a leader will be able to lead the organization. A good leader will be able to understand the context of the organization and will try to devise strategies he can implement to make changes. The author also mentions that the leader should try and develop organizational characteristics that are in line with their culture. This also transposes into the last discussion of â€Å"Forging the future†. The impediments faced by leaders in an organization can be very hard, but a good leader will be able to develop his own culture and characteristics to move the organization forward. One major issue I had with this book was that while the author continually refers to short term thinking as a â€Å"societal disease†; he himself to a certain extent subscribes to that notion. His interaction with the leaders seems comparatively very short term. Throughout the statements made in the book, it felt that the interviews were more about successful past rather than forward looking. I understand that one of the major attributes is to learn from experiences but the I’d prefer if the author also focused equally on the leader’s thoughts about the future. Secondly I felt that there was quite a bit of political commentary in the book. I knew that it was going to have some after reading the reviews while selecting the book, but the political leadership aspect seemed to be a comparatively one sided. I feel that the author could have refrained from making this political and focused instead on the corporate leadership aspect.

The Impact Of Budgetary Control On Job Performance In An Organisation Accounting Essay

The Impact Of Budgetary Control On Job Performance In An Organisation Accounting Essay The effectiveness of any budgetary system depends not only on the appropriateness of its technical characteristics to the particular organisation and environmental circumstances to which it is applied, but also on the way in which organisational participants make use of information that it promotes. It is a common place that budgetary system is often ignored, sometimes manipulated and even falsified by those whom it is provided to. Rosen and Sneck (1997) Lowe and Shaw (1968), Mintzerg (1995), and Yetton (1967) indicate that dysfunctional behaviour frequently stems from the fact that the budget information provided by the accounting system does not adequately match the complexity of the underlying organisation and economic events, but it is also evident that distortion of information can occur even when the budgetary system itself is technically adequate. Such distortion is a consequence of the divergence of individual goals from those of the organisation and most commonly manifests i tself in attempts to make budgetary reports reflect more favourably on an individuals contribution to the overall organisational performance. Budgetary control is very important in the management of an organisation because it helps in achieving organisational goals. Once the final budget is agreed to, it becomes a plan against which the actual cost, revenue and performance are periodically reviewed and compared with. Budgetary control is exercised by line management for control over cost through continuous appraisal of actual expenditures, using as a guide the planned costs as expressed in the budget. The principle is also applied to the various types of income and to items that affect the balance sheet, such as receivables inventories, cash, fixed assets, etc. Budgetary control is the preparation of targets or budgets for agreed areas of business. An area may be a functional management area e.g. sales, purchases or production it may be an agreed cost centre area, e.g. machinery assembly, planning which may consist of a machine, group of machines or a group of employees. Budgetary control, as such, controls nothing. Management has a control yardstick and when the actual results are compared with the budget figure management should be prompted into action. The information can assist in controlling operations and improving decision making budgetary control of it will control nothing. Budgetary control systems based upon financial measures are widely used in economic organisations. The principal designs for assigning financial responsibility in an organisation can be classified as follows: standard cost centre, revenue centre, discretionary expenses centre, profits centre and investment centre (Vanal, 1973). The order of this classification is from narrowest to broadest in terms of the decision making discretion permitted or required of the manager. Budgets are financial plans and provide a basis for directing and evaluating the performance of individuals or segments of organisations. Through a budget, activities of different parts of an organisation can be coordinated and controlled. A control system typically incorporates measures and techniques which conform to the responsibilities delegated to managers under the organisations structure. As the decision making authority is decentralised and parts of an organisation become more autonomous, managers will be responsible for more financial variables and financial control systems will be more complex in the sense that they will incorporate more variables. Budgets are potential means of influencing behaviour control is the successful exercise of power to influence behaviour available to an organisation. Two other primary means to influence behaviour are interpersonal contact i.e. leadership, and organisational structure i.e. the distribution of authority and work roles. This study focuses specifically on the relationship between formal properties of organisational structures and budgetary control. This is in contrast to other studies of budgeting which examined the relationship between interpersonal variables and budgetary control (Decoster and Fertakis, 1968, Foran and Decoster, 1974, Hopwood, 1974, Swieringa and Moncur, 1972 and 1975). Budgets in the organisation serve multiple roles of planning, evaluation, coordination, communication, and decision making. Participants in budgeting are another important issue because it reflects the degree of consensus, an important aspect of management style. Budgets require management to specify expected sales, cash inflows and outflows, and costs, and they provide a mechanism for effective planning and control in organisation (Flamholtz, 1983). The budget is a standard against which the actual performance can be compared and measured. Budgets are financial blueprints that qualify an organisations plan for a future period. Therefore, for the resources of the organisation to be effectively utilised, and for the objectives of such organisation to be achieved, the executive need to fully understand the importance of budgetary control. Research Questions What impact has budgetary control on job performance? Do budgetary decisions determine the future destiny of the organisation? In which specific ways does planning and control affect the organisation? What is the type of budgetary control used on the application? Do budgets represent an important part of the organisational motivation system? Rational To identify the planning and control system of the organisation. To examine the existing budgetary control system that affects organisation job performance. To outline the areas of budgetary control that requires further studies and problems encountered in carrying out such controls. To find out causes of workers per attitudes and how moral the budgetary system. To offer relevant recommendation that can help gear job performance in an organisation. Methodology The research design to be used in the collection of data would be primary and secondary source. The primary source would include personal experience, observation while the secondary source is the literature survey through the use of scholarly journals and relevant texts. The methods of data collection would be a self administered questionnaire. Limitations The study would be impeded by some inevitable circumstances like labour, transportation, as well as logistical problems in the process of data collection. Another limitation would be that the sample was therefore not strictly random or to convince the respondents to fill the questionnaire without delay. Definition of terms Budgetary control: it emphasizes the control of plans by comparing actual results to identify variances upon which corrective actions can take place. Budget: is a financial qualitative statement prepared and approved before a defined period of time for the purpose of attaining given objectives. Budget: the budget is a plan or target in qualities and/or money value prepared for a future period of time. Performance: is the assessment of individuals potential for future promotion. Organisation: Schein (1983) defines an organisation as the planned coordination of the activities of a number of people for the achievement of some common, explicit purpose or goal, through division of labour and function and through a hierarchy of authority and responsibility. Organisation: Robbins (1990) defines an organisation as a consciously coordinated social entity with a relatively identifiable boundary that functions on a relatively continuous basis to achieve a common goal or set of goals. Significance of study It is the aim of the study to have considerable significance in: exposing the real impact of budgetary control on job performance making significant recommendations to improve the budgetary system of the organisation inducing the leadership of the organisation to set up constructive budgetary programme to alleviate redundancy organisation cannot survive in isolation without individual supporting the effectiveness of the budget. Statement of Hypothesis The researcher formulated three hypotheses for this study. This is to determine whether the result of the research would accept or reject the hypothesis in question. Hypothesis one H0: Budgetary control is not significantly related to total organisational performance H1: Budgetary control is significantly related to total organisational performance. Variables involved are: Budgetary control Total organisational performance Hypothesis two H0: Budgetary control does not significantly and communication among top and lower management. H1: Budgetary control significantly and communication among top and lower management. Variables involved are: Budgetary control Avenue for communication Hypothesis three H0: Budgetary control does not significantly improve proper planning and control of operations in organisations. H1: Budgetary control has significantly improved proper planning and control of operations in organisations. Variables involved are: Budgetary control Improved proper planning and control Scope of study This study pays particular attention to the human aspect of budgeting which is the most complex, dynamic and unpredictable factors in the organisation This study will also learn stakeholders about the use of budgetary control as a means of effective organisational control and to make decisions that will improve the overall job performance of the company. Definition of the problem The coordination of efforts and activities of individuals in an organisation is to achieve the desired aims and objectives of that organisation has long been one of management most important, difficult and controversial problem. Organisations are established to achieve a set of defined goals, when an organisation is set up, the authority which established it also assigned certain budgetary functions. For those functions and objectives to be carried out the organisation has to carry its employees along. The following may pose problems: Which budgetary control system is in place and how effective has this helped the management in making decision? How has budgetary control helped in the application principles of: Planning and control Job performance Will budgetary control furnish a standard to management? for ascertaining the performance of different parts of the organisation? Historical Background of Budgetary Control? and Motivation. Budgetary participants relates to the involvement of managers in the budgetary process and their influence over setting of budgetary targets (Shields and Young 1993) the argument that managers participation in budget setting affects job related outcomes such as performance is premised on two explanations. First, models based on psychological theories suggest that participation is related to performance through identification and ego involvement with the budget goals (Murray 1990). This in turn leads to enhanced motivation and commitment to budget (Vroom, 1964, Brownell and Mclnnes, 1986). Second, from a cognitive perspective, participation is seen to improve the flow of information between superior and subordinates, leading to higher quality decisions (Lock and Schweiger, 1979, Shields and Young, 1993). Similarly, participation may promote better performance through facilitation of learning and knowledge acquisition (Parker and Wall 1998). There is evidence, however, that BP is not a lways beneficial. Previous studies have found that a variety of factors including perceived environment uncertainty (Gul 1991), job difficulty (Mia 1989), organisational structure (Gul, Tsui, Fong and kwok 1995) and budget emphasis in performance evaluation (Brownell 1982) may motivate the relationship between Budget Participation and managerial job related outcomes. For instance, Gul et al. (1995) found budgetary participation to be negatively related to managerial performance in less decentralised, (i.e. more hierarchical) situations. The role organisational culture perceptions, however has attracted only limited research attention. The importance of these perceptions was underlined in a three case analysis undertaken by Flamholtz (1983). Flamholtz (1983:168) concluded that if a firms culture and its core control system are not synchronized, it is not likely that even a well integrated core control system will actually influence behaviour in its intended ways. More specifically, managers in one of Flamholtzs (1983) cases described their organisational culture as being highly rules oriented and tradition bound and therefore felt that budgetary participation was only Pseudo. Therefore, when a zero budget cuts.

Man-of-war :: essays research papers fc

Man-of-War The Portuguese man-of-war if a member of the Kingdom Animalia, phylum Cnidaria(1), class Hydrozoa, order Siphonophra, the genus Physalia, and the species Physalia(2). The man-of-war is not an actual jellyfish, but a Siphonophor. Also the man-of-war is not a single organism. It is made up of many different organisms that work together. These organisms are called polyps. The Portuguese man-of-war is usually found in the Northern Atlantic gulf stream. It can also be found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The man-of-war will usually travel in groups, that may contain up to one thousand members. The main portion of the man-of-war's body is an oblong gas-filled bladder. The bladder is usually nine to thirty centimeters long, and is a translucent pink, blue, or purple. On top of the bladder is a crest. This is to catch the wind, and move the man-of-war along. Below the bladder, hang long stringy tentacles, that can reach a length of up to fifty meters. The tentacles are made-up of three different types of polyps. The names of these three polyps are: dactylozooid, gonozooid, and gastrozooid. The polyps are the parts that: capture prey, digest prey, and reproduce. The dactylozooids have cells called nematocysts(3). The nematocysts release a toxin(4) into anything that they come into contact with. The gastrozooids then attach to the dead/stunned victim, and spread over it. They digest it, and transfer food to the rest of the man-of-war. Last, the gonozooids create other polyps. The means by which the man-of-war reproduces, however, is not yet understood. The fish Nomeus gronvii lives among the tentacles of the man-of-war. This fish, which is eight centimeters long, is mostly immune to the man-of-war's toxin. It will eat the tentacles, which will grow back, as its main source of food. Although it is mostly immune to the man-of-war's toxin, the man-of-war will sometimes end up eating it. The enemies of the man-of-war are the Nomeus gronvii, and the loggerhead turtle. If you were to get stung by a man-of-war, you would experience a very painful sensation where you got stung. The toxin that the man-of-war uses blocks nerve conduction. This causes a severe systematic syndrome. This is accompanied by a fever, possibly shock, and interference with heart and lung functions. Bibliography "Portuguese man-of-war," Encyclopedia Britannica. 1988, University of Chicago: Vol. IX, p.634-35 "Portuguese man-of-war," Animal Kingdom. 1972, United States of America: Vol. XVIII, p.88-93 Caras, Roger. Venomous Animals of the World. United States of America: 1974, p. 17-18 hillside.sowashco.k12.mn.us, http://hillside.sowashco.k12.mn.us/kaipo/invertebrate/welcomeinv.html, United States of America: hillside.sowashco.k12.mn.us, 1997 Microsoft Encarta 1996. Silicon Valley Ca., Microsoft Corporation, 1997