The Role of Word and Sacrament in the Life of Catholics

Catholics in the United States are the representatives of one of the largest religious groups, and Catholicism has deep roots in the country’s history. That is why, the Catholic tradition and the views of Catholics on Word and sacraments can be discussed as reflecting the visions of the majority of Americans.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Word and Sacrament in the Life of Catholics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The role of Word and Sacrament in the life of those Catholics who follow their religious tradition strictly is significant because Word of God is associated with main religious doctrines and principles of Catholicism, and sacraments can be discussed as the main rites of passage which determine the major stages in the human life and accentuate the connection of an individual with the faith. Catholics focus on belonging to the community and church while following the fundamental relig ious principles and doctrines. The everyday life of Catholics should be based on spirituality, faith, and religious tradition. Moreover, Catholicism provides people with a set of moral norms and rules which are necessary to follow and live according to God’s laws (Allitt, 2003). The principles of Catholicism are meaningful for Americans because they depend on the aspects of the historic development (Hemeyer, 2010). According to Corbett and Hemeyer, â€Å"Catholics were among the first, if not the first, Europeans to set foot upon the shores of America† that is why it is quite usual for Americans to share the Catholic tradition (Corbett Hemeyer, 1997, p. 89). As a result, â€Å"the majority of people in the United States consider Catholics to be a part of consensus religion. Catholicism is not viewed as ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ religion† (Corbett Hemeyer, 1997, p. 92). From this point, the main tendencies of the American society’s development a re formed within the Catholic communities which can influence the life of a lot of Americans considerably. Thus, Catholics’ visions of Word and Sacrament become especially significant for discussing the Americans’ religious tradition and spirituality in relation to Christianity. The guidelines to find the principles of religion and rules to follow can be reached with references to Word of God presented in the Bible. Catholics are inclined to discuss Word of God as God’s will or even as the equivalent of God. Thus, God’s will make Catholics act according to this will and according to the specific doctrines and codes presented in relation to the dogmas of Catholicism (Hemeyer, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Catholics follow Word of God because it can be discussed as the single truth presented directly by God. From this perspective, following Word, people have to provide the definite response to this will. Catholics react to Word of God with following the religious principles and building their life according to the Catholic tradition. God’s truth is reflected in Word that is why people can grow spiritually basing on the visions provided in the Bible (Allitt, 2003). Furthermore, Catholics can draw conclusions about the aspects of religion only referring to Word of God. However, to build the life according to Word of God and main Catholic principles, it is necessary to follow definite religious procedures known as sacraments. Thus, Word of God and Sacrament are the basic aspects of the Catholic worship. The American Catholic Church provides people with the opportunity to attend it as the centers for worship and for developing the community life (Hemeyer, 2010). Church is significant during the periods of trouble and when people experience crises in their life. Those Catholics who cannot find the answer to the quest ions of spirituality with the help of interpreting Word of God are inclined to act and follow sacraments which reflect the main stages or passages in the human life such as the process of adopting the religion or marriage (Corbett Hemeyer, 1997). Sacraments are the meaningful rituals which can deepen the individual’s faith and connect the person with God more closely, developing one’s spirituality. Thus, to accept God’s will and to participate in Sacrament, Catholics should follow a range of rituals. Moreover, the role of sacraments is incomparable because they help determine the main aspects of the life and accentuate the sacred fields of the human existence. Catholics determine seven main sacraments which are Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, Eucharist, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick. According to Hemeyer, the first and the main sacrament that Catholics participate in is Baptism. Thus, Catholics believe that â€Å"baptism is necessary for the removal of the inborn sin that is a part of all persons simply because they are human† (Hemeyer, 2010, p. 99).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Word and Sacrament in the Life of Catholics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To become a Catholic, it is necessary to be baptized according to the principles of this religion. Baptism is an important stage of cleaning the soul and body from the sins, and it is a kind of protection for a human provided by the religion. Baptized Catholics begin to celebrate God and his will fully. Eucharist is a ritual when Catholics share Christ’s Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine. It is an important stage of becoming closer to Christ spiritually. Sacraments are significant to teach Catholics the basics of religion according to God’s Word. Thus, God forgives the people’s sins, and Catholics are taught to forgive during the sacrament of Reconciliation (Hemeyer, 2010). To develop the mature spirituality, Catholics are expected to follow the ritual of Confirmation. Holy Orders help Catholics join Church and share the basic religious doctrines. Anointing of the Sick is a specific sacrament in which a priest usually uses oil to anoint a person â€Å"who is ill or in danger of dying from accident or old age†, and this sacrament is a way of â€Å"mediating the concern of Christ and the Church for the suffering person† (Hemeyer, 2010, p. 103). Marriage is one more Catholic sacrament. Getting married in front of God, Catholics state their belonging to their spouses and accentuate the religious power of the union of persons who love each other. Sacraments in the form of definite rituals and ceremonies help Catholics share the love of Christ and follow God’s will reflected in Word. Moreover, Word of God can be regarded as the single source of God’s will available for Catholics’ understa nding. The interpretation of Word of God presented in the Bible is the Catholics’ way to deepening their faith and spirituality. Furthermore, the Bible is the source of ethical rules and codes for the Christians.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, Catholics receive the knowledge of God with references to Word of God provided in the Bible. Sacraments are extremely significant for Catholics because these acts help people connect their lives with God. According to the religious visions, Catholics can feel God’s grace and love while following these sacraments. References Allitt, P. (2003). Religion in America. USA: Columbia University Press. Corbett, J. M., Hemeyer, J. C. (1997). Religion in America. USA: Prentice Hall. Hemeyer, J. C. (2010). Religion in America. USA: Prentice Hall. This essay on The Role of Word and Sacrament in the Life of Catholics was written and submitted by user Kaliyah S. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Strategic Analysis of Honda Motors The WritePass Journal

Strategic Analysis of Honda Motors EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Strategic Analysis of Honda Motors EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:INTRODUCTIONCONCLUSION:REFERENCESRelated EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Being founded in 1948 in Japan by Soichiro Honda, the organization has come a long way from motorcycle manufacturer at the early stages to manufacturing high power electronic items and technologically sound automobiles, trucks etc. in a short duration after its foundation, Honda motors became the leading automobile industry, standing not only in the top market players in its native market but leaving behind the regional competitors and competing at the global level with automobile giants like GM, Ford, Mercedes Benz and Chrysler etc. Being the first amongst the Japanese manufacturing companies to expand its operations globally, Honda faced numerous challenges in making its products acceptable by the European and American customers who were used to big, fuel consuming expensive cars. Honda played it beautifully by presenting low cost, high quality less fuel consumption vehicles, and now with majority of its sales volume generating outside the native region and approximately half of th e manufacturing facilities outside Japan, the basic principle remains the same i.e. technologically advanced low cost vehicles. With more than 400 subsidiaries and sister concern around the world, Honda has managed the famous Japanese management theory of JIT (just in time), also the management systems and decision making processes applied by the organization has brought quite a stir in the management theorists of the west, who found it imperative to study these and make comparison with those applied in their region. Though, Honda has also shifted from time to time to some of the western management concepts but with some modification, the organization still adheres to the basic Japanese management systems of giving human relationships most importance and doing collective decision making and sharing responsibilities down the line. In this case study, it was studied how Honda motors handles various managerial dichotomies in organizational hierarchy, new product development, JIT system supply chain, product strategies like designing and positioning, and planning intra-organizational and inter-organizational relationships. It has emerged by this study that Honda has managed and reconciled these dichotomies successfully though some failures were also faced but the overall performance of the organization can be termed successful. INTRODUCTION The today’s highly advanced and technologically sound global automobile industry has evolved successfuly from a humble origin of wooden craft in 1890s to engine based vehicles’ mass production in 1910s and the highly popularized lean production methods of 1970s (Gopal, 2006). The industry has made speedy advancement to stand amongst the world’s top industries in terms of value and the leading industry in terms of its RD expenditures (Gopal, 2006). Due to such rapid growth of this business sector Peter Drucker (1946) termed the world automobile indutsry the ‘industry of industries’. Today, the global automobile industry has growth plans keeping view the low cost, high quality, less fuel consumption engines, innovation and modern techniques. Though the current reccession has marred the growth rate of the industry like other sectors, the global wutomobile industry is fighting hard to retain its profitability and higher shareholder value. The global industry was initially dominated by the US and European manufacturers, but the post world war II Japan started to challenge the big giants of the sector in the world market and penetrated the purely European and American automobile market successfully during 1970s and 1980s (Mair, 1999). The Japanese manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan and Honda shcoked their western competitors in producing low cost vehicles to enter thier segments. Honda was most innovative, challenging and strategically sound an\mongst all its Japaenes counterparts and not only successfully captured the western markets but also succeeded in opening its manufacturing sites both in the Europe and USA and achieved economies of scale. Today, a large portion of its sales volume (approximately 77%) is generated from these foreign markets with 46% of its manufacturing facilities present off-shore (Mair 1997). The analysis that is going to be presented in this report is how Honda succeeded to achieve its present market positiong and how it tackled various obstacles in terms of management or strategical policies procedures. Table 1: World’s top car manufacturers (2008) Group Unit Production General Motors 9000 8926 Toyota 9000 8083 Ford 7000 6268 Volkswagen Group 6000 5685 Honda 4000 3670 PSA 4000 3357 Nissan 4000 3223 Chrysler 3000 2545 Source: http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/car-statistics/international-statistics.html Renault 3000 2492 Honda has built its procedure of strategic management on a very special thinking i.e. to reconcile the dichotomies or to resolve the issues successfully, which means that Honda chooses to take advantage of all the dichotomies or in other words, the contradictions of strategic concepts such as individualism-collectivism, vertical-horizontal structure, vertical integration-market relationship, sequential-simultaneous development, cost-differentiation strategy and load more. Reconciliation refers to an approach in which the two poles are somehow made in harmony with each other. Honda’s approach to reconciling dichotomies is an exemplary innovation in management. Honda has contributed significantly in teaching today’s managers the best ways to resolve some of the hardest management dilemmas. It is also a great reference for management students all around the world (Mair, 1997). Keywords: a) Global corporate Strategy: Andrews K (1971) has defined the corporate strategy as the   pattern of minor objectives, purposes or goals and essential policies or plans for achieving those goals, stated in such a way as to define what business is company in or is to be in and the kind of company it is or is it to be. In today’s global village, organizations develop strategies to cater internal as well as off-shore customers to achieve the competitive advantage. b)   Managerial dichotomies: When one thing is divided in two or more different parts or opposite opinions, we said that a dichotomy occurs1. When we talk about managerial dichotomies, it means clash of different strategic concepts that are contradictory to each other in a business run. c)   Japanese vs. Western style of management: in view of Wickham (2009), the comparison of these two thinking of management could well be defined as â€Å"To do the Right Things or do Things Right?  The What and the How. At one hand, if Japanese management style focuses more on human relations and team working, the western style is more inclined towards hierarchy i.e. it is more top-down style which gives CEOs more importance and rewards whereas, Japanese emphasize more on advanced manufacturing technologies, just in time theory and TQM (total quality management), their western counterparts believe on trade-offs between cost quality and individualism group etc (Wickham, 2009). d)   Corporate Governance: It defines the relationship between all the stakeholders in a company. This includes the shareholders, directors, and management of a company, as defined by the corporate charter, bylaws, formal policy and rule of law (Investopedia). It is also defined as â€Å"the set of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions affecting 1answers.com/topic/dichotomy#ixzz1MVzwuwMt the way a corporation (or company) is directed, administered or controlled†.(Barron’s Accounting dictionary). e) Corporate Ethics:   It is the study and evaluation of the decision making by the businesses according to moral concepts and judgments. Ethical questions range from practical, narrowly defined issues, such as a companys obligation to be honest with its customers, to broader social and philosophical questions, such as a companys responsibility to preserve the environment and protect employee rights (Paluszek, 2005). f)   Corporate Social Responsibility: When an organization recognizes what are its corporate social responsibilities, it imposes a self regulation upon itself and its management system and the business model. This regulation enables the organization to monitor business practices to ensure that these practices and activities are in alignment with the law, ethical standards and international laws (Wood, 1991). Question 1: a) ‘Planning’ vs. ‘Learning’ For the success of any business, it is imperative that the organizations resolve some of the dichotomies that run in the business. Honda used to introduce their products by considering the geographical differences and cultural variations and it yielded them good results in their business as well. The dichotomy of whether an organization is a planning organization or learning one is very difficult to resolve (De Wit, B. and Meyer, R., 2004). Honda has handled and reconciled this dichotomy successfully; in view of Mintzberg (1987) Honda is a company which epitomized in a very exemplary way that it’s a ‘crafted’ organization rather than a ‘planned’ one. Pascal (1984) is also of the opinion that the mangers at Honda got the firsthand reaction on their automobiles by driving their own products and learnt after making simplest of the mistakes till they struck the right formula while entering the US motorcycle market. During the whole course of this entrance , they learned and made it a part of their system. Mintzberg (1989) has hailed Honda by declaring it as a company with some common sense, not overly-rational, but which learns from different markets and do not try to impose distant corporate views. It can be extracted from the case that the under discussion organization is learning one but with strategies planned with such detail and accuracy that the organizational system first learn then adjust itself to the changes in business environment easily. Honda case reveals the necessity of ‘emergent learning alongside deliberate planning’ Mair (1999), also Mintzberg (1991) is of the opinion that though both planning and learning are necessary , the leaning should come first, he has also argued that the rationale thinking on part of Honda would not have helped the organization sell its motorcycle in USA. Honda is strategically active organization with a well thought of and planned strategic system that is why it has been able to resolve this dichotomy successfully exchanging both planning and learning with each other. b)   ‘Positioning’ vs. ‘Developing internal resources’ It is very difficult for an organization to choose between deciding the positioning strategies of its product or to develop its internal resources in such a way that would automatically position its products better in minds of customers, Honda also faced this difficult scenario and got through it successfully again, though failures are inevitable part of this paradox, but the organization got through them as well. Many reasons could be cited to determine the rationale behind this success, Hamel and Prahalad (1994) are of the opinion that this was not to any significant part of its management of the dealers’ network, rather on the difference of driving the Honda experiences over its competitors. They have also stated that ‘Honda’s ability to produce some of the world’s best engines and power trains does provide customers with high valued benefits’. A large portion of company’s global sales comes from the conservative and simple brand like Civic and Accord, which is in contrast to the general opinion about Honda being the producer of mainly the sporty and technically innovative cars, these sales figures show how customers perceive its products, i.e. as a combination of high quality vehicles with low prices and this concept is based on Honda’s core capability of product and process designs. Also, the RD of Honda is stronger than its competitors mostly the Americans, as it introduces innovative products more frequently in the market (Hamel and Prahalad,1994), it presented Honda NSX was presented as a replacement of the Ferrari but at a fraction of the cost. It conducts research ad is able to identify customers’ and presented products which they wanted to have but didn’t know it themselves (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994). Yet today, it is making huge investments in strengthening its core capability of technological advancements, low – pollution power sources e.g. electric or solar power and less fuel co nsuming engines, so that a potential breakthrough in the market position could be achieved. Thus, Honda is integrating both these functioning successfully in attaining the competitive advantage in the global automobile industry. c)   ‘Product-related core competencies’ vs. ‘ Process-related core capabilities’ The technological edge that Honda enjoys over its competitors enables the organization to produce its well known internal combustion engines which in a way reduces pollution and the latest technology they introduced in their product is CVCC. Though the new models introduced by Honda are less in comparison to its competitor GM Ford, the quality of these new products helps it to gain the competitive advantage. This innovative technology is then also used in other product lines as well (motorcycles, automobiles and other power products). The technology developed for the power trains and engines is also transferred to other products such as cars, tractors, generators and marine engines (Mair, 1999). The manufacturing concerns depend heavily on their process related core competencies, which represent the quantity in contrast to the product related core competency which represents quality. Honda has acquired both competencies and is successfully utilizing them simultaneously by producing at a large scale and specializing in low polluted and less fuel consumption auto and power engines. As the organization believes on the right-first time principle, the outcome is the right one without with errors (Mair, 1999), enabling the organization to save time which would otherwise spend in resolving the errors if there are any in its products. Errors increase the operational cost and lead time for product availability, which would force shift in customers’ preference from their brand to other. Honda has developed another competency, i.e. built-in-quality, gained through various sub transformational tasks in operations and determines its effectiveness via observing customer satisfactio n. Thus, it proves that Honda has created an amalgam of both dichotomies by incorporating its core competencies both the products and process successfully. Whereas, Western manufacturers view their businesses and operations only with the perspective of the manufacturer, Honda views them both from manufacturers’ and customers’ point of view. Question 2: ‘Japanese management model’ vs. ‘Western management model’ Western organizations are more inclined to the managerial class in their enterprises, Japanese on the other hand, prefer the worker. As Hofstede (1993) has stated that, ‘the Japanese are controlled by their peers rather than by their managers’. Western organizations believe in â€Å"large lot mass production’ in manufacturing helping in reducing the cost and time, with few options in the hand of the customers, Japanese enterprises contrarily are based on the flexibility of production in which more importance is given to innovation (Mair, 1999). The recruitment in the Japanese firms are mainly made from the school levels on the basis of the general characteristics of the incumbent, they also believe in long-term relations with their employees rather than a short-term relation as are usually seen in the western organizations which break-off in the downslide periods. Also the western firms view the technical skills of the new entrant most important (Hofstede, 1993). Practices for the progress in the career of the employees also differ in both styles, Japanese give seniority most importance while western organizations view merit as the sole criteria.   Same is the case with remunerations paid in both systems, where Japanese prefer seniority while considering wages the western organizations give efficiency most importance. Human resources are the most important fixed assets in the Japanese organizations which in their counterparts is considered to be a semi variable asset. Japanese prefer working in teams and have open offices while in the western organizations offices are filled with cubicles and employees work individually. Group decision making is the charter of the Japanese organizations while western ones believe in the individualism with employees stick to the tasks given to them in western organization in contrast to the more independence given to workers in Japan. In Honda factories, they are performing free flow of assembly line system where employees are taking decision to send the product to the next level (Mair, 1997). Trade-offs between product quality, cost and delivery, with high quality costing more and vice versa are common thinking in the western style, Japanese model, on the other hand, follows â€Å"Right-First-Time† in which all the errors are removed during production. Priority is given to built-in-quality which in turn reduces production costs and also reduces product delivery time. Western enterprises practice centralized management where all decisions taken by the top management and implemented by the other staff in lower hierarchy, Japanese on the other hand, practice decentralized management which is characterized by the round table discussions. Thus western organizational structure is vertical and Japanese is horizontal (Mair, 1997). There are no doubts in the effectiveness of both the management styles, both are successful in their own capacity and also have their own shortcomings as well. An edge is obtained by the Japanese style due to better maintenance of and participation of employees in the decision making processes, customers could choose from various choices so quality is given the priority. Due to specific hierarchical system of management in Japanese organizations, the responsibilities are shared which brings out the best from all the employees. Question 3: ‘Corporate governance’ vs. ‘Corporate social responsibility’ Nowadays, CSR (corporate social responsibility) has consumed all focus of the managers in the world, an old thinking given new dimensions in the management function each organization is expected to exhibit some â€Å"ethical behavior and moral management†. Recently, the organizations have made it imperative to practice â€Å"corporate social responsibility† (Carroll, 2000). Automobile industry is the largest industry of the world after construction and grocery industries on capital and investment ratios with topping the list on technological perspective. Though Flores (20010 agrees that the main objective of this industry is to produce more cars with profitability, he is of the opinion that the profit should be made but not on the expense of ignoring responsibilities towards the community. Every organization makes CSR an imperative part of its corporate strategy as they have certain obligations towards the society from which they are generating their profit and of which they themselves are the part. Demands of organizational stakeholders are also met via CSR, through which the customers make notice of such organizations as a good one. CSR has a large horizon with social, economical and environmental aspects as its integral part. However most of the organizations try to avoid social and environmental aspects and cope up with economical aspects only (Aguilera, 2008). Honda strictly shows its commitment towards society by taking initiatives regarding environmental issues. Honda Civic, a new model of Honda was introduced with clear air test using Muskie Law and it was to follow the American environment regulations2. Crane, Matten and Laura (2007) stated that â€Å"CSR should not be considered as an ethical add on to the existing business, but it should be considered as a part and parcel of corporate strategy itself. Adoption of CSR activities eventually leads to prosperous company and society†. It helps organization building good name for them in the minds of customers, good relationship with employees, clients and other stakeholders which ultimately improves the organizational performance and profitability. If CSR is not being followed, the organizational business is affected as the firm’s good name will are destroyed in the customers’ minds. Thus, 2topgear.com/uk/honda/civic, organizations need to practice CSR, as it is vital in building a good rapport with the customers and increase business. By the introduction of environmental friendly engines with low pollution helped Honda to increase their revenue. It created a good name among its consumers as well. Apart from the financial aspects, non-financial aspects of an organization are also get affected by CSR, like selection and recruitment process of organization, employee motivation and employee retention and the innovation. Also, the environmental factors and ethical factors force the organization to come up with innovative products and these innovative products increase company’s overall profits as well and assist them to sustain in market for a long term by making better quality cars for their customers, it ultimately increases the reputation of the company. CSR enables the organization to get rid of risks and errors from their production and operations by realizing the upcoming issues. CSR are thus result in giving more competitive advantage and profit by marketing positions. As automobile companies are going greener and environmental free, cost of production may reduce and it will improve their performance in the market (Hill and Knowlton, 2006) Toyota Prius is a new model which is a hybrid car which runs using electricity and gas. Even though it is not fuel effective, it is sold in great numbers as they are eco friendly. Honda too introduced Hybrid cars and it attracted more customers as well. Thus it shows that companies who are following CSR can generate great profit. Toyota showed their CSR when one of their hybrid car models faced brake failure in the market and the same thing happens to Ferrari in the year 2010 as one of their model exploded. Honda was chosen as the top CSR Company in UK during the year 20063. CONCLUSION: It is evident from the study of this case that the managerial dichotomies in the organizations are well handled by our focused organization i.e. Honda. Despite some failures in the course of these applications, the overall performance of Honda is satisfactory and can be called successful, creating an example to follow for other organizations on how to perform specially in the period of downslides. Honda handles these dichotomies with precision, applying a web-like organizational structure i.e. the combination of both vertical and horizontal systems of hierarchy levels in the management, implying teamwork and individualism simultaneously and developing both formal and informal relationships within the organization and also outside with other business organizations or the stakeholders. As the managerial dichotomies that exist at the business and corporate levels and are more complex and multilayered as compared to those present at the operational levels, they should be handled with gre at care and planning and Honda has been very successful in achieving this target. This handling of these dichotomies has attracted global management and strategic theorists to shift their focus from studying the strategies adopted by the western organizations to those adopted by their Japanese counterparts mainly Honda. Western management thinking of â€Å"trade-offs† between various vital functions 3marketresearchworld.net/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=672 Like product quality cost, cost product delivery etc are challenged by Honda by developing â€Å"build in quality process†. The firm is also focusing in manufacturing high quality technological cars to attract customers who go for the quality with low cost rather than other aspects. Honda has also left behind its competitors in the field of product development, with continuously bringing in new products with less fuel consumption engines, a core competency of the organization, power engines not only for heavy vehicles but for product lines of motorcycles and cars as well. The introduction of new products in the market are also made at sufficient intervals and with great care, planning and RD, when the consumers are desperately start looking for more advanced and sophisticated products / models. The organization avoids re-launching its existing brand with only some face-lifts done to the previous models. REFERENCES A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   B. Carroll (1979), A Three Dimensional model of corporate performance, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 4. pp. 497-505 Andrew Mair (1997), Reconciling managerial dichotomies at Honda Motors Andrew Mair (1999), Learning from Japan? Interpretations of Honda Motors by Strategic  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management Theorists Bob De Wit and Ron Meyer (2004) â€Å"STRATEGY Process, Content, Context an International Perspective† (3rd edition), Thomson publishers, New York Business Reference Services Fall 2004. Chithra Gopal R.S. (2006), Global Automobile Industry: Changing with Times D Wood (1991), Corporate Social Performance Revisited, The Academy of Management Review Richard T. Pascal (1984), Perspectives on strategy: the real story behind Honda’s success, California Management Review. Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad (1994), Competing for the Future, Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Geert Hofstede (1993), Cultural constraints in management theories, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 7, No. 1. Henry Mintzberg (1987), Crafting Strategy, Harvard Business Review, July – Aug, pp. 66 – 75 Henry Mintzberg (1989), Mintzberg on Management, New York: the Free Press Henry Mintzberg (1991), Learning 1 Planning 0: Reply to Igor Ansoff, Strategic Management Journal, 12: 464 – 466. Intelli Zen,   intelli-zen.com/?p=9 John Paluszek (2005), Ethics and Brand Value: Strategic Differentiation, Business and Organizational Ethics Partnership Steve Wickham (2009), Leadership Vs Management Dichotomy honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=20010103000988 http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/11/auto_industry_bailout_may_be_w.html marketresearchworld.net/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=672 forbes.com/2002/04/09/0409autos.html answers.com/topic/dichotomy#ixzz1MVzwuwMt topgear.com/uk/honda/civic,

Managing time as an adult learner Research Paper

Managing time as an adult learner - Research Paper Example Adult learners are nowhere placed as target audience/reader/listener. Research journals on time management are also found to target mainly the managers. In this paper I attempt to identify the area observable for research on time management among adult learning community. Understanding the adult learning methods in vogue becomes mandatory to evolve feasible time managing techniques for adult learners. Review of literature throws light on the basic qualities of adult learners. Time management knacks are not new to them. However, inability to adhere to the techniques of time management by adult learners is found to have been caused not merely by their situational factors but also by the training modalities. Further researches are extensively required especially by the psychologists and teaching community in this regard. Literature on time management and literature on adult learning focus their targets in two different but parallel trajectories. While academic journals on time managemen t are very less in number, literature on adult learning too is meagre. (Dorothy MacKeracher, 2004) The efforts being carried out by NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) is note worthy. However, the institute focuses its attention purely on developing Adult Education on macro level to sustain the growth and overall development of Great Britain. Adult learners, unlike youngsters who have specific goals, always have specific and ready-to-fire goals that are tangible such as qualification for current job/up skilling for promotion/ career change .1. To locate the research-deserving area with regard to time management by adult learners, the following research questions are framed: a)While time management is a universally acceptable tool for success, is it specifically adaptable to adult learning community as a whole? b)What are the causes that restrain adult learning community from adhering to time managing techniques? Understanding the course of time management as wel l as that of adult learning becomes prerequisite. Time management nuances are contained in broad classification of focussing, planning, organising, acting and learning (Dodd and Sundheim, 2008). Adult learning, as formulated by androgogy specialists is classified in to the following steps namely planning, applying and understanding(Trivette C.M et al, 2009). 1)While time management is a universally acceptable tool for success, is it specifically adaptable to adult learning community as a whole? 1.1 Interactive training: Adult learning theorists have much focussed on the teaching community enabling them to give out fruitful training to adult learners. Most of the literatures on adult learning are in the type of a trainers training module. Review of those literatures reveals that nuances of time management for adult learners are embedded here and there. By selecting a training session designed interactively, which contains application opportunities, a learner can actively take part in the learning process. Through interactive application methods one can score more learning outcomes. In contrast, content oriented sessions that render didactic sermons consume quite a long time to bring to achieve learning objectives. (Foley, 2004, p.91) 1.2 Devising ones own learning objective: Having clear cut and tangible goals in hand they (the goals) can

The Adversarial Justice System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Adversarial Justice System - Essay Example The adversarial system of justice relies upon four presumptions: First, that the parties are both legally represented; second, that the lawyers are roughly of the same caliber; third, that each parties interest are promoted to the fullest of each adversary’s ability; and fourth, that the court rarely needs to intervene on the interest of the public. (See Zuckerman & Cranston, 1995).  The adversarial process attempts to be fair and just in that the parties that enter the process do have control over initiating the action, clearly outlining the nature of the action through pleadings, exploring the legal framework for which their action falls under, and surveying possible settlements to their actions. Each opposing side is afforded these opportunities in legal proceedings making the adversarial process fair and just. But in criminal cases, the odds are stacked against defendants and since the process is ultimately made up of opposing parties, the adversarial process is not alwa ys fair, just and in the best interest of the public.The Roman Influence in European Law  Legal systems are set up in an adversarial system of justice. This was, in large part, due to the laws and systems set about by Roman rule. European law has a deep rooted history that stems from the adoption and codification of laws and systems that were originally laid out by the Roman Empire. Though there were many interpretations of Roman law throughout the middle ages, and various applications of the law depended largely on the different regions of Europe.

Impact of Market Environment on Lays Company

Impact of Market Environment on Lays Company The behavior of organization in their market environment and the significance of the global factors that shape national business activities Papia Hasan Popy Executive Summary This report is based on different types of business information and the issues and constraints within the organization. Name of organization: Lay’s Chapter 1: Introduction Lay’s is a name of a potato chips made from Canadian spuds. The owner of the company is Herman W. Lay. He first started producing potato chips in his machines then he finally shaped potato in chips with flavors. Lay’s was then first snack to be promoted on Television till 1944. Soon it became so popular snacks in all over Canada. And by 1977 Lay’s became the most preferable chip brands and dominating over the market. Due to its flavor and taste Lay’s many people love Lay’s. They basically manufacture and produce different flavors of potato chips and have able to create their brand value. Chapter 2: Background of the Study 2.1: Objective of the study 2.1.1: Broad objective The behaviour of organizations in their market environment. The significance of the global factors that shape national business activities. 2.1.2: Specific objective How market structure determine the pricing and output decision of business The way in which market forces shape organizational responses. How the business and cultural environments shape the behavior of an organization Significance of international trade. The impact of global factors on business organization. The impact of policies of the international trading communities on business organization. 2.2: Methodology 2.2.1: Area of study The current situation of Bangladesh. 2.2.2: Sources of data Website, Outlets, Books, Leaflet and Newsletter. 2.3: Limitations of study Communication gap. Intolerable traffic jam made dilemma. Network failure while working with net. Chapter 3: Analysis and Findings Task 8: (LO 3.1) Explain how market structures determine the pricing and output decision of the organization. Market structure: It depends on the number of buyers and suppliers in order to run a business. Types of market structure: Perfect competition Pure monopoly Monopolistic competition Oligopoly Perfect competition: In this competition there are many buyers and many sellers. The products are alike and entrance and exit is very easy. If the price is increased then consumer will move to another product if the price is extremely high as output depends on buyer’s demand. Lay’s is selling different flavors of potato chips and their competitors are Sun chips, Alooz and Pringles. Pure monopoly: Only one seller who dominate the whole market. They usually charge high price as there is no competitor and spend a lot on branding and R and D. But this is not applicable for Lay’s as there are many competitors are available in the market. Monopolistic competition: There are many sellers but market is dominated by few. Brand loyalty has a competitive advantage and firms are affected by Competitors. Lay’s product is varies in flavors but all products are potato chips and the price is reasonable. The output depends on the demand of the product. Oligopoly: There are many buyers but few sellers. Huge capital needed so entry and exit is very difficult and each seller controls a particular portion of the market. Price and output is affected by competitors. Lay’s does not follow this. Task 9: (LO 3.2) Illustrate (with example) the way in which market forces shape organizational responses. I have chosen Lay’s to describe the shape of market forces. Demand: Willingness to buy a product and depends on desire and affordability. It is affected due to price, income level, substitute product and competition. Elasticity of demand: How elastic the demand is. If price increases then demand decreases and vice-versa. If income level remains unchanged and price increases then demand decreases but if income level increases then demand is stable. Lay’s is an elastic product so they need to keep their price stable because substitute products like Alooz and Sun chips are available in the market and also they are the competitors of Lay’s. If the price of Lay’s increases then customers will switch to Alooz. Supply: The quantity of commodities for sale and depends on profit. It is affected by price of raw materials, technology, technique, labor cost etc. Elasticity of supply: If price increases then supply increases and vice-versa. Lay’s should not take the risk to increase their price. If price increases the sales may decreases as substitute products are available in the market. They should keep the price stable and provide steady supply of products or else they might lose customers and their sales. Task 10: (LO 3.3) Judge how the business and cultural environment shape the behaviour of the organization Business environment consists of factors that affect the business and its activities. There are few factors which affects business environment: Political Factors Legal Factors Economic Factors Social and Cultural Factors etc. But I will focus on cultural and social factors which include: Demographic and Population Household and Families Attitudes to work Religion Nationalism Attitudes to male and female roles Ethics etc. Demographic and Population: The population of Bangladesh is about 18 cores approximately so more labor is available for work and there is also an increase in demand for goods. Lay’s have better opportunity to do business here because of the large population which makes available of labors and buyers. Household and Families: Now a days there are huge number of joint families compared to single families. So buying behavior will be more for joint families. Attitudes to work: The working environment inside the factory of Lay’s is friendly and women are participating there in large numbers. Religion: Most of the people of Bangladesh are Muslims. So Lay’s should supply halal products. Nationalism: In Bangladesh nationalism is less as people are purchasing more imported product then their Country’s product. Attitudes to male and female roles: Now a days both men and women are working together in the same environment. Ethics Lay’s is doing business ethically. Political factors: decision taken by government about the public expenditure and taking taxes. This involves the political stability of a country which favors business. Sometimes government gives grant, subsidy and loans on low interest rates for the development of a business. They maintain the infrastructure of a country thus developing communication links. Enhancing skills of population: Now a days education and training courses are available to make population skilled in their desired field. This will increase the efficiency of labors which will favor business for Lay’s. Task 11: (LO 4.1) Discuss the significance of international trade to the organization International trade: Doing business beyond the boundaries of a country. International trade is important for expansion of business and increasing profit. To acquire resources and to reduce cost international trade is important. It creates an identity in other countries and also get tax advantage. Lay’s is doing international business. Global Business: Lay’s is also doing global business. They have production plants in different countries of the world. Now they want their production plant in Bangladesh. Multinational Company: Lay’s is having their operation across the globe Micro Multi-National Companies: Companies doing business through internet and Lay’s is not doing business through internet. Reasons behind increased growth of International Business Lay’s is a Canadian company doing business globally to get technological advancement, easy and quick communications, creation of trade agreements among countries and Bangladeshi government is more liberal to the companies who want to do business here. Bangladesh is now developing so Foreign Direct investment is very important for us. It creates employment opportunity, GDP growth and exchange of knowledge, technology, technique, culture etc. Lay’s is a foreign company so they are investing money in our country. FDI in Bangladesh FDI in Bangladesh has some opportunities and threats which include: The opportunities are huge markets, availability of labor at low cost, natural resources, low production cost, liberal government and citizens etc. So Lay’s can take advantages in Bangladesh. The threats are political instability of Bangladesh, lack of infrastructural facility, unavailability of some raw materials, lack of skilled human resources and efficient management etc. These factors must be observed by Lay’s before doing business in Bangladesh. Task 12: (LO 4.2) Analyse the impact of Global factors on the organization Import- Goods and service purchased from other country. Export Goods and service sold in other country. Free trade- Allowing people of a country to buy and sale their product as per their want. Exchange rate Price of one country currency in term of other country currency. Protectionism Establishing artificial barrier to discourage foreign trade in order to save the interest of local industry. Barriers to trade are three types. Natural Barriers Tariff barrier Non-tariff barrier Natural barrier- Natural things include distance, language, social system, legal system and culture and government has no control on this barrier. As Lay’s is a multinational company they need good infrastructure like proper distance route to supply their product and service to customer without it Lay’s will not be able to reach their products to customers which results in losing customers. Proper language should be used inside the organization and with the customer in order to maintain good relationship. If employee does not serve with proper language with customers and employee, they will fail to earn customer objective and organization objective too. Tariff barriers It is imposed by government which makes imported goods costly it affect Lay’s a lot because they are multinational company and they import huge amount of product from various countries. If the cost is high they would not able to bring the sufficient amount of products in Bangladesh and it will affect their position in their market place. Due to high cost less product is supplied to customers so tendency of using imported product is affected. It also reduces competition from foreign product. Non-tariff Barriers- It is imposed by government other than tax/duty/Levy. Quota A limit on quantity for certain goods that can be imported. If Lay’s do not import the quantity of product they need for customers demand they would not able to serve people which will have a great impact on. Embargo   Complete ban against importing from exporting to certain country. Lay’s cannot supply their product to those countries where embargo is given. Customer regulation –  Make the entry hand for foreign product. Dumping: Selling product at a very low price to out-perform competitor in order to capture new market. This is resist by Anti-Dumping law set by government to protect local industries. Task 13: (LO 4.3) Evaluate the impact of policies of international trading communities on the organization. International trading creates international links among countries which is good for business. International Trading Communities include SAARC, G8, BIMSTEC etc. If Bangladesh did not take part in the international trading communities it will affect Bangladesh and Lay’s will not be able to do business. There will be no free trade among the member of the countries. The tax duties will be high and the product price will be also high as a result there will be less demand and supply of international products, which will affect Lay’s. Protectionism will be greater. Exchange of raw materials will be less.so there will be less production of Lay’s which will create bad impact in the society. Exchange of culture and values will be hampered. It will mainly affect Bangladesh as they will lose their neighbour as well as their helping opportunity. Task 14: Give a decision whether business environment of Bangladesh is favourable for starting the operation/ manufacturing plant/ showroom/ branches of the organization or not. Give proper justification behind your decision. Do you have any recommendation regarding these issues? Lay’s can start their operations in Bangladesh because potatoes are produced in Bangladesh in large quantities. They can get labors at low cost and tax advantage as Bangladesh government is liberal to foreign investors. They can increase their sales and their brand name in Bangladesh and the political situation is stable now. I would like to suggest some recommendation to Lay’s before operating in Bangladesh. Chapter 4: Recommendation As many substitutes are available in the market so they must focus on quality. They must focus on price because Alooz is charging Tk 15 for each while Lay’s is charging Tk.30 for each mini pack. If they do not decrease their price they must provide superior quality product to create their brand image. They also must focus on their pacaging so that it looks attarctive so that customer get influenced. They must go for horse cart rally to make people aware about their product. They must offer some short term incentives to promote their product. Such as givng gifts for children. Chapter 5: Conclusion Lay’s is undoubtedly an established organization that emphasize on maintaining quality product and use endorsement in advertisement for their promotion. Although there are many difficulties, Lay’s has very good brand image and customer acceptance for best quality product. They are going for continuous survey for the development of their products and service. References 1. Lays. 1944. Lays ® Potato Chips | Simply Made. Simply Good. (TM). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.lays.ca/#/simplygood/. [Accessed 15 March 14]. Bibliography: Diary writing Lecture given by Kashfiya mam

Should Guardians Be Allowed to Refuse Children the Mmr Vaccine

Case Study: Should guardians be given the right to refuse the MMR vaccine? October 17, 2012 Case Study: Should guardians be given the right to refuse the MMR vaccine? When one attempts to differentiate between what would be considered a good or bad action it involves many unique factors. Several philosophers have come up with different theories in order to analyze how we could potentially make what would be considered the â€Å"best† decision. Some decisions are easier to evaluate as the better choice where as some would come into conflict with ethics and morals.Looking at the case study at hand, which talks about whether or not a guardian has the ethical right to refuse the MMR vaccination for their child, and using two theories known as Act Utilitarianism and Ethical Pluralism, one can prove that it is not ethically permissible for a guardian to refuse the MMR vaccine for their child and contribute to the spread of measles. The first theory that one can use to analyze the ca se study is Act Utilitarianism. The theory of Act Utilitarianism determines whether an action can be considered right or wrong based on the consequential outcome.It also focuses on the fact that an act is right only if it results in maximizing utility in comparison to disutility. In context to the case study questioning whether childhood MMR vaccinations should be compulsory or not, a good act utilitarian would prove that it is in fact not ethically permissible for a guardian to refuse the MMR vaccine that prevents the spread of measles for their child. A good act utilitarian would state that a guardian refusing the MMR vaccine for their child only maximizes disutility for society in both the short and long term spectrum and this goes against the goals of act utilitarianism.By refusing the MMR vaccine for their children, parents or guardians are maximizing disutility by promoting the spread of measles which is a contagious and extremely harmful disease and their child not only has a high risk of catching measles; which could result in either being severely ill or even death, but also has a high chance of spreading the disease once he or she catches it to others who have not received the vaccine either. This has already occurred in the past, â€Å"by the end of April 2000, though, doctors and the hospital had seen 313 children and babies with the disease, with 8 needing intensive care. This is proof that disutility was already maximized when parents and guardians prevented their children from receiving the vaccine and resulted in illness that could have been prevented. The case study suggested that most of the severe illnesses and/or deaths were in babies that were too young to receive the vaccination and the reason they caught measles was because the older children that transferred it down to them had not been immunized.This type of spread of disease is inconsistent with maximizing utility in a society therefore an act utilitarian would go against it. In the case study, since several doctors retracted their claims that the MMR vaccine is connected to Autism and bowel disorders and studies have now shown that there is in fact no connection between the two, then receiving the vaccine would do nothing but maximize utility within a society and there should be no reason for guardians to refuse their child the MMR vaccine.The vaccine was developed in order to maximize utility in two ways, in the short term; to prevent this generation from suffering from measles and stopping them from functioning usefully in their daily lives, as well as in the long term to ensure that the disease isn’t spread throughout generations as people start forgetting how severe the illness actually is and thinks that the vaccine is either dangerous through false media advertising or unnecessary. The vaccine benefits everyone by preventing people from suffering bad consequences that result from the spread of measles.An Act Utilitarian also promotes the concept o f autonomy that in relevance to this case study would require the child to decide for himself/herself if they would like to receive the vaccination, however in this case it is like making the best of a bad situation where we are â€Å"damned if we do or damned if we don’t† and a person cant have it both ways. In this context making the best of this situation is to realize that having the vaccination will only benefit you and a mass number of other people and this maximizing of utility trumps the concept of autonomy. The second theory that one can use to evaluate the case study at hand isEthical Pluralism. Ethical Pluralism is a form of deontology ethics and was produced by Ross. It states that Utilitarian theories failed to see the importance of relationships as well as simplified them when determining what the right course of action would be. Ethical pluralism argues that we have certain moral obligations or prima facie duties that have to be accounted for when choosi ng the right action. These are duties that must be fulfilled regardless of any circumstances unless it is in conflict with another duty and then best judgment should be used.In relation to the case study, ethical pluralists would however agree with Act Utilitarian’s decision stating that it is not ethically permissible for guardians or parents to refuse the MMR vaccine for their children. Ethical Pluralists would say that parents and/or guardians do not have the right to refuse the MMR vaccine because of particular prima facie duties or moral obligations that they have to both their children and society. Their decision can be backed up by many of the prima facie duties we have such but two in particular will be analyzed in regards to the case study.The first prima facie duty that ethical pluralists would state defending the idea that guardians should not be allowed to refuse the vaccine for their children is the duty to improve the condition of others; duties of beneficence. By refusing guardians the right to not give their children the MMR vaccine, people are improving the conditions of others through avoiding the spread of measles that could cause a person to become severely ill as well as improving the condition of their own child since the vaccine prevents them from attaining the disease.If guardians did in fact have the right to refuse the vaccine, then a spread of measles would occur impairing the lives of many. In a way it is our moral duty to have the vaccine and prevent measles from transferring to other people and worsening their lives. The second prima facie duty that defends this concept is the duty of non-malificence. Society has the moral duty to not cause harm to others. If guardians had the right to refuse the vaccine then the only thing it would result in, is harm. Harm to the child who now has a chance to suffer from this serious disease as well as harm to society from the transference and spread of it.It weakens the lives of individua ls and to some extent can even cause death and ethical pluralists would argue that it is our prima facie duty to prevent this harm from occurring in the first place. Analyzing the case study from an Act Utilitarian and Ethical Pluralist perspective to determine whether or not guardians have the right of refusal, one can see that even though Ross developed ethical pluralism as a response to the absence of moral relationships in utilitarianism theories, both perspectives based on different criteria respond to this ethical issue in the same way.The result is that the guardian of the child should not permit the refusal of the MMR vaccine as doing so would result in both disutility and immoral conduct. Works Cited Thomas, J. , and W. Waluchow. Well and Good. 3rd ed. Broadview, 2002. Print. BBC News. 2000. Measles Outbreak Feared. May 30. Available online at http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/health/769381. stm McBrien, J. , J. Murphy, D. Gill, M. Cronin, C. O'Donovan, M. T. Cafferkey. 2003 Ju ly. Measles outbreak in Dublin.Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 22(7): 579. The Department of Health, Social Services, and Public Safety. 2002, April 26. News Release: Measles can kill. MMR vaccine is safe and vital for children's health. Word Count: 1276 ——————————————– [ 1 ]. BBC News. 2000. Measles Outbreak Feared. May 30. Available online at http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/health/769381. stm [ 2 ]. BBC News. 2000. Measles Outbreak Feared. May 30. Available online at http://news. bbc. co. k/1/hi/health/769381. stm [ 3 ]. BBC News. 2000. Measles Outbreak Feared. May 30. Available online at http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/health/769381. stm [ 4 ]. Thomas, J. , and W. Waluchow. Well and Good. 3rd ed. Broadview, 2002. Print. Pg. 19 [ 5 ]. Thomas, J. , and W. Waluchow. Well and Good. 3rd ed. Broadview, 2002. Print. Pg. 34 [ 6 ]. Thomas, J. , and W. Waluchow. Well and Good. 3rd ed. Broadview, 2002. Print. Pg. 35 [ 7 ]. Thomas, J. , and W. Waluchow. Well and Good. 3rd ed. Broadview, 2002. Print. Pg. 35

Report on the Analysis of Ineffective Communication in the Workplace Essay

This report will analyse and examine issues of interpersonal behaviour in the workplace. It will describe a scenario observed concerning communication and will include an analysis of the problems that occurred. A conclusion will be made which will lead to recommendations to prevent this situation from recurring. 2. 0 The scenario The main conflict in this scenario transpired between persons B and C (see appendix 1) on the shop floor of B & Q. Person B had previously spoken rudely about person C to person D. Persons D and C are good friends, therefore person D informed C about the incident. Person C then discussed the issue with Person A who had a one-to-one meeting with person B. The outcome of the meeting was that Person B should have an informal meeting with person C to resolve the issue. However, person B avoided holding this meeting and instead chose to speak to person C on the shop floor in the presence of customers. (See appendix 2 for the transcript of the scenario). 3. 0 Transactional Analysis and Effective Communication Transactional Analysis assists when evaluating this situation as the model is a popular way of explaining the dynamics of interpersonal communication. It was developed by Eric Berne in 1949 and has two fundamental assumptions; all the events and feelings people experience are stored within them and can be replayed, and that personality is made up of three ego states that manifest themselves in gesture, tone of voice and actions. The child ego state is described as the ‘feelings state’ and involves people behaving as they did when they were a child. This includes three sub-states which are the ‘free or natural child’, the ‘little professor’ and the ‘rebellious child’. The free or natural child state focuses on genuine feelings, acting on impulse and letting others know how we feel. The little professor state is creative, questioning and experimental. As the name suggests, the rebellious child state invokes rebellion, frustration and withdrawal. The adult ego state involves behaviour that concerns thought processes and can be defined as ‘the thoughtful’ state. This state focuses on data collection, reality testing and objectiveness. The parent state is described as the ‘taught’ state and consists of two sub-states; the nurturing and the critical parent. In this state, people take responsibility and tend to behave in ways learnt from parental figures. The nurturing parent state involves caring for other people, whereas in the critical or controlling parent state people have a tendency to lay down rules and boundaries and insist on their own method of getting the job done. Exclusions of ego states occur when someone is permanently using one ego state and cuts off the others (see appendix 7). There are three types of transactions in communication; complementary, crossed and ulterior (see appendix 3). When both parties’ ego states match, this is a complementary transaction and communication can continue. Crossed transactions occur when one party addresses a different ego state to the one the other party is currently in. The communication in crossed transactions disintegrates and can result in bad feelings. Ulterior transactions involve a crossed transaction on a psychological level, however on the surface the ego states seem to match leading to people playing games with one another. Strokes are units of recognition and are given and received via the five senses. Positive strokes are life and growth encouraging, whereas negative strokes are the opposite and cause the recipient to feel dejected. Transactional analysis assumes that our characteristic ways of feeling and behaving derive from the way we feel about ourselves in relation to other people. These are referred to as the four life positions and consist of â€Å"I’m not OK, You’re OK†, â€Å"I’m not OK, You’re not OK†, â€Å"I’m OK, You’re not OK† and â€Å"I’m OK, You’re OK† (see appendix 4). Body language is another method used to communicate and can assist when deciphering an underlying message that someone is trying to purvey. According to Pivcevic, â€Å"it is commonly agreed that 80 per cent of communication is non-verbal† (Mullins, L. J, 2010, pp 235). Effective communication is achieved by attending, reflecting and following (see appendix 5). This benefits both the listener and the speaker as it aids the listener in thoroughly understanding what the speaker is saying. Attending is non-verbal communication that signifies someone is paying careful attention to the person talking. Attending includes body posture, gestures, eye contact and an environment free of distractions. Following skills require the listener to offer openers and encouragements. Openers are non-coercive invitations for the speaker to talk and include judgemental, reassuring and advice statements. Opening questions and silence can be used as they encourage and concentrate on the concerns of the speaker rather than the listener. Reflecting skills avoid both speaker and listener problems. Words are perceived differently to people and listeners can often become distracted. Reflective responses are non-judgmental and help the listener to grasp the feelings of the speaker. Guirdham’s cycle of perception and behaviour can also aid in analysing communication as perceptions can alter the way in which we behave, thus having an effect on communication (see appendix 8). 4. 0 Analysis of the scenario By applying the Transactional analysis model, it is evident that when person B approached C, she was speaking from her critical parent ego state. This state is condescending and admonishing and can cause the addressee to feel discouraged. When replying, person C speaks from her adult ego state which is objective and rational, presenting a crossed transaction as B was addressing a different ego state to that of which C is currently in (see appendix 3). Person B should have shifted to an adult ego state to ensure that the states matched, amending it to a complementary transaction. However, B replies she has no time denoting that she is speaking from her critical parent ego state and sending out negative strokes. Her abrupt and loud tone insinuates she is defensive and angry. Her body language also gives an implication of her underlying message as she is walking away from the situation with her arms crossed, suggesting she is uninterested. Person C is rational and relaxed with her body language, making constant eye contact and positioning herself closely to person B, signifying she is listening intently. C’s ego state shifts to a rebellious child state when B’s body language and attitude is perceived as rude, abrupt and unconcerned. This subliminal communication causes an argument to break out and C begins to speak vociferously. The clenching of her fists and words spoken infer this shift in ego state. A change in behaviour occurs due to C’s perceptions of B’s behaviour (see appendix 8). Person A then interrupts the conversation and speaks from a nurturing parent ego state; this is presumed as he interjects with a question, â€Å"are you okay guys? † He places a hand on person C’s shoulder, signalling a display of power over her. At this point, person B begins to fiddle with her pen, suggesting a transition out of her comfort zone and showing she is uncomfortable in the situation. By this point, person C is very distressed and is deep in a rebellious child ego state. Her body language conveys feelings of anger and frustration as she is frantically waving her arms. Person B is reluctant to apologise or be sympathetic throughout the incident, indicating her ego state has not changed. This implies that she is currently in an arrogant life position as she feels she is not in the wrong (see appendix 4). She walks away, with her arms crossed expressing hostility and disregard to the situation. Person C reverts back to an adult ego state towards the end of the conversation and realises that she needs to calm down and clear her head. She also displays anxiety as she begins to bite her lip. Person A has maintained a nurturing parent ego state throughout as he is caring and tries to control and pacify the situation. 5. 0 Conclusion In conclusion, person B has inadequate communication skills. The crossed transaction, exclusion of other ego states and current life position (see appendix 4) of person B combine together to make her appear arrogant and uninterested, leading to conflict between the two parties. Attending, following and reflecting skills (see appendix 5) should have been applied to the conversation on B’s part to ensure effective communication took place. Person B’s disregard to instructions given to her by A could be due to the age gap between the two. According to Hart (Mullins, L. J, 2010, pp 101), age gaps can lead to conflict in the workplace as there is a dispute between age and experience. 6. 0 Recommendations To avoid this situation recurring, person B should receive training on interpersonal skills (see appendix 6), attending, following and listening (see appendix 5), enabling her to understand her own behaviour, other points of view and improve communication skills. Person A should hold an informal, one-to-one meeting with B and discuss possible outcomes of the meeting, such as training. Person A should identify whether B is in a constant ‘arrogant or cosmetic’ life position as she could have been having a bad day when the argument broke out. If it is found that her constant life position is ‘I’m OK, you’re not OK’ then an attempt should be made to modify this as it has a negative effect on communication. Person A should ensure this is carried out in a conscientious manner to prevent another conflicting situation from occurring. Person A should avoid singling out B as this could demotivate her from joining work shop training, so should offer the opportunity to every employee. This informal, fun atmosphere may help to improve person B’s opinions of others and alter her current life position. Another method of altering person B’s life position is to offer counselling but should be suggested at a later date if workshops fail.