The People of New England and the Chesapeake Colonies

Throughout history, many people from the same country have immigrated to different lands where their new lifestyles had very little in common. This was obvious in the settlement of the New England and Chesapeake colonies before 1700 which caused the development of dissimilar societies. The people of New England and the Chesapeake colonies formed different governments upon arrival to North America. They had different motives and incentives for immigrating to America. The composition of the colonists of New England and the Chesapeake area were nothing like one another during the settlement of the colonies.The people of the northern New England colonies and the southern Chesapeake colonies formed separate and different governments upon arrival in the New World. In New England, a town hall style of direct democracy was created. This created fair rule by the people, and property owning men could vote. Towns were set up for the common welfare of the people and for the glory of God not upon socio-economic standing. (Doc. D). People were not to be greedy but were allowed to make a living for their families. The people of New England set out to take care of one another and not to take advantage of their fellow man in pursuit of wealth (Doc.E). In the southern colonies of the Chesapeake, representative democracies were set up. The Virginia House of Burgesses was the first legislative body in the New World. The representative democracy was really more like an aristocracy in which the wealthy citizens controlled the government. Southern society was based upon economic status. There was a distinct upper and lower class (Doc. G). These aristocracies took money from the lower class and used it for the personal gains of the upper class which caused dissatisfaction in the lower class (Doc. H).These acts included the repossession of farms and other medial assets of the poor in the South. The dissatisfaction of the poor lead to Bacon’s Rebellion and many others that furthe r separated the socio-economic division so evident in the Chesapeake colonies. Because of the distinct differences in governing their colonies, the Chesapeake and New England colonies developed separate societies in the New World despite coming from the same mother England. The colonists of New England and the Chesapeake regions had different motives and incentives for settlement of the New World.New Englanders came to America in search of religious freedom. Their religious practices were a major aspect in colonization. The Puritans, who settled in present day Massachusetts, wanted to be an example to the rest of the world by governing their colony by their faith (Doc. A). The colonists of New England were prepared for a permanent settlement of their colony, so they brought with them the necessary provisions for the survival of their colony. Because the New Englanders had a plan for colonization, they prepared to survive the wilderness and freezing cold of the present day northeaste rn United States.The Chesapeake colonies were not so well prepared for life in the New World. The first Virginians were not intending on staying long. They had heard stories of gold in North America and were determined to get rich quick and return to England. The basis of the exploration of the Chesapeake Bay was a gold rush. Unfortunately, there was never much gold in the region. While the citizens of the colony were searching for gold, they did not worry about provisions. A harsh winter came upon the colony and brought Virginia into what historians call the Starving Time (Doc.F). Because the foundation of the Chesapeake colony was based on a search for wealth, necessary provisions were not thought of, so the southern colonies had a slow start on being a successful settlement. Because of differing interests and motives in colonization, the New Englanders had a head start in colonization and settlement on the Chesapeake colonists, thus developing a social divide in the colonists of the two regions. The demographical makeup and composition of the northern and southern colonists were different during the colonization of their settlements.The northern colonies were built to be permanent. They looked to the future, so the colonist brought their families over with them. This caused a healthy distribution of men and women as well as rich and poor (Doc. B). Socio-economic classes were not an issue as the people of New England were willing to work with one another for the good of the colony. Among these people were artisans and merchants that could contribute to society. These people became the base of their colony and helped their region to thrive for years to come.The southern colonies were composed of mostly treasure-seeking young men with no intrinsic value (Doc. C). They were not craftsmen or merchants; they were just young men in search of gold. Their lack of skills necessary for survival in the New World caused early southerners to depend on farming to survive. Only the rich could afford the land needed to become successful plantation owners in the South, but they relied on indentured servants and later slaves to maintain their lives in the colonies. This caused a natural divide between rich and poor in the South that became routine in southern life.The early set backs in colonization and lack of unity challenged the southerners for many generations to come. The supremacy of the northern colonies in economics and civilization in general caused the northerners to look down upon the southern colonies despite the fact that they too were Englishmen. Many people of the same nation have come to different lands and drifted apart in social divides. This was evident in the colonization of the northern and southern colonies before 1700, the cause of which was the development of separate societies.The people of the northern and southern colonies formed different governing bodies during the colonization of North America. These groups had different mo tives and incentives for coming to the New World. The demographical and social makeup of the colonists of New England and the Chesapeake area were different from one another during the colonization of the settlements. The Chesapeake and New England colonies became two separate societies despite the fact that both emigrated from England.

Social Work Student

In this essay I will discuss how I feel that I have developed personally and professionally as a social work student during the first level of the degree course. I will do this through examination of reflective accounts recorded during the placement learning opportunity. I believe that the use of reflection has been very significant in enhancing my personal skills and learning about my own values. I also believe that the course has instilled me with more self awareness and has given me a better understanding of how I am perceived by others.I have learned that through anti oppressive practice, social workers are able to promote inclusion by challenging discrimination and inequalities. In this essay, I will examine the methods, tools, and techniques that I have learned to date. I will conclude by discussing my particular learning needs and plan for the remainder of the course. As part of this, I will consider my learning style and the necessary methods I will utilise to bridge the lear ning gaps. As well as benefiting from the academic aspects of the course, I believe that the work placement has been hugely significant in my personal and professional development.During the placement learning opportunity I was based with a social worker in a small unit attached to a hospital. The unit specialises in palliative care services to patients and carers who are affected by life threatening illnesses. I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to liaise with many other agencies that were in some way related to the organisation. During the first year of the course I have become more aware of the importance of personal and professional development.I agree with Thompson (2002), who states that the development of personal and professional skills is fundamental to becoming a competent social worker and making the transition from student to practitioner. Therefore professional development is essential to social work students and practitioners to increase and revise their knowl edge and skills. Attention must be paid to enhancing our abilities to ensure progression occurs on a professional and a personal front. It is important that individuals develop professionally.Taylor emphasizes this (2010, pg 66) by quoting that ‘students or qualified  practitioners cannot solely rely upon personal experience’. He continues with ‘we need to develop our professional knowledge, otherwise conducting our practices solely upon personal experiences will run the risk of bias’ Professionally, I feel I have matured by transferring skills from previous employments to my present role of student. Throughout my working career I have had experience working in nursing and palliative care. Although these are loosely related to social work by virtue of being in the healthcare industry, when I embarked on the course, I didn’t feel that I had the necessary experience to draw from.However, I have progressively grown to realise that there are indeed som e key skills that I have be able to transfer and apply to this social work degree course and in the placement. I believe that another area of improvement in my professional development is my understanding of principles and key concepts in social work practice such as poverty, social exclusion, and accountability. I have a much deeper comprehension of values including empowerment, rights, respect, confidentiality and honesty. I am able to integrate them into all aspects of social work training and am highly aware of the issues surrounding conflicting values.I am much more familiar with the Codes of Practice for Wales (2003) as a result of identifying them and relating them to practice. In relation to professional development, it is also suggested in the Codes of Practice (2003) that as social care workers, we must ‘undertake relevant training to maintain and improve knowledge and skills to contributing to the learning and development of others’. During my work placement period, I was involved in meetings with many different people working in different streams of the organisation. Additionally, the work placement has also helped me understand how multi-professions collaborate.This has helped me start to appreciate the diversity of a social workers role. From a professional perspective, I also believe that the ECDL training courses have been very beneficial. I envisage that the day to day work of a social worker will involve the use of software such as Microsoft Word for reports etc. I also believe that a basic understanding of software such as Microsoft PowerPoint will be very useful for creating professional presentations. The academic aspects of the course will hopefully prepare me for the professional demands of social work as my knowledge gradually builds over the remainder of the course.In addition to this, self reflection, planning, self evaluation and academic learning such as lectures, essay writing, work placement, will help me succeed in b ecoming a responsible, assertive social worker. As far as my personal development is concerned I feel that there has been a marked improvement in my contribution to discussions and debates. Although some of the subject areas discussed have been extremely challenging, such as issues related to children, I feel that over the year I have started to feel that I have a lot more to offer as my understanding of the subject matter has increased.I feel better placed to question and challenge other people’s opinions on ethical matters and am also far more confident when having to make presentations to the group. I also feel that advancements in my personal development are vital. Thompson (2002, pg66) discusses the importance of it, ‘it is just as important as professional development. Learning provides us with a basis for personal growth and development by facilitating and encouraging self awareness. It also helps us to promote self esteem and a positive self image’.As a s tudent, I understand that I am responsible for my own personal and professional development in conjunction with the material delivered on the course. It is important that I continue to improve my standard of practice by embracing all types of learning opportunities available. Social work is a profession that continues to change and develop rapidly Trevithick (2002). Social workers are involved with individuals who are often in situations where there is high risk, complexity, stress, uncertainty and conflicts. Analytical skills and knowledge are required to assess and make judgement in these situations.Legislation and research is constantly changing and it is imperative that social workers are well informed of any modifications. If we don’t develop personally and professionally and do not keep pace of these changes we will increasingly become more and more out of touch with the reality of clients lives and therefore less equipped to undertake our duties (Thompson 2009). Reflec tion has been described as being central to good social work practice, but only if action results from that reflection (Horner 2007). Having the ability to reflect appropriately and effectively is a vital component to developing professionally and maturing personally.Reflective practice is imperative because practitioners have important roles and the decision we make about service uses should be thoroughly thought through. Reflection helps us to minimise risk and to prevent adopting ‘off the peg’ solutions to practice (Thompson 2009). Reflection supports developing our knowledge and learning from the errors of practice. We can develop ways in which we can empower individuals, be anti discriminatory and have anti oppressive approaches to practice. Interrogation of our actions will provide us with critical feedback and help us assess and evaluate our learning, ultimately enhancing our practice (Oko 2008).Schon (1991) as cited in Adams et al (2009) breaks down the notion o f reflective practice. Firstly, reflection-in-action involves reflecting as the action proceeds. This will evidently help us to identify new aspects of the situation and thinking them through while proceeding with the action. Secondly, Schon writes about reflection-on-action which involves considering what and why something happened after the event has occurred and the importance of translating this information into knowledge (Knott and Scragg 2010).Reflection is a tool that has allowed me to articulate knowledge from theory in a more meaningful way. I recognize that reflection does not always provide answers but does lead to new understanding. It has helped me challenge the reality of theory whilst on placement and through actual experience. An example I can demonstrate this with is that in social work theory, services should be needs-led as opposed to resource-led (Trevithick 2002). However in reality, resource constraints that operate in some local authorities make this unrealist ic. In reality demands far exceed the supply.Reflecting back on the experience of the placement and working in palliative care, at times I did feel quite tense and despondent. I had not worked intensively in those settings for some time and in some ways it was a relief as the placement came to an end, not to be discussing death, diagnosis and prognosis. I often questioned how my practice assessor managed to achieve goals and practice effectively whilst dealing with such emotive cases. There was one occasion when chatting with a service user who had had a terminal diagnosis, she became quite open and frank about her prognosis.I didn’t feel that I was fully prepared for her to start discussing her prognosis with me. Whilst, I felt very uncomfortable having the conversation I did remain professional and controlled. I was concerned that she may become distressed or that I would not manage the situation appropriately. Looking back on this experience, I am much more aware of the im portance of reflecting upon emotions and hopefully this will help me to manage emotive situations appropriately in future. Self awareness is a way in which we are able to explore our own personalities, traits, beliefs, inclinations, values and tendencies (Oko 2008).It is important that we are aware and are able to observe ourselves and the image that we portray to others. Without effective self awareness skills I am not going to be conscious of the ways in which I influence people and the signals I indirectly transmit. Self awareness will also allow me to build upon areas of strength and identify areas that may need addressing. Unless social workers are able to be aware of areas of vulnerability it is likely that they will be unable to react and respond to the service user objectively (Taylor 2008). Whilst on placement I encountered a service user’s son who was a substance misuser.I have previously worked in a drug rehabilitation centre and my experiences of the center were n ot good as I was threatened and intimidated on many occasions. Whilst observing the situation on placement I quickly became annoyed and frustrated by him. At the time, I felt that he was selfish bearing in mind his mothers terminal illness. I found myself thinking about my job in the rehab center which brought back uncomfortable memories. I did not write or discuss this with my practice assessor as I didn’t want to dedicate any time thinking about such negative experiences.On reflection, I now understand that it is my responsibility to confront such issues otherwise I will not successfully continue as a competent social worker student. I am aware that this encounter triggered an inappropriate reaction and I am committed to resolving these issues. Lishman 1994 as cited in Trevithick (2000) pg 84 states that failure to be self aware and confront such issues will lead to ‘falling into pockets of distress that will lead to inattention, poor listening and inappropriate actio ns’.I am able to see the connection between self awareness and managing prejudice, discrimination and oppressive practice. I am aware that I did not have a great deal of empathy for particular groups in society and before the course started admittedly I did feel that certain individuals in society may have contributed to the crisis’s that they found themselves in. I felt that these citizens did not require prioritization or merit support and guidance from a care service as I felt that there were other more deserving individuals.I have grown to understand that my judgments and thoughts were unjustified. By being more self aware and using reflection, I am able to be clear of my own values and how they may shape my practice. As I progress, I feel that by working with these groups of people that I will to grow to understand how and why individuals find themselves in these situations. I will continue to strive to develop my knowledge and hopefully as I progress, I will take time to educate myself and learn more about human behaviour. Whilst on placement, I was unaware of any form of oppression or anysignificant injustice issues. Dominelli (1996) pg states that ’anti oppressive practice is a form of social work practice which addresses social divisions and structural inequalities in the work that is done with people whether they are users (‘clients') or workers. AOP aims to provide more appropriate and sensitive services by responding to people's needs regardless of their social status’. Reflecting back I recall a situation that occurred with a service user who was terminally ill. He had expressed a wish to die at home.Whilst visiting the gentleman with my practice assessor, a community healthcare professional was present. It became apparent that the professional was eager for the service user to be admitted into hospital. She portrayed a negative image of being nursed at home and persistently pointed out the problems that she envis aged. I personally felt that this was because there would be a lot more pressure upon her workload to care for him and make the necessary calls throughout the day. It later became apparent that the community professional were experiencing difficulties with staff sicknesses.This was his final wish to die at home and in my opinion she was using her authority to influence him to be admitted for her own benefit. I believe that her workload pressured her to do this. He was disadvantaged, very poorly and with very little to strength to debate this issue with her. At the time, I didn’t connect this to oppressive practice where the other professional exercised inappropriate use of power. I am now more aware of issues surrounding continuing healthcare and funding. I now feel that I am much more alert to these issues and in the future I would question other individual’s actions.Anti oppressive practise begins with understanding myself and aspects of society were oppression is em bedded. As a social work student, I will strive to value and promote every human being and their rights to be respected. I will attempt to work towards combating oppressive practice by acting as an advocate and practice methods of inclusion. I will try to ensure that I do not contribute to such acts and will become more aware of social divisions, power differences and the relationship between the myself and service users (Adams et al).As part of my progression as a student, I have identified many areas that I need to address and expand upon during the remainder of the course. In order to successfully address these learning needs I have studied a learning model established by Kolb (1975). He suggests that there are four types of concepts that are needed to be effective learners. These include concrete experience, observation and reflection, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation (Knott and Scragg 2010). I will attempt to adopt his hypothesis to make the learning proces s a more straightforward procedure.The main learning needs I have identified are firstly developing my understanding of theories and acknowledging the importance of the role that they play in practice. Initially I was apprehensive about making links but now I feel more confident as I approach the next stage. I wish to relate and recognize the connections between significant theories and social work thinking and practice and problem solving. I will achieve through this through lectures, reading and from practice on the level 6 placement. I also wish to become more aware of issues surrounding children and young people.More specifically, a deeper understanding of safeguarding issues and the legislation and policies related to this that shapes and guide social work duties. This will be achieved through lectures, learning actual legislation from books, documents and through placement (if this is the area in which I am allocated). I would also like to become more aware of social work in t he Welsh context and familiarise myself with cultures in Wales. The overall picture of the Welsh population is older, poorer and in worse health that the entire UK (Scourfield 2008).I want discover why this is the case and how it impacts upon social work practice. I also wish to learn more about different identities and ethnic groups living in Wales and develop a better understanding of the use of languages and how these compare to other regions in the UK. I also think it is important that I build upon my existing knowledge of the Codes of Practice for Wales (2003), and have the ability to instinctively relate them to practice. This will achieved through lectures, reading literature and hands on learning whilst in practice.In addition to trying to adopt the Kolb learning method, I completed a questionnaire to establish what type of learner I was. After reading Honey and Mumford (1995) literature I was not able to categorise myself into one particular learning style or preference but was able to relate to aspects of all categories. My knowledge and skills will develop with experience over the forthcoming years. I will take full advantage of placement to maximize my learning. I will try to become more observant of others by studying them.I will try to adopt good techniques and practice when I identify them and also to learn from bad practice. I will attempt to make the most of tutorials and supervision particularly in the discussion of emotive, stress and management issues. Additionally, I will try to develop and improve my reflective. To conclude it can be stated that personal and professional development is an essential part of social work practice. Due to the complex nature of social work and the diversity of human behaviour, it is imperative that students and qualified practitioners continue to progress alongside an ever changing society.Reflection is an important catalyst to support social workers in enhancing their practice. I am much more self aware and f amiliar with adopting anti- oppressive methods of practice. Whilst I am pleased with my progression to date, I am fully aware that I have many unmet learning needs which I hope to address throughout the remainder of the course. I am enthusiastic about the journey ahead and look forward to learning the skills that will enable me to launch my social work career.

Automated Library System and Integration of Automated Library System Essay

For the past century, change occurred rapidly in professional industry and has posed significant challenges to those who always tries to be the leader in the professional field. The information waves or some called the information revolution triggered by the rising of networking technologies and personal computers has also impacted to an institution that is quite unknown to some but essential to the community, the library institution. Libraries, as we know of as buildings with stacks of books, magazine, news, files, periodicals and signs of ‘silence’ all around, may face its extinction someday. One may not run to the library or a librarian for information, but to one’s own computer which is the basic of automation. The uprising of globalization, marketization, and privatization had bring significant changes the long-held political and economic beliefs. Governments and social sponsors have been propagating that social institutions—be they hospitals, schools, colleges, and libraries—become self-sufficient if they are to purposefully work and demonstrate their relevance and competence to their clients. Institutional excellence will now have to be achieved through the arm race of technologies rather than through rules, regulations and controls.. Librarians and information managers, therefore, are being asked to generate revenue to become self-sustaining as much as possible. In Malaysia, libraries and information centers have begun to realize that marketing of information products and services is an integral part of administration, especially as a means for improving user satisfaction and promoting the use of services by current and potential users. The main arsenal for libraries in Malaysia can utilize would be the automated library system and integration of automated library system. These systems has proven that it can improve substantially the services that a common library can offer. An integrated library system (ILS), also known as a library management system is a system for a library, used to track, orders made, items owned bills paid, and patrons who have borrowed. An Integrated Library System usually consist of a type of relational database, software to interact with that database. Then there’s user interface that would interact with user and also patrons of the library. There are also modules which include acquisition, circulation, cataloguing, serials, OPAC (public interface for users). These features ease the user of library in their research or other tasks. However these systems are strangers to most library institution in Malaysia. It has been implement in only a handful of institutions such as UiTM , UM ,UTM and few more private institution. This scenario happened not because Malaysia don’t have such capabilities to grab these technologies but lack of marketing strategies to in promoting the use of such systems. Three main factors, namely the information explosion, the technology revolution, and escalating library costs are responsible for encouraging the library profession in Malaysia to develop a marketing approach in its operations and services. Some information service managers feel that marketing is inimical to the nature of their activities. But with steep competition from other institution in the country, marketing is a factor for survival. There are some radical marketing strategies in order to market information systems library in Malaysia that can be apply. These strategies can be interpreted by the market the market targeted , extraordinary plans that could raise attention and also drastic measures from the national bodies and major institution and organizations. Market or target users for information systems library in Malaysia must be thoroughly defined first in order for the technologies to grow in our soil. In Malaysia, the target public and audience would be mostly students which consist of various layer of education level. Their needs and demands in library services such as navigation, guides in their research can be fulfill through the systems. By studying their likes would help in plans of promoting the system and also could meet the target audience easier Introduction of the system or better yet the education of the systems’ use and functions to the public is prior in marketing the information system. Malaysia has various kind of media channel such as the radio, television, satellite channels and vast amount of printed materials. Advertising the information systems in libraries by making a short clip with a twist of a little drama and education in the system’s role assisting users to their needs. The education should also be consistent and updated periodically to refresh audience’s knowledge and awareness from time to time. Integration of information system through networking can also be a good marketing strategies for institution in Malaysia since the distance is no more a factor and a mutual bond already existed between education institution in Malaysia. This could help a wide spread of information system network which applies the same system and processes wherever its located in the country. This could ultimately be far more efficient for the users ( mainly the students) in using the system anywhere they want since it would incorporated the same user interface , functions, database . Technologies has also developed a new kind of attraction for the users nowadays. It offers applications and software that allows users to interact with each other , socialize through wire, gain information and keep updated through high speed network. Information system in libraries and integrated system can absorb and assimilate this application in its chain of function which would be more interactive and give the users more experience of the cyber networking via an information system in a library. Also, some more value add to the systems could attract more library user such as networking andweb browsing which would help the customer expand their search wider. There are also marketing strategies that could be implemented throughout government assistance is standardizing all the library institution by ensuring that every library in the country must be equipped with the automated information and integrated system. Although it is a quite a risky and costly for some , but the services would surely improved and would extend the image of libraries in Malaysia as a benchmark for other institution in the country. The government could also help promoting and marketing this system by introducing it to the primary and secondary level education in form of a mini automated system that can easily be used by those ages of kids in their own school library which would familiarize and make them easier to adapt to the real system in the future. Another strategies in extending the information system is through the enhancement of library personnel ‘s professional knowledge and skills for marketing the information system and services that a library offer. Library personnel should enhance their professional skills with technical knowledge and diverse skillset. This would drastically changed the user perception thus promoting the system in a way of its own. Conclusion is that these automated library system and integration of automated library system in Malaysia will succeed if the campaign focus on some important aspect of the process such as increasing the clientele and reaching out to them. Unless the information is used , it is major waste to the resources. Other than that, always ensure that product innovation and flexibility always evolve throughout the period and the financial viability for the whole process maintained at a safe level. There should also some kind of awareness and cooperation in between major organization , government ,institution and the user itself . With all that , it would not be impossible for library institution in Malaysia can also change and compete with other international institution that has long exceed us in information technologies and libraries management.

Assessing user needs in tourist information centres Essay

Assessing user needs in tourist information centres - Essay Example About 32% of the travellers stopped to get tourism related information. Common reasons of staying at tourist information centres were easy reach, rest rooms and comfort and not leaving the interstate. 52% of the surveyed welcomed the idea of tourist information centres away from the interstate locations. Tourist information centres are, thus, crucial communication channels in tourism promotion by arousing curiosity of travellers about tourist destinations. The survey indicates the dire need of developing some system to fulfill travellers’ information-needs (Fesenmaier, 1994). A visitor information centre is a First Stop for travellers. Its refreshing, appealing and aesthetic surrounding adds to the charm of a visiting place. The visitor centre of Old Naples is a model of the reputation and growth, the Old Naples has made. The visitor centre is equipped with interactive bells and whistles, booths, kiosks, and visuals. Features include: Visitors stop by the information centres for a number of other reasons like to view the calendar of events on roll, to pick up their savings card, avail internet access, read restaurant recommended and reviewed, avail discounted hotels and get reservation, get information on visiting destinations and rental’s information (http://www.napleschamber.org/chamber/vic.aspx). According to research made by Li, Hwang, and Fesenmaier, University of Illinois, tourist information centres are used mostly to get information on highway maps (82.1%), Illinois Travel Guide (26.9%), Appealing information (23.7%), residing information (21.7%), and recreational activity information (13.8%). The least accessed information was on area guides (6.4%), shopping (5.1%), and Golf Illinois Guide (3.4%). Interesting thing came to the notice was that those who visited the information centre for information gathered a good chunk of travel material in comparison to other visitors. Relevancy of trends was

Professional Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Professional Application - Essay Example Nevertheless, Houston represents a booming market for Steve Madden with a high proportion of working population with higher incomes. The paper reviews the internal and external situational factors affecting Steve Madden. The insights offered by this research can provide a basis for further in-depth research regarding the competitive position of Steve Madden. Keywords: Steve Madden; positioning; target market; marketing efforts Introduction The small business chosen for the purpose of this essay is Steve Madden which has a strong retail presence in Houston, Texas. Steve Madden enjoys a strong foothold in the footwear industry and is primarily known for the novelty of its products at a reasonable price. This paper discusses the competitive and marketing landscape for Steve Madden along with the economic, social, technological and demographic factors affecting the business. Part 1: Situation Analysis Product/Service Overview – strengths, weaknesses Steve Madden offers an assorted range of accessories and shoes for men, women and children. It enjoys high brand equity by virtue of its cutting edge styles and fashion statements (Zappos.com, 2013). Another strength is that the products are sold through the company’s own stores, department stores as well as company website, thereby increasing availability of its products. Furthermore, the price matches quality thereby offering value for money for customers. However, the products remain beyond the reach for majority of the customers. Also, repetitive styles result in monotony. Current positioning in the market Steve Madden has positioned itself on the bridge between high-end and mid-range fashion. It currently enjoys a dominant market position with Steve Madden being ranked second to Nike as the customer’s preferred footwear brand (from 2002-2007) (Piper Jaffray Companies, 2013). Target Market Steve Madden targets a broad range of customers. Its core market for women ranges from 16-45 years whereas the sub brand â€Å"Stevies† is focused on girls aged 6-12 years (T. Sloan, personal communication, September 02, 2013). The target market for men includes those aged 20-40 years (T. Sloan, personal communication, September 02, 2013). These individuals are primarily fashion conscious individuals with high annual incomes but do not want to splurge in expensive, high-end fashion. Less expensive knock-offs are offered for such customers. Current marketing efforts (traditional, interactive, etc.), messages and effectiveness The company’s marketing efforts can best be described as both traditional and interactive. It has partnered with Katy Perry under â€Å"Steve Madden Music† campaign which also featured live performance by Shwayze, a rapper. The company is actively engaged in mobile marketing as well as digital marketing through Facebook where customer feedback is taken via comments on videos, pictures and other content posted by the company. Google ad words and T witter are also used to broaden sharing of Steve Madden’s content and deepening relationships with customers. Part 2: Competition The three major competitors for Steve Madden are BCBG, Nike and Nine West. These shall now be analyzed one by one. BCBG- Product/Service Overview – strengths, weaknesses Primarily known for its high quality, fashionable apparel, BCBG has increased its offerings to include handbags, shoes and accessories thereby offering high product variety. The mid-range price points appeal to a broad range of

Organizational Behavior & Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Behavior & Leadership - Essay Example Coercive power is the power of a manager to exact fear as a form of punishment or penalty for subordinates or rank and file employees who commit some forms of misdemeanors against company rules and regulations. Referent power is a particular leader’s ability to influence subordinates through charisma or certain personal attributes that the rank and file can identify with, making them quite devoted to that leader. Referent power usually makes the manager practice more affinity with his or her subordinates that would make them more of a mentor, rather than the exacting leader or manager. While this may embolden employees to emulate their heads’ or supervisors’ mild managerial approaches, it affects the way the leader is able to apply leverage in cases where disciplinary action must be enforced. And last, but not the least, is expert power which shows the manager’s cognitive ability or knowledge in a particular field making the manager the expert from whom th e employees can gain information, so they can do their particular jobs successfully (Turner, n.d. b). The marketing manager of Employee 1 uses both the legitimate power and the reward power, because Employee 1’s manager is able to require him to work forty hours and beyond a week within the legal bounds of his authority as a manager in the organization. Likewise, Employee 1’s manager utilizes his ability in motivating employees to work hard beyond their normal office hours by reminding them of the yearly bonus, which will be given to them accordingly, should they pass and get an outstanding rating on their next evaluation. And this is what propels Employee 1 to work very hard, so he can get the bonus in order to avail of his dream vacation. Aside from utilizing the legitimate power and reward power, Employee 1’s manager also employs coercive power since all the employees in the marketing department are being constantly reminded that if they want to get the hefty bonus then they must spend more working time for the company. Although punishment for not working beyond the regular hours was not mentioned in the given scenario – the employees assigned in the marketing department are not only motivated by wanting to get the bonus but also of the fact that if they did not perform well as per the pending evaluation, they silently dread any fine or penalty that may be imposed for substandard work performance. The accounting manager of Employee 2 uses the expert power because he recognizes the ability of Employee 2 who is the only certified public accountant in the accounting department of Corporation A. And since Employee 2 is the only person who can prepare the financial statements of the company, he agreed to allow him to work in a compressed work week schedule of four days a week; so long as the expected work output is realized within the given time frame allowed by the organization. Employee 3, on the other hand, has a very positive and charismatic personality that often makes people like him. Employee 3 was made a team leader because he also has the innate ability to influence others with his ideas; they, at first, seemed sceptical to his way of thinking but at the end totally agreed with him. Employee 3 has the knack of referent power, which can inspire others to think like he does, despite the fact that he has been employed within Corporation A for only a short period of time

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Personal Statement - Essay Example I have established my set goals which are far greater than the established work. Construction Management for me is the study and practice of general management skills and the technological aspects pertaining to the construction industry. Imbibed into this construction management is my determination for management of design and management of the construction project which are designed within set parameters. A construction company owned by my father has enabled me to learn and face everyday challenges. My prà ©cis of construction management is that the study of how projects are conceived, designed and built, the types of materials, the methods utilized, the techniques that estimate the cost of construction, construction accounting, safety requirements, project planning and project management. My studies in construction management would facilitate an increase in knowledge and combine proficiency to organize and manage activities and to develop my technical skills. Such skills I can utilize in schedule activities and resources in construction and to enhance the industrial learning environment. Further construction management will develop my skills in leadership and teambuilding. My pattern would be to utilize the twin environment wherein my approach to the acquisition of knowledge, skill and competence will result from a highly sophisticated level of adopted strategies. My combination involves academic study combined with industrial application which would lead to a shared vision being achieved and thus creating a cutting edge in construction management. My father’s construction company has empowered within me the progressive construction environment and the dynamics which are required to co-ordinate a range of technical skills. Further project work, presentations, role play, case studies and reports will be an added advantage for my skills and aptitude. I grew up looking at my role model-my father and