Google Inc Performance and Strategies

Google Inc Performance and Strategies Introduction Google Inc. is a technology-based company that offers a wide range of products in the field of internet and mobile technology. The firm was founded in January 1996 by two Stanford University graduate students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The two computer science students were interested in developing a search engine that was able to rate websites based on their relevance.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Google Inc Performance and Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The students noted that it was not easy to get to specific websites that one desired using the existing internet explorers. It would take time to get to the needed web pages. They were convinced that they could come up with a better search engine that would make the work of web users easier than what was offered by the existing engines. They therefore started working on their search engine which they named BackRub. The success of BackR ub in ranking search attracted a number of investors who found it more effective than other existing search engines. By 1998, BackRub had become very popular among internet users because of its accuracy in ranking search results based on the words used (Gamble, Peteraf, Thompson, 2015). Larry Page and Sergey Brin renamed their search engine Google in 1998 to reflect its advanced nature in terms of volume of searches and effectiveness in ranking the search results. That same year, an investor tried to purchase Google Inc from the two inventors at $ 100,000, but the deal never sailed through because the two were interested in developing the idea further. Through crowd-sourcing, the two investors managed to raise a capital of $ 1 million to fund its operations. The company experienced a phenomenon growth and by 1999, it had attracted $ 25 million additional funds from venture capital firms that had noticed the potential of the firm. By the year 2000, the firm had entered the wireless search technology and it enabled searches in 10 different languages. It was unique how this firm survived.com bubble burst that saw many internet-related companies crumble. However, Google emerged from the bubble burst stronger than it was before. Its initial public Offering came in April 2009 following a phenomenon growth over a period of six years. The IPO was a phenomenon success because by the end of the first day of trading, there was an 18% appreciation of the firm’s shares in the market. Since then, the firm has experienced massive growth to become the leading search engine in the world. In this report, the researcher will review the performance of Google Inc and the strategies it is using before making recommendations that can help it achieve even greater success in the global market.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Strategic Issue Google Inc’ s main source of revenue when it started trading on the stock market was the advertisements it received from the users of its website. However, the management was concerned about this single source of revenue. It came up with a number of strategies to help it expand its sources of revenue to avoid overreliance on one source. The main issue that comes out is how the firm is going to remain competitive even after expanding the scope of its market. To remain competitive in the market, the firm has been using a number of strategies in the market. As shown in the case, the company has embraced diversity and strategic alliance as some of the strategies to help it achieve its desired success. The paper will look at how these approaches help this firm to expand its revenue stream. External Analysis When analyzing the competitiveness of a company, it is very important to look at the external environment and how it affects operations of a firm. The external environmental analysis helps in det ermining the competitive forces and how they may affect the ability of a company to achieve its set objectives. External environmental analysis also makes it possible to look at other environmental forces such as the economy, the political environment, the legal structure of the business environment, emerging technologies and how it affects the operations of a firm, among other pertinent issues. Google Inc has achieved success in the market because of its ability to monitor and manage these environmental forces. The external environment will be analyzed using PESTEL Analysis and Porter’s Five Forces. The Five Forces Analysis is given at the appendix. Political environment This is one of the most important external environmental forces that may affect operations of an organization. The political environment may have serious impact on the internal activities within a firm. It is a fact that political instability may lead to serious insecurity within a given country. Achieving s uccess in a lawless country may not possible. Google Inc has flourished because of the political stability that has been experienced in the United States. The country has enjoyed a long political stability and peace, with a change from one regime to the other happening very peacefully without affecting the national fabric that unites members of the society. The political class has also made an effort to avoid direct interference with the business community.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Google Inc Performance and Strategies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The politicians have been keen to avoid any policies or rhetoric that may have direct or indirect negative impact on the business community. The phenomenon success that Google Inc has experienced is directly related to the political stability and peace that the country has enjoyed since this firm was founded. Economic environment The economic environment is anot her major force that can affect a firm’s ability to achieve success within a given country or region. The economy of the United States has remained relatively stable over the years. The United States remains the leading economy in the world, with a very strong purchasing power. This company has been relying on individuals firms to place advertisements on its website. The impressive economy has enabled these individual companies to experienced massive success. With this success, these individual firms have been using services offered by Google to experience even further growth. This cycle of economic success has been very instrumental in helping Google to achieve success. Other than the 2008 economic recession that affected the United States and the world at large, the economic environment has remained very supportive. Google Inc now operates in the global market. The emergence of strong economies in China, India, Brazil, African, and Russia has helped it to achieve even a gre ater growth. Social environment The social environmental forces may also have strong influence on the ability of Google to achieve success in the market. From the case study, it comes out clearly that the socio-cultural beliefs have a major impact on the purchasing patterns of the consumers. Consumers are always keen to purchase items they believe are of higher class compared to the existing products. Google Inc was able to convince its users that the search engine understood their social needs and was able to meet these needs in a way that no other similar product in the market could. In the United States where Google Inc has its main market, the social environment is highly diversified. The global society considers the United States as the current centre of civilization. In such a highly diversified environment, the firm will need to find ways of meeting the unique needs of different classes of its customers, especially after expanding the scope of its product delivery. It will ne ed to segment the market and then find the best ways of meeting the needs of each market segment. Technological environment The emerging technologies have been as instrumental in the success of some firms as they have been in the downfall of others. Technology can help it to meet the expectations of its clients if it is handled properly. However, sometimes it may be very destructive. Technology has transformed the operational strategies used at this firm.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It currently uses emerging technologies to enhance speed, standardization, and quality of its products in the hardware segment of tablet computer and Smartphone. Technology has also transformed its marketing strategies as it seeks to reach out to the global audience. Google Inc currently uses social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to reach out to its targeted clients. Technology has also enhanced interaction between the firm and its global clients. Through the emerging technologies, Google Inc has been able to introduce a number of new products into the market in order to help it enhance its competitiveness and increase sources of revenue. The increasing internet connectivity of remote parts of the world, especially in Africa and parts of Asia has helped this firm in expanding its market share. This firm’s services are now available in these countries although the firm has not made any significant human and financial resources into these markets, thanks to the modern technology. Ecological environment One of the three pillars of sustainability of any company is the ecology. Firms have always ignored the need to protect the environment even though they rely on it in various respects. Ecological issues may have impacts on the macro environment of a firm. The global society is becoming very sensitive of the levels of greenhouse gases in the air, and other agents of pollution. They are concerned because they know such pollutants may have a negative impact on environmental sustainability in the near future. Pressure has been mounting on organizations to cut down their greenhouse gases emissions into the atmosphere as a way of protecting the environment. This means that firms such as Google Inc will need to have new production strategies which conform to the new environmental policies. This is specifically so after the firm successfully entered the computer and Smartphone hardware market segment. Manufacturing of these products should n ot be done in a way that may have adverse effect on the environment. Legal environment Finally, it is also very important to look at the legal environment and determine how it may affect operations of a firm. The legal environment is a macro factor that has affected the operations of Google Inc in a number of ways. A firm cannot operate successfully in a lawless region. It needs laws that will guide its relationship with other the stakeholders, and protects it from unfair business practices that may be a threat to its very existence. The legal environment in the United States and Europe has enabled Google Inc to operate without any form of interference. This has facilitated its phenomenon growth over the past one decade. Google Inc entered the Chinese market in 2006 expecting a massive growth (Gamble, Peteraf, Thompson, 2015). China had the highest number of internet users than any other country in the world, estimated to be over 300 million people. The initial operations were affe cted by stiff competition from Baidu, a Chinese search engine that had dominated the market before the entry of Google. However, the real threat to this firm’s existence was a new law that censored searches that were seen to be critical of the government. At first, Google tried to find ways of circumventing this law by redirecting its users to its Hong Kong search site that was not affected by the sensor. However, Google Inc later realized that the only way of achieving success in the Chinese market was to abide by all its legal structures even if some of these laws infringed on fundamental rights of people. Key Successful factors It is important to understand key success factors when analyzing external environmental forces that may affect operations of a given firm. As shown in the case study, one of the greatest success factors at Google Inc is the team of highly skilled and very flexible workforce who understands what the market needs, and able to change with changes in en vironmental forces. The company has only been in operations since 1996, but its impact has transformed the world of technology. It has a deep understanding of how to deal with emerging market trends in this industry. The recent acquisition of a number of firms operating in related industries also means that it is in a better capacity to come up with new innovative products that will help in expanding its revenue streams. Google Inc has introduced new strategies which encourage, and define how to manage forces of change in the workplace. Its proactive approach towards change makes it easy for it to deal with new disruptive technological forces that may affect its normal operations in the market. These are some of the key factors that have enabled this firm to be in its current position in the market. Strategic Group Map In strategic group map analysis for Google Inc, emphasis will be put on product diversity, geographic coverage, the market segment, branding extent, and marketing eff ort. The case clearly shows that this firm has diversified its products from internet related products to computer hardware products as a way of increasing its revenue stream. Currently, this company operates in the global market. Its services are currently available in the entire world. Google Inc’s target market segment includes people who are always using the internet quit often. Its computer hardware products now targets user of personal computers within the United States and in the international market. The brand Google has also helped this firm to achieve competitive strength over its market rivals. The brand has earned loyalty among the customers in the global market. The marketing effort of Google Inc has also been very effective in helping it achieve the desired success. Company Situation Google Inc’s has been struggling to expand its revenue stream as a way of attaining competitive edge over its market rivals. To understand the company situation, SWOT analysi s, given at the appendix, will help in understanding the current position of the firm. The management of Google Inc has employed a number of strategies to achieve the intended objectives, as shown in the discussion below. Generic strategy It is important to note that the competitive position of Google Inc in the market has changed from that of an upcoming firm in the mid and late 1990s, to an industry leader it is today. Google Inc has been under pressure to distinguish its products from that of its competitors in the market in order to achieve a competitive advantage, especially when it first entered the industry. The company has been using Porters Generic Strategy options in order to achieve competitiveness in the market. The diagram below shows the strategic options that have been available for this firm. As mentioned above, Google Inc has been using cost leadership strategy in the market by offering discounted products to its customers. Most of the firms advertising directly th rough the firm’s website always get discounted products. They reach a wider audience at a relatively lower cost than what other platforms offer. This has helped it in attracting a pool of loyal customers, especially those who are interested in reaching the global audience. This giant technology-based organization has also been using the differentiation strategy in order to achieve a competitive edge over its market rivals. Some of the products offered by this company are similar to those that are offered by other firms, especially following the decision to enter the mobile telephone market. In order to distinguish its products from those offered by other firms, Google Inc has been keen developing additional unique features in its products. This helps in creating the impression that products from the firm are of superior quality as compared to those of its competitors. In order to achieve maximum benefit in the market, Google Inc has also been giving massive focus on the marke t segments that are least exploited by other market competitors. For a long time, the existing search engines played little attention to the need to rank online searches. Google Inc identified this market gap and came up with a solution that completely transformed this industry. Grand strategy The case provided clearly shows the grand strategy that Google Inc has been using over the years to achieve the phenomenon growth it has experienced over the years. Its grand strategy is based on three approaches which include acquisitions, diversification, and strategic alliances. Google Inc has used acquisition as a strategy of achieving long-term goals in the market. This strategy is very effective for an organization that is keen on achieving robust growth within a very short period of time. Acquiring an already established firm means that the acquiring company will not have to spend a lot of time trying to develop the business. It also easy to determine the profitability and success rates of the acquired business. By acquiring an established firm instead of starting a new one within the same industry, the acquiring company reduces the rates of market competition in such industries. These are the reasons that have driven Google Inc to use acquisition as one of the ways of expanding its market operations. One of the first companies that were acquired by Google was YouTube in 2006. Google realized that YouTube offered a unique potential in the market that would help it expand its revenues. Two years later in 2008, the firm acquired Double-Click at $ 3.1 billion. In 2012, Google Inc made an ambitious venture by acquiring Motorola Mobility at $ 12.5 billion. This meant that it entered the hardware market segment of tablet computer and Smartphone industries. This was a major move that was meant to expand sources of its revenues. Diversification is another grand strategy that this company has used in its strategic plans. The management of Google has been keen to reduce the firm’s overreliance on revenues earned from internet related products. All the major acquisitions made by the firm were all meant to diversify its sources of income. The acquisition of Motorola Mobility was seen as a strategic move by Google Inc to tap into the computer tablet and Smartphone markets. Prior to its acquisition of Motorola Mobility, Google Inc had avoided the computer and Smartphone hardware market segment. However, the management realized that this market segment offered a perfect opportunity for this firm to grow its market share. This strategic move has proven to be successful as shown in the case study. Its Google TV was also introduced in 2010 as a way of diversifying the products of this company. The third approach of grand strategy used by this company is strategic alliance with other established technology-related organization. Sometimes a business unit may realize that it has a common goal with other firms in the same industry or other related industri es. Forming strategic alliance enables two or more business entities to share their resources and come up with ways of achieving a common goal that is beneficial to all the partners. Google Inc entered a strategic alliance with Sony, Dish Networks, Intel, Adobe, and Logitech to develop a new product known as Google TV (Gamble, Peteraf, Thompson, 2015). This was another ambitious project that was meant to enable users to stream videos, watch live networks, and On Demand programs. Market development Google Inc has extensive programs meant to promote market development. As the firm expands, it is necessary to find effective ways of marketing the present products to the targeted clients in the best way that would help in yielding the expected revenues. The company has been doing this by regularly changing the contents of advertising as a way of convincing its customers that it is innovative. The product may be the same, or given cosmetic modification, but the complete change in the con tent of advertising makes the consumers believe that the products offer superior value than it used to before. Marketing development at Google may be looked at using the 4 Ps of marketing mix. The pricing strategy of Google’s products has been very competitive, especially the fees it charges firms which advertise on its website. Google enables individuals and organizations to advertise within a national, a regional, or in the global market based on the firm’s market coverage. The rates offered by this company are friendly compared to the charges of mass media. Google offers a wide variety of products. From search engine services, social media, and now to television services and computer hardware, the firm has expanded its product offering to help it capture wider market coverage as a way of enhancing its sustainability. The promotional aspect of marketing mix is also very important. It not only informs the target audience about the existence of a given product, but als o convinces them that it offers superior value at friendly costs. Inasmuch as this firm earns most of its revenues by offering companies promotional platforms, it has also been keen to promote its own products in the market. Google uses various platforms to promote its products to the target audience. The placement component of the marketing mix is also very important. All the internet related products of this company are readily available to individuals who have access to the internet using their android phones, tablets, or personal computers. The hardware products offered by this firm are readily available various shops within the United States, Europe, and some countries in Asia. Product development Google Inc has also been keen on promoting product development as presented in the case. The management of this firm has realized that the needs of the customers in the market are changing. In order to manage these changing tastes and preferences, this firm has been conducting regular research and modifying its products based on the changes of market needs. For instance, it has been enhancing its Firefox and Chrome products to offer superior value to its customers in the market. These two products have had their features improved remarkably to help improve the experience of the users. This product development strategy has enabled Google to become the leading search engine in the world. Conclusion and Recommendations It is clear from the discussion above and from the case study that Google Inc has achieved massive success within the past one decade due to its effective management strategies. When it started, this firm only earned revenues from the fees in charged on the users of its website. However, the management realized that it was necessary to expand product offerings in the market as a way of diversifying its income. The firm has since become a major player in various industries that has made it direct competitor of some of the leading American companies su ch as Apple and Microsoft. The ability of this firm to achieve success in various markets that it has always targeted is unique. Although Google Inc has made a few mistakes in its expansion strategies, most of the strategic decisions of this firm in its expansion strategy have been very successful. The entry into the new markets means that Google Inc will have to improve its strategies to manage the rivalry that is expected to come from some of the established firms such as Apple Inc and Microsoft Corporation. In this section, the researcher will provide a number of policy recommendations that may help Google Inc to improve its competitiveness in the market. When giving recommendations to this company, the researcher was keen on basing the arguments on the trends that this firm has already taken which have achieved success. For instance, it is clear that the management of Google Inc is keen on diversifying its line of products in the market beyond the internet-related services which are its primary source of revenue. Using the Generic Competitive Strategies Model, it is possible to identify competitive strategies that this firm can employ to achieve competitive edge in the market. Five Generic Competitive Strategies Model This competitive strategies model is very important because it helps in defining the direction that a firm should take in order to achieve specific objectives in the market. The figure below shows the five strategies that a firm can take based on market target and the type of advantage a firm is seeking to achieve. Figure 1: Five Generic Strategies Model As shown in the figure above, a firm can choose one or two of the competitive strategies based on its aim in the market. For Google Inc, two of the five strategies may help it to achieve its aim based on the trend it has taken over the past decade. The first strategy that can work for this company is broad differentiation strategy. It emphasizes on the need to differentiate a firm’s p roducts from that of its market rivals. Differentiation strategy may take different approaches. This may be achieved at Google Inc through developing additional features on its products that rival businesses have not adopted. Branding of the products will also give it a competitive edge because the brand is trusted globally. Instead of using pricing strategies, the company should use technology and innovativeness to deliver unique products which are superior to that of the existing competitors. The decision of the firm to diversify its products means that it will have to do more in order to continue producing products of very high quality. The diversification of its products should not be used to sacrifice the quality of products offered to the customers. The second strategy that may work for Google Inc based on the model above is the best cost provider strategy. In this strategy, this firm will strive to give its clients high value for their money. Google can do this by meeting the ir expectations in terms of product quality provided at fair prices. The company should aim at thrilling its clients by offering what they expect, at fair price. It is important to note that this strategy does not involve offering products at prices much lower than the market average. Such a move may trigger price wars which are always very dangerous to all the firms involved. Instead, it will offer high quality products, but instead of increasing the price to reflect the increased value of the products, the price will remain unchanged. This means that clients will be getting more value without having to pay more. This strategy will also help this firm to strengthen its brand in the market. In the current competitive market place, brand of product means a lot to customers. They often prefer purchasing products of known brands as an assurance of quality. Appendices Appendix 1: Financial Ratios Ratios 2012 2011 Current ratio Current Assets/Current Liabilities =60,454/14337 =4.22 Current Assets/Current Liabilities =52,758/8913 =5.92 Quick ratio (Current Assets- Inventory)/Current Liabilities = (60,454-505)/14337 = 4.18 (Current Assets- Inventory)/Current Liabilities =(52,758-0)/8913 =5.92 Cash ratio (Cash+ Marketable Securities)Current Liabilities = (14,778+33310)/14337 = 3.35 (Cash+ Marketable Securities)Current Liabilities = (9983+34,643)/8913 = 5.01 Appendix 2: Five Forces Analysis Competitive Rivalry Threat Threat of New Entrants Threat of Substitutes Bargaining Power of Suppliers Bargaining Power of Buyers In the market where Google Inc operates, there is stiff competition from established firms such as Microsoft Corporation and Apple. The more it expands its product lines, the stiffer the competition becomes. The threat of new entrants into the internet industry is real. Chinese Baidu is keen on expanding to the United States, Europe, and other parts of the world. These entrants may eat into the market share of Google Inc There is also a ma jor threat of substitutes that this firm should be keen on managing. The computer and Smartphone hardware segment of the market has a number of substitutes The bargaining power of the suppliers of this firm, especially in its Smartphone and Computer hardware segment, is relatively strong. Some of the raw materials come from China The bargaining power of the buyers varies a little. Organizational buyers such as government agencies have greater bargaining power than individuals who want to use products and services of this firm Appendix 3: SWOT Strength Massive financial wealth Highly skilled and experienced management and employees Unique ability to manage emerging technologies Willingness to undertake risky ventures Weakness High rates of taking risks Opportunities Increased expansion of internet infrastructure in the global society Emergence of communication tools Successful entry into global market Rising number of internet users Rising number of tablet and personal computer users Threats Restrictive laws such as those witnessed in China Stiff market competition from rivals Possible threat of new entrants Appendix 4: Strategic Group Map References Gamble, J., Peteraf, M. Thompson, A. (2015). Essentials of Strategic Management: The Quest for Competitive Advantage. New York: McGraw Hill.

How to Write a Diversity Essay 4 Key Tips

How to Write a Diversity Essay 4 Key Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re applying to college, you've probably heard the phrase "diversity essay" once or twice. This type of essay is a little different from your typical "Why this college?" essay. Instead of focusing on why you've chosen a certain school,you'll write about your background, values, community, and experiences- basically, what makes you special. In this guide, I explain what a diversity college essay is, what schools are looking for in this essay, and what you can do to ensure your diversity essay stands out. What Is a Diversity Essay for College? A diversity essay is a college admissions essay that focuses on you as an individualand your relationship with a specific community. The purpose of this essay is to reveal what makes you different from other applicants, including what unique challenges or barriers you’ve faced and how you’ve contributed to or learned from a specific community of people. Generally speaking, the diversity college essay is used topromote diversity in the student body. As a result, the parameters of this essay are typically quite broad. Applicants may write about any relevant community or experience. Here are some examples of communities you could discuss: Your cultural group Your race or ethnicity Your extended family Your religion Your socioeconomic background (such as your family’s income) Your sex or gender Your sexual orientation Your gender identity Your values or opinions Your experiences Your home country or hometown Your school The area you live in/your neighborhood A club or organization of which you’re an active member Although the diversity essay is a common admissions requirement at many colleges, most schools do not specifically refer to this essay as a diversity essay.At some schools the diversity essay is simply your personal statement, whereas at others it's a supplemental essay or short answer. It's also important to note that the diversity essay is not limited to undergraduate programs. Many graduate programs, too, require diversity essays from applicants. So if you're planning to eventually apply to graduate school, be aware that you might have to write yet another diversity statement! Diversity Essay Sample Prompts From Colleges Now that you understand what diversity essays for college are, let’s take a look at some diversity essay sample prompts from actual college applications. University of Michigan At the University of Michigan, the diversity college essay is a required supplemental essay for all freshman applicants. Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. University of Washington Unlike U-M, which requires a full-length response to its diversity essay prompt, the University of Washington asks only for a short answer. UW also offers advice on how to answer the prompt. Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington. Tip Keep in mind that the University of Washington strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values, and viewpoints. University of California System The UC system requires freshman applicants to choose four out of eight prompts (or personal insight questions) and submit short essays of up to 350 words each. Two of these (#5 and #7) are diversity essay prompts that heavily emphasize community, personal challenges, and background. For each prompt, the UC system offers tips on what to write about and how to craft a compelling essay. 5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? Things to consider: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone? If you’re currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, "How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends or with my family?" 7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place- like your high school, hometown or home. You can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community? Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community? Think about your community: how has it helped you? What have you done for it? University of Oklahoma Freshman applicants to OU are not required to answer this diversity essay question but can if they wish to be considered for scholarships. The University of Oklahoma is home to a vibrant, diverse and compassionate University community. Our President, David L. Boren, refers to our strong community as "the OU Family." Please describe your cultural and community service activities and why you chose to participate in them. Duke University In addition to having to answer the Common Application or Coalition Application essay prompts, applicants to Duke University may (but do not have to) submit short answers to two prompts, both of which are diversity college essay prompts.The maximum word count for each is 250 words. Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better- perhaps related to a community you belong to or your family or cultural background- we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. Duke’s commitment to diversity and inclusion includes gender identity and sexual orientation. If you would like to share with us more about either, and have not done so elsewhere in the application, we invite you to do so here. Pitzer College At Pitzer, freshman applicants must use the Common Application and answer one of two supplemental essay prompts. One of these prompts is a diversity essay prompt that asks you to write about your community. At Pitzer, five core values distinguish our approach to education: social responsibility, intercultural understanding, interdisciplinary learning, student engagement and environmental sustainability. As agents of change, our students utilize these values to create solutions to our world’s challenges. ... Reflecting on your involvement throughout high school or within the community, how have you engaged with one or more of Pitzer’s core values? University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill At UNC, both freshman and transfer applicants must submit short answers (200-250 words) to two of four prompts. One is a diversity college essay prompt that wants to know more about the influence of your background on your current self. What about your background, or what perspective, belief, or experience, will help you contribute to the education of your classmates at UNC? The Common Application Many colleges and universities, such as Purdue University, use the Common Application and its essay prompts. (Note that the Common App essay prompts for the 2017-18 application cycle will be the same for the 2018-19 cycle.) One of its essay prompts is for a diversity essay, which can be anywhere from 250 to 650 words.This prompt has a strong focus on the applicant's identity, interests, and background. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. ApplyTexas ApplyTexas is similar to the Common Application but isonly used by public colleges and universities in the state of Texas. The application contains multiple essay prompts, two of which (A and B) are diversity college essay prompts that ask you to elaborate on your environment, a community, and your personal identity. Essay A: What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. Essay B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself. Be the red apple. What Do Colleges Look for in a Diversity Essay? With the diversity essay,what colleges usually want most is to learn more about you, including what experiences have made you the person you are today and what unique insights you can offer the school. But what kinds of specific qualities do schools look for in a diversity essay? To answer this, let's look at what schools themselves have said about college essays. Although not many colleges give advice specific to the diversity essay, many provide tips for how to write an effective college essay in general. For example, here is whatDickinson Collegehopes to see in applicants' college essays: Tell your story. It may be trite advice, but it’s also true. Admissions counselors develop a sixth sense about essay writers who are authentic. You’ll score points for being earnest and faithful to yourself. Authenticity is key to writing an effective diversity essay. Schools want you to be honest about who you are and where you come from; don’t exaggerate or make up stories to make yourself sound "cooler" or more interesting- 99% of the time, admissions committees will see right through it! Next, here’s what Wellesley College says about the purpose of college essays: Let the Board of Admission discover: More about you as a person. The side of you not shown by SATs and grades. Your history, attitudes, interests, and creativity. Your values and goals- what sets you apart. It’s important to not only be authentic but to alsoshowcase "what sets you apart" from other applicants- that is, what makes you you. This is especially important when you consider how many applications admissions committees go through each year. If you don’t stand out in some positive way, you'll likely end up in the crapshoot, significantly reducing or even eliminating your chances of admission. And finally, here’s some advice fromtheUniversity of Michiganon writing essays for college: Your college essay will be one of nearly 50,000 that we’ll be reading in admissions- use this opportunity to your advantage. Your essay gives us insights into your personality; it helps us determine if your relationship with the school will be mutually beneficial. So tell us what faculty you’d like to work with, or what research you’re interested in. Tell us why you’re a leader- or how you overcame adversity in your life. Tell us why this is the school for you. Tell us your story. Overall, the most important characteristic colleges are looking for in the diversity essay (as well as in any college essay you submit) is authenticity. Colleges want to know who you are and how you got here; they also want to see what makes you memorable and what you can bring to the school. Coffee not required for writing an excellent diversity essay. How to Write an Effective Diversity Essay: 4 Tips Here are some tips to help you write a great diversity college essay and increase your chances of admission to college. #1: Think About What Makes You Unique One of the main purposes of the diversity essay is to present your uniqueness and explain how you will bring a new perspective to the student body and school as a whole. Therefore, for your essay, be sure to choose a topic that will help you stand apart from other applicants. For example, instead of writing about your ability to play the piano (which a lot of applicants can do, no doubt), it’d be far more interesting to elaborate on how your experience growing up in Austria led you to become interested in classical music. Try to think of defining experiences in your life. These don’t have to be obvious life-altering events, but they should have had a lasting impact on you and helped shape your identity. #2: Be Honest and Authentic Ah, there’s that word again: authentic. While it’s important to showcase how unique you are, you also want to make sure you’re staying true to who you are. What experiences have made you the person you are today? What kind of impact did these have on your identity, accomplishments, and future goals? Being honest also means notexaggerating (or lying about) your experiences or views.It's OK if you don't remember every little detail of an event or conversation. Just try to be as honest about your feelings as possible. Don't say something changed your life if it really had zero impact on you. Ultimately, you want to write in a way that's true to your voice. Don't be afraid to throw in a little humor or a personal anecdote. What matters most is that your diversity essay accurately represents you and your intellectual potential. #3: Write Clearly, Correctly, and Cogently This next tip is of a more mechanical nature. As is the case with any college essay, it’s critical that your diversity essay is well written. After all, the purpose of this essay is not only to help schools get to know you better but also to demonstrate a refined writing ability- a skill that's necessary for doing well in college, regardless of your major. A diversity essay that's littered with typos and grammatical errors willfail to tell a smooth, compelling, and coherent story about you. Itwill also make you look unprofessional and won’t convince admissions committees that you're serious about college and your future. So what should you do? First, separate your essay into clear, well-organized paragraphs. Next, proofread your essay several times.As you further tweak your draft, continue to proofread it. If possible, get an adult- such as a teacher, tutor, or parent- to look it over for you as well. #4: Take Your Time Our final tip is to give yourself plenty of time to actually write your diversity essay. Usually, college applications are due around December or January, so it’s a good idea to start your essay early, ideally in the summer before your senior year (and before classes and homework begin eating up your time). Starting early also lets yougain some perspective on your diversity essay.Here's how to do this: once you've written a rough draft or even just a couple of paragraphs of your essay, put it away for a few days. Once this time passes, take out your essay again and reread it with a fresh perspective. Try to determine whether it still has the impact you wanted it to have.Ask yourself: does this essay sound like the real you, or someone else? Are some areas a little too cheesy? Could you add more or less detail to certain paragraphs? Finally, giving yourself lots of time to write your diversity essay means you can have more people read it and offer comments and edits on it.This is crucial for producing an altogether effective diversity college essay. Conclusion: Writing Diversity Essays for College A diversity essay is a college admissions essay that revolves around an applicant’s background and identity, usually within the context of a particular community. This community can refer to race or ethnicity, income level, neighborhood, school, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Many colleges- such as the University of Michigan, the University of Washington, and UNC- use the diversity essay to ensure diversity in their student bodies.Some schools require the essay, whereas others accept it as an optional application component. If you'll be writing diversity essays for college, be sure to do the following when writing your essay to give yourself a higher chance of admission: Think about what makes you unique- try to pinpoint an experience or opinion you have that'll separate you from the rest of the crowd in an interesting, positive way Be honest and authentic- avoid exaggerating or lying about your feelings and experiences Write clearly, correctly, and cogently- proofread, edit, and get someone else to look over your essay Take your time- start early, preferably by the summer before your senior year, so you can have more time to make changes and get feedback from others With that, I wish you the best of luck on your diversity essay! What’s Next? You understand how to write a diversity essay- but what about a "Why this college?" essay? What about a general personal statement?Our guides explain what these essays are and how you can produce amazing responses for your applications. Want more samples of college essay prompts?Read dozens of real prompts with our guideand learn how to answer them effectively. Curious about what a good college essay actually looks like? Then check out our analysis of 100+ college essays and what makes them memorable. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Impression Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impression Evidence - Essay Example It includes fingerprints, footwear impressions, tire impressions, bite marks, firearms and tool marks. Bare foot impression, tire impression and footwear impression evidences are very little used forms of evidence and often overlooked. This is basically due to lack of an aggressive attitude for the detection and recovery of this evidence. Impression evidence differs according to the surface on which impression are put down. The differences can make collection, presentation, identification and analysis of impression evidence difficult. Generally, impression evidence is produced when object or stamped or pressed against one another, which allow the object to retain and transfer characteristic from one another. It can be divided in to two categories. i.e. two dimensional and three-dimensional. While the former has measurement of the width and length, the latter has three measurements; length, depth and width. Finger print impression is an impression of the friction ridges of any or all parts of the finger. Friction ridges are â€Å"the hairless parts of the body--the inner surfaces of the hands and the soles of the feet--are covered with patterns formed by raised ridges of skin known as friction or papillary ridges.† (Hunter, Ian). Finger print identification is also called dactyloscopy. It is the process of analyzing questioned and non friction skin ridge impression from palms, fingers and toes to determine whether the impressions are from the same finger, toe or palm. (Ashbaugh, David R. (1991). Vol . 41). No two finger or palm prints are identical due to the flexibility of friction ridge. Finger print identification finds out whether two friction ridge impressions are originated from the same finger or palm or toe or sole or not. Latent print is the accidental impression left by friction ridge skin on a surface. Chemical, Electronics and physical processing methods allow

Reeds Clothier Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reeds Clothier Inc - Essay Example Reed’s Clothier Inc. To see the actual situation of the firm, we can move forward and discuss Jim’s financial ratios. The first and most important ratio is the current ratio. This gives an idea of liquidity of the firm. It is not good not to be liquid or to be extremely liquidated. The best balanced sheet has a combination of fixed and current assets. Too many of receivables are not good although they may increase the value of assets but they indicate a weak receivable control system. The industry current ratio is 2.7, while for Jim’s company it is 2.01 (Calculated by dividing current assets with current liabilities) Quick ratio for the industry is 1.6. For Jim Reed’s company it is 1.4. 1 : 1 is the least acceptable ratio. Reed’s is lagging behind in both these ratios from industry standards. Another ratio that proves and shows that the Reed’s company is in bad financial shape is Receivable turnover. If this ratio is high, it indicates higher credit policy. If this rati o is low, it shows there are loopholes in receivables policy. The value for industry is 20.1 while this company has the ratio of 26.0. This once again indicates that due to lack of attention, the company finances are suffering. (White, Sondhi and Fried, 1997) Inventory turnover needs to be high as that indicates good sales against inventory. The figure for industry is 7 which is good. The exhibit 5 show that in case of Reed’s the sales are related to inventory, but with increasing stock the increase in sales is not correlation.

The content of the newspapers Essay Example for Free

The content of the newspapers Essay The content of the newspapers is not fact about the world, but in a very general sense ideas. Fowler (Roger Folwer Language in the News Routledge 1991 Pg.1) In todays society it would be naà ¯ve to assume that the news we receive is unbiased. It is safe to say the facts are reported if someone is murdered, the story maybe covered in the news, but the placement of the piece, emotive language used, duration or any other factors involved would immediately inform the audience to the merit of the story. In effect dictating to the viewer the version of reality they., the media/government want us, the audience to see. The factors that govern what is reported are news valves and as it is recognised that this code of conduct exists we can, I personally feel, say that the media can, and does, reflect the political agenda or climate. The question of the news being created has been a topic of discussion since the dawn of media studies. There are several different political theories or traditions of thought. The three I have chosen to concentrate on are the liberal, Marxist and pluralist theories. All to some extent see society as maintainable, they agree that the structure of society can be altered not by personal level events but by major structures, such as legalisation and reform. To understand each theory better we must first look at how each theory or idea is applied to our society and in this case the construction of the news, starting first with liberalism. This body of thought was established by the end of the eighteenth-century. Its economic theories favour the development of capitalism, seeing society as a group of rational individuals in pursuit of their self-interest. Direction from the state is not needed, its job is merely to provide external defence and internal order. James Curran wrote: A view of society as a system of class exploitation gave way to a new definition of reality in which different sections of the community were portrayed as being independent, with shared interest in common. The portrayal of labour as the source of wealth was replaced by the portrayal; of profit as the mainspring of the economy. ( Ed. James Curran Mass Communication as a social force, in the media: Context of Study Open University 1997 Pg.51) They believe that talent is rewarded in a society where people are free and equal, the state is merely there to regulate the individuals personal freedom. The mass media is seen as accurate and reliable, run by groups of talented entrepreneurs, it should not be state run, but if necessary, sensibly regulated. Pluralism takes a more simplistic approach it depicts the message of the media as a circuit from society as source to society as audience it doesnt believe news is created it accepts news values exist but hold them as a reflection of current public attitudes. The news is not constructed the media, having no power, being used only to confirm and uphold the preconceived beliefs of society. Sir Nick Lloyd, the then editor of The Daily Express, was interviewed in 1991 by Nina Arnott for a communication studies project entitled Political Bias in the Press, he was reported as saying: You can only get over to your own readers. The Express has four and a half million. Thats only a small percentage of the electorate and if people buy newspapers that reinforce their political view then you wont change much. (Stuart Price Media studies Longman 1996 Pg.374) This mode of thought sees the audience as educated and selective and understands, unlike some effect studies, for example the hypodermic syringe or magic bullet that the audience is not passive and the message not direct, that ideas cannot be simply injected into the consciousness of an audience. The Marxist theory is more complex and can be broken into many subsections. Marxism, unlike liberalism, doesnt support the idea that competition leads society onwards. Marx argued that workers co-operation would lead to a better future. He was concerned with the class system. Those who owned factories or shops, the bourgeoisie were comfortably supported by the labour of others. He wanted a society not controlled by the division between capital and labour. Marxism states that we live in a capitalist society divided into classes broadly speaking, working, middle and ruling classes. The power in society is found in the state, the mass media only exist to uphold the capitalist state in power. The Marxist manipulative model, as its name suggests, believes the news is constructed and in some cases invented to influence public opinion and change society for political gain. The hegemonic model was developed by Antonio Gramsci he believed that the media whether knowingly or not is used to promote beliefs and ideologies of the dominant class in society. The masses, working class, need to believe that the views they are being given support their existing beliefs. The media does create the news and reality is being constructed not to bring about change but to maintain the balance of the governing body. The ruling ideas become the ideas of the whole society to allow capitalism to survive. Chomsky extended the hegemonic model instead of the media reflecting the dominant views of the elite, he thought the media was the elite. A countering view that could destroy the hegemonic model is that technology will and is shaping societys views and beliefs. New technologies are allowing more people not just the elite to promote their ideas via the Internet or cheaper more accessible equipment. If this were the case the elite would no longer own the means of control and capitalism could fold if the masses were no longer spoon fed by the dominant class. The theories of the Frankfurt school are another take on Marxism. They see the news as created and reality as constructed but instead of seeing society as a sponge and the masses merely absorbing the message, it believes there are differing levels of attention. Resistance to the message is found against marginal groups believing the sub-groups such as the young, ethnic minorities or women are less susceptible to the message. Regardless of whether the media constructs the news the effect on the audience will differ. Over the years many theories have been developed and documented to help understand the effect of the message on the audience, these are known as the effects studies. There are two I have chosen to look at in brief, they are the two step flow theory by Katz and Lazarfeld, inoculation theory and the psychodynamic effects study as well as earlier mentioning the hyperdermic syringe or magic bullet theory. The two step flow theory by Lazarfeld Berelson and Gaudet studied the 19 40 US presidential election. It was based on the stimulus-response theory leaning on uses and gratifications. It proved inadequate so Katz and Lazarfeld published a new edition of the model. It highlighted the concept of opinion leaders who pass the message from the media, to the less active members of society. This theory sees the opinion leader as a go between from the elite/media to the opinion leader to the masses. The inoculation theory believes that continued exposure to a specific message can lea to desensitisation. When we are continually bombarded with pictures of starving children in the third world, they do stop existing in an emotive sense and we do, to a degree, become desensitised to the original message. The phychodynamic effect is an extension or modification of the original cause and effect thesis. It recognises the importance of the interpretation by the individual. The effect of the message depends on the internal psychological structure of the individual. The effect studies help us to understand if, and how, manipulated society can be. Even if the news is trying to convey a particular message to maintain balance, effects change or merely agree with existing beliefs, we have to understand that everyone will process the information differently. With this taken into account there is a code of conduct that allows journalists to pick stories on set valves, that will give the clearest message, so no matter how it is processed the end outcome of a piece is constant. The operation of the selection of news is known as news valves. These are ideas or assumptions that form the ideological background to the work of those involved in gathering the news. A number of writers have categorised the valves, none more concisely than Brain Dutton, who concludes that there are twelve main valves. These range from continuity, frequency and unexpectedness to unambiguity and reference to elite nations. They help to define whether a story is newsworthy; it would be if it had one or more of these elements. A story may have some or most of the news valves yet still not be newsworthy. Philip Jones- Griffiths a journalist during the Vietnamese conflict was interviewed by the photographic magazine 10/8 for a piece entitled Vietnam after the apocalypse No. 5/6 Spring 1981. He remarked: If I had gone back to Saigon and into one of the agencies and had said, Ive got a story about Americans killing Vietnamese civilians, they would have said, So whats new? it was horrible, but certainly not exceptional, and it just wasnt news. (Stuart P rice Media Studies Longman 1996 Pg.207) This statement clarifies and answers the question, in my opinion; yes the news is constructed. It is hard to pick just one political stance as I agree to some extent with all of them. The manipulation model and Marxist theory is closest to my view but it does not take into account the viewers understanding of the media. I feel, as I am aware there is a selection process to what is shown and an unbiased view cannot exist, as a viewer I am less susceptible to the message than others may be. I think we should question what we are told and consider carefully who will benefit. The more man evolves the quicker we are to manipulate the views of others for political, monetary or consumer gain. It has become such an art that we tend not to see it is happening. We should be vigilant and make sure that the control does not lie prominently in the hands of a few elite. The immense power of the media especially the news should be carefully welded. As long as we understand the greater implications and see there may be a hidden agenda or something more manipulative afoot. The London Correspondent for CNN, Richard Blystone once said: If you go to TV for your only news, then youre lazy. If you go to TV for the truth, then youre a loony. (Stuart Price Media Studies Longman 1996 Pg.78) BIBLOGRAPHY Ed. James Curran Mass Communication as a social force in history: in the Media Context of Study (Open University 1997) Stuart Price Media Studies (Longman, 1996) J. Hartley Understanding News (Methuen, 1982) Roger Folwer Language in the News *Routledge 1991) S. Hall The Manufacturing of News (Owen and Young, 1981)

Essay --

Every morning I wake up at the last minute. I press snooze from the moment my alarm goes off at 6:50 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. I go to bed early, but I can’t seem to get enough sleep. Teens are supposed to sleep for at least eight to nine hours every night. Having school start at 8:30 a.m. doesn’t help because teens like me have to work at night. After work I get home late and have homework to do before school the next morning, which keeps me up past midnight sometimes. Studies show that even getting a half an hour more of sleep improves children’s learning ability from eighteen to forty-four percent (School Really). If school started later teens would improve their grades and their health. Concentration from students is obviously one of the most important aspects in learning new things. It has been proven that if students sleep in, even if it’s only a half hour longer than normal, they’re more likely to have better concentration, behavior, and overall health. â€Å"A sleep disorder not only results in a sleepy, cranky, and often poor-performing student at school, but also an irritable, unhappy child or teenager at home† (Debatewise). Teenagers have a lot of stress put on them. One of the main stresses in teen’s lives is not getting enough sleep. Most teenagers have a job to help support their families and pay for their car insurance, gas, and other things they need. On top of having a job, many teenagers are in sports that occupy a lot of their free time. Teenagers are also pressured into getting all of their homework done in short amounts of time just to get good grades. The last thing that teenagers are worried about is sleep. Teenagers don’t realize how important sleep is not only to their education, but their health in general. ... ...l should start later varies. For one, it’s dangerous to drive to school tired. Automobile accidents are most commonly caused by inexperienced drivers. Imagine being inexperienced and being so tired to the point where you can barely keep your eyes open all because you have to be at school bright and early. Cutting back the time teens arrive at school has been proven to lower the risk of car crashes. There was a school that had cut car accidents by 17% just by changing the time school begins (3 Reasons). Being tired also causes depression, depression makes it harder for students to concentrate on what’s most important, their homework (3 Reasons). I can’t stress enough how important it is to get good grades. Getting good grades and having a good GPA, not only helps you become who you want to be when you get older, but it helps you get into any college you like.

Experience with a Computer Repair Shop

First of all let me start off by saying I personally have had a bad experience with a computer repair shop in the pass especially when it comes to them backing up of your pictures, videos, documents and all your files to a DVD. Some repair shops say they will back up all your files for a cost to a DVD. The problem with that is a DVD only hold up to 4GB of memory. What if your computer has two hard drives or has 1TB of files and stuff that needs to be backed up. Here is when it becomes a scan because one DVD cannot save all of that memory and then they want to charge you extra, preferably and arm and a leg. Best buy has done that to me before when I had a virus on my computer and I only used my computer so save videos, pictures, play video games, visit social sites and read and send email. It was the worst experience I have ever had and I would never take my computer back to the geek squad ever again. Cost me about $400 bucks to remove a virus. I couldn’t believe it.I can only imagine someone that uses their computer to create files and for their business and professional reasons. They would have a bigger computer and have a lot more files that need to be backed up than the normal person. That would affect them a whole not more than it would do me. Then the shop would not even reinstall their apps so they would have to do that all over again. That would be a pain in the butt and a whole other story.Computer repair shops now a day have people that work in it that are lazy and don’t know what they are doing and it’s not right for a customer who is paying good money for crappy service. I mean don’t get me wrong you have repair shops that do a good job and fixes your computer makes it a lot faster and a whole lot better when they do a good job by actually removing the virus and saving your memory as promise for a fair price. But this repair shop has both its good and bad. They will format your hard drive and reinstall the OS, but they wil l only saving pictures, videos and documents to only one DVD and that is a problem.

Customers’ culture Essay

Once, one of our teachers told us that in order to ensure the success of our business, we must associate our potential products with the culture of our target market. It is in fact better if we are able to make our products become part of the customers’ culture itself. This is because doing so may not only translate to higher sales upon our entry to the market but, also, to a good amount of loyal customers. The more you position a product as if it is part of the customers’ daily lives, the more they would use it, the more they would demand for it. This may be great news for the entrepreneurs out there but is it also great news for the market that they are trying to penetrate? Coca-cola is one of the companies that I admire in terms of their marketing strategies. In my opinion, they are one of the companies that best produce advertisements and promos that fit consumer interests. I am often amazed how they manage to tweak various situations and events and put Coke in the picture to become part of our lives. I commend them for being so effective in making us feel what they want us to feel. On the contrary, I dislike them for being able to do so. Coca-cola’s ability to effectively deliver messages through certain media also gives them the power to influence numerous people just in a few moments. That saying, it would only take Coca-cola or any other firm a few moments to change a part of our lives somehow the way they want to without us knowing. The 1950s commercial of the company in the Philippines clearly showed us various things about the country, the Filipinos, our culture, and how their product became part of us. It was reflected in the advertisement how the entry of foreign entities gradually changed our way of doing things. We became more civil in the eyes of the foreigners; however, we’ve became rude for forgetting a part of our culture. From having get together of villagers that is full of dances and accompanied by food and drinks to backyard gatherings wherein people just sit, talk and eat sandwiches and juices. From enjoying native Filipino sports such as Sepak Takraw to becoming a lover of western sports. Slowly we are embracing the culture that wasn’t ours but was just merely injected by the foreign entities that came to our country. A perfect depiction of this scenario was a painting done by Antipas Delotavo entitled â€Å"Ang Itak sa Puso ni Mang  Juan†. In his painting, a Filipino old m an can be seen standing, with his shoulders dropped, head slightly bowed down, and face looking sad. His posture and gesture resembles that of a man who has just surrendered and no longer has the power to continue the fight. On the background, the famous logo of Coca-cola can be seen. It was the tail of the company’s letter â€Å"C†, however, that made the painting more interesting. The tail of the letter â€Å"C† was shaped like that of a dagger and was pointed to the heart of the old man. The Coca-cola background shows how the Western companies have dominated us in a way that we are unaware of. They have become bigger and managed to penetrate our land and countrymen without us noticing it immediately. They showed us how better off we are and will be with them operating in our lands as they said in the commercial. The only difference now is that these foreign entities were able to restructure their strategies and sugar coated their way to us. The coming in of these foreign firms and other entities is like a dagger to us, our culture, and our country because although we could say that we are improving economically speaking; we are placed in a situation that endangers our identity as a Filipino citizen. Unfortunately, we are almost giving up.

20 Extremely Easy Ways to Building Confidence at Work

20 Extremely Easy Ways to Building Confidence at Work Successful people tend to have at least one thing in common: confidence. If confidence isn’t already your strong point, it can be tough to figure out how to get some and apply it to your own life. Where do people find this mysterious elixir that lets people crush it, and let others know they’re crushing it? Unfortunately for us, there’s no magic involved in building confidence at work. But there is some good news: there are plenty of simple things you can do to boost your own confidence, and boost your career in the process.According to The Muse, building  confidence at work has three basic components:Comfort level in what you’re doing and what your goals are.Your understanding of what your strengths and talents already are, as well as your limitations.Your ability to trust your instincts (or ignore them), depending on the situation.Broken down this way, this gives you a very basic attack plan for boosting your own confidence in your work, and setting yo urself up for future success. Confidence is a unique skill in that there’s an art to it, sure, but also plenty of manageable, concrete things you can do to try to build your confidence. [via Happify]Let’s look at some of the things you can do to raise that confidence factor.1. Know your comfort zone.Are you comfortable with your daily tasks at work? Do you feel secure at your company, with the parameters of your work? Once you’ve sat down to figure out how you fit into the bigger picture at work, and how everything works, you can let go a little and feel more relaxed about your role.2. Make a list of things that would make you feel more comfortable at work.Maybe it’s working with your boss to adjust your workload, or taking on new responsibilities that are more in line with your long term goals. Maybe it’s connecting more with coworkers so that you work better with them on projects. Or maybe it’s as simple as promising to take a lunch break every day, or clean off your desk before you leave in the evening so that things don’t feel chaotic when you come back in the morning. Whatever is on the list, it should include tasks that will make you feel happier and more in tune with your job.3. Communicate more openly.If you have concerns, vent them! If these are issues you feel comfortable discussing with your manager, great. If not, it’s totally fine to have a trusted confidante (at or outside of work) with whom you can talk about anxieties and frustrations. Don’t keep things bottled up, because then they fester and become longer-held resentments. Similarly, if you have issues with a coworker, don’t just sit on them. Discuss them in a rational, professional way before miscommunications pile on miscommunications, and everyone’s ticked off. Being open about things (and getting in the habit of doing it) can make you feel like you have more control over a situation, as well as what the next step s are.4. Get outside feedback and help prioritizing.Confident people know they can handle what’s on their plate. That’s not because they can magically handle everything, but because they know what’s important and what they can do. If you feel overwhelmed, work with your boss to figure out how to restructure your tasks and make sure your head is in the game for the most important ones.5. Learn new skills.One of the best ways to feel more confident is to go out and get more skills. Feel a little insecure about your tech know-how? Find online tutorials. Scared of presenting? Take an improv class. Anxiety and self-doubt often stem from being unsure about how to tackle new things. If you dive right in and discover that you have the skills to take on new things, it’ll start to bolster your general confidence.6. Expand your network.Nobody is an island, right? Make sure you’re adding to your network all the time. It’s like having a virtual posse beh ind you, and can make you feel less like you’re out there on the high wire all alone. Feeling supported is key to confidence. You can build your network by trying to find open social events in your field, or by using social media.7. Engage experts in your field.This is kind of like building your network, but adds the step of trying to start dialogues with people in your field who Know Their Stuff. With social media, it’s easier than ever to follow someone’s posts, then offer comments and ask questions accordingly. It may not be the most personal connection, but it gets you in the habit of dialoguing about your own experience while learning from others’.8. Accept self-doubt.Even the most confident people have self-doubts. The key is in not letting those define your decisions, or just ignoring them completely. Self-doubt is kind of a mental check on our instincts. When you feel them, think about whether the concern is valid or not, and what you can do to fe el comfortable enough to push past those doubts.9. Sit up straight.This is a very physical thing you can do to start feeling more powerful and confident right away. Flash back to all those times your parent or a teacher told you to stop slouching. They weren’t doing it to be annoying- there are studies that show that good posture correlates strongly to confident thinking.10. Get physical.If you’ve got your head down working on something, it can start to feel like you’re in a bubble, with your own perspective swirling around and around. Taking a break to get up and walk around, do yoga for half an hour, etc. gives your brain some space, allowing you to come back and feel confident that you know what you need to do next.11. Drop a few off-color words.Of course, this one really depends on your audience- a meeting with colleagues and higher-ups is not the time to debut your new Swear Like a Pirate policy. But using strong words makes us feel strong and confident.12. Try some power posing.Body language is everything, according to social psychologist Amy Cuddy. Throwing a few power poses into your repertoire at work can make you feel more self-assured. You can channel your inner superhero while you stand with hands on hips, lean forward with hands flat on a desk or table, or sit back with your hands behind your head. These poses get you into an ownership mindset where you feel strong and self-assured.13. Use some daily affirmations.Okay, so gazing into the mirror and whispering sweet nothings to yourself sounds a little weird. I get it. But having a quick set of positive things that you say to yourself can help you feel more confident as you get ready to go about your day. Make statements like, â€Å"I WILL achieve _____ today,† or â€Å"I am so ready for this† as you’re getting ready for work.14. Envision success.Vision boards may not be everyone’s cup of tea- the arts and crafts part is optional. But having a clear image in your head of what your success looks like (on a project, in a year on the job, or whatever parameters you want to use) can make you feel more self-assured on your path to get there.15. Work on your physical appearance and confidence.You know the old clichà © â€Å"dress for success†? Well, it’s a pretty true clichà ©. Wear clothes that make you feel put-together and ready for the world. (Work appropriate ones, of course.) If that means getting up ten minutes earlier so that you have time to pick an outfit that makes you feel strong and attractive, do it! Personally, I’m guilty of defaulting to â€Å"what’s clean and readily available as I scramble to get ready?† and I always feel more ready to take on the world if I spend a little more time and wear what I want, rather than what’s easy.16. Be selective about who you spend time with.Your time is valuable, so you shouldn’t spend it with people who make you feel bad, or who ar e (quite frankly) a waste of time.17. Stop putting everyone and everything else first.Your career is the most important one (and mine is for me, and Aunt Sally’s is for her.) Whenever you make decisions, it’s fine to evaluate your needs and priorities above others.18. Live in the present.It’s so easy to get caught up in what happened back then, or what’s likely to happen in the future. Focusing on other times let’s self-doubt creep in about what you’re doing now. Try to stay focused on what’s directly in front of you.19. Speak your mind.This doesn’t mean brutal honesty all the time (as fun as it would be to remove all filters sometimes), but rather speaking up when you have something to contribute. Whether it’s in a meeting or a social occasion, don’t wait for the perfect moment to speak up- that moment may never come. Make your voice heard, even if you’re expressing an unpopular or dissenting opinion.20. F orgive yourself.The most important one is this: forgive yourself for mistakes, and move on. Getting caught up in a cycle where you blame yourself, and let that cause anxiety about how to act in the future is not a healthy place to be. Confident people know that stuff happens, and you learn from it and move on to the next thing. If it’s your fault, acknowledge that you’ll learn from it and do better next time, and let it go.All of these are things that you can start phasing in to your daily routines. There’s no need to overhaul your way of seeing the world- just adding in some practices that will help you get a stronger sense of yourself and your goals. That’s really the heart of confidence- knowing where you want to go, and the strengths you have in trying to get there.

Biography of Diane von Fürstenburg, Fashion Designer

Biography of Diane von Fà ¼rstenburg, Fashion Designer Diane von Fà ¼rstenberg (born December 31, 1946) is a business executive and  fashion designer. She is most famous for her wrap dress, made out of knit jersey fabric, which was first popularized in the 1970s. Fà ¼rstenbergs clothes have been worn by such influential figures and celebrities as Michelle Obama, Madonna, Kate Beckinsale, Susan Sarandon, and Jessica Alba. Fast Facts: Diane von Fà ¼rstenberg Known For: Fà ¼rstenberg designed a wrap dress that had a huge influence on womens fashion.Also Known As: Diane Prinzessin zu Fà ¼rstenberg, Diane Halfin, Diane Simone Michelle HalfinBorn: December 31, 1946 in Brussels, BelgiumParents: Leon Halfin and Liliane NahmiasEducation: University of GenevaSpouse(s): Prince Egon von Fà ¼rstenberg (m. 1969-1972), Barry Diller (m. 2001)Children: Prince Alexander von Fà ¼rstenberg, Princess Tatiana Desirà ©e von Fà ¼rstenbergNotable Quote: Fashion is mysterious, as a rule. Why are blue jeans a classic? You just hit on something that happens to be timeless and right. Early Life Fà ¼rstenberg was born Diane Simone Michelle Halfin in Brussels, Belgium, on December 31, 1946. Her father Leon Halfin was a Moldavian emigre, and her mother Liliane Nahmias had been liberated from Auschwitz only 18 months before Dianes birth.  Both parents were Jewish. Education Fà ¼rstenberg was educated in England, Spain, and Switzerland. She studied at the University of Madrid and later transferred to the University of Geneva, where her field of study was economics. After college, Fà ¼rstenberg worked as an assistant to Albert Koshi, an agent for fashion photographers in Paris. She then moved to Italy, where she worked for textile manufacturer Angelo Ferretti and designed silk jersey dresses. New York and Independence At the University of Geneva, Fà ¼rstenberg met a German prince who was born in Switzerland, Egon zu Fà ¼rstenberg. They married in 1969 and moved to New York, where they had a high-profile society life. The princes family did not like that Fà ¼rstenberg was of Jewish heritage. Two children were born in quick succession: a son Alexandre in 1970, six months after the wedding, and a daughter Tatiana in 1971. In 1970, with the princes support and likely influenced by the rise of feminism, Fà ¼rstenberg sought financial independence by opening the Diane von Fà ¼rstenberg Studio. She designed her own prints and made easy-to-wear dresses made out of silk, cotton, and polyester knits. The Wrap Dress In 1972, Fà ¼rstenberg designed the wrap dress that was to bring her so much recognition. The dress was made of cotton jersey fabric; Furstenbergs intent was to create something both feminine-looking and easy to care for. The iconic original dress is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (alongside famous garments by Thom Browne, Rei Kawakubo, Marc Jacobs, and other designers). Fà ¼rstenberg has described her design as simple, effortless, and classic: The wrap dress is the most traditional form of dressing: Its like a robe, its like a kimono, its like a toga. It doesnt have buttons or zippers. What made it different was that it was jersey; therefore, it was close to the body and it was a print. The design had a huge influence on 1970s fashion; by the middle of the decade, Fà ¼rstenberg had sold millions of dresses and made herself a household name. Divorce and Business Expansion In 1972, Fà ¼rstenberg and her husband divorced. She lost the right to the title of Princess zu Fà ¼rstenberg and rebranded herself as Diane von Fà ¼rstenberg. In 1975, she created the fragrance Tatiana, named for her daughter. The fragrance sold well, and by 1976 Fà ¼rstenberg was so well known that she appeared on the cover of Newsweek. Fà ¼rstenberg sold her studio and licensed her name to be used on other products. In 1979, products with her name represented sales of $150 million. By 1983, however, she had closed her cosmetics and fragrance business. Comeback From 1983 to 1990, Fà ¼rstenberg  lived in Bali and Paris. She founded a publishing company in Paris called Salvy, which released works in translation by authors such as Vita Sackville-West, Barbara Pym, and Gregor von Rezzori. In 1990, she returned to the United States, and the next year launched a new home shopping business, Silk Assets, which sold products on the cable channel QVC. Her first product did $1.2 million in sales in two hours. Selling on QVC was a success. In 1997, Fà ¼rstenberg went into business with her daughter-in-law Alexandra, re-launching her eponymous company. With the revival in the 1990s of 1970s fashions, Fà ¼rstenberg brought back the wrap dress in new prints and colors. Fà ¼rstenberg published a memoir in 1998, Diane: A Signature Life, recounting her life story and business successes. In 2001, she married businessman Barry Diller, who had been a friend since the 1970s. Fà ¼rstenberg also became involved in books and movies, producing Forty Shades of Blue, which won a prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Fà ¼rstenberg released another memoir in 2014, The Woman I Wanted to Be, which one reviewer described as an honest an introspective look into the labyrinthine history behind one of the most iconic female entrepreneurs in fashion. Fà ¼rstenberg has also released a series of coffee table books, including Beds, a look at the intimate spaces of the rich and famous. By 2005, Diane von Fà ¼rstenberg boutiques were in operation in New York and Miami in the United States, and in London and Paris in Europe. Fà ¼rstenberg has served on a number of corporate boards. Her company is currently headquartered in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan. Fà ¼rstenberg has been named one of the most powerful women in the world. Notable Clients Fà ¼rstenbergs clients include a range of celebrities, artists, and other luminaries. former First Lady Michelle Obama- a woman known for her taste in fashion- wore a Fà ¼rstenberg wrap dress in 2009 for the White House Christmas card. Other major clients include Gwenyth Paltrow, Rooney Mara, Bella Thorne, Demi Moore, and Marisa Tomei. Causes Fà ¼rstenberg has supported numerous causes, among them the Anti-Defamation League and the Holocaust Museum. She has been honored for her work in redeveloping space in New York City and for her work against AIDS. With her husband, she funds a private family foundation, The Diller-Von Fà ¼rstenberg Family Foundation. In 2010, as part of an initiative by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, she pledged to donate half her fortune to philanthropic efforts. Sources Ferla, Ruth La. â€Å"The Dress Heard Round the World.† The New York Times, 15 Jan. 2014.Fà ¼rstenberg, Diane Von. Diane: a Signature Life. Simon Schuster, 2009.MacFarquhar, Larissa. â€Å"The Huntress.† The New Yorker, 25 Sept. 2006.

Treatment techniques of mental illnesses throughout history Coursework

Treatment techniques of mental illnesses throughout history - Coursework Example The perception of mental illnesses tends to differ from one culture to another. As a result, different cultures have varying views of what is considered normal and what can be regarded as abnormal. A culture’s perception of mental illnesses has an impact on the intervention strategies, which will be employed while treating a mental illness (Videbeck 4). Traditionally, the psychotherapy relied upon in the treatment of mental disorders borrowed a lot from the psychoanalytic framework, as well as the existential approaches. The influence of Sigmund Freud in the treatment of mental disorders is remarkable owing to the fact that the notion of psychoanalysis can be traced back to his works. This paper will examine how the views on mental illnesses have influenced the techniques of treatment throughout history. The paper will also explore some of the Greek and Roman perceptions of mental illnesses, as well as views of mental illnesses during the Middle Ages. The paper draws from the works of various authors in answering the study questions. The views and treatment of mental disorders throughout history Throughout history, there have been various perceptions of mental illnesses that have guided the treatment of these diseases, as well as how the society perceives mentally ill persons. Among the Greeks, Hippocrates, the famous Greek physician, perceived mental illnesses as conditions that could be understood in relation to physiology that can be termed as disturbed. The Greek held that mental illnesses can be understood in the realm of possession by demons, or the anger of gods. Medical practitioners in Greek later on came up with treatments, which could be used for persons suffering from mental illnesses. These new forms of treatment focussed on the use of drugs in treating mental illnesses, as well as availing care from the family members who provide support to the mentally ill persons (Videbeck 5). The Greek can be regarded as the first group of people that id entified mental illnesses as conditions as opposed to the belief mental illnesses signified wicked supernatural powers. According to the Greeks, conditions such as hysteria only affected women as a result of their uterus that could be considered as wandering. The Greek also used some unique ways of treating mental illnesses. For instance, psychosis was treated using blood-letting while the treatment of depression took place through bathing. Based on the treatment methods employed by the Greeks, there was no room for the use of words that could console the patient (Davies et al. 18). In Greece, there was  some stigma attached to mental illnesses during the ancient times; mentally-ill persons suffered a lot of shame, humiliation, and loss of respect. Ancient Greeks believed that mental illnesses were an indication of punishment for both the major, as well as minor transgressions, which a person may have committed. The Greek society always shunned and isolated those individuals who h ad any form of mental condition. Some people could be locked up in order to keep them off from other people, and to some extent some could be killed in order to prevent them from becoming a nuisance to others in the society (Bewley 4). With time, the Greeks came to believe that the agents they did not see could not be used as the basis upon which mental disorders could be understood. As a result, there arose a need to know the exact causes of mental illnesses,