Letter of Advice on Communication Essay

I am honored that you would seek my advice on communication in your relationship. There are many components to good communication, many think that good communication comes naturally. The fact that we have been communicating all of our lives does not mean that we do it well. (Sole, K, 2011 ch1. 1). Communication is complex, it requires many skills and you must be willing to not only practice these, but also continue learning to improve these. There can be many issues while learning to communicate effectively. In order to help you in your quest for knowledge I will go over a few important things I think you should know about interpersonal communication. This advice should help you in your lives together. When it comes to a healthy relationship, effective communication is the cornerstone on which you build it. If you cannot communicate properly, it will have effects in your personal life. When it comes to relationships, effective communication is the most important skill that one can learn. Explain principles and misconceptions in effective interpersonal communications It is important to realize why we communicate. We communicate for a reason. The primary goal of communication is to share meaning and to connect with other people. Understanding these human needs and communication purposes is essential to success as a communicator. (Sole, 2011) There are many purposes for communicating. One of the most basic purposes is to meet personal needs. Humans are social animals; we need to interact with one another. Another purpose is to learn about yourself and others, this is a process that you must continue well into your relationship, I will provide you advice on how to do this. The most important purpose in your case is to build and maintain relationships. Effective communication is the glue that will hold your relationship together. There are certain skills that are required to be an effective communicator. Listening skills are essential research indicates that most people spend more time listening than talking, however most people have had little education on how to be an effective listener. Listening requires focus and attention; failure to listen effectively is one of the key causes of miscommunication. People skills are important to communication as well, this skill requires a wide range of skills in itself. You must be able to determine the appropriate self disclosure, which means how much personal information to share with others, assertion skills, collaborative skills, problem solving skills, and conflict resolution skills. Emotional intelligence is another skill that you must learn. This means understanding emotions and expressing emotions appropriately. Appropriate skill selection is another skill in effective communication; this means the ability to recognize communication problems when they arise. The final critical skill is communicating ethically, this means the ability to understand what constitutes ethical communication. I have given you the basics in order to better explain how effective communication will enhance your relationship. Describe the process by which self concept is developed and maintained It is important in communication to realize who you are as an individual. How you carry yourself can reflect in your interpersonal relationships and communications. Your self-concept is made up several components. You may have a physical self concept, how you look. You may have an academic self-concept; I am a good student for example. The first step to develop and maintain self-concept is to find out what your self-concept is. A good way to do this is to take a pen and paper and write I am on it, and then in ten minutes write as many descriptions of yourself as you can. This will help you realize what you believe about yourself. This can be critical to maintaining a healthy relationship. Self concept is best learned and maintained through interpersonal communication. You construct partially your-self concept by choosing to accept or reject what other people tell you about you. Through communication with others you can use words and actions to influence other people’s opinions of you. Recognize how words have the power to create and affect attitudes, behavior and perception When communicating with each other choose your words wisely. Words are powerful tools; the words you use can have multiple intentions and interpretations. Choosing the wrong words can lead to miscommunication and lead to conflict. Your choice of words reflect your attitude to show an example of this to etter explain the concept, if you work with someone who is particular about things, if you like them you would call them detail oriented, if you don’t you might call them picky or fussy. (Sole, 2011) Both terms have the same meaning, however one has a negative connotation, the other is positive. The words you choose to use will also have an effect on perception of the person you are communicating with, if you realize this it may save a lot of miscommunication conflicts. Evaluate the proper level of self-disclosure in relationships It is important to keep your personal communication going. This means you have to have quality communication beyond about who is going to pick up the kids, pay the bills, or call the grandparents. (Schoenberg, 2011) You have to have quality communication. If you plan to get married and live together for a lifetime, you must continue to show interest and learn about one another. Ask each other random questions, tell your spouse you fears, feelings, doubts and perceptions with each other. Researchers have linked self-disclosure with marital satisfaction. That is why self-disclosure is key to your relationship, you have to take the time for quality communication. Identify barriers to effective interpersonal interactions If you practice your communication skills you can avoid most barriers to your interpersonal interactions. One thing to keep in mind is that researchers found that most couples think that they communicate better than they do (U. S. News and Report, 2011). If you are close in your relationships you may assume that your spouse automatically understands what you mean when you say something. If you say it’s getting hot in here when you are cold, your spouse may think that you are making an amorous advance and may not go turn up the temperature in the house. You must be patient when things like this happen as well and remember that effective communication must be worked at and does not automatically happen. When it comes to relationships effective communication is the most important skill you can learn to keep your relationship alive. If you do not communicate effectively, it can lead to conflicts. These conflicts can cause couples to break up. If you continue to practice your communication skills, you will have a higher chance of having a happy marriage. Good luck and congratulations on your engagement.

In the Future, hierarchical management structures will be less Essay

In the Future, hierarchical management structures will be less evident. The management of intellectual capital will require ski - Essay Example 230). The tall structure has many levels and many people that are answerable to supervisors. The hierarchy is big such that there is loss of information during communication from the top down and vice versa through the structure. The advantage associated with this is the increase in coordination. Leaning on the background of economic change, many of the traditional approaches to management can no longer be applicable. Higher positions are not given to someone simply because of their hierarchy. Thomas suggests that currently, knowledge and expertise are prioritized (2007). Rao and Krishna define a flat management structure as a â€Å"structure characterised by an overall broad span of control and relatively few hierarchical levels† (2002, p. 357). In recent years, flat structures have been adopted in â€Å"response to the downsizing of businesses in order to increase efficiency and profitability† (Bowyer and Martinelli, 2004, p. 62). Communication takes a smaller route; the messages do not have to travel through larger levels and hence limits the chances of being distorted. Hierarchical management is associated with many disadvantages; as listed by Meehan (2013), communication across departments tends to be less effective, multiple layers increase the salaries at different layers of management, the organization speed is hindered and clients may take longer time before they are attended to, and there could be possibilities of rivalry between departments due to competition. Despite the disadvantages, there are advantages associated with it, but in overall, the disadvantages â€Å"far outweigh the actual and alleged advantages† (Diefenbach, 2013, p. 4). Hierarchical management structures need to be abolished in favour of the more modern management that accommodates creativity and innovation in workforce (Hinks, 2013). This is because the hierarchical management structures and the processes that it implements fail to properly handle change (Kott er, 2011). Case study The case study covers a story of innovation of masking tape as explained by Dawson and Andriopoulos (2009), There was researcher by the name Dick Drew in Minnesota working for a company called 3M which was dealing in sandpaper, one time while he was sent to a body repair shop to do some research on the new release of sandpaper, he found the workers being troubled by a bungled paint work, the workers were working with an auto body and thus they were applying one colour after another while covering the other surfaces with a butcher paper. The problem arose with the use of a very intense adhesive tape which would erase some of the paint job when removing it; this gave an idea to Drew, as noted down by Dawson and Andriopoulos (2009), Drew is suspected to have regarded this event as an ordeal, but went on with his sandpaper testing. After feeling the customers burden, he thought of having one that would be peeled off without affecting the paint so when he went back to his work at 3M, he started the project at their laboratory, the project did not pick up well and the company management directed him to go on with his normal duty while leaving the project, he did not give up rather he decided to keep working underground., It reached a point whereby the manager noticed that Drew was not complying to his orders but he did not summon him, the fortunate thing was that Drew was closing in on an innovation that was going to put the company on high profile. After some time, the

I will upload the specific question later on the file Essay - 4

I will upload the specific question later on the file - Essay Example National security in the US has been a topic of debate in both the social and the political settings for the last one and half decades ago. Tracing the issue back to the 9/11 attacks, it was confirmed that the US has various political enemies whose dedication to projecting mayhem on American Citizens continues to be one threat of living in the US. However, while politics have driven various Arab nations to host and accommodate extremists, it is also confirmed that the US is guilty of applying force in interrogation through Special Forces and the CIA (Cole A, para. 1-7). Since the 9/11 attacks, the treatment of terror suspects changed under the Bush administration where various terror suspects are reported to have been tortured and in some instanced killed in the process. An example of trial injustice under the arms of the CIA is one Zacarias Moussaoui whose connection with the terror attacks raised debate over the authenticity of the US Constitution in the operations of the CIA. Zacarias, while seated in a jail cell for immigration charges was considered a suspect of the events of 9/11 (UMKC, para. 1). Although at first the information appeared blurred and far from a rational explanation, Zacarias connected to the events through the consideration of funds he was receiving through wire transfers as well as enrolling for aviation classes for flying Boeing 747 not having flown a smaller plane (UMKC, para. 1). Although Zacarias was considered the first terror suspect to be tried in the US, it is confirmed that the approach employed by the CIA adds up to higher authority (Cole A, para. 1-7). Under the Bush authority, many are the times when torture and application of the ‘Dark Side’ have been associated with the administration (Linder, para. 1-5). Examples of torture and the application of the ‘Dark Side’ as alleged by

Change and Continuity in Contemporary Business Essay - 1

Change and Continuity in Contemporary Business - Essay Example A smart enterprise would keep a close eye on the changes in competitive advantages of the organization and realign their strategies & policies such that the business revenues and market share can be sustained. Such enterprises grow globally by carefully choosing their countries/regions of expansion after analysis of the external & internal factors that can drive the competitive advantages of the company in those geographies. Ford Motors is one such smart enterprise that has been changing their strategies & policies to sustain the challenges posed by the local factors in a country by not only globalizing rapidly but also changing their strategies pertaining to their regions of operations. This report presents the internal and external factors and the corresponding responses by Ford Motors to sustain as well as grow their business globally. Balanced Score Card System developed by Kaplan and Norton via their book "Balanced Score-Card - Translating Strategy into Action" published in 1996 (Source: http://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSCResources/AbouttheBalancedScorecard/tabid/55/Default.aspx) Ford Motors was incorporated by Henry Ford in 1903 in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. Henry Ford is known to have adapted practices that were not popular in those days - like, doubling per day wages and reducing the shifts from 9 hours to 8 hours. It was the worker friendly policies that boosted productivity of Ford much ahead of their competition. Ford is known for their methods of large scale car manufacturing and management of huge workforces globally. In 1911, Henry Ford established the first production unit outside USA in the UK by converting a tram works at Trafford Park that is in south of Manchester. In 1920, after the Second World War, the famous Dagenham facility was established that formed the base for launch of Ford Motor Company Limited (UK) in 1929 that was the hub of the European Ford organization (till the time Ford Motor Company Europe was established much later in 1967). In 1971 Ford combined the US, Canadian and Mexican operations together and established the North Ameri can Automotive Operations. The Dagenham facility was one of the most productive in assembly plant in entire Europe which, however, was closed in 2001 amidst some local factors that reduced the economy advantages of Ford manufacturing in Britain while the manufacturing in Germany and other parts of Europe was much more economical. The primary reasons for Ford manufacturing closure in Dagenham was the insurgence of shop-floor militants that developed a powerbase disrupting production by launching almost continuous Guerrilla warfare while Germany offered much more peaceful and strike free industrialization proposition. Moreover, Ford Motor Company

The Problem of University Student Debt in the UK Essay

The Problem of University Student Debt in the UK - Essay Example Although student debt cuts across all levels of education, the main issue in this report will be dealing with university student debt. The research paper discusses about the problem of university student debt in UK. It specifically provides an analysis of the current debate on whether the government should or should not pay for all students especially in Higher education. It shows the current implications of the problem especially effects on the UK's education system. It will also concentrate on the specific programs and initiatives that the government is undertaking in order to ensure that there is equity among the diverse student population both domestically and international students. The report has been produced for my lecturer for this module. The actual period taken to produce this is report is two weeks and is approximately (5,139) words long. It has also been presented within the specific formats and styles required by the lecturer and in conformity with the university's academic writing specifications. The report examines the current situation of student debt in UK and if the government driven initiatives will in future solve the problem of university student debt. The report is suitable for all th... t is suitable for all the stakeholders in the education sector, students themselves and the government education officials reviewing the matter at the moment. It will help them understand the implications of the high student debt in their performance, attitudes, future careers etc. 4.0 Methodology/Procedures Owing to the need to have more facts concerning the current situation of student debt and the debate that has been going on for sometime on whether government should pay for all students or not, an extensive research work was done to gain knowledge and gather information/facts of the problem of university student debt. The effect and the impact on both students and quality of education are the main issues that will be looked into. To enable the researcher obtain the required information a variety of resources were used for this purpose; Books- this was one of the important resources that provided information on the history of university student debt in UK and the concerns others have raised on the issue. It also provides government information on their plans for future mitigations. The books were sourced from online book libraries which include; UT electronic libraries, Safari Online Book Centres, EMU, CG1, IPL among others. Journals- journals provided a good source of information for the statistics on the university student debt and previous studies conducted by other people on the subject. The Journals were obtained online from the following; Washington Journal library available online, Hein, Questia, High-wire journals and School library journals among others Websites-this provided information on public opinion and relevant need for the studies and the subject. Most of the websites were related to the education financing in UK and the websites of student

Mexican History -Research paper biography of Miguel Hildago y Costilla Research

Mexican History - biography of Miguel Hildago y Costilla - Research Paper Example Hidalgo then declined invading Mexico and instead took the town of Guadalajara. After this point Hidalgo’s rebellion was counter-acted until his eventual execution (Chasteen 2001). Throughout his life Miguel Hidalgo enjoyed many achievements and failures. While Miguel Hidalgo is notable for a number of reasons, the primary reasons for his notoriety is because of the rebellion he enacted. Hidalgo was born into a well-off family and early in life he received a very solid education. Indeed, one of his greatest achievements during this period was his earning his degree in philosophy in 1773. He then went on to become ordained as a priest in 1778. Then in 1790 be became dean of San Nicolas school. After moving to Dolores in 1803, another one of Hidalgo’s great achievements was using the area’s natural resources to devise ways to help the poor. Perhaps the achievement Hidalgo is most recognized for is his enacting a large-scale rebellion in Mexico. During this process Hidalgo received a number of honors and accomplishments, including His Most Serene Highness. There were a number of personality elements that led Hidalgo in success and failure. In terms of the rebellion, perhaps the most prominent personality elements consisted of his religious affiliation, which gave the rebellion a moral center and contributed to Hidalgo’s leadership ability.

Retail Project on Pizza Hut Essay Example for Free

Retail Project on Pizza Hut Essay Pizza Hut is one of the flagship brands of Yum! Restaurant Int. which also has KFC, Taco Bell, AW and Long John Silver’s under its umbrella. It is the world’s largest pizza chain with over 12,500 restaurants across 91 countries. Pizza Hut was started in 1958, by two brothers Frank and Dan Carney in Wichita, Kansas. They had the idea to open a pizza parlor. They borrowed $600 from their mother, and opened the very first Pizza Hut. In 1959, the first franchise unit opened in Topeka, Kansas. Almost ten years later, Pizza Hut was serving one million customers a week in their 310 locations. In 1970, Pizza Hut was put on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PIZ. In 1986, Pizza Hut introduced delivery service, something no other restaurant was doing. By the 1990s Pizza Hut sales had reached $4 billion worldwide. In 1998, Pizza Hut celebrated their 40th anniversary, and launched their famous campaign The Best Pizzas Under One Roof. In 1996, Pizza Hut sales in the United States were over $5 million. The first Indian outlet was opened in June 1996 in Bangalore. In India, Pizza Hut has 139 restaurants across 36 cities. Pizza Hut has been voted the â€Å"best family restaurant† for the second year running at the 2007 Tommy’s Parent Friendly Awards. Pizza Hut is known for quality, innovation and category leadership. 2 RETAIL ENVIRONMENT Out of all the existing pizza chains such as Dominos, Smokin Joe’s, Papa John’s, Pizza Corner, U. S Pizza, Pizza Hut has a dominating market share of 48% of the total market share. However, this forced competitors to look for new methods of increasing their customer bases. They all try to come up with some newer, bigger, better pizza for a low price. But Pizza Hut has always had the first mover advantage. Their marketing strategy in the past has always been to be the first. One of their main strategies, that they still follow today is the diversification of the products they offer. The market has become greatly competitive and the customer has become more discerning and adventurous. This however has not affected Pizza Huts comfortable reign over the Indian pizza industry and the ever increasing number of loyal customers who have made it possible for Pizza Hut to aggressively extend its presence. Pizza Hut is always adding something new to their menu, trying to reach new markets. For example, in 1992 the famous buffet was launched in Pizza Hut restaurants worldwide. They were trying to offer many different food items for customers who didnt necessarily want pizza. Another strategy they used in the past and are still using is the diversification of their pizzas. Pizza Hut is always trying to make a pizza into something slightly different so that customers will think it’s a whole new product. E. g., in 1983, Pizza Hut introduced Pan Pizza, which had a guarantee of being ready to eat in 5 minutes when dining at Pizza Hut restaurants. In 1993, they introduced the BigFoot, which was two square feet of pizza cut into 21 slices. In 1995, they introduced Stuffed Crust Pizza, where the crust would be filled with cheese. Currently, they are marketing The Big New Yorker, trying to bring the famous New York style pizza to the whole country. 3 POSITIONING Pizza Hut was among the first multinational brands to enter the food retail sector in India. When the first Pizza Hut restaurant opened in Bangalore the quick service industry was at a nascent stage and the pizza category was dominated by a sole regional player who had a marginal presence. Pizza Hut went on to play a significant role in pioneering and developing this category in India. Worldwide and in India, Pizza Hut has come to become synonymous with the best pizzas under one roof. This is because at Pizza Hut the belief is that every pizza has its own magic, thus making it a destination product – which everyone seeks. It is this belief that has ignited the passion to create, innovate and serve the finest product the industry has to offer, while setting standards for others to strive to replicate. Pizza Hut is committed to providing uncompromising product quality, offering customers the highest value for money and giving service that is warm, friendly and personal. A critical factor in Pizza Huts success has been its unique dining experience. Crewmembers at Pizza Hut strive each day to provide customer mania the kind of service that ensures that every visit of the customer is a memorable one. Pizza Huts constant endeavor to provide extra value – whether it is pizzas which are available to suit every price range, new promotions or the introduction of innovative product ranges that puts a Yum on every customers face has allowed it to increase its presence in India to the current 139 restaurants across 36 cities. 4 MARKETING STRATEGY Pizza Hut’s marketing strategy is very simple: â€Å"we want to satisfy our customer by offering them the best. † Pizza Hut has always valued customer service and satisfaction. In 1995, Pizza Hut began two customer satisfaction programs: a 1-800 number customer hotline, and a customer call-back program. These were implemented to make sure their customers were happy, and always wanted to return. Another big strength and even a competitive advantage is the fact that they have a full service restaurant as well as delivery services. Most of Pizza Huts competitors do not have restaurants. Because of the restaurant, Pizza Hut can market to different segments that other pizza chains cannot. For example, Pizza Hut can market to families much easier than Dominos or Little Caesars. Pizza Hut offers a sit-down, conversational type restaurant where families can take their children for birthday parties for example. Pizza Huts broad selection of products also makes it easier for them to market to different market segments. The other two strategies followed by Pizza Hut is C. H. A. M. P. S (Cleanliness, Hospitality, Accuracy, Maintenance, Product quality and Speed) and 3F’s (Fun, Friendly and Familiar). These two strategies have really helped Pizza hut to evolve out as a market leader with a competitive advantage. 5 PRODUCT ASSORTMENT Pizza Hut will offer a new product called The Extreme pizza. The Extreme is a twenty-inch pizza with twice as much cheese and toppings as Pizza Huts other pizzas. This new pizza will have many different competitive advantages. The first competitive advantage of The Extreme is that it is the largest pizza on the market. No other pizza restaurant offers a twenty-inch pizza. The second competitive advantage is that it has more cheese and toppings than any other pizza on the market. Another competitive advantage is the Pizza Hut brand name. Pizza Hut has built a brand name that means quality products and services. Since Pizza Hut will be introducing The Extreme, customers will automatically think this is a high quality product. The final competitive advantage is that this product will be the first pizza to target Americas youth. The Extreme pizza will target Generation X and Generation Y or people between the ages of 12 and 30. This market purchases a lot of pizza each year, but very few pizza restaurants actually target them. The Extreme will be introduced on Super Bowl Sunday, 2001. During the introduction stage of the product life cycle, Pizza Hut will try to establish a market for the product and persuade early adopters to buy. During the growth stage, Pizza Hut will try to build sales and develop a preference for the product. Pizza Hut will try to seek differentiation during the maturity stage. The Extreme is expected to begin to decline after one year on the market. 6 PRICE POSITIONING In the past, Pizza Hut has successfully used the high/low pricing strategy when setting the retail price of its products. The high/low retail pricing strategy allows Pizza Hut to charge a price that is above the competition, but also promote frequent sales to lower the price below them. The retail price of The Extreme pizza should be set at $9. 99, which is higher than Pizza Huts competitors. Several sales promotions and coupons will be used to lower the price below those competitors. Since both Pizza Hut and the beverage Mountain Dew are Pepsi subsidiaries, bundle pricing will be used. Customers can purchase The Extreme for $9. 99 and receive a two-liter bottle of Mountain Dew for free. Pizza Hut will be able to sell two products together at a single price to suggest a good value. The high/low pricing strategy has several advantages. First, this pricing strategy will help segment the market. Different groups of customers are willing to pay different prices for the same product. Pizza Hut can sell The Extreme to the customers who will pay the higher price to be the first to buy and also to the bargain hunters. The high/low pricing strategy will also create excitement. Customers will be able to try something new when they purchase The Extreme and this exciting experience may bring those customers back to purchase other products. Finally, this strategy will emphasize product and service quality. Pizza Hut sets a high initial price for its products to send a signal to customers that its products are quality and the service is excellent. 7 CUSTOMER PROFILE This target profile provides a comparison of Pizza Hut’s customers compared to: a) Total Population 14+ b) Total Purchased from Fast Food Places/Restaurants in the Last 4 Weeks. This target profile provides you with instant access to some of the worlds most insightful, robust consumer research, with unmatched accuracy, integrity and sheer power. Armed with a complete picture of your customers or your competitor’s customers, you are in the best position to fine tune you product strategy, focus your communication, and thereby optimize your marketing budget. Don’t rely on unconfirmed reports; buy this target profile to get all that data, over 400 variables, everything from attitudes and activities to media consumption. 8 CONSUMER PULL FACTORS †¢A critical factor in Pizza Huts success has been a menu that has constantly evolved and expanded to cater to the changing needs and specific preferences of customers in different parts of the world. In having understood the pulse of the customers in India, Pizza Hut has clearly established itself as a brand with an Indian heart. †¢Besides offering an extensive range of vegetarian pizzas, it was the first pizza chain to open a 100% vegetarian restaurant in India in Surat and later in Ahmedabad and Chowpatty, where it offers a Jain menu sans all root-based ingredients. †¢Over the years Pizza Hut has also developed and successfully introduced a range of products especially suited to the Indian palate. These products like Chicken Tikka, Spicy Korma, Spicy Paneer and the Masala and Tandoori pizzas have been a tremendous success. What has also given Pizza Hut a competitive edge is that in addition to an extensive range of internationally renowned pizzas like The Italian, the proprietary Pan Pizza and Stuffed Crust, in India the menu offers the option of a complete meal. It includes appetizers, a Salad Bar where the customers can make their own fresh salads, a range of soups, pastas and desserts. †¢Pizza Hut has a unique tradition. A bell hangs at each Pizza Hut restaurant, which is rung by customers who as they leave wish to thank the servers for yet another memorable visit. 9 COMPARISION 10 LONG TERM PROGNOSIS. With competition being so strong in this industry the threat of imitation products will surely be a problem to be dealt with. Pizza Hut will however have the first mover advantage with this product. With the entry of imitation products into the market, Pizza Hut will have to adjust its mixes to accommodate change. The promotions may have to be bigger and better than the competition, or the product may need to be altered to give it that little bit of an edge over the competition. For example stuffing the crust with cheese or giving a free topping with the purchase would help give Pizza Hut an edge over the competition. Pizza Hut is moving beyond big cities. While consolidating its presence in the metropolitans, this aggressive expansion will involve Pizza Hut entering smaller cities like Cochi, Nasik, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow and Madurai . It is strengthening its roots in the Indian market by tying up with local and popular brands such as Reliance Communication. Apart from this it is also developing local supply chain. Basically, Pizza Hut will need to remain flexible in the maturity stages of the product life cycle in an attempt to continue to be the market leader. Overall, this is a product that is not much unlike any of the other new pizzas that Pizza Hut has introduced. What makes this new product so exciting is the marketing plan that is directing the product at a new segment. We are taking a large pizza with a lot of toppings and marketing it as an Extreme Pizza to a generation of younger adults that are consumed by this marketing tool. This is what will make this a success. The mix of promotion and advertising we will be using will target a very profitable.