Interview Lessons from an IKEA Cartoon

Interview Lessons from an IKEA Cartoon A cartoon image that had me laughing out loud was an â€Å"IKEA Job Interview.†Ã‚   The interviewer sits behind a desk in a sparsely furnished room and points to a bunch of pieces of a disassembled chair, which lie neatly on the floor.   â€Å"Please have a seat,† says the interviewer. While this image is hilarious, if the job interview were for a mechanic or an assembler of chairs at IKEA, the scene would not be so farfetched.   And in fact, it is not unusual for an interviewer to test an interviewee with a task to perform on the spot.   A good interviewer might test your practical skills in an interview, or your ability to respond to criticism, by asking you to perform a task or adjust your demeanor mid-interview. I once interviewed a young man for a social worker position at the non-profit where I worked in Brooklyn, NY.   There were two of us interviewing him, and I really liked him.   He answered questions well and I was considering hiring him.   My frustration was that he never made eye contact with me.   It seemed as if he were gazing off into space and not fully connecting with me.   And I knew there was no way I would actually hire him if he couldn’t make eye contact. I did something perhaps unconventional.   I stopped the interview, told him what I was experiencing, and asked him why he wasn’t making eye contact.   He gave a reasonable response that he was struggling with having two interviewers and didn’t want either of us to get all his focus.   From that moment in the interview, he made full eye contact with either me or my associate. I hired him. Why?   Because I knew beyond doubt from that interview that this man took criticism and coaching well, and could implement a suggestion quickly and effectively.   He also had all the other qualifications we were looking for. He is still working at the organization today, and is appreciated for his work ethic and great attitude, as well as for the results he produces. So this IKEA cartoon, while humorous, might not be that far off the mark for something you might be called upon to perform on the spot in a job interview.   Luckily, all the tools you need are already in your possession.   You just need to be good at following directions. 🙂 Log in to Reply azwinndini says: May 12, 2018 at 4:26 am and it still very funny Log in to Reply

Language in the Byzantine Empire

Language in the Byzantine Empire Constantinople, the new capital that Emperor Constantine developed in the East in the early fourth century CE, lay in a largely Greek-speaking area of the Roman Empire. That doesnt mean that before the Fall of Rome the emperors headquartered and the people living there were native Greek speakers or, even if they were, incompetent Latin speakers. Both languages, Greek and Latin, were part of the repertoire of the educated. Until recently, those who considered themselves educated might be native English speakers but could piece out a short passage of Latin in their literary reading and get by speaking French. Peter and Catherine the Great ushered in an era where the politically important, the nobility of Russia, knew the French language and literature as well as Russian. It was similar in the ancient world. Greek Culture Greek literature and themes dominated Roman writing until the mid-third century B.C., which is about a century after Alexander the Great had started the spread of Hellenism including the Greek Koine language throughout the vast areas that he had conquered. Greek was the language Roman aristocrats demonstrated to show their culture. They imported Greek pedagogues to teach their young. The important rhetorician of the first century BCE, Quintilian, advocated education in Greek  since Roman children would naturally learn Latin on their own. (Inst. Oratoria i.12-14) From the second century CE, it became common for the wealthy to send their already Greek-speaking, but native-Latin-speaking Roman sons to Athens, Greece for higher education. Latin Gaining in Popularity Before the division of the Empire first into the four parts known as the Tetrarchy under Diocletian in 293 CE and then into two (simply an Eastern and a Western section), the second century CE Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote his meditations in Greek, following the affectations popular with philosophers. By this time, however, in the West, Latin had gained a certain cachet. A bit later, a contemporary of Constantine, Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330-395 CE), from Antioch, Syria, but living in Rome, wrote his history not in his familiar Greek, but in Latin. The first century CE Greek biographer Plutarch went to Rome to learn the language better. (p. 85 Ostler, citing Plutarch Demosthenes 2) The distribution was such that Latin was the language of the people to the west and north of a dividing line beyond Thrace, Macedonia, and Epirus down to northern Africa west of western Cyrenaica. In rural areas, the uneducated would not have been expected to know Greek, and if their native language were something other than Latin it might be Aramaic, Syriac, Coptic, or some other ancient tongue they might not even have known Latin well. Likewise on the other side of the dividing line, but with Greek and Latin reversed In the East, they probably knew Greek in rural areas, to the exclusion of Latin, but in urban areas, like Constantinople, Nicomedia, Smyrna, Antioch, Berytus, and Alexandria, most people needed to have some command of both Greek and Latin. Latin helped one advance in the imperial and military service, but otherwise, it was more a formality than a useful tongue, beginning at the start of the fifth century. Last of the Romans The so-called Last of the Romans, Constantinople-based Emperor Justinian (r. 527-565), who was an Illyrian by birth, was a native Latin speaker. Living about a century after the Edward Gibbon-driven date of 476 for the Fall of Rome, Justinian made efforts to regain sections of the West lost to European barbarians. (Barbarian was a term the Greeks had used to mean non-Greek speakers and which the Romans adapted to mean those who spoke neither Greek nor Latin.) Justinian may have been trying to retake the Western Empire, but he had challenges closer to home  since neither Constantinople nor the provinces of the Eastern Empire were secure. There were also the famous Nika riots and a plague (see Lives of the Caesars). By his time, Greek had become the official language of the surviving section of the Empire, the Eastern (or later, Byzantine) Empire. Justinian had to publish his famous law code, the Corpus Iuris Civile in both Greek and Latin. Greeks vs Romans This sometimes confuses people who think the use of the Greek language in Constantinople means the inhabitants thought of themselves as Greeks, rather than as Romans. Particularly when arguing for a post-5th-century date for the Fall of Rome, some counter that by the time the Eastern Empire stopped legally requiring Latin, the inhabitants thought of themselves as Greeks, not Romans. Ostler asserts that the Byzantines referred to their language as romaika (Romanish) and that this term was in use until the 19th century. In addition, the people were known as Rumi a term obviously much closer to Roman than Greek. We in the West might think of them as non-Romans, but that is another story. By the time of Justinian, Latin was not the common tongue of Constantinople, although it was still an official language. The Roman people of the city spoke a form of Greek, a Koine. Sources Chapter 8 Greek in the Byzantine Empire: The Major Issues Greek: A History of the Language and its Speakers, Second Edition, by Geoffrey Horrocks; Wiley:  © 2010.The Latin Language, by L. R. Palmer; University of Oklahoma Press: 1987.Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin, by Nicholas Ostler; Walker: 2007.

Digital and Visual Literacy Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Digital and Visual Literacy - Article Example The secondary purpose is to indicate the lack of usage of the same to support the teaching part in the education system with digital literacy. The question that the authors are addressing is that what is it that defines literacy correctly in today's scenario, in a world where children are highly technology savvy. The question also addressed by the authors very precisely and lucidly is that what is the tool or manner which helps us have an ability to recognize whatever we witness, and infer correctly from what we experience. Yes the answer is digital as well as visual literacy. Unlike earlier times when overhead projector, handmade slides and chalk boards were used, these days, new media literacy technical skills are used in education like real time audio video interface, use of internet links for direct access, power point presentations, streaming videos etc. The authors have assumed their description of usage of digital tools in educational information to promote visual and digital literacy. This can be very well questioned as today educational institutions have are far more advanced than the view presented in the article. The reasoning of the authors supports the digital as well as visual literacy and its usage in today's competitive world and the reasoning is well supported by proofs which make a stronger case for better implications. 7. b. If we fail to take this line of reasoning seriously, the implications are: 30 If the authors' reasoning is not taken seriously, people would still

Jihad and Women in the Quran Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jihad and Women in the Quran - Essay Example etween Muslims and non-Muslims, exemplified either by ‘dynamic’ method or classical jurisprudence, is subject to socially stereotyped views as well as political misinterpretations. However, when one does a historical assessment of jihad doctrine, particularly the war-jihad and gender-jihad, it is possible to state that Muslims have no obligation to wage jihad on the basis of Qur’anic readings. Commonly, Muslims’ understanding of the Quran is based on one’s own reading of the text or one’s attempt to extract the meaning from the text. The discussion here focuses on this assertion in relation to few readings on war and gender issues thereby exploring the essence of Islam and interpretation of Quran regarding jihad against these particular issues. There is still a continuous suspicion among the people of the world when it comes to the question of terrorism based violence and the role of Islam and its radical followers. The dialectical interpretation of fundamentalism, women-rights, and many such infelicities, with no regard to cultural, social, religious, and economic differences also owes to the wrong interpretation of Islam, particularly the jihad. However, the major misunderstanding lies on the interpretation of the Qur’anic readings, with many extracting its meaning textually rather than contextually thereby wrongly interpreting it. Particularly, the concept of jihad or ‘just war’ is often misinterpreted in the essence of Islamic law as a justification for violence or war by various institutions. Whatever the reason for jihad be, either war or gender oppression, the entire doctrine is strongly rooted on the Qur’anic readings and its interpretations. In that direction, it can be observed that mis understanding of jihad as a violent concept or a declaration of war by the radicals can bring religious justifications for warfare in the name of God. â€Å"Differences about the status and nature of jihad are a marked feature of early Islamic law, and

Public bank management Essay Example for Free

Public bank management Essay 1.Introductions The model of the Five Competitive Forces was developed by Michael E. Porter that becomes an important tool for analysing an organizations industry structure instrategic processes. This model is applicable to the banking industry. Public Bank do compete with the other financial institution in Malaysia, however they also must cooperate with one another in many respects. There is an underlying problem which is the banks in Malaysia are so similar that there is essentially nothing one of them can do that the others cannot easily duplicate 2. Five Forces Analysis a. Threats of new entrants Malaysia has not put a barrier to entry for any financial institution manly banks in Malaysia, thus making it easy for any financial institution to penetrate into the industry. b. Bargaining power of suppliers a bank has three suppliers of its product, money: 1. Its depositors has no bargaining power whatever in reality. If they make time deposits the bank will set the price or interest rate it will pay. 2. The credit market the credit market as a source of supply of the raw material, money, is open to all at all time if they are qualified participants. The source of supply can be argued to be infinite. 3. The central bank The Central bank is effectively the resource of last resort. Apparently, at least for the moment, it will continue to supply liquidity to the banking system in virtually unlimited quantities at very reasonable cost. c. Bargaining power of buyers In the banking industry, customer have has very limited bargaining power. However the customers may option in changing to other banks that they think is offering a better offer than Public Bank. c. Threat of substitute product For the most part there is no real threat of substitute products in the banking industry. However there probably will be continues evolution of  products from paper to electronic in coming years. This is an area of potential competition for whomever banks that choose to use it in their services. d. Rivalry among competitors Generally all banks offer somewhat the same products and services to their customers, thus there is not much differentiation between Public Banks and the other competitors. This is making the competition much higher. Public Bank is actually ranked as the top banks earners in Malaysia in 2009 alongside with Maybank, Bumiputra Commerce, RHB Capital and Hong Leong Bank. 3. Table 1: Method used to identify opportunity and threat for Public Bank using external environment factors and industrial environment factors.(Factors under industry environment are derived from Porters Five Forces). 4. Opportunities 1. Economic growth Malaysia had definitely have been more economically stable and improving, thus financial institution such as Public Bank are needed to aid the overall development of the country. 2. Government policy Encouraging borrowings, loans, investment and consumption demand. 3. Awards and accolades Through recognition, Public Bank can project a positive image to their customers 4. Market share Public Bank has the highest market share for the private sector unit trust business, thus having a larger customer base. 5.  Low switching cost Nowadays it is easy for any customer to switch to other banks with just a click away, making the switching cost to be faster and cheaper, making it easy for the customers to switch to Public Bank. 5. Threats 1. Substitute product/service are available There is a potential competition to whomever banks that choose to upgrade their product and services to cater to their customers need. Maybank for example provide a customer friendly interface through their website www.maybank2u.com, and it became the most visited website in Malaysia. 2.Substitute performance Maybank, Bumiputra Commerce, RHB Capital and Hong Leong Bank are Public Bank competitors and each is recognized for their performance. This will make the competition even higher. 3. Customer switching cost Other than being an opportunity, switching cost can also be a threat for Public Bank as the customers can also easily switch to other financial institution. 4. Government legal barriers There are no barriers that the government put for any legal financial institution to enter in the industry, making any new entrants penetrate into the market share easily. 5. Exit barriers High exit barriers in the industry are making the competition between Public Bank and the other competitors are even higher. 6. Conclusion Porter Five Forces Model are used to identify how the forces affect the attractiveness and profitability of Public Bank, and through this forces, the factors that influence these forces are used in the table 1, to identify Public Bank opportunities and threats. By identifying Public Banks industry environment, the company can improve and sustain their product and services for their customer, ultimately improving their performance.

The Existence of Intelligent Life Essay -- Extraterrestrial Intelligen

The Existence of Intelligent Life Bertrand Russell wrote, "There are two possibilities. Maybe we are alone. Maybe we are not. Both are equally frightening (Jakosky 1)." The question of life in the universe is one that leaves many in a state of bewilderment. It becomes even more interesting when it leads to another question -- that of intelligent life in the universe. Finding other intelligent civilizations among the interstellar space would greatly affect every aspect of our existence. Conversely, not finding such a civilization would force us to examine the purpose of our own existence. To help answer the question, astronomers and scientists set up a program in search for extraterrestrial intelligence. This program, or SETI, was set up to verify, by observation that extraterrestrial life does exist. SETI tries to prove this by picking up and analyzing radio signals by means of satellites and advanced computers (Heidmann 116). The history of the SETI program is quite interesting. It started back in 1959 with the help of two famous Cornell University physicists, Guiseppi Cocconi and Phil Morrison. Both claimed that it would be possible to communicate with other potential extraterrestrial life in space by the use of techniques used in radio astronomy (Heidmann 112). Together, they voiced their belief that if other "alien astronomers" elsewhere in the universe possessed radio telescopes, that it would be possible to converse between the two (Heidmann 112-113). A young astronomer by the name of Francis Drake agreed with the theories of Cocconi and Morrison. He proposed building a radio receiver in order to listen for waves of sound being transmitted through space. It wasn't until the spring of 1960 that Dra... ...sity Press, 1992. 2. Jakosky, Bruce. The Search for Life on Other Planets. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. 3. Kahney, Leander. "A Search for Intelligent Searchers." Wired News (1999). 29 January 2000 *http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/*. 4. Hipschma, Ron. " The Problem -- Mountains of Data." How SETI @Home Works (1999). 29 January 2000 http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/. 5. "Project Omar." SETI Institute. 1999. SETI Institute. 28 January 2000 http://www.seti.org/science/ozma.html. 6. "History of SETI." SETI Institute. 1999. SETI Institute. 29 January 2000 http://www.seti.org/general/history.html. 7. "The Optical SETI Resource for Planet Earth." The Columbus Optical SETI Observatory. 1999. Columbus Observatory. 27 January 2000 http://www.coseti.org/. 8. Ward, Peter. Interview with Lori Stokes. The Debate Over Life Beyond Earth. MSNBC. 10 Feb. 2000.

Request for New Equipment Essay

As of present, the computer equipment in our department unfortunately falls short of our business needs, causing frequent problems and lapses in quality. Thus, due to using a limited version of MS Word, lack of CD burning capabilities, hard drives with only 3 gigabytes of memory, and a 7-year-old black-and-white printer, we are unable to produce sales materials of the quality competing with that of our rivals. This fact has been confirmed by our customers who poorly review our brochures, user manuals, reports and other materials missing adequate appearance to a great degree because of limited technological possibilities. Now that we plan a major marketing offensive including the introduction of a website for product advertising, we feel that the time is ripe to update our inadequate computer equipment through the purchase of new hardware and software. This will also allow us to make a breakthrough in raising productivity, eliminating frequent paper jams, glitches in connection to other departments and need to special-order replacement ink cartridges. Considering the fact that Marketing & Sales and Word Processing departments regularly use our printer and fax machine, we feel that it will be fair if each of them undertakes at least 20% of the costs for lease or purchase of new equipment. If the heads of Marketing & Sales and Word Processing departments prove unwilling to share the financial burden, we believe that it is time for these units to purchase their own equipment. We ask you to allocate funds to the needs of our department out of the general equipment budget as upgrading our technological capabilities will contribute to the general rise in the company’s productivity. In the appendix you will find specifications of the equipment that we ask you to purchase or lease.

Iliad Book 1 Achilles Vs. Agamemnon Essay

In Homer’s, The Iliad, Book 1, â€Å"The Rage of Achilles,† one of the main concepts presented is the idea that the gods desire honor and glory. It is very evident that both Achilles and Agamemnon are in competition for more power and dominance. This idea is demonstrated primarily through the two prize women, Briseis and Chryseis, daughter of Chrsyses. While the Trojan war was going on, both Achilles and Agamemnon had a fight amongst themselves, rather than focusing on the war going on around them. Achilles claimed Briseis (the more desired of the two girls) and Agamemnon claimed Chrysies. Agamemnon really wanted Briseis because he believed he deserved her for being the chief of the Achaean forces, but by claiming Chrysies, Agamemnon was able to plot against Achilles. Chryses did not want his daughter to be in the hands of Agamemnon, so he begged and pleaded to Apollo to help in getting back his daughter. Apollo sent a plague on the Greek people, and Agamemnon then announced to Achilles that he would only give back Chryseis if he could have Briseis. This made Achilles very angry because he too believed that he deserved Briseis. Achilles was more concerned about keeping Briseis in order to look better, than making peace of the situation and trading Briseis for Chryseis. This showed how important it was to have honor and to appear in control. They put their desires for person honor and glory above the fact that there was a serious war going on around them by putting more focus on who would win the better of the two girls, overall reflecting the theme of dominance and control.

Anxiety in Individual Sports

Anxiety in Individual Sports Free Online Research Papers Anxiety is a reaction that is measured using various scales through the observation of cognitive and physiological symptoms that become evident in reaction to a stimulus. In relation to sports, anxiety is often associated with an upcoming performance. Anxiety could also be enhanced by the intense competition offered by sports. Anxiety in connection with sports is a good topic for research since could affect a persons athletic performance either positively or negatively (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). Many researchers on different levels have studied the relationship between sports activities and various health benefits. In particular, sports activities are known to have positive effect on psychological aspects of a persons life. In some studies, it has been shown that sports activities could actually improve the psychological disposition of persons with severe illnesses, such as people with spinal cord injury. Sports have been found to result in better mental health profile, especially if combined with various external factors, such as age, occupation, and marital status (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). The relationship between anxiety and sports is very complex, as it involves the specific and unique anxiety responses of each person and the effect of the differing sport types on the relationship. For example, the anxiety responses elicited by individual sports would differ from those elicited by contact sports. Individual and contact sports likewise cause different experiences of anxiety due to the different task demands of the sports (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). This paper shall analyze, mainly through a review of existing literature, the relationship and causal connections between anxiety and sports in general, and individual sports in particular. It is hoped that analysis of existing literature on the matter would yield positive findings and recommendations, particularly in the management of anxiety, betterment of performance, and improvement of psychological balance among people of different age groups. II. Statement of the Problem It is widely accepted that participation in sports activities is equivalent to exercise and physical activities. Therefore, it is relevant and healthy for the physical body of humans. The position that sports activities help in the psychological aspect of a person is also supported by literature on the subject. However, such position is very general. There is a need to narrow down the conclusions regarding the relationship between sports and anxiety. This paper would look into the means by which engagement in sports reduces anxiety in people, as well as the effect of differences in kinds of sports on such beneficial effect on anxiety levels. III. Annotated Bibliography Chambers, S. T. (1991). Factors Affecting Elementary School Students Participation in Sports. The Elementary School Journal 91(5 Special Issue: Sports and Physical Education), 413-419. This article consists of a review of empirical data from research that shows the factors that affect the interest and participation of elementary school children in sports. This article shows, in a simple manner of explaining, how engagement and participation in sports could beneficially affect persons through reduction of anxiety levels. This article cites a study conducted in 1978 by Sapp and Haubenstricker, which concluded that the main reason that elementary school children participate in sports is because they want to have fun. Fun, in turn, has positive effects, such as increasing motivation in children and reducing their anxiety, stress and attrition. Conversely, lack of fun could cause anxiety and stress among such young children. indeed, it was found that children who had the most fun in school sports experienced less anxiety after their games (Chambers, 1991). This article is important in reiterating the importance of having fun in sports, which is a significant factor in reducing human anxiety. Flett, G. L. Hewitt, P. L. (2005). The Perils of Perfectionism in Sports and Exercise. American Psychological Society 14(1), 14-18. The article of Flett and Hewitt (2005) introduces the concept of perfectionism in sports and explains how this construct affects attitudes in sports. The authors explain that perfectionism is a construct that is multidimensional (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Since this construct is supposed to be multidimensional, different authors put forward their own list of constructs that they deem to be important. For example, the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale formulated by Hewitt and Flett in 1991 proposes three dimensions of the perfectionism construct, namely, â€Å"self-oriented perfectionism†, â€Å"other-oriented perfectionism†, and â€Å"socially prescribed perfectionism† (Flett Hewitt, 2005). â€Å"Self-oriented perfectionism† refers to a person’s attitude of demanding perfection from himself and striving too hard to attain such absolute perfection. â€Å"Other-oriented perfectionism,† on the other hand, refers to a person’s tendency to demand perfection from people other than himself. Finally, â€Å"socially prescribed perfectionism† refers to one’s perception or belief that society or other people are demanding perfection from him (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Aside from Flett and Hewitt (2005), the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale by Frost et al. in 1990 puts forward six dimensions of perfectionism, namely, â€Å"personal standards, organization (i.e., needing to maintain a sense of order), concern over mistakes, doubts about actions, parental expectations, and parental criticism† (Flett Hewitt, 2005). In their article, Flett and Hewitt (2005) analyzed the effect of perfectionism to people, particularly focusing on deciding whether perfectionism leads to either adaptiveness or maladaptiveness. This goal is aimed through an analysis of research findings on perfectionism and its relationship with exercise and sports (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Flett and Hewitt (2005) are of the opinion that while perfectionism may be important for the attainment of success in some sports, particularly those where â€Å"an error-free performance† is mandatory, perfectionism nevertheless leads to â€Å"self-defeating outcomes and unhealthy patterns of behavior† among athletes. This is the result of the extreme personality of people who strive too hard for perfection in their sports performance (Flett Hewitt, 2005). From the 1990s, there have already been studies that address questions involving the relationship of perfectionism and sports. Frost and Henderson (1991) conducted a study among women in varsity teams that assessed the self-confidence, reactions, and competition anxiety of the participants. This study led to the conclusion that perfectionism causes athletes o be overly concerned about their mistakes, which in turn cause negative and adverse outcomes on sports performance and attitudes. These include â€Å"anxiety, low confidence, a failure orientation, and negative reactions to mistakes during competition† (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Flett and Hewitt (2005) also discussed the study conducted by Hall, Kerr, and Matthews in 1998, which showed the association of perfectionism with anxiety in sports. That study, which involved more than one hundred athletes in high school, yielded the conclusion that perfectionist athletes are very concerned over their mistakes. Such concern thereafter leads to various manifestations of psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety. Perfectionism is also associated with â€Å"pervasive ego orientation†, which causes athletes to doubt their abilities (Flett Hewitt, 2005). Gioia, M. C., Cerasa, A., Di Lucente, L., Brunelli, S., Castellano, V. Traballesi, M. (2006). Psychological impact of sports activity in spinal cord injury. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 16, 412-416. In this article, Gioia, Cerasa, Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano and Traballesi (2006) analyzed the relationship between sports and various psychological profiles, especially among patients with injury in the spinal cord. They focused on this subject population because they are the ones susceptible to drastic life changes as a result of the injury. Members of this population are characterized by psychological problems such as depression and anxiety. The authors therefore sought to discover the role that sports activity could play in improving their psychological conditions (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). The study is triggered by the fact that the literature on sports has well documented the effect of sports on the physical health of the body, while neglecting to provide adequate information on the effect of sports on the psychological aspect of persons. There is also direction for this kind of inquiry, as previous studies (Muraki, et al., 2000) already pointed out how sports activities significantly improve the mental health profiles of people with illnesses or disabilities (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). Thus, the authors conducted a study on 137 people with spinal cord injury and studied their psychological status visvis their sports activities. Using the â€Å"Cognitive Behavioural Assessment (CBA 2.0)†, the psychological status of the participants were evaluated and analyzed. The authors concluded that there is a positive correlation between increased sports activity and improved neurological status. Conversely, they found that patients who had less or no sports activity proved to be more susceptible to anxiety than their counterparts who participated in sports (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). This relationship between anxiety and sports activity is further explained by the graphs below: Table 1. (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). The fact that patients who participated in sports activities registered a healthier mental and psychological status shows the strong association between sports and anxiety levels. The findings in this study are helpful in further studies that concentrate on the use of sports therapy in the rehabilitation of patients with injury or disabilities. The authors likewise point out the important suggestion that rehabilitation institutes and sports organizations need to collaborate and cooperate with each other to achieve better results in the psychological rehabilitation of patients through encouraging increased participation in sports activities (Gioia, Cerasa, Di Lucente, Brunelli, Castellano Traballesi, 2006). Mellalieu, S. D., Hanton, S. OBrien, M. (2004). Intensity and direction of competitive anxiety as a function of sport type and experience. Scandinavian Journal Medicine Science in Sports 14, 326-334. This article describes the different inventory measures used in assessing the level of anxiety in humans. It notes that earlier inventories measure anxiety by looking at â€Å"the ‘intensity’ of the cognitive and perceived physiological symptoms experienced which are purported to signify the presence of anxiety† (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). However, this type of inventory is believed to be inadequate and ineffective because it does not consider other factors, such as variables involving situational context and individual differences, which are considered by new inventories. One such new inventory was suggested by Jones (1995), which uses an analysis of the â€Å"direction of symptoms† as clues to understanding anxiety (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). To determine how the functions of competitive experience and sport type become a factor in the anxiety levels of people, the authors conducted a study using the â€Å"Competitive State Anxiety inventory-2 (Martens et al., 1990a)†. The authors found that â€Å"sport type and competitive experience† directly affect â€Å"competitive trait anxiety.† More specifically, the study supported the theory of Martens et al., (1990a) to the effect that â€Å"participants in contact sports will elicit higher levels of cognitive anxiety intensity due to increased threat arising from personal confrontation† (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). Thus, participants in contact sports, such as rugby, have less self-confidence due to the increased threat of confrontation. This means that players of contact sports often have â€Å"acquired conditioned state anxiety responses† that are related to the sports environment and the anticipated physical contact during the game (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). This article is useful in any study of the relationship between anxiety and sports because it analyzes anxiety in terms of the different types of sports. Thus, contact sports cause more anxiety and less self-confidence in athletes because there is an impending threat of confrontation, which causes the sports activity to be classified as a pressure situation. Thus, contact sports are differentiated from non-contact sports such as golfing and swimming, which cause less competition anxiety (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). From the foregoing findings, it can reasonably be inferred that individual sports cause less competition anxiety since the factors common in contact sports, such as impending threat of confrontation, are not applicable in individual sports. Miles, L. (2007). Physical activity and health. Nutrition Bulletin 32, 314-363. This article lays down the benefits of physical activity, both on the physiology and psychology of a person. For example, physical activity is known to reduce resting blood pressure and increase capacity to carry blood in the coronary arteries. Psychologically, there is proof showing that physical activity has positive effects on anxiety and the improvement of self-esteem and mood. Moreover, physical activity is found to have generally positive effect on a person’s psychological well being. Therefore, this article supports the position that interventions in the form of physical activity could help in feelings of immediate or stable anxiety (Miles, 2007). Sklan, E. H., Lowenthal, A., Korner, M., Ritov, Y., Landers, D. M., Rankinen, T., Bouchard, C., Leon, A. S., Rice, T., Rao, D. C., Wilmore, J. H., Skinner, J. S., Soreq, H. Kornberg, R. D. (2004). Acetylcholinesterase/Paraoxonase Genotype and Expression Predict Anxiety Scores in Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training, and Genetics Study. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 101(15), 5512-5517. This article provides insight into the nature of anxiety as a common psychological or psychiatric disorder. It is described as a â€Å"ubiquitous and unavoidable experience of life, defined as a feeling of fear that is out of proportion to the nature of the threat† (Sklan, et al., 2004). Since anxiety is a common disorder, many studies have been conducted to determine the factors that underlie the condition. This article discusses a study conducted that sought to establish the relationship between enzyme activities and anxiety. The study used the â€Å"Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training, and Genetics (HERITAGE) Family Study† to measure and analyze the states of anxiety in people (Sklan, et al., 2004). The study yielded findings that corresponded with previous studies using the HERITAGE Study. It turns out that anxiety is affected by both genetic and biochemical factors. This information is relevant in any study that seeks to understand and explain how humans become anxious, and more importantly, how such anxiety could be controlled (Sklan, et al., 2004). Wilson, G. S. Raglin, J. S. (1997). Optimal and predicted anxiety in 9-12-year-old track and field athletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 7, 253-258. This article explains the relationship of anxiety with sports performance, especially the generally accepted conclusion that anxiety plays a role in athletic performance. This conclusion is especially significant among young athletes, since it is believed that anxiety negatively affects sports performance (Wilson Raglin, 1997). This paper takes the matter further by analyzing the applicability of the theory known as â€Å"individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF)†, through a case study involving track and field athletes. The authors concluded that the IZOF theory is applicable to young athletes, particularly those belonging to the preadolescent stage (Wilson Raglin, 1997). IV. Clinical Implications Anxiety in sports might be a function of perfectionism in athletes. Some of the warning signs of â€Å"perfectionist self-presentation† involve serious signs from exercise and sports. Some people who are perfectionist engage in compulsive and excessive exercise. Since perfectionism in sports is maladaptive and often leads to anxiety and depression, it is suggested that more studies be conducted that focus on athletes need to adequately respond to perfectionism and thereby prevent the maladaptive results of the tendency (Flett Hewitt, 2005). V. Conclusion Literature on the relationship of anxiety and participation in sports is rich with data and conclusions establishing the positive correlation between the two. In particular, there are many studies that focus on children, and how beneficial sports activities are in improving their self-esteem, confidence, mood, and mental health (Ogilvie, 1979; Chambers, 1991). Another important conclusion that emerged from the articles is that the positive effect of sports activity on anxiety levels depends on various factors, such as the kind of sports involved. For example, there must be a distinction made between contact and non-contact sports, since they affect people’s anxiety in different ways. Contact sports generally generate higher anxiety levels because they are pressure situations that cause fear in the athlete due to impending physical confrontation. In contrast, non-contact sports are more relaxed. The kind of pressure involved in contact sports like rugby does not exist in non-contact sports such as golf. Hence, athletes in the latter category have more self-confidence and experience less anxiety than athletes in the former category (Mellalieu, Hanton OBrien, 2004). VI. Future Research Most of the articles discussed above recommend topics for future research. Since there is much information supporting the positive correlation between sports and the management of anxiety, future research could focus on selecting the best intervention strategies that utilize sports as a therapy for people with psychological problems involving anxiety. References Abrahamsen, F. E., Roberts, G. C. Pensgaard, A. M. (2006). An examination of the factorial structure of the Norwegian version of the sport anxiety scale. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 16, 358-363. Chambers, S. T. (1991). Factors Affecting Elementary School Students Participation in Sports. The Elementary School Journal 91(5 Special Issue: Sports and Physical Education), 413-419. Flett, G. L. Hewitt, P. L. (2005). The Perils of Perfectionism in Sports and Exercise. American Psychological Society 14(1), 14-18. Gioia, M. C., Cerasa, A., Di Lucente, L., Brunelli, S., Castellano, V. Traballesi, M. (2006). Psychological impact of sports activity in spinal cord injury. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 16, 412-416. Mellalieu, S. D., Hanton, S. OBrien, M. (2004). Intensity and direction of competitive anxiety as a function of sport type and experience. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 14, 326-334. Miles, L. (2007). Physical activity and health. Nutrition Bulletin 32, 314-363. Ogilvie, B. (1979). The Child Athlete: Psychological Implications of Participation in Sport. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 445(Contemporary Issues in Sport), 47-58. Ommundsen, Y. Pedersen, B. H. (1999). The role of achievement goal orientations and perceived ability upon somatic and cognitive indices of sport competition trait anxiety. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 9, 333-343. Sklan, E. H., Lowenthal, A., Korner, M., Ritov, Y., Landers, D. M., Rankinen, T., Bouchard, C., Leon, A. S., Rice, T., Rao, D. C., Wilmore, J. H., Skinner, J. S., Soreq, H. Kornberg, R. D. (2004). Acetylcholinesterase/Paraoxonase Genotype and Expression Predict Anxiety Scores in Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training, and Genetics Study. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 101(15), 5512-5517. Wilson, G. S. Raglin, J. S. (1997). Optimal and predicted anxiety in 9-12-year-old track and field athletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports 7, 253-258. Research Papers on Anxiety in Individual SportsThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseStandardized TestingEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part OneInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalGenetic EngineeringOpen Architechture a white paper

Increase Your Traffic + Get Better Results With This Content Distribution Strategy Template

Increase Your Traffic + Get Better Results With This Content Distribution Strategy Template If youve been working on search engine optimization  or any form of promotion for your content, you might have come across the term â€Å"content distribution†. You’ve just spent loads of time and money to produce an amazing whitepaper, video, or other content types†¦ Now, it’s a waiting game as all those readers come rushing in to read your amazing content piece, right? If only it were that easy. Just because you’ve finished the content, doesn’t mean you’re done. In some ways, the hard work is just beginning. Now you’ve got to promote it, and in a world where there are 4 million blog posts published on the Internet every single day, your content distribution strategy has to be on point. This post breaks down the best ways to promote your content, how to create a distribution strategy, and why its so important to your marketing. Recommended Reading: How to Write White Papers People Actually Want to Read (Free Template) The Best eBook Template to Generate More Subscribers (+ Easy eBook Ideas) Download This Content Distribution Template But first, check out this content distribution template. You’ll find an easy-to-follow template to track your entire content distribution strategy from start to finish. It’s also easily customizable for each of your projects to make sure that you’re promoting each content item in the best way. What is Content Distribution? While it's a term thrown around in numerous marketing circles, it can have numerous meanings. As distribution has become more important to the success of content today, it’s important to understand the nuts and bolts of content distribution as a term. Content distribution  is the act of promoting content through any means by companies and brands to provide content to its targeted audience. It breaks down into three different areas, owned channels, earned channels and paid content. These three channels provide the fundamentals of how you distribute the content appropriately. Owned Channels These channels are the foundation of your entire online presence. It's any medium that you create and control. Common examples would be your website or an app you've developed. But these days, your social media page, your blog, or even a YouTube page, are all classed as owned channels. Without sufficient content on your own channels, your brand is not able to build, which can limit your ability to convert customers. To make the most of your own channels, you can break your techniques down into three individual components. The content:  Content is key to your entire operation, and the distribution of content can include blogs, e-books, infographics, as well as videos. Videos have been vital in improving promotion, especially search engine optimization, as videos generate a 41% higher click-through rate  than plain text. Posting and sharing of information:  The bread and butter of engaging with potential and existing customers. By posting information and sharing it via social media platforms, you can build a following and tempt new custom in. This helps to direct traffic to your website as well as using social media to get your content to a broader audience. Marketing via email:  While social media is a great way to engage with your customers, email marketing is a great way to make the most of your existing contacts and to convert them onto your latest products. Earned Channels Earned channels are essentially the equivalent of word of mouth. If the content that you post on your owned media is picked up by third-party sites, this results in organic search engine rankings. The most significant driving forces behind earned media boil down to two things: Search engine ranking:  The rankings can be determined by numerous components, but primarily it's about a good SEO strategy. Search engine optimization  is such an evolving beast that to make earned media shareable by third parties, the content working in conjunction with ranking on the first page are the two components that need to be in tandem with each other. The content distributed by the brand:  no matter how you dress it up, the content has to be good enough to warrant mentions, reposts, recommendations, and shares. Paid Channels The paid channels refer to the external marketing approaches that, as you would suspect, results from a paid placement. It can be argued that paid media appears to be unnecessary, especially in comparison to earned and owned channels, but this third aspect works with the other two channels to help a business grow significantly. Ultimately, paid media is one of the best and quickest ways to get traffic. Think of a stagnating business that's not able to establish its brand. By investing in paid media to display content across social networks, you are getting exposure in a way that would not happen if you were to go through organic methods. For example, a promoted post may very well be a new customer’s first experience of your brand. This results in increased traffic and this traffic can be easier to track than other organic methods. As social media can provide appropriate statistics on the leads or clicks your page content gets, this can give you instantaneous feedback as to whether this method is working for you. And as the three most prominent areas of paid media are branded content, display ads, and PPC  advertising, it's likely you are already making headway through the paid channels anyway. But by using paid channels in conjunction with earned and owned channels, you are supporting your brand with that all-important trifecta of content distribution. Why Content Distribution is Important Content and its success is all about planning and preparation. You could argue that it's about the type of content you create, but content distribution and great content are two sides to the same coin. Recently, 56% of marketers  stated they outsource one part of their marketing strategies, which has resulted in an increased need for help in content creation. And as 78% of marketers have reported that their business has improved due to better content creation, this shows that enhancing the content through these three channels has improved marketing in numerous ways. To improve your marketing capabilities, you cannot rely on one aspect of your content distribution. Breaking it down into these three essential components, and following them to the letter, will result in a brand that is evenly distributed. Content is king, and as content distribution becomes highlighted as one of the biggest marketing opportunities that brands don't utilize, harnessing these three different areas can push a struggling business into more prominent quarters. Many brands may make the most of one or two areas of this trifecta, but, if you recognize that you're not making the most of all of them, this will soon become apparent. So many brands make the most of PPC or plunge their efforts into search engine optimization, but to be competitive and to maintain an edge, content distribution is the missing ingredient. For those brands looking to improve their strategies, looking to keep on top of trends, and make the most of marketing tools, ensure your content distribution is at the forefront of your marketing strategy. How to create a #content distribution strategy with a free template.How to Create a Content Distribution Strategy Step-by-Step Providing relevant content at the right time to the people who need it is an integral part of digital marketing, but it won’t happen by accident. To achieve an effective content distribution, you need to follow a step-by-step strategy. List Your Target Distribution Channels Your target distribution channels are the sites, organizations or entities from which you disseminate content. Content marketing distribution channels may include social networks, your website, a partner blog, a podcast or some other digital medium. Before you begin your content distribution strategy, therefore, it’s worth writing down a list of all the ways you’ll distribute your content with a brief justification for why. Guest Posts on External Websites Guest posts on external websites have two functions: to promote your content  to a new audience and to create links to your site for SEO purposes. These articles can introduce your content to people who wouldn’t ordinarily see it and who might benefit from it in the future. Before posting on external sites, think about whether they attract visitors who could benefit from your product. Here’s an example of a guest post on Convince Convert by . Another strategy for guest posting is to reach out to bloggers of articles that already exist on your target keywords. You can ask the author to add a section about your tool/product with a link back to your website. Online Communities Online communities are any place on the web where people gather to interact. Distributing content through these channels (Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, Reddit, forums, etc.) can be effective because communities naturally generate interest and engagement. Ideally, you want to create shareable and â€Å"commentable† content that produces a buzz. Be careful with this tactic however, you want to genuinely helpful and not promotional. Here’s an example of a discussion on Reddit regarding Facebook advertising. This would be a good opportunity to link to a content piece from your blog that helps solve the poster’s problem. External Podcasts External podcasts  can be an excellent vehicle for distributing content to a new audience. Many media firms, like the BBC and the Wall Street Journal, give space to businesses on their podcasts to speak about what they do. This example is from the Wall Street Journal is inspired by the popular column which commuters can turn to for insights on business, the economy, markets, and politics. The content on podcasts is usually newsworthy and topical. It can be a great way to increase brand awareness and reach new audiences that are not aware of your product or service. Internal Blog Posts Blog posts on your own site are an opportunity to tell your audience more about yourself and provide them with real value. Coca-Cola  - the world’s premier soft drinks brand - has one of the top company blogs in the world. It talks about its approach to corporate responsibility, its plans to make the business more sustainable, and how the company operates internally. The blog is a great tool to get readers engaged in content and up-to-date with trends. Internal Videos Internal videos are videos that companies make for the benefit of their colleagues. Although most businesses focus on external videos - or those that are customer-facing - internal videos can have tremendous value for training and teaching staff about the company values. Walmart  has been using internal videos to distribute content for many years to teach new hires about the importance of warehouse safety and correct lifting techniques. Webinars Webinars  are interactive online seminars where a company imparts information and then invites guests to ask questions and give feedback. ARK Invest  is an investment broker with a focus on future technology. The firm hosts monthly webinars where it explains to customers why it is investing in certain sectors (like robotics or genetics) and how they think the market will adjust to new technological changes in the future. Investors can then ask questions about why the firm is investing their money in a particular way. Demos Demos of how a product works are a great way to get information across to customers. Although demos are usually explicitly promotional, this doesn't mean that they can't be used to educate customers about the powerful benefits of a new product. In 2018, Google demoed  its new product, Duplex, which is an AI voice bot that can conduct basic conversations on a user’s behalf (for instance, book a table at a restaurant). At Google I/O 2018, the company demonstrated the product live, showcasing it’s audience the benefits directly. Infographics Infographics  use a combination of pictures and text to convey information or statistics readably. Supply Spy, a firm that helps users research Amazon products, has an infographic which breaks down the complicated topic of Amazon seller fees into manageable chunks, helping to make the subject more approachable. Guides Shopify is a platform which provides a range of utilities to budding online retailers, such as website design and payment facilities. Setting up an online store can be a complicated business, so Shopify provides guides  for all sorts of things, such as how to sell on eBay, small business marketing on Twitter, selling products on Amazon, and how to grow an e-commerce business with email marketing. Social Media Channels Pizza Hut  is one of the most interesting examples of a company that uses social media distribution effectively. Rather than use its Twitter feed to advertise money-off coupons (which seems to be the default position of many other pizza chains), it uses social media to celebrate the product that it sells. By doing this, it creates much more engaging, likable and sharable content and video. Email Email marketing has the highest ROI of any form of digital marketing, according to  Litmus Software. Many companies use email to distribute special offers and deals tailored to their customers, but the most successful email campaigns tend to be those that communicate genuinely exciting information. Evans Cycles, a cycling firm based in the UK, sends customers a combination of special offers and informational videos on how to look after their bicycles. Ebook Ebooks are in-depth resources that companies can provide their customers to cement their authority in a particular field. Ebooks demonstrate to customers that a business has substantial expertise, making them a preferred source of reliable information. Deloitte  is a professional services company that provides tax advice, management consultancy and strategy advice to firms all over the world. Its work is detailed, so it often uses ebooks to complement the work that it does with firms. The company’s clients can get bespoke advice direct from consultants and then refer to ebooks if they need a refresher once consulting is finished. A Better Way to Plan Your Content Distribution Strategy Sure the content distribution tracking spreadsheet included in this blog will do the job†¦ But, let’s be honest, the last thing most marketing managers need is another spreadsheet to add to their ever-growing list. The good news is, there’s a better way. Your entire team can collaborate, plan and execute their content distribution strategy with . No spreadsheets, no manual updating, no status updates. Just one amazing hub to plan it all. Here’s how it works: To start, add a new marketing project in by clicking the plus sign on your project kickoff date. Then choose the option entitled â€Å"marketing campaign† on the list. Next, add each individual content promotion and distribution item to your marketing campaign. Once you’ve added all the individual content distribution tactics, you’ll see a visualization of every element on your calendar. Everyone on your team will know exactly what is going live and when, and their tasks for each tactic. Goal Setting Goal setting is an essential aspect of your overall content distribution strategy, whether you’re trying to reach people through social media tools, external blogs, your website. But how do you set effective content distribution goals? Decide on The Nature of Your Goals Some organizations create content for the sake of creating content, thinking that it will put them at an advantage. But any experienced digital marketer worth their salt will tell you that the only way to drive things forward is to make sure that you're clear on why you’re distributing content in the first place. You may want to distribute content for the following reasons: Generate more leads Increase your conversion rate Improve awareness of your brand Increase customer retention To educate your audience Get more traffic to your website The content distribution strategy you choose will depend on your overall goals. A plan designed to improve awareness of your brand will be very different from one that hopes to increase customer retention or upsell customers on various products. Some businesses  try to be smart and align content with multiple goals, hoping to kill many birds with one stone. Companies create content that they expect will improve their ranking in search engines, generate a buzz on social media, increase awareness of their brand and boost leads. But trying to tick all the boxes rarely works and you may find that your content is less useful in certain channels than it would be had you stuck to a specific strategy. For example, you might create a wordy blog to help you rank for specific keywords in Google search.

Humans and The origins of civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Humans and The origins of civilization - Essay Example In Hebrew civilization, one god is worshiped and revered. The gods protect the society from plagues, misfortunes, thus offering assistance at all times. The gods are worshiped and revered. For instance, when plagues inflict Achaeans, they offer sacrifices in form of blemish goats and lambs to King Apollo in order to get protection. Consequently, when Job loses his wealth and children, he prays and offers sacrifices to god in order to seek forgiveness and protection. Job lost wealth and children as well as got attacked by a dreadful skin disease. However, he prayed and never lamented to God despite receiving pressure from friends. Instead of cursing and abusing God, he cursed the day his mother conceived him as well as the day he was born (King James Version, Job. 1. 3 - 15). Therefore, Job prays to his God while Atrues prays to Apollo who is the god of silver bow. Consequently, Job offered sacrifices to God on learning of the misfortune on his family. Consequently, Greeks consider pe rsistence of plagues as result of continuous provocation of god just like the Hebrews. Moreover, Goddess Minerva tells Achilles to obey the command from the two gods since they hear prayers from people who obey their command (Homer, 2). Agamemnon, the son of Atreus robed Achilles the daughter of Briseus, his prize by offered to him by Achaeans, thus causing misery to her father. The Greek and Hebrew civilizations consider that their gods live in heaven (Perry, 46). They recognize priests and their role, thus, disobedience to them results into misfortune. Therefore, the Greeks and Hebrews value priests and respect their instructions and teachings. Among Greeks, misfortune occurred when Atrues dishonored the priest, Chryses (Homer, 4). For instance, when Apollo attacks Achaeans, they seek help from priests, prophets, readers of dreams. Just like Greeks, Hebrews believes God protects the poor from harm caused by the mighty. Consequently, in replying to the demands from friends, Job ass erts that life, strength come from (King James Version, Job. 1. 20 - 21). Moreover, both Greeks and Hebrews organized feasting parties. Job’s sons organized feasting parties in their houses and invited their sisters to celebrate together. Consequently, the son of Atreus organized purifying ceremonies for the Achaeans after returning the daughter of Chryseis. The ceremony involved slaughtering of goats and bulls without blemish in order to purify society from the plaques placed upon them by King Apollo (Homer, 7). The Greeks and Hebrews also value wealth, children, and servants, seen as gifts and blessing from the supernatural beings. However, there are differences in their values and worldviews. Among Hebrews, God is revered. They also value perfection and upright living with avoidance or shunning of evil (King James Version, Job. 1. 1-2). Conversely, the Greeks recognize many gods and goddess such as Juve, King Apollo, and Pallas among others who they revere and value (Homer , 1). Among Hebrews, there is only one God while Greeks recognize many gods and goddess. Theses gods and goddess have varied powers and strength unlike the Hebrew god who is alone and the very powerful King James Version, Job. 12. 1-14). Greeks consider King Apollo as the most powerful of all the gods and goddess. This is because, gods such as Jove; husband to Juno and son of Saturn, Juno; mother of men and gods and mother to Vulcan, Pallas Minerva and Neptune have varied powers

Hard rock cafe and chili's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hard rock cafe and chili's - Essay Example According to McCollum (2004, p.36), quality is an essential factor in achieving competitive advantage because organizations delivering good quality are capable of generating satisfied customers. The satisfied customers in return reward the organization with continuous support and positive advertising through the word-of-mouth, which provokes exemplary external performance for the organization (McCollum 2004, p.36). Quality in manufacturing operations involves the processes that combine and transform resources in the production subsystem of an organization into value added products or even services. Therefore, quality ensures the conversion of various inputs to the desired products or services at the required degree of quality. In manufacturing, quality involves conforming to set specifications (Mahadevan 2010, p.249). Therefore, manufacturing process motivates quality manager to establish mechanisms that guarantee attaining the specifications. All components of a manufactured product have specifications and provided that the provisions are met, the quality objectives are also met. Such a definition is essential in manufacturing since it enables management to establish unambiguous instructions for employees in maintain quality. Moreover, quality in manufacturing encompasses the process of attaining the specifications by collecting information from customers regarding a product and their prefere nces before the specifications are set. Also in manufacturing quality is defined in terms of â€Å"fitness to use† because it demands an organization to understand the favoured method for use by customers over a prolonged period. Therefore, to develop an understanding, organizations focus on customer relations, design, and manufacturing processes (Mahadevan 2010, p.249). The main objectives in service operations involve provision of good service to customers