Women and Environment - 4388 Words

Women and the environment That the relationship between people and the environment is not gender-neutral became clear in the mid-1980s. Some organizations, focusing on the day-to-day lives of communities, argued that the position and concerns of women were invisible in environmental debates and programmers. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE based in New Delhi, India, in their The State of India’s Environment Report – or the Second Citizens Report of 1984-1985 argued that: Probably no other group is more affected by environmental destruction than poor village women. Every dawn brings with it a long march in search of fuel, fodderand water. It does not matter if the women are old, young or pregnant: crucial household needs have to†¦show more content†¦For four solid decades after the war, this rate increased at an astounding rate. Early in the 1990s, however, this rate leveled off. This brought about much speculation as to whether or not women were thus starting to leave the lab or force and, if so, what the causes of that might be. In order to look at this hypothesis more closely, we first need to break down the women in the labor force by age: 16-24 year olds, 25-34 year olds, 35-44 year olds, 45-54 year olds, and 55+ years. In the mid 1940s, 35-44 year olds were engaged in the labor force more than any other age group. In the late 1980s and into the early 1990s, this was still the case. Over the last 25 years, however, the younger age groups have exploded onto the work scene, drastically shooting up from a percentage (of women that age in the labor force) of 40 percent in 1970 to nearly 75 percent in the early 1990s. Until the 1970s, a graph of female participation rates in the labor force would look like an M, with a large dip coming between the early 20s until the later-child bearing years, the mid 30s. However, with all age groups now actively participating in the labor force, that graph now looks like an upside down U. In the early 1990s participation rates of women abruptly flattened out. Initially much thought was given to the fact that more mothers were exiting the labor force temporarily in order to look after their children or become homemakers. Thus analysts turned to specific age groups. TheyShow MoreRelatedThe Environmental Problems Of Women And Environment Essay1874 Words   |  8 Pages1.0 INTRODUCTION In Africa, women are actively involved in a wide range of forestry and forestry related activities, both those of which are of a spontaneous nature and those that are fostered through developmental projects and programmes. Moreover, with the exclusion of industrial timber and charcoal production, African women are the protagonists in activities related to the management and use of forest resources. Particularly, the gathering of fuel wood for domestic energy as well as fruits, leavesRead MoreWomen s Work Setting Environment2635 Words   |  11 PagesWomen around the world have not been treated equally in a work setting environment. In some places women aren t even allowed to work, but in our nation the United States of America this is not our scenario. The scenario in the United States of America is that women are allowed to work, but unfortunately women are not being treated the same manner in which a man is treated in a work setting. Women go through a lot of obstacles in a workplace, this should not be happening at this time in date. 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In â€Å"Selections from Hard to Get: Twenty-something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom†, Leslie Bell discovers in her experiments and interviews that despite the choices of freedom and explorationRead MoreGlobalization: Maquiladoras and Their Negative Impact Upon the Environment and Women in Mexico1511 Words   |  7 PagesGlobalization: Maquiladoras and Their Negative Impact upon the Environment and Women in Mexico As firms increased commerce by expanding their business into markets located in different countries, numerous trade barriers and international restrictions have been progressively disabled. This cross-border trading has changed the once historically distinct and separate national markets into a global marketplace. Now the economies of countries throughout the world have become interpedently linked. ThisRead MoreWomen s Rights, The Natural Environment, Lgbtq Rights And Equality1394 Words   |  6 Pageshas happened was the Womens March on Washington in January because it unified women on many different statuses in life on one united front towards equal and fair rights for everyone. The Women’s march, which took place the day after President Donald Trump was sworn into office banded together to advocate legislation and policies regarding human rights and other issues, including but not limited to women s rights, immigration reform, healthcare reform, the natural environment, LGBTQ rights, and racialRead MoreFeminist Analysis : One Of The Means 1301 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"One of the means by which humanity addresses the inequities in society is through art. In its various forms, art has, in particular, confronted the double standards waged against women throughout the ages† (Foster, Reetz). As depicted by the Pantene Commercial, â€Å"Labels Against Women†, double standards against women are shown through the motif of the milieu. The surroundings of the individuals portray words that are used to describe the same exact actions in different points of view based on genderRead MoreEducational Spaces : Not Only Transmitted Through People804 Words   |  4 Pagesbelongs. In one study, undergraduate women were interviewed by a male graduate student and then completed a cognitive task. When the interview room contained objects that cued that the interviewer had a positive attitude towards women, women’s performance was higher than when there were no objects in the room (Mendoza-Denton, ShawTaylor, Chen, Chang, 2009). Surprisingly, objects that conveyed a chauvinist attitude also boosted performance, but only for women who scored high in a rejection sensitivityRead MoreWomens Experience Of Postnatal Care1680 Words   |  7 Pages Statistics and data have shown that women are less satisfied with the care they receive post-natal compared to the care they receive during antenatal and throughout labour including those women who receive caseload midwifery care (Forster et al., 2016). Thus, this assignment will focus on some aspects of care that influence a women’s experience of postnatal care and changes that can be implemented to improve women’s satisfaction with the early post-natal care they receive. In addition, there willRead MoreThe Homelessness And Its Effects On Women762 Words   |  4 Pagesfor anyone who experiences it, there are certain adversities specific to women. 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This model of care provides greater continuity of care and allows the woman and

The Definition of a Princess Free Essays

Every little girl has once wished (upon a star) to one day be a princess in a fairy tale. However, do they truly understand what the definition of a fairy tale princess is? Fairy tales have created a definition and a set of requirements of a true princess, a definition and a set of requirements that could easily be applied to a pretty teacup or any other inanimate object. These fairy tales have defined a princess as someone who is unrealistically beautiful, passive, with no voice, and helpless and dependent. We will write a custom essay sample on The Definition of a Princess or any similar topic only for you Order Now Beauty is one of the key requirements to be a princess. Every woman in a fairy tale is either a beautiful princess or an ugly witch or stepmother. There are no average looking women to be found in these tales. Since physical qualities are often an allegory to the goodness or evil of a character, beauty has been a requirement for a princess. In the picture books and movies of these fairy tales, audiences will see tall skinny girls whose waists are almost the size of their necks with eyes that are abnormally large. Though unrealistic, this appearance has been made necessary in these tales. Would Cinderella be let in to the ball or ever have a dance with a prince if she were ugly? Would Prince Charming even consider kissing â€Å"Sleeping Beauty† if she were â€Å"Sleeping Ugly†? Beauty is such an important part of a princess but how does it affect those young girls who wish to be like them? These fairy tales give the message that the only way to find love or Mr. Perfect is to be beautiful. Young girls watch and read storybooks and movies that have princesses with body types that are considered anorexic. This image will sink in to their minds subconsciously and affect them for the rest of their lives, since most children will never be able to reach the standard of beauty required to be a princess. Along with beauty, a princess has been defined to have no voice or say. In almost every fairy tale a princess never gets to express her opinion or personality. The ultimate example of this is in the Little Mermaid (Disney Version) when Ariel trades her voice so she can alter her appearance. She is told that she won’t need a voice to get the prince and all she needs to do is look pretty. This leads young girls to think their voice and opinion don’t matter and to have their â€Å"happily ever after,† all they have to do is stay quiet passive and be visually attractive. Lastly a princess is defined as someone who is helpless and dependent. Almost every single fairy tale has a damsel in distress waiting for the prince to save them. Sleeping Beauty has to wait for Prince Charming, Rapunzel has to wait in her tower, and Prince Eric saves Ariel. In all fairy tales this is a common factor; the princess is always helpless and needs saving. Never in a traditional fairy tale does a princess save the prince. In addition to the sexism in these tales, they present and promote a negative message for girls. It communicates to girls that if something bad is happening or if there is a problem, wait for a male to come and solve the situation. Putting these ideas in little girls’ heads at such an early age will discourage them from to ever becoming strong and confident women. Understanding the true definition of a fairy tale princess is, princesses should not be role models for so many girls. However so many little girls still want to be princesses, even if they are defined to be unrealistically beautiful, passive, voiceless, and helplessly dependent on others. This needs to change in order to have more confident and smart women. Society should think about these fairy tales and really consider if the princess in the tale is someone young girls should have as their role models. How to cite The Definition of a Princess, Papers

Compare and Contrast Taming of the Shrew vs 10 Things free essay sample

They share only the initial set-up and can hardly be called the same story. In the begining of 10 Things.. the father, Walter, will not allow his youngest daughter, Bianca, to date until his oldest daughter Katarina, Kat for short, dates. He does this because he knows his eldest is not, in any way, interested in dating during highschool as proven by the following quote: Have you seen the unwashed miscreants that go to that school? . Katarina is basically a teenage rebel who doesnt want to do what anybody expects. Bianca, in 10 Things, is a cheerful but sometimes snotty sophmore that thinks her sister is the bane to her existance. Meanwhile, at school there is a new boy by the name of Cameron. Cameron sees Bianca while taking a tour through his new school, called Padua, and falls instantly in love. His new friend Michael warns him away from her telling him that she is shallow, conceited, and her father wont let her date until her older sister does. Cameron doesnt care and decides to find a way to make Bianca fall in love with him. He learns of her need for a french tutor and decides to take up tutoring her while looking for a person to date Kat. After going through several interviews for what Michael and Cameron call Extreme dating they see bad-boy, Patrick. Patrick has a bad reputation and most kids are scared of him due to the rumors circulating about why he had missed a years worth of school. Michael goes and talks to local rich kid Joy Donner about paying Patrick to date Kat. Joey, too, is interested in dating Bianca. Not for the same purposes as Cameron though, Joey is after Bianca for a bet he took up with his friend that he could lay her on Prom night. Joey confronts Patrick about dating Kat and begins by pay Pat $50 per date. Patrick then proceeds to try and woo Kat, try being the key word as Kat rejects Patricks advances. Meanwhile Cameron and Bianca start to fall in love, but they are just a side story in my opinion. After a few more tries Patricks advances begin to work and Kat starts falling for him. Patrick slowly realizes that he is falling for her as well and asks Kat to go to prom with him. During prom Kat learns of Joey paying Patrick and turns against him. Once returned to school Kat writes a poem about her love/hate relationship for Patrick, he in turn buys her a guitar with the date money, she forgives him and they fall happily in love. Some asshole paid me to take out a really great girl. Is that right? Yeah, but I screwed up. I fell for her . In Taming of the Shrew the father, Baptista, will not allow anyone to court-to-marry his youngest daughter, Bianca, until his eldest daughter, Katharina is married. Baptista does this because he doesnt want to deal with Katharina anymore. Katharina is a rude, unreasonable, rebellious daughter who doesnt seem to know what she wants. One minute she is yelling at her father for trying to find her a mate and the other she is holding her sister hostage due to jealousy. It is thought no man would ever wish to marry her. Bianca has many suitors including Hortensio and Gremio. Much to the suitors dispair Bianca is not allowed to marry, so Hortensio and Gremio decide to work together to marry off Katharina so that they will be free to compete for Bianca. Lucentio, a man who had come to Padua to attend a university, sees Bianca while watching a parade and instantly falls in love with her. Lucentio overhears Biancas need for a tutor and decides to disguise himself as a Latin tutor named Cambio, so that he can secretly woo Bianca behind Baptistas back. in the meantime, Petruchio arrives in Padua, accompanied by his servant Grimio, to find a rich wife. Hortensio learns of this and decides to set Petruchio up with Katharina. Petruchio goes and trys to woo Katharina at first but then resorts to trickery and tells her father of their plans to marry. Katharina does not wish to marry Petruchio but secretly admires his strength and boldness. On the day of their wedding, Katharina is beautifully dressed with the finest fabric and beautiful jewels adorning her wedding dress. All the people to see her gasp at her radience and you can tell she is feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. But, Petruchio is late. At first Katharina jokes about it but after a while starts to get infuriated. When Petruchio finally shows up he is ridding a broken down old nag and dressed in some of the stupidest clothes ever seen, as if his goal is to mock Katharina. When doing vowels Petruchio forces a kiss on Katharina when she goes to say she will not marry him and all that comes out is she will. Petruchio then decides he wants to go home right away and will not allow Katharina the pleasure of her wedding party. Petruchio is constantly cruel to Katharina, even going as far as starving her, but in the end Katharina is the only woman to come to her husbands call and even critizes the other women for not listening to their husbands. As you can see there is a huge difference between both movies. However, there are some similarities too. Cameron, or Luciento in the shrew, really does fall in true love with Bianca and becomes a tutor to woo her. Some of the names in 10 Things are modernized versions of Shakespears names such as Patrick as Petruchio and Katarina as Katharina. Petruchio in a way is also paid for marrying Katharina as he gets her dowery. They are both about a disobediant woman in a male dominated society. I guess in this society being male and an asshole makes you worthy of our time. The theme for both movies is disguise/secrecy. In language, diction, and music they are much different. Every now and then the directors threw in a phrase of what might be considered heightened prose or witty repartee, but for the most part the vocabulary is 90s highschool and rhythm is stunted. Even Kats poem is weak and falls short of what a sophmore student could write. To make up for the weak language, the directors threw in an array of great music including live performances of two groups, Save Ferris and Letters To Cleo. The effect is rather pleasing and in many cases the lyrics suggest the subtext and gives clues to the plot better then the script does.

Innovation Management in Honda

Introduction Innovation is change and for any change to be effective, it must be built on the previously existing systems and confer better results. Managers have to be keen on the innovation network for it to yield the desired results. There is also a need to involve other firms with the same vision as innovation is continuously being brought forward through collaboration.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Innovation Management in Honda specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If innovation is successful, then it serves the parent company as well as the industry at large. For this to happen, there has to be a lot of interdisciplinary networking, a seamless chain of operations that minimizes wastage in terms of both resources and time. Innovation management is thus, the coordination of management and engineers with a view to the realization of set company goals through a laid out process. With a stable management process, opportunities arising both internally and outside of the company can be seized and new ideas presented and in the end, new innovative products. Innovation management is not only a management or engineer issue but also a process that is inclusive of all staff regardless of where they work. It is an evolutionary process and not a one off thing and hence, management must develop the culture of innovation by building the channels that encourage it in the company. A series of activities that include search, select, implement and capture must (Trott 2005) be instigated for there to be good innovation management. Innovation can either be pulled or pushed, with the push coming from already invented or existing technologies that the company aims at cashing in on whereas the pull process comes from the realization that a vacuum exists where customer needs are not being adequately met. The company thus focuses its efforts in trying to close that vacuum by innovating new products for that set of market. Both processes can only be achieved if enough information is acquired and teams that are versatile invested in. Due to the stiff competition in the market, product lifetimes have been greatly reduced and hence, innovation managers have to be faster in coming up with better products that improve on the quality of existing ones.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this paper, we are going to critically analyze the process of innovation management in Honda using the tools of search, select, implement and eventually capture. Finally, we are going to make recommendations that are aimed at improving the management of innovations. The reason we focus on Honda is that it has been a market leader in the motorcycle industry since 1959. Additionally, there was sufficient information on the company available for this research. Honda is also the leading manufacturer of interna l combustion engines by volume in addition to it being the largest producer of motorcycles globally. In 2001 it became the second largest vehicle manufacture in the Japanese market only exceeded by their perennial rivals, Toyota, the fourth largest automobile manufacturer in the US and sixth largest globally (Taylor 2008). They were the first to manufacture a luxury vehicle in Japan and have since diversified their products to include generators, gardening machinery, marine engines and aircrafts. The company spends about 5 percent of its revenue on RD (research and development). Honda released the first hybrid electric vehicle one month before Toyota’s release of the prius, touted to be the best hybrid. The EPA had it as the most fuel efficient vehicle commercially produced in the US. The problem arose from the failure of a follow up market plan to raise necessary awareness for the products to be well received in the market and also the release of the prius which was an impro vement on the Honda model. Honda thus shows sustainability where it comes to innovation and industry change. It has produced products that continually seek to change the dynamics of the market. In this research, I shall discuss various steps of innovation management namely; search, selection, implementation and capture. Finally, I shall make recommendations as to the best practices on the same. Through this format, it shall be easy to see how successful innovation management is done.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Innovation Management in Honda specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Search The 21st century is one that is characterized by many challenges. Traditionally, a company solely focused on delivering high quality products to their customers incurring the least costs while increasing efficiency. In this century however, the green movement has taken the forefront in advocating environmental responsibility. Glob al warming and dumping of wastes pose a challenge for environmentalists globally and the world at large unanimously accepts that the time for action is now, if the future of generations to come is to be secured. It is in the backdrop of these challenges that companies are working round the clock to come up with innovative ways of reducing emissions that are touted as the leading causes of ozone layer damage and consequently global warming. The companies that will manage these innovations most effectively are the ones that are likely to come out on top.  In this chapter, we will focus on searching for opportunities for innovation. As carbon emissions are the leading pollutants of the environment, automobile companies and other manufacturing firms need to take the lead in looking for ways of building alternatives to carbon. The reduction in emissions alone is not the greatest motivator of innovation but also the total process of bringing positive impacts into the environment as a wh ole including reduction of other wastes used in the manufacturing process, recycling water and land reclamation. This thus poses an opportunity for Honda to capitalize on and lead the way into the future of manufacturing without pollution. Honda can handle these issues by utilizing manufacturing methods that emit less carbon dioxide e.g. by using renewable energy instead of coal. Human life is very valuable. Therefore, automobiles need not be ambassadors of death but rather helpful gadgets with a multiple of useful ways.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There is hence a need to make automobiles with increased safety features that reduce the risk of accidents and whose major priority is the reduction of fatalities resulting from automobile crashes. An opportunity thus arises that challenges automobile manufacturers like Honda to develop cars that prevent crashes a break from the crashing cars of today. With technology dictating nearly all aspects of our lives nowadays, the future can only present opportunities for better technological innovations that improve our lives further. Honda is not solely a vehicle and motorbike manufacturer, but rather a company with a wide range of products aimed at improving the lives of people. The future, with good management insight, will offer the company better opportunities to grow their range of products. Another avenue that presents an opportunity for innovation is the discovery of new markets. Infrastructure varies from country to country depending on a wide range of factors including the income levels of the residents and the natural conditions like the geography, topography or the climatic conditions of those areas. To build efficient machinery, a company must be able to face the challenges new markets pose and in so doing, remarkable innovations may arise. For example, vehicles that are primarily built with cold areas in mind cannot be expected to utilize the same cooling mechanism as those adorning the desert. Therefore, entry into new markets can challenge a company to be more innovative. In the meantime, as the world is tirelessly searching for an alternative source of energy and move away from petroleum, companies are choosing to take baby steps towards this goal by producing gadgets that are fuel-efficient. The company that develops the most efficient vehicle with no emissions detrimental to the environment is going to be the market leader in technological advancement. A multinational company looking to be the best in the market must also develop ways of producing its parts efficiently. This poses a challenge for the management in deciding where they source their raw materials centrally or individually. Innovative ways of managing this money-saving venture, can be developed and may be adopted by other companies in the future. In addition, Honda managers should encourage competition amongst staff. This could be through the setting up of bonus schemes and performance based benefits. This could act as a trigger for innovation. Finally, Honda should outsource those parts of its manufacturing processes that are bulky and unprofitable. This should enable the firm to focus more on issues such as research and development that require innovation but have higher returns. Select To choose what opportunities to capitalize on, management has to be on toes to ensure that priority is given only to those it deems most profitable and also those which champion the course of the company best and have the best interest of the wider society at heart including the environment. Strategies must therefore be crafted, which actions are going to be taken and why they are the best from the choices available. Since every company in the world is adopting the green concept, Honda has also joined the fray with a number of noteworthy interventions. The management has developed several plans over time aimed at the maximization of the available raw materials with minimum wastage and in line with the set international standards. It is important for the company to examine this option critically as it may be the difference between future success and failure. A company should venture into aggressive marketing (Tidd and Bessant, 2009) to communicate to its customers its products, philosophies and other information that may give it the cutting edge it requires to make headway into the future and win customer loyalty. Honda does market its products on different media, but rather than have a central point, their marketing techniques are disjointed and are not re flective of the collective outlook the company would like to project but rather reflect the company branches individually. To develop a successful product, regardless of where it is being marketed, there is need to set a common ground that the customers can identify with. Investment is the driving force behind the most innovative teams because it gives engineers the confidence to experiment without any financial constraints. The fear of failure usually caused by lean budgets and rigid company policies can stall innovation and in turn retard company growth (Arnold et al 2009), missing opportunities to make headways and in the long run loosing business. It is therefore important for a company to push for innovative thinking by encouraging failure as long as they learn from it. It is said that success only amounts to 1 percent of the effort made; otherwise, the other 99 percent is failure which preceded the success. Honda encourages its engineers and designers to challenge themselves a nd develop new ideas. This concept may sometimes backfire as usually the best way to correct a mistake is to go back to the beginning and examine the basics once more rather than persisting on the same path leading to inevitable failure, ruing wasted company funds. A lot of research work is needed to ascertain what the customer desires are. If the company products are parallel to the expectations of the customer, then the company is doomed to fail. Therefore, there is need for investment in market research and also in technology research as new materials are being developed, which may improve designs and systems tremendously. Honda has been successful in the development of products that are widely accepted by clients e.g. the minivans and courier motorbikes, albeit against the backdrop of immense failure. For example, the first type of motorcycles that were successful in Japan was not as nearly successful in the United States due to the differences in roads structures. In summary, H onda seems to be focused on the four areas of fuel, process, design and end-use when it comes to selecting what to capitalize on. However, Honda should not lose focus of innovation outside what is considered conventional. Even within the four areas, Honda can still come up with ideas that can lead to a new competitive edge such as recycling of old motor vehicles which can be much cheaper than direct production. Other ideas could include designing electric bikes or those that can utilize hydrogen and other commonly found elements to fuel them. Implement This is the part that deals with the actions taken in order to meet the set goals and with the recommended methods. Implementation can be relatively easy depending on the information provided or it can be difficult if the information is insufficient or looks good on paper but unattainable. Honda has over time developed a number of machines. From their initial identity as motorcycle manufacturers, they have diversified to other kinds o f machinery and are even the largest manufacturers of engines. This growth can obviously been attributed to the size of investment in money, labor and technology. The company developed its first jet which has 35 percent more efficiency in fuel consumption in comparison to jets of similar make. This was achieved by the utilization of superior materials, developed by the company, compounded by better aerodynamics, more efficient engine and body designs. This can be considered as a landmark achievement for the company worthy of commendation. However, poor marketing has led to the low sales of this particular product. In order to achieve the goal of achieving the car that protects against crashing, Honda developed a CRW model that featured improved systems that informed the driver if he was too near to the next car and would retract the safety belt if the driver moved forward. This navigation breaking system, albeit with wonderful designs, has not been largely accepted by the customers as it is not easily controllable and demands too much of the driver. Many people prefer their own judgments while driving and this has contributed to the low reception that has greeted this model. Honda has developed a pioneer humanoid robot which has intelligent capabilities after over 20years of experiments. This is a fast for the company on its many innovative fronts. More research is needed for this model known as ASIMO as it has received massive criticism from the humanists who claim that the company is aiming at substituting the human functions, however, the company claims that the development of this robot is meant to be of assistance to humans but cannot substitute the human basic senses which we heavily rely on. The only natural gas vehicle, which is sold in the US, is the Honda Civic GX (Gable 2008). This car has been in the market and it is the ‘most green’. With the emphasis on being green, you would expect this car to be the most sought. On the contrary, it has received a very low reception from dealerships and consumers alike although this has been coupled by the lack of a marketing strategy from the company for this invention. Consumers sight the hefty amount of money required to buy the car and the lack of natural gas fueling stations as the reason they have not considered the car. In an attempt to be green, Honda has outsourced its services having nothing to do with the actual manufacture of cars. The company has further set procedures it says are meant to reduce distractions in the manufacturing plants by having all staff in white laboratory coats. This they say, being a standard in all their plants worldwide, is aimed at making their operations uniform around the world (Dogson 2008). Their plants are also very well attended to and have well-trimmed gardens, and other aesthetics not typical of manufacturing plants. In furthering their green course, they do not expend any waste as all their material are recycled or converted into sources of energy. They have adopted a clean and green mantra and assert that what is produced under unclean circumstances cannot be expected to be of high quality. However, going green is yet to rake in actual profits for Honda, in fact it seems to be more of an obsession rather than an upgrade of operations. Capture This part involves getting the benefits from the actions taken during the implementation stage. It involves a coordinated efforts aimed at quantifying the monetary and the other benefits that accrue from the implementation of the innovations. Companies mostly apply the tactic of aggressive marketing to inform customers of their products. This is also a coordinated effort that requires extensive research, planning and budgetary allocation to be successful (Wang 2009). All innovation would be in vain if the products developed do not get the required attention in the market. In order to capture the markets attention and reap the benefits, there needs to be a relentless ca mpaign that focuses on getting vehicles off the factory and onto the roads where they are required. Honda has outsourced its maintenance department that deals with the upkeep of their plants in a bid to eradicating distractions that may arise from these activities. This is a laudable maneuver, as engineers are not expected to fully concentrate on their innovative obligations and simultaneously undertake the maintenance of the facilities. The benefit of having an expert in plant maintenance is that hazards that may arise from otherwise trivial occurrences are minimized. Innovation leads to the discovery of better materials that reduce environmental pollution. In order to attain the required levels of emission, Honda has endeavored into the production of lighter materials for their jets, which are recyclable with minimal wastages. The environmental benefits can be immense not only for the company presently but for even the future undertakings. Honda has the best concept in the world f or a vehicle that solely relies on natural gas and therefore very environmental friendly. In order for the obvious benefits to be realized from the sale of this model, the company needs to adopt a strategy that aims at reducing the purchase price of the vehicle and also availing the necessary ingredients needed for the model to run properly. This maneuver can ensure that people invest their money on this model. Considering that the model has been in the market since 1998 and has neither been embraced by the customers nor the dealerships, there is a need to refocus on the part of the company. Recommendations Employees are undoubtedly a valuable resource in any company whichever level they serve at. Therefore, for Honda to make great strides towards a better future, employee involvement in matters of management is paramount. Lack of a coordinated effort that aims at giving a voice to employees can spell ultimate loss of the innovative edge. It is not the engineers who have the greates t view of what vacuum exists in the market! It might be the staff member who is not involved in the manufacture of the vehicles but uses them on a daily basis as he commutes to work. In the past, when Honda was introduced into the US, the company was marketing motorcycles with large engine capacities. However, the company staff used scooters to commute to and from work. It is the scooters, rather than the big engine motorcycles that elicited interest fro the local folk. The company thus endeavored into the manufacture of the Supercub which was very well received by the US consumers. Honda’s management should venture into aggressive marketing of their products so that the customers are aware of the range of products they have. They have too many inventions that the low-key reception of some of their products point towards poor marketing strategies rather than the lack of a market. The company, in this respect should be in a position to determine what their competitors are work ing on and have times when they release their products into the market. Clogging the market with many new products simultaneously may be counter productive and forces customers to adopt a wait and see attitude, in anticipation for a better design of the product from the same company. Honda sources most of the parts they use in their assembly plants from Japan. This move is both laudable and regrettable. It is laudable in the sense that there is standardization in the manufacture of the parts and hence uniformity is possible for all models. The move is however, a miscalculation on the part of the company as shipments from Japan into other countries are subject to delays and other unforeseen occurrences (Yoshio 2011). Most recently, there was an earthquake in Japan that caused massive destruction and logistical nightmares and the company was inevitably affected. There should therefore be decentralization of production factors in a bid to spread risks and shelter the company from unnec essary losses. The natural gas driven car was a good concept for this era. It has however gone against the grain of expectation and while this may point towards the lack of a marketing strategy, it also points towards the lack of adequate investment in the support facilities required to run this car. Japanese models usually have a reputation for being affordable to customers and this is largely due to the adaptation of the concept of scale economies, where massive numbers of a product are manufactured attracting investments for support facilities, making the spare parts for these models available and affordable and consequently eliciting interest from customers. Honda should have implemented the concept of scale economies in order to realize more sales from a better reception of this model. Conclusion From the above, we can draw the following conclusions: Honda is one of the most innovative companies in the market today and this reputation has been built over a long period of time Its success can be attributed to visionary leaders who relentlessly continued to push for better products and more involvement. The company is just beginning to compete on a scale with other market leaders. The firm lacks a solid innovation management plan As initially stated, innovation management is not just the production of new technologies or products but rather the whole process including manufacturing and marketing (Burns et al 1991). It encompasses broadly all factors leading to the successful use of a product domestically or commercially without it posing a risk to either the consumer or the environment. With the shift of the market towards the reduction of over-reliance on petroleum, there is need to have a solid innovative plan that seeks to eradicate all sources of energy tied to petroleum. For example, when constructing a hydrogen-run car, there is need to ensure that the hydrogen used is not sourced from fossil fuels (Fackler 2008). This requires critical thinking and a total shift from the current way of thinking. To maintain sustainability, Honda should look into more long-term measures since their current policies do not seem to appreciate future challenges such as the insecurity of relying on petroleum products. If the company was to implement the recommendations outlined in this report, then it could be on the verge of a brighter and more productive future. References Arnold, H. et al. (2009) Applied Technology and Innovation management.  London: Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht Burns, T. and Stalker, G. (1991) The management of innovation. New York: Oxford University Press. Dogson, M et al. (2008) The Management of technological innovation: strategy  and practice. New York: Oxford University Press Fackler, M. (2008) Latest Honda Runs on Hydrogen, Not Petroleum. New York Times Gable, C and Gable, S. (2008) Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) Available. About.com: Hybrid Cars Alt Fuels. Web. Web. Taylor, A. (2008) America’s Most Admired Com panies: Honda. Web. Tidd, J. and Bessant, J. (2009) Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological,  Market and Organizational Change (4.ed). Chichester: Wiley. Trott, P. (2005) Innovation Management and New Product Development. Prentice Hall. Wang, W. (2009) Guangzhou Honda adopts new brand strategy to grab market share. Web. Yoshio, T. (2011) Honda Exports from Japan Unlikely To Decline Soon. Dow Jones newswire. Web. This report on Innovation Management in Honda was written and submitted by user Maginty to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Demonstrated Interest - What It Is and Why It Matters

Demonstrated Interest - What It Is and Why It Matters Demonstrated Interest is one of those nebulous criteria in the college admissions process that can cause great confusion among applicants. Whereas SAT scores, ACT scores, GPA, and extracurricular involvement are measurable in concrete ways, interest can mean something very different to different institutions. Also, some students have a hard time drawing the line between demonstrating interest and harassing the admissions staff. Demonstrated Interest As the name suggests, demonstrated interest refers to the degree to which an applicant has made clear that he or she truly is eager to attend a college. Especially with the Common Application and free Cappex Application, its easy for students to apply to multiple schools with very little thought or effort. While this may be convenient for applicants, it presents a problem for colleges. How can a school know if an applicant is truly serious about attending? Thus, the need for demonstrated interest. There are many ways to demonstrate interest. When a student writes a supplemental essay that reveals a passion for a school and detailed knowledge of the schools opportunities, that student is likely to have an advantage over a student who writes a generic essay that could be describing any college. When a student visits a college, the expense and effort that goes into that visit reveal a degree of meaningful interest in the school. College interviews and college fairs are other forums in which an applicant can show interest in a school. Probably the strongest way an applicant can demonstrate interest is by applying through an early decision program. Early decision is binding, so a student who applies via early decision is committing to the school. Its a large reason why the early decision acceptance rates are often more than twice the acceptance rate of the regular applicant pool.   Colleges and Universities That Consider Demonstrated Interest   A study by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that about half of all colleges and universities place either moderate or high importance on an applicants demonstrated interest in attending the school.   Many colleges will tell you that demonstrated interest is not a factor in the admissions equation. For example, Stanford University, Duke University, and Dartmouth College  explicitly state that they do  not take demonstrated interest into account when evaluating applications. Other schools such as Rhodes College, Baylor University, and Carnegie Mellon University explicitly state that they do consider an applicants interest during the admissions process. However, even when a school says it does not consider demonstrated interest, the admissions folks are usually just referring to specific types of demonstrated interest such as phone calls to the admissions office or visits to campus. Applying early to a selective university and writing supplemental essays that show you know the university well will certainly improve your chances of being admitted. So in this sense, demonstrated interest is important at nearly all selective colleges and universities.   How Colleges Value Demonstrated Interest Colleges have good reason for taking demonstrated interest into account as they make their admissions decisions. For obvious reasons, schools want to enroll students who are eager to attend. Such students are likely to have a positive attitude toward the college, and they are less likely to transfer to a different institution. As alumni, they might be more likely to make donations to the school. Also, colleges have a much easier time predicting their yield if they extend offers of admission to students who have high levels of interest. When the admissions staff can predict the yield fairly accurately, they are able to enroll in a class that is neither too big nor too small. They also have to rely far less on waitlists. These questions of yield, class size, and waitlists translate into significant logistical and financial issues for a college. Thus, it isnt surprising that many colleges and universities take a students demonstrated interest seriously. This also explains why schools like Stanford and Duke dont put much weight on demonstrated interest; the most elite colleges are almost guaranteed a high yield on their offers of admission, so they have less uncertainty in the admissions process.

Cover Letter Tips for Receptionists

Cover Letter Tips for Receptionists The job search experts at Best-Job-Interview.com have developed this cover letter template for receptionists looking for their next opportunity. My annotations are italicized after each paragraph- feel free to update and adapt to your experiences or reword to reflect your own voice! The more personalized your letter is for its intended recipient, the better.Your Name   Your Address   Your Contact details (phone and email)  Even if youre submitting online, if youre given the opportunity to upload a document, format it like you would a letter. If youre using an email to send your cover letter, include your name and contact information in your email signature instead.DateMs Mary Stevens   Hiring Manager   ABC Company   15 South Parkway   Long Island, NY 11551  Again, an online submission process can throw a wrench in here, but if there are any contact details for the HR department online, call in and just ask the receptionist who will be reviewing the materials so you ca n personalize your letter. It looks much better than just To whom it may concern and shows youre willing to take initiative and go above and beyond, before youve even landed the interview.Dear Ms. Stevens:Err on the side of Ms over Miss or Mrs. If the gender of a name is ambiguous, the safest option is to use the full name, i.e. Dear Alex StevensYour job posting for a receptionist at ABC company caught my attention immediately as my skills and experience are a close match to your requirements for this position. Im a longtime fan of ABCs work with companies like Generics Inc. Thank you for your consideration of my application and the enclosed resume.   Notice the specificity of the opening paragraph- Jane names the company and indicates she has some knowledge of its work. If shed encountered the post on a specific job site, or even better, received a word-of-mouth referral, she could have mentioned that here as well. Dont try to fake it- actually research any company youre applying to, and try to find some positive mention of them in the news to enrich your letter.I have three years work experience as a receptionist in a large organization where I was responsible for handling all calls and visitors in addition to providing extensive organizational and administrative support. I am a self-directed and independent worker who has taken the initiative to learn as much as possible about the company I work for in order to become a valuable information resource.  Obviously this is a generic version of a skill summary- you would want to name your previous employer and possibly mention a specific example of something youd learned about or a project you initiated. Whats noteworthy is that its not just a repetition of a resume bullet point, but a broader summary.Organizational and planning skills are among my particular strengths. I have developed a number of processes to manage my varied responsibilities tasks and make sure I meet the demands of a fast-paced work envi ronment. I utilize technology to assist me wherever possible and have a good working knowledge of a number of computer applications including MS Office.   This is fairly vague also- an experienced receptionist should be able to refer to specific processes or scheduling and project management programs. If this crossed my consultant desk, I would suggest Jane use more positive language like Im comfortable with content management systems and learning proprietary software on the job.My strong communication skills and outgoing, energetic personality ensure that I provide first-rate customer service to both clients and colleagues. I thoroughly enjoy dealing with a wide variety of people and take pride in being the face of an organization or the first point of contact over the phone.This is where a close reading of the job description comes in handy- highlight aspects of your personality, as Jane does, that will conform to the demands of the job. I like that Jane mentions both outside cl ients and her colleagues, since a good receptionist has to be able to get along with everybody.ABC Company enjoys an excellent reputation and I am confident that I would be an asset to your company. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my abilities in more depth and am available for an interview at your earliest convenience. Please contact me via phone or email to arrange a convenient time for us to meet. Thank you for your time and consideration and I hope to speak with you soon.End with a note about the company youre applying to, and indicate your availability for an interview. Make sure it doesnt sound like a demand or a hostage negotiation, but is breezy and polite!Sincerely,Jane JobseekerAug 10, Job-Winning Receptionist Cover LetterRead More at Best-job-interview

Critically analyse class expectation and gender in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Critically analyse class expectation and gender in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Essay Example Collins who spends so much of his time fawning Lady Catherine expresses class consciousness. Mr. Collins is an epitome of a society that cares nothing but getting their feet off the mud with the misconception that wealth, status and power are the basis of a good life. He has a complete disregard of the more important values in life. Austen depicts the barriers in classes in the 19th century England in the character of Mr. Collins. (Pascoe, 2002, p. 11-19) The boundaries in class are vividly drawn by Austen through the characters in the novel. Another example is Lady Catherine’s aristocratic image in the story. She appears as the protagonist who comes in between the relationship of Darcy, his nephew, and Elizabeth. The image-conscious aristocrat represents the people from the upper class of the society. She is prejudiced of the likes of the Bennets and most especially, Elizabeth. She finds the Bennets inconsequential due to their status and the fact the sisters are not able to draw. Aside from those, Elizabeth’s character, an uncommon girl in her era, makes Lady Catherine dislike her even more. Her incompetence in singing and playing the piano is far from what a girl in that time should be. (Goodin, 1972, p. 85-96) The social structure in the 19th century is present throughout the novel though the definition of characters relies more on the dialogues and not much on the description. Darcy for instance, portrays a character with excessive pride which is due to what society expects of him and with the big influence of what his father taught him. He is basically born into aristocracy but due to his honest and kind heart, tagged with his encounters with Elizabeth, Darcy eventually sees that the factors other than material possessions, status quo and power are the ones that truly belong to aristocracy. (Peterson, 1982, p. 11-13) When she declines the marriage proposal of Darcy, it shows that she does not belong to the class-conscious women that the only thing that runs in mind is to look for a wealthy man who can give them tiaras to make them belong to the upper class. Her character is the most prominent in the novel that breaks the stigma on women marrying wealth to climb a few notches higher in social ladder. The novel shows how someone like Elizabeth, a woman from the middle class values what she thinks and couldn’t care less if the society rejects her for being far away from the norm. Her character defies the concepts of social class and gender in the 19th century. (Austen, 1933, vol. 2 p. 86-89) Pride and Prejudice portrays the absurd value of marriage – financial security. Charlotte Lucas explains to Elizabeth upon accepting the marriage proposal of Mr. Collins that is refused by Elizabeth, â€Å"I am not romantic you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collin's character, connections, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state." (Haggerty, 2008, p. 125) This line shows that Lucas sees marriage as resolution to poverty. Lucas represents women in general who will do everything to enter the upper class world to attain the respect middle class women don’t get. A marvellous irony of disrespecting oneself to be respected is what Austen tells through Charlotte’