The Internal Conflict in I Used to Live Here Once by Jean...

In the Short story, â€Å"I used to live here once by Jean Rhys portrays the story of a woman who is still in the process of accepting her death and that she is already in the afterlife. The conflict in the short story is also very intriguing because this is more of an internal conflict that the female character has to deal with. The conflict undeniably in the short story is all about the internal conflict between the female character and herself. Obviously the female character is already a spirit and she is having a hard time accepting that she is already dead. She visits the place that she used to call home but she notices that there have already been many changes that have happened there (Concert). She is aware of the changes that have happened in the place where she used to live because her memory is very powerful. However, as she continues her travel in the places that are familiar to her it slowly occurs to her that she is merely a spirit and not alive anymore. She notices tha t the day is ordinary and typical but the sky is ‘glassy’. She even tries to talk to the children under the mango tree but her voice does not resonate to them. She is talking to them but the children do not really hear her. Rather, the children suddenly feel an unusually cold feeling so they just opt to go back to their house. It is clear that her presence made the children suddenly afraid. There are many evidences that prove that the female character is merely a spirit who is just travelling inShow MoreRelatedA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 PagesA PicA Trix MiscellAny Underground Edition 2007 e.v. CONTENTS On the Picatrix I. Introduction to the Picatrix (The Aim of the Sage) of al-Majriti, Maslamati ibn Ahmad II. Summary of the Contents of the Picatrix III. Excerpt from a Lecture on Alchemy by Terence McKenna On the Moon and the Lunar Mansions IV. Extracts on the Moon V. The Mansions of the Moon: â€Å"On the Creation, Proportion and Composition of the Heavens for the Fashioning of Images† VI. The Picatrix: Lunar Mansions in Western Astrology

Could Russia Have Defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War Free Essays

This essay will examine Russia’s advantages and disadvantages pre-war, war and post-war that could have changed the course of history and enabled Russia to defeat Japan in the Russo-Japanese War. Russia, despite major advantages in resources, military personnel, naval forces, and strategic depth, lost the Russo-Japanese War to Japan, a rising power whose military strength and power were grossly underestimated. Why? What could Russia have done differently to defeat Japan in the war? Summarizing and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of Russia’s poor leadership, lack of strategic planning against Japan, and logistical differences will help clarify what it did wrong and what it could have done to defeat Japan in 1904. We will write a custom essay sample on Could Russia Have Defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Diplomatic and economic factors before and during the war In 1854, Japan had reopened her doors to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russian after 200 years of isolation from all Western powers, except the Netherlands (Koda 12). Of these powers, Britain and Russia had the strongest impact on the national security policy of the Japanese government. By the 1890s, given the growing competition among European Powers in Asia, Japan had begun to implement policies to increase the nation’s military and economic modernization. They recognized that failure to do so would lead to the â€Å"nation’s dominance or dismemberment† by foreigners (Francis 1). Between 1888 and 1904, the Russian Empire’s economy was booming. As the financial heath of the government improved, it can be expected that the Minister of War would be allowed to share in this bounty. The Ministry was able to fund two discrete rearmament programs: the acquisition of magazine rifles and the introduction of the first quick-firing field artillery piece (Fuller 363). Both programs helped enhance and put Russia at an advantage in military readiness and innovation compared to other powers within the region. In 1894, Russia had a new Tsar in Nicholas II, who was â€Å"young, dreamy and ambitious†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and noted by biographers as â€Å"a weak man and easily led† (Fuller 370). Another important figure to Russia’s government was Count S. Iu. Witte. Witte, the Minister of Finance, 1892-1903, rapidly became one of Nicholas’s most influential ministers in the early part of his regime as Tsar (Fuller 370). Witte was the prime mover of the Trans-Siberian and Chinese Eastern railroads, which allowed Russia to become a monopoly over resources and markets of Manchuria (Fuller 370). In March 1900, War Minister Kuropatkin delivered a speech in which he summarized the ways in which Russia had used its’ military power in the past two hundred years and a series of predictions on upcoming challenges the nation would have to face. He argued that Russia â€Å"neither needed nor desired war with any of the other Great Powers; it simply had nothing to gain by it† (Fuller 377). Yet, Russia was not a satisfied Power and in a report to the Tsar, Kuropatkin had to endorse the continued economic exploitation of Manchuria and the expansion of Russia influence in the East (Fuller 378). Moreover, Russia had concluded an alliance with China against Japan and, in the process provided the finance China needed in exchange for railway and industrial monopolies and won rights to extend the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Chinese-held Manchuria to the Russian seaport of Vladivostok, thus gaining control of an important strip of Manchurian territory (Warner 113). Unfortunately, the unfinished state of the Trans-Siberian railroad in 1904, logistical problems, and heavy costs meant only about 100,000 Russian troops and supporting units had been deployed to the Far East. However, this continuous crash collusion over the â€Å"spheres of influence† in Manchuria, Port Arthur, and finally in 1903 when Russia developed an economic interest in Korea further exasperated Japan (Koda 16). Start of the War The Russo-Japanese War took place from February 1904 to September 1905; it was a war that originated out of rival imperial ambitions of the Japanese and Russian Empires over Manchuria, Port Arthur, and Korea. The Russians had been pursuing a course of steady aggression and contrary to what Japan considered her â€Å"vital interests and national honor† (Mahan 172). The Russians had countless chances to gain an advantage and a better diplomatic position over Japan. After negotiations back and forth concerning â€Å"spheres of interest† between the two nations were not met and in Japanese eyes were ignored due to the arrogance of the Tsar; Japan severed diplomatic relations on 6 February 1904 (Answer. com). Late at night on the 8th of February, a force of Japanese torpedo boats entered into Port Arthur. Through the dense fog, they launched a surprise attack that not only surprised the Russian naval squadron, but also surprised the world. Only one ship, the Novik, was not caught entirely napping and was able to give chase (Warner 17). Three of Russia’s biggest ships took severe hits: the cruiser Pallada, Retvizan and Tsarevitch (Warner 17). Russia was shocked and definitely not prepared! Although gunfire stirred some in the evening, many knew nothing of the attack until the next morning. Some had heard and assumed that the fleet had been carrying out exercises and few people â€Å"expected that the first attack by Japanese- or any attack at all- would take place in Port Arthur† (Warner 17). Crafting a War Plan The Commander of Russia’s Far Eastern Armies, General Kuropatkin was tasked with developing Russia’s war plan; his idea was to deny Japan an early victory by alternating tenacious holding actions and strategic withdrawals in order to gain the time needed to bring thousands of additional troops from European Russia (Fuller 379). â€Å"Inso far as possible,† he wrote, â€Å"our forces must avoid decisive engagements in order to escape being defeated in detail prior to concentration of forces sufficient for the defeat of the Japanese† (Fuller 400). He expected the Japanese to invade Manchuria, they did; he anticipated that the Japanese would attack Port Arthur, they did; so, his plan was absolutely accurate and unquestionably foreboded the events that were about to unfold in this Russian nightmare. But no matter how intelligent or administratively talented Kuropatkin may have been, he committed the gravest of errors by underestimating his enemy. The Japanese army was highly motivated and trained and ready to implement their war plan. In an attempt to avoid war, Japan presented Russia with a treaty that would be relatively fair to both sides. Russia, to the surprise of no one, declined the terms and Japan was left with no choice other than to declare war. In July 1903 at pre-war negotiations, the Japanese Minister in St. Petersburg as instructed to present Russian Minister, Roman Rosen, with his country’s views and desires. After the proposal, Russia provide a counter-proposal and Japan provided another proposal by which â€Å"Manchuria would be outside the Japanese sphere of influence and, reciprocally, Korea outside Russia’s† (Answers. com). One month later on 4 February when no formal reply had been received, Japan severed ties and went about achieving everything that they asked for at the pre-negotiations. According to Karl von Clausewitz, a renowned theorist of war, two parties need to want peace for a war to be terminated and both sides must be able to overcome internal and external oppositions to end the war. Because of Russian leaders’ incompetence, arrogance, and inability to respond promptly and compromise negotiations, Japan’s pre-war requests and Kuropatkin’s predictions of Japan’s war strategy were developing in what would be known in history as the Russo-Japanese War. Elements of the Land Campaign At the outbreak of the war, Russia had the world’s largest standing army, but most of it was in Europe. The Japanese knew that Russia could not fully concentrate its’ army in the Far East because â€Å"it had to keep some forces in western Russia as a counter to Turkish, German, and Austrian forces† (Koda 22). Russia was not ready for the war with Japan, and the Japanese knew it. All Japan had to do was concentrate its’ forces in Manchuria and match the strength of Russian forces there. For the Japanese to establish superiority, they had to overcome their handicaps: shortage of strategic reserves, an insufficient stockpile of ammunition, and poor field heavy artillery (Koda 23). In order to overcome these handicaps, Japan had a well thought out operational plan and effective tactics on the battlefield, which yielded perfectly to the warfare of Manchurian plain. In my opinion, all Russia had to do was delay Japanese forces while they built up their strength in the west and bring forces south from the Chinese Eastern railway. Without the Trans-Siberian Railway to assist in reinforcing Russian forces, Russia would be left without â€Å"a real plan of campaign† (Warner 319). Therefore, the longer the war went on, the more likely an eventual Russian victory would have been in a battle of industrial attrition due to the continuing flow of reinforcements along the railway. Synchronizing ground and naval efforts Japan had to deliver a severe blow before Russia had time to prepare and execute whatever war plan that they may have established. In the words of Admiral â€Å"Bull† Halsey, Japan needed to â€Å"Hit hard, hit fast and hit often. † In March the Japanese landed an army in Korea that quickly overran that country. In May another Japanese army landed on the Liaotung Peninsula, and on May 26 it cut off the Port Arthur garrison from the main body of Russian forces in Manchuria. Russia needed to stop playing on the defense and start being on the offensive. With the help of reinforcements received via the Trans-Siberian Railroad, Russia continued attacks, but it proved indecisive owing to poor military leadership. An example of the Russian’s impotence in leadership occurred at the siege of Port Arthur. After believing that the purpose of defending the city was lost due to the defeat of the fleet, Major General Stessel decided to surrender his post without consulting the other military staff present, or the Tsar and the military command. All disagreed with his decision because the garrison was still well stocked and had months of food and ammunition. In 1908, Stessel was convicted by a court-martial and sentenced to death, though later pardoned for his offenses (Answer. om). More aggressive naval power The Japanese Combined Fleet was slightly superior to the Russian Pacific Fleet (Koda 22). Japan was at an advantage to Russia, because Russia’s fleet had to be divided in two forces, one at Port Arthur and the other at Vladivostok (Koda 22). The fleets at Port Arthur and Vladivostok were also smaller and less ready, which left Russia’s land and naval forces outnumbered at the start of the war. Japan’s strategy was to engage each force separately and prevent any Russian reinforcements. Japan’s Combined Fleet had to destroy the Pacific Fleet before the arrival of reinforcements and it was necessary for Admiral Togo â€Å"to preserve his strength, to ensure that he had a fleet capable of destroying the reinforcements when they arrived† (Koda 23). The Russian fleet in Port Arthur presented a menace to the sea lines of communication for Japan and was a determining factor of the war. The attack, although successful, was not executed as planned. It continued long enough to afford Russia the opportunity to bring into play her other naval forces from the west and if other circumstance would not have accorded, may have caused Japan their victory. For example, the Baltic Fleet was on its last leg of its 18,000 nautical mile journey to Vladivostok, when they were spotted by the Japanese Combined Fleet. The Baltic Fleet had been successfully traveling at night to avoid discovery. Unfortunately, one of her hospital ships exposed a light, which was sighted by a Japanese ship. The ship reported the sighting to Admiral Togo, who was able to position his fleet and engage in the battle of Tsushima. The Russian fleet was annihilated at Tsushima. If the Russian fleet would have positioned their cruisers, designed for speed and endurance, at Vladivostok, Russia would have had a better chance at counter-attacking Japan’s fleet. Unlike Port Arthur with only one way in and out, Vladivostok had two exits, to the Japan Sea and to the east coast of the islands by way of the Tsugaru Straits. The Japanese vessels out numbered the Russian vessels and they probably would have still picked off the Russian vessels one by one, but positioning the cruisers at another port would have allowed for continued freedom of commerce. Although this is an indirect effect to the war, it directly affected the already unstable economy and a growing rebellious status to war efforts in Russia. One of the most important things to remember is not just the multiple locations of the Russia fleets, but that they were divided into fractions individually smaller than those of a possible enemy. If the Russian divisions at Port Arthur, Vladivostok, and in the European ports of Russia would have been united, they would have outweighed the Japanese fleet; hence causing the Japanese fleet to re-evaluate their plan and possibly changing the course of the war. Additionally, Admiral Makarov, Commander of the Baltic Fleet, suggested that more ships should assist the Port Arthur and Vladivostok, but with his death a conference of the Higher Naval Board with the Tsar presiding was needed. For the next three months, the new commander, Admiral Rozhdestvenski, struggled with â€Å"the inevitable tangle of Russian red tape† and prepared his fleet for the long journey and they set sail in October of 1904 (Warner 402). The Baltic fleet should have been sent east the instant the Japanese declared war and would have arrived in ample time to assist and been able to provide much needed reinforcements and a more aggressive naval power. Conclusion Despite Russia’s major advantages in resources, military personnel, naval forces, and strategic depth, they lost to an up and coming power, Japan. Furthermore, they could have negotiated out of starting a war, and never have been put in a situation that caused undue hardship on their ill-prepared naval and land forces. If it wasn’t for poor leadership, lack of strategic planning, and logistical differences, Russia could have defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War. How to cite Could Russia Have Defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War?, Papers

Hospitality Management Customer service

Question: Discuss reasons for using customer Purpose of evaluating a customer service policy service policies . Discuss the purpose of evaluating a customer service policy, indicating how this can assist future staff training and development . Evaluate different communication methods and how these are effectively used . Analyze how customer perception is influenced by customer service provision. Assess sources of information on customer requirements and satisfaction levels. Carry out research on customer requirements and satisfaction levels for a selected business, suggesting potential improvements. Deliver customer service in a business and service environment. Review own performance in the delivery of customer service and make recommendations for improvement. Answer: Introduction In present competitive environment high quality of service is expected for effective customer relationship management. The service organization today is transforming their emphasis from traditional interchange of business activities to activities of rational exchange (Feuss, 1995). Therefore it is very crucial for service organizations to maintain a satisfying relationship with their clients. Service quality in hotel industry is very much dependent on the exchange of processes that happens between the service provider and their customers (Buttle, 1996). In hospitality industry, it is crucial to evaluate any service gap and focus on ensuring quality services to enhance customer satisfaction; it also important to meet customer expectation and perception regarding service delivery (Feuss, 1995). In this competitive environment, number of budgeted hotels is opening in UK market, one such renowned hotel chain is Travelodge. According to recent customer survey, the company is failing to meet customer satisfaction level and score as low as 50 and regarded within 5 most worst performing hotels in terms of customer satisfaction (Coldwell, 2013). However, with proper customer analysis, company can regain its market position. This is a customer analysis report prepared on London Hackney Hotel, one of the properties of Travelodge in north London (www.travelodge.co.uk, 2016). This report aims to evaluate three elements, importance of customer service policy and its role; second task focus on customer communication process, different methods and ways to convince customers and third is to evaluate customer expectations from the hotel and satisfaction level from the service through secondary and primary research. This paper will help managers of London Hackney Hotel in understanding gap between customer expectations of service and their service delivery, so that proper strategic actions can be taken to gain customer loyalty, satisfaction on the brand. Customer service policies Customer service can be defined as an overall process of all the activities carried by organization to satisfy customer expectation and satisfaction level. It includes services provided before service is delivered, during service encounter process and also after service is given to customer. Key element of customer service includes service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty(Bowie Buttle, 2004). A strong and effective customer service can help in gaining competitive advantage. Customer service policy is a standard document prepared for establishing a standard for execution of customer service in fairly standard situation(Feuss, 1995). Use of customer service policy help in clarifying minimum standard of services for employees; it helps in understanding commitment, basic services, prohibition and communication within hotel property (Timm, 2008). Properly framed service policies are helpful for both customers as well as employees in understanding regulations and work accordingly. Gaining competitive advantage in the market: In this competitive market, competitors generally match the product/service offering at same price; strong customer service policy will help in beating market competition by excelling employees in service delivery system (Kassim, 2010). Stable working environment: in service industry continuous customer interaction take place, therefore employees must be clear about customer satisfaction level, it will help in ensuring team work, better employee and customer relationship and fast service delivery (Cronin, 2000). Increase cost efficiency: Properly made and implemented customer service policy help in increasing customer retention, which help in boosting organizational profit. Enhance brand value: increasing customer satisfaction and service helps in improving positive image of the hotel, it will also help in increasing positive word of mouth publicity. In terms of London Hackney Hotel, there is no specific document present as customer service policy, there is integrity statement which represents information on honesty and ethical presentation of all transaction; there are two other core policies which include privacy policy and terms and condition. These two documents include information regarding booking, cancellation, data security, payments, rights, disputes etc. However, there is need for more concrete policies on customer service that include hotel commitment towards its customers, training to employees, dealing with people with disabilities and feedback process; all these elements are completely missing from hotel policy document, which must be included for improvement. Purpose of evaluating a customer service policy It is very crucial to evaluate customer service policy in order to understand present rules that are being followed by employees to gain customer satisfaction, whether set policies are covering all required aspects or not; it will help in analyzing the service gap and modify policies to make them more attractive and customer centric (Brotherton, 2008). Customer service policies have several elements, while evaluation it is crucial to analyze whether structure of the policy is proper or not, it must be present in easy and understandable language, it must be accessible to all; it must include information on customer requirements, their expectations, service information, confidentiality of data and communication process (Oh Pizam, 2008). Training and development at Travelodge hotels Training is the process of providing and developing information and skills required by employees to operate within the organizational system. It helps in motivating employees and increasing overall productivity. It helps in developing staff skills, behavior; enhance team work and becoming competitive in the market (Noe, 2013). It will also help in developing professional and personal characteristics of staff. Customer service policy can be used as an effective document for staff training in the organization; it can help in delivering informations, which are as follow; Basic service standard; this document help employees in understanding minimum service standard set by management, it include commitment, trust worthiness, the way booking, cancellation and disputes to be managed, services for people with disabilities; basic methodology to deal with situation and customer interaction. Service quality: this document can be used to set customer expectations from service delivery, it helps in clarifying standardized processes within hotel, it also help in understanding code of conduct, privacy policies and terms and conditions for various service delivery; it also help in understanding staff competency requirement, flexibility and responsiveness to deal during service delivery (Robledo, 2001). Evaluation process: this document also include information on feedback process, which help in understanding the way responses can be collected and used for enhancing customer experience within hotel. As the above analysis on Travelodge hotel showed need for preparing a concrete customer service policy, it also helped in analyzing missing areas which must be included in the policy. Therefore, while proving training to future employees, management need to focus on factors like commitment, staff behavior, feedback process, need for people with disabilities; as this information will help employees in dealing with customers in better way. It will help employees in improving their service quality, understanding hospitality industry better and also get genuine feedback for industry improvement. Need for promoting a customer-focused culture It is crucial to develop a customer-focused culture as it help in understanding customer demand and fulfill their needs in best way. Organization culture have indirect impact on guest experience, as it helps in framing the social environment in which employees operate and interact with customers (Laroche, 2009). It is crucial to develop culture that focus on customer needs and enhance coordination among employees. Further, the key to customer-focused culture is to develop employee skills, encourage ownership, risk, feedback and implement advance technological functions. Three core elements that impact customer delight include employees, customer expectations and organizational environment (McLean-Conner, 2006). Communication method analysis Communication is the key strategy to know the customer better and offer them personalized treatment which helps in exceeding their satisfaction level. Employee interaction methodology also impact the way service is being perceived by customers. It is crucial to evaluate different communication methodologies, their advantages, disadvantages, impact on customer satisfaction and prepare a concrete guide for communication that can be easily used by employees for effective communication with customers. Different types of communication methods that can be used in hotels are discussed below; Verbal Verbal communication is regarding as oral conversation among people, it can be one to one interaction such as communication with customers, it can be with groups, and it can be over telephone also. In this methodology words are spoken to pass the intended message. Verbal message is very common in hospitality industry, when employees are in continuous interaction with customers (Robbins, et al., 2014). There are several element which must be considered during verbal communication, it include tone of voice must be low, staff need to interact in low and soft voice with customer and it induce positivity in communication process; other element include speed of communication and inflection; one should not use any sarcasm or defensive language during customer conversations. During group communication, voice needs to be louder but tone needs to be soft. This type of communication strategy is best suited in case of detail explanation requirement, for convincing someone, to understand problem, to complimenting someone. Written Business communication are generally accepted in written forms as they help in presenting clarity as well as used for future reference. Written communication within organization include memos, business proposals, letters, training manuals, office orders, emails, policies, rules and notices. Written communication can be hand written or printed; now days customers are also opting for written communication for bookings in hotels (Chaturvedi, 2004). Customer interaction written communication must be written in polite, formal manner, it must convey positive message to customer. As during written conversation customers cannot see any expression, it is very crucial that they interpret right meaning of written message. Now a days increasing use of internet led an increasing use of written interaction between customer and hotel staff. This interaction impact hotel image and also create customer perception regarding hotel. This method helps in keeping reference for future. Non-verbal Non-verbal communication can be defined as intentional or unintentional behavior of normative actions or expectations. The role of non-verbal communication methodology is inevitable during communication process, different factors such as gestures, postures, eye contact plays significant role in sending and receiving messages, which can be unsaid also. Staff expressions such as smile, physical appearance, dress code, hygiene, body movements, body orientation, eye contact, nodding, hand shaking, and smiling; proxemics and paralanguage have significant impact on service encounter. Transmission of emotions through nonverbal cues also impact customer perception regarding hotel (Kueh Bagul, 2013 ). While communicating with customers, it is crucial to ensure that employees words are matched with proper expression, because deviation between the two impact customer perception negatively. Impact of customer service on customer perception In general customer service provisions have strong impact on customer perception. If a customer is satisfied with customer services then it help in gaining customer loyalty, a company always want to increase repeat purchase and create a strong pool of loyal customers; it also help in increasing organizational profit and brand image (Mooij, 2010). Customer service provision impact the way customers see a brand, it shapes their image of hotel and further their choice also. Perception regarding Travelodge is not very positive in the market, it is being ranked three stars by customers in terms of value for money, and customer is dissatisfied from the breakfast offered. In the year 2014, company also invested for bedroom refurbishment of its hotel which helped in increasing customer satisfaction. Though Travelodge is a budget hotel but there are issues in their customer service provisions, they are failing to satisfy customers, there are minimum service standards being expected as budgeted hotels also these days. For example, customers have complaints regarding no shampoos in bathrooms of hotel, these are basic demands which impact customer perception adversely and create negative image (Davis, 2007). Therefore, there is need for improving customer service provisions for Travelodge to get its market image back. Investigate customer requirements and expectations Secondary research This chapter aims to understand customer requirements and expectations from the hotel; difference between customer expectation and actual service delivery leads to customer dissatisfaction. There are different type of sources that can be used by companies to assess customer requirements and expectations from the organization. Customer expectations are dynamic and they flow continuously at each service level. Understanding customer expectations and adding service performance accordingly helps in getting higher customer satisfaction. Customer survey This is the most widely used and successful method of understanding customer expectations as well as satisfaction from service delivery. Customer expectations are continuous evolving, therefore asking directly from customers help in knowing their expectations from service directly. Different tools for doing this include questionnaire survey, telephone or email surveys (Bernard, 2000). However, associating an incentive to survey help in collecting more feedback, for instance participate in the survey and get 5 percent off on next visit at Travelodge. Analyzing the loophole Another method for understanding customer expectation is to know failure areas, is the service delivery level is less than what is being offered. This can also be done by analyzing service delivery blueprint of hotel; it helps in identifying service delivery failure areas. This tool help in evaluating service from all 7 ps perspectives such as core service, employees, infrastructure, pricing, promotion, any area which is failing to meet customer expectation can be improved. Competitive analysis Another tool that can be used for understanding customer expectation is to evaluate competitors position vis--vis own company position; it will help in understanding why customers prefer competitors over them, what is being offered by their competitors, it will help in understanding the service delivery gap and make strategy accordingly. Sources for information Apart from this, different stakeholders can also be observed and interviewed for understanding customer expectations from the hotel; some of them are as follow; Customer: customer is the most appropriate person to understand their expectations from particular hotel, brand, it will help in analyzing what they want from the hotel and how their satisfaction levels can be enhanced Employees: Front office employees are mostly involved in direct communication with customers; they can contribute in understanding customer expectations through observations Customer records: different records such as complaints, grievances, customer comments at different websites, and reviews on the property helps in understanding service level expectations and loopholes Findings of secondary research After collecting data from various sources following information have been collected regarding customer requirements and satisfaction level at Travelodge London Hackney Hotel: In budgeted hotel, customer does not expect a very luxurious treatment but there are few basic service level expectations which include cleanliness, value, location, sleep quality, rooms and services. Apart from this, SERVQUAL is an appropriate tool for evaluating customer expectations on the basis of tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy (Gale, 1994). Analysis showed that customers are no more merely looking for low price element in budgeted hotels, rather they want to feel valued and an experience to remember; for example money back guarantee by primer inn in UK is a classic example of increasing customer expectation levels. However, there is a customer segment called new budget converts, are the one who were using luxurious hotels but later on moved to budgeted hotels due to economic crisis but there expectations level from budgeted hotels are also very high Customers do not want to pay for services they do not use such as a theatre desk, an extensive room service menu and a spa, therefore such price modification as per service usage are expected by customers. Primary research Different sources that can use for collecting primary data on customer satisfaction include questionnaire, interview, case study analysis, observations etc. (Kothari, 2009). Here primary research has been conducted on visitors and guest of Travelodge, who has visited any of Travelodge hotels in the past and share their experience accordingly. Process A small survey on ten randomly selected visitors was targeted through social media site, Facebook. A pre-defined questionnaire was sent to all guest and responses were collected and evaluated. Questionnaire Name Gender Strongly Agree (SA) Agree (A) Neutral (N) Disagree (D) Strongly Disagree (SD) 5 4 3 2 1 Expectation Statements 5 4 3 2 1 1. The food served must be fresh, hygienically prepared and tasty. 2. Rooms must be clean 3. Personal basic facilities like music, basic hygiene material such as soap, shampoo must be available for the guest 4. Safety and security issues of the guest must be taken into consideration 5. The staffs must be enthusiastic to solve customer queries and handle unexpected situations 6. Follow up services such as tracking the customer experience after service encounters are taken into consideration. 7. Customer must get value of their money Satisfaction Please tick statement while you think London Hackney Hotel is providing and meeting service expectations Statements 5 4 3 2 1 1. The food served by the London Hackney Hotel is hygienic, fresh and as per customer specification 2. Rooms are clean 3. Personal basic facilities like music, basic hygiene material such as soap, shampoo are well available for the guest 4. The personal information of the customers are considered confidential and is not misused by the London Hackney Hotel 5. The staffs of the London Hackney Hotel are enthusiastic to solve customer queries and handle unexpected situations 6. Follow up services such as tracking the customer experience after service encounters are taken into well consideration by the hotel 7. Customers get true value for their money Customer requirements Below is graphical representation of customer expectation from hotel services: Primary research helps in understanding that customers have high expectations in terms of value for money, as they are choosing a budgeted hotel for their stay because price holds significance in their choice. Further, second high expectation is in terms of facilities inside rooms, they seek access to basic facilities as they do not consider budgeted hotels to be cheap rather they must fulfill customer basic requirement. Third element is importance room, must be clean and of standard size and facilities. Fourth key expectation is from staff of the hotel, customer look for cooperative, enthusiastic staff that can help them in solving their problems. Fifth expectation is from food, followed by security and feedback. Satisfaction level Below is graphical representation of customer satisfaction from Travelodge hotel services: Further, if present satisfaction level from London Hackney Hotel is analyzed then customers are highly dissatisfied from accommodation which score an average score of 2.5; value for money is also not worth, customers believe that hotel fails to provide them adequate services for money they pay, they are also dissatisfied with quality of food. Element facilities scores only 1 as all customers are dissatisfied with facilities provided within rooms, staff and feedback is also not up to the mark. Analysis shows that London Hackney Hotel, a property of Travelodge fails to meet customer expectation of service level in all criteria. It is a serious matter that require strategic changes in service management of Travelodge hotels otherwise it might impact the company adversely in both financial and non-financial terms. Recommendation for service improvements There is need for revamping overall service strategy of Travelodge hotels, few of them is as follow; Preparing a concrete customer service policy to state clear standards of service delivery for customers (Coye, 2004). Providing adequate facilities, as budgeted hotels no more mean cheap hotels, rather customer expect standard services (Johns, 1993). Proper training must be provided to staff on customer management and interaction. Proper feedback system must be implemented to get customer reviews and grievance handling produce to resolve complaints in earliest possible time. Both internal and external feedback system must be implemented to review both operational and customer service performance (Rao, et al., 2008). Conclusion Above analysis helped in understanding importance of internal mechanisms, policies and communication on customer perception and expectation regarding hotel. Service industry is very fast, one poor service encounter spread hundred negative word of mouth comments and impact company image adversely. In this era of technological advancement, in no time customer can impact company image adversely through internet. It is crucial to keep all policies and standards at place, Travelodge needs to prepare a concrete customer service policy document that help employees in understanding their service standards and deliver work accordingly. Properly maintained policies help in training employees. Further, communication is the key element in service industry, therefore proper consideration must be ensured during verbal, written communication, nonverbal cues and expression should be considered properly. Major findings show low level of customer satisfaction regarding Travelodge, there is need for ma king strategies to improve customer experience and fulfill their expectation. Bibliography Bernard, R., 2000. Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches . London: SAGE Publication Inc. Bowie, D., Buttle, F., 2004. Hospitality Marketing: An Introduction. Burlington, USA: Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann. Brotherton, B., 2008. the International Hospitality Industry: Structure, Charateristics and Issues. Burlington: Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann. Buttle, F., 1996. SERVQUAL review, critique, research agenda . European journal of marketing , 8-32. Chaturvedi., 2004. Business Communication: Concepts, Cases And Applications. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Coldwell, W., 2013, October 30. The UK's best and worst hotel chains. Retrieved March 18, 2016, from theguardian.com: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/oct/30/uk-chain-hotels-survey-best-and-worst Coye, W., 2004. Managing customer expectations in the service encounter. International Journal of Service Industry Management, vol.15, no.1, pp. 54 - 71. Cronin, J., 2000. Assessing the effects of quality, value, and customer satisfaction on consumer behavioral intentions in service environments. Journal of Retailing, vol. 76, No.2, pp.193-218. Davis, E., 2007, May 21. Value engineering. Retrieved March 18, 2016, from www.bbc.co.uk: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/evandavis/2007/05/value_engineering.html Feuss, W. J., 1995. Fundamentals of Customer Value Analysis. Gale, T. 1994 . Managing Customer Value: Creating Quality and Service That Customers Can See. New Zealand : Macmillan Publishers . Johns, N., 1993 . Quality management in hospitality industry. International journal of contemprory hospitality management , pp.1-15. Kassim, N., 2010 . The effect of perceived service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty in e-commerce settings: A cross cultural analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 22, No. 3 , pp. 351 - 371. Kothari, C. R., 2009 . Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Delhi: New Age International. Kueh, S., Bagul, D. A. , 2013 . The Effects of Nonverbal Communication of Hotel Employees upon Emotional Responses of Hotel Guests. International Journal of Research in Management Technology , 126-132. Laroche, M. 2009 . Impact of culture on marketing strategy: Introduction to the special issue. Journal of Business Research, 62 10 , 921923. McLean-Conner, P. 2006 . Customer Service: Utility Style : Proven Strategies for Improving Customer Service and Reducing Customer Care Costs. Oklahoma: PennWell Books. Mooij, d. 2010 . Consumer Behavior and Culture - Consequences of Global Marketing and Advertising. US: SAGE. Noe, R. A. 2013 . Employee training and development . New York: McGraw-Hill. Oh, H., Pizam, A. 2008 . Handbook of Hospitality Marketing Management. Butterworth-Heinemann. Permarupan, P. Y., Mamun, A. A., Saufi, R. A., Noor. 2013 . Critically Evaluating the Role of Branding, Services and Strategy on Customer Loyalty. International Business and Management, 30-40. Rao, T. V., Rao, R., Mahapatra, G., Chawla, N. 2008 . 360 Degree Feedback Performance Management System. New Delhi: Excel Books India. Robbins, S. P., Bergman, R., Stagg, I., Coulter, M. 2014 . Management. Sydney: Pearson Australia. Robledo, M. A. 2001 . Measuring and managing service quality: integrating customer expectations. Managing Service Quality, vol.11, no. 1 , pp. 22-31. Timm. 2008 . Customer Service: Career Success Through Customer Loyalty, 4/E. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Widjaja, C. 2003 . Managing Service Quality in Hospitality Industry Through Managing the Moment of Truth: A Theoretical Approach. US: Petra Christian University. Winer, R. S. n.d. . A Framework forCustomer relationship Management. CAUFORNIA MANAGEMENT REVIEW, vol.43, No. 4 , pp. 85-95. www.travelodge.co.uk. 2016 . London Hackney Hotel. Retrieved March 18, 2016, from www.travelodge.co.uk: https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/597/London-Hackney-hotel

Is Walmart Good For America

With suppliers located in China, Vietnam and Cambodia, Wal-Mart is able to provide consumers with products priced at a far lower rate as compared to their product counterparts from manufacturers based in the U.S.(CBC Documentary, 2009). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is Walmart Good For America? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This situation is in part due to the far lower labor cost, material cost and business incentives that production in regions such as Asia brings. What this means for U.S. based consumers is the ability to buy products at a lower rate than they otherwise would have been able to resulting in significant savings over the course of a year (CBC Documentary, 2009). As the world’s largest company and retailer, Wal-Mart has come to be a representation of a distinct shift in the balance of market power wherein retailers instead of manufacturers take a dominant role in today’s econom y (Petrovic Hamilton, N.D.). This is in part due to the effects of globalization wherein the procurement strategies of retailers are no longer limited to a local or regional basis but rather take into account the reality of a global supplier base (Petrovic Hamilton, N.D.). Yet it must be questioned whether such savings actually helps American shoppers and in a larger context it must be asked whether Wal-Mart is truly good for America or is it detrimental towards the development of the American economy? It must be noted that consumer spending is the driving force behind the American economy. People spending money on products keeps a local business functioning which in turn provides jobs in the local economy giving people the ability to spend. In essence it is a cycle of spending that encourages economic growth and stability. When Wal-Mart came into the picture it presented consumers with the ability to purchase products at a far lower cost per product ratio as compared to other shopping centers (CBC Documentary, 2009). Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This was done by reducing the pay scale of employees to the bare minimum which as result enabled the company to lower the cost of operations enabling it to lower the price of the products it sold (CBC Documentary, 2009). Their strategy of cutting costs through any means possible in order to keep the price of products low has resulted in local manufacturing jobs to slowly but surely disappear from the landscape of the U.S. (Paruchuri et al., 2009). This of course creates problems for consumer spending resulting in a slowdown of the U.S. economy due to fewer people having jobs. This resulting situation has more people choosing the affordable and cheap products that Wal-Mart provides and as a result this starts a new cycle where instead of continuous economic growth and prosperity there is a slow but s ure deterioration of the U.S. economy (Elliot and Powell, 2003). Is Wal-Mart Good For the World? The procurement strategies employed by Wal-Mart are actually a boon for the economies of several countries. The global outsourcing industry has actually fueled the growth of countries such as China resulting in resurgence and growth in their economies. The jobs that were once based in the U.S. are now in the hands of foreign workers which has fueled and increased consumer spending in their respective economies causing a sudden spike in their growth rates. Within the past 20 years this method of lowering costs has encompassed the global outsourcing industry where products for sale within Wal-Mart are no longer exclusively produced in the U.S. but rather are sourced from multiple international locations. Wal-Mart is not alone in this particular procurement strategy with multiple companies doing the exact same thing however it is due to the size of the superstore with 4,200 locations in the U.S. alone which causes it to have a greater impact on the economy (Palmer et al., 2003).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is Walmart Good For America? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion The reason why Wal-Mart has such a profound influence on both the U.S. and international economies is due to its sheer size and purchasing power which greatly influences the flow of products and services around the world. As such, though the strategies employed by Wal-Mart are in fact detrimental for the growth of the U.S. economy they are in fact rather beneficial towards the growth of several countries in the global economy. Works Cited CBC Documentary. New Age of Walmart. (2009). Retrieved from www.hulu.com/watch/103756/cnbc-originals-the-new-age-of-walmart#s-p1-so-i0 Elliott, Dorinda, and Powell, Bill. â€Å"Walmart Nation.† Time 165.26 (2005): 36-39. Vocational and Career Collection. EBSCO. Web. Paruchur i, Srikanth, Baum, Joel and Potere, David. â€Å"The Wal-Mart Effect:Wave of Destruction or Creative Destruction?.† Economic Geography 85.2 (2009): 209-236. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Petrovic, M. Hamilton, G. Making Global Markets Walmart and its Suppliers. (N.D.). pg. 107 – 141 This essay on Is Walmart Good For America? was written and submitted by user Dayana Frye 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.

The Complete List of Colleges That Require Interviews

The Complete List of Colleges That Require Interviews SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many colleges askyou to interview with an alum or admissions officer as part of the application process. This article has the full list of schools that require, recommend, or offer interviews, and it will give you some pointers onhow to figure out your college’s interview policy. To start off, let’s review the point of the college interview. Is your interviewer evaluating you, or is the meeting simply a chance for you to learn more about the school? Why Do Colleges GiveInterviews? Colleges hold interviews for a couple of different purposes. The most common perception is that interviews are meant to evaluate you. Your interviewer is sizing you up and will report back to the school with her two cents on whether or not you’d be a good fit. For the majority ofcollege interviews, this is mostly true. While a college interviewer doesn’t have a huge say in who gets in and who doesn’t, she does contribute to the decision by sharing herperception of your personality, strengths, weaknesses, and goals.Often the most selective schools use evaluative interviews, like Harvard (and most of the Ivy Leagues), Wesleyan, and Hamilton College. Most college interviewers aren't trying to put you on the spot, though. Rather, they use interviewsas a way to get to know you further, beyond the written component of your application. Rather thandrill you with questions, they often wantto engage you in conversation about your interests and passions. Interviewerswant to learn more about your goals and assist you in figuring out whether the college is the right place to achieve them.According to some colleges, the report from an interviewer almost alwayshelps your candidacy because it helps flesh you out as a multidimensional person. While most interviews are evaluative, some are merely offered to be informational. Informational interviews are offeredto help you learn more about the school and get all your questions answered bysomeone who attended. These interviews are meant to be for your benefit, and usually, interviewers don’t issue a report to any admissions committees. Some schools that offer purely informational interviews are Cornell, Vassar, and Colby. Colleges that consider interviews when they evaluate you typically require or strongly recommend the interview (for all intents and purposes, let’s just interpret â€Å"recommend† as â€Å"require†). Those that offer informational interviews often present them as optional. Flipped around, you can usually safely assume that a required interview is evaluative. Optional interviews are often more informational, with a few exceptions, like Tufts and Northwestern.If an interview’s optional, it’s still a good idea to set one up. Not only will you make a good contact and learn a lot, but you’ll be actively demonstrating your interest in the college! So to sum up, college interviews, like the Harvard interview, can be evaluative and consideredin admissions decisions, or informational, like the Cornell interview, and meant solely to teach you about the school. Evaluative interviews are also informationalin many ways;it’s definitely a good ideato prepare and ask questions and learn about the college. Regardless of what kind of interview the college offers, it will be your responsibility to set one up. How do you go about setting up your college interview? You might meet at a local coffee shop, where you can express your enthusiasm in cappuccino foam. How Do You Set Up an Interview? Most interviews are conducted by alumni of the college. These alumni live all over the country or internationally, so they’re able to meet with most students at their high schools or at a nearby coffee shopor library.When I interviewed, I met in a cafe, my local library, and two alums' houses - which, in retrospect, is kind ofstrange. Most colleges are clear that you should meet in a public place, not go to an interviewer'sprivate home. Colleges vary in their procedures when it comes to interviews. Some ask you to set one up after you’ve applied and they’ve begun to process your application. Others may ask you to indicate on your application whether or not you’d like to have an interview (these are the optional ones). More selective schools, typically those with required interviews, often want you to request an interview a few weeks earlier than your application deadline. MIT and Wellesley, for instance, set interview request deadlines in mid-October for students planning to apply early action and in mid-December for students applying regular decision. These deadlines are a couple of weeks earlier than your application deadline, so you’ll need to research the process at your prospective colleges early. If you have any interviews, you’ll have to keep track of the interview deadline, not just your overall application due date. Once you’ve made your request, the college will usually put you in touch with a local alum. Then you’ll set up a time and place that works for both of you. At this point, some readers may be sharinga very specific worry: what if there are no interviewers in myarea? If you don't have an interviewer close by, then the college simply tears up your application. KIDDING. If an interview's impossible, it won't negatively affect your chances in any way. What If You Don’t Have a Local Interviewer? Most students will have at least one interviewer in their area, at least for those schools that require interviews. Alumni networks are often wide-ranging. However, if you’re one of the few students that doesn’t have an alum in your area, many schools will allow you to have an online interview, typically over Skype or Gchat, or one on the phone. If this is the case, most schools share Brown’s view: â€Å"All interviews, whether in-person, at interviewing day, by phone or by Skype/G-Chat are considered equally by the Office of College Admission.† If an online or phone interviewdoesn’t work either for some reason, then don’t worry!Your inability to set up an interview won’t be held against you. Even if the interview’s required, schools aren’t going to punish you for where you live. Nor will it affect you negatively if there are simply too many applicants and not enough interviewers. Make every effort to meet interview request deadlines and/or set up an online meeting, but don’t worry if it’s just not possible. You can rest assured that it won’t detract from your application. Before getting into the full list of colleges’ interview policies, let’s first consider the rules at Ivy League colleges, all but one of which strongly recommend or require an interview. Ivy, the patron plant of perfect SAT scores. Interview Policies of Ivy League Schools If you’re planning to apply to Ivy League schools, then you know that their expectations are as rigorous as they come. Most require the maximum number of teacher recommendations and SAT Subject Tests, not to mention a high GPA, strong extracurricular background, and competitive test scores. Why wouldn’t they also require an evaluative interview as part of this intensive process? They would, and they do. For every school but Cornell, evaluative interviews are a required part of the application process.Admissions committeesaren’t too transparent about exactly how much interviews count toward the decision. An interviewcertainly shouldn’t make or break your application or even count all that significantly in the admissions decision, but when applying to such selective schools, every aspect counts. A great interview could give you a competitive edge over another applicant with similar credentials. The chart below shows the interview policies of the eight Ivy League colleges. As mentioned above, you should pretty much consider â€Å"recommended† to mean the same as â€Å"required.† Click on a school’s name if you’d like to read its official statement on college interviews. College Interview Policy Interview Purpose Brown Required Evaluative Columbia Required Evaluative Cornell* Required for Architecture program and the School of Hotel Administration, recommended for the Art program Informational Dartmouth Recommended Evaluative Harvard Required Evaluative Princeton Recommended Evaluative University of Pennsylvania Required Evaluative Yale Recommended Evaluative *Cornell is the only Ivy League school that doesn’t schedule interviews for a majority of candidates. Cornell makes sure to emphasize that its interviews are informational, rather than evaluative: "Once you apply to Cornell, an alumnus or alumna in your area may contact you to schedule a time to talk. While this optional, informal conversation helps the admission committee get to know you better, its main purpose is to give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have about Cornell. This meeting does not serve as an admissions interview.† Since we’re already talking about the interview policies of Ivy League schools, let’s also take a closer look at other highly selective colleges that require interviews as part of their admissions processes. If you’re applying to any of the Ivies, you might also have one or more of the schools below on your college list. What Goldilocks wasto porridge, these schools are to their applicants. This mayhave made more sense in the old days of SAT analogies. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Interview Policies of Highly Selective Colleges Some of the following schools require interviews, while others simply recommend them or offer them as an option. As mentioned above, it’s always a good idea to seize an opportunity to demonstrate your interest ina school. Especially with these highly selective schools that use holistic admissions processes, it’s always helpful to reveal more of who you are, what motivates you, and why you’re enthusiastic to attend. And remember how I said to read â€Å"recommended† as â€Å"required†? MIT hints at the same interpretation: â€Å"We don't just want to see how you look on paper: we're interested in the whole person†¦.Interviews are strongly recommended. In fact, last year, of eligible applicants, we admitted 10.8% of those who had an interview (or who had their interview waived) but only 1% of those who chose not to interview.† Loud and clear, MIT. Interviews matter. The schools with optional, informational interviews aren't so intense. While I’d still advise you to take advantage of the offer, it shouldn’t negatively impact your application if you don’t choose to schedule an interview with them. Check out the chart below for the interview policies of some selective colleges. As with the info above, you can click on the school’s name to go to its official site and learn more about how its interview process. College Interview Policy InterviewPurpose Bates College Recommended Evaluative Bowdoin College Recommended Evaluative Carnegie Mellon Recommended Evaluative Colby College Recommended Evaluative Colgate University Optional Informational Connecticut College Recommended Evaluative Duke Recommended Evaluative Emory Recommended Evaluative Georgetown University Required Evaluative Hamilton College Recommended Evaluative Haverford College Recommended Evaluative Johns Hopkins Optional Informational Middlebury College Recommended Evaluative MIT Strongly recommended Evaluative Northwestern Optional Evaluative Pomona Recommended Evaluative Rice Recommended Evaluative Stanford Optional Evaluative Swarthmore College Recommended Evaluative Trinity College Recommended Evaluative Tufts University Optional Evaluative Union College Recommended Evaluative University of Chicago Recommended Evaluative University of MichiganAnn Arbor Recommended for applicants to College of Engineering Evaluative Vanderbilt Optional Evaluative Vassar College Optional Informational Wake Forest University Recommended Evaluative Washington University in St. Louis Optional Wellesley Recommended Evaluative Wesleyan University Recommended Evaluative Many of the schools on the above list are highly selective, and many of them encourage applicants to interview so they gain a more complete sense of each student as a â€Å"whole person.† Other schools have different purposes for interviews, as you’ll seebelow. Gather round! We're heading tothe full list of colleges that require interviews. Full List of Colleges That RequireInterviews Like the schools above, most of the schools on this complete list use interviews to evaluate a candidate as part of their admissions process. While interviews help admissions committees get orknow a student better, they may also have more specific purposes. Some interviews are meant to help an applicant with academic and career planning. Many art, design, and performance schools on the list below hold interviews to review and discuss a portfolio. For instance,Moore College of Art and Design and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design hold this kind of portfolio review interview. Religious institutions, likeBrigham Young University, Gordon College, and Yeshiva University, talk to a candidate about her religious beliefs and the kind of commitment she can make to their community. Others, like Bard College at Simon's Rock and Naropa University, are looking to get to know candidates better and gauge their overall fit with their very unique college communities. I’ve provided the full list below, along with the purpose of interviews for most of the schools that offer them. If you can fill in any of the blanks, let me know in the comments! College Interview Policy Interview Purpose American Academy of Art Required Evaluative Bard College at Simon's Rock Required Evaluative Berea College Required Evaluative Berklee College of Music Required Evaluative Bethesda University of California Required Evaluative Boricua College Required Evaluative Brigham Young University Required Ecclesiastical endorsement Brooks Institute Required Evaluative Cairn University Required Evaluative Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Required Evaluative Cogswell Polytechnical College Required Evaluative College of the Ozarks Required Evaluative Colorado Technical University Required Evaluative Dallas Christian College Required Evaluative Divine Word College Required Evaluative Goddard College Required Evaluative Gordon College Required Evaluative Hamilton Technical College Required Evaluative Hebrew Theological College Required Evaluative Hellenic College Required Evaluative (hierarch's evaluation and priest's recommendation for seminarian applicants) Holy Apostles College and Seminary Required Evaluative Jones College Required Evaluative Juilliard School Required as part of audition callback process Kaplan University Required Evaluative Kendall College Required Evaluative LIM College Recommended Lipscomb University Optional Informational Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts Recommended Mary Baldwin College Recommended Marylhurst University Required Evaluative Mercy College Required for certain programs Evaluative Milwaukee Institute of Art Design Recommended Monroe College Required Evaluative Moore College of Art and Design Recommended Evaluative Mt. Sierra College Recommended Naropa University Required Evaluative Northwest College of Art and Design Required Informational Paier College of Art Required Evaluative Paul Quinn College Required Evaluative Point Park University Required for applicants to stage-management and technical theatre/design Evaluative Pontifical College Josephinum Required Evaluative Rocky Mountain College of Art Design Required Evaluative Sacred Heart Major Seminary Required Evaluative Santa Fe University of Art and Design Required Evaluative Shimer College Required Evaluative State University of New York Upstate Medical University Required Evaluative Stevens Institute of Technology Required for Accelerated Pre-Medicine applicants, optional for all other applicants Evaluative Sullivan University Required The King's College Recommended United States Air Force Academy Required Evaluative United States Naval Academy Required Evaluative University of North Carolina School of the Arts Required Evaluative University of Waterloo Required for School of Architecture Evaluative VanderCook College of Music Required Evaluative West Coast University Required Evaluative Western Governors University Required Evaluative Westwood College Required Evaluative Yeshiva University Required Evaluative Since there are thousands of colleges across the US and admissions policies are always changing, it’s important for you to be able to track down this kind of information on your own. If you have questions about a school that’s not on this list or want to learn more about a prospective college’s interview policies on your own, how can you go about finding this information? How can you bring your school's interview policy front and center? How to Research College Interview Policies If you click on the names of any of the colleges above, you’ll be brought to its official admissions page, specifically one with information about college interviews. By simply going to your colleges’ official site and locating the page with information on applying, you should be able to learn more details about each step of the process. If this information is not readily available, then you should contact the admissions office by email, a form on its website, or phone call (usually the fastest option during business hours). Ask the office about their policies around interviews - or any other questions you have. Make sure to investigate at least a month before your application deadlines - as you saw above, interview request deadlines can be weeks earlier than application deadlines. You may also search for other students’ experiences with interviews on discussion forums like College Confidential. Students may share questions they were asked and how they prepared, though keep in mind that every alum interviewer may be different. Some colleges that require interviews or offer them give helpful suggestions for questions you might be asked on their websites, and you can find other prompts online and practice what your responses. Once you know exactly when and how to set up your interview, spend some time preparing questions and answers. That way you can make the most of the conversation, connect with your interviewer, and demonstrate both your qualifications and enthusiasm for your college of choice. What’s Next? Apart from practicing your answers to common interview questions, you should prepare some thoughtful questions to ask your interviewer. But you don’t have to come up with them all on your own! This helpful guide contains some of the best questions to ask your college interviewer. In addition tothe interview, you have plenty of other steps to take when putting together your application.For a complete overview, check out our guide to the entire college application process, step by step. Are you a top student aiming to get into the Ivy League? This Harvard alum shares exactly what it takes to get accepted to Harvard and other Ivy League schools. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Assess the impact by 1939 of Nazi Essay Example for Free (#1939)

Assess the impact by 1939 of Nazi Essay The National Socialist Party came to power through a series of swift, ruthless and devastating actions which firmly established Germany as a fascist state. The centralisation of power in Germany, known as ‘co-ordination’ (Gleichschaltung), was initiated on the day of the election and was carried out with such clinical efficiency, that the German state was completely transformed within a matter of months. Hitler’s Gleichschaltung was extremely successful in altering the cultural and economic landscape of Germany in the years between 1933 and the commencement of the Second World War in 1939. National Socialism touched every aspect of life; youth culture, the role of women, education, the economy and the effect it had on employment, the working class, as well as religion in the domination of the Christian Church. As this essay will explain, each of these individual developments in German society, which were initiated by the Nazi regime, came together to precipitate a complete cultural transformation for the lives of German people by 1939. Nazi Seduction of the German People The attraction of the Third Reich was compelling for the German people and strong feelings of national pride were instilled in the mass population. Germans were moved by wave after wave of brilliantly staged nationalistic promptings in the form of spectacular public rallies and stirring speeches. The totalitarian state model, which was so important to the Nazi Party’s grip on its people, was achieved through a mix of persuasion, motivation and discrimination. Individualism was quickly replaced by a way of life steeped in collective gestures and symbols; mass rallies, uniforms, public commemorations and in particular, the gesture synonymous with the Nazi era – the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute. Although these public messages became tiresome to many Germans, they were a constant theme throughout the Nazi era, and were therefore inescapable. They were successful in convincing the German masses of the power of the Third Reich as an all conquering, superior phenomenon. The mobilisation of German youth was a vital cog in the National Socialist propaganda machine. The drive towards creating a fiercely dependent and loyal German youth was formed on the basis of a rejection of the old bourgeois world in favour idealistic notions of a new and more egalitarian society.The lengths to which the Nazi’s went, in order to harness the loyalty of the German youth were great and centred on the creation of a rival organisation to the formal education system called the Hitler Youth (Hitler – Jugend). When Hitler came to power in 1933, the Hitler Youth organisation had only 107,956 members. By the end of 1933 however, under the leadership of Baldur von Schirach, most youth movements were under the influence of the Nazis and the few remaining nonconformists such as Catholic organisations were feeling the Nazi influence. Two laws, which came into effect in December 1936 and March 1939 made participation in the Hitler Youth (HJ) mandatory, driving up membership of the organisation to 8,870,000 at the beginning of 1939. The Hitler Youth indoctrinated young Germans with Nazi concepts of race, discipline and obedience. Summer camps were set up, in which political ideological teachings, physical fitness, rifle practice, endurance and team-building games were core activities. The aim was to breed a new type of German, one which was loyal to National Socialism and would thus ensure the future existence and expansion of Germany as a Nazi state. The family was an institution of supreme importance to the Nazis, being regarded as crucial to the future success of The Third Reich. Much was done to raise the popularity of marriage and increase birth-rate, as mothers who stayed at home to bring up large families were put on a pedestal and treated with utmost respect. On 12 August – the birthday of Hitler’s mother – every mother who had given birth to a large number of children was awarded a Mother’s Cross. Rewards for raising large families were also financial, as special welfare benefits were awarded to encourage marriage and motherhood.  Newly married couples were offered a 1,000 mark loan, repayable at three per cent interest, which was reduced by 25 per cent after the birth of each child. This loan effectively turned into a free gift from the state following the birth of four healthy children. The role of women in Nazi Germany was clearly defined, encouraging them to embrace their ‘natural’ role as mothers. As already mentioned, women were the focus of the Nazi drive to boost birth rate, and were ushered away from the idea of a full-time career in favour of starting or extending a family. Furthermore, within education, girls would be directed away from developing their academic ability and independence, in favour of training for future maternal roles through compulsory courses in domestic science and biology. Upon reaching adulthood, the indoctrination of Nazi ideals continued through membership of three women’s organisations, all created by the Nazi party – the German Woman’s Enterprise, the National Socialist Womanhood and the Reich Mothers’ Service. By March 1939, over 1.7 million German women had attended one of these Nazi organised courses. In its crusade to win over the working class, the Nazis offered a vast array of publicly funded leisure activities. The Nazi Kraft durch Freude (KdF) (Strength through Joy) organisation was officially founded to promote the physical prowess of the individual, although in reality its essential purpose was to educate and socialise the German population into National Socialism. The Nazi leisure policy was initiated with the hidden intention of rallying the German people towards active voluntary participation in National Socialist Germany. An active, thriving leisure movement it was believed would contribute to the thrust of National Socialism as a whole, enhancing the vitality and all round commitment to the German cause. The economic success of the Nazi regime is remembered most for its remarkable success in reducing unemployment. The cornerstone of this recovery was the implementation of the many work programmes, which created jobs for the phenomenal number of unemployed Germans at the beginning of Hitler’s reign. German economists had recognised that the abandonment of narrow fiscalism in favour of counter-cyclical strategies based upon investment in the infrastructure and public housing was essential in order to reduce levels of unemployment. Job creation schemes, such as the construction of the Autobahn – the major motorway network – and house building schemes resulted in a fall in unemployment from 34% in January 1933 to 13.5% in July 1934. Upon coming to power, Hitler embarked on a crusade to eradicate Christianity, as he believed it to be a product of Jewish culture – a religion he perceived as a corrosive influence on the German population. The process of gradually reducing the influence and presence of the church in Nazi Germany was achieved in a number of ways. The establishment of the Reich Church, the German Christians organisation and the German Faith movement introduced a new Christian religion based on the core ideals and beliefs of National Socialism. This was yet another example of the iron grip with which the Nazis sought to control the German population. Nazi economic and social policy had a phenomenal effect on the German mass population by 1939. The levels of propaganda used to capture the loyalty of the German people were deeply influential, effectively brainwashing the population. The focus on the future strength and solidarity of The Third Reich as a totalitarian state saw key aspects of the German lifestyle subjected to significant changes between 1933 and 1939. The effect that Nazi social and economic policies had were seen most significantly in their effect on women, youth, education, the economy with regards to employment, the motivation of the working class, and religion. Nazi propaganda went further than this in its influence on the German way of life, as the press,  industry, art and culture, and all forms of entertainment were transformed into mere puppets of the Nazi regime. The gradual erosion of individualism and devotion to The Third Reich amongst German people could not have been achieved without the changes imple mented in these fundamental aspects of daily life. Assess the impact by 1939 of Nazi. (2016, Jul 07).

Economic Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Economic Geography - Essay Example The second map depicts the results of the analysis of the number of immigrants in every state in America, by 2009. An analysis of survey by the census bureau shows that Newark, NY, is among the most populous urban areas in the United States. The state has over twenty million residents and one of the states that have the highest number of foreign people. The high population and immigration in New York result from the diverse economic activities in the state. Newark, NY, has a vast diversity including Canadians, West Europeans, Latin Americans, Russians, Africans and other foreign members. Different counties in New York have high number of foreign-borns. Fulton County has one thousand foreign-borns, for instance (U. S census Bureau 1). The two maps have close relationships since high immigration is a cause of high population in New York. High immigration also emanates from the influence of other pull factors as employment, New York being among the most industrialized states in the

Class 6340 week discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Class 6340 week discussion - Assignment Example According to the Journal of Clinical Nursing, the number of nursing students involved in alcohol and substance abuse has been on the rise and it is the role of a nurse educator to help them since they spend most of their time together (Monroe and Kenaga, 2011). I am interested in becoming a clinical instructor for the registered nurses (RNs). These students are novices in the nursing career and hence immense pressure is upon them which makes many of them resort to indulging in alcohol and other substance to ease the stress and pressure. Continual usage lead to abuse which is what is making their number increase drastically in this field. As their instructor, I will be in a better position to advise them and make them change their attitude towards the career and hence in the end change their behavior (of abusing alcohol and other substances) as well. As a clinical instructor the common legal issue is sexual harassment and assault lawsuit filed by a student. This is a concern because it will cost me not only my license to practice nursing or even teach it but also my dignity and money for damages have to be paid (Osinski,

Graffiti Art Essay Example for Free

Graffiti Art Essay Graffiti is the art of regular people; these people are not considered artists but the criminalised voice of the populace. For most artists, gaining recognition and selling their works for high-prices is a life-long aspiration and for the most recognition doesn’t happen before death. Graffiti artists don’t have these ambitions and from city to coast we can admit to admiring the aesthetic value and eccentric expressions that are portrayed by Graffiti artists. They portray quirky, humorous artworks and provide a political voice for the lower class people of the world. Largely emerging in the late 1970’s and the early 1980’s, Graffiti was the people’s way of expressing their feelings about anti-consumerism, anti-war, feminist and political issues. It is the art that has attitude and makes every surface of a city an installation that brings people together and provokes thought about the world as it is. A largely popular quasi-anonymous graffiti artist that is supposedly from Bristol, England is Banksy. As his artworks were considered criminal he ensured that his real name was not discovered by the media and to this day remains anonymous. Inspired by local artists and the Bristol underground scene, Banksy initially employed freehand and stencilling techniques to create his pieces but later converted to stencilling entirely after â€Å"realising how much less time it took to complete a piece† (Wikipedia, 2008). He used graffiti to â€Å"promote alternative aspects of politics from those promoted by mainstream media† (Sewell, 2010) and provided a voice for people affected by political issues that could not express their emotions. It is highly debated as to whether graffiti is in fact art or vandalism with many people regarding the work of Banksy and similar artists such as Blek le Rat and Jef Aerosol as straight up criminal destruction. In regards to Banksy’s work being vandalism he states that â€Å"Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place† (Vidar, 2011). Though, to this day graffiti that is not approved legally is considered a criminal act that is punishable, instead of being seen as art brightening the bland streets of this world. Above: Artwork by Banksy of a police officer snorting cocaine. Not only does Banksy regard his pieces to be artworks, Terrance Lindall an artist and executive director of the Williamsburg Art and Historic Centre also made a tatement about graffiti, he says, Graffiti is revolutionary, in my opinion and any revolution might be considered a crime. People who are oppressed or suppressed need an outlet, so they write on walls—its free (Ciuraru, 2006) Despite the social and economic status of the people holding these high opinions of graffiti art, be the lower class or even highly educated, Banksy remains an artistic fugitive in hiding and graffiti still remains illegal. Banksy is essentially a modern day, anonymous Andy Warhol that has the clear capacity to insult, irritate and mock, in the most educated way possible. He is the representation of everyone, he remains anonymous as there is no need to meet such an artist; we would simply have to look in the mirror and we would find Banksy. He has the ability to delve deep into the thoughts of common society and voice the feelings that people are afraid to exploit publicly, which makes him an incredibly powerful figure. His artworks promote the underdogs, the suppressed mentality of an entire societal collective, the mentality of the corrupt and the moral deterioration that continues to spread like an uncontrollable wild fire. Even though Banksy is rebelling against not only the law, but politics and those in society who disagree with his creations he was also rebelling against the movements of other artists at the time.

China’s One Child Policy Violates Human Rights Essay -- Human Rights V

Although there are many facets of human rights being abused and violated every day, the Chinese would mention their fight for reproductive rights as one of the first and foremost in their mind. In 1979, the Chinese government passed the One-Child Policy in an attempt to control the growth of their population. While this may have been a grand idea in theory, in reality this policy violates the human right to form a family. By limiting the amount of children a Chinese couple is allowed to produce, this policy is effectively forcing abortion, sterilization and is taking away the Chinese family’s right to make their own choices. The policy was created in 1979 and set a strong limit of one child per family. However, modern-day China is currently working off of a change proposed in 1984, which changed the policy to work off of a 1.5-child per couple. This change allowed some families to have another child, but only if their first born was a female. Most provinces have also allowed rural couples to have another child a few years after the birth of their first. This relaxed policy also permitted minority couples to have two or more children in an effort to increase diversity. Unfortunately, most of these amendments to the policies affect only the rural citizens of China, and provide little benefit to the urban residents. This being said, there is an issue of fairness when it comes to the rural vs. urban families. In Jiali Li and Rosemary Santana Cooney’s article, â€Å"Son Preference and the One-Child Policy in China 1979-1988,† we learn of the different types of familial registration, and how that impacts the policy. The two types of registration depend on the location of your residency. Chinese families with Type I registrat... ..."China Sticking With One-Child Policy ." The New York Times, March 11, 2008, World section. Web 3 May 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/world/asia/11china.html?_r=2 Yi, Zeng. "Population and Development Review." Options for Fertility Policy Transition in China, 215-46. Population council, 2007. Web 10 May 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25434606 Yuan Tien "Population Studies, Vol. 18, No. 3." Sterilization, Oral Contraception, and Population Control in China, 215-35. Population Investigation Committee, 1965. Web 3 May 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2173285 Zhang, Junsen & Sturm, Roland. "Population Research and Policy Review, Vol. 13, No. 1." When Do Couples Sign the One-Child Certificate in Urban China?, 69-81. Springer in cooperation with the Southern Demographic Association, 1994. Web 7 May 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40229690

Leadership Traits

Although research has shown that the presence of specific traits alone do not ensure successful leadership, it has been proven that successful historical leaders share certain key traits. According to Shelley Kirkpatrick and Edwin Locke, â€Å"leaders do not have to be great men or women by being intellectual geniuses or omniscient prophets to succeed, but they do need to have the â€Å"right stuff† and this stuff is not equally present in all people† (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 12). Despite the many controversial discussions on whether leaders are born or made, the fact that efficacious leaders possess key traits remains undisputed.Some of the various traits that have an impact on effective leadership are discussed in detail below. Ability to Listen Most people listen actively to only a small percent of what is being said because people speak at a much slower rate than what they are able to hear. Therefore, active listening requires concentration and attentiveness t o the speaker. Effective listening involves three important elements (Greenberg, 2010, p. 241): * Being nonjudgmental while taking in information from others. * Acknowledging speakers in ways that encourage them to continue speaking. Attempting to advance a speaker’s ideas to the next step. Listening is an important trait that â€Å"underlies all leadership skills. It is the key to developing and maintaining relationships, decision making and problem solving† (Rynders, 1999, p. 5).Gregory Rynders conducted a study on the relationship between listening and leadership. Although the research did not confirm if leaders naturally possessed superior listening abilities or if they just work harder at it, the results did confirm there is a positive relationship between successful leadership and effective listening skills (Rynders, 1999, p. ). Ability to Manage Some believe you can either be a manager or a leader, but you can’t be both. Although the functions of a leader and a manager differ, management skills are a subset of leadership skills (Shead, 2010). Management and leadership are not separate functions. They cannot exist apart from each other. Management, it appears, is about controlling an existing system, while leadership is about invention and adaptation. (Kaplan, 1994) A good leader must have the ability to manage and at same time distance oneself from managing when it is not appropriate to do so.Managing typically involves the details of running the day to day operations of the business. In this case, it would be inappropriate for the leader to get involved in tasks that should be delegated. However, leaders who do not possess the ability to manage lack the knowledge required to make effective decisions to lead the organization in the right direction. Balance There is an old saying, â€Å"Too much of a good thing can be bad. † Water is essential to the survival of the human body and a lack of water intake can result in dehydrati on causing serious health conditions.However, too much water can result in over hydration causing hyponatremia or intoxication. Balance is important in many areas of life and is a key trait in being a successful leader. Technological advances, economic changes, company dynamics and pressing deadlines create a difficult environment for practicing balance. Linking organizational, departmental and individual goals to the mission of the company is important. Yet balance is required to allow interpretation and innovation of the goals in order to gain commitment and enthusiasm from employees.Reward systems initiate creativity and motivation. However, if the correlation between rewards and individual actions is too specific, it may impede individuals from taking actions that lead to innovation. Time pressure is another key matter that requires balance. Lack of time pressures may result in declining productivity while excessive time pressure restraints may stifle creativity and growth (Gree nberg, 2010, pp. 361-362). Leaders must have the ability to maintain balance in order to achieve optimal results. Relating to GroupsIn recent years, more and more companies are adopting a team based work system and successful implementation has been linked to leadership (Murry, Avolio, & Jung, 2002). Relating to groups requires a different approach than that of traditional leadership. â€Å"In many of today’s organizations, where teams predominate, leaders are called upon to provide special resources to team members, who are empowered to implement their own missions in their own ways† (Greenberg, 2010, p. 330). Leaders must understand team dynamics in order to lead the various groups that make up the organization.Decision Making Process According to management experts, decision making is one of the most critical and common job functions of executive leaders (Mintzberg, 1988). People make a number of decisions every day; however decisions made at the senior level may ha ve a far greater impact on the organization. A general model describes the steps of the decision making process as follows: identify the problem, define objectives, make a pre-decision, generate alternatives, evaluate alternative solutions, make a choice, implement the chosen alternative, and follow-up (Greenberg, 2010, pp. 83-284). Leaders are typically responsible for making non-programmed decisions. Therefore, they must rely on prior experience, information available and reliable sources to make decisions. In order for a leader to possess the trait of superior decision making ability, they must understand each of these steps and use them to evaluate the effectiveness of their decisions. Understanding Change Change is essential to the growth and expansion of organizations. People are creatures of habit and not always accepting of change.Learning organizations have developed the capacity to adapt to continuously changing conditions through setting aside old ways of thinking, freely sharing ideas, and working together (Greenberg, 2010, p. 417). The greatest results are derived from changes that are strategically planned and systematically implemented. â€Å"Organizational development is a set of social science techniques designed to plan and implement change in work settings for purposes of enhancing the personal development of individuals and improving the effectiveness of organizational function† (Greenberg, 2010, p. 17). The â€Å"implementation dip† refers to two problems associated with change: the social-psychological fear of change and the lack of technical skills required for successful implementation. Leaders who understand change â€Å"still have an urgent sense of moral purpose and measure success in terms of results, but they do things that are more likely get the organization going and keep it going† (Fullan, 2001). Charisma Charisma is defined as â€Å"a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthus iasm for a public figure† (Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. , 1981, p. 377).A leader’s possession of charisma is based on the perception of their followers and may change due to actions and circumstances. Just as presidential approval ratings could change drastically from one day to the next based on the latest news and events. Charisma alone may not ensure successful leadership but it could mean the difference between an average leader and a great leader. A person may exhibit all the traits of a successful leader and propel the organization forward through market share dominance and financial growth and at the same time he may be perceived by his employees and community as a terrible leader.Charismatic leaders inspire enthusiasm and loyalty by engaging followers through personal connection. Transformational leaders like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy were known for their charismatic qualities that inspired others to follow them, often in a highly emotional manner (Greenberg, 2010, p. 316). Charisma is a key leadership trait because it emphasizes the importance of focusing on the viewpoint of the employees and the community. Drive Drive consists of the desire for achievement, ambition, energy, tenacity, and initiative (Greenberg, 2010, p. 14). â€Å"High achievers obtain satisfaction from successfully completing challenging tasks, attaining standards of excellence, and developing better ways of doing things† (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 2).Individuals that desire higher standards of excellence are more likely to succeed in a leadership role. They typically have a â€Å"can do† attitude and are willing to complete the necessary tasks to achieve positive results despite the challenge. Leaders with high levels of initiative are proactive. They make choices and take action that leads to change instead of just reacting to events or waiting for things to happen† (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 4). In our technologically advanced society, it is very easy to operate in a reactive mode, addressing issues as they arise. Great leaders have a natural drive to seek out challenges and proactively identify opportunities for improvement. â€Å"These same qualities, however, may result in a manager who tries to accomplish everything alone, thereby failing to develop subordinate commitment and responsibility.Effective leaders must not only be full of drive and ambition, they must want to lead others† (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 5). Self-confidence In order for leaders to gain commitment from their followers, self-confidence is a necessity. â€Å"A person riddled with self-doubt would never be able to take the necessary actions nor command the respect of others† (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 7). Self-confidence has been uniquely recognized as a necessary trait of effective or emergent leaders in many different studies written since 1948 (Judge, Ilies, Bono, & Gerhardt, 2002, p . ). Self-confidence is an indicator of emotional stability and self-esteem. Followers desire a sense of stability and assurance in their leader’s capacity to take charge in any given circumstance. Many times leaders have to be willing to take risks and make quick decisions that require commitment from others. Doing so requires confidence in their skills and abilities and others must be able to sense their confidence in order to commit to the decision and take action. Integrity Integrity means doing the right thing for the right reason, regardless of who is watching.A leader of integrity is a leader people can trust. Integrity also means conducting business in an ethical manner because integrity requires honesty. Integrity is essential to effective leadership since people value trust and fair treatment. People want to know their leader will stand behind their word and do what they proclaim. â€Å"Honesty is absolutely essential to leadership. After all, if we are willing to follow someone, whether it be into battle or into the boardroom, we first want to assure ourselves that the person is worthy of our trust.We want to know that he or she is being truthful, ethical, and principled. We want to be fully confident in the integrity of our leaders. † (Kirkpatrick & Locke, 1991, p. 7) Leadership Theories Leadership is an intricate process that entails developing and maintaining complex social relationships. Over the years, many have studied leadership approaches and styles in an effort to determine the most effective. Several leadership theories have formed out of these studies, two of which are contingency theories discussed below.A contingency theory is a belief that leadership is influenced by the â€Å"characteristics of the individuals involved and the nature of the situations they face† (Greenberg, 2010, p. 322). Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory The situational leadership theory was developed by Paul Hersey, a professor who wrote the book Situational Leader and Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager. The theory was originally introduced as â€Å"The Life-Cycle Theory of Leadership† and was renamed â€Å"Situational Leadership Theory† in the mid 1970’s when they developed their own models (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969).The situational leadership theory is based on adapting your leadership style to the maturity of the individual or group you are attempting to influence. It is based on the fact that each person differs in their capabilities and capacity to set goals, their willingness and ability to take responsibility, and level of education and experience. Hersey and Blanchard characterized leadership styles into four behavior types: telling, selling, participating, and delegating. Telling (S1) is the act of identifying the roles of the individual or group and providing specific avenues of how to accomplish the specified task.Selling (S2) is the act of identifying the roles of the individual or group and providing two-way communication so as to allow the individual or group being influenced to commit to the process. Participating (S3) encompasses shared decision making allowing the individual or group to be a part of the identification of the task and the process. Delegating (S4) provides the individual or group with the authority to make decisions about the process while the leader remains involved as a monitor of the activities taking place. (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969) Hersey and Blanchard’s model also identifies four levels of maturity.Level one is when the participants lack the skills for the job and are either unable or unwilling to accept responsibility for the task. Level two is when the participants are willing to provide effort to complete the task but lack the skills or the knowledge required. Level three is when the participants are willing to provide the effort and have the skills or knowledge required but lack the confidence to take on the responsibility. Level four is when the participants are willing to provide the effort and have the skills or knowledge required and are confident and willing to accept the responsibility. (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969)Hersey and Blanchard noted the importance of communicating your leadership approach to your employees. If you make a good diagnosis and provide the leadership style needed but fail to communicate your approach, your employees may become untrusting. Therefore it is important to implement your approach with your employees rather than to your employees in order to create a cohesive environment. (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969) The idea is to adapt your leadership behavior to that of your employees. By identifying the maturity level of your employees and adapting your leadership behavior, you can become a more effective leader.Path-Goal Theory The path-goal is a contingency theory based on the principle that â€Å"subordinates will react favorably to leaders who are perceived a s helping them make progress toward various goals by clarifying the paths to such rewards† (Greenberg, 2010, p. 325). This theory emphasizes the importance of the way the leader helps to clarify, communicate and reduce or eliminate obstacles so as to create a positive perception that will result in increased effort and high-quality performance from the subordinate (Greenberg, 2010, p. 325).In essence, people will work to achieve the goal if they believe they are capable, and if they perceive the goal to be worthwhile. The path-goal theory suggests four basic leadership styles: instrumental, supportive, participative, and achievement oriented. Instrumental also known as directive is when the leader identifies the task and specifically defines the process to be followed. This approach has a positive effect when the tasks are ambiguous and essentially gratifying (House & Mitchell, 1974). The supportive leadership style is centered on building relationships with employees and show ing concern for their sychological well-being. This style is effective when the tasks are emotionally taxing and physically draining (House & Mitchell, 1974). The participative leadership style is the based upon the belief that two or more minds are better than one and engaging employees in the decision making process produces higher levels of commitment.The level of participation may vary based on the style of leadership used and the style may change based on the type of decision being made. The achievement oriented leadership style focuses on setting challenging goals with confidence in subordinates seeking to improve performance (Greenberg, 2010, p. 25). This style has been proven most effective in highly technical roles. The style of leadership that should be selected depends on the individual situation and several characteristics of subordinates should be considered. The theory suggests that several aspects of the work environment play a role and best results are achieved when tasks are unstructured. In a routine and structured work environment, employees may become resentful of the path-goal approach perceiving the leader as intrusive (Greenberg, 2010, p. 327). Application of Analysis to Leadership EnvironmentLeaders of all industries may take advantage of the study and application of leadership traits and theories. Practical application would benefit a general manager of a full-service hotel in the hospitality industry. A general manager is a leader to many different employees with various levels of education, experience and skills. In addition, the employees maturity levels vary and some are more willing than others to take initiative to expand their skills and abilities. The two contingency theories mentioned provide leaders with optional styles that can be adapted to individual employees to achieve optimal productivity.For instance, a new housekeeper may initially require the telling style of the situational leadership theory. They may appreciate cle ar guidelines that outline the process of cleaning a room. However, after the training period the employee may exhibit high levels of maturity by taking initiative and offering new ideas. In this case, employee engagement and commitment can be achieved by shifting to the participating leadership style. This can be accomplished through encouraging feedback and empowering the employee to implement new ideas.The sales team of a hotel operates most efficiently in a creative environment that promotes open forums for brainstorming and networking. The path-goal theory encourages a participative leadership style effective in sales positions because it encourages feedback and a personal commitment to the goals. The ability to listen and relating to groups are valuable traits when working with a sales team. Active listening ensures the employees understand the goals of the organization. Relating to the group allows the leader to provide the support and resources needed to achieve the goals.